Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It's the Pilgrimage, Not the Hike by Julie Gianelloni Connor
Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It's the Pilgrimage, Not the Hike
by Julie Gianelloni Connor
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Ratings 4.4/5
Synopsis
Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It's the Pilgrimage, Not the Hike is the first book by author Julie Gianelloni Connor. The book focus on the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage trail that began around 820 AD. A resurrection of interest in the Camino since the 1970s has meant that more than 300,000 individuals are nowadays undertaking the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela each year. The author made the pilgrimage in 2016 via the French route from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, a journey of some 500 miles. Her book incorporates a blog and travel journal she kept during that pilgrimage. The book is also a memoir, with Ms. Connor explaining how and why she decided to make the pilgrimage.
Savoring the Camino is also a practical guide to the Camino for those interested in it. While the prevailing culture of the Camino is to walk the route, Ms. Connor believes that walking is not the only way to undertake the route. Taking buses, taxis, or even driving are also valid ways to experience the Camino, in her opinion. She advocates for pilgrims to slow down and savor the pilgrimage by stopping in churches, cathedrals, museums, and interesting towns and cities along the route. Not everyone experiences spiritual or personal growth through the act of walking; Ms. Connor urges pilgrims to take the trip in the manner that will most connect them with their spiritual, religious, and transcendent well springs.
After completing the pilgrimage, the author journeyed on to Madrid and Toledo, and there are chapters in the book covering those visits. Ms. Connor also recounts activities following the journey related to the Camino, such as writing an open letter to relevant governmental authorities in Spain and hosting a thank-you dinner in Houston for those who helped her plan and organize her pilgrimage.
The book also includes a useful chapter on resources as well as an index.
My Thoughts
The list of books about the Camino is huge, but there are some of them that are always at the top of the recommended list. This book storytelling is as diverse as the people who decide to embark on the Camino journey. If you are looking to get inspired and to know more about the amazing pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It's the Pilgrimage, Not the Hike by Julie Gianelloni Connor is the top book for you.
Read a few books on the Camino now , intend to do it eventually, this is one of the best ones , doesn’t go into much detail of places , but I found it very poignant, it’s a personal odyssey and though she may not be ascetic enough for some , or suitably pious ,she comes through as a open minded, warm person and experiences some deeply spiritual incidents ,she describes these and personal encounters with insight, honesty.
Filled with quirky fellow pilgrims, historic landscapes, and Julie Gianelloni Connor’s self-deprecating sense of humor, Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It's the Pilgrimage, Not the Hike is an inspiring travelogue, a publishing phenomenon, and a spiritual journey unlike any other.
Highly Recommended!
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