Tuesday, July 25, 2006

St. James, Apostle ...

Round up at The Way of the Fathers. History, customs, tons of stuff at Fisheaters.

At some point I really want to walk the Camino de Santiago.

By the way, as some of you know, I'm a huge fan of historical murder mysteries. One of my favorites is Sharan Newman's Catherine Levendeur series, set in 13th century France. The author is a historian and brings alive her period with amazing and breathtaking detail, and avoids anachronistic views as much as possible, apart from being a fascintating window into Jewish-Christian relations of the period as well. One of the novels (Cursed in the Blood, the fifth in the series) involves the heroine making the pilgrimage of St. James from southern France over the Pyrennees into northern Spain.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Gashwin,

This is something the Mrs. and I wish to do as well. We've entertained the idea of riding the El Camino. Just as acceptable of a pilgramage (and it would take about 50 miles/day for 10-14 days. Ouch!

The ride is not like that of the Tour de France. Instead of asphalt roads, you are riding both paved and dusty roads.

Let's discuss this option or others travels for El Camino during your return over a bottle of vino.

Sincerely,

Dogwood

Fr. Gaurav Shroff said...

Oh definitely ... do recall our mutual friend, recently of Columbia, who did exactly what you're proposing on the Camino.

Look forward to the vino :)

Anonymous said...

I had ambitions to do the Camino after reading a David Lodge book called Therapy, but never di more than swoon over the websites about it. I do have a friend who has done it twice on bicycle.

Shirley McClain has done it by foot and wrote a goofy book about it - which includes her vision while sleeping of herself as a slave or something belonging the The Cid.

Hope you do it and post photos.

Julia

Fr. Gaurav Shroff said...

I've been wanting to do it for years ... and of course, whenever it does happen, inshall'ah (God willing), there will be pictures and reports. Definitely will be a while ... maybe next summer?