The name of the hostel and a big endorsement. The location, cost, hospitality and food are great. Kathy McCue, if you are reading this I highly recommend you make a reservation.

Today’s events include breakfast here at the hostel, 1100 mass at the Cathedral. Some reconnaissance of the route out of town for the morning, pick up the “pilgrims passport” And enjoy a winery tour this afternoon. Then dinner, repack, and sleep the sleep of the righteous before tomorrow’s start.

Dinner last night at YES was excellent and a great time. 20 people of course all younger from all over the world. Many Canadians, Brits, several Asians, and a 28 year old woman from Brazil. She is taking a break from grad school in Tennessee and just completed the Camino Portuguese. In addition to being fun, she was full of great advice about the walk we are about to do. I think she qualifies as my first Camino angel. That is defined as someone who shows up unexpectedly with useful or critical information to make the walk better. Of course I know that this time there is another angel looking out for me as well.

I may add another blog entry late today. We will see how the wine tour effects my typing.

Finally made it to Porto. Historic city on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Douro River. The river runs east to west starting in Spain’s wine country and crosses over the Portuguese border. It it the Duero in Spain and its shores produce some of my favorite wines. Crisp whites, dry roses, and some very complex reds. I always thought that the river was a giant formal dinner with wonderful whites and roses in the east and as you drive west the wines get deeper red until you reach Porto which is famous for its port wine.

I have linked up with DJ and we will spend today and tomorrow getting over the flights and time zones. We will start off early Monday morning headed for Vilarinho about 27 km away. That’s 17.2 miles for the non metric readers. The fought is basically flat but the danger in leaving any large city is finding the way markings. It is easy to walk in circles and find yourself leaving town in the wrong direction. We will have 3 experienced Pilgrims so perhaps we will be OK.

The hostel we are in is named YES! Too easy to do an Abbot and Costello routine on that. It is modern inside but in a very old part of town. The lobby is on the 2nd floor and we are up 3 floors from that. Clean, good Air condition, and good showers. All that a pilgrim needs.

Will try to get a nap in before the 9:00 PM dinner.

After months and hundreds of miles, new boots, new poles, New I phone,  new life. I am ready to take on the Camino Portuguese. Just as last time when I walked the French Way in September of 2015, I am anxious to get started but must be patient since I leave on 31 August, get to Porto on 1 Sep very late, rest on 2 September and start walking on 3 September.

Last time my angst to begin got me up early and I stayed on that schedule for 29 days. Usually leaving in the dark. The standard routine I settled into was arrive in the town, find a place to stay, shower, do laundry, find a place to have lunch (in Spain between 1-4) and rest and write my blog until time to sleep and start all over in the morning. This time I plan to walk with others and assuming we are compatible walkers – meaning the same pace and time of day- things could be very different. I will let you know  stay tuned

Last night was the second and final Celebration of Life Ceremony for Jean.  This one was particularly difficult for many reasons.  First, it was the final recognition that she is gone.  All the many weeks of preparation and anticipation for the event, the scanning of photos, the food contracts, the invitations, RSVPs, etc keep us all busy – and now it was over.  The family and I felt a deep sense of of sadness when it was all over.

During the event, we were busy greeting and reminiscing with people I went to high school with, was stationed with over 46 years, people who were at our wedding, brother and sisters, friends from every assignment, children of friends, friends of my children, and children of the children of our friends.  It was a magical event that was truly a tribute to the many lives that Jean touched.  Once again I never thought to have a bite to eat and I was on my feet for 5 hours but all of it was worth it.  When it was over, I had such an emotional and physical let down that sleep was not possible for many hours so Monday was a non-day.

There was the Bristol Eastern High School contingent that were at our wedding at West Point on 26 June 1971.  They made another road trip, this time not all from Bristol but were there for Jean.  It makes me realize how blessed I was to have such friends and to be raised in a town with such amazing lasting values.  Over 50 years has passed but there they all were ready with hugs and understanding.  I am deeply grateful

Of particular note was the EUCOM contingent lead by LTG Jack Gardner and VADM Andy Brown as well as Carmen Maddox and a number of EUCOM friends.  From Hawaii there was a contingent of some of my J9 colleagues that worked with me in Europe but now live in Honolulu.  I was touched by the fact that Jennifer brought to the Jean Table a jar of Black Truffle Salt – something that Jean introduced her to in Stuttgart.  It reminded me of the scene in the Julia Child movie where the author brings a pound of butter to the Smithsonian exhibit for Julia Child.  Such was the effect Jean had on everyone.

May her memory continue to have an effect on us all.

Tomorrow is the second Celebration of Life for Jean and I am excited and sad at the same time.  The excitement to see so many people that Jean and I have known and loved for our lives together is bittersweet.  One of the many things about this loss is that it is clear that she had such an impact on so many lives.  A lesson I had to learn early in this sad adventure is that I am not the only one mourning her loss. Remembering this is helpful when people say things that I may wish they had not said.  People need to know what happened and want to express their feelings and that’s OK.  I just have to get used to getting emotional in front of others.

The children thought it would be a good idea to have a table at the celebrations that was set for Jean with items that would remind us all of her.  There are some obvious items like Pepsi and Frangelico but the different venues and different crowds make for different items.  In Summerville, because Jean was in the play with the Cane Bay Players, items from the play were helpful.  Planning for the celebration at Ft. Belvoir is a different story.  Although I do not know exactly how many people will be there, I know that we will have people from all parts of her life, my life, and the lives of the children.

One thing that Jean was most proud of was her service as an Army Arlington Lady.  Representing the Chief of Staff U.S. Army at Arlington National Cemetery at the funerals of soldiers was a difficult and loving chore that she preformed for strangers once a month for several years.  We will have her Arlington Ladies pin displayed.  She was the Civilian Volunteer of the year in 1986 at Ft. Richardson, Alaska.  Another recognition of the giving person she was and the impact she had on many lives.

We will try to have a few other items at the table to make people smile and stimulate a story of two. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and hoping I can hold it together emotionally for the 3+ hours.

A basic principle of the pilgrimage is that it begins wherever you leave home.  I left home early this morning and drove to Virginia in order to be here with my children for the final arrangements for the Celebration of Life for Jean.  I have with me a few items for the Jean Table that will sit empty but will have on it a few things that will remind many who attend of Jean.

Selecting the items was bittersweet and will be aimed at the audience we expect to see at Ft Belvoir on Sunday.  She was very proud of her service as an Arlington Lady for the U.S. Army.  I also will place at the table her award for being the Volunteer of the year at Ft Richardson, AK 1986 and a plaque for the parade of homes.  She was known for her decoration skills and our 23 homes were often praised as beautifully decorated – something that was not easy when you are dealing with Army quarters.  There will be many more items that will bring back memories and smiles to the faces of those who knew and loved her.

I will depart for Porto on 31 Aug and not arrive until late on the 1st of Sep after a long lay over in Geneva.  I am hoping that it is restful as I will begin the walk from Porto early on 3 Sep.  Packing for this trip was extremely complicated as I had to pack for the celebration of life, a week of waiting to fly to Porto, the backpack for the Camino, and pack a suitcase to go on the Adriatic cruise from Barcelona starting on 18 Sep.  It took me the better part of a week to sort it all out and I am sure that I forgot something.  Bottom line is I have plane tickets, a passport, and a credit card.  Off I go.

Dealing with loss is an individual event.  Dealing with the loss of the love of your life with whom you have spent the past 50 years and raised two wonderful children and made hundreds of friends is a task so daunting it can not be comprehended.  I was supposed to be the one that died first.  This is NOT THE PLAN.  Loosing Jean so suddenly and when we were at our happiest, in the prime of our lives could not have been a bigger shock.  There are no words.  And so I will walk the Camino again and deal with how life will go on.

I start on 3 Sep in Porto and will do the Camino Portugues with a plan to finish on 16 Sep.  From there we had planned to take an Adriatic cruise from Barcelona to Vienna  so that is what I will do without her.  It is now my mission to live out the fabulous life we had planned alone but with her memories and guidance always playing in my mind.  For I am the man I am because of her.  There is no better place to deal with loss or happiness for that matter than along the Camino de Santiago.  She knew how much it meant to me when I walked the Camino Frances 3 years ago and she agreed that I should walk the Camino every couple of years.  I never thought I would be doing it in her memory or not texting her every day when I arrived safely in each town.  I trust she will know as she will be watching.  This is why I have decided to continue the blog.  Whoever is out there – be with her and me along the way.

I am home safely in the USA and looking back on my Camino experience as though it were some surreal dream.  It is said that the Camino experience is one that cannot be explained by those who have done it and cannot be understood by those who have not.  None of this made sense to me until now.  I find myself trying to explain the joy of seeing the faces in Santiago of those I saw along the 500 mile course.  Both of us beaming smiles or hugging even though we may not have ever had a conversation.  You know what they went through to get there and they know also.  Nothing needs to be said (and in most cases, you would not speak the same language anyway).

I want to thank Jenn Rompre for not only suggesting that I blog but showing me the way.  This is the kind of leader the nation needs.  I have enjoyed the blogging and I hope that readers have enjoyed riding along on my adventure.  I never anticipated how hard it would be to write a blog on an iphone from a bunk bed with a questionable internet connection and poor lighting.  I am not the world’s best speller to begin with and trying to fat finger a blog under those conditions and the mystery of auto correct are partially responsible for some of my errors.

The truth about the Camino was always kept slightly away from gentle readers.  It is hard.  Physically and emotionally.  For many, too hard to complete and painful.  I did not write of those that fell and broke bones, dislocated shoulders, were blistered so badly they had to stop, or so riddled with tendonitis that they sat in a hotel for a week on anti-inflamatories.  I was very lucky in many ways.  Most of all the weather but also that my physical problems were surmountable.  I was able to ignore many aches and pains until I completed the Camino but I will be nursing them for a while here at home. My Spanish is very much improved but I have also picked up alot of French, German, and Italian.

Among many things, the Camino makes you appreciate the blessings you have in life.  First of all, life itself.  On the Camino you walk past at least 12 markers that tell the tale of the death of a pilgrim at this very spot.  There is nothing more awakening than the knowledge that someone doing what you are doing died on this very spot.  You say a short prayer for their soul and you walk on with the clear knowledge that there but for the grace of God go I.

From that most basic truth come many other things for which one can be thankful.  I am much more deeply appreciative for the blessings that life has bestowed upon me, my health, my family, and my friends.  Little else is important.

Thank you for your interest in this blog and my adventure. I wish you all a Buen Camino.

Michael

Is it about the walking

It seems so very far

Camino only looked at me

“Tienes que empezar”

I started up a mountain 

Not knowing where it goes

And sliding down the other side

Lost unas from my toes

I cannot be discouraged 

I rose before the sun

And walked another grueling day

But finished before one

I just might get the hang of this

While making many friends

The joy to see a smiling face

And blisters on the mend

Camino is a metaphor for life

It’s long and full of trials

For every trial you surely pass

There are treasures by the miles

The simple pleasure of the sights

The tastes and vistas too

They all bring back the best of life

And all the treasures too. 

  Buen Camino one and all

One of the many common themes along the Camino is that everyone loses something or forgets an item along the way. Some items are even intentionally discarded due to weight or lack of utility. A basic rule is that there is no going back to get something. It can (almost) always be replaced. 

Howie left behind 3 pairs of reading glasses, the Kicks from Austrailia unloaded many brand new items when they discovered how heavy their packs were. There was a guy who forgot his passport (an item worth going back for). There were hats and scarfs and walking sticks left at albergues in the haste to get out in the morning. 

My story is that I lost a hat in a gust of wind that took it off as I crossed a bridge over a highway. I was not going to search for it in the dark on a highway. I also lost about 20 pounds and two toe nails but I am sure all of that can be easily replaced. Sadly as I left the hotel in Santiago this morning, I left the liter cup and straw I carried all 500 miles and for which I received so many comments. It can also be replaced and since it has not been washed in a month, perhaps it is OK to let it go. 

As I left Santiago this morning it was pouring rain. It made me recall how blessed I was with only one day of rain in my 29 days of walking. An incredible stretch of good luck. The train ride to Madrid took over 6 hours but I am now back in a city I earned to love a long time ago. Walking around taking in the sights and the tastes brings back many great memories. More on Madrid tomorrow.