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Getting Ready

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A few days ago, posted about my trip to walk the French Way of the Camino Santiago. I used ChatGPT to write a short article about the history of the walk. I am starting at Roncesvalles instead of Saint Jean, still will have over 400 miles to Santiago. Follow along if you like. The French Way of the Camino de Santiago: A Timeless Pilgrimage The French Way, or Camino Francés, is the most well-known and historically important route of the Camino de Santiago, a centuries-old pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint James the Great in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Spanning about 780 kilometers from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago, this route has shaped religious, cultural, and economic life in northern Spain for over a thousand years. The pilgrimage began in the 9th century, after the discovery of Saint James’s tomb. By the 11th and 12th centuries, the French Way became the main route, encouraged by the Christian Reconquista and supported by monasteries, churches, and hospices offer...
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Why?

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My granddaughter is asking why her papa is going on this long walk. It’s a fair question. My fascination started with my friend from ORU. He hiked the Portuguese Camino after he retired a couple of years ago. Then my son-in-law’s father hiked the French Way and talked about his experience followed by another friend on a trip to Iceland hearing hearing my interest gave me a book to read called Shadow of a Pilgrim by Thomas Connell. Finally when I retired from Atherton, they gave me the gift of a trip on the Camino, so it seemed like the stars had aligned and the dye was cast. These conversations and circumstances gave life to this adventure. Like so many before me, the Camino is both a challenge, an adventure, and a spiritual pilgrimage. I am going on a journey to listen: to myself, to others, and to the Lord. Who knows what I will hear, but at this transition point in my life it seems like such an adventure is timely. There is part of me that hopes to learn something about the simple a...
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A Walk to Santiago

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The final day is not far, just 13 miles, but the thoughts and emotions are big. There are still a few hills to climb and there are more pilgrims on the trail, but mostly I was just grateful for strength, this great opportunity, friendship on the trail and back in California. Thank you so much for following along. The final route was really beautiful until you got into the city and the crowds took over. Santiago is a busy city and people are coming from all over the world. The square in front of the Cathedral is full of emotion as people enter and see this journey completed. Today as we were walking in, I met a couple from Singapore who I had met on the first day. We both had traveled over 500 miles and met again on the final day. It was so fun walking again with Henrik and Lone from Denmark. We laughed, cried, high fived our way to the Cathedral. At dinner tonight, I met 3 ladies who I had just met 2 days ago at breakfast. We are all grateful. Such big smiles. Tomorrow I leave for Pari...
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