Camino de Santiago de Compostella500 miles to walk in 34 days, from the southwest corner of France (St. Jean Pied de Port) to Compostela in western Spain, and possibly to the Atlantic Ocean (Finisterre). Why? It is a historic pilgrimage route (since the 9th century), a path well travelled by those seeking answers and wholeness, just as valid today in our confused world. My daughter and I travelled it together, not sure if that was a good idea. We rose before dawn, carrying all that we needed on our backs, day after day, counting stars and miles and aches. It was a walk through history, an adventure and a challenge, we found more than we expected, in companionship, dependency, frustration and faith. A common saying along the way is "the camino provides". We felt safe, not only from highwaymen as in ancient times, but experienced the freedom from the nonsense of our modern life. Although we didn't need a pilgrim hospital to cure our ailments, we were cared for by other pilgrims, volunteers staffing churches and albergues with heartwarming welcomes and delicious food made from simple ingredients. The following are sketches I did along the way. After covering miles in the morning and reaching an albergue with an available bed for the night, it was time to rest our feet. Using this down time, I would search for a shady spot as few steps away as possible and spend the next hour with my sketchbook. Click on each image to see its entirety and follow along. Thank you for your interest! 
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