EVERY ONE IS SPECIAL

I think we have our final group of people for the May/June amaWalkers Camino walk. 

As I typed out the list of names to file in my amaWalkers Camino folder, I thought about them all, about how special every one of these people are.  They are not just names of people who want to walk the camino, and who don't want to walk it alone, they are people who feel called to walk a camino (one for a second time).  And what a privelege to be walking with Pam - an old soul who loves the Camino as much as I do and wants to share her passion with others.

Some of our group have been dreaming about walking a Camino for years.  One dear lady has been to all of my Camino workshops and St James' feast day celebrations since they started in 2003.  When she put her name down for the amaWalkers Camino walk she said, 'This is my chance.  If I don't walk it with you, on this walk, I'll probably never walk it." She is still nervous, unsure, anxious.  But she has booked her air tickets and she and I agree that this is her time.  I feel priveleged to be the one she has chosen to walk with. 

Another lady wanted to walk with me last year but lack of finances and committment to her son prevented her from doing so.  She was diappointed, and when she heard about this walk, she was the first person to put her name down.  Although she is nervous about being on her own, she is planning on walking solo to Finisterre when we all leave Santiago.

Some of our group will be walking in gratitude for the recovery from illness, another to heal from the loss of a loved one, or to contemplate a new era in their life as one chapter closes and another must open, or to recharge batteries run down by a demanding career or families. 

I will be doing all the planning for the three sections we will walk, booking the accommodation, arranging for transport where necessary. I wonder how else I can serve them so that they have the most wonderful Camino possible?  Perhaps it's best to just let them have their space; time for reflection and contemplation; to allow the healing spirit of the earth they'll walk on, the plants, rocks, birds, animals they'll walk with, work through them.  Perhaps I'll send them this ancient, Hasidic prayer:
“When you walk across the fields with your mind pure, then from all the stones and all growing things, and all the animals, the sparks of their soul come out and cling to you and become a holy fire in you."

This is going to be a very different Camino for me.  The first three were 'for me'.  The walk on the Via francigena was also 'for me'. I often say that I need to 'go walk-about' every now and then to restore my soul.  Last year, I walked the Aragones, Ingles and Fistera routes 'for me' - but serving as a hospitalera near Finisterre for two weeks showed me another side to the Camino.  It was no longer about me.  It was all about those dear souls 'reaching the misty land of the Dark Star' at world's end, wondering what they were going to do when there were no more yellow arrows to guide them.

This time it will be all about caring for, and caring about, 13 other people, rather than all about me.  Walking a Camino is so special, can be such fun, heartwarming, deeply spiritual and life-changing, and that is what I want for our pilgrims.  So, I'll share this Buddhist prayer with our group: 

"May we know that it is the journey that is important. May we find our own truths and the divine within ourselves and in doing so help our fellow travelers to find their own. May we see each other through spirit and not through worldly eyes. Namaste"

Patron Saint of pilgrims and guides

Bona of Pisa (c. 1156 – 1207)

Info and Photo Wiki

When I was planning the amaWalkers guided walk to Santiago, I thought it would be nice to have a patron saint for our group.  I did a search on the internet and came up with Saint Bona of Pisa, a 12th c saint who led 10 groups of pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela. 

At a young age she saw a vision of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and three saints,  including James the Greater. She was frightened by the light around these figures, and ran away. James pursued her, and led her back to the image of Jesus. Bona observed a pronounced devotion to James for the rest of her life.

After leading her first group of pilgrims to Santiago she was made an official guide by the Knights of Santiago. She went on to lead 8 more groups and despite being ill she lead a 10th group and died at the age of 51 shortly after returning home.   Saint Bona is regarded as the patron saint of travellers, and specifically couriers, guides, pilgrims, travellers, flight attendants, and, of course, the city of Pisa.

Yesterday I discovered that her her feast day is celebrated on May 29 - the day our walking holiday starts from Roncesvalles! Is that synchronicity, or what?

Plans are going well for the walk and I have such a good feeling about it! Besides walking the three sections of the Camino we will have time for extra excurisons - to see the castle at Clavijo, where Santiago was first seen on his white horse fighting off the Moors and so became known as Santiago Matamoros: we'll have breakfast at O Cebreiro on our way to Sarria and we'll visit 'Las Meduals", the remains of the most important gold mine in the Roman Empire. We are planning on doing a Nocturnal Walking Tour of Santiago's old town culminating in a visit to a club for a Queimada and a Sunset trip to Finisterre with wine and tapas to celebrate the end of our walk.

Most of the hotels, inns, apartments, private albergues have been booked or chosen and we will take the Chu-chu tourist trains in Burgos, Leon and Santiago.  We only have two places left on the walk - with 4 friends waiting for a slot for four. 

DETOURS ON THE CAMINO FRANCES

When planning to walk the Camino Frances, try to allow a few extra days for detours from the camino path. There are many interesting, historical places just a few km off the actual path that are not on the modern camino but which probably were a part of alternate trails in the middle ages. Some will add a few km to your walk, others you can reach by bus or take a tour.


Ibaneta Pass
If you start in Roncesvalles, try to get there early enough to take a 3km walk up to the 1300m Ibaneta Pass and look into France from the top. The famous monastery and hospice of San Salvador once stood here. There is a modern chapel here dedicated to Charlemagne. (Today - 28th January - marks the 1195th anniversary of the death of the first Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne). There is a monument here to Roland and this is where the Route Napoleon and the Val Carlos Route join.

Roncesvalles: Many pilgrims start at Roncesvalles (or stagger in late from St Jean Pied de Port!), but because they arrive on the evening bus, they don't have time to explore this historic monastery complex. Try to get there the day before, or take a taxi from Pamplona (share the fare with other pilgrims) so that you have time to visit the cloisters and the museum with its extraordinary reliquaries and other artefacts. Scan the church walls for mason signs, visit the old walls of the original hospice opposite the church and the monastery ossuary that is said to hold the remains of Charlemagne’s soldiers.

Eunate

From Muruzabel, about 3kms off the camino path, is the octagonal church of Santa María de Eunate (Muruzábal). Built around 1170 it has been associated with the Knights Templar and excavations close by have revealed numbers of graves with scallop shells suggesting that it could have been a funerary church. The walls have many mason signs that you will see all along the camino. There is a small refuge there but check to see if it is open before planning to spend the night.

Clavijo


18km southwest of Logrono is the ruined castle of Clavijo, reputedly the site where Santiago appeared on a white horse to help the Christian soldiers against moor invasions.
You can take a taxi there or walk there and back in 2 days.


San Millán de la Cogalla
14km southwest of Azofra are the magnificent monasteries of Suso and Yuso, the first built between the 5th and 6th centuries and the Yuso around the 16th C.


Atapuerca (photo from Wikipedia)

Book a guided tour from Atapuerca to the fascinating archaeological site which lies within a military zone about 40 kms from the village. Atapuerca is one of Europe's most important archaeological sites. It was declared a World Heritage site in 2001. (No private visits allowed). info@atapuerca.es

Santo Domingo de Silos

Take a bus from Burgos to the Monastery where the Gregorian Chants were made famous a few years ago. (The trip on the road is an experience, along narrow winding roads, through stunning, rockface scenery)

The cloisters are unique and the pharmacy museum is worth a visit. Plan on spending two nights. The bus leaves Burgos at 17h30 and returns at 08h30 the next day - not leaving enough time to see the village, hear the chanting and visit the museum.
We stayed at the Santo Domingo de Silos Hotel which has upmarket rooms, plain doubles with en suite for 36 euros. Excellent food in the little reaturant downstairs. http://www.hotelsantodomingodesilos.com/

Castrojeriz


Climb the hill and visit the ruins of the castle Mirador with spectacular views of the valley below.
Visit the Convent of Santa Clara about 2km south of the village – a closed order – where you can buy biscuits and other baked goodies by passing your money through a revolving serving hatch.



Ponferrada or Astorga
About 60kms from Astorga and 20kms from Ponferrada, the fantasitcal Medulas used to be the most important gold mine in the Roman Empire.

Las Médulas is listed by the UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites.(Photo wikipedia Picture taken by Rafael Ibáñez Fernández)

Vega de Valcarce
You will see the Castle Sarracin squating on

the high hill to your left on the way to O Cebreiro.
Originally built in the 9thC, it was owned by the lords of Sarracin who also owned 35 small towns in the area. This 14thC ruin was one of 8 castles owned by the Marques de Villafranca
A round trip of about 45mins will reward you with extensive views and an impressive ruin that has sheer cliffs on 3 sides.


Eirexe

6km detour to the recently restored, spectacular Monasterio de San Salvador at Vilar das Donas

Fistera
If you are not walking on to Finisterre - The End of the World - it would be worth taking a bus for a day trip to Fistera.  Walk the 2.5km up to the lighthouse and burn an item of clothing at the top!