Today we arrived in Ste. Jean just after 10am. We walked 6 kilometers down hill from Hunto where we stayed last night in a small, private albergue that was also part of the hotel. Delicious dinner and breakfast. Fun meal with 5 Spanish men who were walking over to Pamploma for the next 3 days, and whose religion is "futbol".
Walking into Ste. Jean happened so quickly this morning that I thought there must be another town that we walked through first, and then I saw the Porte d'Espagne and knew that we had arrived. We had completed our Camino from Santiago to Ste. Jean. 25 days of walking across Spain, across the Pyrenees, and into France.
We walked up the main street of the old town to the Pilgrim's Office to receive our final stamp. Along the way, we stepped into a shop where Sharon saw a beautiful wool shawl made from the wool of the local sheep. We walked by so many of these sheep as we crossed the Pyrenees. Sharon raised sheep - she used to have a farm school preschool with sheep and goats. That's when we first met - 17 years ago when I saw her flyer for her preschool and knew that she was the answer to my prayers for Andrew's perfect school. She has since been all of my children's preschool teacher. Now we are sisters of the Camino. And the shawl was Sharon's gift to herself for walking over the Pyrenees. The owners' son spoke English and was very helpful and even let me use his phone to make some very necessary calls to change and confirm our plans now that we are off the Camino,.
The Camino continues to guide and provide. We easily took the bus to Bayonne to rent a car; we rented a car right at the train station, walking in just before it closed; my credit card was denied because of a large amount being charged - not sure what to do, I called Steve who was on his way home before heading up to the mountains and out of cell range. He was able to call the credit card company, get it sorted out, and we now have our little black Renault Clio. We left Bayonne as it was getting dark and started to head toward Toulouse. Seeing signs for Lourdres, we decided spontaneously to come here. We found a wonderful little hotel with a very kind hotelier who welcomed us in and confirmed our decision to stay here. All flowed with ease and grace, and I still feel held, guided and provided for by the Camino. Thank you.
I can't quite believe that I am not getting up and walking tomorrow morning. As right as it feels to have finished the Camino, I also just love to walk the path of the pilgrim. I am still completing internally. The external journey may be complete. We may have arrived at our destination. The days of walking day after day may be over until the next pilgrimage. Yet as Sue Kenney so wisely says, "when the Camino ends, the journey begins."
And so the next leg of journey begins, and it begins here in Lourdes. I wonder what we'll experience by going to the grotto where Bernadette saw 18 visions of Mary and received messages. One step at a time, although at times our steps will be taken in our small little Renault going 20 Kilometers in a few minutes, rather than over a whole day.
The life of a modern pilgrim, or is that when we become a tourist?! And with that question, I will end with another - when is a pilgrimage a pilgrimage and not a travel, a walk or a hike, or an exploration?
What makes a pilgrimage a pilgrimage?
Bonsoir.
Suseya,
Sarah
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
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