Just Past Halfway

I completed the first half of the Camino de Santiago yesterday and commenced the second half today.

The experience is almost surreal, I often still feel new to the Camino and at other times it seems as if I have been walking forever. I've walked 265 miles in the past 17 days, just a bit over 15 miles a day on average, but today I humped out 20 miles, 30 kilometers in seven hours. I think this is my limit. The next two days are much shorter as I approach Leon and a rest day on Saturday.

My feet are doing better and the heel blisters are almost well. My toes however continue to take a pounding. I think this is just the price to pay for the constant walking on rough terrain!

Life offers simple pleasures, a good bed, and the joy of allowing my feet to rest. I'm impressed with how my body regenerates each evening allowing me to continue the journey in the morning.

My English clergyman acquaintance caught up with me yesterday, but got ill in the night and I again parted with him as he got to the hostal in Sahagun. He said it was just something from the dinner the night before and he wanted to have a short day. We said our goodbyes just in case we don't run across each other on down the road.

We may very we'll see each other as I often see the same people tracking with me. There is a loose sort of community that builds from walking and eating and often rooming with the same cohort day after day. I spent the afternoon yesterday butchering Spanish with Lucian Rudolfo from Buenos Aries, Argentina and Hermann from Germany, Brandon from Dublin, and Morris from Brazil were my roommates last night in Terradillos de los Templarios, the last holdout of The Knights Templar.

 The albergue we stayed in is named after the last Grand Master of the Order, Jacques de Molay. The meal served was traditional home made sausage and potatoes (I think this is what didn't sit well with Graham).

I'm in El Burgo Ranero today and head to  Mansilla de las Mulas (Hand on the saddle of the mules) tomorrow, an easy 12 miles. I'm looking forward to a day of not walking on Saturday!

315k to go!

The Arco San Benito in Sahagun

Buen Camino!

Sunday in Fromista, Spain

I'm in Fromista, Spain today on a Sunday, two weeks and 220 miles from St. Jean Pied de Port. The beginning seems long ago and the end is still nowhere in sight. My feet are asking me "What have you done to us" and sometimes I ask myself the same question!

I checked into a private hostal this afternoon for a little privacy and a night of sleep without a chorus of snoring. Last night in Castrojerez I was in a room of thirty people sharing a common bathroom, shower and kitchen. There were at least ten different nationalities represented and everyone got along well. Tonight I'm enjoying a private bath and quiet bedroom.

The past two days the Camino has been passing through the Meseta, farm country with fields either holding sunflower, or plowed and waiting for the next crop.

As I walk along this landscape there is lots of time for reflection, and this is good. I think about my feet a lot and hope to keep them healthy enough to carry me the rest of the way. 

I've fallen into a routine in order to get my 15 plus miles in each day: Wake at 6:30, treat my feet with moleskin and get dressed, breakfast, and then on the Camino by first light, 7:15-7:30.

This allows six or seven hours to walk and take in whatever sights my be on the route and still get to an albergue in time to shower, wash and hang clothes to dry and rest for the next day.

Meals are taken on the road, a bocodillo (sandwich) and cafe con leche! Dinner in Spain is usually after 7pm so meals are late and carb heavy. So far the food has been good.

In two days I reach the mid point. I'll write about the people I've met then.

Buen Camino

Finding the Living Among the Dead!

Last night I stayed in the attic of the parish church in Grañon, Spain. I spent the day walking through acres and acres of vineyards at harvest time. 

The day began in Azofra and a side trip to Cañas, to visit a Cistercian Abbey de Santa María, founded in 1170. 

Very beautiful building with alabaster windows, but it was closed. After looking at the outside I took off to rejoin the Camino. The side trip took some time so I humped it to get back on track making it to Grañon by noon after walking 18 miles, 30 kilometers.

There are fountains for pilgrims to use for drinking water, many very old like this one  in Grañon.

I checked into the albergue and was shown to my bed.

The albergue is run by local people and the cost is "donativo", what you can.

I got cleaned up and washed and hung my hiking clothes up in the bell tower of the church and then had a quick lunch.

By 2 pm the albergue had 32 people registered and the fun began. 

We all worked together to prepare dinner,

then went to Mass in Spanish, where the priest blessed all the peregrinos on the way to Santiago.

After Mass and viewing some of the relics in the old church we all had dinner together: salad, pasta, bread, wine, and for me aqua, por favor!

Sitting with me were people from Italy, Japan, Denmark, Poland, Finland, England, and believe it or not a young woman from North Dakota.

Right before lights out at 10 o'clock, we all went back into the church for a candlelit prayer service led by the hospitalerios and translated by a peregrina. A spirit of unity filled the room as all of us took turns sharing our different reasons for being on the Camino.

After a good nights sleep among snorers of various tunes, I took of today for Villafranco Montes de Oca, another 18 miles. The afterglow of the international experience right in the midst of the ancient building gives me hope. The relics may or may not be sacred, but the spirit of the pilgrims traveling along the Camino as well as the genuine care and concern of the local hospitalerios was a sacred moment I won't forget. Tomorrow I push on toward Burgos, with 140 of the 500 miles behind me.

Olin from Denmark and his Camino tattoo.

Layover in Logroño

It's Sunday, September 21, my sixtieth birthday. I decided to take a day off every week or so and pace myself and today is the first full rest day. 

I had planned to stop in Logroño and fortunately booked a hotel ahead of time because this week is an annual festival to celebrate the grape harvest, Festival de San Mateo.

I got caught in a sea of people yesterday afternoon on the way into town but no one seemed to mind a sweaty, pack wearing pilgrim pushing through the crowd. 

As I neared the area of my hotel I was disoriented and a kindly local man came up and walked me to the hotel, about a block away. Having a private room and bath, without needing to get up at dawn to get packed has been wonderful.

It's been interesting watching the celebration in the old section of town, almost 24 hour revelry. The party went on  yesterday until 4 am!

I had a hearty lunch of patatas a los pobre, pan y aqua mineral.

Potatoes, chorizo, pimento peppers and onion topped with a fried egg. Muy bueno!

Tomorrow I'm back on the Camino, rested and ready for another week. I've traveled 102 of 490 miles and my feet and legs are doing well. Tomorrow the goal is Najera, 18.7 miles west.

Buen Camino

Resting in Pamplona

I have finished three days of the Camino, taking a short day today to rest my feet and see the sights of Pamplona.

I have been walking with Graham, my albergue friend from England. As I arrived in my albergue the first person I met was an elderly gentleman and I use the term lightly, who was one of the four sharing the room this evening. Our other two room-mates were two young women from the United Kingdom. Coed sleeping arrangements are a thing I must get used to.

Graham it turns out is a retired Anglican priest who at age 70 decided it was time to walk the Camino. His wife is a counselor with priests in crisis! We had a bit to share about. I consider this a God sighting and we agreed to walk along together.

We awoke at 6:30 on Sunday to begin the trek. After a short stop at the Parish church Notre Dame du Bout du Pont we began the steep climb out of town.

The first day was a beautiful and strenuous climb out of St. Jean Pied de Port up, over and through the Pyrenees and into Spain nearly 16 miles, 25 kilometers. There was a full range of weather, cool in the am, warm with a cool breeze as the day wore on, rain showers at the border of Spain and then hot on the steep decent into Roncevalles. 

250 pilgrims arrived at the old monastery on the 14th and we all had a bed. 150 of us in one dormitory.

I went to a pilgrim mass of blessing given in ten different languages. Another God moment, I was asked to read the English version of the scripture for the Mass.

The next morning we left early, before sunup to start this stage to Larrasoana. Hard hiking up and downhill, with a short break for jugo de naranja (orange juice) and tortilla ( a Spanish omelet).

We arrived at our destination by 3pm, 17 miles or around 28 kilometers. My feet and legs are tired this day and I'm glad to  be able to stop reasonably early. 

The albergue is old, but I'm glad to have a bed. The town filled up and pilgrims needed to go on to the next villages to try to find a bed.

The God-sighting for today, the 15th, was a situation where a Chinese man I had met in St. Jean, Chin Lee, had arrived in Larrasoana and did not have a bed. Graham had the number of a hotel in the next village, one kilometer away. Chin did not have a Spanish phone and didn't speak Spanish so I called the hotel and asked for a room. They had one room left and would hold it for Chin for 30 minutes. Off he went down the trail saying "thanks". We hoped he was successful in getting there in time.

Dinner was a group meal with other pilgrims and seated with me in one spot, Graham, the Anglican priest next to me and then next to him was a Pentecostal pastor from Australia who runs a drug and alcohol recovery program. The others at the table were able to have our share of the wine and I got to drink "mas aqua, por favor"!

This morning was another early morning and I planned an early stop to rest my weary legs. Only 15 kilometers today, less than ten miles.

We checked into the albergue Jesus y Maria and it is wonderful. 100 beds, modern (coed) showers and a place to wash clothes for the next day. 

After showering and washing clothes I walked to the Cathedral in Pamplona, a lovely, ancient building that also is a museum since there ruins being excavated from Roman days.

As I was looking at the remains of the institution I noticed a pilgrim kneeling in prayer. I looked closer and it was Chin Lee. He was just arriving in Pamplona  and was praying before he walked on to Cizor Menor. He reported that he had made it to the hotel on time the night before and gotten the room, and a good night's rest with no snorers! He was very grateful and called us his Camino angels.

For me I saw it as The Lord revealing his Body alive in the midst of the ancient institution. We can still care and share with each other in need .

Tomorrow I do it again, day four begins early. Buen Camino

Gate to enter St Jean

The Parish Church in St Jean

St Jean from the mountains

The Virgin of Orisson

The Pyrenees 

The hostel in Larrasoana 

Medieval bridge into Trinidad de Arre

Old gate into Pamplona 

The Cathedral de St Fermin in Pamplona

Garden in Pamplona

Two days in Paris

I arrived in Paris at 9:30 am on Tuesday, September 9. The first leg of the Camino has commenced.

I made it through customs, bought a train ticket to the metro station near the apartment where I am staying  and arranged to meet the landlady. Three hours after I arrived I was safely inside the apartment.

All through the fight, buying the train ticket, making it to the apartment, I continued to be troubled by fear and worry. They are constant and so wrong that I just call them demon number one and demon number two.

Every accusation, every suggestion put forth by fear and worry proved wrong. As in most God sightings it's easy to tell the right path because it's always opposed. This journey is no exception. I'm sure I'm on the right path because opposition is very constant but victory is at every turn.

I continue to battle demon's one and two with gratitude. I don't have to do this; I get to do this and I am grateful. And the demons go away for a while.

In preparation for the Camino I hiked 18 miles around Paris on Wednesday and ten more on Thursday. I think I'm in good physical shape.

Here are the obligatory tourist Photos

A garden by my apartment

Notre Dame

The scene from every window

Now that jet-lag is taken care of, tomorrow I take a train to Bordeaux then on to Bayonne and ending in Saint Jean Pied de Port to begin my walk on September 14th. 

I'm reading A W Tozer's "Pursuit of God" again and am reminded of my purpose in the changes I've made in life. Is it possible to have a living, breathing relationship with Almighty God? The God who cares about plane tickets and train tickets and walking?

The test of this is experienced through God sightings, seeing God alive in every thing every day. I continue to see them, I continue to journal them and I'll be writing more in the days to come.

Fear or Excitement?

Less than 72 hours until I begin my Camino. I'm finding myself with a mix of emotions. Is it fear, excitement or maybe a mix of the two?

This entire process is one of transformation, transition and the more I think about it the more excited I get! 

I had coffee this morning with one of my band of Brothers and we had a great discussion on transition and what it means to be transitioning right now at my advanced age of  60. 

Daniel's not quite that old but still it's been an interesting last two years for both of us.

While we talked together it became clearer to me  that part of the task of this walking experience is refocusing on what life will be like for me as a 60-year-old once I return to Oklahoma. I realize that many of my mentors have died. Others that I want to respect as mentors have proven disappointing. 

Because of these changes, experiences that  used to have great meaning are no longer part of my life. New relationships have entered, new forms of worship and experiencing God. 

 A renewed sense of discipleship and experiencing God in the moment is fundamental  as is mentoring of younger persons. I think the fear may be in the transition of moving from being mentored to mentoring without my older guides and that feels a little uncertain.

So back to the purpose of the Camino. As I transition the experience of the Camino sets up a growing edge on my spiritual life. Having several hours a day to think while I'm walking I pray will bring clarity.

  I look forward to what will happen in the next seven weeks and to share these experiences with you. So, that's my fear and excitement! As my mother would say " We're going to have to pray! it's come to that!" Thanks mother for teaching me to pray!

Mobile blogging

I'm checking to see if I actually can blog from my phone and it appears that I can. I am considering blogging some on my Camino that begins on September 19.

An added bonus I can actually speak to my phone and it will type it. probably will help me with the typos.

More later

Starting to Prepare!

My preparation for the Camino de Santiago is underway and I thought I would begin to blog about the process of getting in shape for the long walk in September.

I plan to leave Tulsa on September 8, 2014 and travel to Paris. From there I will travel to Bayonne, France and on to Saint Jean Pied de Port, the starting point of el Camiño Francés. I hope to begin the walk on September 14, 2014.

El Camiño Francés begins at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains that comprise the border between France and Spain. The length of the Camino is roughly 800 kilometers, or 500 miles. With this in mind I will need to walk about 25 kilometers a day to finish the camino in thirty three days. I want to take a few days off during the trip to see the sights along the way and of course may need to let my body recuperate, so my preparation is to get my body used to walking from five to ten miles each day in the month of May. I plan to increase this to an average of ten miles per day in June and be up to walking fifteen miles per day several days in July. I believe that if I can be accustomed to walking at least three hours a day, every day, I can be ready for the walk physically.

The other aspect of a long walk is mental. Some persons have difficulty unplugging from this present world and its constant bombardment with noise, information, music, and conversation. I desire to fully unplug from this artificial world and its attractions and be fully present to the sights and sounds of the camino.

Quiero tener la experiencia completa y conocer los personas, o la gente, en Espana.

I want to have the complete experience and know the people of Spain.

I trust that you can tell that part of how I am preparing my mind for the journey is to study, and learn Castillian Spanish. I have a friend, mi amigo Bob Pennison. Bob and his wife Teri are missionaries in Spain and as it turns out are living in Santiago. Their presence there was part of the confirmation that I needed to know that this trip was right for me. Bob is here in Tulsa this summer and will be returning to Santiago about the time I begin my trip. We will meet up in Santiago as I complete my journey.

Bob has agreed to work on speaking Spanish with me and we have had two sessions so far. I am writing out paragraphs in Spanish and then practicing speaking with Bob. He listens to see if I am understood and then adds hints and insights on pronunciation and changes that need to be made. I also have been using a Pimsleur course and utilize mnemonics to assist me in memorizing the top 1000 Spanish words. Mentally I find myself speaking to myself in Spanish and as I practice with Bob and in the Hispanic community in Tulsa. The more I practice the more confident I become in my conversation. I believe that I can already communicate enough to find my way and get food and drink. I can ask for help and assistance if ill. The other mental work is to help me mentally stay focused on the goal.
Puedo communicar sufficente para direccion a hacer comida y bebida. (Spanish speakers please correct my poor translation from memory).

Needless to say I am quite excited by the prospect.

I walked seven miles on Thursday and eight on Friday making a total of fifteen miles so far in the month of May.  I want to hit the five mile average and so far am ahead of the game. I have developed my memorization list and will work on getting the "A" and "B" words into my memory plan this weekend in order to have at least 250 words committed to memory by the end of May.

A final aspect, and one that probably should be the first in the list, is my spiritual focus. I have been in spiritual transition for over five years, since 2009. This transition is positive in that my walk with the Lord is stronger than ever before. I find that my connection with the institutional church is almost non-existent. This transition is curious to me and part of my spiritual journey is to look at the draw of the Camino, and pilgrimage in general as I walk along the way. I am learning to simply receive the Love of God when I am tempted to judge others. This simple way of gratitude for having a resource to fill my lack of love assists me in resisting the call to be "right" and attempts to judge others as being "wrong". I am more at peace with this process and get ample opportunity to practice as I prepare for the Camino.

So there it is for early May. I am looking at the preparation of my spirit, mind and body in concrete ways. I am blogging this in order to be accountable for the work that I desire to do.

Thought from Kierkegaard on walking

“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk: every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness; I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.”

Søren Kierkegaard

Pilgrimage to Spain

I've clarified the fact that I am traveling to Spain in September of 2014 to hike the Camino de Santiago- The Way of Saint James as a pilgrimage to celebrate my sixtieth year on the planet as well as my present vocation as a writer and encourager. I am very excited by this prospect and will probably bore everyone with the planning and preparing. I hope to build a small community of fellow pilgrims to share the experience and have several book and blog ideas.

Today I begin the process of learning Spanish, giving me eight months to gain some fluency in the Castilian language. I have the lessons downloaded on the iPod shuffle for use while I hike the RiverParks trail this afternoon. Buen Camino!

Welcome to 2014

Here I am in January of 2014. It is an interesting year, one of many new opportunities for walking and hiking. I want to blog about these and will complete the update later this week. Happy New Year!

New and Revised WalkingMan Blog

I'm getting excited by the changes in my life and have decided to revitalize the WalkingMan blog. I realize that I have not walked as much this year as I would have liked, primarily because I no longer get to walk to the office and my new schedule requires me to be "cleaner" than I used to be. Coming to a meeting in walking gear and sweaty is not acceptable.

Now consider, what if the walking and writing about hiking is the new job?  I have an idea to capture a different hike each month, to be a travelogue of trips around Tulsa and Oklahoma that will combine the joy of walking and hiking along with my joy of travel. These are for my own interest but perhaps others will find it enjoyable to read and perhaps take on some of the travels themselves.

I like the idea and it may help prepare me for the Camino de Santiago in 2014.

Walking Man 2013

I love springtime. In our neighborhood the azalea's are blooming, trees are budding and allergies are full bore. I'm planning my year's hikes and will use this blog to keep updated and on track.

One area to explore this year is the McGee Creek Natural Scenic Recreation Area near Atoka, OK.  I'm planning this hike in May.  We are also going to the city of Davis Oklahoma in June and will visit the Chickasaw National Recreation Area for short day hikes. Finally, I'm planning another Outer Mountain Loop hike at Big Bend National Park in October of this year.  It's been five years since I last did this hike and I'm planning it earlier in the year to have warmer weather.

2013 is shaping up to be a good hiking year. I'll keep the blog updated as I progress.

WalkingMan Tour 2011

I'm all set for this year's Big Bend adventure.  This year I'm going to focus on the desert of Big Bend, instead of hiking the Chisos.  I've been intrigued for some time with Elephant Tusk and the Fresno Creek area so I'm planning to set up camp at the backcountry campsite and dayhike around, with the focus on silence and solitude.

On Monday I'll go down the River Road past Big Bend Ranch, hiking Closed Canyon, and then on to the Getaway for the rest of my time.

I'll share more soon.

Getting Back in the Groove for 2011

This morning was the first one this summer where I could feel the cool of fall approaching.  I realize that it will still be hot for several days, but the process of fall has begun, and so must I.

I walked to work today in preparation for WalkingMan Tour 2011.  Big Bend has received rain, so I think it will be possible to have my annual getaway.  Last year I took a fellow hiker, but this year I will be seeking solitude again.

I plan to blog more as the days progress.

Stay tuned.

Countdown to Big Bend--Day 8

Today I was back in form. I walked to St. John hospital to have blood drawn for a physical next week. I should be in great shape. I've lost forty pounds since February 2010. My foot is nearly well and I am breaking my new boots for this hike.

My hiking partner and I have decided to do a South Rim hike rather than the Outer Mountain Loop this year. Rough plans are to leave Tulsa early Friday morning and get down to Big Bend in time to get campsites that evening. We will spend the night in the lodge and then take off at first light up the Pinnacles trail.

We are planning to stay at NE4 for two nights, with day hikes on Sunday to Emory Peak and Cattail Canyon. Water permitting we may stay for a third night, but we'll have to see when we get there.

Countdown to Big Bend--Day 31

I've missed a few days of blogging but Big Bend has not been far from my mind. My foot is almost completely well and this is encouraging. I have put on a few pounds since my walking time has slowed down, but I think I'm back on track to be at hiking weight by December 10.

The leaves in Tulsa are beautiful right now. Since we've rolled back to standard time, I get to walk at first light. I loved seeing the sunrise this morning, clouds reflecting a pinkish glow. The maples in Mapleridge are almost at peak and this is very enjoyable.

In the evenings, it is sundown as I walk back home. Again, the colors from a different angle provide a beautiful backdrop for the walk. Five miles a day is the goal, and I've accomplished this for the month of November.

Countdown to Big Bend--Day 37

This morning I met with Jim, my hiking buddy for WalkingMan Tour 2010. He had the "Hiking Big Bend" book and we discussed taking another day and camping the first night on the South Rim. The planning is exciting!

There was quite a discussion of pack weight. I'm of the opinion that ultra-light is best for me, especially my shoulders considering the water weight for hiking the Outer Mountain Loop. Jim is packing for comfort, so I advise a practice hike to check out his stamina.

More tomorrow.

Countdown to Big Bend--Day 38

I had a great walk to work this morning. A cold front blew in last night and the temps are in the high 30's. This is outstanding for walking however. I walked nearly 3 miles without breaking a sweat!

I have picked up a walking buddy...Leon. At first I was irritated since I value the solitude of walking before my day of intense conversation with clients. But I've learned to adjust to having Leon walk with me for a while and so I was actually pleased to see him this morning. I've informed him of my upcoming hike and we talked a bit about this before he hijacked things to the election.

My heel is well, no pain this morning and my mood is much better because of this!

OML here I come!