The Way, starring Martin Sheen and Emilo Estivez.
Filmed on the Camino, The Way premieres at the Toronto Film festival this fall.
Link to the movie's website
this has me wanting to walk again soon.
Christiana
Friday, August 6, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Arrival in Santiago
After 16k of walking we walked into the square in Santiago just after 10am on June 19th. It was an incredible feeling to arrive at the Cathedral. There were hundreds of people already lined up for the 12noon pilgrims mass as well as hundreds lined up to view the tomb of the Apostle.
According to Shiloh, the journey is not complete until the paper work is done. So, we headed towards the pilgrim's office to hand in our credentials and have them validated. On our way we stumbled upon a nice hotel right across the street from the pilgrims office. We decided to try our luck and we were able to get a room with a covered balcony, complete with a sitting area. While we waited for our room to be ready we left our packs and stood in line at the pilgrims office. As the morning went on, the line up got longer and longer; it is hard to comprehend the number of pilgrims that arrive daily until you see the line-ups at the pilgrims office. One of the questions they asked Shiloh was how much of the journey he had walked....and it was a great feeling to respond all 325km from Leon to Santiago.
We both received our Compostellas, they are in Latin. I managed to find an English Translation on-line: This Chapter of this Holy Apostolic Metropolitan Cathedral of St James, custodian of the seal of St. James' Altar, to all faithful and pilgrims who come from everywhere over the world as an act of devotion, under vow or promise to the Apostle's Tomb, our patron and protector of Spain, witness in the sight of all who read this document, that Mr__________ has visited devoutly this Sacred Church. Witness whereof I hand this document over to them, authenticated by the seal of this Sacred Church. Given in St. James de Composetela on the dd-mmm-yyyy A.D.
We attended the 7pm mass and the inside of the Cathedral is just as magnificent as the outside. The mass ended with the swinging of the Botofumerio, a 50kg silver plated censer. It is swung from a 35meter rope accoss the transept of the Cathedral. Shiloh was sitting in the aisle seat right next to the path of the giant censer. Rumor has it that the Botofumerio has twice overshot and ended up outside the Cathedral. I don't know if that tid bit of trivia made Shiloh feel nervous sitting that close.
We overnighted in Santiago, and then flew out to Madrid for two nights.
Christiana and Shiloh
According to Shiloh, the journey is not complete until the paper work is done. So, we headed towards the pilgrim's office to hand in our credentials and have them validated. On our way we stumbled upon a nice hotel right across the street from the pilgrims office. We decided to try our luck and we were able to get a room with a covered balcony, complete with a sitting area. While we waited for our room to be ready we left our packs and stood in line at the pilgrims office. As the morning went on, the line up got longer and longer; it is hard to comprehend the number of pilgrims that arrive daily until you see the line-ups at the pilgrims office. One of the questions they asked Shiloh was how much of the journey he had walked....and it was a great feeling to respond all 325km from Leon to Santiago.
We both received our Compostellas, they are in Latin. I managed to find an English Translation on-line: This Chapter of this Holy Apostolic Metropolitan Cathedral of St James, custodian of the seal of St. James' Altar, to all faithful and pilgrims who come from everywhere over the world as an act of devotion, under vow or promise to the Apostle's Tomb, our patron and protector of Spain, witness in the sight of all who read this document, that Mr__________ has visited devoutly this Sacred Church. Witness whereof I hand this document over to them, authenticated by the seal of this Sacred Church. Given in St. James de Composetela on the dd-mmm-yyyy A.D.
We attended the 7pm mass and the inside of the Cathedral is just as magnificent as the outside. The mass ended with the swinging of the Botofumerio, a 50kg silver plated censer. It is swung from a 35meter rope accoss the transept of the Cathedral. Shiloh was sitting in the aisle seat right next to the path of the giant censer. Rumor has it that the Botofumerio has twice overshot and ended up outside the Cathedral. I don't know if that tid bit of trivia made Shiloh feel nervous sitting that close.
We overnighted in Santiago, and then flew out to Madrid for two nights.
Christiana and Shiloh
Friday, June 18, 2010
309km complete...16 to go
Hola!
We are pleased to report that we will be arriving in Santiago tomorrow. We spent last night in Arzua, and tonight we are in Amenal. The hotel in Amenal is just steps away from the Camino. We hope to get an early start in the morning and arrive in Santiago mid day.
As we travel closer to Santiago we are noticing the change in relative wealth of the population. The houses are getting larger, as are the yards. And, they have more cows, sheep and chickens. The dogs; however, are getting smaller. Flower gardens are replacing vegetable gardens and the villages are getting closer together,1km to 2km versus 5km to 10km.
The Camino itself has also changed. Our tired muscles are happy to report that the hills are less steep and there times where the path is relatively flat. We are now travelling through many forest paths and in addition to other pilgrims on the path we have also shared the path with the cows. In Pamplona Spain, you can run with the bulls, at this end of the Camino you get to walk with the cows.
Some of you have been asking about photos, we will be posting them to the blog when we get back to Canada. We will also be posting our route including stops and daily kms along with our packing list for those followers who are interested in walking the Camino.
Christiana and Shiloh
We are pleased to report that we will be arriving in Santiago tomorrow. We spent last night in Arzua, and tonight we are in Amenal. The hotel in Amenal is just steps away from the Camino. We hope to get an early start in the morning and arrive in Santiago mid day.
As we travel closer to Santiago we are noticing the change in relative wealth of the population. The houses are getting larger, as are the yards. And, they have more cows, sheep and chickens. The dogs; however, are getting smaller. Flower gardens are replacing vegetable gardens and the villages are getting closer together,1km to 2km versus 5km to 10km.
The Camino itself has also changed. Our tired muscles are happy to report that the hills are less steep and there times where the path is relatively flat. We are now travelling through many forest paths and in addition to other pilgrims on the path we have also shared the path with the cows. In Pamplona Spain, you can run with the bulls, at this end of the Camino you get to walk with the cows.
Some of you have been asking about photos, we will be posting them to the blog when we get back to Canada. We will also be posting our route including stops and daily kms along with our packing list for those followers who are interested in walking the Camino.
Christiana and Shiloh
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
55 km to go...
Hola
Today we arrive in Melide. It was a relief to see that we have only a few days of walking left and we will soon be in Santiago. We have slowed down our walking pace and plan on shorter days, the last 55km will be spread out over three days.
Since leaving Tricastela we have journeyed through many small villages. Throughout our pilgrimage we have noted a variety in the size of the different villages. From Manjarin with a population of 1(yes that´s correct a population of one) to villages up to a population of 12,000.
Our stay in Sarria was most enjoyable. We took a break from the Alberges and stayed in a three star hotel. It was such a blessing to be able to enjoy a soak in a bathtub. After leaving Sarria we have noted a huge increase in the number of people on the Camino. Many who are travelling with support vehicles, walking only a few kilometers and then being transported to the next village. We often refer to them as ¨faux pilgrims¨. You can tell ¨faux pilgrims¨ apart from the other pilgrims by their clean shoes and neat and tidy clothing. The red velvet track suit and the straw hat the matched the 3litre backback on one pilgrim was defintely a clue that she had not walked the full route. Some days they test our patience as we continue walking the last kms of our 325km journey. We do however, have a feeling of accomplishment knowing that we have travelled 270km by foot without once having to rely on a bus or taxi....some days it is tempting, but Shiloh is keeping us focused on making it to Santiago entirely on foot.
Other villages we have stayed in include Portomarin, a town that was completely relocated in the 1950s including the Cathedral which was disassembled stone by stone and then reassembled in its new location. You can still see the numbers on the bricks. Yesterday we stayed in Place de Rei.
We are looking forward to our next few days of walking as the rain has stopped and hopefully we will see the sunshine once again.
Christiana and Shiloh
Today we arrive in Melide. It was a relief to see that we have only a few days of walking left and we will soon be in Santiago. We have slowed down our walking pace and plan on shorter days, the last 55km will be spread out over three days.
Since leaving Tricastela we have journeyed through many small villages. Throughout our pilgrimage we have noted a variety in the size of the different villages. From Manjarin with a population of 1(yes that´s correct a population of one) to villages up to a population of 12,000.
Our stay in Sarria was most enjoyable. We took a break from the Alberges and stayed in a three star hotel. It was such a blessing to be able to enjoy a soak in a bathtub. After leaving Sarria we have noted a huge increase in the number of people on the Camino. Many who are travelling with support vehicles, walking only a few kilometers and then being transported to the next village. We often refer to them as ¨faux pilgrims¨. You can tell ¨faux pilgrims¨ apart from the other pilgrims by their clean shoes and neat and tidy clothing. The red velvet track suit and the straw hat the matched the 3litre backback on one pilgrim was defintely a clue that she had not walked the full route. Some days they test our patience as we continue walking the last kms of our 325km journey. We do however, have a feeling of accomplishment knowing that we have travelled 270km by foot without once having to rely on a bus or taxi....some days it is tempting, but Shiloh is keeping us focused on making it to Santiago entirely on foot.
Other villages we have stayed in include Portomarin, a town that was completely relocated in the 1950s including the Cathedral which was disassembled stone by stone and then reassembled in its new location. You can still see the numbers on the bricks. Yesterday we stayed in Place de Rei.
We are looking forward to our next few days of walking as the rain has stopped and hopefully we will see the sunshine once again.
Christiana and Shiloh
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Hola from Triacastela
Today we arrived in Glacia.
After four days of rain we finally saw some blue skies. We are staying the night in Triacastela.
It has been a couple of days since we left Ponferrada. Once we were out of the city we walked through acres and acres of vineyards. The scenery was incredible, we walked as far as Villafranca del Bierzo where we settled for the evening in a private refugio. The next day we headed for La Faba. After what seemed like miles and miles along the highway we started the ascent through the forest to LaFaba. It was a grueling rocky uphill climb, but despite the rain we enjoyed the views. It was pouring rain in the forest...does that make it a rainforest? When we finally arrived a the top, we were relieved to find the Albergue just steps away was just opening its doors. The albergue is in a renovated 18th century building next to the church. In the evening the Fransciscan brothers held a special ceremony for the pilgrims.
This morning, we finished the climb to the top of the mountain arriving in O'Cebreio in the early morning for cafe and crossiants. Today we reached the highest elevation and have started our descent.
In Spain, wine goes with everything. Today in we saw someone eating a bowl of Nestle Crunch cereal paired with wine. Hmmm....will that be red or white?
After 8 days of walking with our packs, we are starting to feel the stiffness in our muscles. We have gone over 180km since we started and are looking forward to reaching the next significant milestone which is the marker that indicates 100km to go until we reach Santiago.
...type at you later
Christiana and Shiloh
After four days of rain we finally saw some blue skies. We are staying the night in Triacastela.
It has been a couple of days since we left Ponferrada. Once we were out of the city we walked through acres and acres of vineyards. The scenery was incredible, we walked as far as Villafranca del Bierzo where we settled for the evening in a private refugio. The next day we headed for La Faba. After what seemed like miles and miles along the highway we started the ascent through the forest to LaFaba. It was a grueling rocky uphill climb, but despite the rain we enjoyed the views. It was pouring rain in the forest...does that make it a rainforest? When we finally arrived a the top, we were relieved to find the Albergue just steps away was just opening its doors. The albergue is in a renovated 18th century building next to the church. In the evening the Fransciscan brothers held a special ceremony for the pilgrims.
This morning, we finished the climb to the top of the mountain arriving in O'Cebreio in the early morning for cafe and crossiants. Today we reached the highest elevation and have started our descent.
In Spain, wine goes with everything. Today in we saw someone eating a bowl of Nestle Crunch cereal paired with wine. Hmmm....will that be red or white?
After 8 days of walking with our packs, we are starting to feel the stiffness in our muscles. We have gone over 180km since we started and are looking forward to reaching the next significant milestone which is the marker that indicates 100km to go until we reach Santiago.
...type at you later
Christiana and Shiloh
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Hola from Ponferrada
Greetings from Ponferrada,
So far we have walked over 100km and are doing well. Traffic on the Camino really picked up at Astorga, apparently there are a number of tour groups on the route. It was quite busy on the Camino until the first village where we left the tour group at the bar. We stopped at Rabinal De Camino, there we opted to stay in a small hotel. There we found out that they have ¨special¨ rooms for married couples where you get your own bathroom (a luxury on the Camino).
The cusine is interesting, Shiloh tried out the seafood only to find out that you get the entire creature served up on your plate. I spent the entire time watching his dinner plate to ensure nothing crawled over to mine. We fell in love with the bread and the cheese, so yummy. One can live on bread, cheese and fruit here.
After leaving Rabinal De Camino we stopped at the Cruz to Ferro. There is a tradition on the Camino where you carry a rock from home and lay the rock at the foot of the crucifix. Following this tradition we placed our rocks and said a prayer asking the Lord to consider our efforts on this pilgrimage along with our good deeds when we face our judgement day.
Next we stayed in Regios De Ambros, the walk there was rugged and uphill but the scenery was worth it. We arrived before the Albergue opened, so we decided to try a priviate pension. It was lovely as well. Had it not been for the rain, we could have spent hours relaxing in the garden.
Leaving Regios De Ambros, we took the ¨rough route¨ instead of the road. The extra exertion was worth it. We walked along a rocky descent through a chestnut forest and along the ridge of a mountain. I had no idea that the mountains of Leon were this high, the views were worth it. We are thankful that in preparation for the Camino we had done some training walks in mountains as it really helped out these past few days.
We had planned on a 13km walk today, but we did a little extra as we got lost trying to find our hotel. After asking a few locals (with the wee bit of Spanish that we picked up along the way) we found our way. It´s raining in Ponferrada and it looks like we will have a couple of days of walking in the rain before the sunshine returns. We do however, welcome the cooler temperatures.
We are now about 210km from Santiago
Christiana and Shiloh
So far we have walked over 100km and are doing well. Traffic on the Camino really picked up at Astorga, apparently there are a number of tour groups on the route. It was quite busy on the Camino until the first village where we left the tour group at the bar. We stopped at Rabinal De Camino, there we opted to stay in a small hotel. There we found out that they have ¨special¨ rooms for married couples where you get your own bathroom (a luxury on the Camino).
The cusine is interesting, Shiloh tried out the seafood only to find out that you get the entire creature served up on your plate. I spent the entire time watching his dinner plate to ensure nothing crawled over to mine. We fell in love with the bread and the cheese, so yummy. One can live on bread, cheese and fruit here.
After leaving Rabinal De Camino we stopped at the Cruz to Ferro. There is a tradition on the Camino where you carry a rock from home and lay the rock at the foot of the crucifix. Following this tradition we placed our rocks and said a prayer asking the Lord to consider our efforts on this pilgrimage along with our good deeds when we face our judgement day.
Next we stayed in Regios De Ambros, the walk there was rugged and uphill but the scenery was worth it. We arrived before the Albergue opened, so we decided to try a priviate pension. It was lovely as well. Had it not been for the rain, we could have spent hours relaxing in the garden.
Leaving Regios De Ambros, we took the ¨rough route¨ instead of the road. The extra exertion was worth it. We walked along a rocky descent through a chestnut forest and along the ridge of a mountain. I had no idea that the mountains of Leon were this high, the views were worth it. We are thankful that in preparation for the Camino we had done some training walks in mountains as it really helped out these past few days.
We had planned on a 13km walk today, but we did a little extra as we got lost trying to find our hotel. After asking a few locals (with the wee bit of Spanish that we picked up along the way) we found our way. It´s raining in Ponferrada and it looks like we will have a couple of days of walking in the rain before the sunshine returns. We do however, welcome the cooler temperatures.
We are now about 210km from Santiago
Christiana and Shiloh
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Astorga
Today we are in Astorga,
We travelled 21km today through rolling hills arriving in Astorga with plenty of time to view the city. And what an incredible city it is. Wonderful scencery, beautiful churches and lots shops selling chocolate. We are staying in a lovely albergue that was once a convent. Accomodations are much nicer than the previous alberges and for an extra 3 euros they´ll even do your laundry. On the Camino, membership has its privelges. Where else can you get accomodations for two and get your laundry done for 13 Euros.
We meet many interesting people along the Camino. Yesterday, we spoke with a fellow from Austria who started out walking and after his first couple of days his feet were causing him trouble. Did he quit the Camino, absolutely not...he bought a bicycle and is determined to complete the Camino. We also met a gentleman from England who is walking for the fourth time, he´s doing it again this year because it´s a holy year and he wants to earn the ¨get out of purgatory free card¨. We are sharing our room with an Italian and his daughter. Like us, he speaks very little Spanish. He is a retired miltary aircraft mechanic, Shiloh and he would have a lot more to talk about if they both new the same language.
We looking forward to another day on the Camino tomorrow.
Christiana and Shiloh
We travelled 21km today through rolling hills arriving in Astorga with plenty of time to view the city. And what an incredible city it is. Wonderful scencery, beautiful churches and lots shops selling chocolate. We are staying in a lovely albergue that was once a convent. Accomodations are much nicer than the previous alberges and for an extra 3 euros they´ll even do your laundry. On the Camino, membership has its privelges. Where else can you get accomodations for two and get your laundry done for 13 Euros.
We meet many interesting people along the Camino. Yesterday, we spoke with a fellow from Austria who started out walking and after his first couple of days his feet were causing him trouble. Did he quit the Camino, absolutely not...he bought a bicycle and is determined to complete the Camino. We also met a gentleman from England who is walking for the fourth time, he´s doing it again this year because it´s a holy year and he wants to earn the ¨get out of purgatory free card¨. We are sharing our room with an Italian and his daughter. Like us, he speaks very little Spanish. He is a retired miltary aircraft mechanic, Shiloh and he would have a lot more to talk about if they both new the same language.
We looking forward to another day on the Camino tomorrow.
Christiana and Shiloh
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Day 2 on the Camino
Hola!
Today we travelled to Hospital de Orbigio. It was another warm day, although we finished our travels around 2pm we were very tired. At 30C, we stopped looking at the temperature so we could focus on getting to our destination. Today´s lesson was all about planning ahead. Although we knew what facilities each village had, we didn´t plan for them not to be open. We had expected the Cafe to be open for breakfast at 9am, this was not the case today. So, we had to venture a little further on before our morning meal. We were thankful that we had eaten some fruit before we left the albergue.
We are hopeful that we will be able to get a good night´s rest tonight. There is a festival in town this weekend, lots of people dressed in midevil garb celebrating. The setting is fitting as the Hospital de Orbigo hospice was founded in the 12th century by knights of the order of St. John.
Christiana and Shiloh
Today we travelled to Hospital de Orbigio. It was another warm day, although we finished our travels around 2pm we were very tired. At 30C, we stopped looking at the temperature so we could focus on getting to our destination. Today´s lesson was all about planning ahead. Although we knew what facilities each village had, we didn´t plan for them not to be open. We had expected the Cafe to be open for breakfast at 9am, this was not the case today. So, we had to venture a little further on before our morning meal. We were thankful that we had eaten some fruit before we left the albergue.
We are hopeful that we will be able to get a good night´s rest tonight. There is a festival in town this weekend, lots of people dressed in midevil garb celebrating. The setting is fitting as the Hospital de Orbigo hospice was founded in the 12th century by knights of the order of St. John.
Christiana and Shiloh
Friday, June 4, 2010
First Steps on the Camino
Hola from the Camino,
Today we took our first steps on the Camino. We arrived in Leon at around 2pm and instead of looking for an albergue in the city we opted to make a short trek to Virgen del Camino about 7k outside the city. The weather is very warm today, and having arrived at 2pm, that put us walking in the 28C heat for a couple of hours. Tomorrow we will walk in the morning.
Travel advice...when in Spain take the train. We were quite impressed with the rail system, the train stations are much nicer than the airport and the trains were roomy and quiet. Shiloh was expecting a slow ride to Leon, but was quite impressed with the 198km per hour speed at which they travelled.
Spanish lessons are going well. Today we took a trip to the grocery store and I got exactly what I asked for which also happened to be what I thought I ordered. Two apples, two oranges, and two bannanas. I didn´t get any cherries because I haven´t learned how to count past 10.
Adios!
Christiana and Shiloh
Today we took our first steps on the Camino. We arrived in Leon at around 2pm and instead of looking for an albergue in the city we opted to make a short trek to Virgen del Camino about 7k outside the city. The weather is very warm today, and having arrived at 2pm, that put us walking in the 28C heat for a couple of hours. Tomorrow we will walk in the morning.
Travel advice...when in Spain take the train. We were quite impressed with the rail system, the train stations are much nicer than the airport and the trains were roomy and quiet. Shiloh was expecting a slow ride to Leon, but was quite impressed with the 198km per hour speed at which they travelled.
Spanish lessons are going well. Today we took a trip to the grocery store and I got exactly what I asked for which also happened to be what I thought I ordered. Two apples, two oranges, and two bannanas. I didn´t get any cherries because I haven´t learned how to count past 10.
Adios!
Christiana and Shiloh
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Hola from Madrid,
We arrived yesterday to wonderful sunny weather 34C. We had very smooth flight from Calgary to Frankfurt, and after experincing a very cosy flight to Madrid on SpanAir I promise not complain about the lack of leg room on Westjet. We have now started the best spanish lessons ever! We´ve managed to fnd our hotel, order dinner and use a bank machine in a language we know very little of. By the end our trip, we might even be able to speak a few complete sentences in Spanish.
Today we will make our way from Madrid to Leon via train and find our way to the Camino.
Adios!
Christiana and Shiloh
PS: please excuse the spelling errors, I ran the spellcheck only to discover that it too is Spanish!
We arrived yesterday to wonderful sunny weather 34C. We had very smooth flight from Calgary to Frankfurt, and after experincing a very cosy flight to Madrid on SpanAir I promise not complain about the lack of leg room on Westjet. We have now started the best spanish lessons ever! We´ve managed to fnd our hotel, order dinner and use a bank machine in a language we know very little of. By the end our trip, we might even be able to speak a few complete sentences in Spanish.
Today we will make our way from Madrid to Leon via train and find our way to the Camino.
Adios!
Christiana and Shiloh
PS: please excuse the spelling errors, I ran the spellcheck only to discover that it too is Spanish!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Our Journey Begins
In just a few days we will begin our journey, a walk in northern Spain along the Camino de Santiago. The Camino is also known as The Way of St James; the route is to the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela where the remains of St James are buried. The camino has existed for many centuries, and was highly travelled in the middle ages. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times, as it is a pilgrimage route on which a plenary indulgence could be earned.
We will be following 325km of the Camino Frances (also known as the French Route)from Leon to Santiago de Compostela. We invite you to join us on our journey through this blog.
We will be following 325km of the Camino Frances (also known as the French Route)from Leon to Santiago de Compostela. We invite you to join us on our journey through this blog.
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