#CAMINO DE COMPESTELLA FULL#

But then, in true Lizz and Jen fashion, we got lost. Lizz and I both broke down a little as we neared the cathedral where all pilgrimages along the Camino de Santiago end, swallowing back some tears as we realized that we had really done it. Some people feel overwhelmed with emotion when they arrive in Santiago de Compostela others feel disappointed. It Was Finally Time to End Our Journey on the Camino del Norte I set down my guilt for good I left my burden behind. I carried all of my guilt every step of the way.Īnd then 10 kilometers outside of Santiago de Compostela, I set down my rock on a mile marker where no other burdens yet sat. I carried my guilt for not realizing how quickly he would go for not, somehow, doing more to help him as cancer ravaged his body for being irrationally angry at him for leaving me. I had chosen to carry with me on the Camino del Norte my guilt over the death of my partner. A small, smooth rock that my dad had handed me as I packed up my bags. It was emotional to set down that rock from my hometown of Vancouver, Wash. They leave those rocks right as they were left, respecting the burden left behind by a fellow pilgrim on the route.Īnd as we neared Santiago, it was time to leave our burdens behind. Pilgrims on the Camino del Norte do not touch the rocks. Instead, rocks are piled on top of mile markers and signs all along the route. But on the Camino del Norte, there is not a designated spot. On the Camino Frances, the most popular route, there is a specific place where pilgrims leave their burden. And, somewhere along The Way, pilgrims leave their burdens behind. You see, pilgrims often carry a rock from home in their backpack as they walk. But there is one tradition that literally weighed us down as we walked.

#CAMINO DE COMPESTELLA FULL#

The Camino de Santiago is full of tradition and symbolism. Leaving Your Burden Behind: A Camino Tradition While we skipped and counted down the kilometers to our final destination, we also took some time to reflect. This is the video of our final day on the Camino del Norte

Camino de compestella