On the way home

On the way home on a warm, cloudy and humid Sydney morning.


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Arrival at Sydney airport

Arrived at Sydney airport an sampled the macchiato rather than flat white.


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Technical information

The enthusiastic maker of this flat white invention told me that she uses a 50/50 mixture of cream and milk to make it very sweet, and they also use a double shot of coffee to make it very strong. So it is strong and sweet.


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Flat white sighting!

Sensation! A sighting of a flat white coffee at Brussels airport!
I am told by the coffee expert at the bar that this is popular in English speaking countries, though they have only heard of it here in the last year. He is not sure whether this caffeine delicacy traveled from England to Australia or vice versa.


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Location:Belgium

Het Feest van Christus Koning

The feast of Christ the King in Sint Carolus Kerk in Antwerp.
I'm now on my way to the airport at the end of these Caminos.
Thank you everybody for the Camino de Santiago and thank you Abby and Bart for the Camino of Antwerp.
Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem
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Location:Kattenbroek,Edegem,Belgium

The Tower

I once worked in this building for 4 years. It has since been converted to other uses.
The shop on the right was called the "Bell Inn" in those days and was used for after work drinks and celebrations. I have drunk a beer or three there myself. Now it is a laundromat and is for sale!
Sic transit Jupiler mundi.
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Location:Suikerrui,Antwerpen,Belgium

Another point of view

I had the good fortune of spending many days of the last 2 weeks of the Camino with Joe from New York.
He has a wonderful record in his blog OnMyWay

Please go there and read the story.


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Ballon d'Alsace

On the mountain in the Alsace called the Ballon d'Alsace. The mist in the valley lies on the river and in the distance is the Black Forest.
To the right of this picture you can just see the Swiss Alps including the Jungfrau.
A magical day driving up through the mist in the valley and then out into the sun with its warmth and distant vistas.


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Besancon

A bright sunny day in Besancon.
This is a view over the city from the Citadel designed by Vauvon.
There is a lot to see here as well as the citadel: cathedral, the arch built for Marcus Aurelius, museums, birthplace of Victor Hugo ( our NZer, Russell Crow is in the latest film of Les Miserables), the streets of the old town, the river Doube, etc.
There is an enormous amount of renovation going on and it is already looking sparkling.
Thanks to the help of Patrick, we found the right bus to get to the city. He is an opera lover and said Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge are much admired here for their support of 19th century French music.
It's a wonderful city to spend time in.
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Location:Rue Jean Baptiste Proudhon,Besançon,France

Ardennes

The start of the Autumn colours in the trees in the South of Belgium are a reminder of how good it is to visit Europe in November.


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Kamiano

Earlier this week, Bart and I were offered the chance to see the work of the Sant'Egidio community in their Kamiano house.
They use this house for many works of charity, one of which is serving food to the poor every Wednesday and Saturday from 4.30 to 7pm. About 15 volunteers served 300 meals and notably this was done in a very personalized way, with individual service by the volunteers at the tables.

From what I have seen, there is a large number of volunteers coming forward to help this community. This is the same group which gathers every day at 8pm in the St Carolus church for evening prayers.

The name "Kamiano" given to the house is the Hawaiian name of St Damien, the Belgian priest who lived with and served the leper colony on Hawaii. I was also given a copy of a new book about Damien, called "The Spirit of Father Damien", by Jan De Volder, who is a member of the Sant'Egidio community. By the way, in a Public poll here in 2005, Damien was voted the "greatest Belgian of all time".


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Sinterklass has arrived

Today in Antwerp, Sinterklass arrived , or at least he was celebrated.
This seems a little early, since the feast of St Nicholas is on December 6th, but for various reasons it happened a couple of weeks early.


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The Last Stamp

Today I went to the 11am Mass at St Jacobskerk in Antwerp, where the Mass was said by Fr Donckers, the same priest at the last Mass when I set off for the Camino in September. From St Jacobskerk I received the last stamp in my Passport to the pilgrimage of St Jacob.


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Brothers of Charity

Thank you to the Brothers of Charity from Gent for letting join them in their evening prayers. They were also politely interested in my description of my experiences on the Camino.


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Haven Sprekers Toastmasters

Went to a very lively, interesting and skillful meeting of Antwerp Toastmasters (the "Haven Sprekers"). Thank for the kind invitation.


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Talk

Thank you to Father Piet, a Carmelite priest from the parish near here, for a very interesting talk on the sacraments, spirituality and Bible study. This was part of a series that Father Piet gives every Thursday afternoon.
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Community of Sant'Egidio

I have just been introduced to the Community of Sant'Egidio at their daily evening prayers. I hope to meet more of its members on Saturday, but from it's own website , and another web site it is a lay organization committed to daily community prayer and charitable works.
It was founded by high school students in Rome, and I am told has many young members.

They have kindly offered to show me more of their life on next Saturday.

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Location:Fort V-straat,Edegem,Belgium

Camino Portugese

I not proposing to do this walk, but Bart showed me some information about the "Camino Portugese", which is the pilgrimage route from Lisbon to Santiago.
It seems that this is flatter than the Camino Frances, which I have now done (taking some sinful pride in saying that!!!), but is not as well marked or provided with accommodation. It passes through Lisbon, Fatima and Porto on the way to Santiago.
I don't want to get into promotion, but I see that there are
Guidebooks to help you along this camino.
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Location:De Burletlaan,Antwerpen,Belgium

Kraainem

Yesterday I went to Mass at St Anthony's at Kraainem. This is an English speaking parish near Brussels run by Irish Franciscans. It is an active and welcoming community and I went there regularly when I lived here.


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Location:Rozenhof,Edegem,Belgium

Compostella

I remembered that I have not mentioned the certificate I received after completing the Camino. Here it is.


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Location:Rozenhof,Edegem,Belgium

Belem tarts

These tarts were at breakfast this morning and in Australia they would be called Portugese tarts. My Brazilian friend tells me they are called Belem tarts and are a specialty of that town between Porto and Lisbon.


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Location:Rua Formosa,Oporto,Portugal

Oporto

What is the name of this town?
In Portugal and English speaking countries it is called "Porto" but in Spain and some other European countries it is called "Oporto".
There was a similar double name of some places in Galicia, for example "Cebreiro" and "O'Cebreiro".
On our tour of Finisterre yesterday, our guide told us that O and A are used in Galician as the masculine and feminine definite articles, corresponding to the Spanish el and la. Thus Oporto might mean "the port".
But why then does Spanish use the Galician form?


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Location:Rua de Santa Catarina,Oporto,Portugal

Indulgence in Porto

had to travel via Porto, and I'm here with a Camino pilgrim from Brazil, so communication is no problem. So far we have been to 2 wine cellars as well as meals at McDonald's.


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Location:Rua de Santa Catarina,Oporto,Portugal

Mac

Afternoon tea in Porto


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Location:Rua Santa Catarina,Oporto,Portugal

Movie

The movie in the bus has Portugese subtitles instead of Spanish, so we must be close to Portugal.


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Vigo

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Bay close to Bigo

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Oporto

In the bus near the Portugese border.

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Fisterra

Yesterday I took a bus trip to see Cape Finisterre (or Fisterra in the Galician language), which has been considered the most Western Point of Europe.Fortunately it was a very sunny day, and rain is forecast here for the next couple of days.
Very interesting to see the sea, and reminiscent of Sydney with seaside towns and distant views of the capes down the coast to Portugal. There were also lots of gum trees to remind me of Australia. Our guide told us that the planted pine and eucalyptus forests supply a lot of the wood for Spain.

When I returned around 9pm, Bill an American I have me told me that he saw the large thurible being used in the Cathedral at 7.30pm Mass. Sorry I missed it, but I am glad that Bill`s committment to Mass was rewarded. It must have been spectacular, from Bill´s description of it.

Today I am returning to Belgium for a little while and because of the travel system I am going via Oporto in Portugal. I am spending a day there to take the opportunity to see a bit of Oporto. My SIM card will no longer work there, so I probably won´t be able to make any blog posts.

The Cathedral

Exploring the roof of Santiago cathedral after the noon Mass.
All day has been spent re-meeting people from the Camino.
The thurible was in place, but not used, the new rumour is that it will be used during 7.30 Mass tonight.
Some of us are planning to catch the bus tomorrow to within 12km of Finisterre and walk the rest.


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Location:Praza de Galicia,Santiago de Compostela,Spain

Arrival!!!

5 of us walked in to Santiago and arrived at the Cathedral at 4.30pm.
Tomorrow I'll apply for the Compostella in the morning and go to the pilgrim Mass at noon. An American woman in the tapas bar told me tonight that they didn't use the large thurible at Mass last Sunday, but they will tomorrow. We shall see.


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Location:Rúa de Mourozón,Santiago de Compostela,Spain

Pulpo

Lunch on the way in to Santiago: Pulpo (octopus), Mahou beer and bread.


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Location:Rúa de Mourozón,Santiago de Compostela,Spain

O'Pedrousa

Tonight I am staying in a small albergue in O'Pedrousa. The only people here are myself and four people I have met several times on the Camino.
I am now 20km from Santiago and 15km from the large albergue at Monte Grosso. I should arrive tomorrow and the weather forecast is for the same as today, a little rain with sunny breaks.

I haven't decided yet whether to go to Monte Grosso tomorrow and walk the rest on the next day, or to just go straight to Santiago and stay at a private albergue or hostel. There are lots of people here making the same decision, I'll leave it to tomorrow.


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Location:Santiago de Compostela,Spain

Flat white (part 2)

In my search for an explanation for the expression "flat white coffee", I was talking today to an American woman who lives in Italy. She says some people in Italy ask for coffee "sensa schuma" (if I have the spelling right), which means "without foam", since they think the froth affect proper digestion.
This could be a flat white coffee, since in my experience it is basically a cappacino without much froth.


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Location:Santiago de Compostela,Spain

Schoolgirls asking for prayers

Since last Thursday, we have kept crossing paths with a group of schoolgirls from Madrid who are walking the last part of the Camino.
Some tragic news for them has been that one of the girls from the school was injured in a stampede in a Halloween party:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/9648366/Three-women-killed-in-Madrid-Halloween-party-stampede.html

They have been getting news of her condition from TVs in bars that we stop at along the way.
This afternoon, three of us on the Camino were having lunch in Melide. A group of the girls arrived to do the same, and then the news came on the TV that their schoolmate had died.
The girls asked us for our prayers for the family.

The school that some of them attend is:
http://www.fomento.edu/index.php?col=41



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Location:Arzúa,Spain

One extreme to another

It has rained steadily all yesterday and this morning, so I've been pretty damp lately.
Yesterday we arrived late (7pm) in Palas de Rei, and the only open albergue was almost full and very uncomfortable. The people there were fine, there were just too many of them.
Today I stopped a little earlier than planned at a private albergue just outside of Ribadiso. I'm the only person here, so it is like having a large private room with an internal laundry. The clothes dryer is going now with some much needed washing. The weather forecast for the next few days is better, so I might feel a bit more comfortable tomorrow.


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Location:Arzúa,Spain

Portomarin

Arrived in Portomarin, which leaves about 80km to go to Santiago. We arrived in the rain with a group of schoolgirls from Madrid who are walking to Palas De Rei this weekend, and I think they plan to do the next stage next year. Their English is excellent, even the girls who look about 13, which shows what can be done when you learn to speak a language, not just learn to pass an HSC exam, as I did with French.
Some people are rushing to get to the pilgrim's Mass on Sunday because they think the large thurible us more likely to be in action then, but I'll stay with the normal pace.
I should arrive on Monday afternoon at stay at an albergue either in Santiago or the large one 5km away. Then on Tuesday I get my certificate and go to the noon Mass.
Then.........?
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Location:Calle de Benigno Quiroga,Portomarín,Spain

All Saint's Day

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All Hallows Eve in St Mary's Sarria

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Location:Sarria,Spain