Author: Luke Powers

Looking at the guide book earlier this morning, we saw that the road ahead of us was going to be more psychologically challenging than the past few days. The route followed an ancient Roman road for about 26K. The road was completely flat and strait, with little to no shade. There had been snow capped mountains before, but today there was no scenic views. This provided us with ample time to chat and discuss more about what we study.

In the college seminary we primarily study philosophy. This science may seem to be somewhat unimportant for a Catholic parish priest to know, but it is actually incredible important. It is upon this science that we begin to grasp greater concepts in theology. Michael and I had no real experience with philosophy prior to seminary, but we have enjoyed learning it. It is not uncommon for us to walkout of a lecture and talk about how both of our minds have been blown. You can say that we have had many lightbulb moments over the past three years.

Since we love what we study, it is sometimes hard to not stop thinking about school, even on the Camino. A fellow pilgrim wanted to hear all about what we study. The conversation took many different forms over the next five hours, but it was incredibly fruitful. We were able to discuss not only philosophy, but also some basics of the Catholic Church. It was a tremendous amount of information and new knowledge for this other pilgrim, yet at the end of the conversation they said their outlook on religion and Catholicism had changed for the better.

Our discussion didn’t only make the long walk go much faster, but it reminded me once again of how important it is to further our own knowledge of the faith and help others to discern the truth. Leanring and teaching the faith is not something that takes a few days or even years to become proficient at. Rather, it takes a lifetime. Often this involves meeting people where they are at, and above all conversing with charity.

– Luke

I have wanted to do a picture post for quiet some time now, but it has been fairly difficult to find reliable wifi. The albergue we are staying at today has the best internet connection yet, and with it I want to give you a taste of what has become our life for the past two weeks. Enjoy!

Every night we stay in an Albergue. Albergues are hostiles specifically meant for pilgrims walking the Camino. The people working at these places are mostly volunteers and have been incredibly kind to us. They are also very efficient at what they do. Upon entering an albergue you are almost always requested to take off your boots to keep the place clean. The picture below shows a normal room in which boots and walking sticks are stored.

The Camino is not just about walking from one city to another everyday until you get to Santiago. There are many small attractions and beutiful cities nessetled along the route. One of the more memorable stops was a monestary that made its own wine. They have installed a free flowing fountain to there shop, so pilgrims can enjoy a sip or two of wine before they head on there way.

Micahel and I had been planning this trip for almost a year. In that time, a large portion of my efforts was directed towards packing. Since we have been walking 30K most days, it is extremely important that we only carry what we need. The day before I left I layed everything out for a final evaluation. This picture is the end result.Shells and Socks. These are two of the most common items attached to pilgrims backpacks. People clip their heavy wool hiking socks to their packs to throughly dry them out in the hot sun. Placing shells on the pack is an ancient pilgrim tradition. Not only are shells ancient symbols within the Catholic Church, but they are also used by pilgrims to indicate to others that they are headed to Santiago.

There are many routes to Santiago, the most popular and the one which we are currently on is the French route. It starts it the small beautiful town of St. Jean Pier de Port and continues about 800K to Santiago. Although there are ample guide books and maps, they aren’t really necessary. Everywhere we go there are either shells or yellow arrows pointing us in the right direction. In some of the larger cities the shells are built into the streets and sidewalks.

When we are not walking through small villages, we are trecking across the country side. These sections can be blistering hot, but also scenic.

We have been extremely fortunate to find pilgrim Masses being celebrated almost everyday. The churches have all been architecturally astonishing. Most of the sanctuaries are covered in beautiful ornatments. The picture below was taken after we prayed compline, or night prayer, with other pilgrims from our albergue.

Once on the way to Santiago, the Camino is very inexpensive. One of the best ways to keep costs low is to go the local market with other pilgrims and make a communal meal. These dinners have provided much laughter after the long days walk.

For the most part, the weather has been dry and hot. Only one day so far did we need to break out our rain gear. The rain is not much fun because it turns a lot of the dirt roads and paths into small rivers. After walking in the rain for a few hours, it stopped as soon as we reached our destination. This was slightly upsetting, but it soon revealed this beautiful rainbow.

Pictured below is Hontanas at dusk. The population of the town is around 80 people. The church dominates the small town square and still hosts a daily pilgrims Mass.

Then there is the all very important wifi password. Most albergues have some wifi, but getting a good connection is a whole other story.

• Luke

 

The journey over the last two days has been much easier on the feet. I have had blister problems since we landed in Paris, but the last 48 hrs has been different. I am now much more into the grove of walking and living on the Camino.

Everyday is a new surprise. It might be an exciting conversation with a man from Belgium, or finding a wild cherry tree. The 30K days seem like nothing when we are engaged in conversation, even in the blistering hot sun. A lot of people are surprised not only by our vocation stories, but also by our age. This has had me thinking more about our time in Lourdes and St. Bernadette. She was so young, yet had a great love for God. Age is not an obstacle to know, love, and serve God.

Last night we had the pleasure of staying with habited Cistercian nuns! The building was typical Cistercian style. Large block construction with minimalistic furnishings. It is always nice to stay with religious communities along our way.

We have been joining other pilgrims for dinner to keep costs low and to try new foods. The last few meals have been fantastic. It is always satisfying to have a warm meal after walking all day.

There was no wi-fi at the monastery yesterday, and the data has been too spoty to upload photos. When I have the chance, I plan on uploading a batch of photos and descriptions to give you a taste of what our day to day experiences are like.

– Luke

The last two days of walking have been a little rough for me. I have accumulated 2 blisters on each foot.

I had them taken care of at a small albergue, yet they came back. I decided I would switch to my sandals for two days to give my blisters a break by airing them out. However, the low support has caused pain in my shins. These small pains and discomforts are a regular sight on the Camino. The discomfort is nothing serious, yet it is enough to remind me that this is a pilgrimage.

Over the last few nights, we have joined fellow pilgrims in making dinner. It is not only cheaper, but we also get to experience different cuisines from around the world.

We have also had a lot of interesting conversations about how the United States is similar and different from other countries. A common topic among many of the younger pilgrims is education. Some have free education, while others pay more. In every country it is complicated, but most students we meet say picking a major is even more complex.

Everyday is an encounter with someone new. It is also an opportunity for us to continue to live out the Gospel on our way to Santiago. This has taken many shapes over the journey, yet some things stay the same. We have continued to pray the liturgy of the hours and attend Mass whenever available. Many people have been intrigued that we are studying for the priesthood. This has brought about some great conversations about the Church, Philosophy, and what it means to live life.

Not every conversation we have has been that deep, though. We have also expressed our love for some of our home town favorites like the Packers, cheese curds, and Camp Gray. This mix of conversations and prayer has been easing the slight pains of walking and pushing on to Santiago.

-Luke

Today’s hike was much more flat then yesterday. However, the pain of the first day’s hills were felt.

Leaving the hostile we passed a sign that pointed to Santiago… 790 Km away. This was a hard sight when it was difficult to shuffle along the path. The pains were easier when we talked to fellow pilgrims. Today we met a man from Belgium, a woman from German, a couple from New York, and two girls from Sweden.

One of the coolest conversations we had was with a fellow seminarian. He is entering the seminary next year in Minnesota. We had a great long conversation about the faith and seminary life.

I am also amazed by how many different languages everyone speaks here. Not only English, but Korean, Swiss, and German. Every night is a gathering of people from all over the world. It is incredibly interesting hearing about different customs and similarities.

-Luke