Tuesday, 08Sept2026 – Camino Day 1
I’m grateful for a beautiful beginning to my journey towards Manresa. The first stage from Azpeitia to Zumarraga was not too challenging. My heart is filled with gratitude for this opportunity. It is a gift from God that I have the health, time, and means. It’s also a gift from many, many people beginning with my wife and family who have cheerfully and generously taken on extra responsibilities while I’m away. I’m grateful to Fr. Jose Luis Iriberri, S.J. and Chris Lowney who worked in developing this Camino, keeping it going, and co-authoring a guidebook. Finally, my heart is full of thanks to all whose prayers are sustaining me along the way A quick story about grace received today: there were no hotel rooms available at today’s stopping point of Zumarraga when I checked yesterday, so I let it play out with peace in my heart. This afternoon when I arrived, I went to the local police station to get my official pilgrim stamp. I asked about a refugio for pilgrims. They said there is one 4 kilometers straight up the mountain! (see the photo of the view from the refugio). I asked if there were any alternatives and they suggested I visit the police station in the neighboring town. A very nice guy named Igor overheard and offered to help. He was just a bystander, not an officer. He used my phone to call the refugio and spoke in the most rapid Basque I had ever heard. He handed me back my phone, told me that I had a room and then showed me where to catch a bus to the refugio. Such kindness! “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.”
