In the summer of 2023 I took a ten week backpacking adventure across three countries in Europe. (Italy, France, and Spain)

It wasn't just a tourism thing. It was so much more. Let me tell you about it.

The major goal of my sojourn was to walk "The Way of Saint James". That is a 500 mile walking pilgrimage that starts in France and ends near the west coast of Spain. It is a religious pilgrimage although many people do it for other reasons, health, adventure, challenge, tourism, etc.

Here is a map showing the 500 mile pilgrimage across the country.The start is on the right in France. And the finish is on the left at the city of Santiago de Compostela.

But I thought that while I was traveling over to Europe I could also visit and see some other things. So I added Italy and France to the sojourn.

And I had some overarching goals with this trip. I broke it down into three distinct goals:

1. While in Italy I would focus on the Renaissance and the Renaissance masters. This includes Rome, the Vatican, Florence, Pisa, the Basilica, Da Vinci, Galileo and Michelangelo.
2. While In France I would focus on the Cathars and the Knights Templar.
3. And In Spain it would be a traditional religious pilgrimage for me and an experience of Spain and a following in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway. I also timed it out so I could be in Pamplona Spain for the running of the bulls. But.... I didn't get to do that :(. The running of the bulls is very Hemingway so maybe I will get to experience it at some point in the future.

Each of these three stages also contained a strong religious component:

1. In Italy was the vatican and St. Peter's basilica
2. In France was Lourdes
3. In Spain it was the religious aspect of the pilgrimage which included many pilgrims masses and the amazing cathedrals in Leon, Burgos, and Santiago.

So, all of that is a whole lot! And thus It filled a whole ten weeks!

 

Give me a scallop shell of quiet
My staff of faith to walk upon
My script of joy, immortal diet
My bottle of salvation
My gown of glory, hope's true gauge
And then I'll take my pilgrimage.

- Sir Walter Raleigh

Day one of the pilgrimage is one of the most difficult days of the whole journey.

The pilgrimage starts in the small town of St. Jean Pied de Port in France.

And for centuries now it has been a beginning point for pilgrims who needed to get up and over the Pyrenees mountains on their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Once you get through the pass you arrive at the Spanish town of Roncesvailles where there is a monastery for pilgrims to spend the night.

This map here at left shows the pilgrimage route. It is the light blue line.

This is the path I followed and it is 25.6 kilometers in length which is 15.9 miles. And it makes for a challenging day because you also have to overcome a serious amount of altitude changes. You are getting up and over the Pyrenees mountains through the pass.

Want to know what it is like to be a pilgrim? I have a video called "A Day in the life of a pilgrim:

Quick update ): The Pilgrimage has been completed! Yay! I have a lot to talk about; many pictures, and videos to show you.. For the Lion's share of the stuff I am posting to my Patreon Page for my patrons who have supported me. Check that out here: Will's Patreon Page. But I am still posting some stuff here to my website.

Here is a playlist of the youtube videos for this pilgrimage. You can pick through the list and watch any/or all of the videos right here on this webpage.

Click on the little icon in the upper right of the video to see the complete list of videos.

Barry (Hemingway) has contacted me through email. He made a pilgrim scallop shell out of shells. Good work here. And here is what he says about it:

"Hello Will,I have been collecting shells on the beach that are similar but not the same As the Camino Shell.There are all different sizes and shapes and colours ,similar to all The different kinds of people that do the Camino Walk."

"Lord may this stone,
A symbol of my efforts on the pilgrimage,
that I lay at the foot of the cross,
weigh the balance in favour of my good deeds.
Some day, when the deeds in my life are judged.
Let it be so."

Highlights from the pilgrimage

Lets start with Italy:

Cities

Specific Places, museums and more

And Now France

And Spain

There is a movie called "The Way" where Martin Sheen walks the pilgrimage. The Way (Available on amazon through the affiliate link)