LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – Father Sanchez has entered the second week of his months-long pilgrimage to help save the deteriorating steeples of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Butchertown.
From Tuesday, July 17 to Sunday, July 22, Sanchez covered ground from Espalion, France to Cahors, France, a trail winding along the Lot River.
Upon leaving Espalion, Sanchez encountered the first of a series of difficult inclines he would have to tackle on this stretch of the trail.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Excerpts have been pulled directly from Sanchez’s blog at wherespadre.org.
“Leaving Espalion was easy, very flat land, until I passed the Roman Church. It was a hill category ‘Red,’ which means after reading the map this afternoon, very difficult…So many times I had to rise my legs over 12 inches to pass the up hill rocks. I just took one step at the time being sure that my feet where in whole contact with the ground. Last night rain changed the terrain, mud and rocks was a mess. I decided to use my sandals today, and believe it or not, they had better traction with the mixed ground. I ended all wet, like jumping to the Ohio river after finishing the iron man on rocks!
“It is good to be here. There is time to think and reflect. No television, no computer. Just enjoying myself in the silence of the walk. Wait! Today, a bird from the distance broke the silence. But his harmony, matched my speed as I walk. It keep going like for 10 minutes, until I have to descend another hill.”
On Friday, Sanchez’s difficult uphill journey and frustration with an unexpected detour was eased by the generosity and camaraderie of others along the way.
“I never saw the town of Senergues. I kept walking for 8 hours, until I found my self in St. Sulpice, 10 kms north of Conques, my final destination. On my ascending I saw a young family hiking with their two children. No idea from where they came from. In desperation, I just sat down to eat my lunch, break and salmon with an apple. Suddenly, I hear many children laughing. They were kayaking on the Lot river. That gave me hope. I was short of water, until I saw the first house. A man in his mid 40’s was repairing his car. I said: bonjour, je sui perdu. He offered me to enter into his house and gave me the biggest bottle of water, I have seen. I took it and continue walking to St. Sulpice. I cross the river, when a women in her 70’s wanted to help me. She was walking. She was waiting for her three girl friends that we’re rehearsing for a choir performance last night. She wanted her friends to take me to Conques, but there was not space in the car for all of us. A man biking approached us and started a conversation with us. He said that he has done “El Camino” six years ago. He did the “north way” on his bike. I have to keep going. It was 2:30pm. I was 10 kms away, which meant 3 hours walking for me. I went up the hill, all straight, in a very old path that connected, St. Sulpice with Poimes…I was short of water. After 30 minutes ascending, a cross showed up, for the lost padre.”
After a punishing week on the trail, Sanchez was feeling the kilometers take a toll on his feet, but walking companions helped him push through the pain to the medieval town of Cajarc and the week’s final destination in Cahors, France.
“Leaving Cajarc was easy, but I stopped to read my map. I just wanted to be sure. I passed by the doors of the beautiful church that was in front of my window last night. Cajarc is in a valley, therefore I was expecting a brutal ascending soon, and there it was. Cecile decided to wear her flip flops, yeah! I think she was laughing of everybody. How can she do that? Any way, I have discovered that it is not about the shoes, the cloths or the fancy equipment for hiking, it is about the attitude! The attitude we have in life to overcome any pain or obstacle. This is innate in us, and I do not understand with some people reach for it their whole life. I believed it needs to be exercised. As any human skill.
“I met Harry from London, and Elizabeth from Germany today. Harry offered me some pomade for the inflammation, and it worked instantly. It is call the ‘Baume du Pelerins.’ I am sure I am going to buy a couple tubes at the next village. Elizabeth and I were in the kitchen preparing dinner together. She has been doing the Camino from Germany, and she likes to work to pay her room, but southern France culture has not been helping her. She asked if I had any sweets. I told her, of course, I have fig cookies. She thank me the whole night for it. Her feet were in bad shape, therefore she socked them in warm water and cooking salt.
“My routine when I arrived to the ‘gite’ is simple: 1. Take a shower, 2. Wash dirty cloths. 3 Eat, and 4. SPA your feet with everything you have: olive oil, amica, analgesic, massage then deeply.”
You can see select excerpts from Father Sanchez’s blog every week right here on WHAS11.com.
Sanchez’s full blog and additional photographs can be found at wherespadre.org.
