Savoring the Camino de Santiago

It's the Pilgrimage, Not the Hike

By: Julie Gianelloni Connor

Narrated by: Dana Roth

Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It’s the Pilgrimage, Not the Hike focuses on the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage trail that began around AD 820. A resurrection of interest in the Camino since the 1970s has meant that more than 300,000 individuals are nowadays undertaking the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain each year.

Kings and paupers, saints and sinners have all made this pilgrimage over the centuries. The movie The Way with Martin Sheen chronicled a journey along the French route from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, a journey of some 500 miles. The author also followed the French route. Her book incorporates a blog and travel journal she kept during that pilgrimage and has chapters explaining how and why she decided to make the pilgrimage.

Savoring the Camino is also a practical guide to the Camino for those interested in it. While the prevailing culture of the Camino is to walk the route, Ms. Connor believes that walking is not the only way to undertake the Camino. Taking buses, taxis, or even driving are also valid ways to experience the Camino, in her opinion.

She advocates pilgrims to slow down and savor the pilgrimage by stopping in churches, cathedrals, museums, and interesting towns and cities along the route. Not everyone experiences spiritual or personal growth through the act of walking; Ms. Connor urges pilgrims to take the trip in the manner that will most connects them with their spiritual, religious, and transcendent well springs.

After completing the pilgrimage, the author journeyed on to Madrid and Toledo, and there are chapters in the book covering those visits. Ms. Connor also recounts activities following the journey related to the Camino, such as writing an open letter to relevant governmental authorities in Spain and hosting a thank-you dinner in Houston for those who helped her plan and organize her pilgrimage. She reflects on the meaning of the pilgrimage.

©2020 Julie Gianelloni Connor (P)2020 Julie Gianelloni Connor

One Ladies Camino Journey

A number of chapters could be skipped without a doubt... nothing to see here.. However she does present a number of pointers for anyone heading to the Camino. these are worth the effort of listening. Glad I took the effort..

sadly couldn't finish it

The author was trying to provide a guide, but mostly complained. The guide they did provide was limited at best, and not even a 'good place to start'. It is a very tough listen and while I'm sure they author believes they were reasonable and helping, going to the camino forums is a better bet.

Don’t listen to reviewer “Steve”, he is a bum and hates women.

😎

An old independent women walking the Camino with her son is a heartfelt tale. No “redeeming quality to the book”… smh, what a clown. Read this book if you support independent writers and cool ppl.

Worst Camino Book Written

This book should be titled “Tourist goes to the Camino.” I certainly appreciate that everyone walks their own Camino, but to complain about the Camino not having better public transportation, benches to rest on, more trees on the Meseta and having the trails marked for difficulty like ski slopes. I listened to the painful end hoping for some redeeming quality but couldn’t find any. The author should have gone on another vacation instead of using Camino resources. Too bad she missed all that the Camino offers and didn’t talk about what she got out of the Camino and the relationships she made. Don’t waste your money!!