Pilgrims Way

Patricia Clark recounts a tale from her trek on Japan’s Nakasendo Trail when she saw an opportunity to participate in a chain reaction of goodwill. What many Americans call “paying it forward” and what her Japanese hiking companion called a “happiness relay” speaks to the universal language of kindness.

Bick Treut describes the seemingly random, perhaps divinely designed way a culturally diverse group of pilgrims come together to form what he calls a band of angels.

A classical musician on Camino is encouraged by her teacher to have a piece of medieval music ready to play at all times, and to play for listeners as a gift.

When a pilgrim falls ill along the Camino Francés and is hospitalized, locals from Estella—including friends he had made earlier that year as well as other strangers-turned-friends—came to his and his wife’s aid, showing them how community forms the foundation of Spanish culture in some villages.

A visually impaired pilgrim comes to see that we rescue each other in grand and small ways on the Camino.

A woman who fears rejection sets a Camino intention to make the “first move” to create connections with other pilgrims, leading to lasting friendships with fellow pilgrims.

When a man transfers photos from his phone, he discovers he has 542 photos of smiling faces he encountered on his ten Caminos. He is grateful for each and every one of the 542 faces and smiles the Camino has given him, and he wonders if some of those people also have a photo of his smiling pilgrim face.

As a mother walks the Camino Primitivo with her son, she fondly remembers those with whom she previously shared the route and cherishes the new memories she is creating with her son.

A man replaces the worn rubber tips on his trekking poles with wine corks. He finds the repurposed corks to be a sustainable, durable, and quieter alternative to rubber tips—a perfect pairing for his next Camino.

A group of clergywomen embarked on Camino together as a pandemic respite. They gathered as strangers, strangers became friends, and friends accompanied one another on their shared journeys on and off The Way.