DISCOVERING UNTAMED SPACES
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TRAVEL & OUTDOORS
El Camino De Santiago
What in the world is it and why would anyone walk 500 miles with nothing but a backpack?
“None of your knowledge, your reading, your connections will be of any use here: two legs suffice, and big eyes to see with. Walk alone, across mountains or through forests. You are nobody to the hills or the thick boughs heavy with greenery. You are no longer a role, or a status, not even an individual, but a body, a body that feels sharp stones on the paths, the caress of long grass and the freshness of the wind. When you walk, the world has neither present nor future: nothing but the cycle of mornings and evenings. Always the same thing to do all day: walk. But the walker who marvels while walking (the blue of the rocks in a July evening light, the silvery green of olive leaves at noon, the violet morning hills) has no past, no plans, no experience. He has within him the eternal child. While walking I am but a simple gaze.
~ Frédéric Gros, A Philosophy of Walking
EL CAMINO FRANCES
There are currently 281 Caminos recognized, covering over 51,500 miles of routes through 29 different countries. There are 49 routes in Spain, covering almost 9,940 miles. In Portugal, there are nine routes, spanning over 1,800 miles.
The Camino Frances, commonly called “The French Way” is the most famous of all of the routes, with many pilgrims completing the last 100 kms, from Sarria to Santiago. This is the smallest section of the route required to obtain a coveted Compostela. A certificate of accreditation given in exchange for presenting a passport of sorts that Pilgrims get stamped along the way to verify their journey.
The Camino Frences has been featured in numerous books and movies about the Camino de Santiago, including the acclaimed 2010 film, The Way, starring Martin Sheen and the inspirational story by Andrew McCarthy in Walking With Sam.
The Camino Frances, the most walked trail for pilgrims in Iberia, starts in the picturesque town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and ends in the sacred Santiago de Compostela, where the Cathedral is said to enshrine St. James.
The Camino Frances is brimming with wonders, from the thrilling bull runs of Pamplona to the vineyards of La Rioja and its hub, Logroño. It winds through Burgos, home to a stunning cathedral, through the chic city of Leon, and on to Ponferrada with its Templar Castle. Ascending from Ponferrada, the path meanders into Galicia, greeting the mountainous landscapes and the charming village of O Cebreiro.
The Camino de Santiago is a beacon of European heritage, celebrated as the inaugural European Cultural Route and enshrined as a UNESCO World Heritage treasure. It’s a journey that unites history, culture, and travelers from all corners of the globe. Pilgrims meet others from around the globe, each walking for their own reasons, but brought together by the journey.
My ancestry on my father’s side comes from Spain, so aside from the personal desire to complete the Camino for it’s spiritual, physical, and emotional challenges and growth, I am thrilled to be able to reconnect to the land part of my family came from!
Follow my journey in the blog and on Instagram as I train and then walk my Camino? Planning to walk in Spring of ’25!! Buen Camino!
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