STRANGER THINGS

You’re probably wondering why I chose “STRANGER THINGS” as the title of this post. Well I have been waiting so long for the final season of STRANGER THINGS and I’ve been procrastinating so long finishing the blog post from the Camino Portuguese that it seemed kind of appropriate. Although I hardly expect that you all have been waiting with baited breath for the finale of my walk. Nonetheless it is a new year and it’s time to complete these posts because I have more camino news to share with you. So here goes…

TAKING THE BOAT PATH OF SAINT JAMES

October 6, 2025

Camino Portuguese, Day 16

Total miles walked today 6.23 miles

Vilanova de Arousa to Padron

This is the water route that the boat carrying the body of St. James took to reach Galicia, Spain. His disciples then carried his body to be buried on the site where the alter in the Cathedral of Santiago is located.

Today is the boat to Padron. I have mixed feelings today about this journey. It feels slightly inauthentic gliding north on this modern boat. No one knows how or even if St. James’ body was transported to Spain after he was martyred. And yet walking the path feels more authentic. Millions have walked the Caminos for thousands of years. Now here I am on a boat that takes pilgrims, or anyone for that matter, across the water to Padron.

I mentioned this to our friend Jose, and he pointed out to me that if we were on a boat in America, everyone would be wearing life vests and we would be compelled to stay in our seats. We would also have filled out multiple pages of a waiver listing all medications taken, surgeries, food allergies, and acknowledging that failure to comply with the boat’s rules would result in being tossed overboard. How true, how true.

Ok, so maybe authenticity is overrated. Or maybe authenticity isn’t in the boat or the people on board. Maybe authenticity is more akin to faith. I don’t have to be sailing in an ancient vessel to feel close to the early pilgrims who passed this way. Faith isn’t blind belief that a story is factually true. Faith is more about the belief that there is a truth to be found in a story.

John Wesley, founder of Methodism, said that truth is found in scripture, reason, tradition, and experience. There is no biblical scripture telling of St. James’ boat passage although there are extra-canonical stories. I’m a little stuck in my head now which tells me that there probably isn’t any veracity to the story. There is tradition. People in Spain and along the camino routes claim a deep belief that the body of St. James was transported up this waterway to the shore at Padron and that the body was subsequently moved inland to be buried on the spot where the altar of the Cathedral of Santiago sits. That’s why over the years they have erected the crosses to signify this. Finally we have experience. I have had experiences of our Triune God. I will not go into them here because they are fiercely spiritual and personal to me. If you have had such an experience you know what I’m talking about. I have never had an experience of Saint James yet I have deeply felt the presence of the Triune God as I’ve walked each camino. People ask me if I pray along the camino. I say, “no”, but that I feel the camino praying through me.

This is my story for this day.

Buen Camino

My stamps for the day.

BTW I just watched the final episode of STRANGER THINGS and it was awesome!