The Authentic Eclectic

Secrets of the Camino de Santiago

Walking in Spain changed my whole life direction

schnurzipurz on Pixabay no copyright. Signs like this and also scallop shell images keep you on the right path.

I first heard of the Camino de Santiago (the Way of Saint James) from an American woman I knew named Rebecca. She was researching it thoroughly and we discussed it a lot. It never occurred to me that I would be walking there less than two years after our discussion. I’m not Catholic, or even Christian, so I wasn’t sure it was for me. Perhaps seeking absolution in the cathedral at Santiago would be blasphemous, but walking the Way is open to everyone, regardless of religion. You just have to be kind, be open, and be seeking within yourself. And you need a pilgrim passport, which is free or a few euros donation, depending where you get it.

I picked up my passport peregrino, or pilgrim passport in St Jean Pied de Port, just north of the border into France. If you start there, you get to cross the Pyrenees on the first day. I was 26 or 27 at the time and was not in the worst shape, but I also wasn’t a hiker or athlete. Anyone can do this walk if they take their time. There’s a lovely little restaurant halfway up the side of the mountains you can have lunch at, L’Orisson, I believe. The first leg is about 18 km, I think. I made it over the mountain to Roncesvalles before supper in any case.