The Quest of the Sword is over!

Quest of the Sword

“Enigma is over. Winner arrived one hour ago.” — Paulo Coelho

The Quest of the Sword is over! Last night Paulo Coelho reported that the Quest of the Sword was over.

Twenty years ago through arrogance, Paulo Coelho lost the sword that he thought was rightfully his. To regain his sword he had to walk El Camino de Santiago, an ancient medieval pilgrim’s route. Paulo Coelho recounts the story in The Pilgrimage.

Twenty years on Paulo Coelho wondered in a world of virtual reality do we still have a sense of adventure? He set an Enigma. I have to admit that I did not have a clue. Solving the Enigma was a necessary but not sufficient condition. Real places had to visited, real people spoken to, real tasks carried out. Awaiting the lucky person who was first to complete the journey, lying close to the Greenwich Meridian, was a real sword given to Paulo Coelho on his sixtieth birthday.

Sunday evening Paul Coelho reported that the Quest of the Sword was over!

Synchronicity: Sunday afternoon my lovely friend Sian and I attended an organ recital at a Benedictine Abbey. At the entrance to the Abbey grounds was the sign of the scallop shell, the sign of El Camino de Santiago!

Also see

Queste

Quest of the Sword

Santiago’s Dream

Tags: adventure, El Camino de Santiago, Paulo Coelho, Quest of the Sword, The Alchemist, The Pilgrimage