Walking the Camino de Santiago: Gabriel & I are off to do The Way of St. James

It’s official!

The airline tickets have been bought.

In April my son and I will travel to Spain to walk the 500 mile Camino de Santiago

If you are unfamiliar, the Camino de Santiago is a spiritual pilgrimage in northern Spain that Catholic Christians have made for more the 1200 years. Supposedly the body of James the Apostle of Jesus is interned at the cathedral in Santiago.  In the last few years though interest in the walk from the French Pyrenees to Santiago has grown among non-Catholic Christians as well as others that are looking for a time away to reflect on their relationship with God and / or their life.

Three years ago as my son Gabriel & I were preparing to walk across England I saw a movie called The Way starring Martin Sheen.  Sheen plays a doctor who receives a phone call that his estranged son has died while walking the Camino.  He travels to Europe to recover the remains but ends up walking the Way of St. James in his son’s stead…and rediscovering his own life in the process.

When I saw the film I knew I had to walk the Camino de Santiago!

So while we were walking the Coast to Coast in 2012 I was planning that if it was a success, we would make the Camino the next walk.

It was…and we are!

Even my wife Tammy realized that after the incredible time Gabriel and I had on our Coast to Coast adventure, walking the Camino de Santiago was now a forgone conclusion.

But these things are always a pipe dream until you begin the put the money down …oh, and also when you get your Annual Leave Request Form signed and approved from your boss at work! 🙂

There is nothing like the feeling of pressing the “Confirm Purchase” button when buying plane tickets to make you feel like your pipe dream has just become a reality!

(Truth be told, the time between my receiving my signed Leave Form and buying my plane tickets was about 30 minutes!)

We land in Madrid on April 1, travel to the little town of St Jean on April 2nd and begin our journey on April 3rd…Good Friday!

I am so looking forward to this time both with God and my son while we journey together for a month.  When I finally arrive at the cathedral in Santiago and the official asks me if my reason for walking the Way of St. James was “religious”.

I will simply reply, “Yes”

(But now I have 7 months to learn Spanish)

Buen Camino!