Hampden-Sydney College: Spain - Religion Program

We will be walking a portion--over 400 miles--of Spain's famous Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James) from the city of Logroño to the city of Santiago de Compostela, believed to be the final resting place of St. James the Apostle.  Early to bed and early to rise, we'll walk from village to village, retracing the steps of millions of pilgrims before us, going back to the 10th century.  Shouldering our possessions in our backpacks, we'll cover a variety of terrain including long stretches of plateau, hills, valleys, and mountains while trekking over rocky trails, gravel lanes, dirt paths, village and city streets, and paved footpaths.  At night we stay in municipal or religious hostels, family-owned pensiones, and small hotels.  We will join a community of pilgrims from all over the globe.  The Camino remains a highly religious and spiritual experience for many, and students will have the opportunity to meet the deeply devout as they make their way to Santiago de Compostela to visit and revere the remains of St. James.  Other pilgrims participate in the journey for the cultural experience of seeing and studying the enormous amount of religious art and architecture. And then there are those who walk the path for purely personal and secular reasons, to enjoy the vigor of the walk and the spectacular landscape along the way.  The ability to speak and understand Spanish is an advantage, though not a requirement.  Fellow pilgrims will speak a variety of languages, and many have some command of English.