Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Sweet & Sour
One of the sweetest parts of the camino is the people you meet. One of the most difficult aspects is saying good-bye not knowing if you will ever cross paths again!
We bumped into Billy and Rachel in a small lifeless town when we were all staying at the same hostel. It was obvious that they were kindred spirits and we started to walk together, share meals together and sleep at the same towns each evening. Even though they were only on the road for 8 days (doing a stint of the Camino every year for 4 years) they became dear friends and we miss them now that they´ve gone.
They have those lovely Irish accents and of course the sense of humour that goes along with it. They shared their lives transparently with us and blessed and encouraged us. The night of their farewell they both shared poems that were special to them and showered us with words of appreciation. We dearly miss them now that they are not on the road with us.
Special people like Billy and Rachel are a gift from God. Sometimes the gift is only for a short time, but we are left with special memories. Do we take time to appreciate the people that God sends as gifts into our lives?
PS This computer doesn´t allow us to upload photos, but soon we hope to give you some scenic shots and of course one of our dear Irish friends.
We bumped into Billy and Rachel in a small lifeless town when we were all staying at the same hostel. It was obvious that they were kindred spirits and we started to walk together, share meals together and sleep at the same towns each evening. Even though they were only on the road for 8 days (doing a stint of the Camino every year for 4 years) they became dear friends and we miss them now that they´ve gone.
They have those lovely Irish accents and of course the sense of humour that goes along with it. They shared their lives transparently with us and blessed and encouraged us. The night of their farewell they both shared poems that were special to them and showered us with words of appreciation. We dearly miss them now that they are not on the road with us.
Special people like Billy and Rachel are a gift from God. Sometimes the gift is only for a short time, but we are left with special memories. Do we take time to appreciate the people that God sends as gifts into our lives?
PS This computer doesn´t allow us to upload photos, but soon we hope to give you some scenic shots and of course one of our dear Irish friends.
Hinds Feet on High Places
The flat land (well, relatively speaking!) is behind us and we have been climbing again. After walking for 9 days at around 800 metres we began to climb and enjoyed a most beautiful and scenic climb up to 1400 metres again (much less strenuous than our first day over the mountains) and then back down to around 500. The sun was shinning, the day was stunning and the views spectacular. After a further two days of walking along beautiful rolling countryside we then climbed again to 1300 metres where we stayed last night.
Today we decended to a little over 600 metres where we will sleep tonight. It´s been a great work out for those leg muscles that had thought they had been made redundant and we´ve totally enjoyed it, which may be a sign that we´re gettting fitter. The feet still protest in pain at times.
The most amazing thing is that of the total 764 km we plan to walk from France to Santiago, only approx 130 remain. We only have 6 days of walking left!
Love to you all our friends and family who are cheering us on from afar!
Today we decended to a little over 600 metres where we will sleep tonight. It´s been a great work out for those leg muscles that had thought they had been made redundant and we´ve totally enjoyed it, which may be a sign that we´re gettting fitter. The feet still protest in pain at times.
The most amazing thing is that of the total 764 km we plan to walk from France to Santiago, only approx 130 remain. We only have 6 days of walking left!
Love to you all our friends and family who are cheering us on from afar!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Communal Living
Each night we share a room with others - sometimes it will be 4 others and sometimes 40. Some of our room mates are old faces and some new. We recognise and greet many of the same people who are journeying at the same speed as us. Communal living can be fun but it can also bring out a side of you that isn't nice!
As we recognise the group of 4 Spaniard's we hold our breath and hope they are not in our room. And there's that man again that snores like a chainsaw, or the group that get up at 5 and shuffle around loudly getting ready in the dark, ensuring the rest of us don't continue to sleep. We put labels on people and don't always think kindly of others... yet we don't consider it a problem when we are eating late and being loud while the early birds are trying to sleep, or when we rush for the showers and do not consider those who are much older than us and have had equally long days. Communal living can sometimes bring out the 'self' in us and sometimes the 'kindness' in us. We invite a couple of others on their own to join us in our shared meal, we tend to each others feet and blisters, we carry things for each other and do our best to care for those who are sick. We share our resources and stop and try and help those who look in distress on the side of the road.
May we be people who do unto others as we would have them do unto us!
Question: How do you relate within the community that you live in? Are you clothed with kindness?
As we recognise the group of 4 Spaniard's we hold our breath and hope they are not in our room. And there's that man again that snores like a chainsaw, or the group that get up at 5 and shuffle around loudly getting ready in the dark, ensuring the rest of us don't continue to sleep. We put labels on people and don't always think kindly of others... yet we don't consider it a problem when we are eating late and being loud while the early birds are trying to sleep, or when we rush for the showers and do not consider those who are much older than us and have had equally long days. Communal living can sometimes bring out the 'self' in us and sometimes the 'kindness' in us. We invite a couple of others on their own to join us in our shared meal, we tend to each others feet and blisters, we carry things for each other and do our best to care for those who are sick. We share our resources and stop and try and help those who look in distress on the side of the road.
May we be people who do unto others as we would have them do unto us!
Question: How do you relate within the community that you live in? Are you clothed with kindness?
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
