The Camino 2004 Alpha Initiative - Regional Get-together at All Saints Lutheran, 1061 Pinecrest Rd., Ottawa, 8:30 - noon, Sat Aug 21, 04 Special guest speaker: Paul Moylan, who with his wife Sandra in September 2003 walked "The Camino," the 800 kilometer pilgrimage in Spain from the Pyrenees to the Cathedral of Santiago, a magnificent Romanesque church which today still houses the sacred tomb of the Apostle St. James. Paul says it made an awesome impact on his faith journey which he has shared in numerous venues to rapt audiences, and writes...

After the ascension of Jesus Christ, His twelve apostles dispersed to different parts of the then known world, to spread the Gospel. The Apostle James went to Spain where he spent several years evangelizing, though apparently without a great deal of success. After a number of years the ‘Son of Thunder’ had converted less than a dozen new disciples. James returned to Jerusalem after his time in Spain, only to be beheaded by Herod shortly upon his arrival back in the Middle East in AD 44. Immediately after his martyrdom the followers of Saint James took his body to the coast, where a stone boat awaiting them. Without rudder or captain, the ship miraculously returned the body of St. James to Spain. The boat landed in Iria Flavia, today the Spanish region of Galicia. The point was some twenty kilometers from what is now Santiago de Compostela. Saint James's body was then buried in a tomb on a hillside, alone and forgotten for the next 750 years.

In 813 the tomb of James was discovered in the northwestern reaches of the Iberian Peninsula by the hermit Paio. A Spanish name which translates as Pelayo, the hermit reported the extraordinary find to the authorities. The Spanish tourist office identifies the Emperor Charlemagne as the first person to set out on an arduous journey across northern Spain to venerate the relics in the sacred tomb and to commemorate the life of the martyred saint. The Bishop of the area is also believed to have been one of the first to visit the site early in the 9th century; some suggesting his trip might have predated that of Charlemagne.

The remains of the tomb were identified as those of Saint James or Santiago as he is known in Spanish, and two of his followers. When Alfonso II, King of the Asturias (791-824), went to the site, he declared James the patron saint of Spain. The King built a church and a small monastery over the tomb in the James’ honor, around which a town grew up. The local town became known as Campus de Ia Stella, or Campus Steliae, later shortened to Compostela. The name derives its origin from the Latin componere (to bury). A Roman cemetery or early Christian necropolis is known to have existed under the site of the present day cathedral in Santiago - and where the relics of Saint James are still housed today.

News of the discovery in the 9th century soon spread throughout the country and well beyond the borders of Spain. Beginning in the 10th century and continuing until the Reformation era, millions of pilgrims made the 800 km journey across northern Spain. Interest then waned somewhat, and in the face of much discouragement during the Renaissance, the number of annual travelers dwindled further. Curiously, a resurgence of the pilgrimage has occurred during the latter part of the 20th century, significantly so in the last dozen years. A visit by Pope John Paul II in the late 1980s and the identification as Santiago de Compostela as one of the holiest cities in the Christian world spurred the increase in pilgrimages further still. The recent labeling as a World Heritage Site has also brought much notoriety to the area and the Camino. In 2003 alone, 75,000 people from all over the world are recorded as receiving a ‘Compostela’ certificate; this the official document issued to walkers at the end of the Camino in Santiago as recognition of the journey. Research reveals that the majority of those who travel “The Way of St James” are neither experienced hikers nor long distance walkers. It turns out many would trek across Spain have never done any serious walking in their lives.

Pilgrims have been traveling to Santiago de Compostela on foot for over a thousand years. On the Camino, as in the time of Christ, walking is a mode of transport rather than an exercise or sporting activity. Today, most long distance footpaths avoid not only large towns but even the small villages as well. The Way of Saint James on the other hand, because of its historic origins and the need of shelter for travelers, seeks them out.

Apparently little has changed since the original pilgrimages of centuries ago. The Camino winds its way through the 800 kilometers of beautiful countryside; from Saint Jean Pied de Port, the starting point in the eastern foothills of the Pyrenees, to Santiago de Compostela in the western reaches of Spain. Sections of it converge with modern roads and contemporary infrastructure along the way. Accommodations were originally set-up by religious orders along the way to attend to the basic and medical needs of pilgrims, though most of these have long since disappeared. Refugios, dormitory style bunk houses for overnight lodging (similar to hostels), are the standard accommodation. Traditional hostels and conventional hotels are available in many towns and villages, and are utilized as an alternative to refugios by some travelers. Most walkers however, enjoy the unique though somewhat crowded lifestyle and camaraderie of the refugios. Otherwise, the Camino, as it is simply known in most of the world, still passes through the same villages, crosses the same rivers, and visits the same chapels, churches, cathedrals and other monuments as did the path taken by our predecessors in centuries gone by.

In recent years, the number of walkers approached, and then surpassed, fifty thousand annually. Many started from the Pyrenees, which is the measure of the 800 kilometers. It is not uncommon though to meet Swiss, German, Belgian and Dutch travelers who have set out for the Camino from their own personal homes elsewhere in Europe. June, July and August finds the greatest number of travelers, with usually more than half the annual number making the trek in these three months alone. April and May in the spring and September and October in the fall are less busy, usually seeing some ten percent of the annual average in each of the four months. The remaining months of the year are typically quiet as winter weather in the mountains and the limited services available in small villages in the off season make it less desirable for most.

The walk takes about 30-40 days to complete depending on the pace and daily distance traveled. There are many refugios set up along the route to accommodate the genuine walker but not the tourist. Those who trek carry a back pack in which they store all belongs necessary for the entire trip. Limiting the weight of the pack therefore becomes a major consider for all who walk. Accommodations are in old monasteries and seminaries, old farmhouses and conventionally styled inns; these can be found in the villages along the route. Some are in grand establishments like the old Royal Collegiate Church in Roncesvalles in the Pyrenees or the 12 century seminary at Puente la Reina. An overnight stay in a refugio typically costs in the range of 5-6 Euros, or about the same number in US dollars. Some cost less and some are by donation only. Meals are provided for travelers at local restaurants, again at very attractive prices, ensuring that the Camino can be done for a very reasonable cost. Getting to St. Jean Pied de Port is usually by bus or train, with Madrid or Paris being the primary European access points for North American travelers.

Today, many centuries after that first sojourn across 800 kilometers of open frontier, people from all over the world travel to Spain annually to follow in these same footsteps. Carrying only minimalist personal items in their packs, international travelers come; many inexplicably drawn to walk the 500 mile expanse for purposes equally unclear. When reasons are quoted, they are as varied as the personalities who would walk; adventure; inner reflection; a break from the franticness of the modern world; physical, emotional or spiritual healing; a traditional pilgrimage or simply to see the extraordinary art and architecture from times long since passed. All eventually arrive at the Cathedral of Santiago, a magnificent Romanesque church which today still houses the sacred tomb of the Apostle.

El Camino de Santiago
The Telegraph Online Camino Page
Oliver Schroer's pilgrimage
Alpha Ottawa