Today marks the beginning of Gus' broadcasts from the Camino de Santiago, a network of pilgrim trails that lead to the shrine of the apostle St. James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galacia, Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the saint are buried.
Gus is only doing half of the Camino, approximately 250 miles, and is joined by approximately 25 pilgrims and talks to a few of them and a few he met along the way. He also gives a little Camino history and talks about the average itinerary on the route he's traveling, which includes a 13-mile stretch uphill.
I’m enjoying your broadcasts of your Camino experience. I hiked the French Way in 2012 from St. Jean to Santiago and then Finisterre.
I also hiked the first part of the Norte from Irun to Santander in 2015 and then completed the Norte/Primitivo combo from Santander to Oviedo to Santiago in 2017. You might be interested to know that the Primitivo is actually considered the original Camino. Many pilgrims do not know this since they tend only to know about the Camino Frances but not the other Ways of St. James. When you eventually make it to O’Cebreiro in Galicia, where the sacred relics of a Eucharistic miracle are still on display. http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/english_pdf/Ocebreiro.pdf
It was not mentioned in guide books so the first time I went, I sadly hiked right by it. I made a point to visit it on one of my later caminos.
I’m looking forward to my next hike in Norway in 2019 on the way of St. Olav.
On a side note, according to a biography entitled Saint Francis of Assisi by Ivan Gobry (considered one of the foremost experts on Saint Francis), the beloved saint started the Camino in 1213 crossing the Alps and Provence and the Pyrennes but became ill after the Pyrennes and turned back and never completed the Camino. It was taken as a sign that he was not to complete the pilgrimage. I am not sure if he ever did make it to Santiago on some other occasion.
I walk the Camino in 1999 starting in France. While I am not a practicing Catholic my wife and I do have dear friends here in Savannah who are: Joyce and Bob Egan both of which devote a great deal time at St James Church and various activities associated with the church.
Bob Sica
What a wonderful adventure, I listen to your program all the time. If it were not for your program I would never have known about this pilgrimage walk. I wish I could have accompanied your group. God Bless and bring you home safe.
Heard you on the radio this morning and your conversations with other pilgrims has motivated me to look at walking the Camino de Santiago. Thank you.