26 SEPTEMBER - SAN ANTON

I suggested to Angela last night that she take Kristine with her to mass from now on.  After we leave, Kristine will be on her own and won't be able to leave the albergue again.  She agreed but said that we would visit the sisters in the afternoon to discuss the idea for the prayer box so they went off after breakfast and I started the daily cleaning routine.

A tiny, elderly Mexican pilgrim hobbled in at around 8am and asked if she could please stay.  Her legs were painful and she didn't think she could walk any further today.  I offered her the last of the coffee from the pot and some breakfast and chose a lower bunk bed for her, taking her backpack into the dormitory. 
I told her to sit and take it easy, but the next thing she had taken a cleaning cloth and was wiping down the table and sweeping up the breakfast crumbs!  When I started wringing the sheets she came to help but she was too short to help me hang them on the wash line.

Pilgrims come and go all morning.  Some stop and rest, others have a cursory look and move on.  Most get a 'sello' and have a drink of water, dropping a few coins into the pottery cup.  We have two 'sellos'.  One is the TAU and is the stamp for the albergue. The other is left on the table for anyone to use and represents the Tau, sign of Malta, and the logos of Castile y Leon.
I have come to realise that only special pilgrims want to stay here, really want to stay.  Some run to get here in order to secure a bed.  They have marked San Anton on their 'must stay' list and we have had to turn bitterly disappointed pilgrims away when we are full.
 Others express an interest in staying but no electricity, no Wi-Fi and no hot water is too much for them and they move on to Castrojeriz.  I can understand this.  That was me, 13 years ago when I first walked the Camino and shunned all places that were described as 'basic' i.e. mattresses on the floor, no hot water or no electricity.  "Pass!" we said - and moved on to a more upmarket, modern albergue.  After a long, hot day of walking the least we wanted was a hot shower and a comfortable bed.

By choosing only the modern albergues we didn't stay in any albergues that offered meals, no candlelight dinners, sing-alongs or pilgrim blessings.  I didn't realise what I had missed until I returned home and started hearing other pilgrims' glowing accounts of communal meals, special 'oraciones' or blessings.  In 2004 I walked from Paris, a route that had no pilgrim shelters for at least 750km until we reached the south and then we started finding a few albergues close to Saint Jean Pied de Port. 

When I returned to walk the Camino Frances in 2007 I made a list of the most popular traditional pilgrim shelters and we religiously sought them out and stayed in every one of them - Eunate, Granon, Tosantos, San Bol, Bercianos, Manjarin, Ave Fenix, Vegetariano, Ruitelin, San Xulian - all chosen for atmosphere and tradition.  I reckoned I could have shiny new bathrooms, comfortable beds and bedside lamps when I got back home! 
I was just like the pilgrims that run to San Anton with a determination to stay here.

Angela and Kristine returned and we were able to sit and chat to the pilgrims that were staying the night.  I took wine left over from the night before and a few more plums to the niche under the arch and topped up a black shower bag so that I could have a lukewarm shower.  A couple of the pilgrims followed and also had a warm shower.
I checked the fridge and when I saw that we only had lettuce and tomatoes, I decided to fetch a large, red apple a pilgrim had given me from the ice-box.  As I started to dice it into the salad Mrs Bossy looked at me and said, "We could've shared that apple.  You didn't have to use it in the salad." 
"Id prefer to share it with all the pilgrims," I said with a smile.  After all it was my apple, given by a pilgrim and now many would share it.
We had a full house at dinner and half way through, we saw bicycle lights approaching the albergue through the gates.  I had set a place for San Anton and we had enough food so when the cyclist asked if we had a bed we said yes, and offered him some dinner. 
"Where are you from?" I asked the stock question as I prepared to sign him in and stamp his credencial. "I'm from the Netherlands, " he answered. 
"And what is your name?" I asked.
"My name is Anton," he said.
We all started laughing and had to share with him our tradition of keeping a place for San Anton!
Kristine was going to be walking the Primitivo when she left here but she was concerned that she didn't have enough warm clothing.  It had turned chilly and the temperatures at night and in the early mornings were very low.  I offered her my down, padded jacket and said I would give it to before I left.

16,17 SEPTEMBER - SAN ANTON

17 September 
Robert left yesterday.  "Watch out for that one" he whispered to me as he left.  He'd found Kristine a bit bossy and controlling but I wasn't concerned.  She'd told me that her mother was a bossy and controlling women and that they had never gotten on.  I am not afraid of bossy women and will kill her with patience and stoicism!. 
Kristine and I are on our own for a few days until the Spanish hospitalera arrives on Sunday  We don't know anything about her except that she has served at San Anton for a week in September every year for the past 4 years.

The weather has turned quite cool and last night was freezing in the 'ice box'.  In the middle of the night I woke with a start and wondered if the people who had done the washing up had switched off all the gas burners.
I lay in the bed and listened to the wind and didn't feel like getting up and going out.  Then I thought of the 2 year-old, and his grieving parents and thought, "What if there is gas leaking out and the child dies in his sleep?  Or, all the pilgrims are dead when I open up in the morning?"  OMG! 
I got up and put on my down jacket, took the Waka Waka torch and crept out of the box. There is no electricity at San Anton and with no moon it is pitch black at night.  I unlocked the doors to the albergue and, of course, the gas was switched off.  I sighed with relief. 
I know I've locked and bolted the big gate into the ruins but then I remember the baby and the parents and think, "....not on my watch," so I go down to the gates and check anyway.

The Waka Waka has been a fabulous asset. Not only do I have a solar powered power-bank to recharge my phone or tablet, but it provides a bright light for us to wash up dishes, look for things in the dark, light my way to the ice-box and to the toilet. 

This morning Kristine burnt her forearm when she accidentally poured some hot water over arm when stewing the sheets.  It is quite a deep burn but being a nurse she knew what to do and how to treat it.  But, it does mean that she doesn't have the strength to wring the sheets so we do it together and hang them together.

People start wandering in very early.  Some peep through the gate, hesitant to step into the grounds, not sure if they are allowed in.  Others march up to the albergue and ask if we sell coffee.  'No, I'm sorry we don't sell anything here" we say and they peer into the dining room just in case we are secretly a café-bar after all. 
"Can we use the toilet?" some ask.  "I'm afraid not," we say, "we have very little water here and we can't flush the toilets until the tank has been replenished.'"  If someone is dancing a jig with their legs crossed, we let them use the toilet, but otherwise we have to say no. 

If you look carefully you see the water pipe running under the stones behind the bench this couple are sitting on.  The farmer next door pipes water to the albergue from his reservoir. 

 

Whilst Kevin was here, the tank ran dry and they had no water for a day.  They had to collect water in 5L bottles from the pipe at the canal in order to fill the cistern and boil some for drinking water.  If the water pressure drops we can't flush the toilets anyway so we have to restrict the use of the toilets to pilgrims staying at the albergue only.

 

There is a beautiful shower here but no hot water.  "That's OK, " I said to Kevin on my first night.  "I'll have a cold shower."  The men looked at me in admiration.  I stood naked and ignorant under the shower and thought, "I'll just have a quick one."  OMG!!  As the icicles hit me I thought I was having an asthma attack!  For 5 minutes I couldn't breathe, the water was pure ice!  There is a sign on the door asking people to save water by having a quick shower.  Really!  There is absolutely no risk of anyone wasting water under that shower of icicles!

I brought three black solar shower bags to the albergue from South Africa.  If they work in the African bush, they should work in this smart shower. They worked, sort of.  They would've worked better if we could've hung them up but we didn't want to put hooks into the owner's wooden beams without their permission so we balanced one bag on top of the shower wall and tied the ropes to the upright shelving unit behind the wall.  (You can just see the bags lying on the green table, water spouts hanging over the edge.)
 Each day I emptied the left over water from the bag into basins to use to water the plants. There are herbs and some vegetables as well as flowers that were planted here in memory of  Julian and Jose.  The crocus are just starting to flower - big beautiful yellow stars pushing through the scrubby grass behind the wash lines.

 Tonight we had an Italian pilgrim who asked if he could cook for us.  We accepted his offer gladly and he made pasta with a really delicious sauce which included some of the vegetable we'd bought the other day.  I asked him if he could sing as well (can't all Italians sing?) but he said no, definitely not.  After dinner I suggested that each person sing us a song from their country, whether it is a lullaby or their National anthem.    We had a beautiful Polish song, Hungarian, two Italian songs (even one from Ernesto after we plied him with red wine), a couple of English songs and Kristine sang Waltzing Matilda while I sang Inkosi Sikele iAfrica. 

Before I sand I explained how a decision had to be made after the 1990 political changes in South Africa on which anthem to keep and what a miracle it was that both the African song and the Afrikaans song were accepted, and how the words combine five of our 11 official languages  with Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English verses. Of course I don't know all the words so I had to wing it until I got to Die Stem but nobody would've known unless they could understand Sesotho!

 

11 SEPTEMBER - SAN JUAN DE ORTEGA - 24km

Marion told us that it was Jeff's birthday today and as there was only one place in San Juan to have a meal, we would celebrate by having dinner together.  She had asked her friend Ben to make a small stained glass and lead cross for Jeff as a birthday present.

We passed through Tosantos where we had stayed in 2007 with the wonderful Jose Luiz.  The guide book told us to take care when walking through the village of Villafranca Montes de Orca because of fast moving traffic.  With a population of 230 people, we couldn't imagine that the traffic should be too busy!  However, the road is a national one with fast moving trucks and other heavies, and very little shoulder to walk on.

Today started off with a steep, steep climb straight up through a forest on a rocky path.  Thereafter is was a day of fruit - with pears, apples, plums, blackberries and quince in abundance.

We started climbing again and when we thought we would never see civilisation again, there in a clearing was a strange sight.  Upturned cut logs, a couple of hammocks, music coming from the open boot of a small car and three lovely ladies handing out slices of melon and offering cold drinks or coffee. 

After taking advantage of this unexpected stop we continued to San Juan de Ortega - population 20 - a tiny hamlet dedicated to Saint John of the Nettles who was a disciple of Santo Domingo and helped build roads and bridges to help the pilgrims on their way to Santiago.  In 2002 the only place to sleep here was in the monastery, a bitterly cold, damp and mouldy place.  Now the two brothers who own the only café bar have built a modern 10-roomed hostal with en suite bathrooms.  This is where we were headed.

 

We checked in, booked a table for the first dinner setting and went to visit the church of San Nicolas.

Mass was before dinner and we all enjoyed the pilgrim mass and blessings.  Then we went to dinner and surprised Jeffrey with a small cake and candle and Marion gave him the gift.

I would be leaving the group in Burgos tomorrow and it was decided that we would ask the taxi to pick everybody up at Castaares, a small suburb of Burgos about 7km before the central city.

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,

 

SLACKPACKING THE CAMINO FRANCES

 

This post is an excerpt from my new book, 'SLACKPACKING THE CAMINO FRANCES' published by LightFoot Guides and available from Pilgrimage Publications and most online book stores  

 

  ‘Slackpacking’ is a relatively new term used to describe any kind of multi-day trekking or hiking with support. Whether trekking with pack-horses in the Andes, donkeys in Peru, or employing Sherpa when hiking in the Himalaya, slackpacking has been the preferred mode of trekking for millennia.

It is thought that the term was first used to describe hikers doing the Appalachian Trail in the US with backup support and resupply. In contrast to the extreme hikers who trek long distances carrying heavy loads on their backs and sleeping outdoors, the slackpacker carries a daypack with basic necessities and transfers the rest of his or her baggage ahead. On many such treks rooms in hostels or hotels are pre-booked.

If you have been on a walking or trekking holiday with any company that offers multi-day walks with baggage transfer and accommodation booked, whether it is guided or guided, you have enjoyed a slackpacking experience.

Slackpacking the Camino with beds booked and baggage transferred doesn’t mean that you won’t get blisters, tendonitis, aching muscles and a funny tan! You will still hike up the same mountain paths, wobble down the same rocky descents, and struggle through the same boot-clinging mud and sludge with all the other pilgrims.

The main difference is that your daypack will only weigh about 3kg instead of the average 8kg and, knowing that you have a bed and a hot shower waiting for you at the end of the day means plenty of time for breakfast, to smell the wildflowers along the trail, enjoy a long leisurely lunch and wait for an interesting church or museum to open. It means that you don't have to join the race for beds or queue for a bunk-bed in a pilgrim dormitory.

 

 From the time the tomb of the apostle James the Greater was discovered in the 9^th century, there has been a melting pot of people on the road to Santiago with as many different types of pilgrims in the Middle Ages as there are today.  Besides the hoards of poor, unemployed and penitential pilgrims foot-slogging thousands of miles to the tomb of the apostle, we read about lords and ladies with their entourages, kings and queens with their servants and slaves (who might have carried the lords and ladies in litters for much of the way!); ecclesiastic pilgrims – priests, bishops and even a couple of popes - accompanied by their servants and clerics, and knights travelling with their ladies with their large retinues. These pilgrims would have been hosted in the best monastic quarters, the finest inns, or in castles and palaces with the local royalty. 

 

Many pilgrims went on horseback; others had donkeys or mules to bear their loads. Most of the classic pilgrim stories that have come down to us were written by pilgrims on horseback. There are historical accounts of large caravans of pilgrims on the roads to Santiago – some with camels!

The majority of pilgrims did not walk alone but walked in groups for safety sake. In many countries, large towns and cities had guilds that organised guided group walks to Santiago. It was much safer to travel this way and, like the tour groups of today, pilgrims walked with like-minded people and supported each other on the long journey.

 

St Bona of Pisa, patron saint of travelers and specifically pilgrims, guides, couriers and flight attendants, led ten such groups of pilgrims from Italy to Santiago in the 12^th century and was made an official pilgrim guide by the Knights of Santiago. 

From the end of the 15^th century, anyone who could afford to was able to travel with the postal service – a service with horses and carts that were changed at regular staging posts. 

From the mid-17th century the ‘Grand Tour’ became popular and it was possible to travel in comfort with a ‘Cicerone’ (a knowledgeable tour guide) and travel agents known as ‘carters’ provided transport, accommodation and food on the road to Santiago. 

Slackpacking is becoming more and more popular as people who are not normally extreme hikers take to trekking the trails around the world. Some say that tour companies have 'commercialised' the Camino. That might be so, but it has also provided growth in many rurual industries such as bakeries, butcheries, markets etc that provide food for the 500 000 plus pilgrims that walk parts of the trails every year.

 

Pilgrimage has always had a commercial aspect from taxes collected to maintain roads and bridges, vendors providing goods and souvenirs, locals offering rooms, and tour guides offering safe passage to groups. The large pilgrim churches along the pilgrimage routes in France and Spain survived mainly on donations and bequests made by pilgrims.

Doing “The Way” your way

Everyone is entitled to do the Camino their way.  Some pilgrims like to walk alone, carrying everything they posses on their backs and staying only in pilgrim shelters. Others enjoy walking for long distances, starting in different countries and taking many months to walk to Santiago – often camping along the way.

Until the reanimation of the old pilgrimage trails in the late 1970s nearly every pilgrim to Santiago arrived there by bus or train. Many went with organised groups or tours, as they still do to other Christian shrines such as Jerusalem, Rome and Fatima or Lourdes. Very few people walk to these shrines.

Over 10 million pilgrims visited Santiago in 2010 (a Holy Year) and of those, only 2% (272 700) walked or cycled the route, the bulk covering the last 100 km. The great majority arrived there by plane, car, bus and train.

Perhaps you prefer not to walk alone for weeks carrying everything on your back, or rough it by staying in crowded pilgrim hostels.  You can choose to walk alone and take pot-luck on finding a room when you arrive in a village or town.  (Look out for signs  that advertise “Habitaciones/ Rooms/ Zimmer/ Chambre.)

Just remember, if you don’t have a place booked you will have to carry your backpack.

You can book your accommodation ahead of time and have your backpack transferred each day.  Or you might prefer to walk with like-minded people in an organized group. You can book guided and unguided tours on the Camino. 

If you are pressed for time you can choose to walk a section of the trail, then get a bus or taxi further down the route. Many people don’t have five or six weeks to spare, meaning that they have to take a taxi or a bus to a few places.

Many historical books, movies and websites on the Camino show statues, sculptures, stained glass windows and other works of art depicting pilgrims from the early 12^th century to around the 18^th century.   The majority of foot pilgrims wore a long, dark robe, carried a simple a shoulder bag called a ‘scrip’, a gourd for water and a staff.

Pilgrims who could afford it went on horseback and they were able to take extra changes in clothing and a few other comforts. 

The one thing you won’t see in books or film are  medieval pilgrims carrying a backpack!  A pilgrim from the middle ages would be astonished to see today's pilgrims slogging across the Camino with huge packs containing their material baggage on their backs. 

 

 

But, those were different times and modern pilgrims are expected to bathe and change and wash their clothes so most pilgrims carry extra clothing, washing soaps and toiletries and need a back-pack to carry their gear. 

Most walking Camino pilgrims only need a small capacity pack to carry their clothing, medication and toiletries.  If you intend sending your backpack ahead you could manage with a day-pack whilst walking but ensure that it is comfortable and secure.
 

In your pack you will carry a rain jacket or poncho, a jacket or fleece, a sitting plastic in case you decide to picnic on the side of the path or sit on a mossy wall, your first aid kit, snacks and drinks.  I also recommend carrying your sandals so that you can change into them when you arrive at your hotel.

It is better to use a regular backpack, with padded shoulder straps, sternum strap and waist belt rather than a flimsy day pack with thin straps and no support that will swing around on your back as you go up and down hills.
 

If you do not want to carry a heavy backpack every day – or are unable to walk long distances over difficult terrain – you can still do the Camino by having your pack (and yourself) transported by taxi or transport services on most of the Camino routes. Remember, you only need to walk the last 100 km to Santiago to earn the Compostela certificate, and the pilgrims’ office doesn’t care how your backpack arrives there!   
 

In order to transfer luggage, you must have pre-booked accommodation along the way. This means that you will not be allowed to stay in the traditional ‘donation’ pilgrim albergues that do not allow pre-booking or vehicle back-up. However, many private albergues do allow pilgrims to book rooms and have their backpacks transported along the route. Have a look at the private albergues lists here:
 

www.redalberguessantiago.com/documents/211.html

 

 

Hotels usually have contact details of local taxis and luggage transfer service. Charges are from €7 per bag per stage. The bag should not weigh more than 12kg and a stage is up to 25km.  The cost is half of that in Galicia (€3) where the number of pilgrims is much higher.  If you are walking with buddy or in a group, you can share a large shopping bag to send your excess stuff ahead.  This helps to keep down the cost.

More on "SLACKPACKING THE CAMINO"

When and Where to start walking         

Towns that are easily reached where you can start your Camino        
Credencial del Peregrino – Pilgrims’ Passport                                                
Best Time to walk a Camino                                  
Weather Tables                                           
   May and June                                          
   September and October                           
Where to start and how to get there           
     Starting at Jean                                     
     Route Napoleon or through Val Carlos    
     Starting at Roncesvalles                         
     Starting at Pamplona                             
     Starting at Burgos                                 
     Starting at Leon                                     
     Starting at Astorga                                
     Staring at Ponferrada                             
     Starting at O Cebreiro                            
     Starting at Sarria                                   
Getting back home                                      

Different types of Accommodation                  
Reserving rooms online                                           
Booking hotel rooms                                   
Booking rooms in hostels                   
 

Luggage Transfers and Camino Tour Companies

Companies that transfer luggage                
Posting luggage ahead                               
Camino Tour Companies                    

Walking stages and itineraries                        
Itinerary 1:   10km to 15km daily stages             
Itinerary 2:   15km to 20km daily stages             
Itinerary  3:   20km to 25km daily stages             
Itinerary 4:   The last 100km for not-so-able pilgrims.
17-day, 5km to 8km daily stages      

Detours on the Camino Frances

Appendices on Camino Lingo, Transport details and contacts for trains, buses, taxis in each region.