This brings back memories........
this morning I decided not to be homesick for Ireland and spend the holiday of the 1. may (Labour day) surfing the www.daft.ie to relocate back to Ireland - I made a decision to go walking with the family. I picked out a part of the Compostella route - it goes along our village to Saint Leonard de Noblat packed a rucksack with sandwiches and water - too little as it was gone half way through the walk.........plan better next time.
The pilgrim routes to Santiago del Compostella (French:St Jaques de Compostelle), in NW Spain, have for centuries played an important role in the cultural and commercial development of Europe and, in particular, SW France. The story begins around the year 830AD,with the discovery of the remains of an important tomb at Compostelle(the Latin compostum and compostela mean cemetery). This was believed to be the final resting place of the apostle St James the Great, son of Zebedee (French Jacques). It is believed that after the death of Christ James went to Spain to convert the populace. Later he returned to Judea where he was martyred. His disciples Theodore and Athanase brought his body back to Spain and built the tomb.
The discovery of the tomb came at a turbulent time in Spain, with Christians fighting Muslims for the soul of the country in a conflict that presaged the Crusades to come a couple of centuries later. It provided a focus for Christians high and low born to reconquer the peninsular, and there are many legends surrounding the Saint at that time. A star was supposed to have led to the find, and subsequently the lances of soldiers who were to die sprouted flowers on the eve of their deaths. The Saint is said to have appeared as a shining knight in a battle against the Moors.
By the twelfth century the shrine of St James ranked with Rome and the Holy Land as a destination for pilgrims. Pilgrimages were undertaken as a penance for grievous sins such as murder or adultery, to seek help with health problems, or simply as an act of worship.Visitors to Santiago del Compostela often wore cockle shells on their hats, after the cockles to be found on the coast of Finistere where the Saint's body was brought ashore.
Although pilgrims came from all over Europe, the official start of the pilgrimage were fixed at four points in France: Paris, Vézelay, LePuy and Arles. The routes taken became known as the chemins de Compostelle and the towns along those routes flourished with the trade brought by the pilgrimages. There are many fine and richly endowed churches to be seen along the ways.
Today Santiago del Compostela still attracts pilgrims. While they do not wear the cape hat and cockle shell of the mediaeval travellers, they can still be seen walking or bicycling hundreds of kilometres along the chemins de Compostelle through France and across the Pyrénées. And some of the old hôpitals which offered pilgrims shelter are still there, transformed into modernhotels, such as the Hotel du Vieux Pont, at Sauveterre de Béarn.
Our Trip took 4, 5 hours. And all our kids walked. With Shawn being very hormonal and moany - the first hour was hell.......but the minute we left the 'main road' she turned into that little playing girl again. She had lots of fun. To everybody with growing kids - take them on walks - they first hate it but then they love it - cause you include them and not block them out.
Junah was terrific. He walked all the way and spent most of his time jumping over a stream that was with us all the way. Maddy got into a 'I hate parents ' mood and had to be negotiated with chocolate......it worked. Connor collected sticks and loved the donkeys, pigs and cows we saw on the path. There were lots of locals out today - but when they detect the German accent - they are gone. We stopped at a little chapel and there was a lady playing guitar - just like in Paulo Coehlos book. She was singing and very friendly. She actually said hi. Most of the walkers that were friendly - were foreigners.
We had fantastic weather so the kids took their shoes off the last hour and just walked in the soft gras. Me and Holger loved passing by the nice little hamlets and the farms with their blue window shutters and blossomed cherry trees. The light was fantastic and the views over the valley to the mountains (direction Clemont Ferrand) were breathtaking.
We have returned home all very tired but in a good mood - walking and meditation have allot in common.
I will not tell the kids that I will be doing it again (only another route) I will leave this day with the good motivation and hope to repeat it again with them.
