Why am I writing a blog?

So why have I decided to write a blog? The idea came to me early one morning when I was trying to reconcile how I, an avowed atheist, came to be preparing to walk the Camino de Santiago which has such powerful religious & spiritual meanings for so many Christians. Not only is walking the Camino a very Christian undertaking, historically, the Catholic Church held strong control over the Camino determining  which pilgrims were worthy enough to receive their Compostela (certificate) when they finished in Santiago de Compostela. It doesn’t sound like somewhere I would have expected to find myself!

The Camino de Santiago was an important Christian pilgrimage even before the 9^th century when pilgrims walked to Santiago De Compostela to have their sins forgiven and to prove their piety. However, the significance of the region dates back to Pagan times when the Celts lived in the region & erected stone monoliths, which I am looking forward to seeing. Rather than being a single path to Santiago de Compestela, the Camino is a network of ancient routes, originating in different parts of Europe, all heading to Santiago de Compestela and the tomb of St James (http://santiago-compostela.net/ ). We are walking the “French way”, and will start near the French border in Roncesvalles (http://www.caminodesantiago.com.au/history/ ).

The trip came about when we were invited by good friends, Jane & Michael, to join them and four other friends to walk the Camino. Jane & Michael decided to walk the Camino after Michael gave Jane, who is an enthusiastic & wonderful cook, a cookbook focusing on the food along the Camino. Long walks in between eating delicious food & drinking Spanish wine sounded like a great holiday to us! At the time I confess, I was only vaguely aware of the Camino & thought it was just one of several popular multi-day treks through spectacular countryside in Europe.

It wasn’t until I read Fabia Tory’s book, A book of not forgetting (2016), about her journey along the Camino that I realised that walking the Camino is a serious and spiritual undertaking for many people who regard it as a pilgrimage for spiritual enlightenment, growth, comfort and forgiveness rather than just a holiday. Fabia described working through her grief, visiting churches and lighting candles for her husband after his long illness and death. She walked the entire 600km, carried all her belongings in a small daypack, spent frugally, stayed in the small pensións in the villages along the way and made friends with other pilgrims from all over the world. It was her way of coming to terms with the loss of her husband and facing her future without him.

In contrast, we are walking for leisure and adventure, to appreciate the history, for the physical challenge, the food and wine and to spend time with our friends. The sections of the Camino that we are walking have been pre-selected by our guides, we and our luggage will be bussed between them and we are staying in good hotels with private bathrooms. Compared to Fabia’s journey, we will be tourists rather than pilgrims.

This concept of authenticity and defining the ‘real’ pilgrim were key themes in Nancy Louise Frey’s book Pilgrim Stories: On and off the road to Santiago (1998, University of California Press). Pilgrims she interviewed contemplated whether people who walked were more authentic than those who cycled or rode livestock. Car- or bus-assisted pilgrims (such as us) were near the bottom of the list, just above those who drove the entire way. Some commented that authentic pilgrims also sought spiritual and religious enlightenment and transformation and feel a sense of renewal.

Clearly, as a non-Christian on a group tour with bus assistance, I do not fit any definition of a pilgrim and nor do I identify as a one. So, what started out as an eleven-day trek focused on enjoying good food, wine and company has become even more interesting. While I don’t think a the other six members of our party have strong religious motivations, the other seven members of our tour group might be very devout. As an inauthentic pilgrim, traveling along a traditional Christian pilgrimage, I may have to keep my thoughts to myself!

However, the Camino isn’t only about religion & spirituality. I’m looking forward to gorgeous landscapes, interesting architecture, related to the fascinating history of the area. I am especially looking forward to the food and wine and to having good times with friends and I am particularly excited about taking 1000sof photos, a few of which I will share with you. There are exciting and interesting times ahead! I hope you will join us in our journey. I promise I will not be too introspective and I hope I can share our enjoyment and the wonder of our walk along the Camino de Santiago with you.

Janice XXX