Tradition says that St James the Greater came to Spain to spread the
word of Christ and founded the church of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza.
Later, he returned to the holy land to meet his destiny as King Herod Agrippa
cut off his head in 42 or 44 AD to enter him in history as the first martyred
apostle. By miracle, a boat appeared after his beheading with his two disciples,
Anthanasius and Theodore, to bear his remains to the northwest coast of
Galicia at Padròn where he was buried. There he lay, forgotten for
almost 800 years until he was rediscovered during the time of Moorish occupation,
around 814 AD. A shepherd named Peleyo saw stars falling on a weed-choked
hillside near the river Sar which coincided with a dream revealed to Bishop
Teodomiro, a disciple of Santiago. There in a tiny stone grave under brush,
lay the bones of Saint James and his disciples.
In time when Christendom was challenged by the Moorish conquest, the
Austrian King Alfonso II "The Chaste" came with his nobles and built a
church and a monastery on this spot. Soon the place was known as Santiago
de Compostela, St James of Campus Stellae "field of stars". Summoned by
the dreams and prayers of the faithful asking for help, Santiago appeared
to them riding a fierce, white charger out of the sky, galloping down from
the Milky Way. Sword in hand, he hacked thousands of "Moorish infidels"
to death. Santiago Matamoros, Santiago the Moor Slayer, the Brother of
the Thunder, performed another miracle to save the Christian forces, the
forces of Christ in Spain. In gratitude for all of his help they made Santiago
the Patron Saint of Spain.
Compostella rivaled Rome and Jerusalem and became the western pilgrim's
site. People came from all over the Christian world to pay homage at this
holy place and to seek the blessed virtue of Santiago. On this sacred journey
of earthly adventure and spiritual quest, an overlapping experience from
sin to salvation, penance to peace and from ignorance to knowledge occurs
while crossing these mountains and hills of Spain. Life was a pilgrimage
then and now. For the pilgrimage continues today following on the footsteps
of a thousand-year-long-journey over the routes of ancient Roman Paths,
medieval cobblestone trails and todayís asphalt-paved roads. Human
spirit still replicate a divine quest on the Camino to Santiago.
To go on this pilgrimage in the traditional fashion is not simply a
tourist attraction or a walking competition in nature along an artistic
road. It is all that and much more. It is to meet with all these spiritual
men and women of different races, it is to meet with the history of spiritual
Europe, it is to renovate the path of internal transformation, it is to
walk in the rhythm of other centuries, it is... a pilgrimage.
Quien ha hecho el camino ha visto su vida partida en dos y ya es para
siempre un exiliado
July 16: Washington DC / Madrid / Barcelona
Spanair flies new and sophisticated jets giving you
the feeling you are in Spain from the moment you step onboard. the
new Spanish fleet will span the Atlantic on a comfortable overnight flight
complete with dinner and complementary movies.
July 17: Barcelona
Arrive in Madrid in the morning and then connect to Barcelona where your
host will greet and transfer you to your hotel. Morning to relax and acclimate.
The afternoon will be devoted to sightseeing enticing Barcelona.
July 18: Barcelona
Continue visiting notable places in Barcelona such as the Barri Gothic
quarter and Manzana de la Discordia. The remainder of the day will be at
your leisure.
July 19: Barcelona / Jaca
Travel in the morning north through the province of Huesca to reach our
first stop at the camino. Jaca is the first stop at the junction of El
Camino's two principal routes. This town is known by its venerated churches
such as Atares (Iglesia de San Julian) Santa Cruz de Seros and San Juan
de la Peña.
July 20: Jaca /Tiermas / Puente la Reina / Estella
/ Logroño
Travel the hilly road visiting along the way some of the typical Spanish
villages and explore their history and some of the shrines that are considered
to be so meritorious for pilgrims of all times. Puente de la Reina
is a small village of about 2000 inhabitants but with a millennium-old
history and is situated at the point where two traditional caminos merge
together. This village, as with many others, seems to be worn and withered
through the centuries of its existence but it is still very impressive.
Our journey will progress through Estella, Los Arcos, and Viana
leaving the province of Navarra and entering La Rioja, the heart of the
Spanish wine country. Dinner and accommodation in Logroño. After
dinner a presentation on Christian Mysticism by Arturo Martinez.
July 21: Logroño / Burgos
Logroño owes its existence to the pilgrimage to Santiago. After
the eleventh century it was not much more than an agricultural granary
on the bank of the Ebro, today it is a city of over 10,000 inhabitants.
We will start the day by a visit to the church of Santiago el Real known
for its stone carving of Santiago Matamoros - Santiago the Moorslayer -
riding a muscular charger and wielding his sharp-edged sword. This Santiago
is a far cry from the thoughtful, gentle Santiago Peregrino we saw in Puente
de la Reina. Logroño has marked the history of Spain and Christendom
by the battle of Clavijo against the Moors. The legend says that Santiago
alone slue over 60,000 infidel Moors to help Romiro I to win this battle.
We will continue our quest visiting villages on the way such as Navarette
known for Peter the Cruel and the Black Prince, and Villafranca in
the province of Castilla a land full of treasures abounding in gold, silver,
clothes and strong horses according to travel writer, Aymery Picaud. We
then go on to Burgos, home of the legendary El Cid. This beautiful
city on the banks of Rio Arlanzon is known for the gates and towers of
its cathedral that are like ìfloating lace pointing towards infinityî.
Dinner and accommodation at Hotel Fernan Gonzales. After dinner a presentation
featuring the story of Abderrahman II and Romiro I "Faith, War and Romance".
July 22: Burgos /Leon
After breakfast, we will proceed from village to village on the Camino
with a stop in the typical Spanish pueblo of Santa Catalania de Somoza.
It ís just as one would visualize a typical village in Spain...
neat stone houses clustered together, low stone walls dividing up the land,
subdividing one person's plot from another forming a maze of small geometrical
shapes. Most of these villages on the Camino were excused from taxes in
exchange for establishing a pilgrimage hod pice (direction markers) and
maintaining 800 stakes in the ground, indicators of the road to travelers
through small villages like Rocesvalles, Somport and Cebreiro.
July 23: Leon / Santiago de Compostela
After breakfast we will stroll to what is considered to be the loveliest
Gothic cathedral in Spain, the Pulchra Leonina which seems more glass than
stone. Georgiana King exclaimed that it is the only church in which one
feels as if one is the heart of a jewel, and Walter Starkie said, "in this
cathedral are all of the colors of the sunrises and sunsets of paradise".
Our journey continues on the path that has been traveled since the dawn
of human spiritual history, whether they worship God or Gods, Godesses
or the Virgin they all traveled and still travel the Milky way or El Camino
de Santiago. We will continue stepping in the footprints of ancient religions
and Christianity and this evening will bring us to Compostella known for
its holy Santiago, one can not help but to hurry to be there as the magnetism
of the holy shrine is so strong. We will stop at Monte del Gozo, Hill of
Joy - the hill from whose summit pilgrims could first see the towers of
the cathedral of Santiago. In 1425, it was described in these words...
Upon a hill stondez on hee
Where Sent Jamez ferst schalt thou see
A Mount Joie, money stonez ther ate.
We will enter the city from Puerta Santa as is the tradition, fulfill
our duty and give "un Brazo al Apostol" a popular Spanish saying (Quien
va a Santiago y no a Salvador, Sirve al cariado y deja el senor).
July 24: Santiago
After breakfast we will faithfully follow the traditional paths from Calle
de los Concheiros, up the narrow winding Rua de San Pedro, through la Puerta
del Camino which leads to Paraiso - the cathedral's north door. Continue
up the street Casas Reales, past the plaza de Animas, past the plaza de
Cervantes, onto the street called Azabacheria, which leads to the plaza
Inmaculada and we are at the north door. The remainder of the day is to
enjoy this contemplative moments of this pilgrimage in different parts
of the city. We will walk down Rua del Villar and the Rua Nueva. Dinner
and Lodging at the hotel.
July 25: Santiago / Padròn
/ Noya / Finisterre
Drive in the morning to Padròn, the Iria Flavia of Roman times,
where the boat bearing Santiagoís body supposedly landed in A.D
44. Continue to Noya, where legend has it that Noahís ark
once landed, an important stop in el Camino de Estrellas. Noya also holds
its traditional fiesta for this occasion. Our road will wind along the
rocky shores of the extreme west coast to take us to what was believed
for thousands of years to be the end of earth "Finisterre". The
name, Finisterre, literally means the end of earth - where heaven holds
itself over the ocean promising the best sunsets that afterward brings
the tail of the milky way... and maybe it is indeed the end of the earth.
July 26: Santiago / Ourense / Valladolid
Travel in the morning from Santiago to Oursen in the morning.
As capital of the province and home of Julio Iglesias as well as Fidel
Castro's family, we will certainly stop for an orientation tour of the
city and a visit to the Cathedral and Casco Viejo in the southern part
of town. Continue our journey to Valladolid. For centuries Valladolid
was referred to as the emerging city of Spain - a city that produced kings
and queens throughout history. Columbus died here and Cervantes lived here.
Today it remains an important metropolis studded with major historic sites
for us to explore. A stop not to miss is the Plaza de San Pablo a combination
of Isabellan Gothic and Plateresque, two of Spain's greatest facades.
July 27: Valladolid / Segovia / Madrid
Travel in the morning to the most enticing city, Segovia. This gracefully
ornamental city holds some of the best historic icons of Spain, for those
who love great architecture, this is a treat. It varies from Roman to Visigothic,
from Moorish to modern fantasy - all in harmony. Continue to Madrid in
the afternoon.
July 28: Madrid
Madrid of course is the capital of Spain but also undeniably the Art capital
of the world. It is not Paris or Rome with architectural assemblage, but
its southern end has a lot to offer and as the real heart of Madrid shows
it all, "La puerta del Sol and the Plaza Mayor" the labyrinth of glorious
yesterday. Our whole morning will be devoted to explore this part of town.
The afternoon will be devoted to the Museum of El Prado where art really
belongs. Collections of Arts where artists and Monarchs show their contributions
to humanity either working together or conflicting with each other, nevertheless
side by side.
July 29: Madrid
Day free to explore the maze of Madrid on your own and do some shopping.
July 30: Madrid / Washington DC
Transfer to Barajas airport in the morning to fly back home.
Tour includes:
RT Washington DC to Madrid
OW ticket Madrid to Barcelona
Hotel accommodation in 3***
Half-board, breakfast and dinner
Fees of guide and lecturer
Land transportation in a deluxe motor coach.
Hotel Used
Barcelona: 2 nights, Hotel Suizo***
Jaca: 1 night, Hotel Oroel***
Logroño: 1 night, Hotel Condes de Haro***
Burgos: 1 night, Hotel Luis de Leon****
Santiago: 3 nights, Hotel Santiago Apostol***
Valladolid: 1 night, Hotel Juan de Asturia****
Madrid: 3 nights, Hotel Asturias***
Cost per person based on double occupancy in 4 star hotels: $2685.00
Single supplement: $ 460.00
Double occupancy in 3 star hotels: $2185.00
Single supplement: $ 345.00
Camping throughout the journey: $1685.00
Cycling throughout the journey: $1485.00
Please note that this itinerary can also be an expedition overland by
truck or cycling with camping accommodations.
