Mary Leigh's Camino Journey 

2018




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25 Miles to Go!

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on the way to Arzua Today I walked 10 miles to Arzua. I woke up this morning feeling rested and renewed. I went down for breakfast and met two lovely women who invited me to breakfast. It was nice to have company while eating. We chatted about our Camino experiences so far and other traveling we've done in the past. It's fun to listen to the reasons people have chosen to walk this journey but I'm still at a loss for why I'm here. Today I even wondered if that burning question will be answered at the end. While walking alone through farmland on my way to Arzua, I decided I will be okay if I never know that answer. I will be okay if that great epiphany never comes. I am now 2 days away from Santiago de Compostela. The fact that I've gotten this far on my own two feet amazes me, especially considering I'd been non-weight bearing on a sprained ankle for 5 entire weeks before coming here. I thought I'd be lucky if I could do a couple miles per day...
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Speedy

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The beat goes on Today I walked 16 grueling miles from Portomarin to Palas de Rei. I'm currently sitting in my albergue enjoying a terracotta rooftop view, eating an orange and a bag of potato chips while I rest my weary legs and sore feet. View from my albergue in Palas de Rei View walking out of Portomarin this morning I left this morning at 8:30am and set off at a quick pace. I had read the night before that the walk today was mostly uphill and difficult. I wanted to get into a steady rhythm right away. I very quickly made a new friend this morning who made small talk with me and we passed the first 5 miles easily and in conversation. She was from Philly and was a professional development coach. But eventually she needed rest and food and I wanted to keep going. We said goodbye and I pushed ahead. Victory after traversing several mountains -see in background I started to notice that I was passing everyone. People seemed especially slow or in no big...
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What is the Camino?

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What is the Camino? The Camino de Santiago consists of a network of footpaths all across Western Europe that lead to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, where the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried. His remains were discovered in 812 AD in Santiago de Compostela, though he was beheaded in 44 AD in Jerusalem when he became the first of the apostles to die a martyr. After his martyrdom, his body was taken to Spain to be buried at Santiago de Compostela. Since then, walking the Camino has become one of the world’s most popular pilgrimages, dating back to the Middle Ages. Under certain circumstances, the Catholic Church has encouraged pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela and would grant a plenary indulgence to those who made the journey (earning an indulgence allows you a special privilege to reduce the time that you would spend in purgatory after death.) There was a long period of time when the Camino was deserted and forgotten. No on...
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