Pilgrimage
On our first day of the Renewal and Reflection Retreat in France, we hiked around the area of La Romieu. A section of our hike was along the famous Saint Jacques de Compostelle.
Pilgrimages, covering hundreds of miles, started in the 11th century in France. Today pilgrims basically follow four historical routes that are symbolic of the unique cultural identity classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site. The routes join together an architectural heritage and a particular state of thinking.
A complete journey, from a starting point in France to the Santiago in Spain, involves almost 100,000 people a year. Many others just cover part of the route with an average of 25 km within the heart of the French countryside. An entire route, including the Spanish part, can take two or three months. Only the last 50 km have to be on foot or horse.
We only did a few hours, but it was well worth it. The countryside was absolutely beautiful and the hiking did get us to have conversations and to think. What more could we ask for? I left with the thought that I want to hike more along the pilgrimage walk. I have read about the Spanish section years ago. Now, I got to walk a little on the French side. The value of hiking is in the movement of our body and our brain. Any hiking will get our brain moving and help us to shift our thinking. What hike will you do next to shift your thinking?
