A VERY cool HAT!

Today I got a surprise in the mail!

One of my Anniewalkers, Barbara,
 sent me this AWESOME hat directly from China!

I had seen several Korean pilgrims wearing these 

and happened to say out loud, 

"That would be a great hat to wear on the Camino in the hot sun!"

Barbara took note, 

and I'll be darned if one didn't show up in today's mail.

I"m STOKED!
I LOVE IT!

Won't I be the height of fashion!

And… no sunburn!
The attached scarf completely shields the back of your neck
and the sides of your face,
places that got quite sunburned on my last walk!

This hat is definitely going on my next Camino!

(I probably won't wear the face mask, 

but it is very cool and you can see just fine through the screen.)

Thanks, Barbara!

Joe's 2014 Group

I didn't walk with Joe's group so really didn't get to know them.

But here they are, happy to have made it to Santiago!

And I believe they had a great Camino.

I did get a photo of Lee getting her Compostela.

Can you tell she was excited?

When we get settled in, I'll ask Joe to write a short post about his trip.

Annie's 2014 Group

I just wanted to say a few words about the group I escorted this Spring.

Four of them have known each other since childhood,

growing up on the Isle of Mauritious,

which I (embarrassingly) had never heard of!

This made for quick bonding, 

and those four generously

and lovingly pulled the others in,

making the walk a beautiful example

of community, and how it should work.

The first one to contact me was Paul.

Full of personality, I soon came to love his sense of humor,

and his quick wit!

Paul kept me in line.

He let me know when I made mistakes.

And I appreciated that!

His wife, Patricia,

a gentle beauty,

was spiritual, kind, and soft-spoken.

Jack showed a sensitive quiet strength.

He was even-keeled and when I needed a rock,

or advice,

Jack was there.

Oh, we loved Chantal!

She kept us laughing,

and kept us fed

with her great cooking skills.

She lost her glasses crossing the Pyrenees 

and had to wear sunglasses the rest of the trek.

 If I could describe Jan with one word,

I think it would be steadfast.

She was strong and good-hearted,

and kept us well entertained with poetry and prose.

Gary kept us fed 

at the finest restaurants along The Way.

He was another fairly quiet, but strong team member

who was always helpful.

And Barbara!

How we LOVE Barbara!

She was our navigator,

always finding the best directions

to the next hotel.

She also kept us in stitches 

with her AWESOME personality.

We had one other walker, who has requested his name and photos not be posted. 

He was a quiet, but friendly pilgrim,

who never met a stranger,

a speaker of many languages,

and an intellectual who always had a story to tell.

He was another well-loved member of our group.

What a wonderful experience this year's walk was!

Thank you all so very much!

And wherever life takes you,

may you walk a Buen Camino!

Love,

Annie