I did not expect that I would have anything to put up on this blog until we got to Iceland, BUT, on the ferry from Victoria to Vancouver, we saw a woman with a bright pink backpack, two pods of Orca whales and then the woman with the pack again. I found the pack on the ground, looked around and there was a woman with an iPad mini and some photocopied maps. I thought "Aha, a pilgrim" and sure enough she was.......for the Via Francigena. When I approached her, about what she would be doing, she was eager to share. She is walking to Rome from Lucca to honour the person who donated a heart to her 10 years ago. When she gets to Rome, she will light a candle for the donor and their family. And why did she choose this route, even though she had many friends who had walked the camino? She had read Julie and Neville's book, An Italian Odyssey. She was so excited that I knew Julie and Neville and we exchanged intimate information.....how does a lady pee discretely in the forest? How can I carry enough water without having a pack that's too heavy? Her pack was 17lbs without water and most of that was not just the lotions and potions that add weight to most people's bags, but all the medication that has been required since the transplant.
So what we expected to be an unremarkable ferry trip became a truly extraordinary experience of nature and coincidence.
Hurray! and bon chance.
ReplyDeleteI wish there were Likes on this blog. What an adventure.
ReplyDeleteAn olde Leaside friend and her husband Hugh were here at the cottage this summer with great pictures of their trip to Iceland. They were surprised at the excellent food. Enjoy those thermal baths. Hugh cycled across Canada with his daughter a few years ago so you seem like kindred spirits.
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