I'm almost there with the book cover.

But I figure I need two trekking poles, not just one – and crossed at the handles, as though they're leaning up against the wall.

But what do you think?

Would this cover make you want to read the book – or at least read the first chapter to find out if its any good?

This always happens when I blog before I’ve had coffee!

I spelt Anne’s surname incorrectly when I first posted her guest blog – in fact I realised just as the blog was going online, and tried to stop it, but WordPress can be resolute.

So I quickly corrected it – (Maddock, not Maddox) – and my apologies to her.

Now I’m off to have my double espresso, and make Jennifer laugh.

Should be easy this morning, I’m such a moron…

Bill

Anne Maddock, who is a regular poster on this blog, is heading off next week to Spain. She’s going alone, on her first Camino.

And so as with Arlene, I asked her to do a guest blog too, to let us know what she’s feeling right now, with less than a week before she leaves.

If I can speak for the people here on this blog, Anne we wish you a safe journey, and our love and best wishes for a transcendent Camino!

In the meantime, here is her guest post –

An ordinary woman going for a walk 

I am an ordinary woman – a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, student, friend. I live my life the way I believe I have been called to live. I am a Christian – a practising Catholic. I work in education. I love my family. I make mistakes. So .. all very ordinary, your “Mrs. Joe Average”!

On Saturday, however, I can add pilgrim to the list of what defines me. I will leave my home, surrounded by familiarity and love and journey to a foreign land, alone, with no Spanish language, nothing which I could call familiar, except my backpack, my few clothes and my iPad Mini – my lifeline to the rest of my known world.

So, what is this all about? Why am I doing this?

Some call me crazy. Some call me brave. Some just shake their head or shrug their shoulders. They don’t really understand, but … neither do I. For many years I have had the desire to walk this ancient path, to be a pilgrim, to be in Santiago de Compostela and at Finisterre.

After walking I’m still not sure that I will know why. A bit like Steve Langham [of PGS Blog fame] reminds me, I’ll just do what I have to do – take one step at a time. If there are revelations of great significance, I’ll embrace them. If the Camino teaches me, I’ll learn. If the Spirit of the Camino speaks, I’ll listen. If I fall down, I’ll get up.

So, what are the questions?

Can I do it? Am I ready? Will my body carry me to the end? Will I have somewhere to sleep each night? Do I have enough clothes? Do I have too many clothes? Will I learn to follow my PGS? Will I meet any new friends? Will I be lonely? Will there be Camino Angels when I need them? What if I can’t do it? What are the expectations of myself? Of others? Why didn’t I train harder? Listen more intently?  Read more? Ask more questions?

How do I feel? Right now, I am not so sure as the reality hits. During the past week, waves of nervousness, apprehension, doubt, excitement, anticipation, longing and guilt have washed around and over me. It’s been a roller coaster week.

Too late, I am on my way!! This is My Camino. Whatever happens will happen. I will manage the best way I can. There is no right or wrong.

In Bill Bennett’s PGS words I will try to Stop! Listen! Trust! Follow!

Blessings to all

Anne

HAPPY THOUGHTS…..

It’s wonderful reading as Anne gets ready to leave on her Camino, and Arlene is already on her way. I get so much pleasure from reading all your hopes and dreams -and disappointments, too; all the things that make us human.

And we’re  so lucky – think of our little group here, everyone has either walked the Camino and returned, or is preparing to walk in the future. I think either way, one of the things we all have in common is how much time each day, our own plans, the blog and talking with “Camino people” outside the blog, takes up in our thoughts.

Its a pleasant way to live, although I imagine not always so pleasant for spouses and friends left behind. I think they must often look on us in bemusement, wondering how on earth this walk has taken such hold on us!

So I was a little surprised when today an email from a very dear friend of mine had me preoccupied all day with something that had nothing to do with the Camino. It’s good in a way, to realise my brain is still capable of pondering things other than what’s  the best way to weigh my underwear.

It was a sweet and simple question. “What has made you smile today?” I had to think quite a while. I hate to say it, but there’s  been so much on my mind lately with one thing or another, I wasn’t  sure exactly when the last time I had smiled, was. I think the answer to a question like this can be very revealing of our priorities and state of mind.

This is what I came up with: The weather here has been unbearably hot and humid. Its my least favourite kind of weather, making me feel drained, achy and tired.

This morning I woke up to a delicious cold front.The evening had been in the 30c’s. This morning it was 4c. And my first smile today was : sleeves. I love the way sleeves feel so comforting and cosy the first time you put them back on in the fall. Its a wooly, fleecy little hug, and it makes me smile.

I made myself a cup of tea, and my old, black sweetheart of a tomcat jumped into my lap and started to purr. He was friendly and warm and his fur smelled so sweet in the sun that streamed through the window. The tea was delicious and he was blissed out -and that made me smile, too.

So I guess that clears up any ideas you may have had about me spending the morning deep in spiritual thought. At heart, I’m  just a little girl in a fuzzy sweater, sitting in the sun with my favourite cat. But that’s  ok. I’m  glad I still remember how to be uncomplicated!

Well – what has made YOU smile today?

The last few days I haven’t been as active on the blog as usual –

A 500ml drive on Friday, Saturday with my family up in Stanthorpe – Sunday (yesterday here in Australia) another 450ml drive, but to a small town on the coast just north of Sydney to see Jennifer’s brother’s newly born baby –

And today, a 250ml drive back to Mudgee.

The baby is an amazing story – born premature (5 lbs) to my brother-in-law’s wife, who has MS. The birth has been a divine gift to them both, and whilst I’m not usually a baby-bloke, the tiny little thing is a real cutie. Her name is Mathilda.

On the book – I’m now just waiting on the cover art. I’ve commissioned the company that does my movie posters – and they do most of the film poster work in this country. I’ve already had a draft from them, which looks terrific, but there are things I want changed, and so that’s happening at the moment.

I’m hoping that the cover will be locked off in the next couple of days, and then it will be ready for publishing, because the book is all formatted now.

I have included at the top of each chapter a small photo that says something about that particular chapter – I haven’t made this a photo book by any means. I figure if people want to see the shots, then they can go to my website easy enough. The book is about the words, and the story.

Having slight perfectionist tendencies, I’m paranoid about typos. Jennifer and I did a “typo” read, and Jennifer picked up a bunch that had slipped past me, then Elizabeth Evans from this blog did a proof read, and she picked up some more that had slipped past both of us. Hopefully that has nailed it, but if any of you have picked up any typos in the excerpts I’ve posted on this blog, please let me know.

I noticed in a comment from Jill that someone said they were reading a blog that discussed the “effects” of the Camino. It turned out it was this blog. PGS – The Way. I’ve never thought that these blog posts after the Camino were that – but I guess they are, mostly.

I set up the forum to discuss the “spirit of the Camino,” because it seemed to me there was no place to really talk about that. Ivar’s forum, as wonderful as it is, seems more about the practical aspects of the pilgrimage. Which is fantastic, because it’s a source of very useful information.

This blog has always been about the inner workings of the Camino – “inner” both for the pilgrim, and for The Way itself. That’s what I find fascinating. Like how my walking the Camino reunited my sister and me. That was amazing.

Sometimes I feel as though I have said all I can say, and I should wind this blog up. Retire with dignity, rather than continue on with posts that are thin and are a rehash of what’s already been explored. And then something comes along that is really worth putting up – and I’m glad that I not only have this blog as a platform to articulate it, but also incredibly grateful that I have an audience that’s interested.

And after all, how could I not blog on the tour next year? That will be a complete hoot!

Every family has its tensions – and sometimes these interpersonal hostilities go back to childhood.

Personally, I think they go back lifetimes.

In my family, it’s been my sister Anne and me. Anne is five years older, and we’ve always fought. Ever since I can remember. I won’t go into why we’ve fought, but we just have.

There’s always been a huge tension between us.

And then I did the Camino and she started reading my blog. And one day, out of the blue during my walk, I got an email from her. I never get emails from my sister, other than to tell me what an asshole I am.

In this email though, she told me that I’d changed, and that I was now a nice person. That’s the word she used, nice. And she signed off Love, Anne. 

This had a profound affect on me during the Camino. And when I got back home I called her, and we had a wonderful talk. I can’t remember when my sister and I have ever spoken on the phone without there being some underlying strain.

There was none on this call. She reiterated that while reading the blog during my Camino, she’d realised what a nice person I’d become. There’s that word again – nice. 

Last night, at our family get-together, I saw her for the first time since the walk. She rushed up and gave me a huge hug and a kiss, (which again never happens), and she said to me: You’ve come back. Meaning, I’d returned to my essential being.

We sat together and we talked and laughed. In previous years I’ve usually found a way to sit up the other end of the table, and not say much to her. Last night it was like a huge veil had lifted – a veil that had separated us since childhood. And I could see her clearly, and she could see me clearly too. That we were brother and sister, we were family, and that we loved one another.

She wanted to talk to me about my Camino, about the towel, and how important it was that I give it back to Balazs. And the Korean lass at the Santiago Cathedral Pilgrims’ Mass, how she rushed over and hugged me. And my sister told me how she laughed and had tears in her eyes when the lass asked: You take taxi? 

I was surprised to discover how keenly she’d followed each step of my pilgrimage – and last night we sat together and we laughed and chatted and I simply can’t remember the last time we’ve done that.

I told her my new niceness would now upset the whole dynamic of the family. And we laughed about that too.

When I think about it, this would have to be the most important thing the Camino has given me – it’s brought my sister and me back together again. After more than fifty years.

The Camino reminded us both that the only thing that matters is love.

This morning I went for a walk with my brother, Bob.

There is a creek at the back of the motel, and a pathway, which every year we follow, and it seems that each year it takes us some place different.

This time it took us to a railway bridge, which we climbed up to. I ended up walking about 4kms, and even though my knee was sore, it didn’t stop me enjoying the walk immensely – the longest walk I’ve had since doing the Camino.

Below are shots of my brother, my mother, my niece and Jennifer – as well as some shots around town – Stanthorpe.

You might have noticed some strange activity on the blog these last couple of days –

And you might have seen that the blog looks slightly different.

The brilliant young lady who does my internet stuff, Natacha, has been working to make the blog and the forum more streamlined. They are now integrated, so you can access the forum from the blog and vice versa –

As well, the forum has been inundated with spam in recent weeks, and I had clumsily tried to stop it, but in the process I made it difficult for some genuine users to log in, or stay on the forum. Natacha has now gone in and tidied all this up.

Not only that, but she’s also installed some heavy duty anti-spam software which should nix the spammers once and for all. Arlene was knocking out sometimes 20-30 spam posts per night – this should put an end to that.

So in short, it’s now safe to go back onto the forum. And as I say, it can be accessed from the blog, and the blog can be accessed from the forum.

Natacha is a national living treasure – and I take this opportunity to thank her.

Bill

Arlene will be leaving in a day to walk her second Camino.

I have asked her to do a guest blog on the eve of her departure, to give us some indication of how she’s feeling about it all.

It will be fascinating to follow her journey – and I will regularly reblog her blog onto this site –  but as she’s about to head off I wish her love, and safe travels, and I hope she has the best time!!  Bill

CAMINO FRANCES 2013

Logrono – Santiago de Compostela – Finisterre – Muxia

Well, here it is the eve of my departure to the Camino.  There are a million thoughts rushing through my mind as I check off the items on the “Must Do List” for the hundredth time.

Check – Exchange US dollars for a beginning supply of Euros

Check – Arrange for auto pay of my utility bills

Check – Notify the bank of debit card usage in Spain

Check – Arrange for mail to be picked up

Check – Confirm airline reservations

Check – Arrange for neighbor to check house and drive car weekly

Check – Pack cell phone, tablet, camera, Garmin and charging devices

Check, check and check – Another hundred items off the “List”

Thankfully the backpack has been ready for quite some time and put into its own special Osprey Airport Duffle Bag along with the trekking poles. (Thanks, PGS family for helping with that decision.)  I am, however, contemplating adding a Gore Tex jacket.

Naturally, I am anxious about the Camino.

Will I have good weather?

Will the training I’ve done be enough?

Will be too jet lagged to begin walking the morning after I arrive in Logrono?

Will I learn to trust my PGS to get me to Santiago de Compostela and then onwards to the Sea?

Will I be able to get in touch with my inner most feelings?

Will I become spiritually enriched?

When Sunday morning arrives, I will board the flight that will ultimately land me in Logrono, Spain on Monday after several flight changes along the way.  I will begin my second Camino Frances on 17 September.

For this Camino, I have promised myself to take my time, to enjoy the sights and wonders along the way.  I have vowed to be open to the miracles of the Camino and to let the true spirit of this ancient pilgrimage bring to me what it will.

My first Camino de Santiago brought me a completely new life, one filled with new family and friends from many different parts of this world.  And if I am lucky, my 2013 Camino will enhance my life even more.

Ultreia ~ Arlene

I drove 760kms today.

Through to Stanthorpe to meet up with my mother, who’s 86, and my brother, whom I’m very close to. The rest of the family comes in tomorrow.

Jennifer and I talked during the drive about pilgrimages. I told her that I walked around about the same distance as we were driving today. That disappointed her. She wanted to think that I walked further than 8 hrs drive!

I pointed out that we could do a pilgrimage in Australia – to Uluru, or Ayer’s Rock. It’s a very famous landmark – a deeply spiritual place for the aboriginal people. Although we’ve been to many religious and spiritual places around the world, we’ve never been to our own spiritual centre.

This is the only time in the year when I get to see all my family together – not even at Christmas do we all get together. So I guess this is our equivalent of Thanksgiving, without the thanksgiving, if you know what I mean.

My mother isn’t going to be around much longer. Each time I see her I wonder if it will be the last. And so around her, I’m always on my best behaviour!

Here are a couple of shots on the way up –