{"id":698,"date":"2013-10-09T19:36:45","date_gmt":"2013-10-09T17:36:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/?p=698"},"modified":"2013-10-09T22:06:25","modified_gmt":"2013-10-09T20:06:25","slug":"meeting-prejudice-via-de-la-plata-fuente-de-cantos-pueblo-de-sancho-perez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/meeting-prejudice-via-de-la-plata-fuente-de-cantos-pueblo-de-sancho-perez\/","title":{"rendered":"Meeting Prejudice. Via de La Plata, Fuente de Cantos to Pueblo de Sancho Perez"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stereotyping the French.<\/span><\/h1>\n

My last post on the Via de La Plata<\/a>, describes an early morning when I walked a few kilometres to Fuente de Cantos. Having slept out for two nights I was wondering about a shower. \u00a0The Albergue was in a former Franciscan convent part of which is a museum dedicated to the famous and local painter Francisco Zurbar\u00e1n. \u00a0I was greeted by a smiling hospitalera who asked me if I wanted clothes washing. \u00a0She was just about to wash the sheets from the previous night, took all my dirty laundry and showed me to the dormitory.<\/p>\n

\"well-furbished,<\/a>

well-furbished, spacious dormitory in Fuente de Cantos.<\/p><\/div>\n

At this point I was no expert on Hostels on the Camino, but I guessed that wardrobes, \u00a0desks, a mirror and sheets, as well as only four beds in a large room would be unusual (and so it proved). \u00a0The shower was perfect and there was a salon with sofas and books to read. \u00a0I sunk into a comfortable chair believing that this was luxury itself. \u00a0It was a Parador<\/a> of a hostel. \u00a0One of the books on the table was a guest book. \u00a0It was full of superlative comments on this ancient convent, now hostel. \u00a0However, the most recent was signed by a group of French pilgrims. \u00a0Theirs was a positive assessment followed by a series of criticisms only some of which I still recall. \u00a0“It is a shame that the chairs to the desks in the dormitories are a bit too high to fit legs under the table comfortably while writing”. \u00a0“The arrangement of the sofas in the Salon could be much better designed to break up the space most of which is taken up at present as a passageway.” \u00a0The final one was, “While we acknowledge that the beds are provided with sheets, this is not altogether necessary and does not justify the 10 euro cost for a night here.” (2010).<\/p>\n

Me? Prejudiced?<\/h2>\n

Now I have nothing against the French, I lived there for eight years and found treasures beneath the surface. \u00a0Yet this, I thought at the time, is typical. \u00a0They think that their language is the world’s finest and are offended when we speak it badly; they keep to themselves and don’t share much……………Well, I was half aware that I was voicing my prejudices to myself and read the French comments again, just to check. \u00a0Yes, it was<\/strong> typical. Then a group of Germans arrived, just five of them but it could have been an artillery battalion from the noise they made. \u00a0I guessed they were snorers. \u00a0These were followed by a couple of cyclists who bagged the last two beds, they usually do, leaving us walkers to sleep on the floor.<\/p>\n

\"Albergue,<\/a>

Albergue, Fuente de Cantos<\/p><\/div>\n

I didn’t ever catch up with the French who had written the cutting comments but I did meet the Germans again from time to time who turned out to be witty, polite, charming and well-informed. \u00a0Later on when stretches of the Camino were very boggy I learned to follow their trail which always picked out the driest, most firm path. \u00a0They knew what they were up to on a Camino. \u00a0I really had no clue.<\/p>\n

Recognising my prejudices.<\/h2>\n

Over a year later and with two thousand kilometres of Camino experience I was starting to notice my prejudices: I, of course, had considered myself free of any distortions in my judgement, being a liberal, tolerant sort. \u00a0I began to observe that I certainly preferred some people I met to others. \u00a0Some I really preferred not to sleep too closely to, especially side by side, as was occasionally inevitable. \u00a0Smell, noise or dirt often came into my reckoning as I calculated the desirability of company. \u00a0I noticed, though, that less obvious traits affected my willingness to approach or welcome approaches from other pilgrims: how they chose their bed, or washed up (or not) after a snack; whether they were “know it alls”; or if they were cyclists or tourists whom I regarded as second class pilgrims. \u00a0It became clear to me that I was prejudiced and that I carried a lot of judgements in me of which I had not ever been aware. At the same time, as a result of reading Mark’s gospel during the Via de La Plata and the Gospel of Luke on the Camino de Levante<\/a>, I felt uncomfortable with uncovering my prejudices and not knowing the extent of the deposits I was beginning to expose seam by seam. \u00a0The gospels are inclusive, not exclusive and those around Jesus a rabble of all sorts. Also, prayer had become an established part, even a continuous part of my day. \u00a0One of my prayers of repetition was ,”Lord, let me know you more clearly, follow you more nearly and love you more dearly.” \u00a0This led to an important insight for me, even though I have heard words describe it all my life.<\/p>\n

After finishing the Camino de Levante in 2011, I continued my pilgrimage North through France, heading for Iona, a sacred Isle off the West Coast of Scotland. \u00a0Much had happened to me in these previous two years in my spiritual development, a development full of discontinuities. \u00a0The route from Irun to Dieppe took nearly two months and I felt I was being trained with a curriculum which only revealed itself in unexpected ways and unlikely places.<\/p>\n

\"St<\/a>

St Catherine de Fierbois.<\/p><\/div>\n

On the Way to the little village of St. Catherine de Fierbois, \u00a0just south of Tours, while repeating the prayer about knowing, loving and following Jesus, I added, “and it would help me if I met you.” \u00a0I was, I suppose addressing Jesus, but I’m never quite sure with God.<\/p>\n

I had some trouble finding the lodging for tourists and arrived ready for bed. \u00a0There was already a pilgrim established in the house who looked more like a tramp than I did. \u00a0He invited me to sit with him in the garden while he smoked, so I do so out of politeness. \u00a0He began to tell me about his caminos. \u00a0He was, indeed, a permanent pilgrim, constantly on the move. \u00a0While he told me about the loss of his wife I noticed that he seemed to be very peaceful in an infectious way. \u00a0He explained how the Camino left him free to do nothing but enjoy being alive. He was in his late sixties, older than I was, and I could identify with all he was saying about detachment, letting his children be, so they could be who they are, enjoying his grandchildren and the way that, while walking, he became one with nature. \u00a0I don’t know if I said anything, or certainly very little but by the end I felt we were deep friends. This sort of conversation and instant friendship is pretty common on the Camino so I welcomed it. We said goodnight and goodbye, for he would be leaving earlier than me. \u00a0Also everyone I met was going in the opposite direction so I didn’t ever see them again.<\/p>\n

When I awoke the following day, I remembered the conversation. \u00a0What then came to my mind was the meeting of the disciples with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. \u00a0I recalled my prayer of the previous day and I realised, “Of course, I met you last night”.<\/p>\n

Transforming Prejudice.<\/h2>\n

I still have my prejudices, many of which are instinctive, primitive reactions, olfactory probably. \u00a0That I have them doesn’t bother me now but I try to be alert to any recoil I have from people. \u00a0When I am able, I act against my inclination, welcoming those \u00a0whom \u00a0I would once have avoided, moving towards an embrace if appropriate. \u00a0These moments of friendship are charged with good energy. \u00a0They nourish the whole person. \u00a0It is about “Seeing Christ in the other person”, as I had realised that morning I had seen Christ in the smoking pilgrim. \u00a0Love is present. \u00a0It is actually very simple. \u00a0I can understand how Ignatius and other saints would kiss people’s wounds. (Ignatian principle of Agere Contra) <\/a>\u00a0This is not masochism, quite the opposite: it is intimacy in the fulfilment of self as one in body with Christ.<\/p>\n

I sometimes wonder if my children would understand anything I write in this blog – or the French for that matter. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Footnote: \u00a0there is great uncertainly about the hostel’s future in Fuente de Cantos and others which were run by the Regional Authority of Extremadura. \u00a0As part of budget cuts, some of the hostels and camp-sites are closed for the moment. This may affect the next hostel on the route which was in a hermitage attached to a bullring in Pueblo de Sancho Perez. It would be a tragedy to lose this one which was also very classy inside.<\/p>\n

\"Bullring<\/a>

Bullring and hermitage, an albergue in Pueblo de Sancho Perez, Badajoz.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stereotyping the French. My last post on the Via de La Plata, describes an early morning when I walked a few kilometres to Fuente de Cantos. Having slept out for two nights I was wondering about a shower. \u00a0The Albergue … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,8,5],"tags":[12,59,56,55],"class_list":["post-698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pilgrimage-and-prayer","category-the-camino-de-santiago","category-via-de-la-plata","tag-la-plata","tag-sancho-perez","tag-seeing-christ","tag-transforming-prejudice"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}