Walking a pilgrim’s path

Walking trips with my sister are always memorable, but the most memorable may be our 2018 trip walking the fabled Camino or the Way of St. James, a historic pilgrim's walk. The walk gained significant attention after the 2010 movie "The Way,” starring Martin Sheen, became popular. A grieving father decides to make the journey along the path where his estranged son lost his life. Not only did the father retrace his son's steps, but he also experienced his own life-changing experience.

There are several paths; the most popular is the Camino Frances. It starts in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, and is approximately 500 miles long, typically taking 30 days or more. We did not do the 30 days, but did walk far enough to complete 100 miles and earn our official certificate.

We met our tour leaders and group of 12 in Burgos, about two-thirds of the way from St. Jean Pied de Port, to embark on our own abbreviated pilgrimage walk to the holy city of Santiago de Compostela. With the help of our two experienced and talented leaders, Patricia and David, we set out on one of the most amazing journeys any of our group had ever experienced. We followed the famed path marked with the distinctive scallop shell logo and crude yellow arrows pointing the way. Those doing the walk attach a large scallop shell to their backpacks to identify themselves as fellow pilgrims on their way to Santiago. We typically walked 10 miles a day along the ancient path and met hundreds of present-day pilgrims walking for various reasons. At midday, we stopped and enjoyed mouthwatering lunches offering a variety of delicious Spanish soups, fresh salads, and local specialties, along with beer and wine.

Passing fields of sunflowers, we traveled flat, dusty miles that sloped into beautiful forested hills. As we walked, we would stop to visit cathedrals, churches, and historic towns that dot the way, and learned more about the history of the area. At the beginning of our walk, we were each issued an official Camino passport. At each stop, whether a church, a place to eat, or a place to spend the night, we would get our passport stamped with colorful images. At the end of the walk, the passport serves as proof that you have met the mileage requirements to receive an official certificate. We were fascinated by the variety of people we met along the way. They were of all ages, some alone and some in groups. We encountered people from Australia, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, and the Netherlands, all with incredible stories about their reasons for walking and their experiences along the way.

Traditionally, pilgrims carry everything on their backs and stay in simple hostel accommodations. They rise at four in the morning to set off on an average walk of 16 miles a day to ensure they have a bed in the next town. Our accommodations were much gentler and met our forever requirements of hot water and cold wine. We enjoyed delicious food and accommodations in the small towns that dot the path to Sandiago.

Our final destination was the famed Cathedral of St. James, the reputed burial place of Saint James the Great, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. The cathedral has been a place of pilgrimage since the Early Middle Ages and marks the traditional end of the pilgrimage route. The cathedral stands as a remarkable example of religious architecture. It combines a Romanesque foundation with Gothic and Baroque additions. A large open square in front of the cathedral marks the traditional end of the famous walk, where walkers and bicyclists congratulate each other and rest after their successful walk/ride.

Once in Santiago, we experienced a breathtaking highlight. Joining a huge crowd, we were able to attend the noon mass at the cathedral for the botafumerio ceremony. A huge silver container of incense (known in the Church as a thurible) is put in motion by a group of eight men dressed in scarlet and pulling ropes that set the container in motion. It swings in an arc hundreds of feet long across the full width of the massive cathedral's transept. No matter your faith, it is a moving ceremony.

Many doing the walk choose to continue to the furthest point west in Spain, Finisterre, the so-called end of the world. Another day's walk brought us to Finisterre's white sandy beach. Soon, boots were off, and tired feet were treated to the cool turquoise water.

This present-day pilgrim found that walking the Camino de Santiago met all expectations and more. We will long remember the traditional greeting along the path to Santiago, "Buen Camino!" - translation "Good Way!"