The Camino de Santiago

  The Camino de Santiago is a trek of approximately 815 km if you begin in the small village of St Jean Pied de Port just on the French side of the border between France and Spain and finish at the Church of Santiago de Compostela in the city of Santiago, Galicia in NW Spain.  Those making this trek are called pilgrims and pilgrims have been following this path for thousands of years but only since approximately the  8th Century AD did it become a Catholic pilgrimage when bones, believed to be those of St. James, were discovered in a field and the church was built in his honour and to house the remains.  But long before the discovery of the grave of the saint,  the Celti-Iberians had been following these ancient paths to Finnisterre on the coast as a place to worship the setting of the sun. Now, pilgrims have been trekking in ever increasing numbers to pay homage to St. James or as he is known in Spanish; Santiago.  Nowadays, there are many still pilgrims following these ancient pathways for religious reasons, but an increasing number of people are looking for spiritual guidance or simply for the sport of walking 800+ km.  There are routes that come from all parts of Europe as well as Africa and British Isles but all converge in Spain at the church in Santiago.
  The route I am following is called the French Route.  It is probably the most traveled and most well serviced.  Accommodation can take the form of dormitories with bunk beds in albergues; some brand new with modern conveniences and others more rustic with only the basic necessities.  Of course, in larger cities or towns, one could opt for a hotel but most save that treat for the end of the journey,  The terrain crosses mountains, meanders through forests, skirts farmland, passes through tiny villages, small towns and even very large cities.  No map is necessary as the route is well marked providing you pay attention and look for a conch shell or yellow arrow to guide you.
 They say that you don't decide to walk the camino....but rather it calls you.  And I must admit that I feel there is some truth to this...but perhaps, that will be another blog.  In any event, this is the second time I have been 'called', my first time was 2011.
 I  began this trek on June 21, 2015 .  I hope to be posting with dialogue and some photos when WIFI is available.