In November of 2012, for lack of a more desired movie, we watched “The Way”. Twenty minutes into it, we knew we would walk the Camino.

I joined Ivar’s forum to do research on our then upcoming Aug/Sept 2013 Camino and ran across some guy’s “Thoughts of my first ten days on the Camino”. It was Bill. His writing was so engaging that I started following him and looked forward to the daily posts.

Soon we were to learn that Bill was writing a book. When we came back from the Camino I bought his book and we both thoroughly enjoyed it At times it was hilarious and at others you felt his pain.

Next he decided to lead a tour. Dale and I would have loved to have been a part of the Portuguese Tour but couldn’t do another so soon after the first Camino. We had to do the tour through the posts of those able to go.

Over the last twelve months through the bantering and posts, I’ve grown to feel like we are family.

It was so exciting finding out THEY were coming to the USA.  I’d discovered that Bill likes the works of the director, David Lynch and that the series “Twin Peaks” was one of his favorites. Was hoping I had to a chance to meet them as the series was shot about 30 minutes drive from my home.

One of the well known comments of the series was about having “cherry pie and a damn good cup of coffee.” Turns out Bill wanted to have dinner at that diner and we were going to get to meet him and Jen.

When you walk the Camino, you don’t know if the Camino family you make (those you walk with off and on) are rich or poor, famous or regular Joes. The heads of what I have now been considering my Camino family are a renowned  actress and a famous director/producer/writer. What was I thinking!

We had been “talking” for over a year, albeit on the internet, and I felt they were family. The closer it got the more excited I was getting and posted so. Steve jokingly told me not to get too excited and not to make Bill’s head any bigger than it was.

Also I remember Bill saying something about someone might be thinking Bill was full of himself or something on that order. Could I be wrong about them? We were to meet them at 6:30 at the diner. As they approached I knew my PGS was right. They are both the most down to earth, genuine people.

Jennifer has the most beautiful infectious smile. Over the next 27 hours there was much food, laughter and wine.

We were nearly kicked out of two restaurants. The diner is still a diner but will always be the “Twin Peaks diner with cherry pie and a damn good cup of coffee.”

As someone in Spain once told us “the coffee in America is like dishwater”. The coffee in the diner is good to Americans but to the rest of the world – very weak. At 8:30 they told us the diner closed at 8PM. Hint! Hint! Leave!

We walked down to the next bar and enjoyed a couple bottles of wine. We decided to meet the next morning at the original Starbucks in downtown Seattle.

Upon arriving, Dale’s PGS must have been working as we got a parking spot right across from the Starbucks. Very unusual to find parking, much less free parking. We worried for awhile that it might not be a parking spot. Bill paid $29 for two hours of parking.

We then enjoyed Starbucks and walking through Pike Place market. We had breakfast overlooking Puget Sound, saw the famous fish throwing, Rachel the pig, and saw one of my favorite Mariner baseball players (Jay Buhner) being interviewed.

Bill had his first beef jerky, ever. It was then decided we would drive back to Snoqualmie and see the Falls.

Bill’s PGS was working strong and he got the best parking spot. After seeing the Falls from the top we then walked down to the bottom for a good view upwards. The problem there is you have to climb back up.

Needed a drink so after passing on the Lodge which has been remodeled since it’s use on the tv show and no longer has good vibes, we went to a little hole in the wall bar in downtown Snoqualmie.

After a drink it was decided we would have barbecue and ribs in Issaquah for dinner. We learned a lot about Australia  and about PGS, the film during dinner. It is said that Pilgrims have a glow about them. Bill and Jen have a glow about them that I think has been there for 30+ years. They truly are a delightful couple.

Soon the restaurant was stacking chairs and sweeping up. Hint! Hint! Leave!

The 27 hours we spent eating, drinking, talking, drinking, sightseeing, drinking and hiking were some of the most fun and enjoyable times ever. The world needs the PGS film and the best person to bring it to us is Bill. For anyone with the means to support the film, you won’t be sorry.

I know we’ll be seeing each other again soon.

With love

Lynda  and Dale

Angie and her husband Ken joined us on the recent Camino Portuguese Tour.

Angie is Julie Landers’ sister. Ken and Julie’s husband Peter are great mates. Unlike Peter and Julie though, Angie and Ken had never walked a Camino before. The Portuguese Way was their first.

Jennifer and I were a little concerned as to how they would manage. They’d be the first to admit that they’re no longer spring chickens. However they surprised us – in fact everyone on the tour was surprised at how well they handled what ended up being a tough little walk.

Being friends of the Landers Express (the steam engines being Peter and Julie) they were unkindly dubbed by some as the Landers’ Cabooses. In fact they weren’t dragged along by the Locomotive Express (to use phraseology from Jethro Tull), they didn’t coast in anyone’s slipstream. They nailed it each day – keeping up with Peter and Julie, which was no mean feat, let me tell you. I couldn’t keep up with the Landers Express.

Ken too suffered from a gammy knee, yet he never complained, and he never allowed it to slow him down. You never saw him in the van. Ken and Angie were impressive pilgrims.

On returning I asked Angie to write a guest blog. Here’s what she sent me overnight:

ANGIE MITCHELL – GUEST BLOG

I am writing as a guest blog writer, invited by Bill to put pen to paper about my journey on the Camino Portugese in April this year.

I was quick to tell Bill at the time that I am more into report writing and parenting articles, (my paid job involved a lot of report writing /parenting articles and I actually was very good at these genres I must say), and I am not sure about putting myself out there and inwardly thinking, OMG Bill how can I possibly write anywhere near the standard of humour and creativity that you seem to manage late at night or early in the morning after a long day of walking. Yes Bill I’ve seen the tired Bill the next morning at breakfast!!

Since accepting Bill’s invitation, I have done lots of mental writing, (like mental planning I always did at work), and that has taken me quite a long time intermixed with can I do this? I have come to the conclusion I can and I am!

Why did I go on The Way? I went because my sister Jules and brother-in-law Peter rang and said that there were some spots still and would Ken (my wonderful husband), and I like to join them with the small group walking from Porto to Santiago de Compostela.We said yes quite quickly and before we knew it, we were thrust into a world of hiking boots, backpacks, walking clothes, bamboo socks and merino wool underwear!!

We started training with walking poles in the heat of summer that can only be found in Queensland and thought that nothing could be as bad weather wise in Portugal and Spain! After buying 2 pairs of walking boots and paying the Podiatrist lots of money for shoe inserts I was relatively ready for the Camino challenge, at least gear wise.

A big part of me was worrying about whether I could walk the long kilometres everyday and whether I could walk up the hills!! Was I fit enough? Another preparation was reading Bill’s book, “The Way, My Way” to get to know a bit about this fellow who had organised this walking tour. It was an entertaining read and I wondered whether pain was a part of the Camino. Bill certainly had plenty of it.

Discovering that Bills’ wife Jennifer read weird and wacky books like me had me overly excited, wow Jennifer was a like-minded person.

One of the questions I asked a couple of fellow travellers – Arleen and Steve at dinner the first night was,( good way to get to know them I thought), ‘Why do people walk the Camino?” I did not get a definitive answer! I heard that many pilgrims keep why they walk to themselves, many do not talk about why.

That gave me food for thought as I was tossed into a world of what mattered the most in life on the Camino and that was walking from one place to another, washing, drinking beer, sangria, wine, eating and sleeping.

What I found was that I actually could do the walking, even up the hills, I could drink coffee as small espresso shots (and this is someone who only drank latte) I could walk with the pain of terrible stingy blisters and very very sore feet and I could use the bushes when there was no bathroom along the tracks.

Donna takes credit for teaching me that little skill. What else I learned on The Way was the laughter, and conversation topics (like a coffee table picture book with Greg), the fun getting to know my companions, the importance of sharing everyone’s experiences, the increased level of caring for everyone as we all journeyed onwards together.

What I learned as we walked was to stop asking, how much further (we are all in the same boat), and not to talk about food so much. Feedback from Jules and Donna (at Changi Airport Singapore) has been processed.

What I also learned and valued was Catarina our lovely young driver of the support van who gave me some jump starts and who came to get me when I was lost one day and another memorable day when many of us pilgrims followed the wrong yellow arrows and needed a lift to the hotel.

I learned especially that we give on the Camino and help each other. Thank you Marie for helping me find a Podiatrist, and for speaking Spanish.

 What did I learn from my journey on the Camino?  No matter how much I tried to put into words what I got out of my journey, remembering what was said on that first night by Arlene and Steve, reading what my fellow travellers have said and what Bill says about the spirit of the Camino and the special bonding with the friends we make for a lifetime, I concluded that I cannot put into words what the Camino meant to me. 

I only know that I have something inside me that was not there before; it is a beautiful feeling, a spiritual energy, a connection to The Way a bonding to my friends who walked with me and a deep desire to go back and walk the Camino again. 

I

Last week I received an email from a firm asking me if I would consider putting advertising on this blog.

I was intrigued, so I asked for more information.

They claimed it would be discreet, and non intrusive – and I thought about it, because having an income stream would kind of offset the time I spend preparing each post.

Believe it or not, it takes me between an hour and two hours to do a post, what with preparing the photos, editing and refining the text etc. The posts might look simple, and read fast, but that’s because I put a lot of effort into making them so.

Anyway, I decided not to go with the advertising offer. My PGS told me not to.

It didn’t feel right.

I hope one thing which this blog offers is integrity, honesty, and transparency. You might not always agree with what I post here, and I’m sure that sometimes I annoy/anger/confuse/disappoint/outrage you. (Don’t mention the Burning Dwarf!)

However:

1. I’ve never professed to be an expert, or any kind of “guru.” I’m just a bloke who did a walk and writes a blog about it.
2. I’ve never professed to be a saint – far from it. Saints don’t do white port drinking sessions.
3. I really don’t care if this blog has huge numbers or a handful – I write largely as a way of trying to make sense of the world around me.
4. I don’t proselytise here – or at least I hope I don’t. I try not to.
5. I learn from writing this blog. It forces me to think more deeply about things, and it keeps me curious and observant.
6. I learn more from you, than you do from me.

I must admit that I was a little chuffed at the offer of advertising – it means that this modest little blog is getting some attention out there.

But if I took on advertising then there’s an implicit contract – that I would have to keep my numbers up, or increase them – and that would then impact on what I write about.

I’d soon find I’d have to write stuff that was designed to increase traffic flow to the site – and so for me then the fun goes out of it. It becomes work. More than that, it becomes a manipulation. The transparency becomes cloudy.

I don’t write this blog for money. I do it because I like to, because I want to – and because I get to hang out with you cool bunch of people!

Once again, Steve McCurry makes us look at the world through compassionate eyes.

The Camino has a way of forming friendships that can run very deep, very fast.

And I’ve discovered that you don’t even need to meet these friends in Spain or Portugal or France. You can meet them online.

Through this blog I’ve made some wonderful friends. And now on this current work trip to the US, I’m getting to meet some of them face to face.

Earlier this week I finally got to meet Michael and Kathryn Schlesinger. Michael writes under the name Rambler59. I’d always thought that meant he was a rambler – a nomad – and he was either born in 1959, or he was 59 years old.

Turns out his pride and joy – apart from his wife and family – is a glorious old 1959 Rambler station wagon.

Jennifer and I had a gap in our schedule so I contacted them – they live down at Newport Beach – and were free to meet at short notice, so we drove down.

Wonderful people – and they had the Camino “shine” which was apparent immediately upon meeting them. (What is it with this Camino shine? How come I don’t have it? Maybe it’s because I drink too much Coke Zero…)

Michael and Kathy treated us to a fabulous afternoon – they took us out onto Newport Harbour on a little electric boat – we had Proseco and nibblies – and we chatted incessantly.

Then they took us to The Wedge – a very famous surfing beach which has the most insane wave for belly-boarders.

Then later we went out to a cool Mexican restaurant for dinner.

The evening concluded with me corralling their large screen computer, going on YouTube, and playing them parts of the Aussie Rules Grand Final, in which of course the Sydney Swans won.

They’d never seen anything like Aussie Rules footy before. It was a little confusing for them. I guess it is an odd code of football. But for me, it was a triumphant way to finish the evening, although I did hear Jennifer muttering  in the background… “Bill, I thought you promised me that if you walked the Camino, I’d never have to apologise for you again.”

We drove away from the Schlesinger’s house feeling like we were leaving old friends behind. The bond that the Camino forms, even across cyberspace, is palpably strong.

Then yesterday we drove out to Palm Springs to meet up with Steve and his former wife Jill. Steve had flown in from Houston specifically to introduce us to Jill who, like me, is more beautiful in the flesh than in photos.

Jill is a stunningly beautiful woman in every way – and she’s whip smart. So smart I began to wonder why she’d ever married Steve… (Steve, maaaaaate)… but once again, on meeting her I felt like I’d known her for years, because of this blog, and because I’d followed her adventures on her blog when she and Steve walked the Camino together last year, trying to figure out if they should stay together or not.

We then went to a very cool old styled hotel and had drinks around the pool. It was happy hour and we dutifully got happy. Jill told me this was where Sinatra and the Rat Pack used to hang out in the 50s and 60s.

They then took me on a tour of Palm Springs and showed me some extraordinary houses, owned by the rich and famous. Then we had a great dinner together and I discovered “misters.” Not misters as in misters and missuses – but tiny jets of water spray that make the desert air less dry. 

Again we talked and talked – and Jill has indicated she wants to join us on the Assisi tour next year – which would be amazing.

Steve won’t come. He hates walking. And also, it might rain… and I can’t guarantee sunshine every day in Italy. My weather powers only reside on the Camino.

If I can now step to one side and make the observation here that in the several hours I was with them yesterday, they were cuddling each other and cooing and picking the parsley out of each others teeth and carrying on like damn teenagers. And they’ve just divorced.

I told them they’re the poster couple for those aspiring to an amicable divorce. Steve says he has no expectations – he takes each day as it comes – and he’s learnt that you never know what the future holds…

Personally I would not be surprised if one day they get back together again, but hey, I’m a romantic. They do make a beautiful couple though.

This photo below doesn’t do them justice. They are far more beautiful in the flesh than in photos…  like me.

From Palm Springs Jennifer and I make our way north up into Washington State, where we’ll meet up with Lynda Lozner and her husband Dale.

Lynda has been active on this blog almost from the start – and I’m very excited to meet her and Dale. We’re going to have dinner at the Twin Peaks diner. And have a damn good cup of coffee and some cherry pie.

How cool is that?!

Further to yesterday’s post about erasing your past – it’s generated some discussion – which is wonderful. But let’s think about it within the Camino context. Think about this:

Walking the Camino requires you to erase your past.

For that period when you’re walking, the past does not exist. It doesn’t exist for a number of reasons:

The Camino returns you to a primitive state.
Your existence, your survival if you like, is contingent on the basic necessities of life – food, water, shelter. When you’re in a primitive state, nothing else matters.The past doesn’t matter. The future only matters to determine your survival needs.

Where will I sleep tonight? Will I get a bed? Where will I eat? Will the stores be open in the next village? How much water should I carry up that mountain? Will there be a fountain part way up the track? Do I need to rest a day? Am I getting sick? Will this blister become infected? How much food can I carry before my backpack becomes too heavy?

These are survival questions. The past doesn’t matter. There’s no room for thinking about the past when you’re in survival mode. And the Camino requires you to shift into survival mode. Into your primitive state. Into your true state. As a human being. And as a being. 

The Camino strips you of status.
You are like everyone else. Whether you’re wealthy, whether you’re on welfare, whether you have a good job, whether you’re unemployed – on the Camino none of that matters. You all are essentially the same.

You all wear essentially the same clothing. You all wear the same “uniform.” There are no diamond earrings or pearls. There are no Dior outfits. No Zegna suits. Who knows if your boots cost $50 or $500? More importantly, who cares? None of that matters.

What you’ve accumulated in your life, whether it be possessions or power or position – status – it means nothing on the Camino. What separates you is your wisdom, your empathy, your generosity, your spirit. Who you really are. 

The Camino reduces your past.
Most people who walk the Camino do so wanting a question answered. They may not know it when they start off, they may not be aware that they’re wanting a question answered, but invariably that question presents itself – and sometimes the answer too, but often the answer comes much later. Sometimes weeks, sometimes months, sometimes years later.

That question is a function of your past, and will determine your future. What should I do with my life? Should I continue with my relationship? Should I change jobs, change careers? Do I really love that person? What do I need in my life to make me truly happy?

In the process of examining your past, within the spiritual crucible of the Camino, the past disappears. Like a chemical process. Like alchemy. Apply heat, within the crucible, the past reduces, breaks down, combusts, and becomes something else. A new element in your life. And in becoming a new element it ceases to be what it once was.

The Camino forces you to overcome your past.
If you want to continue, if you want to finish, if you want to achieve your goal of reaching Santiago, you must overcome your past. Your past might be blisters, it might be injury, it might be a flagging spirit, it might be a backpack that’s too heavy, it might simply be fear.

If walking the Camino is representative of your journey through life, then the blisters, the injuries, the burden, the flagging spirit, become representative of aspects of your life – your obstacles, your trepidations, the material and metaphysical burdens that you have chosen for your life.

Because they are all choices that you’ve made. Life hasn’t put obstacles in your path. You have chosen to put obstacles in your path. You have chosen to burden yourself with material possessions. You have chosen to become dispirited.

If you want to reach Santiago, you have to overcome these things. You have to choose to get rid of your past. You cannot choose to allow the past to stop you. The Camino forces this upon you. It forces you to make a decision – will I allow the past to stop me? Will I allow the past to shackle me? Will the past overcome me, or will I overcome the past?

Very few people who reach Santiago arrive with the past they had when they started their pilgrimage. The Camino has forced them to overcome their past.

On the Camino, the past doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you keep putting one foot in front of the other.

(this is my last posting before Jennifer and I depart for the US.)

The past does not exist.
This is what Jennifer has been telling me lately.
“Let go your past.”

When you let go your past, you’re letting go of everything that is in your past. You’ll be letting go of the anxiety, the stress, the suffering, the confusion, the abandonment, the disappointment.

The joy that you believe is in your past isn’t in your past at all.

All the good things that have happened in your past – the moments of triumph, the times when you were in love, when you were happy, when you experienced joy and laughter, the times when you felt safe – they are always with you. You cannot, no matter how hard you try, get rid of them.

The joyful things don’t belong to your past, they belong to your now. They’re your life force, your light, your energy field – your true self. All the rest is a dirty overcoat, which is trying to keep you in the past.

When you’re young, you have no past. You have yet to accumulate those things that will later try to keep you in the past – those things that you’ll dwell on: the mistakes, the failures, the rejections, the humiliations.

They’re yet to hobble you. So you can achieve things unfettered. Without thinking about the past. Without the spectre of failure, personal humiliation, rejection.

Later in life, the past inhabits you.
It inhibits you.

“Oh I can’t do that because last time I tried that, I failed.” or… “We’d better not take that financial risk because we tried that once before and we lost everything.” or… “things never worked out last time I tried that…”

The past can be insidious. In later life it can bring you to your knees. It can cripple you. The past can leave you old. And bitter. And cynical. It can leave you so moribund with fear you can’t get off the couch and step outside the house.

We all get stopped by our life. We all get reminded of our past.

But what if we erased our past? What if we were young again? What if we began to think like we thought when we were 26 years old. When nothing could stop us. When everything was possible…

What if we were unstoppable again? What if the past did not exist – and everything was fresh and new and possible again? Back then there were no barriers. There were no fears. There was only ever opportunity, which we took, brazenly.

We can step out of that dirty overcoat, and take on the bright shiny mantle of “now.”

But first we just need to let go of our past.