Our Adventure Begins on the Camino de Santiago

We have arrived in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France. Tomorrow we will be setting off on the Camino de Santiago. Many of you already know what that is. You can stop reading this post now. For the rest of you, this is a brief explanation of what it is we will be up to for the next +/- 5 weeks.

The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Legend has it that in 813 A.D. a shepherd was drawn to what was believed to be the tomb of Saint James the Apostle, near Santiago de Compostela. Never ones to miss a marketing opportunity, the Roman Catholic Church seized on the discovery and encouraged pilgrims to make their way to Santiago de Compostela as a form of penance. Conveniently for the Church, the influx of pilgrims and the knights who protected them helped push the Moors out of northern Spain.

Popularity of the pilgrimage ebbed and flowed over the ensuing centuries. After going through a lull for much of the 20th century, it has grown significantly in the past 30 years, driven as much by tourism marketing as religious fervour. In 2018, 327,000 people completed the Camino.

There is no single Camino. Originally the point was just to make it to Santiago. Over time well-marked routes that offered pilgrims lodging, food and security in numbers became popularized.

The most well-known route – and the route we will be following – is the Camino Frances. The Camino Frances starts in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the point where several longer pilgrimage routes through continental Europe converge. The Camino Frances crosses the Pyrenees into Spain then turns west towards Santiago, a total of about 800 kilometres.

We expect to take roughly 40 days to complete the Camino. That is more than average, but we intend to take our time and savour the experience. We are carrying everything we need on our backs. Maria’s pack is 10.9 pounds (exactly!), George’s is about 19 pounds. Traditional accommodation is in albergues, essentially hostels for pilgrims. Their nature and quality vary, but typically are dorm-style with shared facilities. Larger towns offer the option of B&Bs or hotels.

Follow with us for the next several weeks to see how we fare on our journey to Santiago de Compostela and beyond.