Day 30- Arzacq-ArraziguetToday turned out to be an easy walking day, despite the intense cold. We caught up with 4 pilgrims we hadn’t seen for over 2 weeks. It was good to learn they are progressing well. Not all pilgrims are so lucky, today we heard of one (we had previously walked with), who had to abandon his Camino after 4 weeks of effort. Last night a girl from French Canada needed to stop and seek medical attention as her ankles were too swollen to walk; while man was having the day off with foot problems.
On two occasions as we walk we encountered following inscription: We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children (Antoine De Saint Exupery). In our age it is a reminder to all that we are merely stewards of our planet. We read regular reports in Australia that the divide between the rich and poor in Western countries is increasing. Most of us learn this from the media rather than first hand experience. In fact many of us are sheltered from ever dealing with the disadvantaged. Through this Camino, in largely rural France and last year in Spain; we have received an exposure to significant sections of society in economic difficulty. This is seen in small shops, about the size of our corner stores in Engadine, which normally have a large stock of goods; but here the shelves are short of stock and the shops of customers. In small bars and coffee shops where the owner awaits at the door the arrival of the pilgrim. In some stores the items on the shelves are placed one to one in a line so that you have 2 metres of the same product trying to make the large premises look busy, but the empty freezer cabinets put a lie to this. These are the outward signs a pilgrim observes, the personal impacts will never be seen by us. In Engadine, like many others, I am insulated from seeing those in need, but I am made aware only by reports that there is great need around us. The Camino (while in different lands) has reminded me of needs in our own country.
0 Comments
Day 29- Aire-sur-l'AdourWell my test as a pilgrim didn’t eventuate this morning as the heavy forecast rain failed to wet the ground. On two occasions we put our rain gear on for 10 minutes but it proved unnecessary. We walked most of the time with Yves the policeman, after having spent the previous 3 nights in his company. I still do not understand his French, but we are educating him in Australian (as opposed to English) and he is proving a fast learner.
You may wonder why I make the distinction between English and Australian, it’s all to do with the accents. Many French people understand a little of what the English and Irish say to them (in English) but find it most difficult to deal with the Australian accent. Enda and I sometimes find it difficult to ask our French hosts the right questions. Consequently, for the past three days the police chief is helping us with our enquiries. Yves has the most engaging personality and is immediately at home with everyone he meets on the Way. A truly great ambassador for the Camino. For several days now those Pyrenees mountains on the horizon have started to grow larger even though they are days away yet. When we first saw the mountains we saw only the snow covered peaks from our hill tops, but now we are starting to discern the foothills. While we are filled with excitement at reaching them, we don’t wish our journey to end. But end it must, as must all things both good and bad. Completion is a necessary part of everything. How do we deal with completion? While walking over recent days I started thinking much about completion and realised there is a wonderful poem allegedly written by King Solomon towards the end of his reign. We know it as Ecclesiastes 3 and it is reproduced below. It takes opposites and combines them to complete the cycle. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. While some of the concepts such as war and hate may jar a little in our minds 2000 years after Christ, they made perfect sense in Solomon’s era and were appropriate for that time; and the sentiment of completion remain so today. Thinking about it as we walked (I admit I didn’t recall all the verses) it seemed to make a lot of sense to review our life’s activities in terms of completed cycles. For in even the depths of any cycle there is the glimmer of light and hope. Day 28- Lanne-SoubiranYesterday we wrote that “Pilgrims receive with Gratitude”. No I am far from considering I meet those requirements of being a pilgrim, not because I am cheating in any physical sense but because I have not achieved unconditional acceptance of what may be given to me along the Camino . There are many stages to get to where I wish to be as a pilgrim. The first one I think we met last year on the Camino Frances; namely learning how to let go of the things that were unimportant (eg snorers and crowded accommodation) and to develop a sense of trust in venturing out into the unknown. I suspect anyone who completes the Camino Frances and is smiling has mastered both.
This Camino with its much larger moments of solitude is trying to teach me something more and it’s to do with unconditional acceptance of what the Camino may throw up at us. Examples are plentiful, When and if we encounter the heavy rain forecast for tomorrow, how will it be accepted? Will I see it is as something good for the farmers with their parched fields; but as a problem and inconvenience to ourselves as pilgrims. I guess that would be the normal worldly view, but it’s not the state in which I wish to remain. I would like to have a broader perspective and to accept there is something to benefit me spiritually (by getting wet) even though at the time, I probably won’t recognize it. We generally have a list of things in life we want, but they don’t necessarily correlate with what we need. It sometimes takes years for us to accommodate this perception and appreciate when we are given what we need as opposed to what we desire. ANZAC DAY Provided the internet works tonight you will be reading this on ANZAC morning. If we were in Picardy and other parts of northern France you would be aware of the Australian presence in WW1 when services to commemorate Anzac Day are held. Down here in the midi-Pyrenees the Australian troops were not deployed in WW1, in fact there was no fighting down here although the loss of local young men was enormous. With all the troubled spots in our present world we are indeed in need of prayer and cool heads. Day 27- MancietAn early start and a walk to Eauze, where the Marie (local town hall) was very busy with voters arriving for today’s elections. Naturally we did stop for coffee and patisseries, because some days they are unavailable. You must take every advantage should it arise. The first 8km was along a disused and dismantled railway line; a reminder that despite all its high speed trains the French railway system (like Australia) has shrunk with changes in transport technology over many years. The fast trains in France, however, truly deserve their reputation and seem a good solution for the nation’s needs. Most of the distances are not too long, giving the railway many advantages over flying to most destinations. With journey times of up to 4 hours (max) most major centres of France are serviced with trains that start and end within the city limits.
Today was a very pleasant walk, although I hadn’t fully recovered from the heat yesterday. Enda is doing well and many of the problems of earlier days are well under control. While Enda started out with hesitation and worry about her capabilities for this pilgrimage she has settled into her stride and approaches each difficult section with new confidence. If she continues at this rate it will be a repeat of last year’s Camino where she was rather hard to keep up with at the end. For the past 2 days we walked in a significant wine growing areas. The farmers applied a fertilizer to field after field of grapes, the aroma is far from pleasant. The price of wine in the shops appears to be less than a half of what it is for the same quality (as what most people we know purchase) in Australia. We encountered a hay stack immediate to the GR65, and took the opportunity to pose pretending that we had slept rough in the stack. It may sound romantic to sleep in a hay stack, but the straw is a little prickly after a short time. Also the presence of mice, rats and snakes (yes they do exist here) may be discouraging. Yesterday morning we met a Monsieur du Barry, who drives for Claudine Transport. He told us about the Bari Barry association of the family clan from all over the world. It seems their last annual meeting was in Argentina and we exchanged details for further communication. He is well across the history of the Barry family which he says originated in Germany and spread through France across to England and Ireland. Our branch arrived in Ireland with the Norman invasion according to my father. Monsieur du Barry informed me of a John Barry in France who murdered many in his family to inherit a title, but was subsequently banished into exile some centuries ago. My Dad either didn’t know about that story or purposefully didn’t mention it to me. He was always proud of the family heritage and spoke of an Admiral John Barry who played an important part in the US navy in the nineteenth century. We continue to be astounded at the way most people are so kind and helpful to pilgrims where there is no obligation to do so. There is a saying on the Camino Tourists Demand, Pilgrims Accept It seems cute but verges on being at best trite, but more realistically is inappropriate. It is inappropriate because it suggests that in merely accepting, one has reached pilgrim status. Just accepting implies a possible qualification in attitude. For example, acceptance may be performed grudgingly. After some discussion with Fr Mick last year on the subject of being a pilgrim we feel the second line should read Pilgrims receive with gratitude. Because having an open heart to whatever is offered, acceptance without qualification and with true thankfulness one is closer to a pilgrim spirit. Enda The walk today wasn't too hard which was good because Jerard wasn't too well. He got too much sun yesterday and woke with a headache and feeling a bit sick. Of course he wouldn't listen to me and take the day off but insisted on walking the full 20 km. He is feeling much better now. We are staying in a really funny place. The people are lovely but don't have any English. The lady was trying to explain something to me. She took me to the bathroom, picked up a bucket and carried it down the corridor to Jerard who looked at it. Jerard thought the toilets were blocked and he had to use the bucket. She then proceeded to indicate that we brought the bucket downstairs and out onto the street in front. There was much laughter on both sides when it was discovered later that we didn't have to empty the bucket onto the street, but in fact it was to bring our washing down to dry! The problem was that we had to put our washing on a clothes horse on the main street outside the gite. Not a pretty sight as I don't have sexy underwear! I hope this building is still standing in the morning all the rafters and wooden beams are riddled with holes from termites. Our bedroom is most peculiar on either side of the room there are two full length windows one looks out onto the stairwell the other looks out onto the corridor leading to the communal toilet. Anyone coming up the stairs or going to loo can look in and see us in bed! Day 26- LamotheWe didn’t have WIFI last night so this report is delayed 24 hours. For the first 5km we had a cold walk through a forested area, crossing a river on antique style stone bridge circa 2015. There were many walkers and pilgrims on the chemin this morning and all were interested in photographing the bridge. Later, the day heated up and became unpleasant at times , in fact I think I had too much sun, however, Enda put me to shame by taking it all in her stride.
The going got tough for me as I knew how much walking was still in front of us. But I stopped looking at the distance and instead applied mindfulness to the immediate task of one step after another. It reminds me of the old joke I sometimes tell my students when they seem overwhelmed by the requirements they need to meet for the HSC exams. How would you eat an elephant? (Ans. One bite at a time!) At times what is in front of us may seem to require an impossible effort and the appeal of giving up is all too attractive. But then, most things in life that are really worthwhile require persistent efforts. By keeping up the enthusiasm, hope and expectations a lot may be achieved. Well the efforts were rewarded in this instance as we arrived at an unexpectedly beautiful Gite. It was situated in a terraced setting, with beautiful valley views over farm land. There was plenty of garden furniture set out to take advantage of the situation and a host who welcomed us with cool drinks. Later after a wash up, it was delightful to take a cold beer and just enjoy the surroundings. Dinner time was most amusing with a retired police chief (with little English, but great humour) keeping the whole table amused. We didn’t follow all his anecdotes (although our hosts helped a little with explanations) but we seemed to find and understand the humour in all he said. The table spoke a lot about Australia and were most surprised when we told them that if timing was a little different we would have been part of France. Day 25- EndaIt was cold last night as I slid into my sleeping bag. I was fortunate to find a spare blanket in the gite where we were staying. I also had a roof over my head and the prospect of a breakfast in the morning even if it was only stale baguette with jam and tepid coffee. When I awoke this morning the sun was shinning but the fields were covered in a blanket of heavy frost. I looked at my clothes ,not a great choice,it was either shorts or my one pair of long pants. My one jumper had worn thin and developed holes from the constant rubbing of my backpack. I thought of my wardrobe full of clothes at home. Like many others I was used to taking all these things for granted.
I thought of all the things I was missing on this Camino : clean sheets , a real towel rather than a small chamois square, shampoo instead of soap to wash my hair, cups of coffee/tea whenever I wanted one, a choice of food as a time I decided. I then thought of all the luxuries in my life : coffee with friends, meals out, holidays , hairdressers, shopping sprees the list just went on and on. This is an example of what homeless people go through day in day out. I don't think I could live like this indefinitely could you?We have the means to help the less fortunate to make their lives just even a little bit better. St Vincent de Paul faces these problems everyday.It is not just the homeless it is also families and children. A bread earner may lose his job, there could be sickness in the home, the family may not have the means to pay everyday bills. Some parents can't even buy simple Christmas/ birthday presents for their children or supply them with the necessary requirements for school. Why should a child feel different when we can help even in a small way? Would you like to help? Please go to our donate page now.Every little bit helps no matter how small. "There go I but for the grace of God ." Thank you Day 25- CondomPeople often ask what do you do during the 6-8 hours of walking each day on a Camino? Well it’s usually a mixture of things, enjoying the company of my wife or the occasional pilgrim you may encounter. But mostly it’s about dealing with the solitude. As Enda and I walk the Camino we are never far apart but there are large slabs of the day for which we are walking as though on our own; each to our own thoughts, prayers or whatever strikes our attention. It is the walking in solitude provided by the Camino which gives the chance to escape from normalness.
“April is the cruellest month” wrote T.S. Elliot, but the first 23 days of April here, are in stark contrast to his claim. But today we felt just maybe, the claim has some justification after all. Because this morning at 7am when we commenced walking it was so cold. I used the cold to spend the first part of the morning in a state of mindfulness that focused on the cold enveloping us. I observed the frost everywhere around me on the ground, I noticed the different ways in which leaves and grasses behaved when covered in frost; the frost patches in the shade lasting until 11am. I observed the mist, rising like steam, from the small cold billabongs as we passed by. Observed the feeling of intense cold around the fingers; the nip around the ears; appreciated the stillness of the frosty world where the wind was absent and felt the gladness of having a hat to cover the thinning head. Saw ice actually form on the back of our boots as we walked through frost laden long grass. Many people would say this is impossible, but around or just below zero degrees water has certain peculiar properties. Motion such as the boot moving can cause a nucleation process that causes an instant phase change from liquid to solid. I have only read about this before, but today the Camino allowed me to see it first hand. This hour or so of mindfulness on our cold surroundings turned into a form of prayer, one of thankfulness to our God for the experience we received; for the knowing that we are fortunate individuals who will not need to endure this for more than 3 hours; and with a full knowledge that we don’t have to face the same cold tomorrow unless it is our choice. I once slept rough for 5 hours one night on Sutherland railway station, having worked late at Lucas Heights and missing the last train for the Eastern Suburbs. It was in the middle of a Sydney winter and I wouldn’t wish to ever repeat the experience. Please keep praying for those on our prayer list. Today I would like you to include the nation of France in your prayers. This weekend is the first round of the French Presidential Elections and I don’t think it is an exaggeration to suggest that some outcomes would spell disaster for unity in Europe. Britain’s exit (although unfortunate) will probably be acceptable, but a European Union without France cannot be sustained. Europe in disarray could well see a repeat of past historical belligerences. When I was growing up there was a real fear of the Communist Party winning Government in France, now it’s the other end of the spectrum. Day 24- MarsolanToday was walking through fields of crops. The French walkers last night complained about this saying they wanted to walk in the mountains as this was boring agricultural land. Personally I enjoy walking through this type of country and wondered for a while why I had a different perspective to the French walkers. It soon became obvious. For most French city dwellers whenever they can get away for a Sunday walk or drive they are usually surrounded by agricultural land. For us Sydney siders, particularly those with a mountain getaway, we are always walking through national parks or mountains. Rarely do we walk in agricultural land as the distances are large and water difficult to find (not to mention accommodation). So for me walking amongst crops is a novelty. Incidentally we came across a field of particularly big artichokes that looked most inviting.
We also encountered a field of wheat, which brought home what an essential component it is of our food supply. I even tried estimating the output of the field by sizing up the crop along the fence line we walked, then counting, one baguette, two baguettes… Probably a pointless exercise but it did bring home to me the point that this field, large as it was, would only supply a limited number of hungry eaters. So precious are our agricultural lands and we do not always treat them as such. We value high tech goods and pay workers in those areas fairly well. There is the old saying “Bread is the staff of life” but today for workers in some areas of the hospitality industry, certain employers seem to have the attitude of what used to be a joke: “But the life of our staff is one big loaf”. From the hill tops we traverse we can now make out the Pyrenees mountains that form the border between France and Spain. There are many days walking before we arrive at our destination at the foot of those mountains, however, just having them in our sight will surely be a motivation on tiring days. We are spending a night in a small Gite with only one other person, a German lady who comes from the Munich area and walks part of the Camino each year. So far she has reached Marsolan. She is a social worker with homeless people and Enda was explaining our fund raising effort on behalf of Vinnies to her. It seems from talking to several people they are unfamiliar with St Vincent de Paul, which comes as a surprise seeing he is a French Saint. The only person who knew instantly was our German friend Norbet, an English teacher we met some days ago. Day 23 MiradouxDo you ever make mistakes? Further should you err do you own up to it? I have an embarrassing admission to make today.
Well this morning after having seen a young deer in a small forest just outside of Auvilar I became so engrossed with nature that I feel asleep at the wheel (or on my feet) and missed the correct turn on the GR65. In doing so I lead Enda several kilometres out of the way before we realised something was wrong. It would be hard to make this mistake on the Camino in Spain as there are usually many indications on the route. But I knew in France the number of signs are more limited and I should have been paying closer attention when I missed the turn. Fortunately Enda was accepting of the extra 3km we needed to put in to get back on the GR65. We received unexpected assistance from a gentleman walking his dog on the deserted country road. He was walking towards us from a distance but when he reached the T intersection turned with his dog to walk back home. Enda took off waving the map and shouting “pardonez moi” (excuse me please!) to grab his attention before he could disappear into oblivion. Or maybe I should have written before we found oblivion! With his good instruction and our faith in the “Camino Will Provide” we caught up with the GR65 just as it entered the village of St Antoine. I guess that’s close enough to St Anthony, the saint whose name is frequently invoked to find lost items (but perhaps he works for lost persons as well). We enclose a picture of another candle being lit for our followers and people on our prayer list. This is in a cathedral sized church in the small village of Miradoux. You haven’t seen one for some days as in the village churches we visited there were either no candles to light, or no matches to light them with. This church had an interesting large chandelier, lit by a combination of candles and electric bulbs. On matters electrical, in France nuclear power makes a very significant contribution to power mix. We can still see the Auvillar Nuclear plant in the distance when we are on the hills. Incidentally nuclear generated electricity in France was considerably cheaper than electricity in Sydney was 6 years ago when we toured by car. With all our electricity price rises the margin must be even greater. The walking is becoming easier as the 300 metre climbs are becoming more like 50 metres and the ground for the past 2 days less rocky. Enda has just realised we only have about 14 days of walking left and is starting to feel sad and wishes to go back 5 spaces. France we decided is strictly colour coded. Up until now the shutters on the windows were predominantly blue or brown. It seems green paint must be cheaper in the current section of France. I think they look nicer a well. ***Enda has forgotten to send through the photograph of the candle. I will upload this as soon as she sends it through. -Tara Day 22- AuvillarToday was a relatively easy day, only 21km, most of which was flat. Flat because we followed a canal which runs alongside the Garonne River for most of the time. We passed several locks on the canal, observed 3 craft which seemed to be moored on a long term basis. Only one modern boat was actually using the canal.
The tow path along the canal was lined with huge trees, the bark and trunks looked very like our angophora trees. However, the leaf structure was very much deciduous, There was confetti strewn regularly on the ground, so it appears this must be the choice spot for bridal photography around here. A very good spot too. Last night at dinner we met two Germans of slightly younger vintage, one of whom spoke perfect English, the other extremely good English. The perfect speaker turned out to be an English language teacher in Germany, while the other was a cardiologist. They have done the Camino more than once and inquired into our motives for the journey. It turned out we were of one mind on that issue. With extra wine brought by the management to the table we never went to bed until rather late. We introduced them to Craic (Irish for great fun). Norbert, the teacher didn’t have the full vocabulary so we introduced him to some new concepts including Australian bunyips. He believed, until Dr Google informed him he was being had. He thought he had me when he asked what was significant about Easter Monday and I told him the road to Emmaus, he was surprised I should know. It seems it is especially significant in Catholic parts of Germany. The weather continues to be kind to us, surely it cannot hold up for much longer. Enda managed a little better today with her leg, we do take many stops to give it a rest. Amongst the Europeans we speak to, the French Presidential Elections are of great concern. They see a victory by the far right as an end to the unified nations and a restart of the Balkanization of Europe. With non-compulsory voting in France and traditional candidates who fail the pub test, any outcome (extreme left or right) is possible. Please keep praying with us for those on our prayer list and should you wish to add any names or special intentions please email me on [email protected] Thanks to all who have sent messages of support either by email or on facebook, it gives us great support to know we are not forgotten at the opposite side of our world. |
Jerard & Enda's
Archives
May 2017
Would you like us to Pray for you or a loved one?
Just email [email protected] to have it included. It may take a couple of days for the name to appear under the useful links tab |