June 2

Day 19

O Pedron

It’s not raining! The forecast had predicted rain next 2 days and I’m thrilled it’s wrong. It is cool and slightly foggy over the mountains but a perfect walking morning. I was excited last night I saw a coffee maker at the Albergue and the hostess said coffee was available. I was disappointed she was wrong. There was a coffee maker but the pot was missing and I never found it or coffee grounds. Teaser. Greg looked on our map and determined there was s cafe 3K away. We forgot to buy Advil yesterday so this walk was a stiff, sore one. 

      The cafe was closed. We passed by several closed ones. What the heck... it’s Saturday morning and 8:00am   Finally after 9.5K we find a ultra modern place with doors wide open, cafe con leche and the biggest freshest croissants. Plain ones but at this point I’m starving.  It’s amazing how caffeine and a few calories perk up my gate. 

      The big gift of the day is that Linda Lawrence, our dear friend who joined us s few times on the Frances, is joining us this morning. She’s lives in Kansas but was instrumental in Greg’s and me meeting in Galveston, Texas 33 years ago. She’s an Opthamologist who travels all over the world helping blind children and starting infrastructure for Opthamology in 3rd world countries. She’s walked the Camino 11-12 times.... I’ve lost count. I like to call her “Saint Linda” because she truly is gifted and amazing. She flew to Madrid, trained to Tui, rented a car and drove to Pedron where we will end up today. Then she taxied back to a small village and timed it perfectly to walk backwards on the trail towards us and meet up. We see her walk towards us in a distance like an Angel.... huge hugs and pictures.  So happy to see her. She travels with a tiny knapsack and told me on the last Camino she takes the bare essentials.... a change of clothes and a few other things. She’s such an inspiration to me. 

     There is a bar/cafe not far from where we meet and as we start to pass by Linda tells us to wait because there is someone inside she wants us to meet. In the 10 minutes she sat and had a coffee here she met this most incredible man with a story that will bring tears to your eyes.  Below is an article I found on him:

   “Jose Antonio Garcia has become known as ‘The Pilgrim’ in his native country of Spain, after spending the last 11 years of his life walking over 100,000 kilometers to various pilgrimage sites on all continents except Oceania. This year, his amazing journey has finally come to an end.

    Born in Puerto de Santa María, in the Spanish province of Cadiz, Jose Antonio Garcia spent most of his life on water, working as a sailor. He wasn’t the most religious person, but after going through a near-death experience, he decided to dedicate his life to an epic pilgrimage to as many holy sites as he could walk to. In 1999, the fishing boat Jose was working on capsized off the coast of Norway, and he was the only survivor out of a crew of 17. He spent hours in the freezing water clinging to the bodies of two fellow sailors, and it was then that he turned to religion, vowing to the Virgen del Carmel, the patron of sailors, that he would walk to all of the world’s holy shrines, if she saved his life.

      Miraculously, Jose was found by a rescue team, but had to spend the next eight months in a hyperbaric chamber to recover from his injuries. But even after that long period of time, he was still unable to walk, and doctors were unsure that he would ever be able to use his legs again. Garcia spent the next two years in a wheelchair, and two more after that walking with crutches, but in the end, he was able to walk like a normal person again. And he never forgot the promise he made to the Virgen del Carmen when he was so close to death. As soon as he was back on his feet, he took out his life savings (around 36,000 euros), filled up a backpack with basic travel items, and left his home town to visit as many holy sites as he could.

     The first stop on his epic pilgrimage was Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, where he visited the sanctuary of the Virgen Fatima. From there, he walked all the way to Rome, Italy, where he met Pope John Paul II, and dozens of other holy sites throughout the European continent. He then walked into Asia, through Turkey, visiting countries like Israel, Syria, Kazakhstan, Tibet and India. The Pilgrim then walked through Siberia and traversed Russia to pass into the North American continent through Alaska. He walked south, reaching Mexico and eventually passed into South America, stopping at as many religious sites as he could along the way. During the last 11 years, Jose Antonio Garcia walked on all continents except the Oceania region, visiting holy sites of multiple religions, including Buddhism, Islam and Christianity.

     Even though he started off with 36,000 euros, he spent all of it during the first stages of his incredible pilgrimage, and ended up relying on the kindness of strangers for food, shelter an directions. In a 2014 interview with Viaje con Escalas,  Jose said he was impressed with the generosity of people in poor countries, who know what real hunger feels like and are always willing to share what little food they have with someone in need. Speaking about his most noteworthy experiences on his pilgrimage, Garcia said that he will never forget the six months he spent living in a monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, nor his visit to the Bosnian town of Medjugorje, where the church uses all donations to rebuild the town. He calls it “a place where you can really feel the faith”.

Regarding how his family feels about him being away for over a decade, Jose Antonio Garcia said that they are very supportive and proud. He thinks it’s both due to the nature of his journey and the fact that they are used to him being away for long periods of time. Ever since he started working as a sailor, in 1962, he has been away from home for at least six months a year.

   After walking over 107,000 kilometers around the world, visiting thousands of holy places and shrines, Jose Antonio Garcia is finally ready to return home, to Puerto de Santa María, where his daughter and grandchildren are waiting for him. At 67 year old, The Pilgrim feels that he has fulfilled his promise to the Virgen del Carmen, and is ready to dedicate the rest of his life to helping others.”

     We are all blown away, listen to him, hug him, Linda gives him money, and wish him luck in his journey home. I feel like meeting him today has strengthened my faith 10-fold. Being with Linda and Jose on the same day on a Camino in Portugal truly was planned by God to show me that anyone can do great works in being a light to others. They are both shining on me today. What a glorious day.  

      Last night Linda tells us she met the 2 girls from Austin we had met back in Porto. When I met them I learned they knew my friend Lois and I wrote about it in my blog that day. Linda has been following my blog and remembered the story so as she was sitting at dinner in Tui she met these girls, discovered they were from Austin, and asked if they’d met Mo and Greg.  They said yes and and also knew a friend of Linda’s. What are the chances of this happening out of hundreds of Pilgrims who walk the Camino? It’s a God thing not a chance thing. 

   Just before we met a Jose we met a beautiful Swedish girl named Malin. She’s walking in socks and sandals as she has lost a big toenail from a blister. Ouch! Her boots are heavy so she’s looking for a place to mail them forward to Santiago. She’s very sweet and we lose her in a large village but find her later in the afternoon at a cafe. In the afternoon we also see lots of day walkers who have little backpacks and large wooden sticks with ribbons attached. Everyone has a reason for walking the Camino even for just a day.  More and more groups of Cyclist whiz by us.  So many new people with their sites in Santiago.  

     When we arrive in Pedron we are staying at the coolest new modern Albergue. It’s clean as a whistle and we have bottom bunks in cubicles. We shower and find a Pulperia for dinner where we sit out under big umbrellas and enjoy pulpo and the famous Pedron peppers. Delicious! John and Kim from Australia join us and it’s constant laughter. They tell us they live in the Australian Bush country and they can’t have a dog or cat because of the wallabies so they have a pet snake! It’s a “child boa” and only 4 -5 ft long. Once or twice a week they feed him “pinkies” and “Weenies” which are little frozen mice.  I can’t even imagine!!!!! 

       When we return to the Albergue there are 8 Spanish men who are wanting us to do Karaoke with them. They get out guitars, have song sheets and pass around some kind of homemade liquor. They are full of life and so happy. We get to bed at midnight! I’m gonna be oh so tired tomorrow on the last walk of my journey into Santiago. It’s only a 25K day so I’ve got that going for me!

Nitey nite!