I am writing from Spain whose border was crossed today through the Lepolder Pass in the Pyrenees. It has been a very long stage with an elevation of about 2,000 meters. I am very tired and ready to go to sleep at 8:30pm. So I will try to take some picture of this amazing place dated back to the year 1000 and involved with the religion war by Charlemagne against the Saracens. It is now the arrival point in Spain of all the pilgrims from all over the world. During the walk today, I was surrounded by over 100 people doing the same effort and coming literally from all world countries, many Japanese, Koreans, South Africans, Brazilians and so on. It is the most energetic group of people I have ever seen.
We started at 7:30 after breakfast in the Auberge in St.Jean, served by the owner Mrs Daniele and her very vital voluntary assistant Keiko, a Japanese playing many instruments.
The climb was almost immediate and the valleys were full of clouds in the early morning hours.
Soon the sky opened on a scenario of total freedom with horses, cows, sheep and humans coexisting and happy to be there at once.
I walk, therefore I am.... 
Hi Roberto,
This is Doreen from UTAC MIS and I’m inspired by your faith, passion and perserverance.
Did you notice the pic, with the clouds opening up, resembles a dove coming down upon you? You are certainly blessed! I’m pondering if I should do it someday before I get too old and frail. Perhaps do it at a slower pace to savour the joy in seeing how amazing God’s creations are.
My cousin told me to look up ‘The Way’ movie and I tried Google and only found trailers. I went to a shop in Nex and they told me they only have 1 Bluray-copy (almost $50) and they added this is the only copy available in Singapore cos someone asked for it and I suspect you could be the one 🙂 Anyway, I do not own a Bluray player so still pondering about buying. Also tried looking for some guidebooks from Popular but none. Now with Borders gone, I may have to try other bigger non-local stores.
May God continue to shower you with his love and graces.
Here’s something I read in Magnificat this morning on Meditation of the Day.
“Walking in the Faith that Saves us”.
The love of God does not consists in mere words, but in sorrow and bitter sufferings, in being despised by the world, abandoned by creatures, and, it may seem, at times, in the wirhdrawal of even our Creator’s favour. In spite of all these trials, the Christian’s courage must be firm, he must not complain, nor lose heart; he should imitate the martyr who, while they were disemboweleing him and tearing the flesh from his bones with iron hooks, had no word on his lips but the Name of Jesus, or any thought in his heart but ‘Blessed be God”.
He was willing and resolute to bear even greater torments, if it pleased God to send them. Affliction, when borne for Christ, is both a gift and a grace, which he only bestows on his favourites ….
Let us strive to be matryrs by patience, for though our pains may be less severe, they yet last longer. We ought not to wish for a happy life, but prefer a martydom on earth; it was our Lord’s portion, and he wishes ours to be the same. Some have died as martyrs for the faith, and others have gone to heaven without doing so, but we must have all be martyrs of love, if we wish to arrive there. This love must be a torment and a pain to us, becos of the offence given to God by ourselves and others, it must deprive us of all comforty in life, and load our shoulders with the cross. It must make us embarace hardships and overcome them by the burning charity God has kindled in us. This love so carries us our of ourselves that it makes us perfectly insensible to dishonour, as wine takes away the reason of a drunkard. Like all strong affection, it makes a man forget himself, and care only for his Beloved, who in this case, is God himself, and his most holy will…. We cannot fully realise the strength of the love which tortures us here, and will console us in the next world. Let us belive what God has told us of it, and walk in the faith of his Word, for we have still a long journey before us.
St John of Avila, Doctor if the Church, was a Spanish priest and a Church reformer.
Perhaps he also walked Camino 🙂
Dear Doreen, I have a DVD copy of the movie, and I will be glad to lend it to you when I am back.