Pilgrim Badges - Victoria and Albert Museum

I've written before about the history of pilgrim badges and on a visit to the Victoria and Albert museum I found two from Santiago.

This one is jet (a minor gemstone produced from decomposing wood being placed under high pressure millions of years ago. In Britain it is famously found in Whitby by the area around Santiago is also famous for it and you can still find items made from it when you visit the city) and has silver mounts and shows Saint James in his Pilgrim hat and holding his staff (Victoria and Albert Museum)

This one dates from 1600-1700 and shows Saint James' head and is also made of jet (Victoria and Albert museum)

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Route Napoleon closures: November-March

For anyone thinking of setting off on the Camino anytime soon just a reminder that the Navarrese Govenmnet closes the Route Napoleon over the Pyrenees from November 1st - March 31st each year (and longer if need be). Roncenvalles in the snow The official notification for this (from last year) is below.

The Camino Primitivo

The Camino Primitivo (or the Original Way) is reportedly the very first Camino Way to Santiago in the 9 th century when most of Spain was under the control of the Moors and it runs from near the city of Ovideo in Asturias as it starts in Villavicosa (which also lies on the Camino Norte so many people follow this Way from Basque city of San Sebastian (Donosti in Basque) or in from the French border at Irun ( this route then hugs the Bay of Biscay passing through Guernica, Bilbao, Santander, Llanes before going under the Picos de Europa and then heads along the coast to Ovideo) before branching off onto the Primitivo which goes across the mountains and through the city of Lugo before joining the Frances at Melide. The route is 320km long. Image taken from https://viaalpina2013.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/camino-del-norte-camino-primitivo/

Albergue - Arca

126 beds in large rooms but sectioned off into 6s - two bunks and two single beds. Lights above each beds and lockers (but no locks on them). Large kitchen - the best equipped in Galicia as far as I know. Showers are hot but open and mixed. A little tired in appearance but I do stay here every time I'm in Arca!

On the Camino

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