Trier, Oct. 16th

Jörg Haag from Trier about his experiences on the Camino Francés

"But he doesn't look like a pilgrim," whispers a ninth-grader to her friend as they take a seat last Wednesday in the auditorium of the Humboldt Gymnasium with around 80 other pupils, parents and teachers to listen to Jörg Haag and his experiences on the Way of St James.

But what does a typical pilgrim look like? 1.90m tall, bear-like stature, full beard, tattooed forearms? For that is Jörg Haag from Trier, father of two,  and a passionate pilgrim on the Way of St James when he takes a break from his job as branch manager of an insurance agency. He himself does not like the word "pilgrim", it sounds so "old". Jörg Haag has already set out twice on the Camino Francés, between the Spanish city of Leon and Santiago de Compostela, in daily stages of 20 to 38 kilometres. Off the cuff, seasoned with plenty of jokes and illustrated with pictures, Jörg Haag tells the spellbound audience about his way: how he made a typical beginner's mistake the first time and and had to lighten his 16 kilogram backpack by 5 kilos after a few stages  and sent them home by post for a small fortune.  That after a hot and long day on the way there was nothing more delicious than an iced cola. How a 1.90m tall, bear-like man sits on a mountain, starts crying and can't do anything about it. These are the quiet moments in the lecture that captivate the audience and make them realize: This way, it does something with the people who walk it. "Everyone goes his own way, no matter how long it is," says Jörg Haag. And that this Camino also has a lot to do with our lives is shown by Haag's experiences. Sections that felt easy alternated with stretches of road that were arduous and painful. There were shortcuts and detours, it went uphill and downhill, physical and mental limits were tested, and last but not least there were the chance encounters with people from all over the world, some of whom developed into lasting friendships. "Whoever has managed the Camino can do anything", Jörg Haag is sure.

With delicious paella and tasty Tarta de Santiago on offer, the lecture was followed by many interesting conversations. In the end, everyone agrees - there is no such thing as a typical pilgrim. This way, this Camino, changes people. In any case, Jörg Haag is infected. He is already planning his next pilgrimage, this time on the Camino Portugues, from Porto to Santiago.  Yes, and indeed, Jörg Haag has also infected us ....

See also:

https://www.hgt-trier.de/ext-news/detailansicht/?tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=158&cHash=6cb57ef3223942191cdcb33e570ae596

Jörg Haag tells about his experiences

Our students enjoyed the stories

Jörg Haag

Our janitor Richard Spang cooked delicious paella for us! So yummy!

Traditional almond cake, Tarta de Santiago