Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage

Only 3 Months to Go

On August 30, 2016 I will begin travel to a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago.  The traditional starting point is in southern France in the quaint village of Saint Jean Pied de Port. We will be on the 500 mile long Camino Frances, the most popular of the routes to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. We’ll begin with a tough climb over the Pyrenees then continue our stroll through part of the Basque country and across most of northern Spain.  I’ll be traveling with my college pal, Pam, who is a veteran pilgrim of the Camino.

I was inspired to do a long distance hike after watching “Tracks” which is set in Australia and reading/watching Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild” which took place on the Pacific Crest Trail. Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez filmed a fictionalized account of a pilgrimage on the Camino Frances. This route is often referred to as “The Way of St. James” and the movie’s title is “The Way”. If you want a glimpse into my life on the Camino check out the movie on Netflix,  https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_way_2011/.  I’ve already watched it three or four times in anticipation of our journey!

We’ve allotted 36 days for the Camino Frances portion of our trip which means we’ll be walking an average of about 14 miles (22 km) a day. Fortunately our packs won’t have to be too heavy because there are hostels (called albergues) in which to sleep and plenty of villages, towns, and cities where we can stop for meals, groceries, cafe con leche, and any other hiking supplies we may need. Besides our feet there will be many planes, trains, and buses for transportation because we will be flying into Madrid, go on pilgrimage, and then finish up our six-week long trip in beautiful Barcelona. I’m so excited to visit Spain for the first time especially since I’ll be seeing a good portion of it up close and personal.

We are counting down the days we have left to train for our Camino.  I live in the foothills of the Sierras so training hikes are gorgeous and plentiful.  I’m extremely thankful to my husband Todd who will be holding down the fort while I’m in Europe.  We still have two sons at home, they’ll be sophomores in high school and college.  My guys will have good bonding time while Mom is away I’m sure of that!  I’ll miss my family so I hope the beautiful experiences I’m bound to have will be a good distraction for me.

Follow this blog for more updates and wish me a Buen Camino!