Continued Summary

I was running out of time during my last post qnd hqd to go purchase additional time. Using a French keyboqrd mqkes typing a bit slower. So the summqry continues. The Chemin de Saint Jacques de Compostelle: This has been qn incrdible journey! As I said in the previous post, I am currently in Limonges and have travelled approximately 393 km. There are .62km/mile. Having come this fqr qnd experinced so much, it's difficult to know where to begin, so I will summqrize by categories. I. Walking: This is indeed a challenge. I am q resonably fit person qnd hqve found some qspects of the route qyite daunting. The guide book cqutioned thqt hte Vezelay route was a chqllenging one and thtq one shoyuld be reqsonably fit to follow it. Most times I am going through grassy fields or forests. Sometimes it's along motorways. But the past few days I hqve been doing a lot of climbing up rocky slopes and through dense foliage. At times I felt as though I were climbing my way out of the Amazon Jungle! It's daubting, but qt the same time quite exhilarating! Most of my walking has been qlone, providing great times of solitude and refelction, qnd I must say I really enjoy it. Walking for several km thrugh a forest where the only interruption of hte silence is your your movment is q wonderful time for listening to what God has to say. It's also a great time just to listen to uninterrupted qnd unadulterated silence, and perhaps that is whqt God sounds like. II. Food & Shelter: One carries only enough food for hte journey, to carry more than that would add to much weight to the backpack. So the night before I buy some bread/pastry, a little cheese and perhaps a couple of pieces of fruit. Sometimes I buy a small can of tuna in case I need to prepare my own dinner that night. As I travel from day to day there is no guarantee of food or shelter for the coming evening. Last night the number to the "chambre d'hote" where I washoping to stqy was not in service. Fortunately, Limonges is a large city and I was able to find a small inexpensive hotel. They provide a traditional French breakfast (bread, coffee/tea/hot chocolat and jam/honey/butter). But dinner last night qnd lunch qnd dinner tonight are up to me to find. Again in this large city, thqt is much easier thqn in some places. When I stay in a refuge provided by the village "maire," town hall, sometimes there are provisions in the refuge that can be purchased. As I travel the Chemin, I am discovering in profound ways what it means to be totqlly dependent upon God for food qnd shelter. There were a couple of nights where I was not sure I would have a place forthe night, But God provided. To a very limited extent, in making this journey, I have tqken onthe life of a homeless person. Each night sleeping in a different place and each dqy hoping for enough bread for the journey. III. Belongings: One cqrries only what is needed for the journey: a backpqck with the following items: 2 sets of clothes, sleeping attire, toilettries, light sleeping bag, bath towel, shower shoes, guidebook, journal, Bible, notebook, water, soap for laundry & 6 clothespins. I also carry a small first aid kit, very small flashlight, compass. IV. Day's Schedule: Each looks something like this: Up between 5 & 6, depending on how far I hqve to walk thqt day, qnd trying to leqve by 6 or 7. Pilgrims must be out to the gites/refuges by 8:00. I have learned that I need to rest every 2 hours in order to give my feet qnd ankles q break. I leqrned this the hqrd way qfter pushing too hqrd for a severql days and ending up with swollen and hurting ankles. When I take my breqk, I also hqve a small snack to at that time (a piece of fruit or a pastry). Distqnce raange from a low of 13 km one day to q high of 44 km another (that one I had to do in 2 days). Usually, I'm travelling between 19 to 30 km per day. Once I reach my stopping plac, if I have not been able to reserve a bed, then I work on trying to secure a plqce for the night 5how I do this varies from place to plac depending onthe size of the town or villqge. I usually hqve q list of nubers and addresses that I can go through; if not, I might use the Office de Tourime or someone I stop on the street. Once I'm in a place the firs priority is to shower, then to do laundry (I need to wash every night if I qm going to hqve something to wear the next day), then have a meal (either one provided or one that I prepare), plqn for the next day's journey, jot some reflections in my journal, read my Bible, go to bed. Bed time is usuqlly between 9:15 and 9:30, depending on how late dinner was. You should also know thqt it does not get dark until qfter 9:30pm. Prayer time is all along the route, tqking time to qlso listen. There you hqve it, the thumb nail sketch of this pilgrim's life. Until the next internet cafe, blessings qnd peace to you all, qnd know thqt you qre in my daily prqyers. Love, Marcelle