Reset search
David and Sean's CaminoDavid and Sean's Camino
SatelliteEdit route
Living in: Port Orchard, Washington Read more Port Orchard, Washington
  • TravelerDavid and Sean’s Camino
    Day 40

    Final Thoughts

    July 11, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Our “formal” Camino is done. Sean and I received our compostelas (diplomas) both for the halfway and full journey and we have returned home safely where we are catching up on our sleep.

    So, what did we take away from our Camino?

    My goals were to draw closer to God, draw closer to Sean, and to have a grand adventure. And all of those goals were met and exceeded long before we ended our trek. What I did not expect was the friendships that we made along the way; especially Brian and Michelle Coleman, Brandon from Houston, Lucas and Maria from Brazil, Richard “the Gentle Giant” from Los Angeles, and many others whose names I have either forgotten or never knew.

    Sean’s goal was to be there for me and boy did he meet and exceed that goal! He was as patient and faithful a companion as I could have asked for and I would never have gotten as far as I did or enjoyed the journey as much as I did without his presence.

    Most pilgrims will tell you that the Camino is a reflection of life. It has many of the same qualities: ups and downs (quite literally!), joys and sorrows, successes and failures, surprises and disappointments. But it is also much quieter than life. No trash to take out, no work to go to or deadlines to meet. Mostly void of the rush of traffic and the noise of cities. It is a time to slow down and reflect.

    Sean and I were blessed to have this time together and I suspect that as we gain distance from our journey we will find that we have gained knowledge and insights that we don’t yet recognize. I pray that’s true.

    We have many people to thank. Nancy for supporting our going and for handling many logistical details for my dialysis. Harrison for handling some travel details when we found ourselves without a way home when we ended earlier than expected. My nephrologist for supporting this effort. The people who followed this blog and offered encouragement along the way—it was greatly appreciated! And most especially, God, for answering many, many prayers and for giving us the strength, endurance, and wisdom that we asked and prayed for.

    We all walk the Camino. Every day. It may not be as quiet as the one we experienced but we still have the opportunity to draw closer to God, draw closer to the ones we love and to support them, to have a grand adventure, and to be blessed with friends and as friends.

    I wish each of you Buen Camino and pray that God blesses your journey and your pilgrimage in life!    Read more

  • TravelerDavid and Sean’s Camino
    Day 39

    Santiago

    July 10, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    End of the physical Camino, Santiago Compostela, and the end of our walking journey. Although we ended our walking in Portomarin, we caught a bus to Santiago, spent the night, then went to the Pilgrim Center to see if we had walked enough to earn our “compostelas,” the diploma given for walking at least 100km of the Camino, and sure enough we had! We also received certifications for how much we had walked (in Latin, no less!).

    And of course, we ran into people whom we had met along the way, including a German fellow we met all the way back in Roncesvalles, day one!

    The cathedral is huge (as you can see in the picture) and the plaza is equally so. It was quite a feeling, having thought and planned for well over a year, then walking (and busing and training and dialyzing) for five weeks. To reach the physical termination point of our Camino was both a relief and a letdown, of sorts. What to do now that we had fulfilled this long quest?

    Many people return to walk the Camino again. Possibly taking another route. (There are many Camino routes, though the one that we walked—the Camino Frances—is the most commonly traveled one, and therefore the one that best supported my need for dialysis.) Sean spoke of that possibility. For me, I think I’ve “scratched that itch” and pushed my physical limits as far to the edge as I can. We’ll see.

    For now, we will enjoy our halfway Compostelas, full Compostelas, mileage certificates, photos, friendships, and memories. And, hopefully, a good night’s sleep.    Read more

  • TravelerDavid and Sean’s Camino
    Day 39

    Ending our Camino

    July 10, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    After making the jump to Sarria, Sean and I walked to Portomarin, but once there decided to end our Camino. We are both exhausted: Sean due to lack of sleep for five weeks and me due to the rigors of the Camino.

    We have taken a bus to Santiago de Compostela, going to visit the Cathedral and the Pilgrim Office to see whether we qualify for our compostelas. We walked well over 100km, but we didn’t walk the final 100.

    This afternoon we hope to catch a flight to Paris, visit the Musee d’Orsay then head home.

    I far exceeded my three goals: draw closer to God, draw closer to Sean, and have a grand adventure! And Sean far exceeded his, which was to support me. He has been faithful, patient, and supportive literally every step of the way. I could not have asked for a better companion!

    What I did not expect was the friendships we made along the way; in particular Brian and Michelle Coleman (cruisinwiththecolemans on YouTube), Brandon from Houston, Lucas and Maria from Brazil, and Richard “the Gentle Giant” from Los Angeles. Each was a blessing to us and we treasure the time we had with them.

    Unbelievably, Sean and I waited over 5 hours for the bus in Portomarin and in the last 5 minutes who should come strolling up but Lucas and Maria! An unexpected joy to see them one more time!

    Thank you God for all the blessings and all the answered prayers during this trek. We will remember it and treasure it always.    Read more

  • TravelerDavid and Sean’s Camino
    Day 37

    “Have a Nap and a Snack”

    July 8, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Early on in our Camino, Sean mentioned a Bible passage where God basically told someone, “Have a nap and a snack.” He then looked it up and passed it to me, 1 Kings 19 starting in verse 5. I’ve read it many times since.

    Late yesterday, on the bus from Astorga to Lugo, I was as close to quitting as I have come. And the ironic thing is that we weren’t being challenged by fatigue, or a steep hill, loose footing, or even heat. We were just sitting on a bus.

    I remembered Sean’s passage and decided to “have a nap and a snack.” My nap was bedtime and over breakfast this morning Sean and I discussed the pros and cons and decided to press on.

    And I think this was the most rewarding walk of our Camino in terms of pure enjoyment of our surroundings (as well as being back on the Camino after far too much waiting for various things while in Astorga).

    Even if we had decided to head back home, it would have been based on the sound advice of “have a nap and a snack.”    Read more

  • TravelerDavid and Sean’s Camino
    2
    Day 37

    Welcome to Galicia!

    July 8, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    After dialysis yesterday we attempted to make the jump to Sarria, missed a bus connection, spent the night in Lugo, then completed our jump late this morning.

    We are now in the last region of the Camino—Galicia, and it is gorgeous! After the wide open spaces of the Meseta it feels close and comfortable. Sean likened it to the Shire in Tolkien’s world of hobbits.

    We are behind schedule but really enjoying the scenery as you can see from the videos and pics!    Read more

  • TravelerDavid and Sean’s Camino
    Day 34

    More Astorga

    July 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    More pics from Astorga. First pic is of the scallops I had for dinner last night. And yes, I kept the nicest shell as a momento of our Camino, as the scallop shell is the most common symbol on the Camino.

    The inside pictures are of the cathedral, where Sean and I took an audio tour. Too much Catholic symbolism and architectural history for me to take it all in! One of the last inside photos is of Saint James as he is believed to have preached in this region.

    His body is believed to have been returned here and kept in Santiago de Compostela. (Sant Iago translates as Saint James. And Camino de Santiago translates as The Way of Saint James. In the picture you can see his traveling staff and possibly two scallop shells draped across his chest.

    The last photo is a gorgeous, shaded park directly outside the old city walls and directly below the palace and cathedral.    Read more

  • TravelerDavid and Sean’s Camino
    Day 34

    First Fall!

    July 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    We’ll, I’ve lost my balance many times on the Camino, but until just now I haven’t fallen. And truth be told, my first fall wasn’t so bad.

    Sean and I are checked in at an albergue in Astorga and they have a “foot pool” where you can sit on a small stool and soak your feet in the “healing” (rather cold!) waters.

    As I was sitting on the little stool it slipped out from under me (so a fall of about five inches!), partly due to the rain water on the slate tiles beneath. Scraped my leg a little bit and got the bottom part of my pant legs wet, but absolutely fine otherwise. More embarrassing than hurtful. And the waters may not have healing properties but they sure felt good on our travel-weary feet!

    Sean and I took the picture primarily to share with Nancy, She and I took a very similar photo, I believe in southern Spain (turns out it was Italy!) at a place that had been visited by Charlemagne and was also believed to have healing waters.

    Somehow I managed not to fall that time.    Read more

  • TravelerDavid and Sean’s Camino
    Day 34

    Weather

    July 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌩️ 77 °F

    We have been SO blessed by the weather during our Camino. Just check out the beautiful skies in SO many of our photos and videos and the temperatures that automatically get attached to these blog entries.

    We’ve been rained on twice while walking and even then only drips and drops. We’ve seen absolute deluges, but we’ve seen them from the comfort and shelter of a restaurant or an albergue.

    And now as I write this, sitting in our albergue here in Astorga, there is a tremendous thunderstorm roaring outside! We may even get wet popping out for dinner tonight! Oh the horror!

    Brian and Michelle Coleman (whom I’ve been missing VERY much) said that when they walked the Camino in 2017 it was called the “summer of Lucifer” it was so hot. And here we have been enjoying unseasonably cooler weather, much to our enjoyment.

    And it is VERY appreciated. Thank you God!

    (p.s. After I wrote this is was discovered that several of the ceiling windows in our top floor room were open, letting a literal flood of water in! Sean and I were fortunate to have picked beds NOT under the deluge, but pity those people who are going to lie down later tonight to find their bed is wet!)    Read more

  • TravelerDavid and Sean’s Camino
    Day 34

    What’s Your Love Language?

    July 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    I’ve read the book. Thought I knew what mine was. Then Brian Coleman made the statement at dinner the other night that he thought his was “making food for others.”

    That thought really resonated with me, because I get great satisfaction and joy from doing the same. So I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

    I think mine is broader. I think mine is making things for others; whether it be cooking, or a play production, or something in the wood shop, or something like the raised beds or chicken coop that won’t FIT in the wood shop.

    Cooking is easiest because it’s often started and completed in a single day, whereas the other types of projects usually take significantly more time. Nonetheless, they give me the same joy and satisfaction.

    I know it’s not one of the five love languages defined in the book, but who’s to say the book is exhaustive!

    So, what’s YOUR love language?    Read more

  • TravelerDavid and Sean’s Camino
    Day 34

    Astorga

    July 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    We’ve just arrived in Astorga. Wow! If you’ve looked at the pictures you know what I mean. And those were taken just entering the city, following the Camino, and looking for an albergue to spend the night (last photo).

    Tomorrow we’ll explore the city a bit more, hopefully find a round table cloth to take home for Nancy and I to enjoy on our patio, and check in to the hotel nearest the dialysis center.

    So, expect more pics from Astorga!    Read more

Join us:

FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English