Davisites discuss The Way to Santiago

The recent movie “The Way” depicts the adventure that awaits those who travel the Camino to Santiago de Compostela. For more than 1,000 years, pilgrims have been traveling to the cathedral in Santiago, Spain, which now houses the remains of the apostle St. James, as one of the key pilgrimages in Christendom.

During January, two slide presentations by Davis residents Rick Moniz and Greg Bourne will share more about the Camino — the towns, sights and scenery along the way — and describe an upcoming opportunity to travel the Portuguese Way on the Camino with a small group from Davis.

On Saturday, Jan. 19, a presentation will run from 10 a.m. to noon at the Stephens Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St. in Davis, and on Friday, Jan. 25, a second presentation is planned from 7 to 9 p.m. at International House, Davis, 10 College Park. Both talks are free and open to the public. Wine and tapas will be provided at I-House.

The Way to Santiago can be approached from across the Pyrenees in southern France, from the east and from Portugal to the south. Each path ultimately traverses the rolling hills of Galicia in northwest Spain, arriving at the 12th century cathedral that lies at the heart of old Santiago.

“Whether for the adventure, the sport of it or as a religious pilgrimage, traveling the Camino transports you to another time and place,” Bourne says. “It is an experience not commonly found within the stream and current pace of Western civilization. It is about walking, appreciating nature, experiencing rural Galician culture, engaging in meditation or interacting with fellow pilgrims.”

For more information, email gbounel4t@gmail.com.