How one woman's 800-km pilgrimage could help European refugees

A Charlottetown woman is hoping her 800-kilometre spiritual journey on the famed Camino de Santiago in Europe can help raise money to sponsor refugees here on P.E.I.

Last spring, Edie Rogers and her daughter walked about 25 kilometres a day, taking 32 days to hike the entire pilgrimage.

"I wanted to take the time to unplug from busy Charlottetown life and take some time to slow right down and when you walk every day ... life definitely is different and slower," she said.

"So I wanted to slow down, I wanted to spend time with my daughter, and I wanted to see what spiritual things would come to me."

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Rogers said it was a grueling journey.

"I found it very challenging physically," she said. "You can't really get in shape for walking six hours, eight hours a day. After about a week, your legs really get into the rhythm and it gets easier and the pack gets lighter."

But the scenery, Rogers said, made it all worthwhile.

"We went over two mountain ranges, big massive bushes of purple heather and the Meseta, which is the middle flat section, is very grassy. You can just see for miles and miles in all directions," she said.

"And the little towns, beautiful chapels, from the little simple ones with next to nothing in them to the cathedral in Bughosa and Leone. Of course, Santiago at the end was very special to get there."

Rogers is doing a presentation Monday night at St. Peter's Cathedral in Charlottetown which she hopes will raise money for the church's refugee sponsorship efforts. Admission to the presentation is free but donations for refreshments are being accepted.