What's new
As always, we welcome any information likely to help or interest other pilgrims, as well as all comments on and criticisms of our site. Contact us.
Recent updates
| Date | Page | Revision | Revised by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Sept 2007 | Whats New | A joyful event at Rabanal del Camino | hn |
various |
Guides | Updates to several of our pilgrim guides are now available | hn |
| 11 Jan 2007 | What's New | A new gite in Lodève, due to open June 2007 | hn |
| 18 Dec 2006 | What's New | A novena in honour of St James the Apostle | hn |
| 18 Dec 2006 | What's New | Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome founded | hn |
And a general change (January 2007):
To reduce the risk of spam, we've removed most direct e-mail links from this site. To use the e-mail addresses listed here, copy them into your normal e-mail program, but replace the '*' with the conventional '@', before sending your message.
What else is new
News from the pilgrimage routes
El Camino Digital
You may like to keep an eye on this Spanish-language website for up-to-the minute developments on the camino.
The Pilgrim's Café
A new venture from the Hospitality Management Department of Plymouth University, this cafe is only open during academic term time. It offers a "Blue Table" meal @ £1.99 which is predicated on the traditional meal offered to those pilgrims following the Way of St James.
Documentary film about St. James-Pilgrims
Swiss filmproducer is looking for St. James-Pilgrims in England or Ireland for a documentary film. We would like to portray some pilgrims by accompagnying them on their way for a few days. The shooting will take place in the second part of the year 2006.
Don't hesitate to contact us!
Hans M. Eichenlaub
jakobfilm@hispeed.ch
On the French routes
The recently-formed association, Les Haltes vers Compostelle, exists to ensure that pilgrims face less competition for places to sleep on the French pilgrim routes, and to promote a friendly and constructive dialogue between pilgrims and those who put them up. Membership, which is reviewed each year, depends on positive feedback from pilgrims. Most members are on the le Puy route, with three on the Arles route. Experience so far suggests that they set a very high standard. Their website has just (June 2006) been created; it's worth a visit, and the association deserves all our support.
North of Paris
A new hostel for pilgrims opened in May 2005 at Compiègne. Details - in French and English - here.
The Paris route
One of our members, Patricia Bigot, runs a Bed and Breakfast at le Boullay-Thierry, 13 km south of Dreux and 26 km north of Chartres, where she welcomes pilgrims coming from the channel and wanting to avoid Paris. E-mail: patbigot@wanadoo.fr. Website: http://www.lejardindupresbytere.com
The Vézelay route
Are you thinking of walking the Vézelay route but are worried about using a guide that is all in French?
If so, you may like to know that a new" English" version of the 3rd edition of Monique and Jean-Charles Chassain's guide, Itinéraire du Pèlerin de Saint-Jacques sur La Voie Historique de Vézelay, is now (January 2007) available through our Bookshop. Once in the Bookshop, go to "Books from other publishers" and then "Pilgrim Guides", and you'll find that the Vézelay guide is the first item listed.
This latest edition of their guide contains a lengthy Introduction in English and a comprehensive glossary to enable those with only a limited knowledge of French to understand the route-finding instructions, accommodation details and information about historic monuments and places of interest. It has excellent maps, and costs £24.
The Topoguide
The Topoguide published by the FFRP describes the route from Namur in Belgium via Vézelay to Nevers:
Sentier de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle: la Voie de Vézelay, GR 654. Namur / Reims / Châlons-en-Champagne / Auxerre / Vézelay / la Charité-sur-Loire / Nevers. - Paris: FFRP, 2001. - 248 pp.
We have been asked to point out, however, that the GR departs at many points from the historic route - to which the route established from Vézelay onwards by the local association is much more faithful.
The le Puy route
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The Arles route
We have been sent these photos of the conversion of an C18th building hard by the pilgrimage route in Lodève. Built as a felt-factory (for military uniforms), it became a tannery in 1862; and it is scheduled to open as a pilgrim hostel (20 places in 6 dormitories) at the end of June 2007.
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The facade of the old tannery
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The front door
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The future dormitory |
The conversion under way |
and we wish the future hospitalier every success!
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New refuge at St Jean Pied-de-Port
L'Esprit du Chemin at 40, rue de la Citadelle (opposite the Accueil St Jacques at no 39), 64220 St-Jean-Pied-de-Port is now open. It is a non-commercial refuge for pilgrims and other walkers, run by a pair of experienced pilgrims, Huberta Wiertsema and Arno Cuppen.
Tel +33 (0)5 59 37 24 68. Website: www.espritduchemin.org E-mail: hubertarno*wanadoo.nl [To reduce the risk of spam, we're removing direct e-mail links from this site. To use this address, copy it into your normal e-mail program, but replace the '*' with the conventional '@', before sending your message.]
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On the Spanish routes
A Joyful Ordination ends Gaucelmo’s Season of Celebration
Gaucelmo had seen a summer sun come to Rabanal at last, in time for the celebrations to mark its 100,000th pilgrim and the huerta party of 24 July previously reported.
Now on 28 July this same huerta, newly-mown and green, was bathed in light for a solemn occasion and a huge and joyful celebration. The road for Gaucelmo’s friend and neighbour from the Monastery of Monte Irago had no doubt been long, the learning hard and full of challenge, but now the young monk José Carlos had reached the day of his ordination, the first Rabanal had seen.
For days, monks, helpers and villagers had been preparing; flags and bunting were everywhere, flower-decked arches, woven by villagers, showed the way along the now rose-petal strewn processional route. In front of a huge stage with thrones and altar were row upon row of places to seat more than 500 people – family, friends, fellow monks from Spain and Germany, priests from across the diocese and beyond, government and military officials, villagers, hospitaleros and pilgrims and a band of musicians brought specially from Germany. Around the edges of the field were bars, catering tents and tables; the huerta contained all this, with space to spare.
This special and memorable day for Gaucelmo, with the Bishop of Astorga and the Archabbot of Saint Ottilien presiding, saw José Carlos achieve his dream in a most moving and impressive ceremony.
This was a day of great emotion and affection, of ceremonial embraces, of tears both sad and joyful. A moving address of thanks from the now ordained José Carlos included the Confraternity and then his first gift of the sacrament, or a blessing.
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The solemnity complete, the huerta now exploded into a party such as it had surely never witnessed. Musicians played, with flavours of Germany and Spain and international songs combined, feet were dancing, wine and beer were there for everyone; there was food to feed five thousand – among traditional Spanish favourites, sausages just brought from Bavaria, the Archabbot proudly explained. This was a huge and joyful gathering with everyone assisting and a whole community combining to help, drawn together in celebration.
The huerta had been the setting at the heart of everything and the Confraternity can be proud to have been represented and to have played a vital part in such a momentous event.
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BEDBUGS ON THE CAMINO
Pilgrims and refugios are reporting problems with bedbugs (not lice, as initially reported in the Guardian on 10th October 2006). At first in France and towards the eastern end of the Camino Francés, they have recently been reported as far west as Astorga (and in hotels as well as in refugios, some of which have closed for fumigation). We'll try to keep you posted here. Meanwhile, click here to see what to look out for.
(Updated 31 January 2007)
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Restoration work at Foncebadon
The website of the Sankt Jakobs Bruderschaft includes pictures of their restoration work on the ruined church at Foncebadon. Follow this link, and then click on "weiter" at the foot of the page.
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Cheap flights to Santiago and Oviedo
Ryanair have introduced a service to Santiago, and Easyjet now fly to Asturias Oviedo.
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News from Santiago
Cathedral offers a second pilgrim service each day (rec'd 12 August 2007)
A pilgrim reports:
"There is now a prayer service only for pilgrims who have travelled by foot, bike or horseback from 9 - 10 pm in the Cathedral each day. It is in the format of readings and some prayers and the Our Father and sung Salve. Pilgrims of the nationalities attending read in their own language and there is a sharing of personal experiences. The service ends with a visit to the Tomb for private reflection and a blessing - quite touching.
They have a set format with leaflets in different languages containing the readings and prayers."
Santiago Today
An English-language news service to keep you up to date with events in an around Santiago. It includes a pilgrims' discussion forum (see below).
Confraternity news
The more recent items appear first
We have been asked to publicise the following call for pilgrims:
Carbon Media and Channel 4 are currently making a programme to be shown on Easter Day about the Twelve Apostles. A key part of the film will focus on St James and the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. We are therefore in great need of some pilgrims to interview on arrival at the Cathedral.
If you will be in or near Santiago de Compostela anytime between now and the first week in March please do contact us!
Call Harriet Matthews on 020 7089 6277 or email harriet.matthews*carbonhq.com [To reduce the risk of spam, we're removing direct e-mail links from this site. To use this address, copy it into your normal e-mail program, but replace the '*' with the conventional '@', before sending your message.]
Thanks for your help.
We have been asked to pass on this invitation to contribute your pilgrimage experiences to a Canadian publication:
"Hello Fellow Pilgrims!
I am looking to put together a book with stories and photos from the pilgrimage. I was hoping some of you might be interested in submitting your poems, stories, photos, etc. I spent several years in publishing here in Vancouver, Canada, so I have some connections and I feel confident I could get the compilation published. If you are interested, please email me your submission at caminosubmissions@gmail.com.
There is no required subject matter, however the book is going to focus on experiences (over interpretation of the Camino as a whole) and will be divided up regionally so please try to break your submissions up into towns or general regions. There is no length requirement; sometimes a few sentences can express more than a thousand word essay, and there are no format restrictions…perhaps you have a well written email home, a quick poem or a quote someone shared with you along the journey.
If you are submitting photographs, they do not need to be in any particular format or size at this point, nor do they need to be professional shots. Maybe your best picture is a picture of your blistered feet…whatever made your experience unique. However, on publication, the images would need to be resized up to the standard of a coffee table book, so please be aware of this when submitting as a series of very tiny digital images will not resize appropriately.
As I mentioned, there are no restrictions to the kind of work submitted, but we do require a few things from you with your submission:
Your contact information (essential for publishers).
The route you took and the month/year it was taken.
An indication of region for both your writing and photos.
If this is previously published material, or material that has been submitted for publication elsewhere, we would require those details.
I look forward to reviewing your submission!
Many thanks,
Krista Bailie
604.302.7023"
Why do people go on pilgrimage?
We have been asked to include the following request from Babette Gallard and Paul Chinn:
Calling all pilgrims!
We are two pilgrims and we are trying to gain a better understanding of why other people like us embark on pilgrimages.
If you have something to say on this subject, please go to the website www.pilgrimagepublications.com where you will find our contact page.
Please also add your personal details such as nationality, age and if you have completed a pilgrimage, where you started from and finished. Anecdotes and viewpoints are very welcome.
Our plan is to highlight some of the feedback we receive in a special section of the website. You will be notified when the site goes live and asked to approve or amend the presentation of your piece before it is published.
We look forward to hearing from you.
The Longest Journey begins with a single step (Lao Tzu)
Our long-planned digital image gallery was officially launched at the AGM on Saturday 27th January 2007. It already holds some 1500 high-quality images, and is fully searchable. Click here: we hope you will enjoy it.
We are pleased to publish on this site an English translation of A Novena in Honour of Saint James the Apostle, by José Fernández Lago, a Canon of Santiago Cathedral, with an extended introduction by Sir Donn James Tilson.
A novena is a nine-day cycle of prayer, reading and reflection in preparation for a feast of the church.
Sir Donn's Introduction covers the life and legend of St James, and includes a Bibliography.
Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome
A meeting was held on in the CSJ offices on Saturday 18 November 2006 to found a British group devoted to helping pilgrims to Rome in a similar way to the CSJ does for those going to Santiago. It is to be called the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome (CPR).
The objective of the Confraternity is to aid those making a pilgrimage to Rome by foot, bicycle or horse with practical help and information. Membership of the CPR will be open to all interested in pilgrimage to Rome by foot, bicycle or horse. Initially membership will be free and will remain so as long as possible.
The CPR will aim to provide a source of information that will make pilgrim's journey easier. This will require a website which we will look to set up over the next 2 months. We will help way-marking the routes. The CPR will meet together from time to time to enable those who had completed the journey to exchange information with each other and to pass it on to new pilgrims.
\\e will help to find low cost accommodation in England and to find as much accommodation information on the route as we can.
We will not seek to publish a route-guide but would base the structure of information we supply on the CSJ model of constantly updated content. We will provide a pilgrim passport for the route.
The CPR will work in cooperation with the Association International Via Francigena. CSJ, Canterbury City Council, etc.
The CPR now has its own website. Contact them at info*pilgrimstorome.org.uk [To reduce the risk of spam, we're removing direct e-mail links from this site. To use this address, copy it into your normal e-mail program, but replace the '*' with the conventional '@', before sending your message.]
Library Catalogue goes on-line
This is a major development, and we're rather proud of it: after many weeks of work, we have converted the previous library catalogue to an on-line database, which is searchable through this website. Do try it out and let us have your comments!
The library, housed at our headquarters at 27 Blackfriars Road, is a valuable resource for the study of the pilgrimage to Santiago; it is especially rich in personal accounts of the journey. The library is open to the public for consultation (though only members of the Confraternity may borrow from it).
To help future pilgrims decide which route to follow when making their journeys to Santiago the Confraternity has just published a new guide in their Practical Pilgrim Notes series entitled Which Camino?
This 56 page guide contains short articles on 22 caminos written by CSJ members who have walked or cycled the routes concerned and know them well, in many cases by our own guide writers. It provides information on the routes themselves, length, terrain, places of interest along the way, accommodation and services and the availability of maps and guide books.
Available now through the Bookshop, price £2.50
Calling all Australian Pilgrims
Items previously included here have been transferred to a new Australian Pilgrims' Page.
Japanese Madoka Mayuzumi walked from St Jean Pied-de-Port in the spring; Brazilian Milena Salgado went in the summer; and Rob Jorritsma left his native Holland to walk from Saint-Jean in the winter. Larry Boulting filmed all three - often at the same series of places along the Camino - to make this profound and delightful film. All pilgrims seeing it will begin by envying these pilgrims the chance they have had to tell their story to so sympathetic an ear and to so wide an audience; but on more mature reflection, will realise that these stories are in fact their own. Madoka, Milena and Rob represent the more sensitive and the more articulate parts of ourselves. Each is special, each is unique, as all pilgrims are; but in the end, this film tells us, we have more in common, across nationality, age, background and belief than we could imagine possible.
The film, recently released, has just become available on DVD. It is available through our on-line Bookshop (go to the Posters, Postcards, Posters, Calendars, Mugs and DVDs section). Buy it for yourself to remind you of your own pilgrimage; buy it for friends and family to whom you have never quite managed to get the Camino experience across. It's one of the best ever.
We have often been asked to add a chat room or forum to this site, but
have hesitated for various reasons. Now that the Santiago-today website
has established such a forum, we recommend that you give it a try.
Registration is simple, and the more people who sign up, the better and
more useful it will get!
Churches dedicated to St James
The Church of England website includes a searchable list of parishes, so you can select all those dedicated to St James. Go to http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/diocesesparishes/infosheets/ and enter "James" at "Search parishes by phrase". This will of course also find dedications to James the Less.
The Church in Wales has a similar thing at http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/rb/church.php.
