The Way of St. James

A beautiful summer is slowly coming to an end, I can feel it in the cooling evenings and by the fact that I can see stars in the night sky. My summer job is over and the only thing I really know about the future is that I will be walking through northern Spain for four weeks. Sonja and I leave tomorrow.

We are going to trek along the 1000-year-old pilgrimage route known as the Way of St. James, or the Camino de Santiago. Our journey first takes us to Paris for a few days. Then we will take a train to the Spanish border where we will begin the 800 km walk to Santiago de Compostela. We've figured that it will take us about 32 days, walking an average of 30 km per day. Of course, blisters and any manner of unexpected occurrences could impede this goal. But for us the journey is what matters.

Our journey has been known throughout history as a pilgrimage. The word pilgrim usually means one who makes a journey to a sacred or holy place, or is on a quest for something considered sacred. A pilgrim is also a traveler or wayfarer. I don't believe the tomb of St. James is somehow holy or will bless me. My quest is not the blessing of a city, but a closer journey with God. It is a time to get away from everything that constitutes my normal living, and to take time to reflect and pray. The exertion of walking such a long distance, the beauty of the scenery and the many people we will meet along the way are part of what makes me look forward to the next weeks. And the fact that it is an adventure.

I will try to blog here as often as I can. I don't know when and where I will have internet access, but I do hope to keep you posted about our Camino experience.