Good morning. Here is a complete email letter from our dear friend Catherine with some news from England and their Camino there. This goes along with getting the word out about “other Caminos”. We are experiencing a crush of pilgrims flooding into Spain. All wonderful but are there other venues to get together in? Check this out, Dales Way.
Hola Felipe,
I tapped out a rather long missive to accompany the previously sent photos, but think it got lost along the way, like a sock in the wash. So mysterious this world of cyberspace.
We begin our 5th day of walking today. We covered about 50 miles so far; our feet and legs tired but good. The countryside varies between a great green pastoral landscape with ancient stone walls, working farms and swiftly running rivers whose water looks an irony brown. It is the tannin from the ancient peat that colors it so. This alternates with climbs and descents up and over foggy windswept moor land with only sheep for company. It is all beautiful and slow.
It is so good to be just walking again, the mind emptying over the miles, the simplest of things recognized as God’s gifts once more. There are 5 of us walking, laughing, unwinding the stories of our lives together, with plenty of miles in silence too. It’s perfect and as you often say. “All good.” At the end of the day we arrive in small stone villages, find a warm pub with pints and crisp to celebrate our day, followed by delicious pies and soft beds to carry us into restful sleep.
The English are a reserved folk always helpful in an exact and unphased sort of way. They are steady and resilient in the face of adversity and simply ‘carry on’ no matter what. There are no whiners or complainers here. They are good teachers in this way. We with our open hearts and our delight seem effusive in comparison, but then we can be teachers too. Here, the people live the old way, mind the sheep, work hard, love the land… it is easy to connect with that.
It is not the Camino and it is very much the Camino in its opportuny to extend kindness and gratitude and receive kindness with grateful humility.
So my friend. As you slumber we begin. The rain is pouring. ‘Twill be a wet one for sure.
Hope all are well at Raven Ranch. I send our love. “Bahhhh”
Xo C.
Thanks Catherine. The neighborhood misses you guys. See you soon.
Well, summer is blending into fall here on the Island. We scurry to get ready for the winter ahead. I hope to get some time to work on the corn today. Autumn loves, Felipe.
How fun to hear of a different Camino from such dear ones… Thanks for sharing, all of you:).
Michelle ~ we got it all here at Caminoheads! Yea, she did a nice job on that, we thank her. How is your change of season coming? We are having some beautiful days aren’t we? Hope to see you soon, Felipe.x
Hola Felipe!
You are rich in friends, Amigo! A great description of yet another “Way”. I have been drawn in to the recently “opened for business” Ireland way. A quite long pilgrimage from the North reaches of Eire to the far south of that fabled land. It’s the home of my ancestors, and still calls my name. At this juncture, it would appear to be a mostly solitary journey, but, as Catherine y Dana point out, that’s beautiful too. My now “long time Camino friend” Angela from Australia is nearly completion of the Ignatious Way eastward across Spain and describes it in totally glowing terms as well. At one point it crosses the Camino Frances and she describes the intersection of the two as a trickle flowing into a river of humanity.
Soybean harvest just got started in time for a totally unexpected, unpredicted, wind and rain event. We have been in the mid 90s here for several days with the humidity building and that often boils over into sudden storms.
SF,
PFJ
PFJ ~ yes, rich in friends, I have you here amigo. I can totally see you walking n Ireland. That would be a fascinating journey. Actually, I think it is a must. Yes and the “other” Caminos. It is a healthy sign for us to branch out and discover other ones in maybe unexpected places. And good luck with your harvest. Too bad about the low prices these days. OK, buddy as always, Felipe.
Queridos todos,
Ohhhh how beautiful to read Catherine’s lines! I can see she and Dana walking along the moors “with our open hearts and our delight…” and being “teachers too”!
Isn’t the world and its people Beautiful? (Yes, I know there are bad guys and pollution and climate change, but there is so much Beauty and Goodness!) (Catherine, GRACIAS for the reminder!!!)
Tired but Open Heart Love,
Cris
Hi Cris ~ yes, I couldn’t resist putting that up on the blog. I can see her trying to capture the situation as she walks into it. New lands, new trails, new people. It feels like we are discovering the world again with our new lens to look through. Don’t be so tired, yours, Felipe.x
What a beautiful write-up! Thanks for sharing! Reading this makes me feel like I am there!
Hi Loretta ~ Catherine Johnson is a very talented writer and happens to be our neighbor and my Mass partner. She has a book that was just published recently entitled Finding Mercy in this World. I always appreciate it when she chimes in. She gave me an idea for the blog today which I will be working on in a minute. And you, how is retirement going? Keep in touch, Felipe.x
I would read a shopping list from Catherine Johnson! Her book Finding Mercy in the World is a tremendous work of the heart and has stayed with me since I first read it months ago. I love her description and I feel like PFJ described. I have always felt a little calling to go back to the land of my ancestors, but Catherine’s description makes it stronger. I love this Camino family you have created here, Felipe! I am walking right along with everyone else, even when I am quiet about it (I can still surprise you, haha!). I love her line about walking and emptying her mind. I have to remember that and make some time to make it over to the mountain here and walk and walk and empty and empty. It will be good. Love you!
Annie ~ that’s funny! So fortunate to have Catherine in our lives. We are looking forward to having her and Dana back here soon after their foray to England. Camino all the dang time, here there and everywhere, Felipe.x
So I miss Catherine and Dana’s sweet faces and hope to see them soon. I have a good buddy Emily who has walked several of the British ways, including from Land’s End to John O’Groats. I am eager to follow Ignatius Way from Loyola to Barcelona. One of my favorite walkabouts was around Ayers Rock (not on top) and around Mackinac Island. somehow the looped walkabouts make me “arrive where we started and know the place for the first time” TS Elliot. Cheers.
Jessika ~ yes, good topics. Maybe a get together is in order. Felipe.x