WINTER - WANKERS AND WORKING ODD JOBS

Its been 5 weeks since I last posted anything on the Forums – so here is synopsis of interesting posts and discussions:

www.caminosantiago.com/way_of_saint_james/pilgrims_forum.htm

Is it possible to walk in January?

Well, of course you can – and in December or February – but the real question is, do you want to?

A similar question was asked on Santiagobis:

Reply: Walking in the winter is nice and quiet. If you are lucky the weather is reasably (sic) good. However, do not cross the Pyrenees in winter, because the fog will disorientate you. Do preferably not walk the Primitive Route (from Oviedo) alone, because no help will be available in case of an emergency. You phone might not work.

I walked alone from Burgos to SDC in January 2008 and the weather was good!

Reply: I walked alone from St. Jean Pied-du-Port to Santiago in January/February 2007 and loved it. Very quiet, not many people out there. Jack's right about the Pyrenees, I suppose, although the January day I did it was so nice I wore shorts. Sunny, and you could see for miles everywhere. Having said that, the weather changes quickly, and I think the day before and after had fog, and a couple people got lost. One woman on the day I crossed the Pyrenees got lost simply because it was so beautiful and she was looking at the scenery and missed the trail turn-off!

How many pilgrims walk in Winter?

796 pilgrims got a certificate in December 2007

306 pilgrims got a certificate in January 2008 (44 less than 2007):

240 walked the camino frances and of those,

56 started in Sarria

26 in O Cebreiro

25 in Ponferrada

20 in St Jean

18 in Roncesvalles, Leon and Astorga

12 in Burgos

Etc, etc, etc

703 pilgrims got a certificate in February

552 on the camino frances

146 in O Cebreiro

125 in Sarria

56 in Tui

50 in St Jean

37 Roncesvalles

28 in Leon

25 in Ponferrada

Etc, etc, etc

What does it take to walk in winter?

One reader posted: “ …..the weather is very different in different parts of the country and at different altitudes.

In addition, you need to consider the marker system. In some places the markers are on stone posts which are elevated about 3 feet or so above the ground. In other places they are above head height as are most signs. But in many places, the yellow arrows are painted on the rocks on the ground - obviously not useful when covered with snow - and some of those places are among the most remote of the journey.
Yes it is possible (although may not be advisable) to walk the camino in January, but please remember that people have died of exposure on the camino when they were unprepared for winter weather conditions. Research carefully, be prepared for the reality (clothes, footwear, directions, etc) and listen to the locals. They know when it's safe to cross the mountains although will no doubt think you're crazy for trying.
Buen camino.

Another post:

You will find information on winter pilgrimages at: [www.csj.org.uk]
[www.suekenney.ca] Sue walked the camino in Winter - she would love to tell you about it so you could contact her.The main difference, besides the weather, is that some of the refuges are closed, your pack will weigh more due to heavier clothing, if it does snow the yellow arrows are covered, you might be alone for many hours and kilometers on the trail.

Amsterdam to Santiago: Cor blimey!

Reply: Pelgrimspad

www.wandelnet.nl publisher Stichting Wandelplatform-LAW
[www.wandelnet.nl] - contact - slaw@wandelnet.nl- Pelgrimspad 1 Amsterdam - 's-Hertogenbosch
& route=166 - Pelgrimspad 2 's-Hertogenbosch - Maastricht (Visé - Belgium)
- 2008 reprint Pelgrimspad 2 with lists of (mail & phone) addresses of tourist offices (vvv), public transport, B&B, pensions, campings, (small) hotels, etcetera, etcetera. Beautiful detailed Dutch ordnance survey maps 1:25.000 and international white-and-red waymarking. A lot of pilgrim's information in Dutch. This is a really wonderful pilgrim's path connected at Visé to the Chemins de Saint-Jacques through Belgium and France; you'll be surprised!

Foot problems:

Reply: Many people get blisters. There are so many factors that you will have to do a bit of research on the Internet about it. A good source of info on problems incurred when hiking or running is at this site:
www.vonhof.typepad.com

Ryanair:

Domestic flights in Spain from November that will make getting back to a major airport easier for many.

Ryanair have announced 4 new routes within Spain from Madrid from 18th November. Twice daily each flight.
Madrid - Alicante Madrid - Palma Madrid - Santiago Madrid - Valencia

Arles Route:

We just got back from walking about 200 miles on the Arles Route. I've put together quite a bit of information for planning a walk on that route - I think the most info that is available on any English language site. Anyway, I thought some of the English first language pilgrims who are planning that route would find our new web page very helpful [www.backpack45.com] .
Ralph Alcorn

Santiagobis: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Santiagobis/

Posts are still down:

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2008 221 163 252 120 120 75 170 174 140 56

2007 64 361 399 406 319 316 212 306 173 183 148 75

Question? Is this a camino forum or a recipe exchange? No less than 6 recipes uploaded in 5 weeks:

Calamares.doc
Pechuga de Pollo a la Naranja.doc chicken with orange slices

Salmon filled chicory leaves.doc salmon filled chicory leaves

Sauteed garlic Mushrooms.doc garlic mushrooms

Tapa de queso y nueces.doc tapas of cheese and walnuts

Tortilla with chorizo and cheese.doc tortilla with chorizo and cheese

St James in Brittany:

To know more about the ways of Saint James in Brittany, visit the web site of the Breton Association of the friends of St-James of Compostela: http://www.saint-jacques-compostelle-bretagne.fr/santjakez-accueil-en.htm
http://www.lescheminsdumontsaintmichel.com/spip/index.php

More posts on Plastic Bags, Cell-Mobile phones, and the two most interesting topics were – toilet seats and wanking!!

14 posts on toilet seats!! An innocent question about why there are so many Johns with no seats set off all sorts of opinions – as well as a detour thread about not being allowed to use the Johns in the albergues when they are closed.

Dear Lynn – the Organiser - was quite indignant:

I think the reason for the dearth of toilet seats in the bars is obvious: they want to discourage those long visits! Bar owners want us to stop in for coffee, breakfast, lunch, a drink, etc. but not just for the conveniences. Can you blame them? Of course, the bathrooms are available to paying customers, as they should be.
What is unconscionable to me is when hospitaleros refuse to allow pilgrims to use the toilets in the albergues during the off hours. Their whole reason to exist is to serve pilgrims!

unconscionable, adj: shockingly unfair or unjust

A flushed response from Rebeka:

Maybe I´m cranky, but I hardly think that a hospitalero´s only reason to be is to "serve pilgrims." That´s way too close to the idea that servants exist only to serve their masters... or that pilgrims somehow are entitled to be "served" by the volunteers at the albergues.

Who would have thought that a sanitary subject could be so interesting!?

And the wanker?

Well, this peregrina warns everyone about the pervert lurking and jerking on the path – which naturally sets of a few anxious replies – only to be told off by a Sheila (Trudy from Australia) in no uncertain terms:

I'm a little wary of people who join a group just to post a warning message. It seems you've joined two Camino forums solely for this purpose. The same message was also posted on Lonely Planet's travel forum. In fact, only your 2nd message to that forum the first being posted earlier in the year, before your pilgrimage, asking very pointedly about safety on the camino for women walking alone.

So?? What’s your point Sheila?? Jealous??

Anyway, the Patsy from Miami came to her defense:

I think it is beautiful when pilgrims write NOT only asking for suggestions, advice...but when this pilgrim takes the time to write his thoughts...from smoky internet bars...with other pilgrims breathing behind their necks waiting for the computer.....and .when he shares his memories with all of us back home and in this particular instance when he/she warns about being a bit careful.....pay it forward sort of thing. Patricia de Miami.

Others have also reported being flashed by this jerk off.

"Just as I walked out of Melide I got my laugh. And I laughed for a loooong time. I start to understand the concern some women have of walking alone. I was greeted by a man who had his trousers down at his ankels... he was holding his ...Biiiiiiip in his hand... and he asked me if I was interested in him helping me getting a Buen Camino...!! - But this man is harmless... I was told later by other pilgrims when a man passes he pretends to pee and when a woman passes she gets the same offer I got."

http://www.pilgrimage-to-santiago.com

The most interesting post (besides the ‘how to get to…) was this one by Rebeka Scot for an online hospitalero course. Be interesting to see if she can pull it off.

Being Hospitaleros: a Proposal

Bed bugs continued to raise their nitty little heads and now has no less than FIVE topic headings on this forum. Surely the moderators can condense them all into one?

"Xunta de Galicia chooses to Fumiage their albergues"

BED BUGS-How Not to Get Them!

Bed bugs on the Camino

Bed bugs alert

bed bugs

Weather:

It is getting cold on the Camino...

Stats: Not official yet but there was this post:

There has been a small increase in the number of pilgrims receiving the Compostela in August. In 2007 there were 27140 and this year the number is 29723.

New Guide to Camino Portugués - volunteers needed!

Johnny Walker has been enlisting the help of forum members to log and comment on short Camino routes like the Ingles, and Portugues.

Camino de Invierno to be official route

The Diario de Leon reports that official waymarking with granite plinths of the Leon/Bierzo section, from Ponferrada to the border with Galicia, is starting today.

Re: Today is a great day for the Camino Frances!!

Javier Martin reported that 1000’s of people have walked from Monte de Gozo to Santiago against the Polygon development in and around O’Pino and Lavacolla.

Working odd jobs: Can you or can't you?

I am wondering how easy it might be to find some work and odd jobs along the way at the small towns? Also, is it possible to do work for stay/food arrangements at the albergues/refugios and restaurants? FYI, I am a citizen of the UK (and the US) and therefore, believe I have the right to work in Spain. So an EU citizen, do I still need to go about getting an NIE or would my citizenship suffice?

11 replies:

Yes you can

No you can't

Yes you can but a N.I.E number is required (Numero de Identidad de Extranjeros)

In Villafranca del Bierzo I met several people who were picking grapes for a bit and Jato let them stay in his albergue for free, inlcuding food. All were foreigners. Grape picking season would be in September.

I can reply with an unqualified YES to this excellent question.
We live on the Camino Frances, and we´ve employed several pilgrims (some may call them "drifters") for up to two weeks at a time, doing carpentry, painting, and other big projects we couldn´t handle on our own. Perhaps because it is "under the table" and unskilled work the going wage is rather low: about 5€ an hour plus room and board, but we´ve never had anyone turn it down who needed some money to keep going. There is an entire "underground economy" like this along the caminos, and we see a couple of these workers returning now and then when they need a spot of work. Up to now, they´re really good, hard workers, too, long as we don´t give them beer to drink early in the day.

EU citizen allows you to work in Spain. However, no employee... may or can hire you for a paid job as the NIE are for tax reasons... Unless you take a job like the one Rebekah mentions or if you choose to help out on voluntary jobs... then no... then you do not need it.

To get a Spanish NIE you first need to have a Spanish address. You can use your friend´s apartment or whatever, but it´s got to be a Spanish address they can send documents to.

Take your pick!!

Pilgrim deaths:

1. A pilgrim from Saragossa dies near Sangüesa
2. A man has a heart attack and dies in the albergue at Sahagun
3. A man collapses on the hill after Castrojeriz and dies
4. A man dies in Foncebadon.

RIP

9TH AUGUST: Bed bugs, flechas blancas and a baby jumping festival

Saint James at Yahoo and GoCamino

I have joined these two because it seems that whenever a member posts on either one, they copy the other as well.

The Saint James at Yahoo Group was started on Sat Feb 20, 1999 at 4:52 am.
Since then there have been 5085 posts.

Grant Spangler posted a link to an interesting article about el camino wherein a farmer who converted his cowshed into an albergue was interviewed. He used to have 30 cows but he could now sleep 45 pilgrims in the converted stable, "It's more profitable and more satisfying to engage in this work than in the dairy sector," said Angelo, the owner. Peregrino cattle? asked a member.

In the same article, someone said, The Camino is a bomb that's going to explode". Maybe, maybe not.

Acacio Paz – a former long-haired, beaded, beatnik and now proud albergue owner - responded to a query about whether a donation from Brasil had been used to improve the buildings at Manjarin.

“I inform of that Coelho helped Takes by Manjarin with 8.000 kg of firewood so that all only travelling and Takes could pass the 2007 winter. This year we go to speak with Coelho so that it the same repeats gesture of affection and all to peregrinos of winter.” Cool Coelho keeps camino catholics warm!!

Seems Paz was the subject of a hacker who used his email to advertise a commercial website on the St James Group.
Acacio – Spamerifico was the subject of the post and the man sent an apology.

Sorry my friends. This is my big problem actual. I have outlook but same times another use my e.mail. file. Sorry, please delete when see this mensages. Thanks so lot to pelerin Acacio

Grant also posted a link to a YouTube video of the St James Day fireworks in Santiago:
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=iCb6lH1uFm8

But, Rosina Lila advised that the 2008 fireworks might be the last:

I can only tell you that the "burning of the Cathedral" is grand..... and then some. I don't know the origins of this extraordinary feat.... or its purpose. Yet, in a way, I'm glad, and fortunate, that it appears that this year, 2008, will be the last one with such extravagantly lavish display of fireworks, rockets, flares, lasers, colored shooting-up electrical fountains, real flames and such, that go on for an incredible sixty minutes..... From eleven o'clock p.m. on the 24th of July to midnight. It appears that concerned archeological and cultural-historical heads have managed to prevail over public oooohs and aaaaahs to convince the powers that be of the inevitability of consequential damage to the structural essence of the Santiago Cathedral and its treasures.

Oh well … that’s a sight many peregrinos won’t get to see.

www.caminosantiago.com forum - 26 new posts in 3 weeks.

The one with the most views (284) was entitled "I am wondering". Enigmatic, what?
Now I'm sure it was because everybody was 'wondering" wtf is this post all about but it received not only the aforementioned 284 views, but 3 replies. Want to know what it was about? Go to: http://www.caminosantiago.com/way_of_saint_james/pilgrims_forum.htm

and the one with the most replies was - well it was a tie - "Trekking Poles" and "Crowds on the Camino" each drew 8 replies.

..... and my favorite for ambiguity "We are not now that strength which in olden days moved earth and heaven..."
This from a dude who has a ticket to Biarritz but .."..my 'plan B' is to make a note of points along the Camino where I could get transport to Santiago and rest up there for a few days. I'd then get the bus out to Sarria and walk back to Santiago from there. Can anyone suggest a few places along the Camino where transport to Santiago is easily available?"
Gees - what was Plan A?? Why not get a ticket to Santiago and rest up, full stop?

I've discovered that we have a Javier from Pamplona and a Javier from Madrid.
Javier from Pamplona is the one who posts photographs on the Forums.
Javier from Madrid posts information and advice.
Javier from Pamplona posted this photograph of the solstice sun shining on the Apse of the church in St Juan de Ortega.
On March 21 and September 21 at 17:07 (solar time) a ray of light enters through a small window and goes all illuminating scenes of Christmas for 10 minutes ending the solar beam at the centre of the apse the church".

Arturo Murias from the Godesalco.com website posted a message about GPS tracking on his website.

If you need so, Google Earth files can be easily converted into GPS files (choose GPX format as a first option, which is the most comprehensive at reflecting the GE files data) with a software called "GPS Babel". You might need to extract an xml file from the GE file if this is a kmz and not a kml. And to do this you might have to change the ".kmz" extension to ".zip". And to do this you might need to make the "known extensions" visible in your Windows... But it's really straightforward.
Be aware that a GE file, as it's the case of those generated in my website, might contain more (or many more) of the 10,000 trackpoints allowed by many GPS receivers. My personal opinion is that you don't really need any GPS to follow the Routes to Santiago that I know (Francés, Plata, Podiensis, Tolosana) as they are really well waymarked. I would just select the sections that you might hear that pose a problem for walkers due to aged or poor waymarking."

So - there you have it - really straightforward.
All you have to do to convert a GPS to a GPX is extract an xml from a GE if it is kmz and not a kml and change it to zip.

A load of GPS Babel to me senor Murias.


SANTIAGOBIS

What is going on with Santiagobis? 30 new posts in August.
I'm sure a statistician would make interesting assumptions from the message history:

Message History

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
2008	221	163	252	120	120	75	170	30
2007	264	361	399	406	319	316	212	306	173	183	148	75
2006	363	262	320	268	410	280	268	281	204	149	257	145
2005	258	206	242	223	213	183	228	205	202	156	167	218
2004	211	390	351	223	246	425	232	263	206	264	188	235
2003	417	740	676	438	349	376	233	132	125	189	359	175
2002	229	173	216	196	275	171	114	125	177	177	249	104
2001	427	328	196	372	292	190	319	301	264	230	278	130
2000										120	178	116

This year:
January 221 - lowest number in January since 204 (a Holy Year):
February 163 - lowest number ever in February
March 252 - Lowest in March since 2005:
April120 - 3rd lowest for all months since 2001:
May 120 - same low number:
June 75 - the lowest number posted ever - since the inception of the group:
July170 - second lowest July posts since 2002:

All of this makes one think that perhaps pilgrims are learning to search through the files for the information they need - or, that they have moved on to another forum.

The post with the most responses was one on the merits of ultralight backpacks - some were for, some were against - the usual to-ing and fro-ing - which must have left the original poster none the wiser about what to purchase!
A post about a pilgrim who put on weight after her pilgrimage elicited a number of replies about metabolism and water retention - riveting stuff!


The Forum that wins the Bouquet for the most posts- and the most interesting posts- once again is the Pilgrimage-to Santiago Forum.

A bit more constructive camino posting on this forum with important things like bed bugs, snoring, no-room-at-the-inn, and vegetarian food - interspersed with the odd oddity like – using a sun compass, a Baby Jumping Festival near Burgos and a 2,100 word dissertation (I’m not kidding!) entitled King's companions -1- George Edmund Street: WTF???

Bed bugs had 806 views and 18 responses:

Snoring 627 views and 18 replies:

Crowding 698 views and 12 replies:

Vegetarian food – 557 views and 13 posts:

King's companions -1- George Edmund Street ? 128 views, 0 replies.
What can one say – its all been said!

OK – bed bugs: They have been leeching their way through luckless peregrinos blood from Hontanas, El Burgo Ranero , Tardajos and Hornillos, Fromista and Finisterre.

Solutions? Rosemary, operation deep freeze, tumble dry or nuke them in a microwave. With or without the pilgrim? Not sure.

Snoring: The cacophony of sonorous serenades plagues every albergue more than the little beddy-bug critters do.

Solutions: Whistling, clapping your hands, drinking lots of vino tinto with your meal or stoning.
One (ex-hospitalero) commented: “Short of stoning the snorers, Earplugs are the only practical answer…”
Take that you snoring sod!!

Picture the scene: A group of nose-strapped, vino tintoed pilgrims with silicone ear plugs, whistling and clapping, throwing stones in the dark from their top bunks! Yeee-Haaa!!

And then…..(drum roll)….. Breathe-Rite Strips - available in large farmacias in Spain!!

A testimony from a user: “… they consist of an adhesive strip that you fix crosswise to your nose. The object is to open up the airways and therefore reduce snoring. According to my wife - who has spent many nights listening to my snoring, this product is quite effective and reduced my normal nocturnal roar to a soft purr (even after a few glasses of Rioja).”

(No wonder he was purring… he was lying next to his wife. Most of us have to sleep check by jowl with a stinking, snoring, bedbug infested, vegetarian sumai wrestler from the former USSR.)

There have been a number of posts on overcrowding including one from a blog where a pilgrim wrote, “The Camino is no longer a game. Suddenly the road is glutted with people who have just begun, and albergues fill up by 10am. Those left over are left to fend for themselves like dogs fighting for a scrap of meat in a cage. I’ve been warned not to let the final stages of my Camino disintegrate into a mad, pre-dawn dash for beds, but it’s a nerve-wracking thing now, wondering how far you can make it before it’s too late to get a bed.” She wrote in a later post that she slept on the floor in overflow accommodation for three nights near the end of her walk, in a person’s garage in Triacastela because ALL the albergues, hotels, fondas etc were full: with 200 other pilgrims in a gymnasium in Melide and a sports hall in Pedrouzo.

The moral of this story?

DO NOT WALK IN AUGUST.

The whole of frigging Europe is on holiday in August and half of them walk the camino - especially the Germans. Schools, colleges and universities are closed in August. Students looking for a cheap holiday hit the camino. So, if anyone reading this is planning to walk the camino at any time in August, don’t! If you have to, either book all your rooms ahead or be prepared to sleep on concrete and tiles.

Ho-hum...... another new book has been published, by a Canadian writer. OMG - I can just imagine the gist of it now:

“I started at St Jean, climbed over a difficult mountain, walked 800km in sun, mist and rain, got blisters, shin splints and sunburn: slept in dormitories crammed with snoring pilgrims: ate bocadillos and drank cheap wine: I didn’t look at any churches or attend mass because I am not a religious person but I loved all the old buildings; met Carlos from Brazil, Tom from the US, Ching-chang from China and we will be lifelong email buddies for ever after. I am now a different, born again, deeply spiritual person. The end.
PS: If you want to know anything about walking the camino, just ask me because I am now a camino guru. YECH!!

Via Francigena: 26 messages in July and about 17 in August - so far.
Not much on bugs, beds or boots on this forum yet. Most posts are about guides, maps and routes.
Alfred L. C. van Amelsvoort - aka Fred - is back on the Via after a an interruption in Switzerland.

Dr. Franz-Xaver Brock (smart names these VF pilgrims) mentioned maps he used to get to Rome.
The map: La Via Francigena - Cartografia e Gps issued by Monica D'Atti and Franco Cinti was a great help.
And one not to use - The OUTDOOR booklet "Via Francigena" from Birgit Götzmann (in German) could be helpful, but she often mixes up right and left and east and west so I sometimes went wrong following her instructions.
I'm not bloody surprised Dr Brock!

He also said: I met some persons who were just marking the way by painting arrows. As the VF can be used in both directions: for going to Rome as well as for going to Santiago they painted the direction to Rome in white and the other direction in yellow.
Interesting! flechas blancas a Roma - flechas amarilla a Santiago

On the other hand, it might be a ruse to get all of those crowd weary camino pilgrims who are crossing over to follow the yellow arrows again and leave the Via to Rome uncrowded!

The CPR (nah...nothing to do with mouth to mouth) are now "Friends of the AEVF".

"Sounds Good!" says Ed "But what exactly does it mean?"

"I do not know!" replies honest William, "But in the spirit of cooperation between pilgrim groups
it seemed like the right thing to do."

Other news:

Hiking in Switzerland, the main Swiss walking site, has recently been completely revamped, and the VF is now included both as one of the 2 international routes (the other is the ViaJacobi) and as no 70 of the regional routes
http://www.wanderland.ch/en/routen_detail.cfm?id=284505
Includes an overview of each section, height profiles, and links to the detailed Swisstopo mapping. The official length is 215km from Ste-Croix to the GSB.

Fidenza-Lucca - There is a detailed guide, what they call 'un road-book' split into 10 leaflets which you can download for free, with maps and detailed description (in Italian).
http://turismo.parma.it/page.asp?IDCategoria=265&IDSezione=1109&ID=144876

Gruppo dei Dodici are working on a guide to the route they've developed from Formia to Rome, based on the Via Appia Antica and dubbed the Via Appia Pedemontana.
http://www.romaefrancigena.eu/
And while on the GdD - they sent out an invitation to Walk to Rome - May 2009 - a yearly walk from Formia organised by Alberto Alberti and the Gruppo dei Dodici.

CamminaFrancigena - They're now setting up detailed maps/guides for Pavia-Rome with their GPS route overlaid on Google Maps. Includes downloadable pdf guides with description, height profile and detailed mapping, plus downloads of route in gpx and Google Earth formats. Only some sections are available at present, but as they only completed their walk last week that's not really surprising ;-)
http://www.itineraria.eu/wp-content/gpx-viewer.php?gpxfile=http://www.itineraria\
.eu/wp-content/uploads/francigena/gpx/Francige_index0.xml
or you can zoom to the 3 sections by substituting 1 2 or 3 for the 0 in that url. There's also blogs and photos on their site http://www.itineraria.eu/

Aftermath of WYD:

About 20 Catholic pilgrims, in Australia since the July visit of Pope Benedict XVI, have applied for asylum, a refugee support group said.

Experts say more visitors are expected to seek asylum as their visas, many of them valid for three months, expire. Applicants were mainly from African countries, including Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Burundi, Kenya as well as from Pakistan

More than 100,000 pilgrims attended World Youth Day led by the Pope.

"At this stage we've had about 20 people present to us as identified pilgrims indicating they're needing to seek protection in Australia," Ms Domicelj told reporters. "It might well be that at the end of those three months we see a spike in applications for protection," Ms Domicelj said "We are seeing utter destitution, we see malnutrition, we are seeing depression, we see homelessness. People are coming to us from a place of crisis."

Perilous Pilgrimages:

Hundreds of pilgrims around the world have died in various accidents so far this month.

India - Nearly 150 pilgrims, many of them children, were trampled to death at a Hindu temple in northern India on Sunday, after rumors of a landslide set off a stampede, local officials said.

Kota (Rajasthan - Fourteen people were rescued from the Gaiparnath Mahadev temple where 135 pilgrims were trapped when the ladder leading to the ancient shrine collapsed. The cantilever type of ladder, supported from one end, collapsed yesterday due to heavy rush of pilgrims, official sources said today.

Nepal - 36 Hindu pilgrims from Nepal were killed today when their bus plunged into a river in the mountainous northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, officials said.

Texas USA - At least 14 people died and 40 people were injured when a charter bus carrying a Vietnamese Catholic group to an annual pilgrimage slammed onto its side and then skidded off a freeway overpass in Texas early on Friday.

Baghdad - three women blew themselves up in quick succession as Shia pilgrims entered the capital for a major religious event, killing at least 32 people and wounding more than 100.

MADINA: Number of Pakistan Hajj pilgrims who died in Saudi Arabia this year reached 198 when a lady was killed in a bus accident.

Sri Lanka - At least 18 persons, mostly women, were killed and 51 were injured today, when a powerful explosion triggered by suspected LTTE rebels ripped through a bus packed with Buddhist pilgrims in a central Sri Lankan town.

RIP.

PILGRIMAGE , PILGRIMS, A PINK POPE AND FRENCH LETTERS

I read this on a blog the other day:

(http://billcork.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/adventist-pilgrimage/)

“Pilgrimage is universal. All faiths engage in it. Animists and Hindus go to sacred rivers, springs, wells, or mountains. Buddhists go to temples and to shrines encasing the Buddha’s remains. Muslims go on the Hajj to Mecca, visiting sites they associate with incidents in the lives of Abraham and Muhammad. Jews make aliyah to Jerusalem. Catholics go to the Holy Land, or to Rome, or to shrines associated with saints. And Protestants go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land and to locations associated with faithful men and women of all ages.”

And ... thousands go to Sydney – not because of a river, rock, spring or saint, but because the World Youth Day celebrations are being held there.

WYD Pilgrims have made news headlines all around the world this week and unless you have been in a catatonic state or in the depths of the Amazon jungles with no radio, television or newspaper, you will have heard something about the World Youth Day celebrations in Sydney Australia. Some reports say that 250 000 pilgrims descended on Sydney – others say 500 000.

Suffice it to say that there were a hellava lot of pellerins heading south including 39 Indians who absconded in New Zealand. It has been discovered that some were Hindu, some Sikh and even a few Muslims.

'Immigration New Zealand is investigating allegations that the disappearance of the pilgrims is part of an immigration scam. Some of those who are missing absconded from Auckland International Airport on arrival in New Zealand in early July, while others absconded from their billets, all but one leaving their luggage there, according to the Department of Labour."

One plaintive comment on the story was from an Indian living in New Zealand:

"dear sir, i am nanda kumar from auckland. actually i am from india. indians are spoiling our life."

Some pilgrims got sick: Chief executive Greg Rochford said the number of pilgrims suffering from influenza-like symptoms had reached 143 on Saturday morning.

Some were injured: In terms of medical emergencies, 84 people who identified themselves as WYD pilgrims presented to hospital emergency departments (ED) in the 24 hours to 10am (AEST) on Saturday. This brings the total of injured pilgrims to 326 since July 9.

The most serious injuries included a fractured femur in an elderly pilgrim, a fractured nose and a number of ankle and leg related injuries

Some got lucky! Any time Australia's biggest city hosts a major event -- from the 2003 Rugby World Cup to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit last year -- it is boomtime for the sex industry, insiders say.

A protester from Queensland was set upon by a group of pilgrims when she held up a sign as the Pope’s convoy passed Dawes Point. The woman, Mary Adams, waited hours for the Pontiff to pass in the boat-a-cade, before holding up her handmade sign that said “Ratzinger condones paedophilia”.
Adams was yelled at by a group of pilgrims as soon as she held up the sign, and was forced to flee the area as the group continued to yell while trying to rip the sign out of her hands and shove her.

“If there was a God now, he would be crying,” she said.

Anti-Pope demos: More than 500 anti-pope activists faced off against happy pilgrims Saturday, shouting their distaste at papal policies as thousands of Catholic youth streamed past on their way to an evening address by Pope Benedict XVI.

The NoToPope coalition — some costumed as nuns, devils and priests — lined the edge of a park on the route of the pilgrims' march, tightly ringed by police on foot, bicycles and horseback.

Protesters pelted Catholic pilgrims with condoms Saturday as they made the most of a court ruling allowing them to "annoy" participants at the church's World Youth Day festival in Sydney. A pilgrimage walk organized for the festival took many young worshippers through the city's gay district, where about 500 people demonstrated against Pope Benedict XVI's opposition to homosexuality and contraception. Chanting "Pope go homo, gay is great" and singing "Pope is wrong, put a condom on", the protesters threw condoms at the pilgrims, who were making their way to Randwick racecourse for an overnight prayer vigil.

A drag queen dressed in pink going under the moniker "Pope Alice" also paraded before the pilgrims, while other protesters wore T-shirts with slogans such as "Thank God I'm an atheist" and "Bless me father for I am a homo".

But the young Catholics were at first merely curious, then smiled and waved and began their own singsong chant that carried down the ranks: "Benedicto! We love you!"

"We want to make it clear that we are not anti-religious, and we welcome the Catholic youth to our country," said Rachel Evans, a leader of the coalition. "Our gripe is with Pope Benedict and the hierarchy of the church."

The Fourth World Youth Day was held in Santiagio de Compostela and it was at that time that the beautiful and scenic Monte de Gozo was converted to the ugly barracks like Monte d' Eye Sore. I wonder what monstrous plans they have for Madrid

Pilgrims are a lucrative commodity in Spain.

On the 20^th July the announcement of the next city to host WYD will be announced. There has been much speculation that it will be in Madrid. WYD is held in a different city every two years. This means 2010 in Spain. That is also a Holy Year for St James in Compostela - can you imagine the millions of pilgrims who will be visiting Espana in 2010?? 10 million are expected for Santiago alone!!

SAINT JAMES AT YAHOO!

Only one post in the last 10 days - 15^TH JULY – from Rosina Wachtel

The Galician newspapers report that an average of 400 bona fide pilgrims are showing up every day in O Cebreiro. While the albergue there has been refurbished and enlarged there is no way that it can accommodate so many pilgrims.....( I wonder where they stay). It is also reported that about 70,000 pilgrims are expected to alight in Finisterra this summer.... which is why the authorities there have increased their search for those qualified persons who may be interested in "hospitalizing" and sponsoring? albergues in the environs.... apparently the authorities are ready to offer all sorts of assistance. (I am on my way to Santiago..... if you are interested in the possibility of starting up an albergue in Finisterra let me know and I'll find out as many details as I can.) The Archdofradia is very confident that Pope Benedict, presently in Australia for Youth's World Day will accept their invitation to go to Santiago in 2010, the next Xacobean Holy Year. Certainly a visit by His Holiness should liven things up a bit..... but if nothing else it will surely spur the powers to be to finish all the restorations begun at the Cathedral, the Dean's House (where the Pilgrims' office is), the newly acquired buildings etc. etc., consequently every one will benefit at the end. Lastly, while the refurbishing of the Dean's House will include repose areas for pilgrims in the courtyard, storage facilities for bikes, backpacks, and so on, an information desk on the ground floor and sufficient bathrooms, it will not, alas, include the originally planned coffee bar.
GO CAMINO:

Only one thread – a post about a guided walk on the Abraham’s Path:

A new pilgrimage path (not yet open to individuals, only escorted groups)
I am excited to share with you a special opportunity this fall - a journey on the Abraham Path through Jordan, Palestine and Israel, from October 4 - October 15, 2008.

Highlights of the 12-day journey:

• Walk pilot segments of the Abraham Path in Jordan and Palestine. To travel by foot is the finest way to experience a deep immersion in the local and traditional way of life.
• Visit local businesses, including a soap factory in Jordan where village women produce olive oil soaps using only natural and local ingredients
• Meet local residents and make one-to-one connections
• Possible home stays with Palestinian families
• Explore the rich history of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and surrounding areas
• Learn from expert guides in each country
• Time to reflect, share and process the experience

This is an incredible opportunity to experience the warmth and hospitality of the Middle East in a way not often portrayed by the media. We encourage you to pass the word! Please forward this email and the attached brochure to others who may be interested. Limited space is available, so please notify me soon if you are interested.

Response from the lady from Moratinos:

“This is a wonderful idea. Be aware, though, that it costs more than $3,000 to take this ‘opportunity.’”

(Question: How do you end off a quote at the end of the sentence with a word that is also in quotes? Is it with three quote marks? Very odd - perhaps I should write to Lynne Truss!)

CAMINO SANTIAGO WAY OF ST JAMES offers English, Spanish, French and Italian Forums (no German yet – even with those from Deutschland making up the majority of pilgrims.)

From time to time I click over to one of the other forums just to see what they are talking about. Some of the Italian Forum posts have practically disappeared under an avalanche of porn links. It doesn’t look as though the Administrators – if there are any – ever clear away the porn posts.

Note: Isn’t it odd that Italians end their posts with Ciao Ciao which Google Translates as ‘Hello Hello’.

One thing that is international amongst pilgrims is the melancholy mood when one returns home.

Sono tornata ma vorrei essere ancora per quei sentieri. (I returned but I would still be for those paths.)

Quante cose potrei dire ma ho questa malinconia che non so definire- (How many things I could say but I have this melancholy that I do not know how to define)

Even on the English forum people post in all languages which I’m sure must piss off a few members. This month there has been Spanish (naturally) Portuguese, Italian and now Danish.

“350 chilometri, o forse qualcuno di più, da La Verna, dai boschi delle ultime propaggini della Toscana, alla bella e ampia valle di Rieti in Lazio attraversando i luoghi più significativi della ……”

“Man blir uten tvil bitt av basillen, og begynner å planlegge en ny tur straks man kommer hjem”.

On the Spanish forum – a very busy forum with a slightly different format to the others - there was a warning by a pilgrim about exploitation on the Camino Primitivo. I’ll paste it here in Spanish and you can do the cut-paste-google translate:

Queridos peregrinos:

He advertido anteriormente aquellos sitios en los que debemos pasar de largo, para que no nos tomen el pelo. Voy a enumerar unos pocos.

1º Casa Heminia en Campiello; etapa Tineo-Borres. Esta señora os recibirá con una agradable sonrisa, diciendo cuanto quiere a los peregrinos, que os sellará la Compostela, con frases como "Que Dios te lleve por el buen Camino peregrino", pero luego te da un sartenazo, que no esperas y te deja con cara de tonto. Mejor opción otro local enfrente.

Personal por si lo leyese Herminia (Soy Santiago de La Coruña, menos hipocresía y trata a los peregrinos, como a los clientes habituales)

2º En Pola de Allende, se come bien en La Nueva Allandesa, pero ojo, preguntar precios,por el menú minimo te cobrarán 15 euros. Son buenas gentes, pero es caro.

3º Albergue Juvenil El Castro. Está a 6 km de Grandas de Salime, bien situado, para la etapa del día siguiente, pero tambien ojo. Por la litera cobran 12 euros, pero preguntar precios de comidas, no os vayais a llevar una soepresa.

Personal para Mari Sol Dueña del Albergue (Amiga mia, no se`puede presentar esas facturas a clientes asiduos. No creas que somos tonto, a veces callamos por no advertirte de tú avaricia. No se puede cobrar 8 euros, por unas hojas de lechuga y cuatro jurelillos, y mucho menos 7 Euros por un par de cafe con leches con pan tostado de tres dias.

No creais amigos peregrinos que en todos los sitios os trataran asi. Afortunadamente quedan muchas personas honestas que os trataran como es debido. A continuación van unos ejemplos:

Casa Fernando en El Escamplero
Restaurante Narcea en Grado
En Salas varios de buen menú
En Tineo Hotel Don Miguel, o los Tres Chicos
En Fonsagrada casa Prado
Tambien hay buenos restaurantes y serios en Cadavo, Lugo y en el resto del Camino
¡Peregrinos no os dejeis tomar el pelo y denunciar los abusos.

This was one of the replies:

At that time you were?, I ask this because you wonder what Castro, I always stop in spring or autumn and always struck me as super correct, Herminia better not to speak (jeje) and Allandesa pa tastes good colors, I agree at all that you might as well add any more but I think we should not miss Arreigada in Grandas de Salime. A good option in Fonsagrada Casa Manolo is also serving beds, clean, cost-effective.

http://groups.msn.com/ElCaminoSantiago/messages.msnw

Someone from Argentina has joined the group trying to trace long lost relatives:

I am Raúl Rubén Fernandez Alsina, Argentinian, born in www.generalalvearmza.gov.ar, a land of farmers, ranchers and tourist at the foot of the hill Aconcagua (the highest of America the located in the province of Mendoza) and descendant of Spanish. My paternal grandfather was born in Villa Savariego (León) and his your wife (Amadora Nuñez) in Or Cebreiro as it she consists in his her papers.
The mother house of t is one is, nowadays, the Ethnographic Museum of Lugo and, for relatives' news, there is rented, for the Spanish Government, to a premium(cousin) of my deceased father of name Lily who possesses an inn or inn (I Do not know the use of the suitable term) in Relay Do Cebreiro. It is of our familiar (family) interest to contact ourselves with the relatives to initiate an union. I clarify that nothing imports the economic thing for us. We will remain extremely been grateful to quien/es could offer to us information of contact with them. Finally I add a current family photo.

Sorry Raúl Rubén Fernandez Alsina - your photo is not visible on this site so we can't see what you and your family look like.

PILGRIMS TO SANTIAGO FORUM

Busy, busy, busy Forum. If the Administrator got 1 cent for every hit he would be close a millionaire by now – well, almost.

Everybody should spend a bit of time watching the slide-show of photographs on the Home page. Some are truly beautiful and if you click on the photograph it will take you to the web page where the contributor’s album can be found.

Up-to-date posts include info on German Guidebooks – apparently the best available: Ryanair offering 1 million seats for £1 and a report on one lucky peregrine who got a £0 flight to Liverpool (wtmb): Car hire to Finisterre, walking for Charity, Phrase books, where to stay in Burgos and Paris amongst others.

The Whizz-kid pilgrim threw the full might of his gourd at another member for suggesting that his walk for charity was ‘commercial’ and challenged him to walk the walk for non-mobile children. Another pilgrim wrote a conciliatory post suggesting that, “Your tired legs will grow wings on them now”. (OMG – an avenging Mercury is all that we need!)

(PS: I really dislike words that start with non. Non-mobile: non-acceptance: non-committed: non-white and so forth. To me they are all non-sense and when referred to people suggest a non-entity.)

PPS: There are over 8OO unanswered posts on the Forum.

SANTIAGOBIS

..had 71 new messages in 7 days, 54 of those were in response to a post about “Walking in Sandals”. Scintillating stuff!!

If a new member joined Santiagobis today and wanted to read up on the camino he/she would have to scroll through 29 posts on the current page all with the same title - “Walking in Sandals”.

So – said new member clicks on ‘older’ hoping to find more interesting threads – what does he/she find? 17 more posts on “Walking in Sandals” and a few on “Introducing Myself”.

VIA FRANCIGENA http://groups.yahoo.com/group/via-francigena

Mot much action on the Via Francigena front:

• The Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome has now been registered as a "Friend" of the AEVF (European Via Francigena Association)
• Pilgrims Way to Rome Association - Netherlands. info@pelgrimswegen.nlThey have a list of walkers' and cyclists' websites and lists of
• · A small warning for anyone heading up the Col Grand St Bernard in the
  

near future.There is some major engineering work (de-silting) taking place in and around the Lac des Toules (the large reservoir to the south of Bourg St Piere). The work blocks the part-made road that runs from Bourg St Pierre across the face of the dam and onto the road and pathway to the west of the reservoir and also the path to the west of the Dranse. There are restricted access zones at both ends of the reservoir.
If you plan to pass through Bourg St Pierre you will need to take the steep and narrow path from the southern exit road from the village (near the old customs house) down towards the river (signed - walking route 70), cross the river and head up the west side of the Dranse
on the path normally taken by those that bypass BSP. Shortly after the small renovated house an improvised path has been created up a steep climb to the right to regain the old route at the dam level.

The already tough going is now even worse for mountain-bikers and it would be a real scramble for people with horses.
Unfortunately the only alternative is a long (by memory 3km) section of road gallery carrying the heavy traffic towards the tunnel entrance.
On the up-side (literally and metaphorically) an improved access road has been made between the quieter section of the main road (beyond the gallery and tunnel entrance) and the pathway beyond the southern edge of the reservoir - take the second wooden bridge. This gives the "faint of heart" or "short of wind" an easier option for the last 500 metres of the ascent.

So, now you can’t say you were not warned!
By the way, I saw on an earlier post on this Forum that, should you get lost/stuck in the mud/hit by an avalanche, gored by a bull, you can call 1515 - a 24 hour, toll free number for “…the emergencies of the pilgrim which the State Forestry Corps puts to disposition for all the pilgrims along the Via Francigena to request aid.
Don’t bother calling for the dogs and life saving brandy – they have been retired!





PS: My favourite sign - taken in a church in Zaragoza: