I am 16 hours and 35 minutes away from boarding a plane to begin my adventure across Spain. For all who don't know, I am venturing off to spend 40 days walking 500 miles across Spain. The route that I will be walking is known as the Camino de Santiago, or Road to Santiago. It is a Medieval pilgrimage route that is dedicated to St. James. His relics are believed to be entombed in the cathedral of St. James in Santiago de Compostela.
There are many stories regarding the history of the road and the cathedral. A couple that I have come across most often in my research have been: that after James died his body was placed in a boat which floated over to the coast of Spain. Upon recognizing who he was, he was buried in the hills of Santiago. A shrine was resurrected for him, and as word spread people began to travel from a far to honor him and touch his relics, as there were healing properties associated to them. Another story that is attached to this one is that while the Spainiards were trying to push the Moors out of Spain, St. James rose up riding on a white horse and helped to defeat the Moors. In light of this the shrine that had been erected for him, was built into the magnificent cathedral that stands in Santiago today.
The route that I will be walking that will eventually bring me to the Cathedral of St. James, has been walked by fellow pilgrims for centuries. Medieval pilgrims walked it for a number of reasons. For some it was used as a route to export goods, for others during the time of indulgences in the Catholic church it was a method of earning forgiveness. At present individuals from around the World, with various backgrounds walk it for a variety of reasons. Some for religious purposes, others just for the experience and beauty of the walk.
In order to do the walk though and be able to take advantage of using what are called refugious, or hostels along the way, one is required to declare themselves a pilgrim. This is done by registering with the pilgrims association in Spain. Despite the various reasons that one chooses to walk the road, everyone is united through their position as a pilgrim.
Well, that is the general gist of the history and information about the road. If you want to learn more feel free to tour the sites I have posted on the blog, they are all very informative and interesting.
The last couple of days, as I have been finishing up with school and getting ready to leave, I have had to stop and really think for brief moments about the fact that I really am going to be getting on a plane to Spain. I am still at this moment amazed that it is really happening, that I am really getting to go. I suppose that is how these sorts of things work, you get so caught up in the planning and organizing, and worrying that it might not happen, that the moment it is in front of you, it seems amazing.
Well that is all for now, but if you feel like following me as I traverse Spain, feel free to check the blog. My hope, fingers-crossed is that I will be able to post every few days or so.
With excitement and trepidation,
Amanda
