Join us at Flores del Camino retreat centre
on an ancient pilgrims’ path in northwestern Spain
Sacred Space & Living Patterns
with Anne Miner Pearson & Basia Goodwin
~ Part 1
Join us on site for a soulful 8 - day retreat experience at Flores del Camino
Sep 18 - 26, 2024
with the possibility to add …
~ Part 2
The Valley of Silence - Week long Camino
A specially curated 7 - day pilgrimage walking retreat
Gentle and spacious walking over one of the most beautiful stretches of the Way
Sep 26 - Oct 3, 2024
An Ancient Rhythm
Join us for a journey – a pilgrimage in place - on an ancient Camino path
Join this week-long spiritual retreat on the Camino as we explore the transformative power of four universal questions.
How to continuously face change?
How to move through suffering?
How to receive joy?
How to mature in service?
Through spacious time for reflection, creativity and ritual, explore the questions as a profound pattern in a rite of passage and the deeper rhythms of your everyday life pilgrimage. Held in an ancient rhythm, the circle of each day will be marked by guided meditation in the quiet stillness of dusk and dawn. Settling into this purposeful time for holy pausing you will find a nurturing space where your authentic story and expression is celebrated within the richness of diverse community. People from all faiths or none welcome.
Our Daily Rhythm
1. Dawn group gathering 8 am: Guided Meditation.
Silent breakfast. Followed by quiet time for individual reflecting , journaling, walking, etc.
2. Morning Session ~ 10. 30 am - 1 pm: Creativity & Contemplation.
Lunch 1. 30 pm
3. Afternoon Session ~ 3 - 5. 30 pm: Sharing Circle.
Dinner 6. 30 pm
4. Dusk group gathering by the fire ~ 8. 15 pm: Guided Meditation
Contemplative and creative sessions:
Experiencing the labyrinth symbol
Create ancient designs exploring their use of pattern and rhythm to reflect on the questions.
The opportunity to connect and be present to where we are by painting designs with local earths
Afternoon Sessions:
Sharing circle ~ each day will focus on a particular element present in the whole of this Fourfold Path retreat. Participants are invited to share insights emerging in, gleaning from their contemplative and creative practices, reflections and experiences of the day.
Visits:
There will be three special visits incorporated in the week.
Ancient petroglyphs
Dawn visit to unique local 5,000 year old petroglyphs, depicting labyrinths, illuminated & revealed at sunrise. Set in the dramatic natural setting of the Duerna Valley, at the foot of Mount Teleno, considered a sacred place by the ancestors of this land.
Building the Labyrinth
On the Camino amongst pilgrims in the picturesque village of Santa Catalina, you will be guided in a creative and contemplative group experience: build & walk a classical labyrinth. Experience the Camino by optional walk back to the retreat centre (a short 3km with gorgeous views).
San Miguel de Escalada
A visit to the exquisite 7 - 10th century Visigothic and Mozarabic monastery of San miguel de Escalada where one of our sharing circles will take place.
Preliminary timetable
* Day 1 ~ Wed, Sep 18th.
Check-in at Flores del Camino between 4 & 5pm.
Evening welcome meal, followed by the opening dusk guided meditation by the fire at dusk.
*Day 2 ~ Thu, Sep 19th.
Dawn group gathering
Morning session: Symbols of pilgrimage : Chartres labyrinth meditation. Poetic presentation on pilgrimage as rite of passage : the four fold journey of transformation.
Afternoon session: First Sharing Circle
Dusk group gathering - Question 1. How to continually face change?
*Day 3 ~ Fri, Sep 20th.
Dawn group gathering at Petroglyphs
Morning session: Contemplative design - the flower of life.
Afternoon session: Sharing Circle - Memory
Dusk group gathering - Question 2. How to move through suffering?
*Day 4 ~ Sat, Sep 21st.
Dawn group gathering
Morning session: Visit to ancient petroglyphs sacred space in time. Build a labyrinth on the Camino. Optional walk back along the Camino to retreat centre from Santa Catalina after coffee/refreshment (3km walk).
Afternoon session: Sharing Circle - Soul
Dusk group gathering - Question 3. How to you receive joy?
*Day 5 ~ Sun, Sep 22nd.
Dawn group gathering
Morning session: Making pigments & getting to know them. Painting the flower of life.
Afternoon session: Sharing Circle - Footnotes
Dusk group gathering - Question 3. How to you receive joy?
*Day 6 ~ Mon, Sep 23rd.
Dawn group gathering
Morning session: Visit and sharing circle in the visigothic monastery of San miguel de Escalada
Afternoon session: Exploring the questions creatively personal project : methods & materials
Dusk group gathering - Question 3. How to mature in service?
*Day 7 ~ Tue, Sep 24th.
Dawn group gathering
Morning session: Exploring the questions creatively personal project
Afternoon session: Exploring the questions creatively personal project
Dusk group gathering
*Day 8 ~ Wed, Sep 25th.
Dawn group gathering
Morning session: Exploring the questions creatively personal project
Afternoon session: Sharing Circle
Dusk closing ceremony
*Day 9 ~ Thu, Sep 26th.
Departure after breakfast (or set off for Part 2 ~ Quadratos Camino)
A unique experience
Embraced within community and in a peaceful environment on the this ancient pilgrims path, enjoy the warm golden glow of the village, flying swallows, and the resident stork’s nest below the church spire.
The Village
You will be staying in one of the most beautiful villages in all of Spain as voted by National Geographic. A heritage site, the village dates back from Celtic times to the 16th century. Enjoy stunning views at every turn. The village is in complete harmony with its surroundings. The warm coloured stones will embrace you. They glow at sunset and the old arched wooden doors dazzle red, blue and green.
The Retreat Centre
Your home will be Flores del Camino - a charming traditional Maragato house with heart and soul that has been lovingly renovated to host you. You will be staying in one of our charming ensuite rooms at Flores, or at the nearby hotel we work in partnership with. Enjoy stunning views overlooking the village, church and rural landscape.
Your facilitators
Anne Miner - Pearson (MDiv, DMin) is an ordained Episcopal priest for almost 40 years, serving a number of congregations in the United States. She holds a BA in education as well as seminary & doctorate degrees. She has worked in various spirituality materials, leading individuals & groups through transformational experiences. With deep passion & personal commitment to the spiritual journey for herself & others, her interest in people & what makes “their heart sing” forms a foundation for her retreat leadership style.
Basia Goodwin (MA) is an artist, educator and co founder of Flores del Camino. She is dedicated to providing hospitality to pilgrims and all guests. She is passionate about pilgrimage as a transformational journey & its parallels with the creative & contemplative aspects of sacred art. An alumni of the Princes School of Traditional Arts, she specialised in the use of geometry in traditional arts, craft & philosophy. She is currently co authoring a book on the sacred art of the Camino de Santiago.
Extend the opportunity
Optional Part 2 ~
Quadratos Camino
Sep 26 - Oct 3, 2024
A specially curated 7 - day pilgrimage walking retreat
Gentle and spacious walking over one of the most beautiful stretches of the Way
The Quadratos Camino
This is your opportunity to extend your Quadratos retreat along the Camino!
This mini pilgrimage is open only to the retreat participants to ensure an intimate experience.
Leaving from the doorstep of the retreat centre, you will encounter one of the most beautiful stretches of the Camino, steeped in history, symbol and legend. The walking will be gentle and spacious, at your own pace, yet framed within a story and a structure.
See further details in the schedule below.
Preliminary Schedule
Optional Part 2 ~ Quadratos Camino
Includes overnight stays in guesthouses along the way.
Day 9 ~ Thu, Sep 26th
Flores del Camino ~ Rabanal - Pilgrimage Day 1
(14km - average walking time 3h)
From the very start, as you leave Flores and pass through the lovely villages of Santa Catalina and El Ganso, you’ll be accompanied by Camino symbols, the labyrinth and the goose. You will cross a threshold, from a flat landscape to a gentle climb. Your destination for the day is the charming village of Rabanal, with more than a thousand years of history linked to the Visigoths and Templars.
In the evening, you will experience the pilgrims’ blessings & vespers, still chanted by the monks in the atmospheric 12th century Romanesque church.
Each of our evenings and mornings will be grounded in gentle community refection time.
Day 10 ~ Fri, Sep 27th
Rabanal ~ Foncebadon - Pilgrimage Day 2
(6km - average walking time 1h30)
Morning spacious reflection time in Rabanal at the Stone Boat.
Afternoon short walk to Foncebadon
Day 11 ~ Sat, Sep 28th
Foncebadon ~ El Acebo - Pilgrimage Day 3
(11km - average walking time 2h45)
At this meaningful point on your journey, you will reach the highest point on the Camino: Cruz del Ferro, a gentle place of letting go for pilgrims. Here, you are invited to participate in the tradition of symbolically leaving a stone from home.
As you pass the mountains of León, you will discover breath-taking views over the Bierzo region. Your destination of the day is the charming mountain hamlet of El Acebo with its distinctive architectural style.
The day will end at dusk as you watch the sunset over the the extensive Bierzo plain from a purposeful viewing point in the village.
Day 12 ~ Sun, Sep 29th
El Acebo ~ Molinaseca - Pilgrimage Day 4
(8km - average walking time 2h)
You will descend the mountain to reach the charming village of Molinaseca situated by a tranquil river. After having lunch there, we will make our way by car to the nearby Peñalba de Santiago. Nested within the breathtaking Valley of Silence, Peñalba is our highly symbolic pilgrimage destination. It is known for its exquisite 10th century Mozarabic church with solstitial alignments.
Day 13 ~ Mon, Sep 30th
Peñalba de Santiago - The Valley of Silence - Pilgrimage Day 5
The valley gained its name because a hermit lived there in silent contemplation. At sunrise you will make the circular journey around the Valley to and from the hermit’s cave. For the rest of the day we will end our time in purposeful retreat.
Day 14 ~ Tue, Oct 1st
Walking back to Flores from Rabanal - Pilgrimage Day 6
Early morning Taxi to Rabanal
Walk back to Flores from Rabanal (14km)
Dinner & Night at Flores evening gathering by the font
Day 15 ~ Wed, Oct 2nd
Final Day at Flores - Pilgrimage Day 7
Preparation for your return home.
Day 16 ~ Thu, Oct 3rd
Departure after breakfast
This Camino is for all. It is a spacious experience that suits your pace and body. You can take taxis on the longer walking days if you feel you need your walking day to be shorter.
This schedule may be subject to changes.
What’s included
Accommodation
During your stay at Flores del Camino, all accommodation consists of ensuite bedrooms.
During the mini pilgrimage, accommodation will be ensuite as well. However, in the final day in Peñalba, a couple of people may have to share a room.
Food
During your stay at Flores del Camino, nourishing and healthy meals prepared onsite and served with love in either the dining area or in the courtyard under the pergola. Wine is offered at dinner.
During the mini pilgrimage, all meals will be provided.
Dietary requirements
When on-site at Flores, we cater for the following dietary requirements: vegetarian, gluten-free, carb-free, dairy-free.
However we cannot guarantee all dietary requirements during the mini pilgrimage / outside restaurants. Please get in touch with us if you have concerns.
Sessions
All equipment & material provided.
Outings
Site entries & transport fares for cultural activities.
Private transport between Madrid & the retreat centre
See times & pick up point details.
If you prefer to arrive independently to the retreat centre, see how to get here.
What’s not included
Flights
Insurances (travel, health, etc.)