Last year Lower School Spanish teacher Carla Horta was awarded the John Watson Moore grant. Please read about her Camino de Santiago pilgrimage below and view the attached movie.

The Camino de Santiago is an old pilgrimage route to the city of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, the supposed burial place of the apostle St. James. The bit of the pilgrimage that I did is perhaps part of the most traditional stretch which is known as the camino francés. My journey started in Astorga, located at a distance of around 258 km (160 miles) east of Santiago de Compostela.

Through the camino, I met many people; among them were children who happened to be natives of Spain. I had the opportunity to talk and interview some of the children who were doing the camino with their family as part of  their summer experience. 

The majority of the camino was very challenging due to the inclines of the hills and condition of the dirt roads.  It sure felt great to have finally arrived, but in the end, the journey and the people I met were the reward.  And thanks to Duke School and the John Watson Moore grant I was able to experience an unforgettable journey.