Camino Santiago de Compostela: Bruce Kennedy

 During the Medieval period thousands of pilgrims crossed Europe visiting religious shrines of which Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago de Compostela were most revered. The tradition became less common following the Black Death, the Protestant Revolution and the subsequent political unrest but in recent decades the last named (known in English as The Way of St. James) has seen a remarkable revival. The film "The Way" starring Martin Sheen gives a realistic impression of what the pilgrimage is like.

Camino de Santiago de Compestela

There are many routes from all over Europe but the most common one (known as the Camino Frances) begins in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees. It then stretches 800 km to end at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. In mid June 2016 I did about half that distance beginning at Leon and then going beyond Santiago to end at the sea at Finisterre. It took me 16 days doing about 25 km per day. In this set of photos will share that experience.

Stone pointing the way forward

The scallop shell which is the symbol of St. James and the Camino points the way forward. They are conspicuously placed every few hundred meters and much closer wherever there is a possibility of going wrong. Nonetheless I got on to the wrong track on my first day out. I arrived in Leon by train that first day and there was no one else on the trail to orient me. Unbeknownst to me there were offshoots from the main path which might be more scenic but are longer and less served. I got on to one of these and though it was quiet and beautiful, it was 15 km longer than I intended to go. I finally arrived at a hostel exhausted just in time to join the pilgrim's dinner.

Walking in groups

Ideally you walk alone or at least in silence contemplating your spiritual life. My friend who inspired me to go on this pilgrimage did it this way and he considered it the most enriching spiritual experience of his life. That is just as well because he died one year later.

However such people are few and far between. More typical is the group that traipses along in Canterbury Tales style chatting all the way. I was no different. I began and remained solo but I floated between groups and enjoyed the social experience.

Accommodation

There are many ways to do the Camino. Most young people go on foot staying in low cost hostels (10 Euros/night) located in villages every few kilometers. I did the pilgrimage twice. The first time by myself carrying all my luggage (< 4kg) on my back. The next year I did it again with my wife on a luxury tour with a knowledgeable guide, vehicle backup, staying in fine hotels and eating gourmet meals. Each way has its attractions.

 
Accommodations in the low cost option were dormitories. These were all in rehabilitated old stone buildings of one sort or another. In the picture above it was housed in a rehabilitated monastery. Other places might be a barn, farm house or church.

 
In order to stay there you had to have a booklet which indicated that you were a pilgrim. The hostel warden would stamp the card upon entry and you had to move on the next day. However miserable the day you were not allowed to stay a second night at the same place.

Dorm interior

The dormitories were absolutely clean. Some provided blankets but you were well advised to bring your own sleeping bag. What they lacked was privacy. The dorms were unisex as were the washrooms. The only place you were alone was in the toilet and shower stall. The cautious took their passports and other valuables in a plastic bag wherever they went.

 
At the crack of dawn most people got up, packed their bag and started walking. You could get some breakfast starting around 7:30 am. That way by 2:00 pm you had walked as far as you wanted to go, found a place to spend the night and could relax the rest of the day.

Food

Inside the hostel or at a restaurant nearby one could get a "pilgrim's dinner." For 10 Euros you get a three course meal and a half liter of wine! This picture shows folks at lunch but dinner isn't much different. You just ask to join any table where there is a spare seat. English is the common language. No need to wait for the late Spanish dinner hour. Pilgrims are tired and go to bed early so the restaurants begin to serve this meal from 5 pm onwards.

Hospitality

Along the route I encountered many stands where people offered fruit, soft drinks, pastries, coffee or tea to pilgrims. There was a donation box on the table but there was no pressure to contribute. Invariably they were run by foreigners doing their own thing. The gracious host at this site is the lady with the long blond hair. She was an American from Greenwich, Connecticut.

Water

There are plenty of public water fountains along the way. Drinking water is clearly marked. Everyone has a bottle to carry water with them. Bars, cafes and restaurants are happy to fill your bottle with water even if you are not a paying customer. Their bathrooms are also free. It is part of the hospitality tradition of the Camino.

The route

Most of the route is on quiet country roads but where these are lacking special paths have been prepared to take the pilgrims through scenic areas.

 

Memorials along the way

Not everyone makes it to the end. Many have to drop out for health reasons like a sprained ankle or torn ligament. I did something to my knee which made the last few days difficult. "The Way" begins with a tragedy and this niche in the wall recalls others.
 

Baby carriages

At least 10% of the people go by bicycle. Some people struggle along on wheelchairs. I saw one old lady guiding another who was blind. Some people do it in stages over many years. Everyone goes in their own way and at their own pace.

Departing Galicien photo

There are many public monuments along the way. For me this one is the most evocative. The soil is poor in this part of Spain and many people were forced to go elsewhere to survive. Here a man is leaving in search of work. His son is reaching out to retain him. On the other side of the window sits a worried woman with a toddler on her knee. She may never see her husband again.

The Cathedral

At last the destination of all the pilgrims, St. James Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.

Confession

Some people on the pilgrimage have serious issues on their mind. Days of walking is part of their therapy. Confession is another. In this picture a priest is wrapping a traumatized penitent in his arms.

Final mass

"Mass" is a dramatic reenactment of the Last Supper communion which is central to Roman Catholic worship. Virtually all pilgrims attend this religious ceremony in the cathedral at the conclusion of their pilgrimage. I took this picture at the end of the service. The priest is lighting the incense in a silver censer about a meter tall which is then swung across the front of the sanctuary almost touching the ceiling at the apex of each arc. In medieval times the scent of incense was needed to subdue the odor of unwashed bodies and sweat soaked clothes in the crowded building. All that is forgotten now and what remains, a huge censor swinging back and forth is an unforgettable sight.

Dining in style!

In "The Way" the protagonist eventually befriends his companions and treats them to one night in one of the luxuriously rehabilitated former monastery/hospitals now a five star hotel. I wasn't that generous but I did treat three of my new friends to a fine meal at such a hotel immediately across the square from the cathedral. It was a fitting end to the many days we had spent together.

When I returned the next year with my wife on the luxury version of the same pilgrimage we enjoyed such hotels on most nights.

Fin de Terre

Most people end their pilgrimage at the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. I was among the minority who went the extra 90 kilometers to Finistère, where the land ends at the sea. In medieval times the Church would provide pilgrims a new set of clothes and burn the old ones at this site. Given all the accumulated sweat and filth that fire must have truly stunk! Pilgrims would also be given scallop shells which they would literally take to their graves as proof to the Final Judge that their sins had been redeemed by pilgrimage. Modern pilgrims get their scallop shells at the beginning of their walk, display it prominently on their backpacks and know they must redeem their sins by other means.