June 9-18, 2015
Galicia, Spain
Pardon our hiatus from this blog. We spent most of June, three weeks in all, in Spain. For the first 10 days we walked the Camino of Santiago de Compostela, staying in hostels. There are several different routes that make up the Camino, all of which end in the city of Santiago in northwestern Spain, at the cathedral which houses the tomb of the Apostle James. We chose to walk the final 200 kilometers of the Camino del Norte, starting in Ribadeo on the northern coast of Spain. After that we did some sightseeing, first in Santiago, then in Lugo, Leon, and Oviedo. Like many other English speaking pilgrims, we were inspired by The Way, the 2010 movie starring Martin Sheen and directed by Emilio Estevez. Our pilgrimage was a wonderful and life changing experience. Perhaps the best part was meeting and walking with other pilgrims, including people from Spain, Italy, Germany, the U.S., Australia, and South Africa, and we want to give a special shout out to Dave and Kathy from England.
On our last night in Santiago, the priest preaching the homily at Mass in the cathedral told the congregation that the Camino does not end in Santiago, it ends at the end of our lives, and we are all pilgrims. As we return to our regular lives we try to hold on to that message.
As I pause on the Camino to Santiago
Bless to me, O God, the earth beneath my feet.
Bless to me, O God, the path on which I go.
Bless to me, O God, the people whom I meet,
Today, tonight, and tomorrow.
Amen.
(Iona Community, adapted.)
Posted in the Miraz hostel of the Confraternity of Saint James