Hey Tribe,
Exciting news to share with you, if you haven’t heard
already: I’m headed to Spain to hike the Camino de Santiago this coming
summer! It’s been in the works for
awhile now, but preparations have begun in earnest and I felt it was time to
share my anticipation with you.
This is Fly's excited face |
You might be asking, “Hiking the what?” so allow me to give
you a little info about the trail. It is
considered a pilgrimage, started in 812 A.D. by determined/desperate/or just
plain crazy folks who would walk from their front door all the way to the
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Santiago, Spain, in order to earn an
Indulgence from the Church. Since everyone was starting from wherever
they lived, naturally there are a lot of different paths to get there, but now
there are well established and recognized routes. Some are very long, spanning multiple
countries, some are much shorter and begin in Spain; the minimum distance a
pilgrim must walk in order to say they have walked the Camino is 62 miles.
All roads lead to |
The route I have chosen is del Norte (the Northern route)
that begins on the Eastern border of Spain and travels along the coast before
heading inland to Santiago. It is
roughly 512 miles, or so I’ve read. Yep,
you read that correctly, over 5 hundred
miles. I know, it’s crazy. My plan is to start at the Eastern border of
Spain and hike allllllll the way across to the Western side, which used to be
the end of the known world back in the olden days. It will make the journey a few days longer,
but I think it will be worth it, and after walking for 35 days, what’s a few
more? Piece of cake, right? Maybe not, but it’s my current plan and I’m
pretty determined.
Map of Camino del Norte from The Road to Santiago |
After not as much convincing as I had anticipated, TheMother
agreed to join me, as did TheAunt (sister to TheMother). Neither are big hikers, but we will make a
merry band of pilgrims and we’ve braved the wilds of Alaska together, so I
think we will be just fine. My only deep
regret is not being able to bring Fly with us.
Dogs are not allowed in all the places to stay and I don’t think I could
convince my companions to camp out each night, plus the ginormous logistical
hurdle of transporting a dog to a foreign country would cause my trip to not be
nearly as enjoyable, as I would be worried sick about Fly’s wellbeing all the
time. Can I part with my baby for a
month and a half? I’ll have to. TheFather will take good care of her I have
no doubt.
TheAunt and TheMother sunbathe in Alaska |
So, there is my news!
I’ll keep you updated with more information about the trip, our plans,
and what we are packing as time goes by.
Buen Camino, as they say!
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