My Pilgrimage Journey

In January of 2019, I signed up once again to attempt the pilgrimage walk from Ottawa to Montreal with the organization Chemin des Outaouais. I tried the walk in 2018 and had to stop after walking for three days, due to an ankle injury. This year I inteneded to be more prepared - physically, mentally and spiritually.

I am determined to try the long walk to Ottawa to Montreal again in 2019.

I ended up doing 416 km of training walks - starting in January and increasing the frequency of my walking, especially in April and May. I often walked with my backpack (with a weight of 8 to 10 lb).  I would walk twice during the week - approx. 6 - 8 km - with a rest day in between. And then do two longer walks (10 - 14 km) back to back.  And I mostly walked on my own. Although I could have gone on training walks with Chemin des Outaouais, the Rideau Trail group and/or the Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Company of Pilgrims.

I also re-read two books by local authors: Walking for Peace and Walking Alone, A Pilgrim's Guide to the Inner Journey.  And was fortunate to also be able to attend a talk on mentally preparing for a pilgrimage journey given by Mony Dojeiji. This approach led to some profound and simple insights - that propelled me to have an amazing journey and to successfully complete my pilgrimage journey this year!

"Walking Alone" describes how to prepare mentally and spiritually for your pilgrimage journey.

The following song was written collaboratively with my walking companions on the second last night of our journey. Of note, I was the only Anglophone and the rest of my companions were Francophones. Much of the walk I was immersed in the language, culture and joie de vivre of Quebec. This song is a joyful celebration of many of our experiences and honours both languages!

Our Walking Song

Un autre groupe part d' Ottawa

The eleventh group of pilgrims

Christine, Chantal et Line

Marius et Julie

Font connaissance sur le parvis!

The eleventh group of pilgrims - L to R - Chantal, Line, Christine, Julie and Marius

"A gust of wind

A glass of wine

It must be close

To 5 à 7 time !" 

The perfect way to celebrate a long day of walking!

Un pas à la fois

Y’a les lièvres et les tortues

Et le porc-épic épicurien

Qui pense aux fromages et au vin !

We enjoy our wine and cheese a couple of nights along "the way"

Du bar au presbytère

Attention sur le parterre

Crotin, bouse et même crote

Y aurait-il des odeurs dans la grotte ?

Mais  l’esprit du chemin y est

On marche, on chante, on prie

Messe et vêpres à l'abri

Et ça ronfle à minuit !

We see one of my yellow Camino mosaic arrows along the path.

Simplifier, simplifier – go with the flow

Walking, eating (drinking), sleeping

"We are strong – we are beautiful

We are blessed – we are loved"

I am filled with joy as I walk each day :)

"Je ne connais aucun chagrin

Duquel la marche ne vient à bout" ¹

La solidarité du groupe s'est tissé

En taxi, en bateau et à pied

Chacun ses raisons, chacun son chemin

Chacun ses défis, chacun son refrain

On finit par se comprendre

On se fait t’chin t’chin

En se regardant dans les yeux

Walking and talking makes each day special.

And we shared love with everyone

 we met along “the way”

Christine, Reine, Diane, Jean-Guy, Claude "the chef", Monique, Soeur Pauline, Père Secours, Père Demers, Soeur Mariette, Charles (Curé),

and all the others

And the backpack carriers...

Complete strangers help us along the way.

Thuso, Rigaud, Chute-à-Blondeau, Montebello

C’est notre camino

Ottawa, Oka, Oratoire

C’est le sentier de l’espoir

Laval, L'Orignal, Montréal

Un chemin bien special

Le chemin embaumé des lilas,

The colours, the scent, the perfume!

We thank our hosts along the way - for the rest stops and conversation.

Quebec-Ontario – Y’a rien de trop beau

Jours en Français

Jours en Anglais

306 km plus loin

On célébre notre victoire enfin! 

We are thrilled to arrive at St. Joseph's Oratory - the end of our pilgrimage journey (or the beginning?)!

Christine,  Chantal, Marius,  Julie et Line

¹Soren Kierkegaard

Pilgrimage Notes and the Yellow Arrows Project (Part 4)

Part 1
Part 2
Continued from Part 3
Day three of my pilgrimage walk dawned.  Today I would be walking 20.4 km from Masson to Thurso, Quebec.  My walking group was made up of people who had very different approaches to their pilgrimage journey. Young Nathaniel left first, very kindly carrying my mosaic supplies with him - to help lighten my load. His goal was to complete the walk as quickly as possible, at a 6 km per hour pace.  He reached our next overnight destination, l'église St-Jean-l'Évangeliste, by 10 am that morning.  Isabelle and her friend left next, following the high level instructions on their phones, they wanted to walk quickly - and in doing so - missed the notes about the rest stop à la ferme Val-Champs.
It was nice that my other fellow pilgrim Jacques and I were on the same wavelength - we were not in a rush and were open to experience whatever drew our attention along the way. We arrived at our destination around 6 pm that day. Following are some of the highlights from along the way...

We see a Canada Goose and white goose swimming together.

• We see a Canada Goose and white goose hanging around together and dub them "the odd couple" 
• While walking through Buckingham - we are accompanied by three women on their way to the gym - they wish us a "beun Camino" 

  

  The yellow arrow marks the way to the rest stop at the Val-Champs Farm.

• We had a very special rest stop at the Val-Champs Farm. Our hostess served us a strawberry drink, tea, hard-boiled eggs and chocolate and we rested for an hour or two. We played with her silver tabby kitten. And chatted about living simply and fully and enjoying retirement. We really enjoyed the "deep dot of time" that day. A true pilgrim experience!

  

  We enjoy a special cider tasting at an artisinal Ciderie.

• We stopped at the Scottish cemetery, went to see if the Violin teacher was at home and went to Verger Croque Pomme for a cider tasting.

Sadly my right ankle started to bother me through the night and by the next morning I was hobbling and with great difficulty decided to stop walking. I had an inflamed tendon and needed to rest and do physio for it to get better and stronger. My first reaction was sheer disappointment, while I was told to have no expectations going on this long walk, I found that I had expected to finish it and get to Montreal.

I went through a period of feeling very sorry for myself. Then I had an epiphany! I would still honor the rest of the time that I would have been walking and stay on pilgrimage. I could use this time in my studio to finished the yellow mosaic arrows that I had been carrying with me. I joyfully began puttering in my studio. And as I calmed down and started to create a wonderful idea occurred to me. I would head out on a journey and visit some places and people I had wanted to get to on my journey. And I would deliver finished yellow mosaic arrows along the way, especially to my fellow walkers.

In hindsight - this day gave me the sense of closure that I needed - to let go of any expectations I might have had - and to truly appreciate every aspect of my pilgrimage experience.

ULTREIA!

I would deliver finished yellow Camino mosaic arrows to my fellow walkers.

I walk the grass labyrinth at the Ashram near Montebello. I am filled with peace at the beauty I find there.

I leave a gift for my fellow walkers at the door of their residence at the Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes in Rigaud.

My fellow walkers with their Camino mosaic arrows at the end of their walk. They send me a message to let me know that I was with them in spirit every step of the way!