This month's article from Will Alkass reflects on the journey that he and Hannah made to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in the northwest of Spain, which is one of the most famous and visited pilgrimage sites in Western Europe.
Some history in a nutshell
A chapel was originally built in the 9th century, during the reign of King Alfonso II of Asturia and Galicia, on the site where the remains of Saint James were discovered in a forest by a hermit called Pelagius. The first church was built there in 829 and then replaced by a pre - Romanesque church in 899 at the order of king Alfonso III of Leon; this then led to the gradual development of the site as a major place of pilgrimage
The coming of these pilgrims from all over Europe opened a channel of communication between the isolated Asturias and the Carolingian lands and beyond. This early church was later reduced to ashes by the conquering Moors so this famous pilgrimage site consequently also became a symbol of the Spanish Christians' resilience and of their long battles and mission of 'reconquest' against Islam.
Construction of the present cathedral began in 1075 under the reign of Alfonso VI of Castile. It took over a century to finish with many halts and setbacks until it was consecrated in 1211 in the presence of King Alfonso IX of Leon.
Who was Saint James the Apostle?
The Apostle James The Great is called Santiago in Spanish and São Tiago in Portuguese. He was said to be a cousin of Jesus, with his mother Salome being a sister of Mary the mother of Jesus. He is called 'The Great' to distinguish him from the other apostle St James 'The Less' who was a son of Alphaeus. The fishermen James and his brother John were sons of Zebedee. Along with Peter they were the first to be recruited by Jesus on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
James along with John and Peter comprised a special trio who were the closest to Jesus amongst his disciples. This trio witnessed some of Jesus’ greatest miracles and stood by his side in his darkest hours. They were present when Jesus brought Jairus’ daughter back from the dead and when he healed Peter’s mother-in-law, and then were present during Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-37). Perhaps their greatest honour was being the only three disciples to witness the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1). Jesus gave the two brothers James and John the nickname “Sons of Thunder”, probably because of their fiery evangelical zeal!
James was martyred by Herod Agrippa in 44 A.D., thus acquiring the “honour” of being the first disciple to be martyred! He is remembered on his feast day which is celebrated each year on 25th July, when jubilant processions and traditional dances are held all over Spain.
The legend of St James as the Patron Saint of Spain
The first part of the legend recounts how St James preached the Gospel in Hispania as well as in the Holy Land. The second part will have you believe that following St James' martyrdom, his followers carried his headless body by sea to Hispania where they landed in Padron on the coast of Galicia and then carried his body overland for burial in a forest. This site later came to be Santiago de Compostela where a whole city including the cathedral and monasteries developed and flourished, becoming one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Christianity.
Our pilgrimage walk
In May 2022 my wife and I decided to put an end to the endless dreamy talk and to actually walk the walk to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in Spain.
There are many routes or 'caminos' all leading to Santiago de Compostela and forming a network of routes throughout Western Europe with starting points in different countries: England, Italy, France and Portugal. These routes of course differ in their lengths, hardship and scenery, as well as in the facilities that they offer for the pilgrims.
Many pilgrims opt for a journey organised by specialised tour operators who take care of your itinerary, lodgings, food, luggage transportation, etc so all you have to worry about is walking! But not us! We decided on an independent journey following the less common route, namely the Portuguese Coastal Route. This is one of the two routes in Portugal with the other one being the Central Route.
We started our Camino from the city of Porto armed with a few route maps and not much in the way of prior planning or bookings for accommodation! We were lucky in the sense that even without much planning beforehand we did not encounter any problems in finding overnight accommodation or following the right paths; for that we were thankfully guided by the characteristic signposts of sea-shells and yellow arrows that show the directions to follow. Besides, who needs directions if you have the Atlantic coast on your left-hand side to guide you all along?
The Coastal route is probably the least trodden path compared to the other routes, but it's easy to navigate as it is mostly flat.
Above all, it offers spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean on one side while on the other side a greatly varied scenery of the countryside, with beautiful landscapes and dunes, villages and towns, parks and forests. What it lacks in the way of accommodation and catering facilities is more than compensated by the helpfulness, friendliness and hospitality of the hugely kind and welcoming Portuguese people you meet along the way.
Starting from Porto we walked on average 15 miles each day making a total of 60 miles with four stops along the way. We then waved goodbye to the ocean at the estuary of the river Minho, which marks the boundary between Portugal and Spain.
Walking along the south bank of the river we reached Valença, a beautiful walled historic town where we stopped for the night. Across the bridge on the other side is the big and equally spectacular Spanish town of Tui; from there we took the train to reach our destination, stopping for a night in Vigo.
Walking in the open countryside, surrounded by fauna and flora, breathing the fresh air and chatting to the occasional like-minded traveller with a shared destination in mind, was a very good way to make you think of the universe, of the world and the environment, of the vulnerability of everything, of our duties and responsibilities towards ours and future generations. And what an exhilarating feeling when you arrive at your destination knowing that you have made it after the long slog. One admission though: in order to be eligible for the title of a true pilgrim or 'Compostelo' you do have to have walked the last 100 kilometres on foot or cycled the last 200 kilometres and have the certifying stamps of all the churches you have passed along the way!
The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
The icing on the cake was of course attending a mass in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela; on that day the cathedral was full of school children attending the service. The Old Town of Santiago de Compostela, together with the outlying Santa Maria de Conxo Monastery, constitutes an extraordinary ensemble of distinguished monuments. The squares and narrow streets of the ancient town contain Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Neo-classical buildings. The cathedral, like many other grand religious buildings of old, has to be seen to be appreciated for its grandeur and significance, for the tomb where the remains of the saint are interred, and for the statutes and all its other ornate and intricate characteristics. One remarkable feature is the incense burner or censer, one of the largest in the world, hanging from the ceiling.
What motivates people to walk the Camino?
Historically the Camino was a purely religious pilgrimage to the tomb of Santiago but nowadays people from different walks of life walk the walk for a number of different reasons, as we have learned from talking to people we encountered. A good many people, not necessarily Catholics, still do it to strengthen their religious and spiritual beliefs. Some people do it to experience the exhilarating feeling of having overcome the many challenges that this demanding journey entails: the physical effort, the uncertainty of the unknown that comes with each new day, coping with the different terrains and different lodgings, and also meeting new people and hearing their stories.
For other people it can be the desire to be brave enough to disconnect from their routine daily activities: from the urge to check their mobile phone every 15 minutes or read the local newspaper and be bothered and burdened by hearing the daily news. Instead they may wish to get nearer to the Creator, to be at one with nature and to take a minute or two to stop and think of the beauty of the world and all it has to offer to us all for free.
Many travellers admit to the realization that the Camino had been a major turning point in their lives. Walking the Camino does not have to be a serious activity or affair. It can be as much fun as any other fanciful and extremely enjoyable leisure pastime. For us, it was probably a mixture of all the above!
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