The Olive Route Arrives In Santiago De Compostela

Yesterday, on the 57th day since leaving Athens, the cycling pilgrims of the Olive Route Cycling Tour have arrived in Santiago de Compostela (a corruption of Campus Stellae, ‘Field of Stars’). This city is, of course, the destination of what is known as the Camino de Santiago, described by Wikipedia as “one of the world’s most significant and historical Christian pilgrimages. This sacred journey leads to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in the Galicia region of northwest Spain, where the remains of Saint James the Apostle are believed to be buried.”

Over the last few days we have encountered many other pilgrims from around the world – some walking, some cycling, some using buses, and some (too many for me) on loud motorcycles. These motorcycles ‘on steroids’ are not very pleasant amongst the walkers and cyclists. I find this a bit ironic as, according to Wikipedia, the point of a pilgrimage (journey) “is not just a physical challenge but also a profound spiritual and introspective experience, offering a sense of community, personal reflection, and fulfillment.”

Be that as it may, who am I to judge what is a profound spiritual experience for anyone. Those of you who have had the wretched experience of reading my humble attempts of seeking enlightenment at the end of the Magical Madagascar tour  and then again on the Trans Himalaya tour in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, or even worse watched the video, “I Seek,” know that I have not been very successful in finding or having an authentic spiritual experience!

However, I certainly can tell you that the Olive Route Cycling Tour (or pilgrimage) has so far (it is not quite over yet) been a physical challenge for each and every one of the participants, with plenty of mountains and hills to conquer and some long days on the bicycle. I can’t speak for anyone’s introspective experience but I can tell you a lot about the little community we have formed, though I think this video  by Ben our content creator will do a better job. As far as journeys are concerned, at least for me and I would venture to say it is the same for every participant, it has been a great experience with boundless scenery, wonderful food and wine, plenty of surprises along the way, lots of laugher in between and, most importantly, a wonderful group of human beings who just happen to be incredible long distance cyclists.

So this morning, the 58th day of Olive Route, Ruth and I set out from our hotel for the final stage of Camino de Santiago and with burning thighs from attempting to climb too many steep hills, we headed to the Cathedral de Santiago, the end point for most pilgrims (not for us, we are heading to Lisbon). Thus, it was a great pleasure that just before I was to undertake the final stairs into the cathedral, I came across another pilgrim, a soulmate if you will, with a t-shirt that says it all – ‘Never Underestimate an Old Man with a Bicycle’. Though he only spoke Spanish, a language in which I am limited to ‘una cerveza, por favor’, we became instant friends!

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