Camino Del Norte and Camino Primitivo

Just a quick entry to kickstart chronicling my 2025 pilgrimage. Tomorrow I fly to Spain. Starting on Friday in Irun Spain, my journey takes me on 2 Camino routes to Santiago de Compostela. I start on the Camino del Norte then transition to the Camino Primitivo, purportedly the original Camino dating back to the mid Ninth Century. A special thanks to my wife Carla who encouraged me, trained with me and worries about me. We will be celebrating our 38th anniversary this August and I thank God for her love and belief in me- more than I deserve. In 2023, Carla and I walked the Camino together and, while a different route, that journey provided me with a wealth of memories which will sustain and inspire me as I walk in 2025. More to come…..

Above are trinkets and items I will rely upon to help me through the upcoming challenges. Many of the above aided me in prior pilgrimages- my Mom’s prayer card, a picture of Father Bill King, a Jesuit from Xavier who played a big role in my life, a multipurpose cloth- a gift from a fellow pilgrim last year- thanks Mike, a prayer book from my dad, palms from Palm Sunday I plan to leave at some point on this sacred path, a monstrance I plan to lay on the Camino on Easter Sunday and finally the iconic Camino Shell given to me when Carla and I started our Camino in 2013. It has been with me since.

I will be living out of this backpack for the next 35 days. It’s jam packed