SPRING KICK OFF SOCIAL

7:00pm on Saturday April 23rd at The Kings Arms,
at 323 Church, in downtown Oakville

Anneli and I will be providing an exciting slide show of our recent Bike Trip of
a Lifetime across Spain along the 1000
year old Camino Santiago pilgramage trail.

To wet your appetite for the slide show and for those that can't make it below
is Anneli's storey of the trip.

Greg

PEDALLING PILGRIMS were what my husband and I called ourselves this past July as
we cycled the 1000-year-old Camino
Santiago, an 800-kilometre pilgrimage across the north of Spain. On our mountain
bikes, we followed in the
footsteps of Chaucer, El Cid, St. Francis of Assisi and even Shirley MacLaine --
from the northeast corner of Spain to
the northwest, to Santiago de Compostela, one of Christendom's three principal
destinations. It is said that when St.
James the Apostle was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa in 44 CE, his followers
took his body back to Spain, where he had
been a pilgrim. After his relics were discovered in the 10th century, a
cathedral was built in his honour, and over the
years an entire pilgrimage route was built. Now, over 100,000 pilgrims make this
journey every year, most on foot but
many on bicycle, and they come from all over the world. During our two weeks on
the trail (averaging 50-80 kms a day) we
met people from over 21 countries! We had chosen to make this pilgrimage in
celebration of o u r 50th birthdays this
year. My July birthday was special as I was offered well wishes in over a dozen
languages.

Our journey began in the foothills of the Pyrenees; continued through dry, dusty
and hot meseta (plains); climbed back
into the mountains (including 7-km straight climbs up to 1300 metres and 30-km
descents where I, a total newcomer to
mountain biking, reached speeds of 50kms an hour BRAKING!);and then ended in
lush and hilly
Galicia. Enroute we passed through the vineyards of the Rioja and the former
kingdoms of northern Spain, sleeping in
simple dormitories in hospitable convents and monasteries; visiting numerous
small, austere 11th and 12th century
Romanesque churches and awe-inspiring Gothic cathedrals; enjoying ecumenical and
international discussions accompanied
by countless cafes con leche --and bottles of Spanish wine!-- with fellow
pilgrims. Then,
only days before St. James' Day (Sunday July 25th) and the arrival of Spain's
king, queen and president to commemorate
it, we completed our pilgrimage by taking part in an international mass at the
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela,
gasping at the swinging of the 60-km/hour giant incense burner, listening
proudly as Canada's pilgrims were
acknowledged, and happily receiving our Compostela pilgrimage certificates.

There is no doubt that this pilgrimage was physically challenging --The steep,
rocky trails were as tough as the small
highways were scary. That's what a pilgrimage SHOULD be, or at least that's what
we were told. In return, the trip was
culturally enlightening. The Spanish have a great respect for pilgrims, wishing
us a "Buen Camino!" time and time again.
We can learn much from their simpler lifestyles. Also spiritually fulfilling,
the trip provided us with ample
opportunity to pause and reflect on our lives, and values. It was a simply
amazing holiday, in breathtakingly beautiful
countryside and hot, sunny weather. For all these reasons, we highly recommend
it, to both walkers and cyclists.

An added bonus: While reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown for September's
book group meeting, I was able to reflect
on the modern day Templar knight who invited us into his hut high up in the
mountains, and to remember the Templar
Knight castles which we had passed as well as the
many churches and cathedrals which we visited. So, to all the potential CFUW
pilgrims out there, Buen Camino! It could
very well be the trip of a lifetime!

Anneli Andre-Barrett