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Showing posts from 2018

New Year's cards 2019

For this year I decided to create a card and gift in one. 

Packing list

I thought that it would be interesting to take pictures of all of my equipment for the Camino for you guys to see - I know that a lot of people make lists for others but not many show everyone what they take. Please remember I'm not a photographer! I have only ever walked in September and March-May, requirements at other times of the year will be different. 

The Cross of Saint James

The cross of Saint James is a red cross that is the same shape as a sword with a Fleur de Lis on its hilt and its arms - these were said to represent the 'honour without stain' in reference to the morals of Saint James whilst the fact that it is based on a sword represents Saint James' Chivalry and that he was a matyr (as he was killed by a sword) and also, in a manner, to take the sword in Christ's name.

Mass on the Camino - re-post

As I am a Christian but not a Catholic as I walk the Camino I often attend the Pilgrim Masses but understand little of the services but have now managed to find pdf bilingual Mass books.

Continuing Growth of the Camino

By the end of October this year 317,000 Compostelas had been given out to Pilgrims already exceeding the total for the year in 2017 of 301, 036. Pilgrim numbers have increased by about 45% over the past eight years leading to predictions that in the next Holy Year in 2021 (when Saint James' Day falls on a Sunday) there will be 500,000 Compostelas received. This growth can clearly be seen on the below graph taken from  https://vivecamino.com/en/the-records-of-the-camino-de-santiago:-the-evolution-in-numbers-no-540/ and based upon the information from the Cathedral in Santiago.

Map from St Jean to Roncenvalles

A map for the Camino from St Jean Pied do Port to Roncenvalles which also contains safety information in several languages can be found from http://www.caminosantiago.org/cpperegrino/servicios/pdf/MapaSosPirineos.pdf An except of the map

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.

Germany and the Camino de Santiago

German Pilgrims made up 14% of non-Spanish Pilgrims in 2017 (some 23, 200 people) and the country has some history with the Camino with evidence from the 9th century showing Pilgrims setting up and some accommodation for Pilgrims passing by.

John Adams and the Camino

I've come across this information on the American Pilgrims on the Camino's website ( http://americanpilgrims.com/camino/route_descriptions/route_ingles.html ): 'In December 1779, the leaking ship carrying John Adams and his companions to Paris was forced to put in at Ferrol from where they eventually made their way by land. Adams wrote about the Camino in his journal and he remarked there that he "… always regretted that We could not find time to make a Pilgrimage to Saint Iago de Compostella ."' Image showing the route Adams and his group took across Spain - image taken from https://www.americanpilgrims.org/assets/documents/essays/john_adams_camino.pdf 

Camino San Olav

The Camino San Olave is not a true Camino in its own right but a 60km route linking the small touristy town of Covarrubias to Burgos. Image taken from https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-carrera-por-montana/carrera-san-olav-4646788

10

There are many good things about the Camino, too many to go through in one post, so here's ten to start on followed by a the same number of 'bad' things, do you have any to add in the comments?

Wedding cake

This is an amazing Wedding cake! http://leefarmer.net/SantiagoDeCompostelaFront.html

How Far Is Walked In Films?

There are quite a few films where the hero/s take a journey by foot so below are a few with the distances travelled. Image from http://moviewatchersguide.com/2013/04/03/in-honer-of-national-walking-day/