Ascending the Mountain: "Songs of Santiago" songwriting retreat begins

Greetings from the village of Foncebadón in the lush, rural landscape of Castilla y León! Nestled in the mists near the top of Monte Irago, the mythical mountain our group of 12 songwriters has been ascending since Tuesday morning, Foncebadón marks our fourth of thirteen days we will travel together as pilgrims along the Camino de Santiago.

This year’s Songs of Santiago cohort is a wonderfully diverse, enthusiastic, and open-hearted group that has quickly transformed into a close-knit community through the intimate experience of walking, eating, creating songs, and encountering new experiences together. Spanning three continents of origin, three native languages, and a broad range of personal trajectories and musical abilities, we have a wealth of insight and inspiration to share with one another. Every other day in our morning circle, participants are paired with a new co-writing partner and assigned a songwriting prompt. We then have a full day to work with our partner in creating an original song inspired by the prompt and where we are along our Camino.

We began our journey on Monday in the town of Astorga, where we assembled at our albergue (accommodations specifically for pilgrims along the route), and became acquainted through a series of games and exercises throughout the day followed by a wonderful dinner together. In the morning, we were given our first songwriting prompt and set forth for Santa Catalina, passing through several lovely, tiny towns dotting the countryside. Upon arrival, we settled in at the lovely albergue La Bohéme, where our host David welcomed us with fresh figs and grapes from his garden. We shared our new songs at the evening circle and were then treated to a dinner of vegan Morrocan couscous, bountiful wine, and the excellent company of other pilgrims from Brazil, Scotland, and Australia. After dinner, an lively, impromptu music jam ensued and a good time was had by all. 

In the morning, we received new prompts and songwriting partners, donned our rain gear, and bid farewell to David and La Boheme. Accompanied by a light, cool drizzle, we made our way to the town of El Ganso, where we shed our wet gear, explored our surroundings, rested, and continued working on our songs. After debuting them at the evening circle, we enjoyed a home-cooked meal and ended the evening with another jam, where we were joined by a pair of pilgrims from South Korea who sang a beautiful song accompanied by members of our group. 

The next day, we left El Ganso for a 13 kilometer trek up Monte Irago. Many of us decided to walk solo and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Two of us met a Catalunian songwriter in El Ganso who serenaded them with his social justice-inspired songs, another member of our cohort was asked to perform for several groups of pilgrims en route. Each of us had our own adventures as we ascended the mountain’s gradual incline. We passed through the stunning village of Rabanal del Camino, roughly halfway to our destination, where many of us stopped to rest and have lunch. Continuing to even higher altitudes, our climb revealed breathtaking, panoramic views and new varieties of flora, including aromatic sage, brightly colored holly berries, shiny acorns, and enormous, electric orange and red mushrooms thriving in the wet grass. At last, Foncebadón became visible to us as we rounded the final corner, beckoning us to its welcoming, ancient stone and slate structures. This town, once a thriving sanctuary catering to pilgrims beginning in the 12th century, was gradually abandoned by residents as the Camino fell out of practice, dwindling to only two residents in the 1990s. Thankfully, since the Camino’s surge in popularity within the last couple of decades, Foncebadón has been revived by a new generation of hospitaleros and other entrepreneurs.

 Last night, we songwriters were treated to a delicious dinner and an evening of music-making by one of these individuals- a Swiss woman who has recently taken charge of the albergue where we are staying, and who happens to be an accordionist and songwriter herself! Today, we are staying put in Foncebadón and are enjoying a luxurious, misty mountain day of writing, with new prompts and new partners. Tomorrow, we will complete our journey to the peak of Monte Irago and visit the sacred Cruz de Ferro! Stay tuned for an update on this and more, early next week.

From all of us here on our journey to you on yours, 

Peace and Buen Camino!