Only 100km to go!
The plane was late. Only an hour, but in Spain connections are precarious. However finally everybody touched down and we managed to make a mad dash to get our bus. When we arrived in Sarria we began to move at an entirely different pace. On the Way you have to leave the hurry and bustle of the world behind, if only for a short while. It’s an experience that has drawn people from all around the world, including nine pilgrims making up our MSC Camino group.
Just after dawn the next day we began our 111km journey to Santiago de Compostella. It’s an incredible experience of walking from horizon to horizon across the beautiful Galician countryside. We followed in the footsteps of countless thousands of pilgrims, stretching back over a thousand years, towards the resting place of St. James the Apostle.
Follow Your Heart – Wisdom on the Way
Our group was made up of college students and staff, with Henry and Giacomo along for good measure. We walked about 25km per day, arriving at our destinations before the heat of the noon Sun. Then there was the opportunity to have a siesta, explore the town, and chat with fellow pilgrims. In the evening there was time for Mass and the famous €10 Camino three course dinner. There were surprisingly no blisters ( well, not many anyway ) and everybody got on like a house on fire.
We arrived in Santiago five days later for the Feast of Corpus Christi. The Spaniards know how to celebrate their high feast days! We took part in the Pilgrim Mass with its Botafumero (that’s the enormous incense censure that swings from one side of the transept to the other at speeds of up to 80km an hour), collected our Compostellas, and had a celebratory tapas crawl.
Arriving into Santiago de Compostella
There is little doubt that the Spirit is alive and moving on the Camino. While people’s motivations for coming can vary, no one is simply going on a walk. It’s about the inward journey, living simply, taking up your backpack each day, and listening to God’s invitation. Each of those who took part in the MSC pilgrimage found it to be an incredible experience of renewal and reflection. Many are looking at undertaking the whole Camino Frances of 800km in the coming years. It’s the start of something extraordinary.
Buen Camino
Fr. Alan