Typical Scene on the Camino de Santiago

Typical pueblo scene on the Camino de Santiago

Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago usally pass through two or three small pueblos for each 25 kilometer (15 mile) stretch. Many commented that the tallest building in each pueblo was invariably a church. This modest ‘Romanesque’ style typified the medieval pilgrim’s style. Later, the more grandiose Gothic Cathedrals came into vogue. A few of those still lie on the Camino in places like Burgos and Leon. The irony is that all these magnficent churches dot what most consider to be the world’s most irreligious continent. American pilgrims tended to be more religious than their European counterparts. It all made for an interesting atmosphere on the Camino!

Bill Walker is the author of ‘The Best Way–El Camino de Santiago’ (2012). His prior books were Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail (2008) and Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail (2010).

Camino Style Travel on the Upswing

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What do I mean by “Camino-style traveling?” Specifically, on the Camino a pilgrim walks a modest distance each day, followed by eating a good, but not gourmet meal off a pilgrim’s menu in a small pueblo after having completed his or her distance of approximately 15 miles per day. Then, the pilgrims queus up in line for showers and laundry. Finally, it’s time to bunk down in some rather modest quarters, often with up to 100 other pilgrims lying in bunks nearby.

This ‘Camino-style’ traveling can be differentiated from, for instance, a conventional hand-held tour on the one hand, in which a tourist’s agenda is completely laid out in advance. The main activity is getting on and off tour buses and cruise ships for sightseeing, as well as four-star meals.

On the polar-opposite end of the spectrum would be a journey up either the 2,181 mile Appalachian Trail (where I lost 33 pounds) or the 2,663 mile Pacific Crest Trail (where I lost 43 pounds). These journeys are grueling, ascetic, and very much about chosen denial.

‘Camino-style traveling’ falls somewhere between these two extremes. It gives the pilgrim a great deal of exercise, although an amount that the average person is capable of doing with a good deal of effort. However, there is nowhere near as much denial, given that pilgrims eat off pilgrim menus and sleep inside every evening in albergues. Heck, pilgrims don’t even smell bad like Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trail hikers. They shower every day.

So what do you think? If this sounds appealing, you’ve got company. The Camino de Santiago has become wildly popular in Europe, drawing 200,000 pilgrims per year. All nationalities on the old Continent of Europe are well-represented. Better yet, other countries are developing caminos (meaning, ‘the way’) of their own. For example, in Italy a route is gaining popularity that runs from Assissi (Francis’ hometown) to Rome, with albergues and refugios to stay in along the way.

For many people, this is not only the richest way to travel and meet others in authentic situations. It is also the most economical way. Thus Camino routes are bound to proliferate, hopefully to all over the European continent. It really is best way.

Bill Walker is the author of ‘The Best Way–El Camino de Santiago’. He also previously authored Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail  (2008) and Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Nationalities and Demographics on the Camino de Santiago

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I’m often asked–what nationalities will you see the most of on the Camino de Santiago? It is a very good and interesting question. For starters, you will see absolutely every nation BUT ONE well represented on the Camino. That nation is Great Britain. This, of course, created plenty of commentary about our Anglican cousins. Why are the British so conspiciously absent from the Camino.

Many speculated that it had to do with a latent loyalty to none other than Henry VIII. Indeed, the Camino has Catholic roots, while the estimable former King of England  was one of the two greatest enemies of all time of the Church of Rome (Martin Luther being the other). The formerly Catholic country of England now seems very wary of anything pointing towards Rome, instead of Canterbury.

But with that question out of the way, the larger issue of Camino demographics is a happy one. Because, in short, every country on the European Continent has a major presence on the Camino de Santiago. Unsurprisingly, you can add a large Irish contingent in as well. There was much debate as to whether the most highly represented nationality was the Germans or the French. Indeed, it’s a close call. I would nuance the discussion by saying that in the early stages (while closest to France) there are more French than anybody. But both years that I did the Camino, the Germans were most represented by the time we entered the ethereal confines of the Galician forest. A famous German comedian, Hape Kerkeling, walked the Camino and wrote a book, ‘I’m Off Now’, that sold over 3,000,000 copies in Germany alone. That had the effect of ratcheting up the number of Germans on the Camino, similar to the way Bill Bryson’s humorous narrative of the Appalachian Trail sharply increased the number of hikers on America’s most popular footpath.

But please don’t forget the Italians and the Spanish. They are the next two most well-represented nations on the Camino. Statistics indicate 18% of pilgrims do the Camino by bicycle. Based on my naked observation, it seemed like half of that 18% were Italians–those ancient Mediterranean people of great style and flair. Unsurprisingly, Spaniards are ubiquitous on the Camino, and all the better for it. Personally, they are my favorite European nationality (Many would agree). Often Spaniards do the Camino in sections (“trozos”), whereas people are unlikely to come far distances from places like Ireland or the United States to do just a section.

But these four major European nations are only part of the story on El Camino de Santiago. Pilgrims rally to the Camino from all corners of the European continent, whether it be the rugged Scandinavians or the newly liberated Eastern Europeans. Yes, I walked with pilgrims that could tell me all about eating reindeer above the Arctic Circle; others gave vivid descriptions of life in places like Latvia or Moldova about life under the Soviet Iron Curtain. The European Union has promoted the Camino as part of their mission to unify the Continent. Daily life on the Camino indicates just why they do this.

Americans. Dare I say that loaded word, when discussing a European delight. Yes, Americans have finally discovered the Camino de Santiago. In fact, the number of Americans is increasing at almost 50% per year. And Emilio Estevez’s new movie, ‘The Way’, starring Martin Sheen has only increased the interest. Just like if you want to visit Cuba in its pristine state, you should go now before the embargo is lifted, an American who wants to do the Camino while it is an ovewhelmingly European experience shouldn’t wait long. Because every American who does the Camino has such a great time that they return home only to convince a half-dozen compatriots to cross the Big Pond and try it. The good news is that most Americans seem to be on their best behavior on the Camino; the atrocities that made us infamous in ‘The Ugly American Abroad’ are not on display. Further, the toxic anti-Americanism witnessed in so many parts of Europe in the last decade seem to be in remission, especially on the Camino.

In summary, the Camino de Santiago really is the best way to see the Old Continent of Europe for the simple reason that it takes dead aim at the major shortcoming of most foreign trips–the problem in meeting people. You can’t help,while walking, eating, and sleeping day after day with people, to meet them in authentic, non-touristy ways. And that’s what makes a trip. Buen camino.

Bill Walker is the author of the recently released, The Best Way–El Camino de Santiago. Paperback $12.95, Kindle $4.95.  He also is the author of Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail (2008), and Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail (2010).

The Best Way–El Camino de Santiago Reaches Top 1% on Amazon

I must admit I was worried. My first two narratives, Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail and Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail had begun selling immediately after publication. That is probably not due to me, but rather the fabulous cultures of both these two national scenic trails. There are tens of thousands of people who regularly read everything they can find on the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails. I consider myself lucky as a first time author to have had so many readers.

But my third book, which I had done so much research for and spent so much time on–The Best Way–El Camino de Santiago, did not start selling immediately. “What’s the problem? Am I marketing it wrong?” I kept bleating to friends and colleagues. Well it’s not a problem–simply a fact–that the readership market for books on the Camino de Santiago is nowhere near as large as on our great hiking trails here at home.

The good news, however, is that Americans are learning about the Camino de Santiago at seemingly the speed of light. It is Europe’s most popular footpath (variously referred to as a spiritual pilgrimage, religious pilgrimage, even Europe’s largest singles bar). Europeans of all stripes take to it each year in waves and throngs. A German comedian, Hape Kerkeling, walked it several years back and wrote ‘I’m Off Now’. The book has sold millions of copies in German alone, and now there are as many German pilgrims as there are French pilgrims. Spaniards and Italians are also out there in droves. But until recently Americans had not really discovered the glories of the Camino de Santiago. But that is changing rapidly. The number of American pilgrims on the Camino is doubling each year. The Hollywood movie, The Way, starring Martin Sheen has greatly increased awareness.

Perhaps that is why my narrative has begun to gain greater circulation. Sales have more than doubled the last two months and the book has now reached the top 1% on Amazon. Hopefully, it will fit within the rich mosaic of resources that aspiring pilgrims have at their disposal when readying for a Camino pilgrimage. Some history was necessary to show just how this mass pilgrimage, one of the largest sustained movements in human history, developed. But I have done everything I can to make it ‘light history’ with the purpose of carrying the story of my pilgrimage. Incidentally, I had such a good time in 2010 that I came back and did the whole thing again in 2011. Honest to God, the Camino de Santiago is the very best way I’ve ever found to travel. For that reason it was a no-brainer to name the book, The Best Way–El Camino de Santiago.

Amazon.com   paperback $12.95,  Kindle $4.95  www.thebestwaycamino.com

Bill Walker is also the author of Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail (2008), and Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail (2010). Walker, who is 6’11”, is now working on a book on the subject of height.

July 25th Holy Day on the Camino de Santiago

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The very first question a modern pilgrim has to answer when he or she decides to hike the Camino de Santiago is whether or not you want to participate in the July 25th Holy Day celebrations in Santiago de Compostela. As you may or may not know, the 25th of July is the holiest day of the year in Galicia in northwest Spain. That is the day that the body of St. James–for who the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela honors–was discovered by the hermit, Pelayo, 800 years after his decapitation.

The celebration on the night of the 24th of July is one for the ages. Tens of thousands of people jam this small, provincial town. I’m no big fan of fireworks shows, but this one is in a class of its own, whether you are religious or not. It really serves its purpose of making pilgrims from all over the world feel solidarity with one another. Afterwards, there is a huge band party in a smaller square behind the great cathedral in Santiago. The next day there are church services usually attended by the King and Queen of Spain (and occasionally the Pope), as well as rallies on behalf of Galician autonomy. The evening of the 25th there is another Galician folk music festival that is a huge favorite of pilgrims (and dancers!).

As the reader can probably tell, I am highly partial to the Holy Day events of the 24th and 25th of July. But perhaps not all pilgrims want to be so in the midst of the throngs and masses. In that case, they should choose to do the Camino at another time of year. However, if you do prefer to participate in all the events I should give you one warning. The 100 or 200 kilometers before reaching Santiago de Compostela, the Camino is bound to be jam packed. Pilgrims habitually race each other to get spots in albergues. However, this is not as grave as it sounds. If you don’t get a spot in the main albergue, these towns always find alternative arrangements that are adequate. For example, some towns in Galician open their “polideportivos (gymnasiums” to pilgrims. This was actually a treat to me because I’m 7 feet tall and never fit on the bunks in the albergues anyway. But the mattresses in the polideportivos were always plenty long!

Santiago itself is a mass of humanity on display. It can be difficult to find an albergue (especially on Holy Years when the 25th of July falls on a Sunday). Some pilgrims make hotel reservations several months in advance (especially the Germans). However, I found that, except on the Holy Year, if a pilgrim searches around town enough, he or she can find a place to stay at ‘the pilgrim’s rate (5 or 10 Euros per night)’.

Many pilgrims continue from Santiago de Compostela all the way to the ‘End of the World’ at Finistierre on the Atlantic. This is a 61 mile trek and the topography is a bit more demanding. Nonetheless, anybody who has made it all the way to Santiago can surely handle it. Finistierre is an exotic, cosmopolitan city that reminded me a little bit of Key West, Florida.

Altogether, it took me 34 days to do the entire Camino Frances in both 2010 and 2011. The journey to Finistierre can be done in 3 or 4 additional days. Buen Camino!

Bill Walker, author of  ‘The Best Way–El Camino de Santiago’    www.thebestwaycamino.com, and www.skywalker-pct.com  Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail (2008), Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail (2010). Walker, who is near 7 feet tall is now working on a book on the subject of height.

American Pilgrims on the Camino Thriving

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It should be no surprise given the sharp increase in the number of American pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, that ‘The American Pilgrims on the Camino’ organization is thriving. And none too soon either. It is nothing but good news that they are training hospitaleiros on how to run the albergues. This will be a big advantage for ‘monolingual Americans’.

Most important of all, the group helps increase awareness of the Camino de Santiago, which is not just the best way to see the Old Continent of Europe, but also the most economical. Good goin’ American Pilgrims on the Camino. Enjoy your annual gathering next week in Winter Park, Florida!

Thanks,

Bill Walker, www.thebestwaycamino.com  author of  The Best Way–El Camino de Santiago

American Pilgrims on the Camino: 2012 Gathering of Pilgrims

by Gene_781 on 29 Jan 2012, 07:14

Roads Less Traveled 2012 Gathering of Pilgrims San Pedro Center, Winter Park, Florida March 27-April 2, 2012 Registration is now LIVE on the website National Gatherings page! (americanpilgrims.com)
Join American Pilgrims for their 15th Annual Gathering of Pilgrims at the San Pedro Center in Winter Park, Florida. The Gathering, March 29-April 1, is preceded by the Hospitalero Training, March 27-29. The Spiritual Retreat, hosted by Tom Cook, follows the conclusion of the Gathering, from Sunday morning. April 1, through midday Monday, April 2.
This year’s Opening Reception, on the evening of Thursday, March 29, will feature a Spanish tapas menu with a Valencian flavor. The reception will be followed by a performance of classical Spanish guitar music played by Joshua Englert. Friday evening sees the debut of a new attraction, the Pilgrim Open Mic session: with a couple pictures to illustrate your story, tell us in five minutes about your best—or worst—Camino experience. And, of course, Camino Cabaret returns on Saturday night!
Friday’s schedule will include two limited-enrollment workshops. In her two-session workshop “Writing the Camino”, Amei Wallach will provide participants with the strategies and techniques to write quality travel literature. And in “Camino through the Lens”, Ann Howley will give a hands-on workshop covering camera and photography basics and offering ideas to help you get the best Camino photos ever.
Gathering presentations will include new topics like Ultralight Packing, Camino News from Around the World, Reading the Camino, and Romanesque and Gothic for Pilgrims. Last year’s successful Academic Panel will make an encore appearance with the theme The Search for Authenticity. It will be complemented by a second panel offering presentations on Other Caminos. And of course you will find perennial favorites such as Camino First Aid, New Pilgrim Q&A, and Hospitalero Q&A.
All this and more awaits you at the 15th Annual Gathering of Pilgrims in Winter Park. For an overview, travel information, and both online and mail-in registration material, visit the website’s National Gathering page! (americanpilgrims.com)

============= Gene McCullough Denver, Colorado, USA

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Trip to the Camino de Santiago is a Good Graduation Present

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My nephew and niece have each taken a conventional trip to Europe, and both have done a pilgrimage on El Camino de Santiago. Each did their pilgrimage the summer after graduating from high school.

In each case, on the packaged tour their attitude was one of boredom, mixed in with mild amusement and flickers of interest. However, both were able at age 18 to immerse themselves in the unique culture of the Camino de Santiago. Incidentally, there are pilgrims as young as 7 and 8 years old, as well as pilgrims in their 70’s. Just as it was in the Middle Ages when 500,000 medieval pilgrims traipsed to Santiago de Compostela each year, the modern Camino is truly ecumenical.

I also think the Camino would make a great college graduation gift. When I got out of university in the 1980’s, it was very common for graduates to take a grand tour around the Old Continent on a Eurail Pass. Not to diminish that experience, but when a person walks the Camino de Santiago, he or she has the entire Continent at their feet. Better yet, it is much more economical, given that a pilgrim on average pays 5 to 7 Euros per night to stay in an albergue.

Think about it: El Camino de Santiago is not only the best way to see Europe, but the most economical way. No wonder it is seeing such explosive growth.

‘The Best Way–El Camino de Santiago’ is the newest book on the Camino de Santiago. Walker is also the author of Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail (2008) and Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail (2010). Walker, who is just shy of 7-feet tall, is now working on a book on the subject of height.

 

Go to Cuba, Go to the Camino de Santiago

Amazon paperback $12.95, Kindle $4.95,   www.thebestwaycamino.com

It’s amazing. I am literally getting e-mails and phone calls every single day by people saying they have seen the movie, ‘The Way’, or read, ‘The Best Way–El Camino de Santiago’, and are now planning to walk El Camino de Santiago in Europe. You’ve got to wonder, why?

The riddle may be a profound one. Humans have long history as wanderers. Whether you are talking about the aboriginal people, ancient Israeli tribes, Bedouins, Kurds, you name it, this nomadic instinct in humans has consistently revealed itself. “Solvitur ambulando (walking solves all)”, wrote St. Augustine. Perhaps we are being truest to ourselves when in perpetual motion.

The Camino is not the day-in, day-out struggle of the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail. Nonetheless, a ‘pilgrim’ averages walking 15 miles per day. That ain’t chopped liver. Better yet, pilgrims from all over the world are now doing the 500 mile pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

The Camino seems to fill that void that conventional travel often lacks–the desire for the deeply real. How often have we seen people return from trips, trying to project excitement about their journey, only to betray disappointment. But the Camino really does offer a journey with deeper ramifications.

The wave of interest being seen from Americans in the wake of the Hollywood movie, ‘The Way’, with Martin Sheen, is manifested in ever greater numbers of Americans taking to the Camino. For that reason, I compare doing a pilgrimage on the Camino to taking a trip to Cuba. Do it now, before it gets overcommercialized and overrun by Americans, and while it still retains its mostly European character.

Bill Walker is also the author of Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail (2008) and Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail (2010). Walker, who is 6’11”, is now working on a book on the subject of height.

The Best Way–El Camino de Santiago

Bill Walker–author of Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail (2008) and Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail (2010) has just released his third outdoor narrative. It is called ‘The Best Way–El Camino de Santiago’, and sells on Amazon.com in paperback for $12.95, and Kindle for $4.95.

Walker walked the full Camino Frances (from St. Jean Pied de Port in southern France to Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain) in both 2010 and 2011. It measures 800 kilometers (500 miles). In 2010, he also continued walking all the way to the Atlantic coast at Finistierre, whose name is derived from the ancient belief that it was the end of the world.

The name of the book is derived from Walker’s conclusion that El Camino de Santiago(The Camino) is the best way to travel. The Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail are ascetic and agonizing, and very fulfilling to be sure. Conventional trips tend to be ‘hand-held’ and overly sedentary. However, the Camino is the perfect balance of outdoor struggle, camaraderie, sightseeing, food, and wine.

It is also by far the most popular footpath in Europe, drawing 200,000 ‘pilgrims’ per year. In this mix are all the European nationalities, and now Asians and Americans. A German comedian, Hape Kerkeling, wrote a bestselling narrative of the Camino; subsequently, Germans are the nationality most represented on the modern Camino, followed closely by French and Spanish. Having taken many trips to Europe, Walker found the Camino to be by far the best way to meet the denizens of the Old Continent. That perspective, plus more of his now well-known self-deprecating and mischievous humor, make this a delightful page-turner.

Great interest in the Camino de Santiago