We live in a small southern town in Georgia, USA. Our home is old for the South and we have a front and back hall. In the back hall, we hang our packs. We weight them and wear them when they train for trekking during the week. Above the packs, we made a sign that says “WHAT HURTS THE EGO IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL!”  Yesterday our ego was humbled and our soul is better. We knew it would be hard as the distance and change in elevation would be difficult for us. We had breakfast and were on the Camino by 8:30. The rain was steady and temperature tolerable. Our Basque taxi driver had told us that this area of France and Spain had had an inordinate amount of rain and snow in the last month. What we “innocents” didn’t translate that too was….drastic flooding. Babbling brooks became torrential streams. Rivers became raging watercourses. The rain increased all day as the temperature dropped. The way became of increasing concern for safety. There were no villages to seek refuge. We continued for SIX hours of strenuous exercise. When we reached Roncesvalles Ernest began throwing up and was deeply chilled. After…

In Europe, the Olympics have centered so far on the Biothon. This is the event wherein varying distances and terrain the participants participate in cross country skiing and accuracy in shooting a rifle. They have short distance events; long distance events; team events. At the end of EVERY one of these competitions, the skiers fall on the snow totally eclipsed of energy.  Got the picture. Shades of Jan and Ernest today after the trek. We are NOT complaining. We LOVE it but this is not for sissies. Eighty percent of the Day was spent in constant rain. Though the temperature remained in the 40’s and we dressed for that temperature. We climbed constantly the entire 8 miles. We climbed 1000 feet today. The exertion  raised our body temperatures drastically. We were constantly shedding layers in the rain. The Basque region is much wealthier than the region of Galicia. The hospitality and congeniality is consistently gracious and kind in both regions. The terrain is absolutely stunning with steep emerald green pastures dotted with herds  of wooly sheep. Littered fog remained over the Pyrenees. Basques homes are painted white with deep red or green trim. The color of their flag. They are…

There is a saying explained to me in French that says something like,” You make your plans but God writes the story! “And so it is with us. We arrived in this picturesque village nestled snuggly against the Pyrenees not via bus but taxi. BUT, God always writes the story as a better adventure. We had a patriarch of the Basque culture as our driver. He gave us a historical account of the Basque people with great pride of the heritage. We arrived here with admiration and a better understanding of this ancient civilization that we will trek across. Our accommodations are quaint and lovely. We were able to get our Pilgrim’s passports and have lunch. We scouted the route out of town. This is a walled village. We took in the unique shops of herbs and spices; baskets of every size, shape, and color.; prayed in the Church.  We discovered that we are called God Walkers here.  They refer to where we stay as refuges. They tell us that the Camino is for our body and soul. We are LITERALLY humbled that our Father has given us the opportunity to do this. Now we are watching Pétanque on the…

Tomorrow we begin. Of course, a beginning is just another step in a series of choices and circumstances made in life but marked by a significant signpost. Yellow arrows mark this path. We fly from Charleroi, Belgium to Biarritz, France. From Biarritz, we take a bus 24 miles to St. Jean de Port, France. Leaving St Jean on Monday we will venture into Spain and circumvent the Pyrenees over the next days. Napoleon and his army went over but this path is closed due to weather. We look forward to the villages along the pilgrimage. Finished our packs just now. The action is simplicity. We take what we need. Jewelry becomes items of necessities…ID bracelet; compass; hardy sports watch; pilgrim’s shell. Clothing is thought of in layers and its ability to be washed easily and dried quickly. We are physically prepared. This is a short walk this week. Our concerns radiate from terrain unknowns and weather conditions. But, that is part of the allure of the pilgrimage, being aware of our dependency, TOTAL dependency, on God. We wish you were with us so we could share the wonder. Perhaps these “breadcrumbs” will help you follow our walk. Jan and Ernest

Hi Pelegrnos!  The Taylor’s are off again for a short trek around the Pyrenees. We arrive in St. John Pied de Port on Sunday the 19th and will leave via Pamplona late the next  Friday to get back to two grandchildren who live in Belgium. It is hard to describe how the Camino “speaks” to us. We have diligently trained about four days a week this year by walking four miles a day with our packs.  We are swimmers so we swim at least one extra or two extra days, too.  But all of it …all the conversation drifts back to Spain and the walk. It isn’t “magic” to us.  I think it is more of a Sabbath.  Sabbath is for rest and we don’t rest our bodies but our minds and souls and spirits rest in this deep way.  We, who are best friends and have been married 50 years this year, find that we pay attention to each other’s needs and wants in a slower, deeper way.  We collapse together. Solve problems together. Find God in every yellow arrow and the fellow pilgrims and each other. Sooooo, if you want a short walk with us…you can follow! Buen…

We started very early. It was sort of hard to believe that this is our last day. Our packs were familiar. We found our waking rhythm quickly. It is NOT flat to Santiago. There was one small mountain and six giant hills. Someone said  that pilgrimages always end high as you have to ascend to God. I remarked to Ernest that God figured out that that wouldn’t work long ago. That is why He descended to us. He did all the work to make A WAY to bring us back to Him. We walked over 250 miles in 19 days. They were strenous days. They were flavored with sweetness, kindness, humor and joy. May we never forget one moment. We are now holed up in a warm hotel. We will attend mass in the church tonight. If I am allowed to video the incense    portion I will do so and post it tomorrow. Buen Camino

He is in control of our days. Hallelujah!!! We awakened this morning in our cute, cute Casa Rural to 3 inches of snow. Snow is predicted all day. Before us lay the last big ascent and descent. We recover quickly but we can sense tiredness in our legs. We are prepared for snow with snow tips for our trekking poles ( Thankful that we didn’t discard them in the tropical heat waves we have had.)Our precious proprietor knew a way to circumspect the hill and we gratefully agreed. The rest of the mileage was flat. It was easy to hike to the next village where we had made a reservation for REST though it was heavy snow the entire way. We left our packs at the hotel. Bought a cheap pair of waterproof gloves and are sitting in a warm cafe having cafe con leche. I know it is Thursday but it feels like Sabbath….quiet,holy,restorative. We are really grateful for the rest. Folks, I have left out SO many God appearances. Please forgive me. When we arrive in late afternoon we collapse; shower; wash clothes; have dinner. By the time I start to post I am consumed with the physical…

And the rest of the quote is: “and leave us pain of promised joy,”. Oh, we had it planned. We had walked two long days of 13 plus miles. Today was a SHORT day. We were just going to walk one village pass the big village. We awaken in Palas de Rei to rain…chilly rain. Soon we were walking in the most beautiful snow storm.  The flakes were the size of a half dollar coin. Ernest and I like the snow so we walked with joy on our faces and praise to Him own our lips. That beautiful snow lasted about an hour. Then we had sleet. The sleet lasted about 30 minutes. Then the sun came out. Then the weather started all over again…snow then sleet then sun then snow then sleet then sun.  Now, that isn’t so bad except today was the Camino imitation of an elevator.  Ascend then descend. Ascend then descend. Now, when you ascend one truth is that you burn calories. I don’t care how cold it is outside YOU generate heat. With a raincoat and a pack poncho you become a living sauna.  Steam rolls off of you like a chimney puffing. Then you…

We left Porto de Marin this morning about 8:30 a.m. It was raining but we are well equipped for rain. Remember when I told you that one has to walk from Sarria to Santiago to get your “official” status as a pilgrim? The number of pilgrims increased drastically since Sarria. If some of you are wondering if you want to/could do the Way. This is a good choice. It will take you about a week. The terrain is not really difficult and the landscape STILL breath-taking. Your pack can be significantly smaller as you only need a week of “goods!” It is a reasonable choice. HOWEVER, still train and train WITH your pack. Train with your backpack close to the weight you will carry. It makes such a difference. Don’t worry if your neighbors think you are “touched in the head” or homeless because you are walking around with a pack on your back and poles in your hands. You are TRAINING!!!  Besides you meet a lot of nice people wondering what in this world you are doing! We had planned to walk only 9 miles today. The topographical map showed two horrendous ascents plus we were now transversing the…

Today on Camino our second handsome grandson, Price Daniel Taylor, became five years old. It crushes us to not be there with him. We hope someday that he will be proud of us for this adventure. Happy birthday, Price! You are one amazing boy! For those following us on the Camino. We started today in Sarria and arrived at Portomarina about 3:30. When you leave Sarria ( after the Santa Maria church, you will pass a cafe on your left..just before you take a right to leave town) That is the last place to get breakfast or a cafe con leche for FOUR hours. The trek is BEAUTIFUL but constant ascent and descent. It is long though not particularly challenging. You do know that the temperature drop today is indicative of rain and snow on the mountains. Ernest and I are dressing for “bear.” We have a very, very steep ascent tomorrow. It will not be particularly high in elevation but we climb 1500 feet in 3 miles.  The weather is an issue though we came prepared for rain and snow. We are “bushed” tonight but hope to walk short tomorrow. I guess I would say that being a “town” girl…

So…frankly…there is no way to adequately describe Camino. I guess it is sort of similar to describing the smell of a rose and one has never seen a flower or the feel of the wind on the beach if you have never seen the ocean. You want to describe the sensations but words are just not adequate. We thought today we would fill in the gaps…the snippets that will help transport you here. First off the day was easy. Thirteen and a half miles of walking. We were above the clouds 1/3 of the day. The earth and the vegetation could hardly contain their joy that Easter is coming. There were FIELDS of yellow; violets everywhere; fruit trees proudly displaying blossoms. Some of you are following us on the Camino and tell us to tell you WHERE we are.  We were in Tricastille last night at the cutest albergue called Albergue Atrio. We walked the old Pilgrim trail down to Sarria. We are staying at Pension Escalinata just before Santa Maria church.  We have another mountain range in front of us but nothing like the two we have crossed. We AND our legs like the ascent better than the descent….not…

Well, sit back and sip a coke or cup of coffee because there is so much to tell you. (Or you can just sign off now and not read this prose. I told you that we are not travelogue fans so you have a choice here ) What a day it was! We like ro start around eight a.m. but when I am in the sun a lot I get a fever blister on my lip. I brought medicine but not enough for this episode. Sure, I’ll just go to the Pharmacy in O Ceberiro where we are headed. NOPE, there are no pharmacies for two days. O0ps, that won’t work. So we wAit and wait and wait outside the local pharmacy. ( think that Jesus thought Jan might need ANOTHER patience lesson! I gratefully got meds and we bid adieu to our wonderful albergue hosts and took off for our scenic mountain hike. The first three miles are up a valley with gradual inclines and rushing snow-fed stream beside us. Heavenly!!! We can do this all day. Then we took a strong, well marked left into the woods AND we started to climb. I mean climb. We went straight…

There are two sides to this title. One side: The Pilgrims…As Ernest and I walked an easy 12 miles today it was so easy to think of the friendships we are making with the pilgrims. As I have mentioned before nationalities from all over this amazing earth are represented. At this point we have only met pilgrims who are predominantly male and all are of an age that could be our children or oldest grandchildren. Most are very well schooled, fluent in multiple languages, single, inquisitive, open.  Our Hungarian friend competed in The World Track and Field trials in 2016. He just completed his studies to be a veterinarian. His recent marriage is in trouble. Two German girls have just accepted new high paying and demanding positions with large companies. They see this brief interlude as the last opportunity to walk Camino for a long time. A Spanish dad and twenty-something daughter are taking this time for togetherness. Always there is a story…a life..a problem…a tribute. They are called but we are all on this journey together. Second side: Ernest and me. We have always been best friends even when we would consider murder but this has been such a…

The picture is of our topographical map of our journey today. You see that we had quite a ascent. Let us both tell you about our day. Jan: This was my absolutely favorite day so far.  Rabanal was the quaintest  village and we woke up to snow.  Here we go again…layer after layer after layer. I felt like the Pillsbury dough boy but I was warm. Well, I had lost one glove and Ernest refused to let me suffer for my own mistake. I wore one of his gloves and he wore one  sock and one glove. I married a wonderful,generous,kind man. Folks, I am a bit “athletic” but I have never been a serious hiker unlike Ernest. I just kept stopping and exclaiming,”Ernest, look at this! Have you ever seen such majesty?”  I was,overwhelmed by God’s creation. The snow capped mountains surrounded us. It was literally breathtaking. I still am amazed as I write of it. The ascent was really pretty easy. The altitude affected us but we stopped frequently to gaze at His splendor and that helped our breathing. Then, before, I seemed to know it we were approaching THE CROSS. As a pilgrim you are supposed to…

This is Ernest giving our daily update today.O what a glorious, crisp Saturday morning walk from Religeos to Mansilla de las Mulas, one of the oldest walled villages in Spain. The 6k walk was wonderful and walking around in Mansilla, looking at the ancient walls-they were so high- like about 14-15 feet high, was breathtaking. But, alas we are taking a half day of rest by taking a bus from Mansilla, 17 k, on into Leon. The guidebook says the buses leave every 30 minutes all day long. Walked up to the bus station only to find that the $1.65 bus ride doesn’t leave for 5 hours! So then quick $20 euro taxi ride into our hotel in Leon. Just a beautiful sunshiny day for brief walk around Leon- so many people filling the streets- street accordion players on the corners- a walking group of young girls singing- and all decked out in pink jackets. Lunch on a very narrow street, had to be the best tapas ever eaten.  So far, our equipment has done wonderfully, but wish my pack weighed about 6-7 kilos instead of 10 kilos. I have seen a couple of experienced Pilgrams with much smaller packs,…

What have we learned in five days of pilgrimage? One thing we know for certain is this is different from hiking. We can’t really put our thoughts around it!  Why is it different?  Sometimes we talk about St. James. One of the brothers that Jesus called the sons of thunder. Their name indicated that they certainly were not mild and meek men. We discuss the fact that all Jesus disciples except James’s brother, John, died for the truth they knew. Is it how we are treated that makes this different?  ALL are encouraging!  ALL  wish us well! ALL expect us to respect God and love Him! “BuenCamino”(Good Pilgrimage)…whatever the reason you are walking..be about that business and do a good job! Is it that even though we walk together we have hours of solitude?  We sometimes walk for miles with the only words spoken verbally are, ” Are you okay? Did you see that hawk? Aren’t the mountains comforting?”  The rest of the time Ernest’s brain is in his “nothing box” and mine is reflecting. ( Ernest calls this thinking/praying!) But it is different and we are called!  We KNOW it. We are pilgrims! The day was hot! Almost from…

Camino Tom at REI said that if you train you can expect to get your “trail legs” about the third day.  I think we got some those magic legs today. After yesterday’s “challenging” trek we decided to take it easy and just hike about 8 miles at the most. We had a leisure breakfast with a young German pilgrim( photo below) and didn’t hit the trail until after nine. I think I owe you an explanation here about the pictures of our shadows.  The photos mean blessed sun. No rain!!! The last two days we have started out with multiple layers,wool caps, gloves.  The chill in the air AND the gale force winds were constant companions until late yesterday afternoon. Today was amazingly different. Today we were shedding our coats within sight of our beginning village and were down to one long sleeved shirt before 11.  We  aren’t complaining but amazed at the change. The day was really easy even though the mileage was almost ten. Allen and Chuck, our tech geeks, are going to help us with this for a few days to come. I think Michelin distances are “as the crow flies.” We have quickly discovered that walking…

One’s Michelin guide is ALWAYS correct…right??!! I mean we pay good money for accurate calculations and all the various tips they supply. Yep! That was our first mistake…believing the Michelin guide.  Well, most of it was correct. We left early morning and had breakfast of omelette and cafe con leche in the most delightful town. The Carrion family were martyred here centuries ago and they STILL haven’t forgotten the injustice and sacrifice. They erected a statue of the patriarch as a pilgrim. The school and ancient monestary  bare their names. Sweet citizens who passed us tipped their hats and blessed us with”BuenCamino!” Such kindness seems to accompany the pilgrim. And the guide told us that we would travel an old Roman road that is desolate of “facilities” including water, bathrooms or people.  It was absolutely correct of the beauty of the farmland; the constant presence of the snow capped mountain range to our right. It informed us that once you begin you can finish or turn back. NO facilities are available. HOWEVER, the distance calculated was INCORRECT. The 12 mile trek to Camino Real was 16 miles.  The good news is WE MADE IT!!! We sang Zippidee Do Da, You’ve…

There are always firsts…new beginnings…fresh starts. Today was a first for us. We are now pilgrims. We wakked with too heavy a pack which will be remedied easily by mailing things to Natalie or discarding. But we were made aware as we walked in so silence of the too heavy a pack that we are carrying through life. Isn’t it strange that the constant repetitive motion of our bodies and the sound of wind rustling trees, the birds speak truth so clearly. Absence makes us aware of fullness. In this case, our lives have too much fullness. We are missing important opportunities by too much. We headed out about 8:30. We had a pleasant European breakfast at the hotel served by a hotel hostess that exuded warmth. The day was gray. Very strong winds and dropping temperatures necessitated many layers, gloves, warm hat. When we found our first yellow arrow we were like kids who had found the hen who laid the golden egg. We laughed. We took photos. We pointed out the signs and arrow to each other. We were on our way. We walked 10.75 miles in 5 hours including cafe con leche and lunch. We walked beside a…

We are in Fromista, Spain. We left Brussels about noon. Flew RyanAir(Man,has it improved!) Landed in Santander. Took a taxi to the train station and the joy began. I know it is absolutely hilarious to hear that a backpack carrying all your essential belongings is about the most freeing experience I have ever had. On my back was anything I needed from water to a rain coat to a hair brush….gosh, I could even brush my teeth if I wanted to. We walked across the plaza to our train terminal and entered this cosmopolitan station to witness a full-fledged dance. I mean couples were having their own “sock hop” though a tad bit more sensual. We burst out laughing and began swaying to the music. It was mesmerizing. We easily found our gate; inquired as to the car where our seats were located; boarded this lovely train and set off for a two and a half hour ride through some of the most enticing landscapes. I never knew that there were SO many mountains in Spain….Snow capped mountains. Some of the trees in the valley were flowering. We watched out our window like children looking for Santa.  We arrived in…

I think that long ago when people headed out on a pilgrimage that they swathed themselves in a heavy woolen and hooded cape. Picked up a loaf of bread and a flask of wine and struck out on the journey.  Somewhere over the last two millennia it became very necessary to identify yourself as a pilgrim on the way to Santiago de Compostela.  Through varied oral traditions of St. James the son of Zebedee(brother of John)a scallop shell was recognized as the sign of the true pilgrim on THIS pilgrimage.  The pilgrimage to. Rome is denoted by a cross or crossed keys.  The pilgrims to Jerusalem are adorned with a palm leaf. If you have read Paulo Coelho’s classic, The Pilgrimage, you will laughingly remember his difficulty in obtaining his shell once arriving in Spain.  This shell can be worn around your neck or on a hiking pole or on your backpack.  Ernest and I are stringing our shells from our packs. Last summer, before we discovered the existence of el Camino, one of our grandsons collected shells off of Wrightsville, North Carolina beaches.  Loving most things cast on the shore by the ocean and adoring our grandchildren, I brought…

I was raised between two brothers who were collegiate and professional athletes.  I don’t think I EVER remember a day when one of them (or BOTH of them) weren’t training. Training meant getting up every day and making progress in one way or another toward a goal.  Prices, my maiden name, train. The Camino issued a primeval call to my psychic and we began pressing toward our goal of walking the Camino from the earliest months of our “summons” to walk.  Ernest is the equipment tech.  He investigated, read, studied one piece of equipment that we would need after another.  He began with boots and quickly shifted to backpacks;rain gear; GPS systems;smartwool;socks. What is offered to trekkers in the way of equipment is vast, competitive, individualized, and always improving.  So this is Ernest’s bailiwick. I follow his advice to a “T” but I prefer the color pink…no, its not offered. I began the physical training agenda.  Ernest had a ,desperately needed, left knee replacement in May.  (A HUGE shout-out to Georgia Bone and Joint and Ernest’s buddy, Dr Jack Powell, for literally changing our lives. ) By August we began to walk without a pack for two miles a day.…

One of the first things that my friends have asked of me is: “Jan, how can you pack for three weeks in that backpack!”  Goooooood Question!  The Camino is supposed to be life changing but preparing for the Camino has been a life-changing experience in itself. Being a southerner headed out on a trip to Spain the very first thing that would enter my suitcase no matter what size the suitcase was is my pearls.  A strand of pearls help the most difficult spots or days and in they would go.  Next would be a few bits of make-up and scented shampoo. You get the drift of what is important to me. Those items haven’t even made the pack yet and I am VERY near the magical weight limit.  I am judging everything by its weight down to the ounce. The new “Camino Jan” first put in a sleeping bag for those nights in tiny hotels where heat is not always present.  Then I added my raincoat, rainpants(yes, I now am the owner of rainpants),gators and a rain poncho that covers me and my pack.  Are you getting the drift? Survival is coming first. I don’t have one cotton item…