THE POPULAR CAMINO DE Santiago walk can start on various pilgrimage routes, ending in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. This path is also called The Way of St. James, The Camino or simply The Way.
A CAMINO IMAGE FROM IGLESIAS DE SANTA MARIA, BELORADO. PHOTOS BY MIKE ZINN
This pilgrimage was created and established after the discovery of the St. James the Great relics at the beginning of the 9th century. From the 10th century to today, The Way of St. James has become a significant pilgrimage for Christians worldwide.
THE CAMINO: ALWAYS FOLLOW THE BLUE AND YELLOW ARROW.
Although there are many starting points and paths to Santiago de Compostela, The French Way is considered the most popular and widely used route. (Caminoways.com)
ST. JAMES STATUE IN VIANA, SPAIN.
This route might be the most popular for a couple of reasons. Starting this route at Saint-Jean-Pied-de Port, France, located approximately 45 minutes by car from the Biarritz airport, is a desirable starting point. Another more spiritual reason is the difficulty of this starting point up and over the Pyrenees Mountain range. Giving oneself to God despite hardships is never more apparent than hiking up and over this mountain range, with challenging rises and drops in elevation and possibly wind, rain, fog and cold weather.
Three events have made this journey universally popular. The first was when Pope John Paul II became “the First Pilgrim Pope” to arrive at the Cathedral of Santiago in 1982, and the second event in 1989 for the fourth World Youth Day.
The Pope traveled the last 100 meters, walking with pilgrims to the Praza do Obradoiro.
The third event was the introduction of the movie “The Way” in 2010. American actor Emilio Estevez wrote, produced and directed this movie. Estevez had a small role in the film, which starred his father, actor Martin Sheen. The movie is still popular with people worldwide and has inspired countless pilgrims on their journey.
Walking The Camino can be designed in several different ways. Pilgrims with adequate time can choose to complete the 790-kilometer (490-mile) journey from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela in one trip. Others may split The Camino into sections and complete their journey over years. Regardless, pilgrims love the beautiful countryside, incredible history and friendly locals and fellow travelers who greet each other with the Spanish phrase, buen camino, translated to “good walk.”
The Camino offers pilgrims multiple opportunities to informally and formally connect with God. Encountering shrines, statues and grottos along the path and visiting wonderful historical churches in small towns, larger towns, villages and hamlets highlight the Catholic Church in Europe and the rich history preserved for modern-day pilgrims to enjoy.
The “pilgrim’s Mass” is a highlight for travelers and allows Catholics worldwide to worship together
and be recognized and prayed over by the presiding priest.
During a recent Pilgrim’s Mass, Fr. Andre’s Pico’n from the Diocese de Ciudad Real described The Camino to the congregation.
“We all do The Camino for different reasons, religious, solitude, communing with nature and testing our fitness level. Still, the one thing all pilgrims have in common is that they have Jesus walking with them the entire journey.”
Mike Zinn and his family recently walked sections of The Camino, starting in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The family broke off after four days, and Mike and his wife Teri continued onto Burgos. This 273-kilometer, 170 mile journey completed the entire walk for Teri that started some 10 years ago.