Flowering Heart Center

Day 4
Expectation got me again. From Gambassi Terme to San Gimignano is labeled “medium” difficulty instead of challenging. And, it’s only 9 miles. And the temperature has dropped a few degrees. Because I expected it to be fairly easy, I objected to all the long hills. That’s part of the beauty of Tuscany of course. Eventually I let go of my resistance and enjoyed the walk. I’m not yet at the point of walking without worrying about what’s ahead and whether I brought what I needed in my day pack. It seems I have to be reminded that the Camino provides.

Along the way we met a couple from San Francisco and several Europeans. We walked for a while with Peter, a 28 year old man from LA, who seems wise beyond his years. He did the French Camino earlier this year and then kept walking through Europe. Every spiritual book we mentioned, he had read and had some interesting viewpoints on. After a mile or so we had to let him go because his pace was too fast for us.

San Gimignano is apparently the most visited city in Tuscany. Lots of tour buses drove past us on the last stretch of the walk. Since we arrived early, we had time for shopping. It’s a little tricky though because my backpack is already full. They have the most beautiful linens here. Picked up a linen shirt for Jack who is 2 years old. I think I can stuff that much in my pack.

Today we’re walking to Colle Val D’Elsa, but there are thunderstorms this morning so we’re waiting for those to pass. Meanwhile I’m foraging for food. My daypack is overflowing with food today because I’ve been hungry since yesterday. I could have ordered a second entree last night but I didn’t.

Day 3

Hot! Hot! Hot!
Under the Tuscan sun while going up and down hills with limited water and food. Ugh! Once we got off the pavement, we were on an extraordinary track among hill crests with views of Tuscany on all sides. If we weren’t in survival mode (running low on water and over heating), we would have more thoroughly enjoyed it.

We were about ready to hitchhike somewhere with water when we rounded the bend and found a water spicket by the road. I was so excited I poured the first bottle down the front of me and then drank my fill. I refilled both water bottles and we continued down the road. Once again the Camino provides - rule #1. Rule #2 is the Camino is in charge. So when our air B&B host for the evening drove down to pick us up with 1.5 miles to go - we were surprised and definitely accepted that gift. We’re in Gambassi Terme tonight.

May tomorrow be more like yesterday than today!

Day 2 walking:
Now it feels like we’re in Tuscany! Trees and rolling hills and quaint towns. It hasn’t rained in so long that everything looks dry and parched. There is no rain in the forecast. I’m very happy to be in nature again.

We stopped for second breakfast in a small town - Pontea Carpiano. We spied 5 hikers walking past! We’re not the only ones. Some truck drivers and the occasional car honks as they pass by, in recognition that we’re on the Via Frqncigena. It’s starting to feel more like a Camino.

We stop for lunch at Fucecchio with about 6 miles to go, and it starts raining. Part of me feels so happy and the other part wonders how we’re going to do this without any rain gear. So we waited. Eventually the rain lightened up and we headed out. An hour later we come upon this huge field of sunflowers. I’m very excited because they are still in their prime so late in the season. Although they are facing away from us because it’s late in the day, there is still a golden glow about them that photos can’t capture. I’m so happy to be walking in and among them.

San Miniato is on a hill 700 feet straight up. Our hostess for this evening mentioned a new route that has an elevator! I prayed that we would find it, and envisioned us on this elevator. Of course as soon as a different path appeared that is not the same as the one on the Francigena route, my mind goes “don’t go that way. We don’t know where it goes.” And then Dawn and I both said, wait a minute - we need to go on this new route. I put my phone away and followed the trail or trial up a steep hill. And, amazingly, there was an elevator to go the rest of the way up the mountain!

I really wanted to relax with a glass of Chianti (we’re in Chianti territory), but I needed fresh orange juice and a bottle of water. Then we needed to walk another half mile to our air B&B.

We settled in and then walked back to town for a steak and a bottle of local Chianti. I’ve hardy had any meat in the last 3 weeks in Europe but my body was craving it now.

Over dinner we reflected on what an amazing day this was. Normally it takes 10 days for the body to get used to walking so many miles a day. We both felt in the flow already - we were being walked. I hope that continues tomorrow.

The Via Francigena:
Typical day 1 of walking - why am I doing this? It’s too hard. I hate it. This time the issue was heat - 94 and blistering sunshine all day. You know it’s bad when I’m walking right next to the fence because it’s throwing small spikes of shade.

I bought some linen clothes in Lucca in an effort to stay cooler and keep the sun off my skin as much as possible. I’m looking more stylish this Camino except for the boots of course.

We are not in the countryside yet - it’s all suburbs. 12 miles would normally be a very short day but today it was long. When we reached Altopascio I downed 2 large glasses of fresh orange juice, one lemon soda and one bottle of water. I was still thirsty. We have no pictures from today’s walk which is very telling.

I did not want to leave Lucca. I love this gorgeous city. Saturday night there was a big festival and everywhere they were dancing in the streets- every big and small plaza and on some side streets - DJs were keeping everyone jumping and salsa-ing.

Lucca is a gorgeous walled city with beautiful tunnel entrances for pedestrians. I’ve never seen such a wide pathway on top of a wall, with trees lining parts of it.

I was most excited to see the Holy Face in San Martino cathedral. This wooden statue of Jesus was carved by Nicodemus to capture this moment he witnessed of Jesus on the cross. Legend has it that he could not bring himself to carve the face. While he slept, angels finished that for him, and the sculpture was complete. I was shocked when the ticket office told me it was under renovation and not publicly available right now. They are doing the work right inside the church, in an enclosed space. there is an altar with a poster of this artwork and the energy is very powerful there. At least I got to sense its presence.

On the portico there is a labyrinth carved into the pillar that you can trace with your fingers. The one on the floor was destroyed long ago but this one has remained, patterned after the one in Chartres Cathedral with 11 cycles in ( 11 representing the path of initiation) in and 11 out to create the mater number 22, or completion of initiation.

The Intermittent Fontestorbes Cave near Montsegur has its own rhythms. The first time I found it, the water was rushing fast. The next time, it was almost dry. I would have loved to hike inside but I was dressed for dinner and couldn’t risk the water returning. It’s a magical space.

This is the end of my solo pilgrimage. I was very happy to let go of the car at the Barcelona airport. Driving in these countries takes so much focus because the speed limit is constantly changing and there are speed cameras in random places. It will be remarkable if I don’t receive any speeding tickets - especially in Andorra which has so many cameras.

Of course, walking has its own set of issues. I’m in Italy now which is experiencing excessive heat warnings. Dawn and I arrive in Lucca shortly. Tomorrow we begin the journey to Rome along the Via Francigena.

Day 7-9
Lourdes and Toulouse

My entry into Lourdes was truly a pilgrimage experience. I wanted to sit down and cry but I knew that would not get me any closer to finding a parking spot. After maybe an hour of driving, I left the inner city, went to Burger King for a bathroom break, coke and fries.

I studied my options on the map, prayed and then entered the fray again. Of course my careful planning went out the window with the first wrong turn. So I gave up on Google and told Spirit that if I’m supposed to be here, find me a spot. I drove aimlessly for a bit and then spotted a large opening on the street in front of a very small hotel. I knocked on the door and asked if I could park there for 2 nights. She got someone on the phone who spoke English and they decided I could, and “it’s Free!” She said.
Thank you!

I put on my backpack, grabbed my rolling suitcase and my food bag and headed for my “hotel” 3/4 mile away. This place is hard to find but I did.

At dinner time I stopped in a Vietnamese restaurant for soup. I had an hour to eat before heading back to the Grotto for the huge nightly procession. I kept having to ask where is my food and when it finally came, I had 5 minutes to eat hot soup. I was upset with them as I left. It went downhill from there. I raced back to my room to use the bathroom. When I tried to unlock the front door to leave, I couldn’t figure it out. I called the “house mother” on the phone and she said it should be no problem. It’s not locked from this side. I insisted it was and then finally tried again. It opened, of course. I raced down to the Grotto to walk for peace having just created war in my wake.
Ugh!
The procession eased the emotional pain. The next morning I woke up with diarrhea and vomiting. I wonder I was in a highly reactive state yesterday- I was already sick. My mind of course was asking how can I be sick in Lourdes?

I’ve been getting the message to slow down so here I landed in bed for a day, still hoping to go to the Grotto at night. At about 4PM, I struggled out of bed and made it to the pharmacy down the street . They gave me powerful homeopathics that stopped the purging from both ends of my system and it left me quite tired. Somehow I walked very slowly to the Grotto and joined the procession, which gave me strength.

These photos are of the procession of people holding lighted candles and of the basilica in the background. All those lights you see in the photos are people holding candles - many thousands of them! Extraordinary!

I was finally able to get a good nights sleep. In the morning, I looked up the translation of the place I was staying- Berceau a Bernadette. It means Cradle of Bernadette. What a perfect place to land, despite the Catholic school vibe. I was feeling better and ready to get out of the city with all of the tourist shops and constant activity.

Of course my next stop was Toulouse, another big city. But at least it’s more easily navigable by car. I visited the Black Madonna there (Our Lady of Good Childbirth), but otherwise I took it easy. Sadly, I couldn’t eat much (Toulouse is known for its food) but my strength was slowly returning.

The next morning I set my GPS for Montsegur and happily left the city behind. My whole body was feeling like I was going in the wrong direction. I’m on an expressway so it’s hard to investigate. I look at my destination and it says Montsegur. This still feels wrong. I can’t find a compass on this car so I I look more closely at the destination and it says Monsegur, which is a town about the same distance, but in the opposite direction of where I wanted to go! The next exit was 10 km so I exited and reversed direction, grateful for the warning. I arrived back to the place nestled in the Pyrenees by late afternoon

The Natural Green Labyrinth

Cathar initiation caves

Days 5-6 and 9-10- Montsegur

The drive from Andorra into France is jaw-dropping gorgeous. Even with a great camera, it’s impossible to capture the beauty of these mountain peaks. And there was no place to pull over so I just put my camera out the window and clicked, hoping for the best.

Then I arrived at Montsegur. This place feels like home to me. My soul came alive and I experienced a deep sense of resonance with the land. In fact I returned here 4 days after I left, to get my strength back after food poisoning in Lourdes. As much as I wanted to blame that city, it was my fault for eating something that was suspect.

The hike up Montsegur was much more challenging than I expected- slippery lower slopes and rocky steep upper sections. I can’t imagine a fully functioning community living up here. This is where the Cathars made their last stand in 1244. Pope Innocent III Initiated a crusade against these people who practiced a pure form of Christianity, in 1209. It was Christians massacring Christians throughout France and parts of Spain and Italy.

Cathars believed in equality between sexes and classes of people, and in a direct connection to God (no intermediaries required). Their way of love encouraged community and celebration. The Catholics didn’t want to kill these people so the church initiated a major propaganda campaign branding them as monstrous heretics. Since it was too dangerous to put anything into writing, most of the information you still find out there is the propaganda. By 1244, the remaining Cathar leaders decided to come together at Montsegur for their last stand. After months of siege, they faced the inevitable with courage, walking down the hill and into the funeral pyre, hand in hand, singing.

Standing in those killing fields, I expected to feel pain and torment but instead I felt profound peace. Everywhere around Montsegur it felt whole and peaceful.

The owner of Les Contes, where I stayed, suggested I walk to the Cathar initiation caves. He gave me specific directions which turned out to be incorrect, and he suggested a French map app the shows local trails.

After hiking Montsegur and eating lunch, I went in search of those caves. I had to rely on my intuition which thankfully was spot on. I found 3 caves. The third one, named Bethlehem by the locals, was especially powerful. After sitting inside for some time, images appeared on the walls - of sacred union. This isn’t what I expected in a Bethlehem cave. When I returned the owner was surprised. Apparently very few people find the caves and even fewer find the third one.

When I returned to Montsegur several days later he gave me another test - to find the natural green labyrinth and then find my way out again. This labyrinth felt like it belonged in Ireland - a fairy forest with trees and mossy green stones. And, it’s very easy to get lost in there. Despite my good tracking skills and sense of direction, i got turned around sometimes. I felt like I was playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey. But I did find my way out again. By the way, Les Contes had a labyrinth on their property (see photo) that underwent its own transformation while I was there.ection, i got turned around sometimes. I felt like I was playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey. But I did find my way out again. By the way, Les Contes had a labyrinth on their property (see photo) that underwent its own transformation while I was there.

Days 4 and 9 - Andorra

Such a paradox Andorra represents- gifted with great natural beauty, while loud busy commercialism tries to compete. To transition from the quiet undertones of Montserrat, to the teaming glittery shopping mall that is Andorra la Vella was a bit shocking to my system.

I unpacked and then headed up to Mirador Roc de Quer for a spectacular view of these rugged mountains. This tourist point is a bridge that extends a little ways over a cliff. There sits a statue of a man perched on the edge, contemplating . After visiting the lookout, I looked longingly over at the suspension ridge a mile away, that traversed a beautiful valley 600 meters below. I discovered you need to purchase tickets well ahead of time for that experience.

So a week later when I decided I would come back through Andorra, I got the ticket and made my way uphill to the bridge. Its looks very scary from afar, but every day on this trip I’m facing new fears.

It’s called a Tibetan bridge - and I remember those from our hike to Mount Everest Base Camp 24 years ago. They were flexible and looked like they may come loose at any time.

However, this bridge was built using the best of modern engineering and I felt like I had stepped onto a concrete walk. There was a very slight up and down motion when others were approaching and no side to side motion. I was a little disappointed but that was quickly forgotten in the face of the immense beauty all around me. As I reached the center of the bridge the sound of the small river rushing below was quite loud. It’s an awe inspiring and marvelous walk.

I returned to the city tired and hungry, but dinner here, like Spain, is not until 8pm. I walked through the street mall and then spied a steep path that led up the mountain. Where does that go? Is it public or private land up there? As I was debating walking up this very steep street a young woman walked down, extolling the virtues of the walking paths.

I walked up. I was in another world… my heart opened and my spirit soared. When it was nearly 8, I found the restaurant for dinner. While waiting for them to open the door I noticed the shop next to me sold Bach flower essences. I had tried to find a store near me at home before I left, but hardly anyone carries a full selection anymore. This place did, but she looked at me when I asked about them. I said I know you’re about to close - I’ll just be a few minutes. So I quickly tested each of the 60 bottles, holding them at my heart to see what I needed for this trip. 2 jumped out and I bought them.

I leaned that I need to slow down and I am to cultivate a more generous heart.

Addendum…
Here is a photo I took in the trail up to Magdalena point. On the middle rock, there’s a woman in pink shorts. In the original file you can zoom in and see her clearly. What posts here won’t have that resolution, so I zoomed in and took a screenshot of it here.

I met her on the path later and showed her the picture. Watching her face as she kept zooming in was so much fun. This is when I realized the power of the camera on this new phone.- this still amazes me.

Part 2 (and Day 3) of my solo pilgrimage- Montserrat:

I drove by the jagged peaks of Montserrat on my way to Barcelona airport this afternoon. I felt the presence once again of the Black Madonna there.

Our Lady of Montserrat, the patroness of Catalonia was carved by St. Luke using the carpentry tools of St. Joseph, according to one of the legends. History records that she was hidden in a cave while Barcelona was under siege. Around 890AD, she decided to come out of hiding again. Two shepherds heard a mysterious angelic voice and saw a light in the mountains. When the bishop arrived to take her to his cathedral in Barcelona, several men could not move the 38 inch statue until they agreed to build a sanctuary right there.

St Ignatiius Loyola had a major conversion at her feet, giving his life in service to God. Her miracles abound and she is also referred to as Mother of the Dark Madonnas of the Americas.

I could feel her power in that place and a profound silence despite the noisy crowds. I was able to touch her right hand and then meditate in the space behind her. I was in such an expanded state that the room emptied out and the door was closed to further visitors while they reset the space. When I finally opened my eyes, the workers smiled at me as if to say, no need to leave.

From there I took the funicular up the mountain, planning a leisurely walk - not the treacherous climb it turned out to be. I would have worn my boots had I known. However, when I came to places where I would have had to scramble on all 4’s, a gentleman was there, holding out his hand. I took it before my mind had a chance to comment and trusted they could hold me. In this way and others, I was supported to reach the top - the place called Magdalena. I was rewarded with a fantastic view. I sat for awhile in contemplation, tuning into the land, when I realized I needed to move to make the last ride down.

My right knee was complaining loudly, partly because I didn’t wear the knee sleeve on the way up. It was a bit of a painful descent but I made the second to last funicular tram.

I prayed for healing as I went to sleep and then awoke refreshed but sad to leave. So I visited the grotto where our lady was found - a very powerful space. This walk was hilly but at least it was a wide even path. I returned to my car with more of a spring in my step.

The video below is from the Magdalena point

The solo part of my pilgrimage is almost over. Never once did I feel alone or lonely although I was in some very off beat places as well as enormous crowds. My soul resonates deeply with the Pyrenees mountains and it led me on a journey from hard to find Cathar initiation caves to the top of Montsegur, into the throngs at Lourdes and then walking across a “Tibetan” style suspension bridge, spanning a beautiful valley 600 meters below in Andorra. I’ve pushed my knees to the limits to reach the top of Montserrat- the Magdalena spot and I’ve tested my intuition to find the caves and the natural labyrinth (mostly to find my way out again). I feel fully alive and the joy of following my inner guidance.

So thank you for allowing me to unplug for a bit and be present to my journey. I’ll do my best to capture the essence of it in a few posts.

I began in Barcelona at the Basilica of Sagrada Familia (sacred family) - an awe inspiring piece of architecture by Gaudi. It’s unlike any other cathedral with very organic shapes and huge columns inside that are trees. The East door s are covered with leaves of green and red that include bugs crawling on them. The intensity of light shining through the stained glass evokes an emotional response. In the morning the light throws cool colors and in the evening its fiery red and oranges. Midday is bright white light from above. Tickets are sold out up to two weeks in advance- at least in the summer. Even though there are masses of people around, the impossibly high ceilings make it feel like it’s not crowded. Gaudi chose not to use external buttresses because he says they are like crutches. So the tree columns are built to support the weight.

This was a truly inspirational starting point for my journey. Actually, while this was day 1 of my trip, my pilgrimage started a few days before I left home. I needed to do a short walk and was tired of all my regular places. I got in my car and asked Spirit to take me somewhere and it turned out to be Mayslake. All these years I’ve lived nearby and have never driven up to the mansion. As I parked the car and turned to start walking, I o saw a small temple across the way and it looked European. I was stunned when I read the plaque by the door. It’s a replica of the Portiuncula chapel in Italy where St Francis of Assisi received the calling to follow God in 1208.

Although we decided to walk the Via Francigena instead of the Way of St Francis, I feel like he is still our patron saint for this walk, and I am going to Assisi. This was the actual beginning for me with a prayer of gratitude to St Francis. The next day I received a hug from Amma and then a walk in nature, and I was on an airplane.

My primary intention was to map a journey to take people on a pilgrimage. My other intention was to let Spirit lead and enjoy the exploration.

I'll be leaving Tuesday for southwestern France and Spain to plan a pilgrimage offering. Then I'll meet Dawn in Italy to walk from Lucca to Rome on the Via Francigena. While I'm on pilgrimage, we have some great speakers for Monday nights. Please check them out and continue to practice meditation and to send blessings out into the world. Here is a sneak preview

Feeling deep gratitude to Mind Body Matters for their enchanting space that hosted our in-person Meditation, Hands-on Blessings and Sound Healing last night. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined to anchor the Flowering Heart energy, and to the newcomers whose presence magnified the energy for all of us.

We're feeling the pull to return and share more transformative experiences with you. Stay tuned for the reveal of our next date in this vibrant neighborhood.

In this workshop, Kristin will provide an introduction to a framework in which you can effectively live your life by aligning with your Human Design. You will learn the best way for you to make decisions, and how to communicate with others in a way which they can hear and respond to you.

https://mailchi.mp/cityside/understand-your-human-design

Solstice Meditation tonight! Bring a candle and an intention and join a deep meditation - 8pm Central time. With the moon in Pisces and a Mercury retrograde, we have a lot of support for going inward. The link for this call is : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/836635622?pwd=djNXVEJBeUoxNFlkOVdqSFo5eExMdz09