On the Camino

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!

My dad's 60th birthday is coming up so I made him a Camino-themed card using the distance markers from Galicia. It would look better on blue or yellow card though! Here's a few different ages for if you want to make your own (there's a blank one ready for you to write any age on):

While I walk the Camino de Santiago the phrase, ‘Not all who wander are lost,’ often comes to my mind and when I was watching Fellowship of the Rings the other day I began to wonder just how far Frodo and Sam actually did walk in the Lord of the Rings to get to Mordor and how this compares to walking the Camino.

I'm back at my old uni today and spent a bit of time walking around ny old department - the route I took in my last semester here between lectures when I would practice for my first Camino (although back then I didn't know it would be my first and thought that it would be my 'only'!). My feet seemed to fall back easily into that old rhythm of walking and memories of that time came back -wondering what the camino would be like. I could have happily have continued walking (despite the rain) but had to eat and get somewhere else so for everyone 'practicing' for their first camino in stolen minutes keep at it -it will be worth it!

On a visit to the British Museum I did find a few Pilgrim badges but here's a few items instead from Canterbury or at least commemorating Canterbury's Saint (who was born in London) Saint Thomas Becket An alabaster carving of his murder (British Museum) originally from an alter piece which would have shown scenes from his life. It would have originally have been painted  A reliquary casket of Thomas Becket - he was declared a Saint in 1173 and his relics were widely circulated usually in caskets such as this one, one of 40 or so that now survive. It depicts Becket being attacked by two knights. (British Museum)

For the anniversary of St Francis' pilgrimage to Santiago has its own logo - I didn't see it when I was there but could have missed it Taken from http://www.abc.es/local-galicia/20131005/abci-lamazares-logo-santiago-asis-201310051234.html The writing is in the dolphin language of artist anton lamazares' own invention and the material he chose for the design is cardboard as this is a 'poor' material. A bit more information is at http://www.abc.es/local-galicia/20131005/abci-lamazares-logo-santiago-asis-201310051234.html

Paloma y Lena - double rooms available or 'albergue' rooms with 8/10 in a room. No kitchen but evening meals available (and leftovers were put out in the morning for pilgrims to help themselves to) - a good option if you want to avoid the busier Sarria. Several cats around and space for horses or donkeys and a large sitting area. Last year there was a sign inviting you to rest before continuing to Sarria and chairs ready in the shade for this use.

You may have heard that the Pilgrim's office in Santiago is offering a new certificate of distance for your Pilgrimage and the Camino forum run by Ivar can get these posted out to you (for 5euros plus postage and packaging). If you're interested go to http://www.santiagodecompostela.me/products/certificate-of-distance-issued-by-the-pilgrims-office which has instructions for you (and can be done for anyone who has qualified' for the Compostela). The certificate records the distance you travelled in kilometres, the route you walked,  your start point and your date of arrival in Santiago. The certificate - taken from http://www.santiagodecompostela.me/products/certificate-of-distance-issued-by-the-pilgrims-office

You can now get credentials from Santiago Cathedral from the Camino forum for €2.50. Visit http://www.santiagodecompostela.me/collections/from-the-pilgrims-office/products/official-pilgrim-credencial-pilgrim-passport-from-the-pilgrims-office-in-santiago Also remember that your local confraternity will have credentials (eg the English confraternity in London will do for members or the American Pilgrims on the Camino will do if you are a member or not at http://www.americanpilgrims.com/camino/credential_req.html Or there's the Peterborough Pilgrims at http://www.pilgrims-to-santiago.com/freecredential.html [both of these offer 'free' credentials but do make a donation if you can]). Hope this helps (and if you know of anywhere else to get Credentials then please add it in the comments :-) thanks). You can also get a credential from many places on the camino of course - St Jean Pied du Port certainly has them and a fair few albergues along the way and a few...

Columba was an Irish monk (who founded several monasteries in Ireland) who sailed with 12 others to the island of Iona just off the west coast of Scotland. The Abbey he funded became one of the powerhouses of Mediaeval Christendom. He lived from 7th December 521 until 9th June 597. Alone with none but thee, my God, I journey on my way. What need I fear, when thou art near O king of night and day? More safe am I within thy hand Than if a host did round me stand. Be thou a bright flame before me, Be thou a guiding star above me, Be thou a smooth path below me, Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me, Today, tonight and forever.

I have no picture at all for this albergue but it was under a three star hotel just outside the town. I recommend this place - all beds were in the basement but were sectioned off into smaller groups. The hotel did a Pilgrim meal (for which you got a voucher for a euro off) but also had a small but good kitchen and dining room. The owner was very helpful and friendly - my sello did not print very well on my credential so she, without me saying a word, re-did it on a spare piece of paper, cut this to size and then glued it in for me. There is a laundry room with a machine and hand-washing facilities and an outside area reserved for drying clothes. A small sitting area is for the use of those in the albergue as well as the hotel. Showers were nice - posh hydrotherapy ones (although I could not work out how to use anything but the basic shower function but that was good enough!). The albergue is a little out of town but it took us only five minutes at most to walk in (and there ...

I came across this interesting quote earlier when I was doing some reading - I'm not sure where this idea comes from but it's an interesting one. On my Caminos I have had to overcome fears but cannot say anything about the ways to Rome and Jerusalem. ' Confraternity of Pilgrims to Jerusalem and beyond promotes the Way of the Soul that leads to Jerusalem. ( The Camino Frances is called the Way of the Sword. It's the place where you battle your fears and face your demons. The via Francigena is called the Way of the Heart. It is the way of Love, but not human love, but Divine Love, whatever the term means to you.)' from the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Jerusalem Homepage ( https://sites.google.com/site/pilgrimstojerusalem/Home ) Anyone got any thoughts on this?

We cook a lot of pasta on Camino! Below is one way to serve it:  This requires only one hob: 1. Cook your pasta as per the instructions 2. Stir in some passata and heat on the hob for a couple of minutes 3. Take off the heat and stir in some tuna 4. Serve and sprinkle with some cheese (you can always buy a small sachet of grated cheeses in supermarkets and other shops for about 50-75 cents)

I have been on 7 Caminos now ranging from 100-800km long. I have 7 Compostelas (6 of the old design, 1of tge new), 1 Finisterre and 1 of the Francisten's special certificates. All sit in their cardboard tubes on the top shelf in my wardrobe.  They aren't framed and hung up, I rarely look at them (I look at my credentials with their sellos much more often). It is not that they have no value in them, I cried when I received my first and again for last year's and I am proud but not of them so much as what they represent - the effort of the walk yes, the difficult path walked yes, but their main joy comes from the memory of each Camino, the joys from each and the friends made, the sites seen and every step taken. Maybe then that is why my credentials recieve more attention (although they aren't framed either but sit in a small pile on my shelf) because I can look at them and remember the particular albergues I stayed in, the bars I drank at and the Churches I visited. No ...

The Prayer of Peace by Saint Francis of Assisi: Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is error, truth; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. And his blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord show his face to you and have compassion on you! May he turn his face to you and give you peace! Amen.

Over Valentine’s I saw a cute craft where you wrote 52 reasons you loved/liked someone and wrote these out on playing cards. I don’t have anyone to give one of these too but I thought that it could be adapted into a Camino Craft – 52 reasons why I love to walk on the Camino with my sister Becky. Equally it could be changed to ‘52 reasons why I want to walk the Camino’ or ’52 reasons why you should walk the Camino’ (or ride the Camino). I thought of 52 reasons why I love walking the Camino with Becky quite easily and then printed off a template from the internet which I then cut out and stuck on my cards before handwriting all of the reasons down and doing some decorating (camino inspired of course!).  The supplies for this craft are: playing cards (I got a cheap pack that cost less than £1), templates to write on (there are a fair few of these on the internet, some you have to pay for but there are free ones as well - I searched for '52 reasons card template' or just ...

The Pilgrim Office in Santiago is issuing a new Compostela which replaces the old one and is a lot more colourful. I received mine on April 25th and have friends who got this one on the 24th but another friend who arrived on the 20th or 21st received the old Compostela so the certificate is fairly new.

Here are all of my sellos from this year's Camino If you're as fascinated by sellos as I am you might want to look at http://www.lossellosdelcamino.com/ a site which is trying to collect all of the sellos available on the Camino