HHH Chapter 21 Is all hiking a kind of pilgrimage?

HHH Chapter 21 Is all hiking a kind of pilgrimage?

The dragon is a proud symbol of Welsh identity and appears on the Welsh flag, as well as being seen everywhere in Wales… from hats to bus stops.
Before I left, I took a walk around the nearby ruined castle, with its magnificent golden dragon gate. Bet you didn’t know that the last Welsh dragon was killed right here in 1403? This was (apparently) during the bloody conflicts between the English who ruled and built the castles and the Welsh forces who resisted.

The Teifi trail takes me to the sea

Today’s plan was to follow the Teifi River to the estuary as it passes through some gorges. Things started well, a quiet path along the river bank was easy enough and I was able to move at a regular pace. From time to time the path narrowed and became rocky or full of tree roots. I was afraid I would trip, slip down the very steep slope and end up in deep water. So it was more about moving forward little by little.

A very remote feeling.

Eventually, the river slowed to a slow pace as it became wider and deeper. I stopped to rest. It felt very remote, completely free of humans, a feeling I’ve had mostly in the bush of Malawi or Zimbabwe. There was no one on the road, only birds singing. After a while, two canoeists appeared, moving slowly upstream against the current. I had this irrational feeling that I was in the Amazon and there were members of an indigenous group! We greeted each other, waved, and “isn’t it a beautiful day?” The spell was broken and we continued on our way in opposite directions.
Later I met two people. This was amazing. Apart from one or two farmers I haven’t met any other walkers on any trail since leaving Welshpool almost 2 weeks ago. We started chatting and the guy asked me about my Atom Pack backpack, since he was considering buying one. So we ended up having a talk about teams. This was a fun encounter.

Advancing with difficulty in the reflective pilgrimage.
When I mention my interest in sacred wells I get different responses. My family and friends know that I am curious about everything and ask a lot of questions.
People I don’t know mostly change the subject. I wonder if they think I’m some religious evangelist who will try to convert them. Generally in these parts people are very reticent about that kind of thing. Finally, those who have a firm faith simply assume that I am making a pilgrimage. Am I on a pilgrimage? I’m not sure.

What exactly is a Pilgrimage?
The British Pilgrim Trust has a broad and flexible suggestion. they say
«Pilgrimage is less about ‘how long’ and more about why and how. You can turn any walk into a pilgrimage: set an intention, feel your connection as you walk through the land, and give thanks at the end.»
This approach would certainly make every walk a pilgrimage of sorts. For my part, I believe that a pilgrimage has to be a little more. The journey must involve some sort of separation or withdrawal from ordinary life, along with the expectation of perhaps living more simply and moving largely under one’s own power whenever possible. Again this covers hiking!
On my own path I am taking another step. The sacred wells have shaped my route, allowing me to make decisions when there are many different possible paths to follow. A pilgrimage does imply adherence to a path with a defined destination. Hiking definitely has points and the way the markers reinforce the idea of ​​a destination.

What’s more, I hope to return home somewhat altered by my experience, of “retreat” from everyday life. Many pilgrims seek spiritual solace or even transformation. I don’t expect that. I suspect I will remain the same “myself.” But I’ve already changed subtly by walking pretty much alone most of the time for weeks. I feel calmer, less worried about the implications of the disease. I feel as if I could have stripped away some padding, some insulating layer. More heart than head, still committed but not as motivated.
Surely many hikers will recognize some of these features on their own trips.

Having coffee with Merlin.

Merlin was the super-powerful druid/wizard in the legendary stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Merlin was Welsh and he predicted the appearance of that dragon I spoke of earlier. He also predicted that he would be killed. It would be fun to share a coffee with him, I’m sure. My Merlin was Cornell’s bird caller ID app. The birds were making noise everywhere, so I left it open while I drank coffee from my flask, to make sure I identified them… wrens, blackbirds, nuthatches, strawberries… and several more. Sharing my journey with these bird songs has been a source of great amazement and constant delight.
Walking back, I was on a roll, when the trail disappeared into a stream where the map shows a bridge. There was a trailer there, with the remains of an old bridge piled up in the back. I was hoping the man who cleaned the stream would help me cross. Unfortunately, no. The path beyond is blocked by storm damage. I had to climb many stairs through the forest to where I found a large castle wall and a gate. The walls were 5 feet thick, made of slate slabs, and the door made me feel like I had to whisper a password and enter, like in an Arthurian legend. The shadows inside made me think of a skeletal and shadowy doorman…

These reflections assailed me while I was drawing the portal. I took the path around the walls instead of trying to guess a secret password. Finding a nice town with children playing and people gardening took me away from my fabulations. The path then wound up and down through more woodland, eventually reaching a marshy nature reserve and the start of the estuary.

I was soon in the village of St Dogmaels and visited the ruins of the abbey closed in the 1540s by King Henry VIII, he of many wives. Unfortunately there was no holy well. St Dogmael’s well is elsewhere. His grandmother and great-grandmother were also saints (Saint Meleri and Saint Brychan). He preached in this area in the 6th century and it is supposed to be especially useful for children learning to walk. A kind of connection through a walk? Stretching it a little probably. The path to my accommodation went up a steep hill, then a steeper hill, then an even steeper one.
This pilgrim was glad to rest.
The ruined Abbey of St Dogmaels

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