à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Religion
A Pilgrim Goes “Royal”
Arab men fill the airy and glass-walled lobby of the Royal Rimonim Hotel. They sit on upholstered chairs around low tables and play cards at this gleaming tower along the shore of Israel’s Dead Sea. Some rotate rosaries through fidgety fingers. Women in diaphanous white head scarves and black outfits cluster around other tables, drinking … Continue reading
Born Again. Die Again. Repeat.
The Camino offered opportunities to experience the full arc of a day, a subtle but profound satisfaction I’ve been missing. When I began the pilgrimage in early October, the sun didn’t rise until after 8 a.m. That it was still dark so “late” was, at first, disconcerting but it meant I was already moving when … Continue reading
Shabbat in Santiago
Yesterday (Friday) I returned to Santiago from Finisterre; the distance that took me three and a half days to walk was covered in just two and a half hours by bus. For the last several weeks and 880 kilometers, I have followed waymarks, mostly yellow arrows (from faded to fresh) that are either spray painted … Continue reading
Of Cathedrals, Then and Now
Spain is filled with cathedrals. Some are on the Camino. For many Pilgrims, they are a welcome (visual) relief from the vast stretches of vineyards, olive groves and farmland. For others, they are a source of spiritual inspiration or comfort; some attend the Pilgrim Mass. And yet for others, the cathedrals are something to avoid. … Continue reading
Limping Along, Together
At this moment, I´m somewhere in the middle of Spain’s meseta, a vast area of gently rolling farmland, in varied shades of yellow, gold, green and brown. Compared to the first and final thirds of the Camino, it is relatively flat. For some, the lack of ups and downs is boring, a section worth skipping … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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