4 Days to Go

God willing, at this time next week I will be Santiago de Compostela starting my three month adventure with the Camino. I will be in Santiago until August 2, volunteering in the Pilgrims Office welcoming the Pilgrims as they come to get their Compostela (a certificate verifying they have completed the Camino.) I will be part of the Amigo Program, living and working in Santiago for two weeks. This two weeks just happens to encompass the the Feast Day (July 25th) of Saint James (Santiago) which means there is a large celebration in Santiago for days of music and festivities. I’ve long wished I could be there during this time, so it should be exciting. And the Pilgrim’s Office should be very busy, because a lot of pilgrims want to arrive at this time.

The Pyrenees

After my time in Santiago I will travel by train to Saint Jean Pied de Port in France to start the Camino over the Pyrenees on August 4th. I will hike for 27 days, taking it slowly, seeing things I missed last year because I was in some sort of self imposed hurry, and spending a couple of days in Burgos and Leon and maybe someplace else. Then I will go to El Burgo Ranero and volunteer as a Hospitalera for two weeks from September 1 to 15 at Domenico Laffi. A hospitalera is like a hostess at the albergue, greeting people, making sure they are comfortable and trying to help with their needs. I think it is like the way you would treat a guest staying in your home.  

After my time at El Burgo Ranero I will return to Leon and finish the hike to Santiago. Then if there time I plan to hike to Finisterre on the coast of Spain, once thought to be the end of the earth, before Galileo; and then up the coast to Muxia and hopefully spend a few days at a place called the Little Fox House to rest, process and explore the Galician (northwestern Spanish coast.) This coast is gorgeously rugged, like the northern California and Oregon coasts. If I have time after all this I might go to Porto, Portugal to do a little R&R, but eventually I will end up in Madrid on October 15th and fly home.

Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela

So up to this point I have laid out my plans. We will see what God’s plan is as the days unfold. Last year I didn’t know if I would get to do any of the Camino, because of a pre Camino injury. I had to learn once again to turn over my will and life to a power greater than my self. The learning began with a song by Leonard Cohen, “If It Be Your Will.” Apparently it was God’s will that I finish the Camino in Santiago last year, but not without a few days of pain in my knee that I thought would send me home and five days rest in a hostel watching the Olympics. If the word God unsettles you, I just mean a power greater than myself, it doesn’t include any rules and regulations, it’s just a way of living.

This year, hopefully I will go knowing my plan is only preliminary. If you want to get an idea of the feeling and vision of the Camino watch this you tube video. It is about 16 minutes but well worth it. This is the best presentation I have seen, This is  better than the documentaries showing in the theaters.  http://youtu.be/6rOmyhS4gvg

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