Snippets from Simon

This is one of those red herring posts. I started calling it red sardines because the Portuguese are rather fond of their sardines - cold or grilled. Anyhow, I’m digressing off the digression and may be taking the wrong pilgrim path! Popular piety and devotions can be a mix of the good, the bad and the downright zaney. Some of the sovenier shops are awash with cheap and gaudy plastic statues of St. Anthony of Padua in various colours. Often they are shelved near wood carved images of over size penises that act as beer bottle openers! Oh, the irony! St. Anthony is, of course, the saint raised by the Portuguese who went to join the Franciscan Friars and became associated with Padua in Italy. A blessed relief came in the cathedral of Santo Ildefonso in Porto, where this tasteful and original word carved side-altar offers pilgrims a quiet pause with one of their favourite saints. Speaking of spreading good news I’m very grateful to the We Are The World Blogfest crew who have g

After taxi strike had us scrambling for buses on arrival, we got to our accommodation.   The next morning we awakened from a jet-lagged sleep to a delightful breakfast in the hotel. Finding the red Hop-on Hop-off bus tours we had a two circuit tours of Lisbon.  Avenues, statues (and more statues and monuments) popped up on the route. Some of the parks and areas are we well ordered and beautiful. Yesterday a pleasant lunch was to be had at the Museo de Beer on the Placa Commercia. See photo.  A delightful lunch was had today on one of Lisbon’s hills from this tiny kiosk. Buskers thrilled us with their blues, while a man - who earlier talked with his imaginary friend - danced freely to the music. Tomorrow,  on to Porto and then the Camino begins.

Two people came into my life that have given me pause.   The first is Ailsa Piper . In her account of the Camino Walk Sinning Across Spain ,  she writes beautifully of her experience of both events and her inner life. I particularly liked her love of language, landscape and a good yarn, seasoned with delightful servings of poems. T he second is Noel Braun . I've met Noel Braun on a couple of occasions. After his wife died, Noel went on a Camino. He described this in his book The Day was Made for Walking .  After that, he did the Portuguese Camino and related his experience in I Guess I'll Just Keep on Walking . There are others out there. These two have helped me.

As I prepare for the Portuguese Camino Pilgrimage I think of what may help.  Pilgrimage can also be a parable for the journey of our whole lives. If so, I'm mindful of some spiritual guides along the way. One of these is John O'Donohue . On his Facebook page was the following prayer-poem. It is good for pilgrimage. A SACRED JOURNEY When you travel, A new silence Goes with you, And if you listen, You will hear What your heart would Love to say. A journey can become a sacred thing: Make sure, before you go, To bless your going forth, To free your heart of ballast So that the compass of your soul Might direct you towards The territories of spirit Where you will discover More of your hidden life; And the urgencies That deserve to claim you. John O'Donohue Excerpt from the blessing, "For the Traveler" TO BLESS THE SPACE BETWEEN US (US) / BENEDICTUS (Europe)

Sorting out a daypack, my trusty “gender-bender” Merrell boots and some kind people loaned me a book on Spain. Here  is a link to the base walk we plan to do. Porto to Tui, then Tui to Santiago de Compostela.

So, this will be the place where I'll put stuff about the upcoming Portuguese Camino. This is a guidebook for the trip. More posts to come.