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Day One
You must have thought we'd forgotten you! The hotel last night had no wi-fi and neither has the one tonight so I'll try to publish this by 3G and see how it goes. We have completed our first day, the scenery is breath-taking but the people here in Catalonia...
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Early.
Victoria Station. It's early - too early, pouring with rain out of a gun-metal sky. Everyone running about like crazy things revved up on caffeine and anxiety. I'm thinking of that moment, you must all know it, when the plane reaches a height above the...
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The Second Day
The post today belongs to three people. The first person I'd like to mention is Tonio - a young chap who knew where our hotel was last night (in fact it's there all the time) and went considerably out of his way to help us. Thanks Tonio. The second person...
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You don't choose a life, you live one...
To all those of you who are heartily sick of hearing me complain about my blisters I have a very special treat in store for you. The heat yesterday was so intense that my backpack - coupled with my own sweat took a couple of layers of skin off of my back....
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Who are we?
This is a repost of my first article. I'm putting it up again so you can donate if you wish. Follow the link to the Jesuit page Aid for Syria - every penny you donate, and I mean every penny goes to Syrian refugees. The Jesuits provide shelter, water...
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Verdu
Verdu Published on July 12 2014 by Fr Dominich What a wonderful place to start our Camino Ignaciano! Verdu, birthplace of St Peter Claver, 17th century Catalan Jesuit who was a famed missionary in Colombia and apostle of the slaves. It seems so long ago...
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Fit the Fourth: Onwards and Upwards
The Belgian writer Georges Simenon used to love travelling by boat along the canals and rivers of France. He said that he could only really understand people by seeing not the polished facades of their houses but what they hid at the back. The barges...
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The Montserrat Race
This time tomorrow dearest beloveds I shall be celebrating. We will have done what we set out to do and we shall be marking our respective jubilees. I have blisters with blisters on them and even those blisters are starting to blister. Today I was happily...
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A brief pause...?
Tonight we are under the care of the nuns who maintain and run the Ignatian Centre for the Spiritual Exercises in Barcelona. They all look like a favourite grandmother and embody warmth and kindness - they call me Antonio and giggle. In particular they...
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The Worst Cannelloni in Catalonia
Evening all. Yesterday we were staying in a truck-stop 'hotel' in Panadella, it was serviceable but no great shakes. Now Panadella is one of those places where hope goes to die - if it wasn't for the weather and the surrounding scenery you'd be thinking...
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Published from Overblog
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Detachment: Igualada where Montserrat comes into view
We have arrived at Igualada. A very special place for St Ignatius. It appears from his autobiography that it was here, "a large village not far from Montserrat", that he decided to purchase a "poorly- woven piece of sackcloth, filled with prickly wooden...
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The way to Montserrat: Ignatian Indifference
Sometimes - often perhaps - not having a choice can be very freeing. Such was this morning. Setting off at dawn for another gruelling 10 miles (a bit shorter today), leaving behind what is definitely the most comfortable pilgrim hotel assigned us by Caminos...
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Montserrat to Manresa: so near yet so far
So near and yet so far. Montserrat to Manresa. After our day imbibing Benedictine hospitality at the Shrine of the Madonna of Montserrat we set off for the longest most gruelling day of walking. We're all totally exhausted tonight. The hottest day, a...
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Leaving Manresa
Well, last morning in Manresa, and, the Camino behind us, off to Barcelona, this time not on foot though as Ignatius did, but by rail. Yesterday we offered up all the petitions from the Syria Shrine in the Cova of St Ignatius where they will be joined...
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Update...
Dear Blogsters Our walk is done and we have raised over £19k for Syrian aid. This includes gift aid which is vital for our fund-raising activities. Please pass this along to others who might be interested in donating - we are really hoping to make the...
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The evening before...
Well, the time has finally arrived - suitcases to be packed, passports to be found and a thousand and one other things to be done before we finally set off at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Being somewhat obsessed with the weather (for he IS an Englishmaaan),...
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On the eve of the Feast of Saint Ignatius we remember...
Parents of kidnapped Jesuit appeal for news Tags: Paolo Dall'Oglio Syria 29 Jul 2014 The parents of kidnapped Jesuit, Fr Paolo Dall'Oglio, have appealed for information about him - exactly a year after he disappeared in Syria. There has been no news of...
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Published from Overblog
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Ow!
Oh my poor, poor feet!! 15 miles today. We are in a posh hotel with a swimming-pool. We are utterly bushed and in pain but we are also in a swish bar and we are drinking beer. No dogs allowed.
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Motives
The writer Laurie Lee said that every journey has a motive. A surprising thing to consider from a man who put his belongings in a sack and struck out for Spain from rural Gloucestershire in the early 1930s. I guess his motive was, obliquely to find himself...
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and then it all went mad in Cervera!
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The bird it was that died...
Andrea challenged me to get a certain phrase into today's blog and I forgot so here goes. The meal that last night was so awful made me think about gathering these poor road-kill birds - at least we could ensure a good meal. It brings to mind that old...
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Sing it out now!
A huge Happy Birthday to Sandra McNally and a teary farewell as our company starts to break up - now this really is sounding like Tolkien. Simon, our loss is your gain in Lourdes.
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Published from Overblog