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The Camino de Santiago: Europe’s Most Famous Christian Pilgrimage - What to Expect on the Camino de Santiago - Part I
Vagabond Dispatches (Europe) Chip Walter Vagabond Dispatches (Europe) Chip Walter

The Camino de Santiago: Europe’s Most Famous Christian Pilgrimage - What to Expect on the Camino de Santiago - Part I

DISPATCH XXXVII

Once inside the church I was fear-struck. But why? It was my childhood as a catholic altar boy mixed with the dread and power of the enormous church. Hesitantly I walked to the sacristy door, certain that when I knocked a rogue nun would slap my wrist or shake me by the shoulders and waggle her finger at me for daring to invade the sacred privacy of the place.  But finally I did knock on the big wooden door.  Me, a heathen agnostic, fallen from the Church, wanting not salvation but a credential for some personal adventure. I had interviewed Nobel Laureates, shaken hands with Henry Kissinger and met who knew how many celebrities, but here I was beside myself.

The door opened. An elderly, kindly priest stood before me. He wore his cassock and collar. His hair was dark and thinning. He smiled at me. I stuttered out my purpose for being there in a few syllables of mangled Spanish. A two euro contribution was usually expected in exchange for the passport, but I only had one euro or €20. Did he have change? He gently waved his hand away. The money was unnecessary, and then handed me the “passport.” I felt right then that he must be the kindest man in the world, and thanked him far too many times. Outside I showed the piece of paper to Cyndy and grinned. I knew now that we were officially on "The Way."

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The Train Was Cancelled - So We Walked from Sweden into Finland
Vagabond Dispatches (Europe) Chip Walter Vagabond Dispatches (Europe) Chip Walter

The Train Was Cancelled - So We Walked from Sweden into Finland

Dispatch XXXV

The morning was bright and sunny when we awoke in Boden, Sweden, even if it was below freezing. The previous evening we had arrived at the town’s tiny train station and hauled our bags to the Quality Bøden Hotel for the night. This morning our plan was to return through the town’s quiet streets to board our 11:51 train to Haparanda on the Swedish border, from whence we would cross into Tornio, Finland, and strike north to Arctic Circle and Lapland, where, I was told, I shared some genes on my mother’s side of the family. Solid plan, except … The train was canceled.

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Sailing the Queen Mary II
Vagabond Dispatches (Europe) Chip Walter Vagabond Dispatches (Europe) Chip Walter

Sailing the Queen Mary II

Dispatch XXVII

At 12:30 PM our Lyft driver zipped us to Brooklyn’s Cruise Terminal - Pier 12 where, with luck, we would eventually find ourselves in stateroom 5029 on deck 4 of the great ship. At least that’s what the Cunard paperwork told us would happen. Except when we arrived there were problems. Along side the Queen an ominously long line has formed and it didn’t not seem to be moving. “Computer issues” was the word we got as we joined the line.

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