Readers who have followed this blog from its inception will know of my love of pilgrimage, and will probably have followed me as I’ve walked in various countries and for various reasons over the past ten years. I have always been drawn to to the tradition of pilgrimage, and following pilgrim routes has become an increasingly important part of my last decade, perhaps it is my innate way of working with my own ageing process. My passion is evolving as I age, and deepening, if that is possible. For me, walking and ageing seem to go together, and my walks in the world have become gauges of how well I am doing physically, mentally, and emotionally. Bodies become less flexible as they get older, as can attitudes, and both need realistic examination and conscious adjustment. On the other hand, though, we often have more time for contemplation, so writing becomes a natural outlet.
I am writing a series of articles and guides that I hope will be both enjoyable and informative, perhaps especially for those planning pilgrimages who have certain concerns and interests similar to mine, namely, gluten free travel for coeliacs (celiacs), walking as an older woman, and pilgrim iconography.
My Camino Inglés – this first pdf is the whole shebang. When I got home, I wrote what I thought of as my Camino Memoirs, hoping to capture as many of the details as possible, for myself and others. I’ll be cutting it down to size later and separating out some of the various pieces for easier searching and reference. For now? Enjoy!
Not all Pilgrims are Athletes – Having the heart of a pilgrim does not necessarily mean that you have pilgrim feet, but I stronly believe that with a bit of creativity, pilgrimage can be for everyone. I have both spoken and written formally on the subject, and it often comes into both public and private conversations I have with pilgrims as part of my work with the CSJ. The following is an article I wrote for the CSJ Bulletin in the Autumn of 2020. The Bulletin is a semi-annual publication offered as a member benefit by the CSJ. This was later developed into a hour-long lecture that I gave for the CSJ for their 2020 Constance Storrs lecture series. Recording of the presentation can be made available in return for a small donation to the CSJ.
Blog Archives – To read my past blogs about my pilgrimages in France and Sweden, you’ll need to click on the drop down list of categories in the sidebar and scroll down to Pilgrimages – or click here or go to the drop down list of categories in the sidebar and scroll down to Pilgrimage. My writings about my earlier pilgrimages can be found on my original site, Ariadne’s Thread.