Thankful for 542 Smiles on the Camino

542 smiles lawra spring 2025 la concha

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.

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Remembering Alessandro

remembering alessandro horse valaer spring 2025 la concha

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.

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Tandem

Two Pilgrims walking ring spring 2025 la concha

This poem by Rebecca Ring considers the duality of our human need for both solitude and companionship, on Camino and in life.

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Our She-roes Journey

our sheroes journey DeToni Hill spring 2025 la concha.

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.

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Shadow Pilgrim

Shadow Pilgrim Baldreee spring 2025 la concha

Poet Suzanne Doerge considers the ethereal, inseparable companionship one finds in their own shadow while on pilgrimage.

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My Camino Family

Doug and me LaRocca Pitts spring 2025 la concha

Of all the connections he has made along three pilgrimages, a man discovers that when his brother and children join him, there is little to compare to bonding as a Camino family with his actual family.

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Grateful Hearts on the Camino Francés

Grateful hearts joanna sands spring 2025 la concha.

Despite the camaraderie and shared experiences she’d had on Camino, a woman can’t shake the feeling that she is meant to discover something more. A day before walking into Santiago de Compostela, she finds a heart-shaped rock. Examining and contemplating the rock’s details, she unearths the deeper meaning she had been seeking.

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Book Review: Before the Camino

Before the Camino Karen Kiser spring '25 la concha

A review of Before the Camino by Karin Kiser. Reviewer Sara Steig Gradwohl describes this pocket-sized guide as a “trusty companion as you prepare for your Camino.” This book complements Kiser’s other two books of the same small format, Your Inner Camino and After the Camino. Collectively, the three offer nuggets of wisdom, right-sized to carry in your backpack, before, during, and after your Camino.

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