It took me one year to plan for my Camino, starting by watching the famous movie , The Way by Martin Sheen, then reading through books about the pilgrimage..etc I felt I was planning it too much, aiming to go there to spend time to explore my inside and escape the political and social bubble I’ve been surviving during the past years. I was quite worried that am too lost with my thoughts that I might go there and will not know how to prioritize my thinkings, beside of the physical preparation. So I decided to practice at the gym, walking daily on my treadmill. Then I had some appointments with a life coach to help me do it right. I had some papers with list of points written to think about, and now am ready to fly.

The day I started walking up the mountain from St Jean Pied De Port to Roncessvales , I felt all the physical practicing was useless! I felt my beats are getting higher and I started to panic, feeling I will not be able to finish this trip… Looking around me, I saw the same look on most of the pilgrims around me, whether walking or biking…everyone is breathing hard and suffering to walk up this mountain, so it wasn’t me only! Suddenly I felt the camino is giving me a clear message: if you wanna have a new start, you gotta die a bit first and live again! My heart beats started to slow down gradually even though I was still doing the same effort walking up. Again everyone around is feeling the same, and people stopped at Orisson to start talking to eachother. First camino friends are made here and people are sharing their experience of those first 7 km , congratulations you are on the way…no way back… don’t stop walking and…. BUEN CAMINO

Everytime I aim to start thinking of one of the points I came with, I find myself distracted with the beautiful scenery or by knowing new friends, who I can swear each one of them I met for a reason! I ended up not even looking at the papers I got and I nearly forgot everything my life coach told me. One day I decided to throw all these papers as I realized that I should give up and enjoy the natural life coaching flow of the Camino…

Conclusion… Aside from buying the right walking shoe and using it few miles ahead, nothing else should be planned to be on the camino…just plan your long vacations and go !

Sherif, Cairo.

(This is awesome; plain direct Sherif.  Thanks man!)

I had the great pleasure to be with my Vashon buddy Rick (Quick) and his lovely daughter Maryka for the last part of my Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.  Having her there was a totally suprise to me although apparently everyone was in on it.  Anyway I got to spend a lot of time with her just doing what we seem to do best, walking and talking.  And it was just a continuation of our walking and talking that we did in the rain and the snow during the winter here on Vashon.

Have to interject something here from our good friend and serious Angel, Laura from Barcelona.  She emailed yesterday and reminded me/us to have Patience.  And she called for capitalizaton on that since she thought that it was so important.  I trust Laura on this so I am going with it.  And since I was having one of those mornings when I had no idea what I was going to blog about, she also provided me with that.  Thanks Laura.

Patiece, yes.  And this is my remembrance:  We were up early, from I think the monastery at Samos, and it was dark and foggy.  We were walking mostly along the shoulder of a paved road with some occasional traffic.  It was a little hairy since the footing was questionable and with the real possibility that we would miss a sign and be headed off in the wrong direction.  Rick was ahead or behind on some scouting mission.  Anyway, Maryka and I got on the topic of Patience.  Don’t remember how it started but we were throwing our best most inspired thoughts into the mix of our conversation as we felt our way along in the fog.

I remember talking about us Americans being so impatient, being a spray can society.  If we can’t do it quickly and easily and just by pushing a button we are not interested.    The conversation went on and I was talking about how we would  put our money in the Coke machine and if things were too slow or non functional we would start kicking it, like that was going to do some good.  And no sooner did that come out of my mouth than in the distance we spied this weird red glow.  And as we got closer it grew in size until we recognized it as a, guess what, a Coke machine.  No joke just there with nothing else around it and with an extension cord running off into the fog.  It was the first one that I saw that had the Cathedral at Santigo image on the front.  We just stood and stared at it.  Message, you think?!?

Love, Phil.

OK, so a quid is the same as a pound sterling.  Like in the States when we call a dollar a buck.  That came from the early days of America when a tanned deer skin was a medium of exchange.  So a quantity of tobacco might cost one buck.

Just got done with Skype call with Gracie in London.  What a breath of fresh air she is.  So she filled me in on the quid thing being the same as a pound which also is the word for one chew of tobacco, according to the dictionary.  Hmm.  Also in Austraila  they have the Austrailian dollar which has a pic of a kangaroo on it.  Do they call it a Roo?  Anyway, she is getting set up there getting her infastructure together to start her art history studies.

I am really excited about this Friday’s TGIF.  Sherif has sent in a fantastic post.  He has great insights and a great story.  So we have that to look forward to.

OK!  Had small birthday party for our son Wiley last night.   it was the “Perfect Storm” with his gal Ginger and friends Josh, Jake, John Lars and Dominic.  What a crew!  He has turned twenty six and will be much smarter and wiser now.  Love you man.

I was just reading up on some of the blog posts from September which are really awesome,  if I do say so myself.  So maybe if you haven’t been around for a while go back and start at the beginning of the September archive and read forward.

Well, have to get my day started.  Let’s strive to keep the love alive!  Yours, Felipe.

Walking schedule here at Rancho Cuervo:

Friday 0900-1000

Sunday 1000-1100

Monday 0900-1000

Fall is such a great season.  I know that some folks are lamenting the end of the Summer.  It is special for sure but I’ve always enjoyed Fall the best.  Something about the clarity of the air and nature’s fireworks show of the hardwood leaves.  Of course there is the adventure of hunting season.

I’m at the hospital now for my treatment.  But on the way I have a Fall thing to report.  The filbert nuts and it’s wild version the hazelnuts are ripe now and the crows are having a field day.  They fly the nuts to the roads and put them down so that the cars and trucks crack them.  Works slick.  And they don’t just put them anywhere on the road but just in the track where the tires roll.  Amazing example of animals using tools.

OK, so yesterday we reached our goal at the Indiegogo site.  Way to go everyone!  That felt good believe me.  It is so gratifying to have all those folks out there supporting our effort.

I Skyped with Gracie this AM and will try to get back to her as soon as I am done here.  I had to give up on frying bacon and Skyping this morning as too hard.  I learned that it is going to be her first Halloween ever as the Aussies don’t celebrate it down under there.  She was showing me her skeleton costume which only cost five quid.  Maybe I will finally find out what a quid is.

OK, time to go for today.  It’s been great being with you.  Love, Phil.

Good day.  I have to talk with you a minute about the Phil’s Camino Documentary fund raising.  Let’s get that out of the way so we can play.  This Friday is the last day for the Indiegogo fund raiser.  Please put on your thinking cap and maybe come up with one more idea that would help.  We are almost at the goal and it would be great to get there.  Fortunately, we will get the funds even though we fall short but this endeavor is expensive and still there are more steps to go and more funds needed.  We have to keep the pressure on; it’s a long road.  Here is the link:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/phil-s-camino

Also, there is a bank account that will accept checks if they are brought in or mailed in. This at the local Vashon bank.  Just make the check out to “Phil Volker Documentary”.  Here is there mailing address:

US Bank, P. O. Box 428,  Vashon, WA 98070 USA

(bank phone number 206 463 9161)

OK,  this morning I am off to walk again in a few minutes.  It’s lightly raining here.  But yesterday was sunny and warm and Kelly and I were out there.  So here are some pics of him here at the ranch and other stuff yesterday.  Sorry, we ran short on play time today but we have forever, right?   Love, Phil.

“Hola Cherry! Great to see you here guest-blogging and with a perfect Camino vignette.”  This is exactly why we have Mary Margret on board.  Vignette?  Man, If I would have known that we were writing vignettes around here I would have asked for a raise a long time ago!

vignette – noun 1. A brief evocative description, account, or episode.  2. a small illustration or portrait photograph that ….     (Yea, there is other interesting stuff in there about vines and Middle English. )

This is what happens when you start hanging around with MM, history, culture, art, architure, Middle English, vines.  We spent lots of time talking about architecture in Spain.  We were talking squinches.  I know, you might have to look that up.  Go ahead, we won’t leave you behind.  And she started calling our foot injuries stigmata.  Only she would come up with that.  See it, she provides the depth, the historical perspective.  Go girl!

Look, I have to to take a four minute shower and run to early Mass.  Love you guys, Felipe.

Cherry did an outstanding job yesterday, don’t you think?  Even with her funny Aussie spelling!  Cherry love you, just a joke.  She will get me back.

So, today I am off to have my turn to teach at my beloved Bible Guys group.  Deer season is under way, finally hearing some shots.  And the Fall rains have started although we will probably have a few more glorious days here and there.  The rains come, the Californians go home and we all hunker down to start on our wintertime endeavors.  This is the time when someone here will produce the next great American novel or some such major work.  This time of year has it’s own special beauty although finding it usually takes more effort than most folks can muster.

OK, time to grab a second cup and get geared up for today’s walk.  Join me won’t you?  Use your imagination, talk to me and bring out the best in me and pray for me and I will do the same for you, special friends.  Caminohead On, love, Phil.

http://aviatrixkim.wordpress.com/2013/12/26/you-might-be-a-pilgrim-if/

Walking tomorrow here at the ranch, 1000-1100.  Time to get wet!

My Camino was full of wonderful experiences. My favourites were the interactions I had with others along the way. Often the people I’d meet became my best friends in a matter of hours. And then family in a matter of days. Other times my interactions were brief yet I was left feeling inspired and grateful for the chance encounter.

I met this guy called Steve on day 31 of my Camino, somewhere between a place called Hospital de la Cruz and Melide. We briefly discussed our thoughts on football, Catholicism and reincarnation. Then Steve shared with me a ‘compassion meditation’ that he had been practising during his walk. It is simple, easy and beautiful so I thought I’d share it here on Camino Heads.

Firstly, you meditate sending out positive, well wishes and good health for someone you love. Secondly, you send out positive, well wishes and good health for someone you don’t like. And thirdly, you send out positive, well wishes and good health for someone you don’t know but may have crossed paths with or heard about. This easy and loving practice can be done almost any time or anywhere you have a minute or so spare. You can do it whilst walking, running or sitting and you don’t need peace and quiet either.

Steve and I only spent less than half an hour together but he inspired me to send out more positive thoughts to the world. I hope I can pass on this privilege and inspire you to send out more positive thoughts to the world too. Mucho amor, Cherry

This is turning into my favorite time of day.  It is barely light out and I am on my second cup of coffee, the dog is fed and flames are dancing in the wood stove.  My iPad is at 68% charge and I get to talk with you!  And I have a lot to talk about today.  Firstly, I AM going to finish my defination of Caminoheads.  And secondly, I am going to introduce you to Cherry, my buddy and she has a surprise for you.  So, stay tuned.

According to my good friend Ivette, when you are looking at an artist’s painting and you see an area of the canvas that the artist has reworked and is obviously struggled with that is the point of growth, I think that she called it.  It is the place where growth is happening and has the most potential for breakthrough.  The artist has most things figured out but frowns over this spot but really it is the most exciting when you can think about it right.  It is the spot where a lot of energy is being focused and  it has high potential. And we all have spots, moments or areas were we struggle, rework or fret about, yes?

OK, thanks.  And this defination seems like that for me.  There is something important about it that will clarify things or focus things.  It is something similar to creating a mission statement, perhaps.  Anyway back to it.

How’s this:

Caminohead – a person with the state of mind that makes a walk of their life following the possibilities that the Camino de Santiago teaches.

Wow, I’ve just spent a lot of time working and reworking that here but that looks pretty darn good for now.  Let’s let it rest for a while.

OK, next, and I am really excited about this, I would like to unveil a new feature.  Every Friday we will have a quality post from a guest writer from around the world.  This will be called TGIF for Thank God It’s Friday.  It is the celebration of the end of the work week and maybe more importantly a place for some fresh ideas and rememberances from some serious  Caminoheads.  Serious meaning  that they are generally very joyful and exuberant.  See how it works?

So tomorrow if everything goes well, we will hear from Cherry from Australia.  Although she is currently on the road involved in a huge fact finding mission in Eastern Europe, I  think.  She is hard to keep up with!  Anyway, she is going to talk with you about something important that she learned on the Camino.

OK, love, Felipe.

I promise that this is the last day for this thread.  Just a few more details to deal with.  So, the Caminohead is not necessary a veteran of walking part or all of the Camino.  Although, that is certainly the obvious  shortcut to progress.  And finally, the Caminohead is someone that, as the Pilgrim Beatitudes talked about, learns about how to make their life a walk, metaphysically speaking.  So, being a Caminohead really is a state of mind, a path, a way to think about and navigate through this world, this life wherever he is physically.

And there is no denying that the ultimate way or The Way is following the path that Jesus has taught us.  That is the twelve hundred year old draw to that trail.  That is the reason why the whole thing is so saturated with the Holy Spirit’s magic dust.  You can’t go ten feet on the Camino without some getting on you.   And the pilgrim walking next to you is dusted with it.  And then a whole group of you walking together gets covered with it and it starts working on you and them.  And the whole trail is covered with it.  If you could see it it probably is drifted up like snow in places as the wind blows it.

Wow, that was fun.  And I promised you that we would finish this up today  Oh, well.  OK, tomorrow then.  Love you dusty characters, Phil.