SEPTEMBER - SAN ANTON

 

A basic pilgrim shelter was first established in the ruins of San Antonin in 2002 but due to lack of volunteers was often closed.  In 2006 Julian Campo and Jose Santiago, hospitaleros and well known personalities in Castrojeriz, were killed in a train accident on their way home from walking the Camino Portuguese.  Julian's brother, Ovidio Campo who owns a hotel in Castrojeriz, restored and improved the old shelter in their honour.


The monastery hospital of San Anton was run by French Antoine monks who had similar monastery hospitals in France and Italy.  They were places of healing where people suffering from the medieval disease known as San Anthony's Fire, were sent to be cured.

San Anthony's Fire was a disease caused mainly by eating mouldy rye.  In times of famine, poor people would eat the mouldy cereals and develop ergotism which led to the sufferers going berserk and caused gangrene of the hands and feet due to constriction of blood supply to the extremities. Many were healed at San Anton and miracles were attributed to the Saint.  Good food, lots of sunshine and care might also have had something to do with their recovery!

In Spain San Anton is always seen with a piglet.  He was a lover of animals and once a year, San Anton's day celebrates animals, much like Saint Francis in Italy. 
At San Anton the donations are placed in a Piggy Bank. 

The medieval Gothic builders must have had a sense of humour because the added a piglet in stone to one of the high arches on the inside of the cathedral.  When we show people they are delighted when they manage to spot the little stone pig high up near the top of the ruin.

12 SEPTEMBER - BURGOS AND SAN ANTON - 20KM

Bonnie and Randy left early but the rest of us left together a bit later. 
We made sure that we took the correct route following the path that would bring us to Castanares.

The path was like a lunar landscape in places with just sharp rocks to the top of the ridge.

From the top of the ridge is a spectacular view of the outskirts of Burgos. 

 

We met at the restaurant el Descanso and had lunch before going to the Hotel around the corner where the taxis would collect us - one for the group to take them to Santo Domingo de la Calzada and another to take me to San Anton.

 

Their taxi came on time and I said goodbye to the group.  They promised to pop in at San Anton in three days time.  I then waited an hour for my taxi then decided to phone Javier at Caminofacil who told me that my suitcase had gone with the group to Santo Domingo and they were sending a taxi for me but I would have to wait for my case. 

Pedro arrived shortly after and we went to the railway station to collect three men who we would drop off before continuing to San Anton.

 

 

I arrived at San Anton at around 4pm and met South African Kevin (who I trained to be a hospitalero) and Robert, who I would serve with until they left in three days time.  The three of us would be sleeping in a small container - a new experience for me after sleeping with one man for the last 46 years!  Robert and Kevin shared the double bunk and I had a bed. 

 

Kevin gave me a tour of the place and explained the daily routine.  We needed to do shopping so he invited me and a pilgrim to walk to the village 4km away to do some shopping.  The supermecado only opened at 5pm so we would have time to get there, shop and walk back again.

As we walked to Castrojeriz, Kevin explained about the daily routines, preparing dinner and some of the traditional rituals at the dinner table.  With no electricity, the hospitaleros made their own entertainment with the pilgrims taking part.

We bought provisions, bottles and tins, and bags of vegetables and struggled back to the albergue with the stuff in our packs, walking against a rising head wind.  I told Kevin that when Kristine arrived and he and Robert left, we would have to get a taxi back with the shopping!  According to Rebekah's outline, Ovidio would bring supplies but he was away on holiday and so the hospitaleros did the shopping.

Back at the albergue we got the pilgrims chopping onions and peppers, setting the table, helping with the candles.  Just before dinner, Rebekah (the person in charge of the hospitaleros) arrived with a few friends and a Norwegian Classical guitarist to give us a concert.  It was too windy to have the doors open so we added a round table to the long tables and ended up with 21 people for dinner!  The guitarist was superb but with having had such a long day I couldn't help nodding off during his performance.

When everyone had left, we locked up and went to bed with our torches and the solar lights I had brought with me, illuminating the way.

La Virgin del Camino - 8 June

7am: I checked the bus time table from Leon to La Virgin del Camino and there is only one on Sundays at 20h30. So, another taxi is on the cards for me today!
My bag is being transported each day by Jacotrans. They will drop it off at the Hotel Coruna in Astorga on Tuesday as I am getting the bus to Ferrol and Kathy to Villafranca.  In the middle of the night I suddenly thought, 'What if they don't get it there on time for my bus?' So, I've decided to take the bag with me on the bus from Hospital D'Orbigo to Astorga on Tuesday.  When I get to Leon,  I'll buy a small carry bag for Kathy to continue sending her few extras ahead until she gets to Sarria.
1pm: ☆Never ending Story☆
The taxi from Mansilla to Leon (about 18km) was €20. From Leon to Virgin del Camino (about 6km) was €25.  I nearly queried it but he stopped right outside where people were sitting at the pavement tables watching me get out of the taxi.
My never-ending bus story continues.
I was dropped off at the bus station.  I went straight to the ALSA window and was relieved to be the only one there. I had tree bus tickets to buy and wanted to get it right. I smiled at the guy behind the glass and showed him my short list of bus destinations and times.  He didnt smile back. He mumbled something and pointed upwards, like he was giving me the middle-finger but with his index finger. "Perdon?" I asked. He spoke more loudly and half standing gesticulated to a sign above his window. "Yonzyboosh" he said. I looked at him blankly. "YONZYBOOOOSH!" He shouted, as though I must be deaf. I stepped back and tried to read the sign. I felt as though I was in the twilight zone.  You have to buy the tickets 'on-the-bus' of course, that is what he was trying to say, 'Yon-zy-boosh' (On the bus).  "En el autobus?" I asked in my best Spanish accent. His head went up and down like those toy dogs we used to put in front of the back windscreen of our cars in the 1950's.
Just to piss him off I asked "what if the booos is completo?" "Nunca!" He muttered (never). Little does he know. He only works for ALSA. He hasn't seen desperate pilgrims crying because they couldn't get a seat on an ALSA bus that is full before it even reaches your village. So, from now on I cant buy a ticket at the station, I have to buy one yon-zy-boosh. I'll let you know how that works out!

Bus and taxi pilgrim - Navarette to Najera

I thought I wouldn't sleep well but the pillows here are long and mine went right across the double bed so I could rest my arm on it next to my head whichever way I turned.
It takes twice as long to shower and dress and brushing teeth is a mission.
At 7.45 Kathy took the pink bag dowstairs and left for her walk to Najera.  The young man behind the desk gave me a Cola Cao and rang for a taxi to collect me at 10am.   The buses don't come to Navarette but one can walk a couple of km to the highway and get one there.
The taxi took me straight to the Hostal Hispano.  It is opposite the main park and I remembered having lunch in the Restaurant Hispano with Marion and Annelise in 2007. We also went back there with Finn on our car trip back to Pamplona.
Senor Alonso was most concerned about my arm and allowed me into my room earlier than normal check in time.  He gave me a map and marked on it where the bus stop, tourist office and clinic was.

I crossed the river and found that the tourist office was closed on Mondays.  I found the bus terminus and took a photo of the bus time table on the wall.  I bumped into the two pilgrims from Cape Town and spent some time chatting to them.
I went back tobthe hostal and Senor's daughter and new baby were visiting so I was introduced and had to recount the accident.  He went off duty and Anna, his other daughter arrived to do a shift at the desk.  I asked her if they ciuld scan or fax the doctor's reports for me but their printer, fax macine was out of order.
Kathy arrived and helped carrying the pink bag to our rooms. Anna suggested I try the library or post office to do the fax for me.  After 20 minutes in the post office they were unable to fax the documents to TIC.
Anna told me about a photocopy place around the corner so Kathy and I found that place and I was able to email the docs to my Mweb address.  Back at the hostal i sent them to TIC.
We ate in the room again and I had an early night.

CREDENCIALES AND COMPOSTELAS

Credencial del Peregrinos

Origins: 
The ‘Credencial’ or pilgrim’s passport evolved from letters of safe passage granted by the church or state (and sometimes the King) to people going a journey through foreign lands.  Prospective travellers, both clerics and laymen, combining business with pleasure and/or pilgrimage needed a ‘licencia’ to leave the country.  If pilgrims needed royal protection for their retinue, their lands, possessions and so on, they would travel with the king’s leave, ‘peregre profeturus cum licencia regis.’  A pilgrim needed to visit their priest and make confession before being given a letter stating that he/she is a bona-fide pilgrim, requesting safe passage, exemption from the payment of taxes and tolls and hospitality in the monasteries or ‘hospices’ along the way.  As late as 1778  King Charles III introduced safe passage documents for both merchants and pilgrims.  (This is copy of a safe-passage letter reproduced by the Confraternity of St James in South Africa)

20^th century - Spain:
In the late 1950's and early 1960's five road routes leading tourists and pilgrims to Santiago were developed following existing roads.  A road map of these routes for pilgrims and tourists was published for the 1954 Holy Year with information on churches, monuments, hotels and restaurants along the way. A credential was issued, with blank squares, so that travelers could obtain a stamp at the places they stopped along the road including Jaca, Valcarlos, Pamplona, ​​Estella, Logroño, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Burgos, Frómista, Leon, Astorga, Ponferrada and Monastery of Samos.  Once they arrived in Santiago they could ask for the pilgrim diploma which was funded by the Ministry of Information and Tourism and signed by the Archbishop of Compostela. This was issued in the Holy Years of 1965, 1971 and 1976.   428 credenciales were issued to both car and walking pilgrims in 1965 :  451in 1971 and only 240 in 1976. 

In 1963, Antonio Roa Irisarri, Jaime Eguaras Echávarri and José María Jimeno Jurío, members of the newly formed association of "Los Amigos de Camino de Santiago" in Estella, made a pilgrimage to Santiago dressed in Capuchin habits and leading a mule with a wagon. They designed a Pilgrim's Credential which was approved and blessed by Cardinal-Archbishop of Santiago Archbishop Fernando Quiroga Palacios. 

The cover design with a walking cane, gourd and scallop shell was adopted at the first international Jacobean conference held in Jaca in 1987.

The cover was changed in the 2010 Holy year

and this was subsequently replaced in 2012/2013 to celebrate the Ano de la Fe. 

A new cover was designed in 2013

The modern pilgrim no longer needs to be a Catholic, or make confession, or even get a letter from a church to be accepted as a pilgrim.  They will need an official ‘Credencial del Peregrino’ to stay in the network of pilgrim shelters, refugios and albergues on the Camino routes.  The official Spanish credencial is printed by the Cathedral of Santiago and is available from various parishes, bishoprics and associations along the Camino routes.  Only those walking, cycling or riding horseback are accepted in the pilgrim shelters. The credencial is concertina type folding card with squares for rubber stamps collected along the way. 
Pilgrims are required to obtain stamps in their credencial, proving that they have complied with the requirements for earning the Compostela certificate given to those who walk or ride the last 100km, and those who cycle the last 200 km to Santiago. (In 1965 the church began to issue a special certificate to those who trekked at least 300 km on foot. The certificate entitled the pilgrim to free lodging and meals for three days in Santiago but pilgrims complained that the church authorities treated them with little regard).

With the formation of St James associations in other countries, new versions of the

credencial del peregrino were issued. 

Soon, many tour companies offering Camino bus, or vehicle supported tours, started printing their own credencials and bus pilgrims who stopped at various albergues or bars to get a stamp in the credencial were arriving in Santiago to claim a Compostela.  This prompted the authorities to restrict the acceptance of credenciales to the official church document and those offered by affiliated St James organizations.

AT the time, Genaro Cebrian Franco, Canonic of Pilgrimages wrote:

“For a long time the pilgrim document was the signed and sealed letter from his/her parish attesting to the intentions of the pilgrim.”

On 14 September 2000, at a meeting of the Santiago Archdiocese, the Archconfraternity, and the Federation of Friends of Santiago Associations, an accord was reached regarding future Pilgrimage-related measures.
Because of the large growth in pilgrim numbers (In 2000 the number of pilgrims earning the Compostela 55,004, and in 2007 it was 114,026) and the increase in commercial credentials, the need for one uniform pilgrim’s credential was recognized, and agreed upon.  Many more arrived at the Pilgrims’ office with credentials issued by non-recognized.  

“Commencing on January 1, 2009, the Pilgrims’ Office will only accept the credential issued by the Santiago Cathedral, which has a space for the seal of the authorized institution, church or Santiago Friends’ Association that issued it.   Friends Associations that are not part of the Federation of Associations that may wish to issue credentials must contact its parish to obtain the information that must be imparted to those who wish to make the pilgrimage. Through their parish they may obtain a sufficient number of blank credential forms.
For the purposes of granting the Compostela at the Pilgrims’ Office only the credential issued by the Cathedral, or by those that are issued by Friends of Santiago Associations that clearly contain information about the religious character of the Santiago pilgrimage, will be accepted.”

In addition, if you're starting in Galicia it is important to get 2 stamps per day in your credencial.   

The other credencial that is accepted is the University credencial:

CREDENCIAL JACOBEA UNIVERSITARIA   In 2002 the Alumni Association of the University of Navarre and Spanish universities located on the Camino Frances launched an imitative to promote the Camino de Santiago between the university communities internationally. With this credential pilgrims can also stay in the albergues and earn the Compostela in Santiago.   You can apply through https://www.unav.es/alumni/campusstellae/solicita.html  If you want University Compostela sent to you,by post or e-mail it is necessary to send the original or a photocopy of the stamped Jacobean University Credential with stamps of different universities visited along the Camino, and at least two stamps per day as well as the stamp of the Pilgrim Office in Santiago de Compostela. More information
http://www.campus-stellae.org

When the pilgrim arrives in Santiago they visit the Pilgrim’s Office in Rua do Vilar where the ‘AMIGOS’ will check the stamps in the credencial and, if they have sufficient stamps and can attest to having walked the Camino for a religious/spiritual reason, they will earn the coveted Compostela certificate.  This is based on a 14^th century document, in Latin with their name written on it in Latin too.  If they have walked the Camino for reasons other than religious/spiritual, they receive a different certificate.

LA  COMPOSTELA: > 1321

Many people confuse the Compostela with an Indulgence. The Compostela is not a 'get-out-of jail-card', it is a certificate of completion awarded to pilgrims who walk or horseback ride the last 100km to Santiago de Compostela, or cycle the last 200km.   The Indulgence (for the remission of sins and time spent in purgatory) is given to Catholic pilgrims only who comply with the requirements of visiting the cathedral (you don't have to walk the Camino), recite a prayer, such as the Creed o Lord's prayer, praying for His Holiness the Pope; attend mass and receive the Sacraments of confession.

The 'La Autentica' (as it was first called) was originally an 18" X 20" parchment, hand-written in Latin with a small wooden Santiago pilgrim attached to its upper left corner. A requirement for earning this document was confession and communion (but this requirement seems to have been stopped from the 18th century). The oldest copy available is dated 1321 and can be found in the archives of the Pas-de-Calais in northern France.

Before the "Autentica", pilgrims collected a scallop shell as proof of their pilgrimage to Santiago. (Paper was costly and scarce).   When the name changed to the 'Compostelana' during the transition between the handwritten document and the advent of printing (which only reached Galicia in 17th century), there were two documents issued - one handwritten, carrying a 'Bula' or seal, and a printed one. There were many forgeries of this document which prompted the pope to threaten excommunication of anyone was found to be in possession of a forgery.  One can imagine a group of pilgrim friends travelling to Gascony, having a good time and drinking wine. They buy a forged Compostelana and travel back to England after a nice long holiday in the sun!

After the decline in pilgrimages from the 15th century, it seems that the issue of a certificate stopped for a few centuries, was revived in the 18th century and then stopped again at the end of the 19th century.

When Walter Starkie walked to Santiago in the 1920's, 1930's and 1950's he wrote in his book The Road to Santiago about collecting his scallop shell before continuing to the cathedral.
"We proceeded along the narrow streets to the offices of the Confraternity of St. James and I was given my scallop shell, which for eleven-hundred years had been the badge of kings, prelates and beggars alike."

18th century Compostelas

In the early 20th century, Cardinal José María Martín Herrera encouraged the return of organized pilgrim groups to Santiago. A medal replaced the Compostela in Holy Years (which saved printing costs and earned them some money). These were only issued in the Holy Years of 1909, 1915, 1920 and 1926.

For many years thereafter, pilgrimage was affected by the Spanish Civil War and in 1938, the Compostelana bore the words of Franco - "Prince of Spain and its supreme leader of the army."

In the late 1950's and early 1960's pilgrims who travelled on the newly established tourist roads in Spain, could claim the 'diploma' once they arrived in Santiago.   This was issued in the Holy Years of 1965, 1971 and 1976.

 In 1963 three members of the newly formed association of "Los Amigos de Camino de Santiago" in Estella made a pilgrimage to Santiago. They are warmly received and were issued with the new Compostelana certificates. The wording was different from the previous certificates: "Certifying pilgrims will be true pilgrims, not thugs or homeless, received wide acceptance in the Hospital of Reyes Católicos".

Until 1965 there was a special Maritime Compostela for pilgrims who sailed 40 nautical miles to Padron and then walked to Santiago from there.
Some stats claim that in 1974 only 6 Compostelas were issued. Records prior to the 1970's were lost.

1976 Compostela

In 1985 the name of the certificate was officially changed from a Compostelana to the Compostela.

When the pilgrim arrives in Santiago they visit the Pilgrim’s Office in Rua do Vilar where the ‘AMIGOS’ will check the stamps in the credencial and, if they have sufficient stamps and can attest to having walked the last 100km (cycled the last 200km) or a religious/spiritual reason, they will earn the coveted Compostela certificate.  This is based on the 14^th century document, in Latin with their name written on it in Latin.  If you have walked the required distance for any other reason you will be give the 'tourist' certificate.  Those who continue to Finisterre will also earn the Fisterana.  And, if you walk to Muxia or Padron, you will earn their certificates as well.

Today one can download and print a 'virtual' Compostela from the cathedral website:

www.catedraldesantiago.es/webcatedral.html

 

You can also apply for a memorial Compostela for a departed pilgrim.

The Compostela and the Tourist certificates have been upgraded and the latest versions will by added here as soon as they become available.
March 2014: 

Certificate of Distance:

The Pilgrims' Office started offering two new services.   In addition to the traditional Compostela and Certificate of Welcome which are still issued on a donativo basis the Pilgrims' Office is now offering a Certificate of Distance. This new certificate has been produced in response to requests from pilgrims. It records the route which the pilgrim walked, the starting point, the amount of kilometres and the date of arrival in Santiago. The cost is E3.
Read more:    http://www.johnniewalker-santiago.blogspot.com

  

New Service for Organised Groups
The Pilgrims' Office is offering to prepare Compostelas and Certificates in advance for organised groups so that they can avoid waiting in the queue at the Pilgrims' Office. If anyone wishes to use this service the group leader should email the Pilgrims' Office and they will be sent a form to fill in on behalf of the pilgrims in the group. The Compostelas/Certificates will be ready for them on arrival. In addition to this the Pilgrims' Office will also issue a certificate in the name of the group as a whole and will arrange to have the group welcomed by name at the beginning of the Pilgrims' Mass. This is a free service and donations are invited for the Compostela/Certificates.

Information on credentials and Compostelas from the website of Fernando Lalanda  - with permission.

http://fernandolalanda.blogspot.com/2011/12/sin-titulo-2.html

and -  The 'Historia-Descripción Arqueológica de la basílica Compostelana , published in 1870,

 

Day 4: Portomarin to Gonzar

Day 4:
The Irish lady had a fever and hot sweats and there was no way she could walk in the cold today so I got to walk with the group again, which was lovely.   

It was a long climb up from the bridge, through the forest to where the path joins the road at a brick factory. There is nowhere to stop between Portomarin and Gonzar (8km) so we enjoyed the scenery and the path  which followed the road for most of the way. The heavy rains of the last few days (months?) had made the path very muddy in parts and we did some road walking as well.
Reinette was feeling a little shaky today and could feel a migraine coming.  Janet's knee had started to hurt on the down hills: Pat felt the cold terribly but by dressing in layers she was able to brave walking with the group.

We arrived at Gonzar and all ordered hot drinks and food. David, our taxi-man came to collect us and take us back to Portomarin.

Day 2: Morgade to Mercadoiro

Day 2
The morning was cold and grey. The Irish lady was in two minds about walking. She had sweated throughout the night and her head was pounding. "I feel as though I have done a few rounds with Mike Tyson" she said.  The taxis came for us at 9am and dropped us off at Morgade.  Belin would take our baggage to Portomarin.
She and I would try a km or two whilst the others walked on. We walked a few steps, stopped, walked a few more, stopped.  She sat on the walker and I pushed her where it was flat but even a slight incline exhausted her and she was too heavy for me to push uphill.  After an hour or so, and probably not more than a km, she was feeling weak so I called a taxi.

We arrived at the Pension but the room wasn't ready so we went to a café-bar in the square and had a hot drink.  They advertised that they had rooms and while we were there a German couple arrived and asked for a room but the young man told them they were full - completo. He offered to find them a room elsewhere and started phoning around.
Albergue Ultreia is uphill from the square and Pension Caminante (where she and Reinettte shared a room) is in a side street before the Albergue. When her room was ready I took her back to the Pension. The bathroom was a wet-room, especially designed for people with disabilities.  The toilet was so high that she could barely get onto it.  The shower area had no curtain and the water went all over the floor making it slippery and dangerous.  Understandably she wasn't very happy with it.
Jose arrived with the baggage from Sarria and I was able to check into our rooms.
I took the room with a double bunk and the others had double rooms.  The owners are a lovely family.  Warm and kind they made us feel welcome and their two charming daughters made a point of introducing themselves and welcoming us to their albergue.
By lunch time the albergue was full as was the one across the road. Pilgrims spoke of full albergues in most small and large towns and of having to walk long distances to find beds.  "More pilgrims are booking rooms ahead," said one pilgrim, "and this means there are no beds left for us".  Another pilgrim defended his right to book beds at private albergues or pensiones.  "Who is 'us'? He asked. "Am I and  my wife not part of the pelgrims? We knew that the Camino is going to be busy in May so I booked my beds" he said.  "We are all pelgrims - we are all 'us'. when you go on holiday you cant expect special treatment when you arrive and the hotel is full."  I left the dining room as others joined in and the discussion became heated.
The others arrived back from their walk and settled into their rooms. It started raining and we spent most of the day in the albergue.

At 5pm we got taxis to take us to Vilacha where we had a lovely meal with Gordon Bell in Casa Banderas. We met Johan from Cape Town and two German girls who arrived as we were leaving. It was raining again and the forecast was for much of the same the next day.