Walking with an insatiable monster

The basic traffic rules are defined by the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. However, not all countries are signatory to the convention and, even among signatories, local variations in practice may be found. Yet it is universal accepted that the motor car is king, and woe betide anyone or anything that comes in its way - you or it will be crushed - so don't even think of crossing the road, and don't come in my way.

I'm reminded of several recent pilgrimages when in France, Italy, Spain it was often necessary to walk on motorways and other dangerous high speed roads, cross all types of roads, negotiate incomplete road infrastructure: bridges, overpasses, underpasses, and such like. I ask how it is that walkers that 'come in the way of vehicles,' and not the other way around. The international treaty states,

... drivers are expected to avoid a collision with ... pedestrians, regardless of whether or not the applicable rules of the road allow them to be where they happen to be.

I applied that principle and survived, and furthermore was never apprehended by police and other authorities for walking on motor ways and other high speed roads.  Yet I expected to be arrested, several times, by passing police but never was. Amazing!

The international community has created an insatiable monster and is largely unaware of the scale. Let's face it, the invention of the motor car is a world-wide disaster and getting worse by the minute, and appears unstoppable. Millions of people are killed, maimed, injured, hurt. Vast tracts of land are destroyed by a coating of asphalt. Cars spew out pollutants in ever increasing numbers. Cars are noisy. Cars are a nuisance. Cars are horrible! Oil and raw materials are the basis for the invasion and colonising of foreign lands.

What is even worse is that humans are not even psychologically evolved to own and operate motor cars. As soon as humans steps inside their motorcars all possibilities of a peaceful coexistence with other road users (motorists, cyclists, walkers) are immediately lost. It’s war! The motorists’ caveman brain leads to  territorial behaviour the moment any aspect of their space is in some way threatened: symbolically or otherwise, and must be defended aggressively. The primitive brain takes  unrealistic risks on the open road, and denies the reality of likely death and injury to self and others, and the sheer wanton waste of precious and finite resources – humans included.

Continue to Jerusalem, Israel in 2011

It was my plan to continue to Jerusalem, Israel from Rome, Italy in 2009, and again this year. I'm now committed for next year and need to pick-up the planning and organising once again in earnest.

I was dealing with two extreme emotions whilst on the Cami de Llevant: never again - it's time to hang up my boots; and don't die with regret for not having followed through on this project. I don't want to be disappointed for not having done or at least attempted this pilgrimage. I must recognise and accept my feelings as they are, and simply feel. May I meet the challenges of this upcoming pilgrimage with wisdom and courage.

Google alerts

Google Alerts are emails sent to you when Google finds new results that match your search term(s). You can use Google Alerts to monitor anything on the Web.

I use the Google Alert service primarily for all things pilgrimage: Camino de Santiago de Compostela; Camide de Llevant; Rome to Jerusalem. Le Via Francigena. I look forward with some anticipation to the daily emails that include web pages, newspaper articles, blogs, videos, discussion groups, and such like. I recommend this service - it’s tremendous.

A Mark Twain quote

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain

Pilgrim Office website: the Peregrination to Santiago

The Pilgrim Office in Santiago de Compostela, Spain has an interesting website with lots of information, advise, pilgrim numbers and other details. Its a great place to while away on for information, comparative pilgrim numbers, demographics, and such like.

During the month of May 2010, I was one of 28,787 pilgrims who were received at the Pilgrim's Office. Valencia as a starting point is not mentioned nor is the Cami de Llevant, for that matter. The numbers for this route are tiny compared to the other routes, and that makes the Cami de Llevant even more recommendable for a host of reasons.

Snap-lock resealable storage bags

When on the road, it is essential to be well organised, and ensure that all documents (e.g., passports, credit cards, itineraries, maps, guidebooks, and such like) and other items (particularly cash and electronics) are safely and  securely stored, and protected from the elements and prying eyes.

For this, I rely on snap-lock resealable storage bags that are available in a variety of sizes: 15cmx9cm, 18cmx17cm, 22cmx25cm, 35cmx27cm, for example. They are inexpensive, light-weight, rugged, and ultimately invaluable. And, in most cases they replace other types of storage. Receipts, business cards, brochures, souvenirs, random pieces of paper that I tend to collect as I travel all go in those plastic envelopes, for future reference and action. I also carry a few spares in different sizes.

Expressions of interest

Woodend Neighbourhood Centre

47 Forest Street, Woodend, Victoria 3442
T: 03 5427 1845
F: 03 5427 4027
E: wnci@netcon.net.au

Do you enjoy walking 24-km and longer distances?
If you do, please register to form a walking group.

I will welcome you!

A daily prayer

The Pilgrim Prayer

Guardian of my soul,
guide me on my way this day.
Keep me safe from harm.
Deepen my relationship with you,
your Earth, and all your family.
Strengthen your love within me
that I may be a presence of your peace
in our world.
Amen
- Tom Pfeffer and Joyce Rupp

Reference
Joyce Rupp Walk in a Relaxed Manner: Life Lessons from the Camino

You may to want to use this prayer on your journey.

A brief history of the via Francigena

I began the via Francigena on Friday 23 May 2008 from my home in north London and walked to Trafalgar Square to link with St Martin-in-the-Fields’ annual pilgrimage to Canterbury cathedral, and continued with my companions to Dover and crossed the English Channel by ferry to Calais. The journey ultimately crossed France, Switzerland to arrive at the Great Saint Bernard pass and crossed into Italy to continue through Aosta to finish on Friday 22 August 2010 at the Basilica of St Peter.

This amazing journey followed more or less directly in the footsteps of Sigeric the Serious Archbishop of Canterbury (989-994) who went to Rome in 989 to receive his cope and pallium (a circular band of white wool with pendant, worn by archbishops) from the hands of the Pope, as was customary for that period. Sigeric on his way home recorded the places he passed through identifying them as 'submansiones'. The manuscript of that journey is kept in the British Library and became the focus for academic research and the re-creation of this modern-day pilgrimage route that  became known as the via Francigena. The Archbishop's description of the route proved accurate although the 10th century names differed in many instances from their modern ones.

Reference
Babette Gallard  (2010) Lightfoot Companion to the Via Francigena. Pilgrimage Publications

Pilgrim group Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

If you're a pilgrim or for that matter a budding one or have an interest in pilgrimage and reside in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia or thereabouts you may be interested in an informal group that gathers on the 4th Friday of each month to dine in a restaurant. The central Melbourne location changes each month.

Contact: Garis Alexander <garis.alexander*gmail.com> (replace * with @)

Where can you turn to for pilgrim advise and information?

I would suggest the following resources:

Begin with the venerable Confraternity of Saint James. Take a look at my websites: Pilgrimage, Retirement, Immigration and other Odd Ideas; Walking the Cami de Llevant: a Spanish Coast to Coast; and Confraternity of Pilgrims to Jerusalem.

Google and Bing search will produce excellent results.

Google search tip: Add 'at' (sans quotes) to your Google search for site specific results. Whereas, I use Mozilla Firefox 3.6.8 with UrlbarExt 1.6.1 which extends the Location Bar with a set of commands that includes 'site specific search'.

Of course, if you have any specific questions then contact me, by all means. I would be glad to help.

Classes, workshops and individual consultancies for Australians and New Zealanders wishing to walk the camino

I was searching the net for Australian pilgrims and groups and found that the:

CAMINO DOWNUNDER presents classes, workshops and individual consultancies for Australians and New Zealanders wishing to walk the great pilgrimage routes of France and Spain which have been in existence since the 9th century, to Santiago de Compostela in north western Spain.

That's interesting, and may be of benefit to some.

Men who wear socks with sandals

Men who wear socks with sandals: what are they thinking? I observed male pilgrims following a shower would dress and put on socks and sandals regardless of the weather conditions. I was bemused, and more so when these same men would question my sock-less naked feet when wearing Birkenstock sandals. No man should wear socks with sandals. (Women maybe?) Sandals are for bare naked sock-less feet!

Walking to pilgrimage

I have always enjoyed walking - especially repetitive long-distance walking. I became interested in the Camino de Santiago some 12 years ago. I read some articles on the Camino, there was a documentary on television that excited me, and I met two pilgrims who had recently returned from Santiago de Compostela, Spain who spoke about their experiences. My wife and I became members of the Confraternity of St James and attended an open day and listened and learned from knowledgeable speakers and mingled with experienced and budding pilgrims. We decided to become pilgrims and pored over maps of France and Spain and chose Le Puy-en-Velay, France as our starting point. We negotiated some extended leave, purchased our back-packing kits and guidebooks, and made our way to Le Puy-en-Velay. We attended Holy Mass in the cathedral, and the kindly bishop sent us on our way with his blessing and gifts. That was a memorable moment.

2000, The cathedral of Le Puy-en-Velay, France to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela to finish at the Faro de Finisterre. The route GR65 (Grande Randonee) passed through Conques, Figeac, Cahors and Moissac before reaching St Jean-Pied-de-Port in the foothills of the Pyrenees, and in Spain through Roncesvalles, Pamplona, Puente la Reina, Estella, Logroño, Burgos, León, Astorga, Ponferrada and Sarria before it reached the “City of the Apostle”.

2002, Winchester cathedral, Hampshire, England to Le Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, France. The route passed through Portsmouth and by ferry to Cherbourg, Barfleur, the Normandy coast, to Saint-Mere-Egise, and Genets on the north shore of the bay that was crossed with a guide to the iconic Le Mont Saint-Michel.

Notes
In the Middle Ages Barfleur was one of the chief ports of embarkation for England.
1066 - A large medallion fixed to a rock in the harbour marks the Norman departure from Barfleur before the Battle of Hastings.
1120 - The White Ship, carrying Prince William, only legitimate son of Henry I of England, went down outside the harbour.
1194 - Richard I of England departed from Barfleur on return to England following his captivity by Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor.
6 June 1944 - Normandy Landings

2005, Saint Cuthbert's Way from Melrose Abbey to Lindisfarne (Holy Island) off the coast of Northumberland.

2007, Camino Portugués from the cathedral of Porto, Portugal to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

2008, Le via Francigena to Rome, Italy. I began from my home in north London and walked to Trafalgar Square to link with St Martin-in-the-Fields’ annual pilgrimage to Canterbury cathedral and continued to Dover and by ferry to Calais - crossed France, Switzerland (followed the north shore of Lac Léman) to arrive at the Great Saint Bernard pass and crossed into Italy and continued through Aosta to Rome to finish at the Basilica of St Peter.

8 April 2010, Cami de Llevant runs from the cathedral of Valencia via Albacete, Toledo, Avila, Toro, Zamora, Ourense to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela to finish at the Faro de Finisterre, once again.

My potential to enjoy the gifts of life in Australia

I'm an emigrant! My family: mum, dad, and five kids emigrated to Australia in 1954. Of course, I also emigrated to the United Kingdom, and once again to Australia in 2008.

After a long spell in the United Kingdom, I found it hard to settle, adjust, and adapt to living in Australia, and that was a letdown, and a matter of some concern. Should I return to London? However, my journey on the Cami de Llevant changed that. I returned home ready to put-down some roots, and integrate as best I can. I'm slowly finding like-minded people, and my potential to enjoy the gifts of life in Australia and that of a loving relationship. That has not changed my love for London and its amazing people. Not at all!

Spain's Catalonia region voted to formally ban bullfighting.

A victory for animal welfare activists - Spain's Catalonia region on Wednesday 28 July 2010 voted to formally ban bullfighting with affect from 1 January 2012. This follows the lead of the Canary Islands that made bullfighting illegal in 1991.

What is it that binds pilgrims together on the Camino de Santiago?

The Camino de Santiago is a community of spirit among pilgrims, a peace brought by the simplicity of that life, and a common goal, that binds us together. The Camino, with its winding roads and footpaths, offers respite from the business of modern existence. It provides an opportunity to reappraise our direction, and helps us shift to a more evolved state.

The Camino allows time away from the familiar and habitual so that new insights can be revealed. A wider perspective opens up, where we begin to realise who we are and what we came here to do. Each day is lived in the simplicity of the Way where we travel at a more natural pace. This allows time to witness the rising sun, the landscape that surrounds us with its array of fauna and flora. We proceed towards the welcome that awaits us at the day’s end where the hospitalero (a term from which we get the word hospitality) of the next albergue greets us.

Mindful walking is a form of meditation that reminds us of the divinity within ourselves and all life. The passing landscape of Spain reminds us of that spirituality that connects us, irrespective of our differing religions and philosophies. We find ourselves in the company of like-minded community of nomadic people. The Camino de Santiago transcends our differences to unite us in an eclectic bond of openness and shared values.

Many pilgrims’ stories contain a hint of letdown or anticlimactic feelings at the end of the journey. It’s hard to return home without being a changed person. You return to your “regular life”, and struggle to re-integrate into your previous daily routine. Some manage to after a short while, whilst others make radical and drastic life changes. The Camino de Santiago redefines ourselves by pushing our limits, challenging our beliefs, and learning about ourselves.

La Mancha

The peerless Camino passes through La Mancha - a vast elevated plateau of Spain. I read that it is variously arid and fertile. However, during the course of our journey it was wet and in places almost impassable due to flooding.

And, yes we did pass by the very windmills made famous by Miguel Cervantes' Don Quixote de La Mancha, and I did very much enjoy the many sculptural representations of the chivalrous, romantic hero and his squire Sancho Panzo and beloved Dulcinea.

Placido Domingo's singing Don Quixote continues to ring in my ears:

Hear me now
Oh thou bleak and unbearable world,
Thou art base and debauched as can be;
And a knight with his banners all bravely unfurled
Now hurls down his gauntlet to thee!
I am I, Don Quixote,
The Lord of La Mancha,
My destiny calls and I go,
And the wild winds of fortune
Will carry me onward,
Oh whithersoever they blow.
Whithersoever they blow,
Onward to glory I go!

Galicia, Spain

We were in Galicia and walking through a terrain of mountains, lonely gravel footpaths, lakes, teeny railway lines and tunnels in the far distance, abandoned villages, grazing horses and cows, and lush flora of all possible shades of green. Splendid. I asked my Spanish companion for the name of this national park. He replied that we were in Galicia. I said, 'I know that, but what is the name of this national park?' He said that it did not have national park status. It's my view that if ever a region deserves national park status it is that pristine and stunning region of Galicia through which the peerless Camino passes. If you the reader should ever choose to walk this route you're in for a treat.

How would pilgrims with special dietary needs fare on the Camino

I have previously written about my life as a committed vegetarian, and the difficulties I encountered on the Camino in Spain as a solo pilgrim surrounded by unremitting carnivores - difficulties that at times drove me to despair. That started me thinking about people with special dietary requirements (e.g., gluten, egg, wheat free diets),  and those with religious dietary requirements, and how they would fare on pilgrimage in Spain. I don't have an answer or a solution. Except, that groups of people with special dietary needs would fare better than if alone. Spanish society is too traditional to cater for such people, particularly if alone, of that I'm certain, and that's unfortunate. Not even in the cities. That's my experience, and I stand to be corrected, as always.