Tomorrow Christine and the three grandchildren depart for their adventure. Charlie and I depart for ours. Two different experiences, two different directions, each an adventure nonetheless. I will not see Christine for nearly a month and I will miss her dearly. I have decided that any future posts from this Camino will return to the “Dear Christine” format.
But that is tomorrow and today is today. Charlie and I toured the ancient and magnificent Monasterio de Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas.
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In 1187 the Pope authorized its establishment. In that same year King Alfonso VIII and Queen Eleanor granted the monasteries charter. The monastery is also their final resting place. 
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It stands today as an ancient monument surrounded by a modern city.
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Into the 16th century the Abbess was afforded near regal authority over a domain that covered over 50 towns and villages.
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Until the Council of Trent in the 16th century she was authorized to hear confessions, give absolution, and perform many of the duties now reserved solely to priests.
The monastery, once home to hundreds of cloisterednuns, now houses 10 nuns and approximately 22 women in formation to become nuns.
I took over 50 photographs, but I’m constrained to sharing only a few. I hope they give the flavor of the experience of our visit:
.Here is where the Abbass conducted meetings with the remaining nuns in residence. They voted on pending issues and received instructions from her. The stained glass windows which are barely visible in this picture are the oldest in the country of Spain. They date to the 12th century. Modern science has yet to figure out how the red panes were created Another view of the meeting chamber.One of the two main crypt rooms reserved for royalty and their children. Napoleon‘s troops looted these sarcophagi in the 18th century. .One of a number of paintings from the 1500s magnificently restored to their vibrance and beauty. ..One of the interior cloisters.
Walk back to the center of the city included passage along the tree line pedestrian ways.
.A brief clip from an incredible street performance.
Well, not actually herding “cats”, but 7 grandchildren, 5 of which are seniors in high school, and one just graduated. The lone exception is a “cute as a button” 9-year-old granddaughter.
I am not the “cat-wrangler”. That sobriquet belongs exclusively to Christine. All I will be doing is hiking 300 miles in Spain, accompanied by our neighbor, Charlie Murphy.
We have long lived the mantra, “Don’t put off until tomorrow the things you may then find you cannot do.” In my case I will attempt to put a conclusion to my fourth Camino. It was started the summer of 2024, but prematurely ending in Burgos, Spain. Back surgery was the necessary result of a well abused spine and the need to remove a cyst that had formed on my spinal column during the hike.
For Christine this summer offers the pursuit of a dream to share her adventurous spirit and love of travel with our grandchildren. She will be doing so with 7 of the 10.
Here are the details:
Next week Christine and I, along with 3 of the grandchildren, one of whom just graduated from high school and two who will do so next year, fly to Madrid, Spain. There we will be joined by our neighbor, Charlie Murphy. We will immediately train to Burgos. The 5 of us will enjoy 3 nights at the Hotel Norte y Londres, visiting the remarkable Burgos Cathedral and taking in other delights of this hidden gem destination.
On the morning of June 1st, Charlie and I will proceed west on foot, encumbered only by our backpacks and the unknown. More about that later in this post.
Christine and the 3 “grands” will return to Madrid for 3 days, to be joined by another granddaughter who will be a high school senior in the fall. She will have just finished walking the Portuguese route of the Camino with members of her high school class. Christine with the four in tow will fly to Paris and do a week of “Paris stuff”. They then train to Amsterdam, doing a week of “Amsterdam stuff”.
The first 3 grandkids will then fly to New York where they will join their mother, our daughter, at summer camp. This is our daughter’s 7th year as the camp’s head nurse. Her 3 kids have been campers throughout but are now employed as camp counselors.
Meanwhile: Christine and the remaining granddaughter will wander to Belgium, enjoying Brussels, The Hague, and Brugges. After days in Belgium, they will fly to Naples, Italy and meet our other daughter, and the granddaughter’s 3 siblings.
The 6 of them will spend a week exploring Naples, Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, and Rome. Christine will then bid them “adieu” (which happens to be the most popular starting word for the daily New York Times game, Wordle. I prefer “SLATE”). On June 27th Christine will fly to meet Charlie and me in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Charlie will leave us, returning to Kansas City. Christine and I will fly to Paris (more Paris “stuff”) for two weeks that will include Brittany, Normandy, and two nights at Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey.
Mont-Saint-Michel, from Wikipedia.
We will then return home… WHEW!!!
I planned to continue hiking the French route of the Camino, The Way of St. James, from where I left off in the summer of 2024. Charlie recently mentioned that someday he hoped to walk the Camino.
“How about joining me in a few weeks?” I asked. With a look and a pause that telegraphed his suspicion of a less than funny joke, he replied “Really?”. Me: “Really.”. Charlie, “No, REALLY.” Me. “Honest. Really.” Charlie (catching his breath), “Let me talk to Mary, change a few plans and…”
…and Charlie began searching for a pack, walking gear, voraciously studying about the Camino, and doing training walks with me.
Charlie is a very good and deeply spiritual man of 68. I also know that he and I make good travelling parters. Charlie and his wife Mary joined us in 2023 piloting a canal boat in England. We got along perfectly.
Piloting the canal boat in England, 2023
Charlie and Mary Murphy
He and I are not without some anxiety. I am 74 and have been haunted by the accumulating hallmarks of advancing age; back, prostate, kidney stones. My illusions of invincibility have been attacked and soundly defeated.
At 68 Charlie is still a top-flight tennis player but wears a knee brace and like me favors the companionship of trekking poles.
Next week we hope to receive a blessing and first stamp in our Pilgrim’s Credencial from a priest at St. Peter’s Parish here in Kansas City. The Credencial is our proof presented at the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago that we have fulfilled the requirements for receiving the Compostela Certificate.
Daily while on the Camino we will accumulate stamps from churches, albergues (hostels), municipalities…, that certify our journey.
We will each carry a stone, a symbol of our efforts on the Camino. A 1,000 year tradition holds that the pilgrim deposits the stone at the Cruz de Ferro. This is a high point on the Camino where the pilgrim then recites a prayer in this general form:
“Lord, may this stone, a symbol of my efforts on the pilgrimage that I lay at the foot of the cross of the Savior, one day weigh the balance in favor of my good deeds when the deeds of my life are judged. Let it be so. Amen”
The Cruz de Ferro, “The Cross of Iron”.
Yesterday I sought an appropriate stone, one that within myself I find meaning. Over the years we have often brought home stones as impromptu souvenirs of our travels. Among a small collection of these stones was one that I rejected as being too small. Moving it aside it turned to reveal its hidden side. At that moment there was no question but that this small and insignificant stone would be the one I would carry.
An examination of most statues or images of St. James, along with the waymarks of the Camino explains why.
Next, I reached into a large “change jar”. I wanted a quarter to give photographic scale to the size of the stone. The quarter that I randomly retrieved bore the year 1977, the year that Christine and I married, the year we bought our first home, the year that I entered law school. We consider 1977 to be the most impactful year of our life together.
Perhaps I am reading too much into these events. However, every miracle, both large and small, comes in two parts: That it occurred, and that it was noticed.
It is easy to dismiss such occurrences as matters of mere coincidence. To do so is like drawing the shades only to hide the glory of a sunrise.
“Some may roll their eyes, but for us it is otherwise.”
In 2018 Christine and I embarked on another vast journey. Starting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, it included walking the Camino in Portugal. Nearing departure we were faced with some notable “coincidences”. Eddie, the host of our San Juan B&B revealed that he had walked the Camino two years earlier. To this he added, “Peter, in life there are no coincidences.”
Peace Everyone! Pete
PS. I cannot promise to post a running commentary of our upcoming journey. I hope to occasionally share pictures and thoughts. Please keep us in yours.
I have been remiss and I extend an apology to you. We returned from our 3-week journey in Hawaii with Road Scholar on February 9th and my last post concluded with pictures and narrative only through February 2nd. That post was published on February 24th.
In the interim we have not been idle. Before finishing this post with concluding pictures and limited narrative about Hawaii I wish to detail some of our recent engagements:
I took 3 of the grandsons to Colorado for a week of skiing… and yes, I still ski (but not well).
We celebrated 2 high school graduations:
Grandson, Kane Cook is seen here with me, Christine, his 2 siblings, and 4 of his cousins. Kane, along with 40 classmates, graduated from Academy Lafayette International High School (ALIHS). A small multicultural institution (elementary through high school) that he and his twin siblings, Phoenix and Paisely, have attended since kindergarten. The primary grades are taught exclusively in French. Phoenix and Paisely will graduate next year.
Granddaughter, Audrey Schloss, is seen here with her mother (Niki Smith), our son Peter, and her younger brother (also Peter).
In contrast to the small graduating class at ALIHS, Audrey graduated in a class of 440 at North Kansas City High School.
It has a remarkably diverse student body that includes students representing at least a dozen foreign countries. We and Audry’s parents were beyond proud to witness her at the podium in Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center Arena delivering the commencement address.
Christine and I have been consumed with putting the final details in place for a remarkable 6-week journey that begins in one week. Details will be revealed in a post which will shortly follow this one.
Hawaii:
Waimea Canyon was stunningly beautiful. It is the site of not only the final battle in the unification of the Hawaiian Islands, but the world record for a non-powered glider flight. Set in 1931, William Cocle, Jr. piloted (solo) his glider airplane for 21 hours and 34 minutes.
The battle of Nu’Uanu Pali occurred in 1795. The forces of King Kamehameha I confronted an opposing army fighting for control of O’ahu. His army was victorious after backing the enemy troops to the cliff edge and forcing an estimated 400 of the enemy combatants (men and women) to plunge to their death.
There were also the Waimea Valley Falls and Botanical Gardens.
We visited Kilauea Lighthouse and National Wildlife Refuge, the northernmost point of Hawaii.
Kalihiwai Beach was alive with surging surf and surfers.
The Bishop Museum is a remarkable and expansive facility spread over acres of ground and divided among several older and newer buildings. It details the geological, biological and anthropological history of the Islands.
The knife that killed Captain James Cook in 1779. He extensively explored and accurately charted the South Pacific, discoverer of the Hawaiian chain of islands.
We attended a classic Lu’au at the Hale Koa Hotel. The food and entertainment were classic and absorbing.
One day was dedicated to an “exploration” of the modern and historical Hawaiian governments. It is one of two States, the other being Texas, that were independent countries before being admitted to the Union. Our visit included:
The Great Seal of the State of Hawaii
The ultra-modern State Capitol, which is designed as a metaphor of a volcano.
Hawaii’s House of Representatives chambers
Hawaii’s Senate chambers
Our group in the offices of the Governor of Hawaii.
Our group in the offices of the Lieutenant Governor
The Hawaii Supreme Court.
Statue of King Kamehameha I in front of the Hawaiian Supreme Court.
Iolani Palace, the residence of Hawaii’s last ruling king and queen. King Kalakaua who ruled from 1874 until his death in 1891, and his sister, Queen Lili’uokalani who reigned from 1891 until she was overthrown by the United States government in 1893.
She was kept in her palace under house arrest and threat of execution until she signed her formal abdication. She remained a fierce advocate for Hawaiian independence until her death in 1917.
One of the Queen’s dresses. This one made of peacock feathers.
The Royal “necessary room”.
The Royal Spittoon.
What visit to Hawaii would be complete without a tour of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and the USS Arizona Memorial.
The WW2 Battleship Missouri, upon whose deck the documents of surrender were executed that ended the Second World War.
The USS Arizona Memorial. The final resting place for 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and marines killed during the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor
Finally, we were treated to an Aloha Dinner at the “First Lady of Waikiki”, the Moana (Surfrider) Hotel which opened its doors as Waikiki’s first hotel in 1901.
In all our 3-week excursion with Road Scholar was a remarkable and in-depth exploration of the Hawaiian Islands. At times exhausting, but always informative and fascinating, we highly recommend Road Scholar as a means of discovering the Islands.
Christine with Susan, our truly brilliant tour director.
Perhaps when the world calms down we will book one of their tours of Ancient Egypt and the Nile River.
Peace Everyone. Pete
PS. We leave May 28th… more about that in the next post!
Awake at 6 a.m., breakfast at 7, on the road by 9, and not “off duty” until after 7 p.m.. That about sums up our daily experience during Road Scholar Hawaii. Except for our first and last days on the “Island State” there were only 2 “rest days” out of the 3 weeks. I decided on January 31st to suspend my daily accounts of our experience, believing I would resume upon our return to Kansas City. However, the best laid plans…
Our return to Kansas City went well. Sifting through the accumulation of mail I was reminded that it was tax season. I have always done our taxes, and this year was no exception. In recent years doing our state and federal returns has been relatively straightforward. Not so this year. We had a second state (Colorado) to file in due to the sale of our Colorado home. That, coupled with changes in Missouri’s tax laws, and questions involving the synergy between the state and federal returns occupied my time and attention for a few days. I got it done, and then quite obviously did not return to posting about Hawaii. Thank you to those who have reached out and asked, “How was is…”, “What happened…”, “Are you going to finish…”
It was great, if a bit brutal. I had to decide to realign priorities during the trip. And yes, I intend to “finish” in the next few posts. So, here goes.
On January 31st we left the island of Maui and traveled to our third island, Kaua’i. (When possible, I am using the Hawaiian spellings that include the punctuation/pronunciation marks, the okina (a backward apostrophe indicating a pause) and the kahakō (a long vowel symbol but denoting that the short vowel sound should be held longer.))
We had been staying at the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel and on the last morning the hotel staff presents a Kukui Nut Lei Ceremony to the departing guests.
This hotel was perhaps our favorite of the five that we experienced. It was comfortable, well situated for tourist enjoyment, and made a focused effort to include Hawaiian traditions and culture along with the hotel’s hospitality.
The ceremony was heartfelt. We were instructed to bring our Kukui Nut Lei with us on any returns to the Islands as it is tradition to add a nut to the lei on each return. Christine and I will take that to heart.
Our Kukui Nut Leis. Other souvenirs include pieces of lava and two US geologic survey markers. These are identical to the originals that are in place at the locations. I purchased the duplicates at the National Park offices. They are also available for sale on-line.
Again, our leaders Susan, Patricia, and Glenn, adroitly shepherded us to the airport for our one-hour inter island flight. At Kaua’i’s Lihu’e Airport a bus was waiting for us and touring continued without pause.
We visited Spouting Horn Park where an old lava flow and lava tubes interacted with surf to present a Hawaiian version of Yellowstone’s “Old Faithful”.
We also visited the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Botany is not my “thing”, but for some in our group the extraordinary diversity of tropical species found here was captivating.
Christine’s long deceased uncle and aunt, Clark and Veda Bowen, spent part of their retirement here on the island. From 1981 to 1983 Clark was Executive Director of the Kokee Natural History Museum, Kaua’i. We visited the museum on February 2nd. Clark had been a professor of Botany/Biology at Iowa State University from 1955-1980. Two of the members in our group knew the Bowens at the University nearly 50 years ago. What a coincidence!
The remainder of the afternoon included a stop at a grocery store to buy “supplies” for the following “free day”, check-in at the Hilton Garden Inn, Wailua River, and dinner.
The following day, February 1st was one of our two “days off”. Christine and I did some investigating together. The hotel grounds were archeologically significant, and I did some solo hiking and exploration.
This curiosity, located about half a mile from our hotel, is a stairway leading to the beach. What makes it unusual is that it is a cleverly created labyrinth. The stairways present dozens of turns and “crossroads”. Eventually we made it to the beach!
My solo wanderings took me to a hidden Japanese cemetery,
and the equally hidden Holoholokū overlook where oral tradition holds that the sacred births of island royalty occurred here.
The name Haleakalā is Hawaiian for “house of the sun.” According to a local legend, the demigod Maui imprisoned the sun here in order to lengthen the day.
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This is a sacred place and treasured by Hawaiians as a place of pilgrimage to witness the beginning and end of the day. The vistas are otherworldly.
It is also very popular with bicyclists!
Designed a National Park in 1976, the park covers over 50 square miles.
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The rim of the volcano crater, nearly 2 miles above sea level, can be reached by car. The park is host to a network of over 40 miles of trails. Wilderness camping is available and 3 remote primitive cabins can be reserved for up to 3 nights.
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The park features the dormant Haleakalā Volcano which last erupted sometime between 1480 and 1600 AD. The crater is 7 miles across, 20 miles in circumference, and 2,600 feet deep. The interior of the crater is dotted by numerous volcanic cinder cones.
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Although located in the tropics, the summit has a desert alpine climate. Night temperatures can descend below freezing, and occasionally there is even snow.
A number of unique and endangered species are found here, including the Nēnē bird (a goose-like bird native to Hawaii and rescued from the brink of extinction) and the Silversword plant which is found nowhere else in the world.
The ranger explaining the Silversword lifecycle. These examples are approximately 18 years old. Without warning they will bloom and then die. A Silversword in the wild. Examples that recently bloomed.
The Haleakalā Observatory, operated by the University of Hawaii, is prized for the pristine viewing conditions. One of its primary functions is to track satellites and space debris.
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Many in our group considered today a highlight of our trip, me included.
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After the park we lunched in the unusual Hawaiian “cowboy town” of Makawao. It is famous for its paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) history, arts scene, and cooler climate. It offers a blend of plantation past and modern creativity. It offered us a great pulled pork sandwich!
...Our lunch spot.
Tomorrow Is once again moving day with our next destination the Island of Kauaʻi.
