But what a long walk out of the city it was proving to be. Suburb after suburb, industrial sector after industrial sector seemed lined up beside a loud, smelly highway. This kind of walking is bad on the nerves. Not since the last little stretch between Gernika and Bilbao had I had such a dispiritingly urban walk.
There was a shrine beside the highway at one point. I looked in, and underneath a crucifix it had a few words from John 14: "Jesus said, 'I am the way...'".
Now that, I thought, that is something one can meditate on during a pilgrimage. Let's try that as a refrain.
"Jesus said, 'I am the way.'"
"Jesus said, 'I am the way.'"
"Jesus said, 'I am the way.'"
"Jesus said, 'I am the way.'"
"Jesus said, 'I am the way.'"
It quickly became my walking rhythm.
The way I was walking was dirty and smelly and loud. It was not attractive. Jesus is the way. This way? Oh man. What a depressing thought.
Finally the trail bent off away from the highway. It went through fields, and some quiet towns and neighborhoods.
I found a sort of park with a water pump and some benches and I figured this would be a good place to eat breakfast.
While I was eating I saw Matthieu coming up along the trail. He joined me for a moment, I finished eating and we set off together.
