There is a legend that says when James the Apostle died he’s body was put on a stone boat and put out to the Mediterranean sea were angels took it and let it to northern Spain. Northern Spain is supposedly special to James because he had spread the gospel there. Many years later in the middle ages the story goes that a peasant found the remains under a field of stars in northern Spain soon after a ruler of northern Spain decided to build a cathedral to house the remains so now we have the city of Santiago de Compostela. 

This ruler, Alfonso, encouraged people to make pilgrimages to the cathedral and thus became the Camino the Santiago. The original way, or the primitive way, began in the town of Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, and traveled over 200 miles to the city of Santiago.

Well there is a route that begins in France that is much more popular, the original way that leaves from Oviedo is becoming more popular because it is shorter than the French. The original way is the way I will be taking.

Some estimate I can take a short as 11 days and as long as 14, I plan to take about 16 to 18 days to walk it, giving myself plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful Northern Spain pastures and hills and mountains. Along the way they are also wonderful ruins and churches from the pilgrimages of the past.