Packing up and unpacking: done but not yet done

The past few days exploring Rome have been really good - a welcome transition period as I think returning home straight after completing the pilgrimage could have felt too abrupt.

Having time to soak up the culture of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum and the Hadrianeum, as well as quite a few churches, was rich indeed. And knowing that some of the Roman sights would have been seen by St Paul himself as a citizen of Rome was fascinating. And while I enjoyed the plethora of cultural experiences, being surrounded by the masses of people present in the city felt like a jarring contrast to the quietness and solitude I found along the journey to Rome. 

I was able to recapture an essence of the pilgrimage this past Sunday, as apparently not satisfied with having recently walked 260km, the alarm went off early so I could go and do a 5km park walk whilst in Rome. After all, it seemed silly not to - having come all this way - and, despite exploring Rome, I have actually been missing walking on the road.

There was just something about putting on the familiar outfit from the pilgrimage - that finished only a few days previously. Before putting on my socks and shoes I felt the need to anoint my feet with olive oil as I did each day of the walk, and then, having done so, I just paused for a moment. The familiarity of my outfit, these socks, these shoes, held such a deep and profound resonance of the pilgrimage it almost took my breath away. 

I'll admit to having had a yearning in my soul for being out the trail these past few days. The business of the city and the huge crowds have felt a bit bewildering and overwhelming. Though I'll also confess that my feet have not held quite such the same sense of longing, especially as I've kept the mileage up as I've explored Rome!! But the thought of getting back to the practice of walking one step after another with no agenda except to get from the start to the finish was quite enticing, especially as I'd done a few parkruns in preparation for the pilgrimage.

I didn't know quite what to expect from the parkrun, but the course page said it would be two laps of a park so I was quite intrigued. A metro ride, and short walk later, and I wasn't disappointed. It was good to feel like I was 'out of the city' and the greenness of the park was a welcome sight. The folk at the park run were super friendly and it was good to meet some local park runners and some other park run tourists - some from as far as Australia and South Africa. 

The park run itself was lovely: sandy dusty paths, greenery and the hum of insects in the bushes on a gloriously sunny morning with bright blue sky above me - so much resonance of the days out on the trail!

Caffarella Park

Despite a bit of discomfort - the feet were definitely on the weary side - I managed my fastest park walk yet and put this down to the 'training' I've done recently🤣 I was also really happy to catch sight of a single red/white marker (sadly not blue/yellow) which also brought back great memories!

Despite the sore feet it really made me realise how much I was missing being out and about with nothing on my agenda except to get from one accommodation to the next each day - a precious moment of remembrance in the midst of all that being a tourist entails!

Then, yesterday the time came to make my departure from Italy and whilst there was a sense of readiness in my heart, as the aeroplane raced up the runway, there were tears in my eyes once again. I was ready to head home and yet...and yet, I also didn't feel quite ready to leave the experience of pilgrimage, nor a country that has stolen a piece of my heart! 

But as Tony Collins, author of 'Taking my God for a walk' concluded in his memories about his pilgrimage on the Santiago de Compostela Camino: 'Once a pilgrim, always a pilgrim. I shall return to the Way.' So I too, know that at some point I will return to 'the way', but for now this special time has reached a conclusion. In the final words of the pilgrim prayer that it felt right to pray late last night:

...I, under Your guidance, safely and unhurt, have reached the end of my journey, and strengthened with gratitude and power, secure and filled with happiness, have found my way home.

I have found my way home - the same, yet different; done, but not quite yet done! 

And it has to be said that this sense of 'not quite done' was prevalent again as the suitcase was unpacked this morning. Things that were such a familiar part of my everyday, even though for such a comparatively short time, are now no longer required in the same way. And as I sorted things out I wondered if at some point in these next few weeks something of my now pilgrim heart will respond once again to the call to walk again. To physically walk with Jesus and hopefully rediscover something of that stillness, that quiet, that peace that I discovered as I walked with Him from Assisi to Rome.

I temporarily lent my Tau cross to my little travel buddy again, but it's now back around my neck where it belongs!