Happy Friday!

My dear friend and I are gearing (literally) up for 6 week trip to walk and bike the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain later this month. As we get closer to our departure date, I become more and more fascinated with the ‘Camino’ and its history. I had never heard of this pilgrimage route before July 2016 and now I meet people constantly who have walked the route or plan to.

why do people choose to walk the camino?

There are many pilgrimage routes throughout Europe bearing the name ‘Camino de Santiago‘ and all converge on the city in Northern Spain- Santiago de Compostela and its grand Cathedral. According to the legend, the remains of Jesus’ apostle Saint James the Elder are buried there. Today, nearly a quarter of a million people walk the Camino each year and it is named one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Many follow its routes as a path to greater spirituality. Making the pilgrimage is said to free a person from the penance due for their sins. Some hiking and biking enthusiasts choose to travel the Camino for the physical challenge. Why am I doing it? My friend Pelican asked me and I said yes! I liked that I did not know what I was signing up for at the time. As we get closer to the trip and learn more of people’s personal experiences on the Camino, I suspect this will be a life-changing, magical journey for me. People report coming back from the Camino with a different perspective on life.

the camino francés – our chosen route

We are traveling the Camino Francés, the most popular pilgrimage route, which begins in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in southwest France near the Pyrenean foothills. The entire distance is about 500 miles from SJPP to Santiago de Compostela. We will walk the first half and bike the last half with another dear friend. The company who set us up with the bikes suggested we press on to the towns of Finisterre and Muxia on the coast and we decided to do so.

The Camino Francés usually takes about 5 weeks to complete by walking and staying at albergues (camino hostels) each night along the way. The Camino is safe to walk, the views are stunning and the trip technically does not require much planning as you find your albergue when you get into town rather than book those details in advance. Only ‘pilgrims,’ or ‘peregrinos’ in Spanish, are permitted to stay in the albergues. We will pick up our Camino Passport at the start of our journey which will prove we are legit pilgrims. Peregrinos typically travel with a scallop shell, which has long been the symbol of Camino de Santiago. There are different stories about how the shell came to be – one version is that there was a shipwreck and the remains of Saint James were washed ashore intact and covered with scallop shells. Whatever story is true, it is fact that to this day, the scallop shell, typically found on the shores in Galicia, remains the symbol of Saint James and of the Camino.

learning to let go of ‘stuff’

The ideal amount to bring in your pack is no more than 10% of your body weight. That means a little less than 12 pounds for me. I can tell you right now, it’s not a lot! However, I have long been interested in minimalism and enjoying nature without a lot of fluff so I am up for the challenge. We have been taking practice walks with all of our gear – backpacks, sleeping bag, etc. etc. and I am currently 3-5 pounds over so there will be some purging soon. Part of the journey is letting go of the control that material things have on us. The more we let go, the more we enjoy enjoy the simple pleasures in life. The Camino is designed in such a way that you do not need to carry much. You can eat, drink wine, sleep, wash your clothes and have a constant supply of fresh water along the way. The most important items are the shoes, socks, trekking poles and backpack. We have those covered as you can see from the below photos. We are training in Miami with all our gear and you can imagine the looks people give us. Another part of the journey is to let go of caring what other people think. I told my friend we should have shirts made that say, ‘Training for the Camino’ but that would take away from the fun of letting people guess what the heck we are doing.

what I hope to achieve on the camino

For me, this will be, and already has been, a journey and a time to let go of any fears I’ve been harboring and to be completely open to the magic and all the possibilities the Camino has in store. What would it look like if I were to lose the fears – of being gone too long, the care of my home and pets, having enough money, keeping my business afloat while I’m away, or when I will finish my book – what would I discover? The reality is, those fears are unfounded. All is in order. All is well. It’s often easier to live in the fear because it is something we can control. Letting go of fear and control allows us to experience magic and to fly.

Here’s an excerpt from the email my friend first sent to me and a few others proposing the trip, “I will not walk in a hurry, I want to soak in the landscapes, experiences, people, food, and in all that will show up in this journey.”

Well said Peli. Me too.

Buen Camino!

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