PWC Presents: Walking the Chemin de Saint Jacques

In 831 AD the bones of Saint James were discovered in a field in Galicia, Spain, which became the site of the pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostella. In 950 AD, the Bishop of Le Puy-en-Velay, Bishop Godescalc, became the first official pilgrim from Le Puy to Santiago, and returned to build the church of Saint-Michael-d’Aiguilhe on a volcanic spire in Le Puy.

This past spring, Jim, Sandy and Kimberly walked 295 miles on the GR 65/Chemin de Saint Jacques and GR 651 (through the Cele Valley) over 23 days (including 2 rest days) to the Abbey Church of Moissac, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Jim then continued onward alone to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, at the foot of the Pyrenees and the start of the Camino Frances, for a total of 496 miles over 38 days.

We will talk about the practicalities of walking the Chemin de St. Jacques, show the wide variety of stunning landscapes we walked through and the historic sites we passed, talk about the spiritual and historical aspects of walking a pilgrimage road, and highlight the agricultural (and culinary) heart of these varied lands.