Mirrors of the Camino (Paperback)

Mirrors of the Camino is a dual journey of a 21st century couple, Randy and Patty, in their 60s, hiking the Camino de Santiago, sharing how they came to walk their first Camino and their experiences along the way, including their obsession with travel foreplay. You can endure with them their physical and emotional challenges, watch as they develop new friendships with a diverse group of hikers from all parts of the globe and witness their encounters with, and personal explorations of, a new spirituality offered by the Camino. There is also a 'Keep Portland Weird' current flowing throughout, with frequent "Foodie" detours. All of these experiences are paired with the Renaissance era commentary of an actual sixteenth century protestant minister Stephen, who not only bears the same surname and ancestral origins as his co-author, but authored his own book in the Middle Ages on pilgrimages. Randy's and Stephen's stories reveal the striking similarities and perhaps not so surprising differences between pilgrimages of the Middle Ages and those of the twenty first century. You will read very detailed personal accounts told from the experiences of these two co-authors. COVID 19 changed our world. This book was written before COVID 19, and I elected not to update it before publication to address it. Being sheltered in place should not stop your planning and dreaming about future pilgrimages. This is a travelogue with historical depth, told from two historical vantagepoints and spans five centuries. During this dark time when you are left only to fantasize about adventure travel, slip into your hiking gear, load up your backpack and take a hike with your hiking sticks around your block and when you return, settle in with a nice vintage vino tinto and indulge in some fun travel foreplay about the Camino and life in general.