When a friend e-mailed me last September to tell me a movie was coming out about the Camino I was a little alarmed — would the Camino become overrun with Americans? I liked that most of the people I told about the Camino back in the United States had never heard of it. It felt…
Category: Travels
Hidden Benefit of a Late Start
I am due to arrive in Santiago on Saturday — a full three days ahead of schedule. I’m eager to get to my destination, but more excited about my early arrival because it means I can spend two nights at Casa do Raposito — a place of reflection for pilgrims who have just finished their…
Lessons Learned Along the Camino
“Whenever I have a big decision to make, I go for a walk. Then, I go to sleep. When I wake up, the answer is always there.” Mona, a wise woman from South Africa I’ve been walking with the last few days, told me this today. It reminded me of evenings I’ve called my mother…
Camino: By The Numbers
78: Age of the oldest pilgrim I’ve met (from France, walking with his daughter – they do two weeks of the Camino each year. Have also met a 73 year-old South Korean woman travelling alone, a 74 year-old Italian man with his son, and an American who will turn 70 on Sunday and is doing…
A Camino Q&A
I realize I have yet to write a post about the ins and outs of the Camino, so here’s a little Q& A for you all. What is the Camino? A pilgrimage route through Northern Spain. How long is it? The route I chose, the Camino Francés, is 480 miles from St. Jean Pied-de-Port to…
The Things I Never Dreamed Of
When I took my first writing class at the John C. Campbell Folk School, I never had the intention of becoming a published writer. I just wanted to write down some of my family stories. And take a week doing so at a beautiful place in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Four years later…
A Down Day
Walking the Camino, like walking any other path in life,can sometimes have its “down” days. Today was one of those days. I just didn’t feel like walking anymore. I opened my pedometer to see I’d only walked 200 steps since last I checked it. The route was descending steeply and full of rocks. It took not…
Learning to Walk
“The book says it’s good to walk with two walking sticks – better for your balance than just one.” My mother sat in the chair in the corner of my bedroom reading my Camino guidebook. As she read, I tried to organize my pack. “I’ve only ever used one, but I guess I’ll bring both…
Sights and Sounds
I was just two miles from my destination for the day but needed a rest. My left foot felt every rock despite the thick soled hiking shoes I was wearing. My body asked gently for a break, then it pleaded, and I gave in. I tossed my walking sticks to the ground. I dropped my…
My Day-by-Day Spiritual Journey
At the parish hostel I stayed at in Tosantos (population: 20) we all went up to the third floor chapel after our shared meal. The hospitalerios (a volunteer who runs the hostel) led us in a prayer service that included readings, blessings, songs, and prayer in French, German, English, Spanish, and Italian (representative of the…
RenaissanceRebecca 