Actually, I’m planning “Los Tres Caminos de Santiago” by combining the Camino de Madrid, Camino de San Salvador and Camino Primitivo. Now, what does this actually entail?
As a bit of background, The Camino de Santiago is an ancient pilgrimage, with several starting points, all culminating at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. Legend has it that the body of James the Apostle is buried under the Cathedral and pilgrims have been walking to the sacred site for centuries.
I walked the Camino Frances, The French Way, in 2014, and felt the urge to complete another pilgrimage this year. Los Tres Caminos has been the goal for this pilgrimage and will require more time in solitude plus walking through more mountainous terrain. I’m actually looking forward to the challenge.
The Camino de Madrid begins at the Royal Church of Saint James and Saint John in Madrid, Spain and extends for 185 miles, (300 kilometers), to Sahagún. At the point it joins the Camino Frances, which can be followed on to Santiago. I am planning to walk the Frances to Leon, where I will pick up the Camino de San Salvador. This Camino is a more recent pilgrimage that extends from Leon to Oviedo and the start of the first Camino, The Camino Primitivo.
The Camino de San Salvador, or The Way of The Savior, extends for 74 miles, (119 kilometers), and is perhaps the most rugged of all the Caminos. It was created for pilgrims who wanted to also visit the Cathedral San Salvador of Oviedo on the way to Santiago. There is an often quoted saying in Spain stating “Quien va a Santiago y no al Salvador, visita al lacayo y no al Señor.” In English this translates to “He who goes to Santiago and not to San Salvador, visits the servant and not the Lord.” So, this short but mountainous route will add a new dimension to this pilgrimage.
Finally, I plan to complete my walk taking The Camino Primitivo or The Original Way. This Camino begins at the Cathedral de San Salvador in Oviedo and extends for 205 miles, (331 kilometers), to the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela in Santiago.
All together, Los Tres Caminos should take me around forty days to complete. I have some flexibility and will need to adjust as I walk, so we’ll see what takes place. I’ll be updating the blog as I go along.
