Pilgrim statues on the Camino

Besides the yellow arrows and scallop shells connecting the days on the Camino, another familiar feature dotting the Way are pilgrim statues. These statues pop up all along the Camino. You may find one as you enter a village or take a pause in a plaza. They may greet you high atop a summit or next to a water fountain as you fill your bottle.

I stopped to admire these works when I happened upon them. Some were whimsical, crafted from metal or reclaimed objects (such as those above from Santo Domingo de la Calzada and Sahagún). The bronze cast sculptures (such as those below) were particularly expressive. It was easy to imagine the state of mind of these pilgrims looking at their faces.

Lining up all these varied statues you get a sense of the range of emotions a pilgrim might encounter on this long distance walk: exhaustion, thirst, perseverance, joy, peace. Their body language is evocative, be it resting on a bench or guzzling water. Walking steadily or holding on to their hat. It’s all in a day on the Camino.

One foot after the other.

I didn’t always take a photo so this collection is compiled with the help of pilgrim friends. Starting from top left: pilgrim couple walking in Logroño, seated pilgrim in front of Burgos Cathedral, walking with pilgrim staff in Carrión des Condes, tired pilgrims in Mansilla des Mulas (stone statue), resting in front of San Marcos Parador in Léon (shoes off), thirsty pilgrim on way into Astorga, walking against the wind (holding on to your hat!) on Alto de San Roque, and Monte de Gozo (Hill of Joy) pilgrims pointing to the cathedral on approach to Santiago de Compostela.

It was an emotion of surprise as I went to hit publish on this post. It’s my 200th blog post. Hard to believe another 100 has passed. I am grateful to have had all these experiences since my 100th post three years ago. Thank you for joining me on these journeys!