Link to Dale & Arlene's Camino First Post

Greetings - you are possibly looking for our blog - starting from the beginning - please click this link and you should be redirected there.  Once at the beginning you may simply click forward to each successive post. As always if you wish to contact us please email Dale at caminodale@gmail.com  or Arlene at caminoarlene@gmail.com


                    http://dalenarlene.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-journey-begins.html

Buen Camino
Dale & Arlene

The Camino Continues.....

Our newest update - it is now almost March of 2018 and returning to the Camino still eludes us.  I am now almost three months post total hip replacement.  At this time I still have restrictions from the doctor as to what I may and may not do.  At least we are spending these days now in Arizona where it is warmer than Illinois - unfortunately much colder than normal for Arizona.  We will survive - at least we do not have to cope with snow and ice during this period of rehabilitation.  At the current rate of healing I might be good to attempt the Camino at the end of the year; however, upcoming family events seem to present a conflict.  We may have to wait until 2019 to return to the Camino.   For some this could be a real challenge; however, we still have our first Camino under our belts and the memories which are with us daily.  Whether we return or not - will not -  be a major disappointment as we have learned from the past to appreciate that which we have been blessed to experience.  Any future pilgrimages are a bonus to us at this stage of our lives.  We are still involved in religious pilgrimages and are scheduled to make our third pilgrimage this October to Israel - to once again visit the Holy Land.  Although not the Camino, walking through the various sites in the Holy Land still somewhat of a challenge especially with the hills and uneven terrain.  Walking through Italy and Spain - definitely easier - especially when you are traveling with a group of people who are not avid walkers.  My goal - before we head back to Illinois - to at least do some hiking in the mountains surrounding us here in Arizona.  If I can do that within  the next two months, I will be a happy trekker.

Hope your Camino plans are working out for you - remember, all of us have been called to walk our own Camino so no right or wrong way - and it is all in God's time that we do.

Buen Camino
Dale & Arlene 

Future Vision Or Just A Dream?

BAM! It just has to hit you like that - sometimes. Our original three year timeline for our return to the Camino - constantly being altered. Fall 2017 has come and now rapidly turning into winter. So here is what has happened since my last post.  The leg causing all the delays did not get better as hoped. We returned from Arizona in May thinking that things had improved. A twelve day trip to Italy with fourteen family members made it very clear that my condition was getting worse - not better. Once back home we went to my eighth? maybe ninth doctor - only to discover that the cartilage that was damaged in the hip was now completely gone.  The doctor commented something to the effect that - of course you have pain - you are bone on bone. 

A few more visits to the surgeon and picking a date for surgery which would not interfere with a pilgrimage we were leading to Portugal - Spain - France in early November forced us to delay surgery until the end of November.  It has now been sixteen days post surgical and I am on the way to complete healing - in another four to six weeks. Back to square one - waiting - healing - getting well enough to restart training. New revised schedule possibly late summer or fall of 2018.  That could also get delayed - frustrated - yes - lost hope - no. As long as the rest of my body stays healthy there is always hope that we will return to walk parts of the Camino we missed the first time around. 

Fatima - Lourdes Pilgrims

In the meantime we rejoice in the fantastic pilgrimage we led to Fatima - Lourdes. As a bonus we got to stop in Burgos where I had the privilege of preaching the homily for Mass in the Cathedral. It was great to see the Cathedral again and even better to function as a deacon while we were there. With the average age of 70+ of the group this was not a walking pilgrimage - but a pilgrimage just the same. 

The journey continues.  If your own pilgrimage is suffering from a few bumps and obstacles - hang in there - it will happen - in God's time.

Buen Camino

Dale & Arlene

Return To The Camino On Hold - Still

It has been months since our last update - the time spent visiting doctors and physical therapists. It is now mid April 2017 and I am not one step closer to returning to the Camino. Of course this is frustrating - life does go on. Having spent a month in 2013 walking from Pamplona to Santiago did teach us a few things - patience was one of them. My leg is somewhat better - still not able to walk long distances. At this stage in my life at 71½ years old I have to accept the simple fact that I am alive - fairly well - if you don't consider the struggle walking long distances and after all is said and done the alternative i.e. death is not attractive. 

At least while in Arizona I have mountains right next to me - in fact I have a house on top of the Sierra Estrella Mountains and this is the view I get occasionally - just to remind me that beauty exists even here in the States. 

Buen Camino
Dale & Arlene 

The Good News

In my last post I shared with you the fact that we were forced to delay our return to the Camino due to a hip issue. After numerous visits to many doctors we have finally learned #1 I do not need a hip replacement - yet - and #2 I have an issue with a persistent severe bursitis. What that translates to is this - physical therapy - stretching exercises - slow recovery time. It is disappointing - but God willing - only a delay.  In the meantime we are pursuing less vigorous activities and accepting God's time line - not our own.  

We were recently informed by our sons that we are going to Italy next June with the entire family - traveling with a group of fourteen to visit Venice - Rome and spending five days at a villa on the Adriatic.  For now - that is the extent of our travels.  Unlike many who choose to ignore their doctor's recommendations and end up in a hospital in Spain - we will continue therapy here until back in good health. The Camino has been there for thousands of years - it is not going away- so we will wait.

Buen Camino
Dale & Arlene

Bumps In The Road

And this too will past - plans to return to the Camino for 2016 - now in the trash. I have been coping with a leg issue since last November and due to circumstances - too many to enumerate - we have cancelled our return trip this fall. Now - if lucky - not until 2017. This is not what either of us  wanted - what we have to contend with - knees - hips - legs - backs - all very important when considering the Camino.

When we walked in Fall of 2013 - we met many people walking - against doctor's advice - most who ended up cutting their Camino short - going home - many in tears.  Hip - knee - back issues - ignored - due a romanticized idea of the Camino. The Camino will provide. That statement spoken so frequently by the naive - inexperienced - lucky ones whose major issue was not enough food - lost trekking poles - buying forgotten items of necessity. This old boy scout - be prepared - for anything - everything. This deacon smart enough to know that God helps those who help themselves - uses their brains - God given talents - wisdom - to walk any pilgrimage - well prepared. Miracles do happen on the Camino - the majority - in the region of the heart - not the flesh and bloody heart - but in that place inside each of us - we call the heart - where our spirituality - wisdom reside.

This current issue is a setback - not a stop sign - rather a caution sign - yield to the moment - exercise wisdom - caution before proceeding. Proceed we will - just not in this year.

Buen Camino
Dale & Arlene 

Back In The Saddle

Illinois is flat - very flat - not many hills to climb - no mountains - just flat that goes on forever. Walking for hours on end on flat terrain may help with our endurance - does not challenge us as far as vertical gain. Back home in Illinois - away from the Casa del Camino training center in Arizona - we have taken up biking. Long distance biking - an effort in the works. We figure if we challenge ourselves with greater distances on bike - we will be able to work our thigh muscles and abdominals to a greater degree - than just walking. Our number one barrier - decent places to ride. We live in the country - which means country roads - small roads - no bike lanes - lots of vehicles using the roads along with us - vehicles that do not allow enough space when passing. Bike trails are a possibility - getting there another issue. Living in the country means driving distances to locate safe trails suitable for bikes. The best trail we have found so far - close to us - eight miles away - the Virgil Gilman Trail with the trail head at Waubonsee Community College.  It goes from Sugar Grove, Illinois through Aurora, Illinois - an 11½ mile pleasant ride though the countryside with only a few roads that have to be crossed. Thanks to walking/biking bridges built by the Fox Valley Park District we are able to pass over the I-88 extension and Orchard Road in Aurora. I would have never believed that we could bike from Sugar Grove into Aurora in less than 30 minutes. Our goal is to find a safe trail where we can do a thirty mile loop. For a couple quickly approaching their 70's this has become our primary Camino training while in Illinois - back in Arizona we will focus on walking the trails in the mountains. 

Virgil Gilman Trail 

We have more than a year to prepare for our next Camino - plenty of time without stressing ourselves. Our experience from fall 2013 - very important as we look forward to fall of 2016. We know the terrain - the albergue system - the issues that we faced on our first walk. It will not be any easier the second time around - next time we walk better prepared - better informed.

Buen Camino

Dale & Arlene

Camino Update

Just a short post today - it has been a year since our last post. In that time we have been very busy - recommitting ourselves to walking a second Camino - this time starting in France - over the Pyrenees. It only took three days after our first Camino for the longing to return - very strongly - to repeat our journey. In that time the calling of the Camino kept growing and last September we bought a house in the Sierra Estrella Mountains in Arizona - a mountain training center for our next Camino. We named that house - Casa del Camino - house of journey - and what a journey it has been. Had we been able to train in those mountains for our first Camino - we would have been much better prepared. As it stands right now - we will be able to make that second Camino in 2016. Until then - we continue to prepare ourselves physically - mentally - spiritually. 

Buen Camino
Dale & Arlene 

Camino Tattoos

It is now nine months since we walked from Pamplona to Santiago - a feat that many still do not believe we actually did. For us - it was suppose to be a one time event - something to add - and scratch off - our life's bucket list. Of course - like many - we do not have a bucket list - this was done completely on a whim - a challenge to ourselves - to literally step outside our comfort zone - go to a foreign country - place our lives - our well being - our safety and comfort - completely into the hands of God -the people of Northern Spain and other peregrinos -of whom we did not know. If you have read our earlier posts - you know that it was a fantastic experience. Like many who walked before us -like those now walking the same trail - the Camino de Santiago gets into your blood - refuses to leave - refuses to go away. Memories and daily reminders - abound - constantly beckoning you back - to a point that many have the need to - wear their Camino experience on their sleeve. This desire frequently manifests as a Camino tattoo. 

Arlene's CaminoTattoo

Our time to resist has come and gone - as evidenced by the photo above - Arlene's right ankle now proudly displays her forever Camino shell - drawn by our granddaughter - Gaby - tattoo artistry courtesy of Proton of DeKalb, Illinois. I have not yet yielded to the forces of the Camino -no ankle tattoo for me - I make every effort to avoid anything around my ankles and veins- having had vein surgery for a valve problem - the same surgery which I partially blame for my twin brother's early demise.  Maybe a shoulder - that is far enough away from the area of concern - maybe - that will be a future post. Thousands of peregrinos have done exactly what Arlene did - the size and styles - as various as the people who wear them. How anyone remembers their Camino experience is up to each person - just as how and when and why they walk - it is their Camino- there is no wrong way to walk - to remember.

Buen Camino

Dale & Arlene

Older and Bolder

It has been a while since our last post - took a group of pilgrims to Italy in November and are currently looking for a winter home in Arizona so we can have a warm place to walk during the winter as we start training for our return Camino walk in fall 2015.  We picked the Phoenix area for the White Tanks mountain range and the Estrella Mountains - lots of hiking trails within a short distance from our future home. We made one trip in May and will be returning next week to try to lock down our new home. In the meantime we have been busy around the Illinois place - just having hosted a wedding reception and now - free again to make a road trip out west. This will be special for us as we will be driving to Arizona with our dog who does not travel well- hopefully - he will be a seasoned traveler by the time we return.  If time allows we will try to get some hiking in when not home shopping.

We keep in touch with other peregrinos who have also walked at least once via the Facebook page - American Pilgrims On The Camino - lots of conversation form newbies and old timers sharing advice back and forth - so we are very much still connected to the Camino. Will write more as the new training gets more serious.

Buen Camino
Dale & Arlene 

Botafumeiro

Yes we have a botafumeiro of our very own.  We had to jump through a few hoops to acquire it from Spain.  It would have been much easier if we had purchased it while we were still in Santiago after completing our Camino - but we did not know it was available at that time. It was only after reading a post on the Camino Forum that we learned of its availability.  We ordered it in November 2013 hoping to hang on our Christmas tree as an ornament - it arrived in January.  Mail service from Spain is slow - as it was explained to us by the vendor.  Slow mail service coupled with the fact that the vendor did not accept credit cards or Paypal compounded the delay.  The only acceptable way to pay was by using a wire transfer service.  We selected XOOM to handle the process. Our botafumeiro now sits on top of our piano next to our shadow box holding our Credencials, Compostelas and Shells.  It is about 6 inches long - 10 inches if you include the stand.  No - we do not burn incense in it.  It is a fragile work of art - we want it to last so we will not be heating it up.

If you would like one of your own we suggest buying while you are still in Santiago - otherwise you can order online at: Souvenirs del Camino.  As mentioned above it took some time to arrive but it did finally get here.  Cost in Santiago is 16€ with shipping to the USA total was about 40€ - expensive but cheaper than a flight to Spain.

Buen Camino

Dale & Arlene 

Happy New Year 2014!

WOW - it is now 2014 and it seems like ages since we walked the Camino.  It is very interesting that with each passing day we miss the Camino more and more. We never dreamed that would happen to us - experienced world travelers - but it has.  When we first made the decision to make the walk - we promised ourselves that we would not get caught up in what an outside observer might term - Camino "fever" - but we have.  What we have learned from our experience is that walking the Camino is an experience like none other. Sure we long to return to many of the other places that we have visited - Italy and Poland -in particular - primarily because we have family in both countries. The longing to return to the Camino is different and one that is beyond explanation - the only people who can understand are others who have already experienced the Camino - the desire to return continues.

I recently revised the video that we posted on YouTube - it has been edited and eight minutes has been removed - twenty-six minutes is more comfortable than almost thirty-five. Perhaps more people will view the shortened version - hopefully it will inspire others to walk the Camino.

NEW VIDEO (Click)

Buen Camino

Dale & Arlene 

A Camino Christmas

After you have spent nearly a year preparing to walk the Camino and then walking the Camino - you deserve some kind of recognition - a reminder of your efforts - a reminder of the blessings received - the inner peace and enlightenment gained.  To this point Arlene and I decided to create a permanent reminder of our Camino - thus this early Christmas present. Thanks to the folks at Hobby Lobby  and especially Kendra - who was particularly enthusiastic about creating this for us.

May each of you be blessed this Chistmas season - by God - by people such as Kendra - by all the people you met or will meet on your own Camino.

Merry Christmas - Happy New Year - Buen Camino

Dale & Arlene 

Dale & Arlene's Camino - The Video

Finally - we have created a 30 minute viedo with pictures of our Camino from August 25 - September 30, 2013. It is posted on YouTube - either search under "Dale & Arlene's Camino" or just click this link:  http://youtu.be/IggCogi4HNw

And - just to inform you - today I told Arlene that I am seriously thinking of walking the Camino again in 2015 for my 70th birthday - God willing.


Buen Camino
Dale & Arlene