Mary and Fred arrive.

This is my first blog in a very long time and since I am up early to take daughter to the airport as she travels up to watch the Sevens competition in Wellington I thought i would add a new blog. Later today I will pick up Mary Findlay and her husband Fred. Mary is a delightful Irish woman who we met on the camino and with whom we walked the last few days and who is a regular on the camino doing sections with groups of young Irish people. Willem and I are very excited that they have come all the way over to Christchurch. It feels sad not to have our beautiful city to show off to them instead a city that is in the throws of both more demolition and the beginning of some rebuilding. Really couldn't get messier or more road works if you tried. I'm not sure these days how to prepare people for coming to Christchurch as there is still the occasional shake and not just in Christchurch either. As Celia keeps reminding me why are we surprised New Zealand is so beautiful because it has been formed by these earth movements.
As I reread over the previous blogs I am transported back to the blessed days on the camino that continue to feed me and challenge me to lead a life more loving and simple.
I am not sure whom i expect to read this but should you happen upon this blog I wish you a good day and that kindness may flow upon you.

until the next time , if I can remember my password !

One of the things that has intrigued us the most has been the ¨"christos burgos". Twice in paintings and then as a crucifix in the Cathedral in Burgos we came across the crucified Christ dressed in a slip. We finally have found someone to explain this to us. The slip to our eyes is actually a traditional burial cloth here in spain. And it seems to be that the Bishops here like a more modest Christ.  So Christ is adorned in burial dress. As for the eggs at the feet of Christ these are goose eggs. Here the goose is a symbol of protection. They make a lot of noise to alert others to the presence of strangers. So Christ is depicted as a protector.

This comes from Ocebreiro a village in Galicia spain. Todays walking brought us up into pasteur lands and wonder views. The walking steep and very steep at times but broken and eased by wonderful views and the occasional village offering water  and a place to rest. O cebreiro  is quite a tidy village on the top of a pass and has a real celtic influende with thatched roofs on someof the buildings and a wonderful chruch that has been renovated. Very simple inside with such a beautiful spiritual presence. This church was the sight of a miracle when a man wlaked through a snow storm to  Mass and the preist said to him , why did you come just for the  bread  and wine and apparently during the Mass the bread and wine was literally transformed into body and blood of christ . they still have in glass viles the outcome of this miracle. Apparently the statue of our lady turned her head at this miracle happened. Her statue is also still here.  The holy grail was apparently hidden high up here at one stage by the templars but is no longer here. So altogether quite an interesting church to visit. Depsite all this there is a lovely presence in this church and it is a very prayerful place. We pray and  light a candle for all our loved ones and hope that the miraculous quality of this church can extend to their needs.

This morning the mountain weather is more like what we were expecting, misty and drizzling which turned to full on wind and rain. After 8km we shelter in a small cafe and had a hot chocolate. The the weather settled a little and we had a lovely wlak down to Tricastella.

The walking is now not a hardship and our spirit is not dampened by the rain as there is a real joy that is part of the journey that seems uplift  even quite challenging situations.

Tomorrow , we arrive in Santiago.Our time of walking this pilgrimage is nearly come to an end or maybe a better way to look at it is to see that now it is time to adapt a pilgrim way of life as we continue our journey. what does that mean? I guess to begin each day trusting that what happens is for the good. To realise that challenges are chances to build character and often are opportunities for friendship  to develop. To accept that things will not always be perfect but to be grateful for what is rather than hankering for what isnt. To take time each day for a little rest, for time on own but also time for sharing with others. To bhe open to all that a day offfers. The smells, sounds, small things  that delight thte soul. For recognising the fingerprint of God among the everyday moments of life. Above allto bring all the love an dcompassion you can muster to each day. . we will have much to be grateful for as we come into Santiago, our challenges will be part of what we are grateful for.   grace is everywhere in every drop

from the camino

your feet will bring you to where your heart is. Not sure where I got that quote from but we are finding the daily rthym of walking is bring a joy to the heart. As we slow down and relax in to the flow of the camino we take delight in small blessings like shade to sit in , a cool breeze on a hot day, the sound of birdsong, companions whose conversations open the heart and make the long way shorter. the landscape changes daily and we don´t look too far ahead , one day at a time. there are so many blessings and gratitude flows for simple things like a warm shower, a track that is soft underfoot, a place to buy our daily bread, and an open church to shelter from the heat of the journey. We rejoice when we re meet friends after not seeing for a few days. Our spanish is meagre to say the best and there are people from many different nationalities. At dinnder we sit with a russian woman two, n from san sebastian, a swedish man and a young dutch women. As we pass others or they pass us we exchange greetings buen camino, everywhere blessings on the way

This comes for Florence and I have beeen trying to work out how to get in when the site is in Italian!! We arrived at noon from assisi which we absolutely loved. Our short time there was rich. We found visiting the little church that St frances restored that is now in the heart of large Basilica very moving and also the musuem attached to the church. While there were many mnay tourists in the church and buying souvenirs most bypast the wee museum which was very special. We then wlaked up to Assisi itself  only to find that our day in assisi coinsided with a Pageant day and hundreds of hte locals were dressed in medievil costumes. It was a warm sunny day and the evening was mild as we watched the sun go down. Our tea was hot roast pork and bread with a cup od red wine.
One of the lovely things was to find that assis is a sister scity to Santiago . well time nearly up  arrivdici

No more sleeps. - I wake and rather than feel a deep sense of readiness and calm , walking nearly  800 km in a foreign land is suddenly feeling like rather a stupid thing. The fears are gnawing and I wonder what on earth possessed me to leave my beautiful daughters and sons, my kind friends and family to head so far away. Despite it's quaked appearance, home is suddenly feeling like the most wonderful place on earth, the feijoas are just starting to fall, the leaves on the oak and fruit trees are at their colorful autumnal best, and there is food and warmth and cars to drive. As I write, the moon and stars are there in the clear night sky, the early birds are just beginning their predawn welcome to the day, all is well here................
And a small quiet voice,  with no manipulation but only invitation says, 'come'.
And there is a gesture which is more reassuring, an outstretched hand for me to hold.
I think of all the brave people I know facing much tougher journeys not just this day but for many days on end, and I strengthen my will to begin. I will bid all this farewell for a while and begin -what else is there to do the packs are packed ......and I think the girls are planning a party in their sorrow at their parents leaving.