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Pilgrimage to Santiago

A man on a bicycle next to a sign that says "Camino de Santiago"

Reprinted from 1989 SYA Newsletter

In early July, Hal McCann, Resident Director of SYA Spain, bicycled from Pamplona to Santiago along the famous Camino de Santiago. For the first five days of the ten-day, 800-km trip, Hal traveled with a Catalan friend, who, discouraged by rain, wind, cold and the reputation of the mountains to come, returned to Barcelona from Leon. "I didn't really mind the weather," Hal reports, "but I did become upset when my camera broke in Astorga. I missed many good shots of what was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Hal spent nights in refuges where he met pilgrims of diverse ages and nationalities. Almost all were walking the route, some for as long as three months. "I had no idea that the pilgrimage was still so popular," he says. “In Santiago, there were over 40 pilgrims in the seminary dormitory, one of two refuges in that city.” Other accommodations ranged from the sublime to the simple: the Monastery at Samos, a school gym and a mattress on the ground underneath a polyethylene tarp. “People along the route realized I was a pilgrim, and I was always treated in a special way,” he reports. In order to receive the Compostelana, the

Man leaning on a bike in front of an old church in Spain

official certificate proving one has made the pilgrimage, each pilgrim must present a special document containing stamps from designated towns along the route and explain his reasons for undertaking the journey. “I almost didn't get my Compostelana,” Hal confesses. “All my stamps were in order, but I told them that rest, relaxation and adventure were my motives. When I saw that something religious was what they hoped to hear, I had to do some fast talking!”

Hal sums up his ten-day effort enthusiastically: “Physically I was tired, especially my legs, but mentally I was totally refreshed. Escaping to the past like that and getting close to nature (on some parts of the trip, cows presented more problems than cars!) was an exhilarating experience.”

Hal McCann has served as Executive Director from 1976-1986, 1989-1990 and Resident Director of Spain from 1986-1989 and 1990-1992. He and Becky are also the grandparents of Olly ES'24.