Between Dover and Dunkerk

The Path behind. Not a full stop, but a comma

St Michael’s Chapel on St Michael’s Mount marked both the highlight and the endpoint of the walk. More than 125 miles on foot, from coast to coast and headland to headland, brought moments of adventure, unexpected challenges, inner reflection, warm encounters, physical effort, cultural discovery and the untamed beauty of nature.

The journey fulfilled, the path behind. On the ferry homeward, only a fading trail in the azure waves remains: a line dissolving into water, sky and clouds. No land, yet a grateful gaze upon a horizon full of memories and a journey that carries on within.

Perhaps the Cornish Celtic Way does not end here, but truly begins: in the task of carrying its insights into everyday life. That, perhaps, is even harder than following the Way step by step.

Luk Collet
Belgian Photographer, Lecturer and Pilgrim
In search of stories that old roads still have to tell us today

With Gratitude

Although we take every step ourselves, every journey is shaped by the kindness, generosity and encouragement of others. The Cornish Celtic Way is no exception. What began as a personal pilgrimage has grown into a travelling exhibition and a multilingual website thanks to the support of many remarkable people.

First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone I met along the way. The people who welcomed a stranger, opened the doors of their houses or churches, shared a meal, offered practical advice, told their stories or simply took the time for a conversation. Every encounter became part of this journey.

No pilgrimage is ever walked alone

My heartfelt thanks go to Canon Nigel Marns and his wife Penny whose vision and dedication have helped breathe life into a Cornish Celtic Way together with an enthusiastic team of volunteers. I still remember our very first conversation in the beer garden of The Falcon Inn, opposite St Mawgan Church. That meeting marked the beginning of a friendship.

My sincere thanks go to Dr Richard Laugharne, for generously sharing both his knowledge and his wisdom. He also became the first doctor to test me for Covid on British soil, a meeting I certainly had not planned, but one I will never forget.

My sincere thanks also go to David and Jackie Oglethorpe, whose warmth, hospitality and commitment to the community of St Mawgan made me feel at home from the very beginning. And to videographer Sebastian Reyda, who transformed his enthusiasm into three short video's that bring the Cornish Celtic Way to life in a new way.

My sincere thanks go to Pam & Mike (+), RoSie, Marjorie and the many other hosts who offered me a place to stay, thank you for your generosity and friendship. A special word of thanks to Penny Marns, Els Van Brussel, Julie Van Beeck and Alexandra Dedeurwaerder-Haas, who carefully reviewed the English, German and French translations. Their dedication has helped make this project accessible to an international audience.

Finally, my deepest gratitude goes to my wife, Leen. Thank you for encouraging me to take a leap of faith during a brief 48-hour Covid travel window and set out on this pilgrimage. Thank you for your support while I spent countless hours selecting and editing photographs and writing and rewriting the stories behind them. 

To all of you, thank you
Luk

"Every pilgrimage leaves footprints. 
This project has been shaped by yours as much as by mine."

 

The journey begins before the first step

A pilgrimage does not begin with the first mile you walk. Preparation is already part of the journey. In his Jakobsweg Podcast, Peter Kirchmann, founder of the German pilgrimage platform Jakobsweg-Lebensweg, combines practical advice on preparing for the Camino with personal reflections on life choices, new directions and the search for inner peace.
 
The podcast is for everyone who wants not only to walk the Camino, but also to experience and understand its deeper meaning. A pilgrimage is more than a physical journey; it is an invitation to pause, to listen, and to reconnect with yourself and the world around you.

Anyone ready to take the first steps on their own pilgrim path will find free preparation resources, downloads and the Jakobsletter newsletter in Peter Kirchmann's Buen-Camino Club, offering inspiration for the journey ahead.

More information: www.jakobsweg-lebensweg.de
 

The journey continues after the final Step

A pilgrimage does not end when you arrive home. Anyone who has spent days or weeks on the road soon discovers that the real challenge begins when everyday life returns. The backpack is put away, yet the silence of the path, the rhythm of walking, the sense of being one with nature and the simplicity of pilgrim life continue to resonate long afterwards. I found inspiration for living with this longing for the simplicity of the road in the reflections of Peter Kirchmann.

For Peter Kirchmann, the key is to bring something of the pilgrim's mindset back home. The inner peace, mindfulness and renewed trust that so many pilgrims discover along the way do not have to disappear amid the pressures of daily life.

A simple daily "pilgrim pause" can already make a difference: taking time to appreciate life's small moments and consciously practising gratitude each day. After all, pilgrimage is not only a path we walk, but also an inner journey that continues long after the final step.

Those wishing to keep the pilgrim spirit alive after returning home will find further inspiration, practical advice and reflections on the Jakobsweg-Lebensweg website. Perhaps the greatest discovery of every pilgrimage is that the journey never truly ends.

In his e-book, Wie du den Jakobsweg-Spirit in deinen Alltag holst ("How to Bring the Spirit of the Camino into Your Everyday Life"), he offers practical guidance for bringing the lessons of pilgrimage into daily life.

With special thanks to Peter Kirchmann and the Jakobsweg-Lebensweg community:
www.jakobsweg-lebensweg.de

 

 

 

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