Many years ago, I got a very special present for Christmas. I am a bit ashamed
to confess that it was The Alchemist by Coelho. This was my first encounter with the author. I was bewitched. Thank you my Viking friends for opening this path for
me. I traveled spiritually Coelho way for some years and I took his messages
as a gospel for a while. Looking from a hindsight I seem wiser now. Ramana knows
all about Wisdom by Hindsight, he really is a wise man. But I
digress. On my bookshelves there are only two Coelho books these days. The
Alchemist and The Pilgrimage. They both guided me spiritually in my busy
corporate times, they will stay with me.
So, I got the Alchemist for Christmas and I had a wondrous and ponderous
time reading the book in one go, sitting in the hammock with my faithful dog
Mia near me. That was bliss! Beautiful memories. This is how my Camino dream has started.
Some short years later The Pilgrimage was published. Another revelation
and a new dream. The dream was to walk Camino. Many, many years I was dreaming
about making the pilgrimage of about 1000 kilometers. It was all before times when the walk became fashionable. It seemed to me a true self-discovery experience.
But I had a job that absorbed me
completely and a partner who did not see any attraction in such exercise.
Those days I did not do things by myself and for myself. So, my Camino dream,
together with books on the subjects were put on the shelf. They are still there, the shelves are new but it is the same old dream. Being realistic I am not
able to walk the distance now. I waited too long. But maybe another route to
Santiago de Compostela, the one from Portugal
The people who walk the walk, are people who made it happen themselves.
My full respect, chapeau bas(if you are French), szacun (if you are Polish)… They all deserve
respect and admiration. They are my role
models.
Ok, this is enough for the Saturday morning observations and
reflections. Time to start Carpe Diem not to miss more caminos.
As you mentioned in a comment under the previous blog, that you like Ewa Maria's blog then here you are - she walked the Camino and wrote a blog/report about it - look here - https://ewamaria2013texts.wordpress.com/tag/pielgrzymka/
ReplyDeleteStarting from Portugal.. yes, this is possible - in Australian cinemas should still be a movie Walking the Camino. It gives account on six pilgrims - one started from Portugal. On the other hand - there is an Australian Camino - from Portland to Penola - following the life path of the only Australian saint - St Mary MacKillop . It is "only" 200+ km, but there are not many options for accommodation so unless a pilgrim carries a tent he/she has to do it in 8 stages which gives average daily distance = 30 km.:((((
Thank you for the link. She writes very well and about interesting things. She says that there is a route going through Poland. I knew about it but did not know that it goes through Oliwa. I may investigate an opportunity of a mini pilgrimage. Since my reasons for wanting to walk are not religious, I may even design my own Anna's Camino appropriate for my abilities. The Australian option is too much for me.
ReplyDeleteYou will find thousands of Indians on such pilgrimages and here is just one such called the Narmada Parikrama. Narmada is a very important river of India.
ReplyDeletehttp://narmadayatra.com/?page_id=115
Yes, I can imagine that India would have similar pilgrimages. Santiago de Compostela became fashionable in Europe. The most popular route Camino Frances goes from France through Spain and has over 800km. I have been interested in it as a way to get in touch with my inner self. Perhaps that is the reason in India in addition to religious ones.
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