300 KM TO SANTIAGO INSTEAD OF 100 KM?

The recently formed Fraternidad International del Camino de Santiago (FICS) has made a proposal to extend the minimum distance required for pilgrims to earn a Compostela from 100 km to 300 km.  (So far the Cathedral is not impressed and has said that they will not be dictated to by anyone or any organisation.)

The document was signed by Anton Pombo [FICS] and translated and circulated on Facebook by Rebekah Scot  "Read, consider, and inwardly digest. And SHARE! The latest from FICS: (my clumsy translation. Sorry)"  

'Debate' and 'discus' was not included and I'm doubtful that it is welcomed.  After reading through the document a few times, I posted a few questions on the FICS Facebook page today and the flame-throwers started taking aim almost immediately! 
I feel that all healthy debate should always consist of opposing opinions and that it is the subject that should be debated, rather than attacking the messenger.   I was taught that the basis of any good science is to prove a concept wrong, not try to prove it right. 

Much of what is written in the proposal makes sense, but there are also glaring inaccuracies, and a lot that many might not agree with.   Although I have written comments on each section of the document, this time I will keep my opinions to myself.  If anyone is interested in reading my opinions you can contact me.

Why do pilgrims have to walk the last 100 km to earn a Compostela anyway? 
There are two reasons.  One, included when the 100 km distance was introduced by the Archdiocese in 1993, is to ensure that pilgrims put in some effort and sacrifice for the expiation of their sins before being awarded the Compostela.   

“El esfuerzo y sacrificio en expiación de los pecados"

Two, is that pilgrims wanting a Compostela must actually walk to the shrine containing the tomb of the saint.  Walking 3 500km from Bulgaria won't earn you any kudos unless you walk the last 100 km to the cathedral.  

FICS' reasons are a little more obscure.  Many pilgrims presumed that it was to relieve the ever growing problem of overcrowding on the last 100 km, but the aim is to make pilgrims walk longer distances so that they can:

"reclaim the long distance Camino and the values that make it unique: effort, transcendence, searching. reflection, encounters with others, solidarity, ecumenism or spirituality, all of them oriented towards a distant, shared goal."

We know that this proposal came out of a meeting of FICS big-guns in Sarria.  Rebekah called them 'Camino heavyweights' and their combined knowledge, care for all things Camino and their integrity is not questioned. But there are unsubstantiated claims made, assumptions, negative terms used to describe particular pilgrims.   Were they unanimously accepted by all the esteemed and learned delegates, or are they just personal perceptions of a few people? 

To read what others think - visit this link:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/fics-forum-why-change-the-100-km-rule-to-300-km.39220/

 

EXPONENTIAL RISE IN NUMBER OF PILGRIMS ON THE CAMINO AND VIA FRANCIGENA

In 1986 (30 years ago) 2491 pilgrims received a Compostela. This has increased by over ten-fold.

Between 1996 and 2015 over 2.5 million pilgrims earned a Compostela.

1996	17138
1997	25179
1998	30126
1999	61418
2000	55004
2001	61418
2002	68952
2003	74614
2004	179944
2005	93924
2006	100377
2007	114026
2008	125141
2009	145877
2010	272135
2011	183366
2012	192488
2013	215880
2014	237812
2015	262000
	2516819

The total number of pilgrims who have received a Compostela so far - January to November - is 260,396.

In December 2014 the number was 1870 so we can assume that at least that number will be reached by the end of the month. 262,266 for 2015.

With Pope Frances announcing an Extraordinary Roman Holy Year of Mercy in 2016 and appealing for cathedrals with Holy Doors to open them next year, I reckon that the numbers will go up exponentially. The Santiago Cathedral is opening their Holy Door on 16th December.

A previous pilgrim office Dean calculated that only 1 in 5 pilgrims walking the Camino routes during the year obtain a Compostela. Many Europeans walk a week at a time; some walk shorter routes that do not end in Santiago; others do not apply for the certificate. If that is still valid, there were over a million pilgrims walking the Camino routes this year and the numbers will rise in 2016.

The number of pilgrims walking to Rome is also expected to rise. There are now dozens of tour companies offering various distance walks on the Via Francigena and although we started booking accommodation for our groups a few months ago, many places are already full. The same can be expected on the Camino, especially the last 114km from Sarria.

15 SEPTEMBER - SAN ANTON

This morning we realized that we were running out of food supplies and we were very low on candles.  The bread van would arrive between 12 and 12h30 with bread, cookies, eggs and milk but everything else was running low and we had no fresh vegetables. One of us would have to walk to the village to buy groceries.  We decided that it should be me as I knew where the supermecado was and spoke better Spanish than Kristine.

The weather was dreadful, flurries of drizzle and strong winds.  I phoned the hotel Jacobus to ask if they had the number of a taxi which I could phone to collect me but they couldn't understand what I wanted.  So, after sharing the sweeping, cleaning, mopping and stewing the sheets, I left at about 1:30 to walk to Castrojeriz.

It was really windy and I could barely keep on the side of the road, my walking stick flying up every now and then.  Castrojeriz is a long town with about 2km of stony alley ways, steps, ramps and stone buildings, wrapped around the base of the hill with a fabulous ruined castle on the top.  It is about 4 km to the eastern side of the town but another 1 - 2 km to walk to the other end.  When I arrived at the supermarkets they were both closed.  I couldn't believe it!  They would only open again at 5 pm.  What to do?  Walk all the way back with no food?  Stay in the village until 5pm and then go back? 

I decided to get a taxi back to the albergue and asked a young lady in the café-bar across the road to call one for me.  Jesus came to the rescue.  I think Jesus is the only taxi driver in Castrojeriz.  When he dropped me at the albergue I asked him if he would come back for me at 5pm,  wait while I shopped and bring me and the shopping back again. 

At 5pm on the dot Jesus came for me and took me to the supermecado.  I bought everything on the list but, no candles.  I tried the smaller supermarket up the hill with no luck. Jesus was waiting so I piled the packets into the car and he took me back. As I finished unpacking the parcels Justi arrived.  I had forgotten about Justi, our go-to man.  The hotel had told him that I needed to do shopping so he had arrived to fetch me!  Oh well, at least I'd had a walk and got to ride in a taxi all afternoon!

The rain had started sheeting down and the albergue was leaking from at least 6 places on the roof.  We had basins and pots under drips in the dormitory and in the living room.  We closed the glass doors into the albergue and I saw a person covered in a large poncho pushing a pram through the big gate at the bottom.  It was a young couple with their 2 year-old child.  They told us later that evening that there were four of them walking - they had lost their other son in July.
Then, just as we settled down to have dinner, a 'Troubadour' walked through the big gate - a middle-aged man with a pony-tail and a guitar over his shoulder.  "Welcome" I said, as I opened the door, "You are just in time for dinner." (We always set an extra place for 'The Visitor')
"Well, isn't that nice.  Fernando didn't tell me about dinner." he said. 
'Fernando?"
"He didn't call you about the concert?  I've been sent to give you a concert tonight" he said.  "My name is James Kline."
After dinner James Kline - classical guitarist, composer, singer-songwriter, innovator of the 19 string arch harp guitar gave us poor pilgrims a free concert.
We were full that night and had a wonderful dinner and guitar concert in candlelight - using the last of our precious candles.

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.

13, 14, 15 SEPTEMBER - SAN ANTON

We woke up about 6am.  I had to use the loo so was the first up.  When I got back to the 'ice box'
the men were already dressed and Kevin had opened the big gates and the albergue doors.  Sunrise would only be just before 8am so we worked in candlelight, setting the table, boiling water on the gas stove, cutting bread for breakfast.  We spoke in whispers until 7am and then we started talking in normal tones as one by one the pilgrims started coming in for breakfast.

Once the pilgrims had left Kevin told me that they'd found occasional bed bugs, scourge of the Camino albergues, so he got me to help strip the beds, placing the sheets in large plastic basins so that they could be 'stewed' in boiling water to kill any bugs that might have been brought in by the pilgrims.  Every day he found a few bugs, either on the beds or on the walls at the back, so we carried all the mattresses out and examined them by brushing the seams and folds with a toothbrush.   They were then sprayed.   I didn't really know what bed bugs looked like but that day Kevin found a couple which he squashed before showing me.
Once that was done we shook each bunk bed to dislodge any bugs that might still be there, sprayed the floors and the walls and closed the door.  Then we had to spray all the blankets and put them in black bags in the sun.  After 30 minutes or so, I swept the dormitory using a dustpan so that I could check to see if there were any bugs.  This was painstaking, heavy work and I wasn't sure that two women would be able to continue with this regime once the men left.

As we started to carry the mattresses back into the room, Rebekah arrived with mattress and pillow covers and three large plastic containers.  YAY!  This meant that we would not have to carry the mattresses out every day and we'd be able to put the blankets into the containers in the sun.   Whilst we were treating the mattresses, blankets and linen, Robert was 'stewing' the sheets and we helped to hang them.  Robert liked to do the main room so I cleaned the shower and toilet and our container. 

During all this housework, pilgrims started arriving from nearby Hontanas at about 8am and we often stopped working to answer questions and to promote the albergue.  Kevin was really good at that!  He took his washing to the water pipe at the canal that ran alongside the ruins and solicited passing pilgrims - hence we were full nearly every night!  In the afternoon a dear little man by the name of Justi arrived.  He was standing in for the owner, Ovidio, who was away on holiday.  If we needed anything we could phone Justi at the hotel.

We had some great candlelight dinners using what we had in the pantry cupboard like pasta, lentils, chickpeas and rice with a salsa sauce and a salad.  Kevin got the pilgrims involved, some doing flowers for the table, some setting the table, others helping with preparation.  After dinner Kevin asked each person to pass a candle around and say thank you to the Camino.  There were some special moments when pilgrims got emotional or shared deeply personal information about why they were walking the Camino. 
The next morning a pilgrim who initially wasn't going to stay the night, told Kevin that he had caught his wife with his best friend and although he was still very angry and deeply hurt, his stay at San Anton had given him the courage to write to her and forgive her.  He had decided to stay at San Anton after I told him that it was a place of healing.

On the 15th Kristine from Australia arrived at around mid-morning.  She came bearing gifts as well as two large fruit cakes!  Robert and Kevin offered to show her the ropes and tell her about the different chores that had to be done. She shook her head, "My background is in nursing, and I am very good at delegating." She said.  Kevin gave me a raised eyebrows look.

Whilst I was hanging the sheets Marion and the rest of the group arrived.  I was so pleased to see them and even got a bit emotional about some of the hurting people who had stayed at the albergue.
 Kevin had his last day, staying to help us with the dinner before he left.  Robert spent the night with two ladies in the ice-box, nearly injuring himself when Kristine's head lamp fell down from the top bunk and landed underneath Robert's bed.  He tried to hang over the side of the bed and retrieve the torch but being a long, lanky fellow, ended doing a somersault, head first off the bed with his backside in the air and head under the bed!  We laughed so loud that the container shook!

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.

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.

10 SEPTEMBER - BELORADO - 12.5 km

When we arrived in Granon I visited the albergue San Juan Bautista where Marion, Annelise and I had stayed and where Jenny served. 

The countryside was brown and showing signs of the drought and heat Spain has experienced in the past few months.

On our way to Belorado we walked through Viloria where I hoped to pop in and say hello to Acacio and Orietta but the albergue looked closed so we continued walking.

We arrived at Belorado and walked through the middle of the town almost to the other end before we found the Hotel Jacobeo on the main road.

There was some confusion about our rooms so we couldn't check in right away.  We decided to revisit the town.

 

 

 

Once we had checked in we asked the owner if we could use the 3rd floor space to have our get-together and at 6pm we all met on the 3rd Floor. 
Jeffrey was still struggling with the light sling pack I had lent him so I offered him Finn's Jeep waist bag.  He tried it on and looked very happy about giving it a go tomorrow.
On our way to a supermecado we found a nice little outside cafe-restaurant for a meal.

8 SEPTEMBER - NAJERA

We chose to take the route to Ventosa where there is now a large café-bar at the entrance.  We stopped for a hot chocolate and I walked through the village to find the albergue San Saturnino where I had stayed in 2002 and in 2007 with Marion and Annelise. 

On the way we visited the cemetery which has a 13th c portal. 

These fabulous olive trees were in the grounds of a winery. 



 

A few km further we came across a wayside camper selling drinks and snacks.  Pilgrims are always grateful to see these 'informal' cafes especially on long sections between towns and villages. 

 I walked into Najera with Jeff and Connie and Marion was there to show us the way to the Hotel Hispano where I had stayed last year.  Anna was behind the desk, her sister was there with her two children and her father was cleaning cutlery in the kitchen.  Our luggage was in the foyer so I took out the little gifts I had brought for Anna, her parents and her sister's children.  I received hugs all round!

After checking in Marion and I decided to have a picnic in the park and bought a few snacks.  We met the others in the park and shared the Amarula, chips, cheese and olives.

 

Marion and I walked into the new town to look for the Cell-Mobile shop.  My Blackberry wasn't receiving emails and she had lost the little drawer for the Sim card in her iPad.  We found the shop but even though a very knowledgeable young lady fiddled and fussed over my phone for half an hour, she couldn't get the email function working.  Then she had a look at Marion's  iPad but didn't have the part.  She phoned ahead to Burgos but they also didn't have the part. 

 

 

We had walked two shortish days from Logrono but it would be 21km to Santo Domingo.  

Hospital D'Orbigo - 9th June

Last night we invited Jurgen, a pilgrim from Hamburg who is also staying at the Hostal Central, to join our table at dinner. During the conversation he told us that he walked to La Virgin del Camino then later on got a bus back to Leon. He spent some time there and was going to wait for one of the afternoon buses but decided to take a taxi instead. (He was also overcharged but queried it and the taxi driver relented and charged him €20)
"But there are no buses during the day on a Sunday", I said, fresh and confident from my internet search of the ALSA website.  "There were many buses," he said, "many going both ways".
We had a lovely meal and found we'd met many of the same people on the way. We discussed them as though they were old mutual friends. There is also the "Camino grape-vine and word goes up and down about different pilgrims. I have met pilgrims who have said, "so, you are the lady who broke her arm. We heard about you last week. " Then someone says, "Pete has had to go ahead - he hurt his leg and had to rest a couple of days so now he is playing catch-up".
Back in the room I checked the ALSA website for the bus time table today and guess what? On Monday there are only evening buses from 20h30 onwards.  On Tuesday they start from 6am and run almost hourly.
I wanted to post another box to Santiago and found that the Correos was in a road parallel to the main road. I posted a copy of my book to Isa and a box of stuff to Santiago. Then I decided to wait at tbe bus stop across the road for Tuesday's 9h40 bus to Hospital.

Hallelujah - the bus was on time, not completo, I bought a ticket on the bus for €1.90 and 20 min later I was deposited on the main road outside Hospital D'Orbigo.  It took about 10 min to walk to the famous bridge and once on it, I saw the Albergue La Encina in a side road about halfway along the bridge. As I walked along the bridge I recognized Pete, striding along the cobblestone bridge. He wasn't staying here but just passing through.

It was too early to check in so I took a walk into the old part of the village, had a drink at the Hostal bar at the start of the bridge and met up with a few pilgrims I've seen regularly along the way.  Dan asked if he could take a photograph of me and I asked if I should smile or look sad? "We haven't seen you without a smile" said his wife, Esther. So I smiled and he took a photo of me and my broken arm.
I went back to La Encina and could check in.  This is the most spacious room I've had to date, large enough to fit 4 beds if needed.
Kathy arrived at 2pm. The lady who checked her in thought she was checking in with a man who had arrived with her at the same time. When I told Kathy she said, "Oh NO, gracias, no hombre!" I suggested to the woman that perhaps she had found Kathy a man and should offer them a matrimonial bed!
It had been a long walk for her, 30km according to her GPS watch.  Much too far for our amaWalkers pilgrims to walk. There are 2 routes to here,  one mostly alongside the road and the other (longer route) with less next-to-the-road walking. We might have to let them decide which they prefer to do.

After a rest we walked accross the long bridge to see if there was another way out for me in the moring. I'm going to have to roll the pink bag along the stony bridge and onto the main road (about 15min) to town to reach the bus stop. There are 4 storks nests on the church tower, all with large babies in them. We watched as a stork swooped over the river, probably looking for frogs.

We had drinks at the Hostal overlooking the bridge and we visited the two albergues in town (the parochial albergue still has the waterfall and forest mural on the wall in the courtyard that I first saw in 2002) and the San Miguel albergue where I met Marcelo the hospitalero from Brazil.
Cathy bought a few provisions at the tienda and we went back to Albergue Encina for a pilgrim menu.  I couldnt get the blind to come down in my room so had bright daylight until after 10pm. I should've kept the eye masks that Qatar airline gave us.