El Camino De Santiago

The Camino de Santiago or The Way of St James is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain. For over 1000 years, Christians have walked along it to the place believed to be the resting place of Saint James or Sant Iago. More recently, more and more people have walked it for other reasons.

My family first became aware of it after watching the movie: The Way, in which a father tries to understand his estranged son, who died along the trail. The father encounters other people walking for their own distinct and personally important reasons, and the film is the story of their physical and spiritual journeys.

The route begins in the south west corner of France, crosses the Pyrenees, traverses the maseta and finishes in the City of Santiago de Compostela. It passes through diverse countryside, many very old cities and simple villages. It can be physically very challenging, and all who walk it agree it is a life-changing experience. Dad and Andrew decided it was a challenge worth accepting.

As a family, we decided to merge these two significant things together. Dad and Andrew could walk to make a difference in the lives of others, as well as their own. Their pilgrimage could be a small step towards a better life for the women and girls trapped in the sex trade in India.