Pilgrimage to Santiago

Every year over a hundred thousand pilgrims make their way to Santiago de Compostela.
Pilgrims from different countries and different age groups. All of them have their own reasons for their pilgrimage but we are all bound by a common goal to reach Santiago. For every pilgrim a unique story, this is one of those stories..

After five weeks of walking, blistered feet, legs of steel and meeting many pilgrims we finally arrived in Santiago.

A while back I decided I wanted to walk a pilgrimage. Stories of the famous pilgrimage to Santiago inspired me to start this adventure so that I could prove to myself that I have the necessary will power to complete it.

The way of St. James or El Camino de Santiago (Spanish) is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain. They say the remains of the apostle St. James are buried here. Legend holds that St. James’s remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to Northern Spain where he was buried on the site of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela. Together with the journeys to Rome and Jerusalem they make up the three most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times.

I had an amazing experience. I met so many people with so many different walks of life. When I started I wanted to walk fast and walk as many kilometers as possible. Over time I learnt to slow down and live in the moment.

It is said that the pilgrimage from St. Jean to Santiago consists of three stages. The first  stage, which leads from St. Jean to Burgos is known as the physical stage. It passes through the Pyrenees and has many challenges.
The second part consists of the journey from Burgos to Astorga which leads through the flat and endless Mesetas (Plateau) with burning heat and little shade all day. The mental stage. From Astorga the path slowly leads upwards toward the highest point on the Camino. Physically and mentally confident the pilgrim makes his or her way towards Cruz de Ferro. At the cross, which towers high above, every pilgrim places a stone which is taken from their homeland symbolizing the burdens they’ve been carrying in their lives. Leaving the stone behind the pilgrim leaves his old life behind. Completing his or her transformation.

From here the third stage starts. The spiritual stage. I didn’t expect to experience this spiritual stage at all. I’m a very rational person. But in the end the journey did have a great impact on my life. I met many people from all walks of life and my eyes were opened by the stories and lives that I witnessed during my pilgrimage.

A man carrying the ashes of his deceased daughter and walking over 75 kilometers a day.  A woman with a muscle disorder who could barely walk but did the pilgrimage anyway. I met a man who swore an oath of silence and was walking to Santiago barefoot. I also got to know an older lady who is suffering from cancer and decided to carry her sick body to Santiago instead of taking chemo. I had conversations with people who simply stopped along the way and started serving other pilgrims, living off donations. Not worrying about anything.

I am amazed at the different ways of life and can only conclude that there is no right or wrong way to live, there’s only “different”. My belief not to worry about tomorrow has buried it’s roots much, much deeper.

For me the pilgrimage turned out to be about the people. I wish all my fellow pilgrims the best of luck in their lives!