We made it! Yesterday we arrived in Santiago, finishing our Camino. As I have read the news each night on my tablet, this seems like a small, ineffectual accomplishment, even though it was very hard for me, due to being sick and very tired the whole time. Yesterday and today we completed the rite of  pilgrimage, going to mass (yes, they swung the botufumiero) visiting the crypt, seeing the many historic sites and chapels.  But after praying for personal concerns and being thankful, I found myself praying for our country and its current mess. I've been afraid of something like this ever since I was a child,  as my parents talked frequently of the Nazi holocaust.

 I have to say, though, that I'm very impressed with the magnitude of pilgrims who pour into Santiago daily after their long long walk. They get at least 1000 per day in the "compostela" office where the certificates are issued. I don't know what percentage of people do this for religious reasons, how many for spiritual reasons, and how many just for adventure or other personal reasons. I think its amazing that so many people do it at all.  I'm not foolish enough to think that just because people want to do this, that a spiritual or religious awakening will happen and the world will become one. Hopefully, people will realize that spirituality matters and that humans have been making pilgrimages in all ages and many religions. People have done it as a sacrifice, as penance, for personal holiness and other religious reasons. Now they also do it just for sport or to test themselves or to clear their heads. But having a personal triumph will not necessarily move a person to act and strive for the common good. That's what I would pray for.

 Nevertheless, I'm proud to have earned my "compostela" and I'm glad we did this. They say here that the real pilgrimage begins after you finish the walk. We'll see.  But I know I haven't been able to just relax and enjoy it, not just because I've been sick but because I was not able to stop  feeling the dark clouds of the world, especially our country, over my head. That might be a shame and a mess, but that's how it was.

On the plus side, I gained an even deeper appreciation for Joe and was so pleased with how much he enjoyed this pilgrimage, how good his energy level was (usually I'm the one with high energy but this time I lagged behind) and how much he could just relax and take it all in. Since this was his idea in the first place, I'll take this as a success. But they say here that sometimes the results of the pilgrimage take

a long time to develop. Talking with two very progressive Catholic sisters after we got the certificate was encouraging. They gave me hope that God is at work even if we can't see it. Their bright spirits were a helpful conclusion to our Camino walk.

Cats of the Camino. I wish I could have taken the little tiger home with me in my backpack. We bonded immediately and their mom

had abandoned them!

Only one day left. Trying to coax local cats to pose for my proposed "Cats of the Camino" book. Not working well. It's very hot here, not like when we started. By the way, there's no way a person could lose weight on this trip. The portions are huge!

Only one day left and we will be in Santiago. I have no idea how I am going to feel. This whole thing is still a mystery to me. Also, I'm not completely better yet and have a sinus infection. Given the organization of the trip, it hasn't been possible to get medical attention.
 Today we had an interesting conversation at a cafe with an American who has lived in Madrid for 40 years and also leads Camino trips. She says she is pantheist and belives in spirits in the rocks and trees. She thinks the Camino is more ancient than its Catholic heritage and has pagan roots and energy. She described one pilgrim who absolutely refused to walk with anyone even remotely religious. The pilgrim thought a religious person would hinder her from feeling the ancient pre-Christian energy.
The woman at the cafe says it's good we are going to visit Finesterra and Muxia. They are both, she says, of pagan roots with Finesterra having male energy and Lucia having female energy.
Her narrative is so similar to the other female Baby Boomers SBNRsI've interviewed in the US, Canada and Mexico.  She, as the others, was overwhemingly confident in her rhetoric. I think it is a strong assertive story meant to counter what they perceive as a dominant male religious narrative. But history doesn't come in layers, such that you can peel them back and get to the authentic story. It's way more complex and difficult than that.

The weather has turned hot, making the walking more taxing. But I am feeling a lot better, though still somewhat congested. We met an interesting woman and her partner who have a cafe along the Camino but also lead tours. One of them said that people do the walk for many reasons, as I suspected and have discovered. But they often ask her not to make it 'too religious.' Yet, she said, often people feel they have to suffer. One man, an atheist, developed terrible blisters. She said he could stay in the hotel until they healed but he felt he had to go on. Since the Camino IS hard, I was wondering what people's motivations might be. Of course there are young people who want to prove themseves, or have bragging rights when they get home. But why would a non-religious person undertake an arduous and even painful journey if they did not believe in things like penance, plenary indulgences, and/or salvation? I suspect the feeling that one is not perfect, maybe even failing in some aspects of life, is universal...even if so many contemporary persons abhor the word sin and see most if not all guilt as 'false'. The original purpose of the Camino was as a penance, although others did it to insure their salvation or shorten a loved one's time in purgatory. Are our modern obsessions with self-improvement through physical regimens, special diets, and such things as 'boot camps' be a contemporary version, yet without some God to satisfy, but instead the self or other humans?? Or is it, in the end, a denial of death?

The most impactful part of our day for me was when we entered an 11th c church and saw a Visigoth altar from the 7th c. I was struck by how ancient a religion Christianity is. Given that my concern is the huge decline in organised religion, shown most prominently by the SBNR movement, it was reassuring. Of course the Visigoths only controlled this area for a couple of hundred  years before the Moors took over here. Also, I talked to one SBNR this morning who equated being spiritual with emptying her mind. Then this afternoon we spoke with a young software designer from Seattle who insisted she absolutely knew why everyone walked the Camino. She said it was simply to leave their hectic stressful lives and get back to basics. She insisted there was nothing spiritual about their reasons at all.

Actually, I had my 10th bowl of "caldo gallego" yesterday. My cold and cough and low energy are improving. But I'm not used to feeling tired! What a drag.  Today we tried "pulpo" at the best "pulperia" in Melide. I figured I'd try it once but seeing all those suckers and tentacles really put me off my lunch. I focused on bread and salad instead. I tried to be a good sport but in the end let Joe eat most of it. I feel a bit worn out by all of this...walking, a different hotel every night, similar menus every day,  living out of a small suitcase. If it is true that 'no pain, no gain,' I am in for a big surprise. But if the original purpose of Camino is penance, then I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be repenting for!

Still a bit under the weather, I was almost undone when we walked an hour extra because the 'mile (km) marker' listed on our map locating our B&B was wrong!! Thank goodness for cell phones and my personal Spanish interpreter. After a big meal way later than we wanted and almost a bottle of wine, I (and we) felt much better! So Joe started trying different configurations of his 'buff' (balaclava). Finally I laughed for the first time since getting sick.
En route, on the Camino we came upon a bunch of Buddhist prayer flags and then a Shiatsu place that offered not only Shiatsu but also a "mesaje para el cuerpo

y alma" (massage for body and soul). A 40ish guy from Australia walked by and I pointed this out to him. He said "if he can find it" (that is, his soul). Now THAT's what I'm talking about!

We went to mass in a Romanesque church this evening at Palais de Rei. There were about 125 people, which filled this small church. A large group of youth, led by a priest, were there. The priest who celebrated directed his comments to pilgrims. After walking here much of the day, it is a challenge to get around in this very hilly town. After mass, we just couldn't face another 3 course "menu del dia" which is a huge amount of food, so guess what we had, yes, a "hamburguesa" - but made out of veal. They even used an American style bun ( which I really don't like) instead of their excellent bread.  At lunch I had my 9th bowl of "caldo gallega" a soup I have been virtually living on since getting sick. But it must be healthy because I'm starting to feel much better.

Yesterday we visited an ancient Roman church that once doubled as a fortress. It looked like a huge rectangular tall stone box since it was built before they invented flying butresses and arches. I was very surprised to see about 50 pilgrims in the pews looking like they were praying. About 35 of them were clearly an organized youth group. The church also stamped your credential which could have been part of the attraction. This town, Portomarin, caters almost exclusively to pilgrims. They even had a farmacia so we bought some cough medicine for me and a thermometer. I have a slight fever, which I feel I've had for

days, as well as bronchitis, very unusual for me. The next day at breakfast we met a German woman. She explained that the Camino is religious for her. "I have a good life. Of course bad things happen to everyone, but I have it so much better than many others. I'm here to express my thankfulness" she said. Today we are staying in a very nice rural alburgue. The teeny tiny village, where I think there are more sheep than residents, is called Vendas de Naron.

Today we hiked about 7 miles and it barely rained. I still felt sick and miserable (as in crying).  But at least today we had an excellent conversation with a Danish guy named Soren (like Kierkegaard). About 50 years old, he's between jobs, had 3 months off and with his wife's blessing decided to do this walk. "Best gift she could have given me." I asked him if he had any feelings about this being a 1000s of years old religious pilgrimage. "No," he said, "but if everyone could be together like they are here, there would be no wars, no one would want guns or build bombs. Religion is responsible for wars. It doesn't matter what you believe. That's private. Anyway, it's all energy. We have all been through this before, you know, in earlier lives. Anyway, I do yoga, chakra work, etc," he said, referring to his spirituality, as he walked away. What's really amazing is this, 1. He's not just another American SBNR, but 2. I could have written these comments for him, and 3. I didn't.  This thing is Global (or at least Western).

I didn't post yesterday because I was too sick, sore and exhausted. We walked about ten and a half miles over rough ground, lots of climbing, mud, rocks, uneven ground. With my fused heel, I was always cautioned to avoid uneven ground. But all I had read about the Camino made it seem more like gravel trails and roads. The effort of day one also made me lose the fight I was successfully winning to keep my cold at bay. Now it is the worst cold I've ever had, complete with cough, aches, earaches, etc. I'm going through a personal size pack of tissues every few minutes. We did visit a doctor to be sure it was just a cold. I'm miserable, crying, regretting the whole thing. We're in a lodge tonight and a group from many countries is at the next table, drinking, laughing, being loud. I thought that would be us. I'm just not getting this. Joe, as a Catholic with a very different theology, said he could just offer suffering to God. But that's not my theology. I don't think God wants us to suffer or gets anything out of it.

Day One - We walked about seven miles through very beautiful country and some ancient villages. It threatened rain but didn't actually do it until we reached our destination in Samos. The oldest monastery in Spain is here, it is Benedictine and over 1000 years old. Sadly, there are only 5 monks left here. I can't imagine how they support and care for such an ancient place. We took a tour, which really challenged my Spanish but fortunately my personal interpreter was with me! When we checked into our lodging, we met a British guy, about 50, at registration. He's been hiking for about a month. When I asked him what inspired him to take on the Camino, he said he often tours Spain on his motorcycle. But on one tour a man rushed over to him, all smiles, and gave him a big hug. When he asked why, the man said he had just finished the Camino and our guy was the first person he saw. The guy at registration said "That man was the happiest person I had ever seen. I offered to trade him the keys to my motorcycle for his hiking poles." I don't think he really gave away his motorcycle, but his next trip to Spain was

walking the Camino.  I have had a couple of good conversations like this so far and find no one is shy about telling me why they are walking The Camino.

We leave tomorrow for Triacastela to officially start our Camino. However, we've already been averaging between 5 and 8 miles per day in Madrid because walking is the best way to get around here. The traffic is crazy and the streets are packed with people. We saw El Prado today - amazing and overwhelming. The many religious paintings remind us of how much things have changed since the Middle Ages and the Baroque period. We also visited some churches which are very ornate but many others were badly damaged during the Spanish Civil War (1936-9).  I'm trying to fight off a cold that I hope won't affect my Camino. Hot chicken soup would have been nice but all we could find here were tapas!

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Ok, I just can't let an unrearched question just lie there. Here is what I learned about the abundance of hams hanging from the ceilings in so many stores here:

"Practicing Jews do not eat pork or meat from the pig. The Christian Spaniards knew this and therefore hung ham and other pork products visibly in their homes. This could quickly identify them as not being Jewish to the passerby. Jamón ibérico hung from the ceiling of an establishment could serve as a warning that Jews were not welcome, as well."

We're starting our pilgrim adventure in a not very spiritual way...spending a few days in busy crowded Madrid to get over jet lag and get acclimated. Even amidst all the touristic options, there are beautiful historic churches everywhere, reminding us of Spain's religious past.  I'm trying to use my fairly rudimentary Spanish, although it's awkward when you have a perfectly bilingual person standing next to you! After a ten hour layover at JFK and then a 7 hour overnight flight, we were hungry. But I wasn't prepared to find most of the restaurants here featuring so much 'jamon' (ham - seemingly hundreds of types). We ate dinner at "El Museo de Jamon." Joe's says the ham tradition began as a way to assert Christianity against the many Jews and Muslims historically here...but is that true? I'll have to research it.

Ready to go

It's traditional for Camino pilgrims to be sent off with a blessing. We are so grateful that our church, in particular Pastor Mark ( a former student of mine), did this for us this morning. We are all packed and ready to leave early tomorrow. We won't arrive in Madrid until the 5th, do a couple of days sightseeing and then take a train to our Camino starting point. Yikes! After 3 years of thinking about this, we are finally doing it!

You may have first heard about the Camino from the 2010 Martin Sheen movie "The Way." The Camino is "hot" now, that is, it is increasingly popular with all sorts of people for all sorts of reasons.

But what is this walk?  A little history might help. The Camino de Santiago has been a pilgrimage route for more than a 1000 years. The Camino can start as far off as the French Pyrenees, but most pilgrims walk the route in northern Spain. It is said that the remains of Saint James are buried in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela.  During the Middle Ages, over 250,000 per year walked it. Today even more people, nearly 280,000 pilgrims yearly, walk "The Way." 

Religious pilgrims hope to qualify for a certificate proving they have walked at least the last 100 km.  Non-religious pilgrims can qualify for an alternative certificate with the same conditions. They prove this by getting their "passport" -- Credential de Peregrino -- officially stamped in every way point they pass through.

Today many people are in the "SBNR" category who walk this route. Given that we are in a much less religious age, I'm wondering why this pilgrimage seems even more popular today than in the more religious past. Is it saying something about a deep spiritual longing in our society?  A search for health and wellness, of all kinds? A desire to take on a challenge? A social event? Just a new experience?  I hope to find out. 

In the meantime, please visit my website to learn more about the "spiritual but not religious" movement. www.healthybeliefs.com

Why Do Non-Religious People Walk the Camino de Santiago?

Why do so many people walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain? This ancient pilgrimage route has been walked by devout Christians for centuries but it is now a walk that many "spiritual but not religious" people travel. I intend to find out why!  In my book *Belief without Borders: Inside the Minds of the Spiritual but not Religious* I interviewed hundreds of SBNRs and learned why they consider religion non-essential for spiritual growth. I learned what they reject in Christianity, but also what beliefs they do hold.  I'll be taking this research "on the road" to find out more. Follow my journey this June and see what I find out!