Portuguese Camino - In Search of the Infinite Moment

By: Terence Callery

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Walking the lesser traveled Portuguese Camino route, author Terence Callery makes the arduous 400-mile sacred pilgrimage from Lisbon to the tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. At a crossroads in his life, the former Maine aquaculture executive and alpaca farmer describes the personal quest as “the most intensely spiritual seven weeks of my life.” Portuguese Camino-In Search of the Infinite Moment is the adroitly told story of two journeys taken in tandem. The first story focuses on how his walking meditation brings him into the “infinite moment” where he finds his spiritual center, as well as healing from personal loss. The second story is a well-researched account of the geography, history and culture that he encountered along the Way. There is a palpable sense of place evoked as he writes about 12th century monasteries, Gothic cathedrals and Templar castles.He sets out alone with an eighteen-pound backpack in the winter well before the start of the pilgrim season which peaks in the summer months. He travels solo in silent meditation for weeks until he arrives in Porto where he finally begins to encounter other pilgrims making Christianity’s most important pilgrimage. The author finds his fellow seekers to be fearless and profoundly open. There is Ron, the war veteran from Zimbabwe, who is seeking healing from the Camino whose world view had evolved from accepting God in the halls of AA to now studying ancestor worship with African shamans. There is Katja who had recently lost her partner to bone cancer who shares with her plan to deposit her wedding ring in the poor box at the great Santiago Cathedral at the end of her Camino. And there is Numi a twenty-nine-year-old Muslim business consultant for whom Callery becomes a mentor. He urges the young man to discover his “foundational self” through the practice of mindfulness. At a small albergue, the owner Marlene speaks of the “grand sense of wonder” that she found as a pilgrim. The author becomes increasingly buoyant from the restorative power of mindful walking. However, it is a chance meeting with Ophelia, a Portuguese artist, and the prospect of romantic love that makes his adventure so memorable.The author embeds his writing with little gemstones of philosophy such as the Epicurean belief that “it is not what we posses, but rather what we experience that is the measure of our abundance.” Callery writes about relishing new experiences “like sucking the juice from a ripe fruit.” He tries roast suckling pig in Mealhada, octopus in Padron, salt cod or baccaleau in Vilafranca-de-Xira. He learns about the Gnostic beliefs of the Templar knights in Tomar. He takes time to visit the beautiful Se Cathedral in Porto. He dances to the pulsating rhythms of a nine-piece Fado band in the streets of Coimbra.His daily practice of “Chi Walking”, focusing on balance instead of strength, is emblematic of a decidedly Zen approach to the Camino pilgrimage. For the author, the process of enlightenment is not about the Western idea of adding more and more knowledge to the self. This author’s voyage of self-discovery is a “winnowing” where the clutter of one’s person narrative is sifted out revealing the “foundational self” fully experienced in the present moment in mindfulness.

Strange choice for AI narration

I intensely dislike AI generated narration. It is especially jarring that it is the story of a middle aged American man read in a British woman’s voice. Why?? Just Why???

The descriptions of the sites along the Camino

Having walked the very same route, also solo, and moving to Portugal as an expat I enjoyed the author’s stories and descriptions along his journey. The virtual narration was horrible with most all locations and Portuguese words mispronounced.

The horrible vocal fry of the narrator

I disliked the horrible vocal fry of the narrator.
That must be why I didn’t have to use a credit to listen to this
This is my favorite author

Finally, informative book about the Camino Portuguese

Lots of information... makes me want to choose this camino! Although pleasant, don't understand why female AI voice used for a male author.

Male author but a female virtual voice narrator

I found it confusing that a male author has a female virtual voice narrator. I thought the author was female hearing the narration, which made some of the dialog confusing. After awhile, I figured it out.