DAY 3 AZAMBUJA TO PORTO DE MUGE

Sleeping in an Albergue with 8 other pilgrims is always a snoring contest. Although we were up early, we only got going past eight. We were in no hurry with 16km's to do. It turned out to be over 20.

On the Camino you will always find shoes and hiking boots left along the way. When you need to get to Santiago and your boots will not allow you, take them off and leave them behind. This was, however, a first for me (see first photo). I wonder what made the lady decide to get rid of them and just hang them on the tree?

The Camino is about letting go. The "way" was reminding me that we are all "work in progress". The work is not done until you have left "self" behind. In loosing oneself, is also the finding of the true self, the one that was made in the image of God. This remains a life long journey.

Today along the route Ansie and myself evaluated our move to Cape Town. It is now almost two years that we have been serving in our new congregation. We stayed in a lovely house in Eldoraigne with lots of memories. But we are still confident that we made the right choice.

Just after 14:00 and 29° in the sun, we arrived at Quinta da Burra where Paula met us and made us feel right at home. We have our own private room and dinner will be served at 19:00. She will pack us food for the road tomorrow. This is like a small retreat center, the love and peace is food for our soul.

We hope to leave at 07:00, with roughly only 16km to do but no water or shade on the route and the forecast is 30° with clear skies.

Buen Camino/Bon Camino

DAY 2 ALVERCA TO AZAMBUJA

The morning was cool and windy as we set off just before 08:00. The first few km's was not too bad, but the 22km's we walked was hot and dreary. The traffic got worse and at the end it was a long slog.

If the journey is not inward, where are you heading. This became my mantra for the day. On this inward journey consistency is the key.

We observed quite a number of people doing the Camino with day packs or just a bottle of water. They had a support vehicle which waited for them along the route with refreshment. Let's not judge another man's journey.

The challenge for us is to notice and enjoy the small things along the route. The bread and beer at 15 km's were sacramentel. We are still in a position to enjoy the simple things in life. 

Tonight we sleep in an Albergue with 8 other pilgrims. Tomorrow will most probably be a short day with 16 km planned.

Suseia!

Day 1 Lisbon to Vila Franca de Xira

So we arrived in Lisbon with TAAG, the airlines from Angola. Their business model is simply to provide good value for money with no extra frills. We enjoyed our two flights and will make use of them again. (I would like to compare the legroom of the 777 we flew with, with other airlines. We were really comfortable!)

Once in Lisbon we got our first stamp at the St Antonio church and set off to Alverca do Ribatejo. We planned to take the train for this first stage - time constraints and to get out of the busy city. 

We arrived at Vila Franca to be met by the running of the bulls. This sport saddens me. The bulls are not hurt, but they are tormented until they are too tired to run. 

When we later walked through the town, the arena reminded me of the Christians in 250 AD on which bulls like these were let loose on. For them there was no place to hide.

So tomorrow, hopefully by 08:00 the walk will start with a 20 km stretch to Azambuja. Today we enjoyed and relaxed. Tomorrow is a new day. 
Ultreia!

PELGRIMSGEBED

Here God, U het U dienskneg Abraham uit Ur van die Galdeërs geroep en oor hom gewaak deur al sy swerftogte heen. U het die Hebreërs gelei toe hulle die woestyn oorgesteek het. Beskerm nou hierdie kinders van U, ter wille van hulle liefde vir U Naam, wyl hulle nou die pelgrimstog onderneem.

Wees hulle Reisgenoot onder weg,

hulle Gids by die kruispaaie,

hulle Krag wanneer hulle uitgeput is,

hulle Beskerming in gevaar,

hulle Beskutting op die weg,

hulle Skadu in die hitte,

hulle Lig in die donker,

hulle Troos in ongemak,

en die Inspirasie vir hulle voorneme;

sodat onder U begeleiding

hulle aan die einde van hulle pelgrimstog veilig mag arriveer en,

verryk deur genade en deugsaamheid,

mag terugkeer na hulle huis,

gevul met heling en ewige vreugde

Amen

Uit die Codex Calixtinus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Calixtinus

CAMINO DE FATIMA

"A pilgrimage is a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith, although sometimes it can be a metaphorical journey into someone's own beliefs. Many religions attach spiritual importance to particular places: the place of birth or death of founders or saints, or to the place of their "calling" or spiritual awakening, or of their connection (visual or verbal) with the divine, to locations where miracles were performed or witnessed, or locations where a deity is said to live or be "housed," or any site that is seen to have special spiritual powers. Such sites may be commemorated with shrines or temples that devotees are encouraged to visit for their own spiritual benefit: to be healed or have questions answered or to achieve some other spiritual benefit."

This pilgrimage that we are now again undertaking, is done in the belief that the journey is more important than the destination. This time we will be walking from Lisbon to Fatima, starting on Tuesday 8 October.

Why are we doing it again? As said on the previous occasion:

To celebrate life!

To meet new people.

To recover from a hectic year.

We hope that this pilgrimage will be a spiritual journey into ourselves and into God. We hope to encounter God in a wonderful new way. If He dwells in us, why then go on a pilgrimage? It is in the crossing of boundaries, our own but also physical boundaries that God is experienced in new ways. So, we hope to return with new passion and new vigor. There is so much more to discover and experience.

"Ultreia, Suseia, Deus adjuva nos" Onwards, upwards, God with us!

DAY 11 ALPRIATE

Today is St James Day.
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/spain/santiago-apostle
It is also the official opening of the Alberge Alpriate. I will leave today for Santarem and Tomar before I start my journey back home. This is most probably the last blog post.

Yesterday when having coffee at Maria's cafe, she invited me again to come and have supper. "We want to thank you for serving here without getting paid and on your time." What can I say? "Thank you", sometimes sounds so meaningless, fortunately when there is a language barrier "thank you" still has meaning.

Again, no pilgrims arrived. I accept it as part of my journey. Solitude is sometimes the most important part of our journey. It is not solitude that makes us depressed, it is loneliness. If you, however, are not used to solitude, which is part of the inward journey, you will most often feel lonely when by yourself. Silence-meditation is the school of solitude and the road away from loneliness.

This does not mean that I did not experience loneliness. There were times that I missed my family. The challenge is to embrace both solitude and loneliness. The more you venture inwards, the more the balance is restored.

DAY 10 ALPRIATE

It happened again, no pilgrims!

After cleaning I walked to the supermarket - fruit, wine and salmon. The rest of the day was spent reading, walking and talking to Jose in the wheelchair. At 19:00 I made the salmon with a tomato salad and bread on the side. I watched a movie on my phone and went to bed. As I said before, nothing glamorous about working in an Albergue.

There was an article in yesterdays' newspaper, "Beeld", that describes the camino very well and is worth the read.

Here the shootings in Europe are big news and constantly on TV. Africa does not exist and many people do not know whát South Africa is but conclude that it must be in the southern part of Africa. We met a number of people who lived in Angola or South Africa many years ago. No one has any intention of going to South Africa.

What I read about South Africa (the politics and violence) upsets me and angers me. Let me not make any comments about the leadership in SA. Let me, however, add, what I pick up on Facebook about the church (NG Kerk), saddens me. Looking from the outside, the church looks desperate. On the one hand it is the fight (it does not look like a debate, let alone a dialog) about gay people in the church and on the other hand all the "marketing" to get people to the Sunday sermon.

I do not see a drive by churches to get people involved in community life. I do not see I drive to be a witness of a loving God who cares about people (please take in mind this is my deduction from Facebook). I see churches who are kidnapped by  the same individualism that drives the economy and politics. It is a numbers game!

I have learnt on the camino that it does not matter whether you serve one person or ten, you serve them all as if it is Christ Himself you are serving.

(Maybe I am just depressed and miss my family. Kyrie Eleison!)