The crown jewel of Spanish walking trails, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela began as an act of faith as Europeans crossed Spain to visit the sacred tomb of Saint James. One thousand years later, the Camino continues to draw the spiritual seeker as well as the traveler looking to enjoy the beauty of the green rolling hills and small hamlets of northwestern Spain’s Galicia. The biggest problem when considering the Camino to Santiago is the amount of time required to walk the whole way in one go – four to six weeks.
Classical Pursuits offers a Camino experience better suited to many people’s holiday time and comfort requirements. Our walk is accompanied by a support vehicle that will be there to provide assistance when the route permits. The possibility of shorter routes and pick-up options will be explained on a daily basis. Our luggage will be transported between hotels. Gourmet picnics are prepared for us on walk days and we will dine in a selection of charming restaurants.
We convene in Madrid and travel together by private coach to Leon, where we spend a day and a night. We will start walking uphill into the stone and thatched village of O’Cebreiro. Nine days later we complete our Camino in the fabled city of Santiago de Compostela, refreshed and renewed.
Over wine and cheese at the end of the day, we will explore the themes of pilgrimage and walking in selected short works by a variety of major and minor writers as a springboard for considering our own Camino experience.
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Photo credit for Rua do Vilar at night: Wikipedia
“Walking … is how the body measures itself against the earth.”
– Rebecca Solnit
