Upon checking-in to our hotel in Roncesvalles, Tom and I made our way to a long-awaited dinner. The town was bustling with walkers (known as pilgrims) of the Camino de Santiago. 
 
We were seated at a community table with pilgrims from Australia, Ireland, England and Spain, and instantly engaged in lively conversation. It was inspiring to hear of their journeys walking the Camino—some for the weekend, others for quite a bit longer. A young Australian couple hiked and camped along the Camino for an entire month. Our walk was for 10 days. I wondered if we all would see each other again along our journeys.
 
On the trail the next morning, we were greeted by the young couple. At a rest stop, the Spaniards recognized us with big smiles. It felt as if we had known each other for a long time, even so we only had shared an evening together. 
 
It was nice to see our fellow pilgrims, especially as our walk to our next destination, Zubiri, became unexpectedly challenging. The steep and rocky 17 mile trail seemed endless. At times, Tom and I would look at each other, both thinking, “Really, is this possible?” Those moments lightened the physical challenge and often ended with a smile as we determinedly continued forward. 
 
Along one particularly steep climb, we encountered a Japanese couple. The husband turned to us and in his broken English said “This is the hill from hell.” Together we laughed as we all climbed even higher. 
 
Something special was happening to me on that day. In the quiet, I heard the words, “God is good, God is great.” I had not recalled hearing this before and as a prayer, it was unfamiliar. “God is good, God is great” became a new mantra in my head. 
 
As I climbed through the mountains that day, I also heard another prayer, The Hail Mary. I am familiar with that prayer and use it to relax my mind when I cannot sleep. I found myself hearing and whispering it as it came through my thoughts. Its rhythm coincided perfectly with my stride, whether I was climbing a mountain or walking on a flat road. The Hail Mary brought a calm comfort that found me staying in a place filled with love.
 
In my everyday life, I feel the strong presence of The Blessed Mother—I see her, I hear her and I feel her. On the Camino, I did not question what I received. Instead I accepted the beautiful invitation to be with her through the prayer in her name.
 
Upon entering the town of Zubiri, our destination, we were greeted by church bells. Looking around we discovered that there were no other pilgrims in our sight. It was a reminder that The Divine, God was speaking directly to us