Camino de Santiago-The Idea

The Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) pilgrimage dates to the 8^th Century. The normal route begins in St. Jean Pied de Port, France and ends nearly 500 miles later in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. I was made aware of the walk a couple of years ago by two friends and the idea took hold of me. In 2008, I completed the Hindu pilgrimage Char Dham in northern India, a month long journey to visit the four temples: Badrinath, Kendranath, Gangotri and Yamunotri and the source of the Ganges River at Gaumukh. In 2010, I journeyed overland from Nepal into Tibet and walked the kora around the sacred Buddhist mountain Mt. Kailash. After successfully completing the Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimages I became more committed to traveling to France and Spain to walk the ancient Christian Camino.

The plan formed with three of my friends agreeing to walk the 500 miles. My long time friend and mountaineering partner, Tim, decided to come along after my daughter cornered him at one of my gallery openings and insisted that he join me on the walk to watch over me. An overly protective daughter you might say, especially endearing since she used to call me “O.P.”

2011 was a year of personal loss.  A dear friend died in a mountaineering accident in Alaska, my step- mother succumbed to cancer and our two dogs died months apart. Another acquaintance, who I had gone on a couple of ski outings with, passed away from complications from a routine surgery, and I still mourned for my 98 year old grandfather who had died the year before. I began to view the Spanish pilgrimage as a way of coming to terms with the feelings that weighed on me. With plane ticket in hand, I arrived at the airport on May 3^rd and boarded the flight. Journal entry: “So off I go to do the Camino de Santiago. Who would have thought that a conversation with Chris and Wally would have planted the seed for another pilgrimage, but now I am off, flying to France. I am nervous about the miles to be walked but here I go diving into the deep end of the pool once again.”