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foreveryoung | March 2014
Pilgrims’ Pathway
By Igor Lobanov-Rostovsky
It’s one of the world’s
longest-established walking
trips, drawing both the devout and those dedicated to
a holiday that can be a moving retreat.
For 10 centuries, those on
the spiritual path have trod
a holy route known as the
Way of St. James, a pilgrimage that can commence at
any of four starting points in
southern France or northern
Spain. Most pilgrims still
travel on foot or ride a bicycle. A few choose the medieval way, on horseback.
For 10 centuries, pilgrims have followed the footsteps of St. James
Many will walk for weeks,
even months, on what is
now designated a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. The
route from Le Puy in south
central France to Santiago
can take 2 1/2 months. The
distance from the Spanish village of Roncesvalles,
north of Pamplona near the
French border, to Santiago is
800 kilometres.
Some trekkers meet the
minimum requirements by
setting out from the village
of Sarria, which has bus and
rail service from other parts
of Spain.
Regardless of the distance
and starting point, they’re
all heading for the town of
Santiago de Compostela in
Spain’s northwest region of
Galicia. Its revered cathedral claims to contain the
remains of St. James the
Apostle. Pilgrims are easy to
spot. They wear the Christian symbol for St. James: a
scallop shell.
If you’re travelling by foot
or bike, your most essential
gear is a backpack. When
loaded, it should not weigh
more than 10 per cent of
your own weight. Avoid the
temptation to take items
“just in case” because you
can buy whatever you forget
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