Journey of a Lifetime....

     

                                                

       Recently, I spoke with my cousin, who was filled with excitement as he shared details about an upcoming trip, which I would describe as, a trip of a lifetime.  At the mention of the country of Spain I immediately was captivated, since my main focus for research has been in that region of the world, the Iberian Peninsula.  

      As the conversation continued, I was filled with a sense of excitement and awe as he spoke about an ancient journey, a series of old pilgrimage paths throughout all of Europe, called ‘El Camino de Santiago’, also known in English, as ‘The Way of St. James’, all ultimately culminating in northwest Spain, Santiago de Compostela, which is the capital of Galicia, Spain.  
Santiago de Compostela is in the Province of  ‘La Coruña’

      
The ancient paths have witnessed pilgrims walking along the routes of the Camino de Santiago, for more than 1000 years. 


      Historical tradition states that Santiago is considered the burial site of one of Jesus’ Apostles, James, also known as 'James the Great',  son of Zebedee and brother to John the Apostle.  
     


     It is said, that due to his evangelism of Christianity in Spain, St. James’ remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where they were buried on the site of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela. 
    It was throughout the Middle Ages, that it was a highly travelled route, however political instability in 16th century Europe contributed to its decline.

Today, the path is well-traveled as the journey unfolds through northern Spain, predominantly mountainous, home to the Picos de Europa, stunningly beautiful, deep forests, valleys and gorges.

The path of long ago was depicted as a route of penance established by the Church.  Custom indicates that pilgrims who participated brought back home Galician scallop shells as proof of their journey.

Today, this journey attracts from an ever growing number of those who are seeking solace or a spiritual reawakening to those who simply take pleasure and are captivated in the spectacular natural wonder of this region.....                                                      

 Either way, it is the journey of a lifetime.

The Way Trailer:
The movie 'The Way' is a powerful and inspirational story about the historical pilgrimage "The Way of St. James" in Galica, Spain, starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez.                                                                                                          
 Photo Credits:                                                          

 Photo 1:  Photo by: Matt Munro                                     
 Photo 4:  Photo by: Maureen Measu                            
 Photo 6:  Photo by: B.C. Torrisse                      
  Photos not labeled, by Wikipedia