tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20140188045424593452011-11-02T16:57:45.216-05:00Sharing the journey of three brothers trekking across northern Spain to Santiago de CompostelaTheresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.comBlogger1181100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-7441256587965982012011-06-25T11:00:00.000-05:002011-06-25T11:00:04.674-05:00

Fondly recalling the pilgrimage he took last year with Seamus and Ian, Noah put together a two-song-long YouTube clip that summarizes their journey in Spain.  He included two country western songs that he listened to a lot during the 400 miles of hiking ... they now remind him of his month in Spain.

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-18367769740170565922010-11-06T16:53:00.006-05:002010-11-06T17:59:24.188-05:00

It was neat to see the Pope in Santiago de Compostela on EWTN today. It brought back a lot of memories from the boys' pilgrimage this past summer. Here's a neat YouTube clip showing the Pope visiting the main points of pilgrimage: Pope Benedict XVI in Santiago de Compostela

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-33639736140986308362010-07-26T06:17:00.004-05:002010-08-08T14:47:11.782-05:00

I was going to make a post yesterday, but it was a pretty busy day, so I couldn't make it happen. Yesterday I drove from Houston to San Antonio. I had a man weekend in Houston with my buddy, Cody. We got to visit the St. Arnold's brewery and tour it. Its a craft micro brewery. St. Arnold is the patron saint of brewers. The story has it that in Germany, this guy was a bishop and long after he died

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-67444867145165374662010-07-25T09:00:00.007-05:002010-08-07T08:00:19.754-05:00

The boys have been home for over two weeks now. It is hard to believe that since their trip, hundreds ... maybe thousands ... of people have continued to stream along the different Caminos leading to Santiago de Compostela. Today, the Feast Day of Saint James, I'm sure the city will be extraordinarily full of life and activity ... especially this year because July 25 falls on a Sunday, making it

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-11162488364064293652010-07-20T21:00:00.007-05:002010-11-09T17:28:20.097-06:00

Saint James, Son of Zebedee, Apostle of Christ,Pray for us.- Our Father, Glory Be, Hail Mary -

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-9776781059860672982010-07-16T21:00:00.001-05:002010-11-09T17:29:09.366-06:00

Miniature Book of Saints - I

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-71097645153736925232010-07-14T21:00:00.005-05:002010-11-09T17:21:19.754-06:00

The three events when James, John, and Peter were with Jesus ...

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-21521226162410694412010-07-12T21:00:00.007-05:002010-07-24T10:10:47.324-05:00

Chad and I have been enjoying the journal the boys kept while in Spain. It helps to fill in some gaps ... for example:Seamus wrote about buying some bread at a store where the store owner was so happy to have American customers. He cheerfully gave the boys an update on how the L.A.Lakers were doing. One of the Lakers players, Pau Gusol, is from Spain, and this shop-owner is very proud of that

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-37167940387724982082010-07-09T21:00:00.001-05:002010-07-09T21:00:00.712-05:00

Back safe and sound (and VERY tired!).Ian got to Oklahoma O.K. too. Noah's Pilgrim Credential filled with stamps.

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-77263122726907435612010-07-08T20:00:00.005-05:002010-07-08T20:43:12.706-05:00

Statue from Saint James the Apostle Churchin San AntonioChad and I will head to the airport to get Seamus and Noah soon ... Ian went directly to Oklahoma. We're looking forward to hearing more stories from the Camino ... and will hopefully learn they did not actually sleep in the bar the night before their early morning flight!

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-12804552347177805082010-07-08T19:58:00.004-05:002010-08-08T14:45:16.086-05:00

I'm at the USO in Ft. Worth, the flight got delayed about an hour to go home ... I just want to be home. I've been up for 23 hours now.Flight went well, watched several movies. I've eaten more junk food today than I generally do in a 6 month period.Thanks to everyone who followed and read the blog. It's been a great trip.Here are some pics from the past few days when I wasn't able to post any:St.

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-60553994063837456252010-07-08T17:34:00.002-05:002010-08-08T14:44:18.029-05:00

We are officially back in Texas!Good to be home.

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-72239911283227162162010-07-08T02:06:00.003-05:002010-07-08T02:23:30.269-05:00

Here we are in Madrid. The Flight from Santiago only took an hour, butthe plane was really cramped and hot. The good side is that we only have a 5 hour layover...we thought it was 6 hours.We got to the airport, and neither Seamus or Ian was feeling 100%. Then, Ian and I got breakfast, and seamus justgot an orange juice. Ian and I each got orange juice with our meal, and if you read the title, you

Noah_15http://www.blogger.com/profile/12215742620748502317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-50634014067432309292010-07-07T21:00:00.001-05:002010-07-07T21:00:00.105-05:00

I had fun too. photo

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-17334264346293439362010-07-07T12:22:00.003-05:002010-08-08T14:43:40.417-05:00

We will be on a plane 12 hours from now (provided there are no delays).Until then, we will be at the bar watching the game.We met a guy from Alaska, he´s been pretty cool. He likes to remind us from time to time that his state is more than double ours in size ... I don´t care, its still too cold and still not Texas. Haha. He´s been good company.The game plan is to stay up all night until it's

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-39423782752015733302010-07-06T21:00:00.004-05:002010-07-07T07:38:52.789-05:00

The Church of Santiago in Padrón, SpainPadrón is a town about 16 km (10 miles) south of Santiago with some impressive distinctions. It is believed to be one of the places in Spain where Saint James preached when he was evangelizing Spain ... and it is recorded as the site where his martyred body reached land after drifting in a boat. Padrón is not typically visited by pilgrims because it is not

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-18900981096561949402010-07-06T20:55:00.000-05:002010-07-06T20:55:00.767-05:00

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-61288983280656375332010-07-06T09:43:00.003-05:002010-08-08T14:42:35.378-05:00

As Noah explained, we waited for our 12:25 bus until the 2:10 bus came (about 15 minutes late). When the ticket guy came back and saw us there still he asked why we didn´t get on the bus. I explained what we were told, he said she was wrong. He made sure we were able to get on with our old tickets.Oh well. The church we got to go in was pretty cool.It was fun to feed the ducks too. I haven´t done

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-22268087523980369992010-07-06T09:00:00.002-05:002010-07-06T09:09:41.404-05:00

This has definately been the most memorable trip of my life so far, but I´m ready to get home.This morning, we took a bus to the city of Padron, where St. James´s body supposedly washed up. The interesting thing was that the only water to be seen was a river. So, we went to the two churches in town, but one of them was closed. After that, we went to a supermarket to get some bread to feed ducks.

Noah_15http://www.blogger.com/profile/12215742620748502317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-79430582269003966882010-07-05T21:00:00.016-05:002010-07-05T21:00:00.468-05:00

I've read that lots of Pilgrims top off their pilgrimage by visiting Fisterra (Finisterre). I didn't realize it was a three hour bus ride, though! (UGH!) I'm sure Seamus and Noah loved it, it's supposed to be beautiful. The name Fisterra/Finisterre evolved from the Latin words "finis terrae" which mean "the end of the earth/world." It juts out quite a bit and so they literally used to think the

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-87422544480777687152010-07-05T20:55:00.004-05:002010-07-05T20:55:00.354-05:00

Lexi will be happy to see you again!

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-36594356511820260072010-07-05T13:25:00.004-05:002010-08-08T11:42:43.687-05:00

We went to Fisterra which is where the Romans thought was the end of the world. It was a 3 hour bus ride. Once we got there we went to a light house at the point that was the end of the world as Romans knew it. I can´t imagine looking out at the ocean as far as you can see and think there is nothing else out there. Thank God there is ... little did the Romans know, not only is there more out

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-70967706155879592922010-07-04T21:00:00.010-05:002010-07-04T21:00:01.586-05:00

Sounds like your Spanish 4th of July was fun! Glad you got a better view (?) of the botafumeiro (a.k.a. thurible, a.k.a. censer). I'm sure the bishop of the Cathedral loves the P.R. job the guy dressed up as St. James is doing (sigh). I've always thought the German really came out in you boys ... funny people think you are German! Dad and I went to Brackettville yesterday for the 4th of July

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-13524159339363287062010-07-04T14:57:00.006-05:002010-08-08T11:39:55.395-05:00

This morning we went to see the tomb of St. James, that was pretty cool. We also went to mass and saw the incense thing, way cooler to see the whole thing. Cooler than YouTube even.After mass we moved to a new hostel today. Its a little more expensive, but it does have a nice kitchen, so I think we´ll make our savings in there.There was supposed to be a BBQ pit too, but its more like a fire pit

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-8307273287735737872010-07-04T09:41:00.002-05:002010-07-04T09:50:30.441-05:00

Hey, so I meant to post sooner but obviously that didn´t happen. I guess I´ll just fill you in on some of the highlights of my part of the trip so far.I started working on learning a little more spanish before I got here and my first day walking, the first person to try to talk to me was speaking German. I guess I was working on the wrong language.On a similar note I have been asked repeatedly if

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332398991696680970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-24774731635083654832010-07-03T20:51:00.014-05:002010-07-04T06:42:23.565-05:00

Langoustine (a.k.a. small lobster)Boys ... the red dot on the map above shows the location of a shop just a few doors down from where Ian ordered Langoustine in '96.* * * * *A Funny Santiago story ... When we took the boys to Santiago de Compostela in 1996, we went to eat lunch at a restaurant near the cathedral and each of us ordered an $8.00-ish meal. Ian ... who was 8 years old at the time ..

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-2488976053114432452010-07-03T11:37:00.003-05:002010-07-31T18:54:08.412-05:00

I can´t beleive that we are alreaedy here. The Cathedral is really cool. I am looking forward to mass tomorrow. Our last day of hiking was really easy. Yesterday was disappointing, because of the rain. Luckily it cleared for the afternoon. We got back from the grocery store about 30 minutes ago, and will probably be eating shortly.BeforeI forget, Mom, would you please schedule for me to get a

Noah_15http://www.blogger.com/profile/12215742620748502317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-33094575883501231802010-07-03T09:15:00.003-05:002010-08-07T18:16:53.429-05:00

Some Russian street performers ... one has a HUGE, 3-stringed, triangular bass guitar, pretty cool. Ian got their CD´s (all 3 of them). They were really good, though.Noah likes grassy hills ... he had to scope it out the make sure it is free of dog poop, though.beard ...no beardMy Compostela ... I think that´s Spanish for, ¨Wow, you finally did it!¨ To that I say, ¨I know!¨I think the whole

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-77050900556212294302010-07-03T07:03:00.003-05:002010-08-07T18:20:07.408-05:00

... is take a shower, dry off with a normal sized towel, put on some jeans, and then talk to someone in English with zero struggles. Then I might hop on the computer without dropping money in it first.I might also get some new flip flops. I´m convinced these will never recover from this mildew smell.I was going to wait until I got home to shave, but I´m pretty over the Camino beard.These aren´t

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-59606483718655663912010-07-02T21:00:00.005-05:002010-07-04T06:43:22.363-05:00

I just LOVE that photo of the boys in front of the Cathedral! For some reason, I like that it was raining the day they arrived. (It’s been raining here on and off for days.) I thank God for the blessing of their arrival. Seamus, Chad and Ian in Santiago de Compostela, May, 1996.(Noah was born four months later.)Seamus in front of the Cathedral of Saint James.May, 1996Just for the record ... We

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-37528400440402510472010-07-02T07:16:00.004-05:002010-08-07T18:22:14.436-05:00

I finished that book by Kerry Egan. Good stuff. I think I´m going to email her for three reasons:1) I want to meet her husband (he was her boyfriend during the trip and went with her). He seemed real cool and I think we would be buddies.2) Yesterday around 2:00 we still hadn´t eaten lunch because there was this 17 km gap of nothing. We passed some lady and her fruit stand and I looked over my

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-22289556356530222152010-07-02T06:57:00.003-05:002010-08-08T09:03:50.296-05:00

Rain makes corn. Rain also makes us walk faster to finish the trip. I can´t believe it only rained 2 days of the trip, one of which was the last day. It was light, so we refused to use our ponchos.The plan was to leave the last 10 k for tomorrow, but yesterday we accidentally ended up going 27ish KM only leaving about 22 more. So we felt really silly splitting up 22 km into 2 days.We have a

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-84547268195223558952010-07-01T21:00:00.011-05:002010-07-01T21:24:57.569-05:00

The boys’ trip to Santiago happened to land on a Saint James Holy Year, which means there are a lot more people (not so great) and the “botafumeiro” is swung at the pilgrim mass each day (very neat). “Botafumeiro” is a Galician word for censer. The Santiago botafumeiro is a HUGE censer that requires a team of eight men to swing it. Censers are often used at high masses to symbolize prayer rising

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-17364437884322639502010-06-30T21:00:00.012-05:002010-06-30T21:00:00.844-05:00

Pope John Paul II in Santiago de Compostela in 1989. Santiago de Compostela has been a place of pilgrimage for many … including Pope John Paul II who traveled there in 1982 and 1989. Pope Benedict XVI will visit this coming November in honor of the Saint James Holy Year.I doubt John Paul II worked in a side trip to go surfing at the nearby coast during his pilgrimage… but as I think about it, he

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-16946613135939985282010-06-30T11:40:00.002-05:002010-06-30T11:45:15.483-05:00

It´s hard to beleive how far we have come. We plan on doing 20k tomorrow and Friday, and whatever is left on Saturday (11k I think). Then we party. :-) We are going to make a day trip to the beach. That should be fun. The place that we will be staying at has a barbeque pit...awesome. Then, the pilgrims mass is on Saturday. I am looking forward to that. It has been fun, but it is going to be

Noah_15http://www.blogger.com/profile/12215742620748502317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-35456877088767191342010-06-30T07:47:00.004-05:002010-08-08T09:06:34.293-05:00

To those of you who thought Sarria is 100 km away, it is actually 110. But we´re still doing well. We really trucked it today and yesterday. 28 km yesterday and 31ish today. So that puts us at 51ish left. What that means is we can sleep in the last couple days and take our sweet time walking while still making the progress we want and not having to worry about making it to a place on time. Today

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-89775640490107027682010-06-29T21:00:00.005-05:002010-06-29T21:00:02.210-05:00

An interesting tidbit … Marcus Samuel, the founder of Shell, adopted the Scallop Shell logo in 1904. It appears there are two reasons for this. 1) The origins of his business involved shipping trinkets, including seashells … which were very popular. 2) A close business associate had a special fidelity to Saint James due to some ancestors who had made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. So,

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-16238079862474556672010-06-28T21:00:00.004-05:002010-06-28T21:00:00.217-05:00

Earlier today, Seamus, Ian and Noah entered into the Spanish region of Galicia. Curiously, Galicia has Celtic roots. This region actually even looks and feels a bit like Ireland … lots of rain, a rolling terrain, green fields, etc. There are cultural similarities as well ... some traditional bagpipe music ... and potatoes are one of the main crops found on the small, often oxen-plowed farms. By

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-25419258201829027572010-06-28T09:21:00.003-05:002010-08-08T09:07:56.302-05:00

Quite the bus day. I think we covered about 120 km. Once we got to Sarria we had to just use out man-stinct to get on the Camino (and a little direction-asking). We found a hostel, but it only had 2 beds. Since it was 2:45 and we had heard so many stories about places filling up real fast, I told Ian and Noah to take them and I´d look for another. The guy said I could use a floor spot on the

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-36824567862705500612010-06-28T02:58:00.003-05:002010-08-08T09:09:03.069-05:00

... you can smell them ALL!We took a bus from Astorga to Ponferrada, and now we are going to take one to Lugo, and then take one to Sarria. That will put us 100 KM out from Santiago.In the past hour we covered in a bus what would have taken us 12-16 hours of walking over the course of 2 days. Buses are pretty rewarding.Don´t have much time to write more. But all is well.

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-87356450342378605742010-06-27T21:00:00.013-05:002010-06-27T21:00:00.990-05:00

The boys seem anxious to arrive at the 100 km mark. The rule is that if you walk the last 100 km (or, 62 miles) of the Camino, you are entitled to an official Pilgrim Certificate. 100 km out of Santiago is in the town of Sarria. Lots of pilgrims start their journey at this point ... especially if they have time constraints. So, the Camino can start getting pretty crowded at Sarria! Actually, I'm

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-66520170348268379782010-06-27T11:26:00.004-05:002010-08-08T09:11:18.056-05:00

New shoes = ugly but very nice to finally haveandWorld Cup Refs = LAMEIan got in a little later than I was thinking, but we connected just fine. He got me the right shoes but the only ones in Oklahoma City were the black ones rather than silver ... I think they look really silly, but they feel great. And no blisters so far.Ian really wanted to walk, so we walked yesterday to San Martin. Then

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-80255115117239596412010-06-27T11:14:00.002-05:002010-06-27T11:18:14.485-05:00

Well...here we are in Astorga. We are probably going to catch a bus to the 100 km. mark tomorrow, so we have some time in Santiago. I am really hoping to catch a Sunday mass there, then we plan on splurging our last 2 nights. The computer is running out of time so I´ll go ahead and sign off-NoahP.S. Thanks for the pics, mom.

Noah_15http://www.blogger.com/profile/12215742620748502317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-836026938686188632010-06-26T21:00:00.004-05:002010-06-27T08:19:02.600-05:00

A statue of Saint James the Pilgrim from the Sanctuary at Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio. The boys made it to a town called San Martin del Camino this afternoon in Spanish time/this morning in Texas time. It’s a small farming community … with no computers available … but there was a phone, so Seamus called while Ian was snatching a bit of sleep. I’m sure he’ll need some time to get his

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-25547634632517323022010-06-25T21:00:00.003-05:002010-12-27T17:42:59.173-06:00

Well, it sounds like the Bull Fight really impressed the boys! I must admit, I do feel bad for the bulls. Sounds miserable! The boys called when Ian arrived a few hours ago. So, it's nice to know that he made it! Good job Seamus, listening to that instinct to take a look around the corner just as Ian's cab was pulling up! Good luck Ian in getting used to the time change and constant walking.

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-24661592643458536062010-06-25T10:13:00.002-05:002010-06-25T10:22:09.467-05:00

So, I´m hanging out in Madrid at the moment. I noticed thatsomeone had paid for time on one of the computer in the airport and not used all of it so i snagged it. This keybord is ridiculously difficult to use.The flight here wasn´t too bad. We were delayed by an hour leaving Dallas. We spent an hour sitting in the plane waiting for the rain to stop. We made it though.I have invented a game that I

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332398991696680970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-66053034626139090872010-06-25T06:10:00.002-05:002010-08-08T09:12:23.609-05:00

They use this 3-donkey team to haul off the bulls after they die.These are the protesters. They were out there still after it was over ... I bet we had way more fun.

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-80242156187654392122010-06-25T04:05:00.002-05:002010-06-25T04:10:56.726-05:00

WOW!!! LAst night was amazing. There were 7 bulls. I´m glad that we got the cheap tickets...we were in the fourth row! There were these people next to us who were really helpful, and explained a lot of the stuff to us. I almost caught one of the bull´s ears. If it had been about a foot over, and thrown a bit harder, it would have been mine! Hopefully, we can catch another bullfight somewhere else

Noah_15http://www.blogger.com/profile/12215742620748502317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-20783638821459061182010-06-25T04:03:00.003-05:002010-08-08T09:20:41.967-05:00

Fat and happy.Yesterday we thought we´d rest a lot. But we had to leave the hostel at 8 and didn´t get to check in till 2, so we ended up doing a lot of walking around looking for food (most places were closed for the festivities). We also walked to the bullfight ring to buy tickets ahead of time. Then later we walked back for the fight only to be turned away because the guy sold us tickets for

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-56712204505546200892010-06-24T21:00:00.006-05:002010-07-11T16:52:02.126-05:00

(John the Baptist is often portrayed using a Scallop Shell to baptize Christ.)Gosh! I don't think St. John the Baptist would be impressed with lots of people in León celebrating his Nativity by getting drunk. Wouldn't a day of eating nothing but wild honey and locusts be more suitable? I think getting drunk like that would be more impressive to Herod Antipas than to John the Baptist.Anyways, I

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-13190964630370922072010-06-24T04:25:00.004-05:002010-08-08T11:36:11.977-05:00

I love how things just don´t quite translate sometimes. Fortunately, we got the idea. This is from a few days ago ... that's after about a week of hiking in them.The police (?) band this morning.This was after our 32 km day. You can´t see it that well in this pic because of the dust, but I´m developing quite the impressive flip flop tan. This is Noah at about 8 AM with some people who were super

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-11656645046023411402010-06-24T04:02:00.007-05:002010-08-08T11:38:14.730-05:00

We are here in Leon for our second day. There is nothing to do in the morning but walk around ... the idea was to rest! haha. It's ok, we checked out the cathedrals (a solid 5 minutes each). There are also tons of drunk people running around, still drunk. But much friendlier. Leon is celebrating the feast of St. John the Baptist (or, his birthday or something like that). I get the impression the

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-69357351100275714212010-06-23T21:00:00.005-05:002010-06-27T11:38:01.891-05:00

Lots of prayers and warm wishes to the Keane Family of Bandera as Paul recovers from his chain saw accident. We are praying for a full recovery of Paul's arm, for Eileen and the boys!Seamus and Noah called this morning to let us know that they made it to Leon. If you look at the map on the right sidebar, you'll see they are a bit more than halfway there. They happened across a Benedictine convent

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-23708960045131038172010-06-23T00:02:00.006-05:002010-08-03T06:58:07.824-05:00

Well, I'm finally packing. Seamus told you all what he was going to pack and since I'm not packing much differently I won't subject you to a full length list again. I'll just give you some highlights (and not-so-highlights).Some things you may find interesting that I am packing:new shoes for SeamusToy Story Band-Aidsa rock with my initials on it (thanks mom)Texas Tech stuffreading materials

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332398991696680970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-53920110129796421562010-06-22T21:00:00.002-05:002010-06-22T21:00:01.805-05:00

Sounds like the boys made great progress yesterday! (And like Noah isn't in the least homesick!)When you cross over the bridge to the town of Puente de Villarente, before you get to Leon, look for a two-story building with an arch. In the 1500s it was provided for from the will of an archdeacon,who considered the area to be difficult to travel through, and with too few places to stay. So, he

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-10452020782229469982010-06-22T10:32:00.003-05:002010-08-03T07:02:09.680-05:00

I love this trip. We simply eat, sleep, walk, and watch soccer.....I could live like this.I am definately ready for the bullfight on Thursday. It's going to be fun.Happy annivesary Mom and Dad...yáll are great-Noah

Noah_15http://www.blogger.com/profile/12215742620748502317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-33930761270983956392010-06-22T10:16:00.004-05:002010-08-03T07:01:31.427-05:00

Yesterday we accidentally walked 32 km. We made it to Saghoun (sp?), but decided to press on to the next town only 5 more km. But it was a little sketchy, so we went another 5 to the next one (Bercianos del Real Camino). The lady said we could stay if we wanted to put sleepìng bags in the street in front of the hostel. So I asked if they had no beds and she said the did not. That was a little

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-15939362568189834192010-06-21T21:00:00.003-05:002010-06-21T21:00:00.330-05:00

If my guess is correct, the boys should be on or close to one of the more isolated stretches on the Camino. In the 1670s, Fr. Laffi came across a dead pilgrim being eaten by two wolves in this area. In 1743, a pilgrim named Nicola Albani who had trekked al the way from Naples, Italy opted to hire a guide to get him safely through this stretch. Even as recent as 1974, there were no paths, no

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-62645666087850621912010-06-20T21:00:00.005-05:002010-06-20T21:00:00.132-05:00

Ian grilling some steaks for Poppy for Father's Day.(By the way, I gave Dad some Poppy seeds today - the kind you plant.)About Seamus's last blog ... Gosh! And kids wonder why mothers worry! I wish I could go to Villalcazar and thank all of those people who helped my boys out! Sheesh! But, the good thing was … Seamus got to a doctor! I think his feet will improve more and more each day now!Thanks

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-67288205212267563142010-06-20T20:55:00.002-05:002010-06-20T20:55:00.123-05:00

More undivided attention!

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-84509568906017105972010-06-20T14:16:00.002-05:002010-08-03T07:02:47.954-05:00

Hey everyone...it's Noah just seeing if I can post now...thanks Mom

Noah_15http://www.blogger.com/profile/12215742620748502317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-43323188437429627472010-06-20T10:38:00.006-05:002010-08-03T07:04:39.343-05:00

We call our dad Poppy, so ... (We saw this in someone´s yard the other day, so we thought it would be good for today.)We see Poppies every day, that makes us think of our Poppy.Happy Father's day Poppy, thanks for being the greatest, even when we made it tough.And thanks to our Grandpas for setting us up with great parents.(We also see roses daily which make us think about our Mammy.)Also, today

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-48810332195688150502010-06-20T08:31:00.006-05:002010-08-06T00:34:44.224-05:00

Mom and Mary, before you read this, I´ll call later and tell you about it too. I´m fine.Yesterday was crazy. We stopped in Villalcazar because of the spread of towns after yesterday it would have either been a really long day today or a really short one. We like less walking on short days, but the afternoons/evenings go be so slow! So anyway, we stopped at this free hostel with a hospitalero

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-31915589244038537042010-06-19T21:00:00.004-05:002010-06-19T21:00:00.684-05:00

Seamus’s left sneaker was doing something weird to his arch … and after days of walking, his left foot was getting pretty achy. Of course, trying to walk in a way to avoid putting weight on the foot began to impact his shin. So, he’s wearing sandals (a.k.a. flip flops). That doesn’t sound ideal for such a journey … but … as I think about it, his patron saint, Saint James, always wore sandals when

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-30553162867989870932010-06-19T20:55:00.006-05:002010-06-19T20:55:00.234-05:00

With his brothers gone, Ian gets some great undivided attention ... at 90 degrees (or so).

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-3844559755884489162010-06-18T21:00:00.005-05:002010-06-19T07:36:18.148-05:00

Ian drove in from Oklahoma today for Father's Day weekend ... it's so nice to have him here! On Thursday of next week, he'll fly to Spain to join his brothers.The Book Of Saint James There is a really neat book within the Cathedral in Santiago called “The Book of Saint James.” It is a collection of homilies, prayers, songs, stories of Saint James miracles and great medieval information on the

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-67648078070005185882010-06-18T09:04:00.004-05:002010-08-06T00:37:51.279-05:00

It always bugs me when I see people on motorcycles with their helmet strapped to the back. But here I am trying to knock out 500 miles in flip flops with a pair of sneakers tied to my bag. Oh well. I took some Ibuprofen this morning which seemed to help a little. We met some funny Italians yesterday. One of them spoke some English. So we hung out with them during dinner. Then we watched Mexico

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-76268581059832852902010-06-17T21:00:00.001-05:002010-06-17T22:27:05.934-05:00

Seamus called today and mentioned that he and Noah are in a town called Hontanas … so they have another 95 miles before meeting Ian in León a week from today. Sometimes they prefer avoiding some of the large cities when they look for a place to stay, but then, with the smaller towns there can be a lack of some things … like the internet and groceries! Truly, I’m glad they are experiencing a

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-9241348038823533922010-06-17T19:58:00.005-05:002010-08-06T00:43:45.481-05:00

So, one week and one day more before I leave for Spain to join up with Seamus and Noah on el Camino. I would have waited until it was just one week left to post but I'll be driving most of tomorrow. I'm going to Pipe Creek for Father's Day. Actually I'll be driving further tomorrow in 8ish hours than Seamus and Noah will have walked on the entire Camino. It has been a busy summer for me so far so

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332398991696680970noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-80840576255907978082010-06-16T21:15:00.003-05:002010-06-16T21:37:09.044-05:00

Hi Seamus and Noah,I bet you didn't expect to hear from me on this blog. As you know, I don't normally go places where I have to let my fingers do the talking. It sounds like things are going well over there. I was out on the tractor mowing in the upper pasture with the cruise control on and decided to see if I could check on your progress on my Blackberry. Sure enough - from here in the Texas

Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445324729639779833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-49904667350426399722010-06-16T21:00:00.014-05:002010-06-16T21:00:02.293-05:00

Since the boys have been gone, I have been enjoying a really neat and peaceful CD, Pilgrimage to Santiago. It was compiled by the Monteverdi Choir from England. In honor of the choir's 40th anniversary, the group hiked several chunks of the Camino and performed at various cities and towns along the way. They had done their research and learned many songs from medieval Spain ... songs that were

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-2542565517449381792010-06-15T21:00:00.009-05:002010-06-16T16:41:06.976-05:00

Santiago PereginoSaint James the PilgrimThe boys wrote that they were about 1 hour and 15 min. (walking) from somewhere in/near Burgos … I wonder if they are near the small town of Villalba (which actually has yet another bridge … I had no idea there were so many bridges in Spain!). What I really want to know about this area, though, is whether or not they have seen any stork nests. I guess

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-83274154549434970682010-06-15T07:57:00.003-05:002010-08-06T00:42:43.892-05:00

This is the bridge from Puente La Reina. This is a picture of our Irish friend, Aiden, who is studying theology to become a priest. We passed through a town that has a free wine fountain. We agreed that this would be an epic failure and bum central in Ireland and USA.This is the toy I got (we found real kinder eggs today with the chocolate shell). The tape is to prevent blisters from my shoes.

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-38385146525894230302010-06-15T06:41:00.004-05:002010-06-15T06:48:52.752-05:00

Guyses ... Would you please pop into a church today to say a prayer for Grandma Doyle? Today is her birthday! Ian was close to some flooding yesterday, but Norman was spared the worst of it.Hope you're enjoying a relaxing day today.

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-36394321947219670622010-06-14T12:40:00.002-05:002010-06-14T12:47:24.453-05:00

There was a lady who hiked the Camino all the way from the Netherlands not long ago. It took her several months, but she made it. Her three main pieces of advice are*:1) Take it one day at a time.2) Listen to your body and rest when you need to rest. Don’t push it.3) Take Sundays off.So, I hope Seamus and Noah take a day off and then take every Sunday off from now on. A ruined foot/arch should be

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-24495760327871893212010-06-14T09:09:00.003-05:002010-08-02T06:59:36.068-05:00

Yesterday we decided to push past Estella because 1) we got there around 11 which is way too early to stop, and 2) everyone wants to stop at the big towns. So we pushed a little past. We made it to Villamayor de Monjardin (Upper Village of Mountain Garden?). They had no phone or internet! That put the big town of today way too close as well (Los Arcos). It is ironic that we passed through Los

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-24327599755350071772010-06-13T18:05:00.002-05:002010-06-13T18:43:14.498-05:00

Sometimes Saint James is portrayed on a horse with a sword held in an aggressive pose and trampling upon some poor fellow. This image is known as "Santiago Matamoros." During The Middle Ages, there was much conflict in Spain between Christians and Muslims. Ambiguous legends suggest that Saint James gave encouragement through visions and prayer to slay as many Moors (a grouping of Muslims) as

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-29082217426603104122010-06-12T16:00:00.007-05:002010-06-15T19:02:59.674-05:00

Ouch … I remember Seamus once arching his back and screaming as we tried to put him back in his car seat. It was 24 summers ago. We were in San Diego and had just driven from New York.Well, from Puente La Reina, Seamus and Noah have 228 miles before meeting Ian in León … 12 days from today (Thanks for teaching me how to use Bing Maps before you left, Noah!). A grueling journey. I wish I could

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-38000093514951632662010-06-12T07:38:00.006-05:002010-08-02T07:04:51.056-05:00

... and it arches its back and cries once it sees the seat? I think that's how my feet feel about my shoes. I wish the Camino was flip flop friendly.We are in Punta Reina and have crossed over the bridge my mom made note of ... only to turn back because we had passed all the hostels and didn´t want to walk to the next town. We washed out clothes and used the dryer which mostly dried our clothes.

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-77744001975300250772010-06-11T21:00:00.009-05:002010-07-11T16:53:34.473-05:00

Not long after I go to bed tonight, Seamus and Noah will probably wake up and once again hit the trail. I’m grateful to David M. Gitlitz & Linda Kay Davidson for putting together a fabulous book that includes all sorts of intriguing details about the Camino. Through their book I can follow along the boys’ paths and learn some fun things. For example, just a few tiny towns beyond Cizur Menor,

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-77692490756649141162010-06-11T07:10:00.004-05:002010-08-02T07:06:44.057-05:00

Wow,I felt like a bigshot coming into this figuring we could walk till about 5 or 6. False. We get pretty tired by lunch, then we eat, and go a little farther. Although, after a bit of looking, we weren´t 100% sure we´d make it Pamplona today. But we made it barely past at Zizur Menor.The picture is of Noah and me today. Right behind my head was a city that we were assuming was Pamplona. Then the

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-51940650695457942562010-06-10T21:00:00.001-05:002010-06-11T06:55:30.001-05:00

“Zubiri” is Basque for “Town of the Bridge.” There is a medieval bridge over the Río Arga in the village of Zubiri. According to a Santiago pilgrim from the 1600s, Fr. Domenico Laffi, this bridge was a very dangerous point in the journey. There were guards who demanded hefty payments from pilgrims ... with threats of beatings or being tossed into the river. I’m glad it is not the 1600s!*********A

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-69682027267221322842010-06-10T05:46:00.004-05:002010-08-02T07:07:39.949-05:00

Well, Noah and I are on pace for our 20 mile per day ambition ... but we are pooped. We just hit the 10 mile mark in Zubiri (from Roncesvalles, there was no taxi to France by the time we got there). We doubt we´ll knock out another 10 this afternoon. We´re pretty tired. Time´s running out. But we´re still having fun!

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-46832225927337977642010-06-10T05:40:00.005-05:002010-06-10T05:43:54.153-05:00

Ian was a little shell-shocked the other day. When I purchased his airline tickets a while back, there were a few glitches (some dramatic cost differences, actually) and he ended up with an itinerary that includes a 12-hour lay-over in Madrid! I hated to tell him about that … so I didn’t (Sorry Ian!). He mentioned on the phone a few days ago that when he went to take a closer look at his plane

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-46564737088304283652010-06-10T05:32:00.007-05:002010-06-29T12:27:21.701-05:00

For a day, Camino de Santiago de Compostela might be referred to as “Le Chemin de St. Jacques” … the French translation. I was really surprised that the boys decided to try to start at St-Jean-Pied-De-Port because they are already on a tight schedule. But, they got to Roncesvalles after the last taxi to St-Jean-Pied-De-Port had left. I am very glad they can see/hike the Pyrenees Mountains,

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-68404211734127193732010-06-09T08:51:00.005-05:002010-08-02T07:14:36.133-05:00

Holy smokes, we are pooped. The flight leaving DFW left a little late. It was fun though. Noah sat next to some guy that curled up in a ball and slept most of the time ... except for take-off and landing where he played with his iphone instead of turning it off. I sat next to a guy named David and his wife who were on their way to Bulgaria to visit her family. He is from St. Louis and went to

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-44873491914193148202010-06-09T07:05:00.007-05:002010-06-09T07:13:36.764-05:00

Seamus and Noah should have landed in Pamplona about an hour and a half ago. While I am just waking up and getting ready to start the day, it is now mid-day for them. I’m so curious to know what they are doing! I have to admit, I’m glad that they are missing the “Running of the Bulls” (July 7) … that might distract them a bit!I also wonder … will they backtrack into the Pyrenees? Some claim that

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-5925771994714167882010-06-09T06:59:00.003-05:002010-06-09T07:04:59.515-05:00

The boys are getting so grown up … and used to living life their own way. Seamus and Ian have been out of the house for 6 and 4 years now and Noah has gotten used to practically having the whole back of the house to himself. Plus, Noah is now a teenager … Seamus and Ian have not experienced close-up the phenomenon of Noah slowly morphing into a young man … with more thoughts, feelings and

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-64445560704905498272010-06-08T15:57:00.003-05:002010-08-02T07:13:46.532-05:00

Finally made it to DFW. Noah and I had to get some food in San Antonio, though. We weren't going to make it. We shared a quesadilla ... it turns out he had never had a quesadilla. I don't know how he got through almost 10 years in Texas without having had a quesadilla. But then Jared picked us up here and we had lunch at El Fenix. Noah had his second quesadilla. Now we're at the USO killing a

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-50532468951803512592010-06-08T12:35:00.006-05:002010-06-08T14:33:01.460-05:00

Well, I dropped Seamus and Noah off at the airport this morning ... the flight was delayed for about an hour and a half, but I am trusting that they are in the air by now. From the moment we drove down the driveway this morning until they step foot in Pomplona, it will have been about 22 hours of travel. Hmmm ... I can't imagine being up to much hiking after a journey like that! p.s. Thanks for

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-10051669402538237272010-06-08T10:10:00.002-05:002010-08-02T07:15:31.042-05:00

Awesome start, flight already got delayed by an hour ... No biggie though, still gets us to DFW in time for the connecting flight

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-77681200315135678182010-06-07T23:46:00.003-05:002010-06-10T10:35:29.370-05:00

Seamus and Noah spread out all of their stuff earlier tonight and then got it all organized into their backpacks.

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-61917642554495693842010-06-07T22:32:00.003-05:002010-08-02T07:17:19.836-05:00

It's been a long day. All my stuff is finally in storage. Thanks to my friend, Tommy, for helping my with that. Then I had lunch with my girlfriend, Mary. Then I turned in my Internet modem. I am amazed at the fact that when I explain that I am stopping my Internet service because I am leaving the country, they still try to sell me stuff. I finally made it home. Dinner was great. Noah and I had a

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-92160733420878611862010-06-07T09:07:00.003-05:002010-08-02T07:19:05.006-05:00

I finally have all my stuff boxed up and ready to go into storage. Then I can round up all my Spain stuff and go home. I'm real excited about this trip. It's pretty exciting to think that we are just going to hit the tarmac in Spain and then hit the Camino.

SeamusRNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008864611794760865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-56696225912805833242010-06-07T05:52:00.003-05:002010-06-07T07:47:55.034-05:00

About a year ago, Seamus felt discouraged about his career. He wasn’t feeling as challenged as he hoped he would and transfers /promotions within the company seemed sluggish. He felt a strong need for change. When a son is disheartened, a mother is too. So, I began to pray some special prayers for my son. Over the years, I have often turned to my own patron saint, Saint Thérèse, who has showered

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-25695418350164288662010-06-07T05:46:00.004-05:002010-06-07T05:52:15.790-05:00

Tomorrow Seamus and Noah take off for their journey ... Seamus is packing up his apartment today and will be heading to the house to spend the night tonight. Noah has hs backpack mostly packed up and will add some final touches today.

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-82272578587435606652010-06-06T14:15:00.002-05:002010-06-06T14:17:26.374-05:00

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-1180112500265723282010-06-06T07:25:00.023-05:002010-06-13T17:28:45.223-05:00

Many images of Saint James the Greater have the appearance of a pilgrim … I guess as a way to illustrate how thousands and thousands of pilgrims have hiked from their homes to his resting place in Spain for over 1000 years now. A handful of symbols are often portrayed with the patron saint of pilgrims, but the most prominent would be the Scallop Shell. There are a handful of theories over how the

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-10814562117784568472010-06-05T09:05:00.002-05:002010-06-05T09:08:24.246-05:00

The biblical book of Acts tells us that St. James was back in Jerusalem by about A.D. 44. It was then that Herod Agrippa had him beheaded. He was the first apostle to die and to be martyred (Saint John his brother, on the other hand, lived to be elderly and died of natural causes). It is unclear who put his body into the boat and sent it to sea, prompting a return to Spain.

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014018804542459345.post-14591993560342753352010-06-04T21:27:00.005-05:002010-06-06T14:15:46.494-05:00

Stopping off at Lourdes on our way to Santiago de Compostela ~ May, 1996. September 8, 1996One more quick tangent … while Seamus and Ian have special bonds with Mary through their patron saints, Noah has a unique tie to Mary as well. Noah was due in mid-September, 1996. Very early on September 7, I started having contractions and woke Chad up so he could help me time them. In between

Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655517225263882034noreply@blogger.com0