Although there is physical effort involved, the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage is essentially a spiritual experience and it is recommended that pilgrims take some time for spiritual preparation before their walk. We urge you to think about your motives for wishing to make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Traditionally these motives fell into three …
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5 reasons you should walk the Camino de Santiago by Padraic Gilligan – When I saw “The Way”, Martin Sheen’s recent movie, directed by his son Emilio Estevez, I knew I wanted to walk at least part of the Camino de Santiago. For over 1000 years, pilgrims have walked “the way”, their destination or journey’s …
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Joe and Judi’s Camino Adventure Joe and Judi from California walked the Camino de Santiago with CaminoWays.com earlier this year. We share Joe and Judi’s Camino adventure as written by the couple on their Camino blog. If you bumped into Joe and Judi along the way, you might have noticed they wore very special t-shirts: …
POINT Road resident and trainee priest Barry Matthews is going the distance for his faith. That distance is all 500 miles of Camino de Santiago, the world-famous pilgrimage through Northern Spain. The 30-year-old trainee priest has temporarily discarded the robes of the priesthood in favour of a good pair of walking shoes, walking as he …
Trip of a Lifetime on the Camino By NIKKI PATRICK A thousand years ago, pilgrims made their way on foot, on horses or donkeys along El Camino de Santiago, the trip of a lifetime. The world has changed dramatically, but those still follow the Way of St. James. Jerry Lomshek, Chicopee, and his son Jurij …
Jerry and Jurij took the trip of a lifetime on the Camino Read More »
Reaching Santiago It’s turned out to be a prolific year for Kiwis reaching Santiago de Compostela on the Camino de Santiago. Despite meeting only a couple on our trip, 79 New Zealanders have completed the trek to Santiago de Compostela this year, nearly double the total for all of 2011. And we were among those …
One big hug in Santiago de Compostela. The experience is simply incomparable. On a cold, almost chilly, day at the end of winter, you stand on the roof of one of Europe’s most historic cathedrals and have a sweeping view of a heritage city. As the rogue wind touches your face intermittently, you imagine the …
Why the epic Camino trail across Spain is a route to true happiness You will have heard about life-changing journeys, but if I describe a 500-mile Camino trail to Santiago de Compostela, I suspect your reaction would be: turn the page. But please don’t! I’d reached a time when I needed to re-assess, to reflect …
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A father’s mission along the Camino de Santiago A Father’s Mission By Brennan Barnard for the Monitor, June 17. As I grabbed my daypack and headed out the door to fight the commuter traffic down to Boston, I was halted by the “sneak attack hug” that has become my 8-year-old son’s signature sendoff. This embrace …
A Journey on Foot on the Old Ways Travel writing – an individual telling a story about a journey through a landscape – is one of the world’s most primitive forms of literature. Tales of travel take us back to man’s deepest literary roots, to the Epic of Gilgamesh and the wanderings of the Pandava …
The Camino Plenary Indulgence You can get the Camino Plenary Indulgence (also known as “The Jubilee”), by walking the Camino’s last 100km or Cycling the Camino’s last 200km to Santiago de Compostela. The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession). An Indulgence is the complete …
Can’t pronounce Txomin Etxaniz Txakolina? Drink it anyway! Do you ever wonder what purpose some of your friends serve in your life? If not, you should. I am lucky enough to have a very eclectic group of friends, all with their quirks, personalities, humour, ambitions, knowledge and levels of loyalty. I’d say that many of …
Can’t pronounce Txomin Etxaniz Txakolina? Drink it anyway! Read More »
When The Road Beckons you – go! When the road beckons, go! “I did the Camino last year, a pilgrimage in Spain that dates beyond the 9th century. I walked alone 500 miles in 40 days, but actually, never alone. When it beckons you – go! The Camino de Santiago de Compostela, popularized by the …
The Road to Santiago There are three questions hikers and pilgrims ask each other when walking the 1,600-kilometre Santiago de Compostela, or Camino, pilgrimage trail. Where are you from? How far have you walked? How are your feet? The Road to Santiago. A fourth question, “Why?” usually only comes after you’ve shared a bottle (or two) …
Pamplona | The Camino Frances Pamplona is the capital city of the former kingdom of Navarre, on the Camino Frances, Spain. The city is located in the middle of Navarre, in a rounded valley known as the Cuenca de Pamplona, that links the mountainous North with the Ebro valley and is 92 kilometres from the …
Guernica Guernica is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. Gernica is on The Camino del Norte. The town is best known for the devastation it suffered on April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. Guernica was the scene of a bombing raid by the …
Perfect Italian dinner on the Via Francigena If you’re planning a walking holiday in Tuscany on the Via Francigena or Cammino di Francesco, don’t miss the chance to discover authentic Italian food, one of the richest Mediterranean food cultures. Let us whet your appetite with this blog post before you leave for the Italian peninsula. Perfect …
Perfect Italian dinner on the Via Francigena, Tuscany Read More »
Festive Gingerbread Cookies Recipe Gingerbread Cookies are very popular in many countries around Europe, including Italy and France. They are very easy to make and can also be a special and original gift idea! Let us know how you get on with this delicious festive Gingerbread Cookies recipe! Ingredients: For 30 cookies: 3 cups (350g) …
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The Camino Think Tank, by Sherry I had a lot of time to think on this 5-week walking journey – thinking helped me forget my foot pain and fatigue most days. This was a complete vacation for my mind – it was free to roam in and out of memories, ideas, and emotions. A mind …
Should only those following God embark on the Camino? I am facing an atheist dilemma. How ethical is it to go on a pilgrimage when one doesn’t believe in God? I first heard about the Camino de Santiago years ago, when a family friend attempted the 800-mile trek from Le Puy-en-Velay in France to Santiago …
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