The Camino de Santiago de Compostela Ultimate Handbook

Article in "El Correo Gallego".

2011-11-30T11:13:00.001+01:00

An article of mine was published on Tuesday 29 November 2011 in "El Correo Gallego". Here it is:

http://blogs.elcorreogallego.es/aduermevela/2011/11/29/el-viajero-jack-de-groot/

MARTIN SHEEN STARS IN "THE WAY"

2011-11-11T11:10:00.001+01:00

The Movie "The Way" is an entertaining movie, with Martin Sheen playing the protagonist role.

He is an eye doctor, who gets a phone call from France saying that his son has died in the Pyrenees Mountains, on a pilgrimage to Santiago. When the eye doctor travels to Saint Jean Pied de Port to collect the body, he decides to make a pilgrimage to SDC himself. On his way he will spread the ashes of his son on the camino, which, by the way, he walks at an unusual high speed.

He teams up with other pilgrims: an Irishman who is stereotyped as being "weird", a Dutch drug taker, and a Canadian lady who has attitude problems. What is very realistic is the way they treat each other: rough, insulting. This is often the reality of the camino. Sheen himself is stereotyped as the loud mouthed American, who avoids contact with others. (Some of his family comes from Galicia!)

A few scenes are less convincing: the pilgrim drops his backpack in a river; later on his backpack even gets stolen, to be recovered at a spectacular fiesta of gypsies in Burgos. Gypsies in Burgos? General Franco's favorite town? Earlier on the four visit an albergue which is being taken care of by a mentally handicapped hospitalero who drinks too much alcohol. (Quite a few drinking parties feature in the movie). Other peculiarities are the fact that all four stay overnight in the pricy Parador of León, and the fact that the movie ends in Muxía (not Santiagio, nor Finisterra). Muxía has of course a church on the beach, which looks much more interesting than Finisterre. Sheen even moves a few seconds to Marakesh in Morocco! Why travel these 1300 extra miles? Only he knows!

After León the movie moves quickly to Santiago, to avoid repeating the eternal, boring "eat, sleep, walk ritual" which dominates every pilgrimage. (Writing a good story on the camino is difficult.) Finally, in the Pilgrim Office the pilgrim is asked why he came to SDC. When he does not answer that question, they give him a Compostela. Next, the same pilgrim asks to change the name on that Compostela, after which they give him another one. In reality all of this does not happen in Santiago. Even crazier is the fact that the Dutchman gets his Compostela after stating that he only walked "to loose weight"!

The film is good propaganda, and I am afraid that many pilgrim tourists will fill up the roads next year for the wrong reasons. Galicia does not care: tourist do spend hard cash and create work. Nevertheless, it is a good movie, well made, with good actors. Sheen's dead son shows up from time to time, unexpectedly. That's the camino! But, as they say in Spain: "!Película es mentira!" Film is a lie.

P.S. Someone gave me the Chinese version of the movie, in English with Chinese subtitles. It costed: € 1=.

Sheen and the Irishman

In the Pyrenees Mountains

Hostal La Salle in Santiago de Compostela. Also: Albergue de Peregrinos.

2011-10-24T13:20:00.002+02:00

Pilgrims love this place!

This hostal has 96 rooms, all with bath / shower and a plasma tv set. It is situated in a quiet street with no traffic, just outside the city center of Santiago. A seven minute walk will bring you to the cathedral. Shops and bars are nearby. The hostal has WIFI and super modern Internet with printer.

The same hostal also has an albergue, on the top floor overlooking the whole city. This albergue is economic, with a dining room, a large tv set, drinks & snacks vending machines, a micro-wave oven, fridge and free newspapers. It is cleaned professionally, not by volunteers.

Avoid the very noisy city center of Santiago! Book directly, or through Booking.com. Friendly staff!

Entrance in Calle Tras Santa Clara

View from the Albergue

Main entrance: open 24 hours

Bookings: www.hostallasalle.com

UPDATES CAMINO FRANCES: INGE AND EUGENE CARROLL (2011)

2011-02-01T15:48:00.008+01:00

6TH JAN. We leave early for Århus Airport as more snow has fallen overnight on top of ice on the roads. We get there in good time, and after a short delay because of the weather on our flight to London. The connection to Barritz is on time and we land in France to a balmy 18 centigrade. Take the Bus to the border and walk over the International Bridge into Irun and Spain. The Hostal Bowling is easy to find and we have time to get tapas, wine and watch a bit of football.

Eugene, Inge and Lars (from Germany) in the kitchen of the
Hostal de los Reyes Católicos.

7TH JAN. Early start to get the bus to Pamplona and from the bus station find our way out of the city after finding a café for a good BK. It is very windy as we cross the Perdón and this makes the going hard. Stop in Muruzábal for lunch and then walk to Puente la Reina where we book into the Albergue run by the Padres Reparadores next to their Monastery. We enjoy a really good Menu in the local bar la Torreta with excellent beef. Get back early but are locked out so have to find someone to open up. Just like last year. (24 kms)

8TH JAN. Eat a bit of BK at the Albergue and have a coffee in Puente La Reina as it looks like rain. The rains hold off and we stop for a hot drink in Manéru. We have our lunch outside the shop in Lorca which is the only place open in the winter. Arrive into Estella and stay at the Albergue Parroquial. Have time to do shopping, phone calls and internet. Eat a good menu at the Bar Roma near the Albergue and after watching a bit of footie back for an early night. About 10 pilgrims in the Albergue (22 kms)

9TH JAN. Everyone is late getting up including the Hospitalera. She makes coffee and toast for everyone. The sun is shining as we leave town over the old bridge, and easy walking. We have a couple of breaks including one for pig’s ears in tomato sauce in Villamayor de Monjardin. I try not to eat the hairy ones. We walk through to Los Arcos. The only place with accommodation is Casa Alberde run by Señora Victorina who also offers BK. Her place fills up and we get a top menu in the Bar Mavi and after footie turn in for the night. I have a nightmare which has nothing to do with the Albergue.(22 kms)

10TH JAN. We leave after a good BK in a café in the square. The sun is shining and under a blue sky the walking is easy. In Sansol we have a fruit break as no bars are open. Walk on to Viana where we have stayed before. In the turismo the lady tells us the Albergue will open at 3 pm so we find a place for a menu in a top restaurant on the main street. At 3 pm the policeman opens the Albergue and we get in along with two Finnish pilgrims. After our lunchtime wine we have a siesta. In the evening we visit the church, the shops and after a glass of wine back to the Albergue. (19 kms)

A Compostela from 1805, rewarded to a Frenchman from Depuy.
It hangs in a shop window in Santiago, and is not for sale.

11th JAN. We sleep a bit late and have some BK at the Albergue. Light rain is falling as we begin the way to Logroño and on the lookout for a café. Nothing open until we get into the center of the city and get lunch at the Taberna de Portales. We go to a very helpful Turismo despite a car accident outside and get information. Out of the city and into the nature reserve where we picnic in the sun by the lake. We get to Navarrette about 4 pm and book into the excellent private Refugio “El Cántero”. We have tea and biscuits with Joho from San Sebastian the only other pilgrim. Good menu at El Molino and back for an early night. We are enjoying the sunny weather. (23 kms)

12TH JAN. Wake up late and the Spanish pilgrim has left us tea. The clouds clear away to blue sky as we walk to Ventosa. We have BK in the friendly bar that is open every winter. Nice place. We walk onto Najera and seek out the Buen Yantar restaurant which turns out to be a disappointment on both food and cost. Next we sit in the sun outside a bar in the square for coffee before a beautiful walk to Azofra. The only accommodation is an annex to the Municipal which is cold and a bit tatty. We check out the buses but no cigar. At the bar we arrange for a taxi which takes us to the Albergue in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. We stayed here last year, and get sorted out. Then on to the Genesis Bar for a good menu and the company of Ramos the dog. Back to the Albergue early for a chat and a beer with Joho. (22 kms)

13TH JAN. Get up early and onto the track. It is cold on the way to Grañon were we visit the lovely old church and have BK at the Café Teo with the friendly owner. Walk on through Redecilla, Castildelgado and Viloria. It is warm and we are in our T shirts by the time we walk into Belorado. We stop for tapas at the Bar Bulevar while we wait for the bus to Burgos which leaves at 6pm. In Burgos we buy our bus tickets to León for the next day. Into the excellent Albergue – after Inge does a roly poly in then square and sets of her red light- she is OK. After showers we have more tapas in Taberna Maneli next door which are top. Night cap at the Bar Pozano and back to bed. (24 kms).

14th JAN. We have to leave the Albergue by 8 am so we are up early and out for BK. Go to a mass in the Cathedral. Buy some things and post a parcel home. Get the bus to León and then another to Astorga about 5 pm. Get showered and the Hospitalero washes our clothes in the machine. We are welcomed in the El Salvador where we have eaten before and the food is great and really good value. Buy handmade socks and locally made chocolate. Have a walk around, internet and then bed.

15TH JAN. We leave Astorga after a coffee in the Correos Café. It is cold now and we walk on to the Mesón in Santa Catalina for BK. At Rabanal we book into El Pilar but Isabel is away. We eat at the Mesón – which is very good apart from the fact that I get charged for having some extra wine. No Mass tonight so we watch footie in the bar and chat to the local Belgian pilgrim before going back to bed. (22 kms).

16th JAN. Isabel is back and all the pilgrims have BK in the house which is more food than any of us can eat. We walk up to Foncebadón and take a break in the Albergue. We take photos at the Cruz de Ferro with Lars. The weather changes as we cross the top of the mountains. We have tea with Tomás in Manjarín. We walk in bright sunshine and have a lunch break at the Tienda Josphina in El Acebo with 2 hungry dogs. In Molinaseca we stop at the Albergue for a sello and to talk to other pilgrims. We walk on to Ponferrada with Lars and book into the Albergue and bunk in with a couple from Belgium. Sort ourselves out and go out to eat in the place near the Albergue but it is closed for holiday. We have a good meal in the Maes de Flandes. Watch a bit of footie in the bar and then back to bed. (33 kms)

17TH JAN. We dance around each other to get ready in the small room. Get a really good BK in a café by the Castle and then the long walk out of town. We have toast at the coloured bar and then walk on through the villages. Have a picnic in Cacabelos followed by a coffee in the bar. We walk the route into Villafranca shown to us by Jack de Groot last year. Split from Lars at Ave Fénix and book into the Casa Méndez for a night out of an Albergue. We get a very comfortable room and go to the Sevilla for a menu which is fine but we have eaten better there in the past.. Go to the Bar Busy for a night cap and then back to the hotel and our bed. (25 kms)

Casa Méndez in Villafranca del Bierzo

18th JAN. Eat a yogurt and have a coffee in Trabadelo. Meet Lars at the main road and go for BK together at the truck stop. Easy walking to La Portela and we have a tea in Vega de Valcarce. Walk onto Ruitelán and the man is pleased to see us again. Lars also stays and we have a meal together and a drink in the bar across the road with the old women. Have a beer with Lars when we get back. Finish off with a session on the internet before bed. (21 kms)

19th JAN. We are woken up with opera followed by a good BK in the Albergue. Lars does not want to walk so we follow the cycle track to Las Herrerías and on to La Faba. Uphill and hard going. We get to Laguna and talk to the big dog before crossing into Galicia. Nothing is open so we press on to Cebreiro and wait for the Albergue to open. Get a hot shower and then to the Corolo for a great menu. Back for a sleep and then go to Mass with a couple of other pilgrims. No footie so we listen to local musicans in the bar and have a night cap with the old woman in the Corolo bar. Back for bed in a cold and foggy place. (16 kms)

Jack in the kitchen of the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos in SDC.

20th JAN. We wake up to a glorious day and get out of the overheated Albergue. We walk the track to Hospital and get a few photos. Stop with the woman at Café Puerto for BK and a message from Jack de Groot. We chat for a while and then walk through amazing scenery and weather to Triacastela. The Albergue is good and the Hospitalero recommends the Fernández for a menu. We are fed up walking around so go to the good Supermercado and buy food and wine for our meal. The other pilgrims have to do the same. Hope for better facilities in Sarria. Have a drink in the bar and then bed. (21 kms)

21ST JAN. We wake up to another beautiful day – a clear sky and a setting moon. Get a coffee before leaving town and chat with Antonio. Up the hill and we walk on to San Xil. We go to the Alchemists but he is not home so Inge leaves her stone outside. It is like a spring day and we walk on in the lovely countryside. In Sarria the Don Algrave is closed so we book into the Municipal which is very good. We get cleaned up and eat a great meal at a bar on the Rúa Mayor – owner very pilgrim friendly. Out for internet and shops and book a hotel for our stay in SDC. Have a drink and back to the Albergue. A very cold night. (19 kms).

22TH JAN. Again we have fantastic weather and set out after our BK up and out of Sarria across the new foot bridge over the river. We walk for a long time through beautiful countryside until we get a break at Ferreiros with the Korean girls and Edwardo. Get some photos and then walk on to Portomarin. Good Albergue and get sorted out . Get internet and shops. Go to the Mirador for an excellent menu. Afterwards go to Café España to watch the Barza game but lose interest as Barza take an early lead. Back to bed instead of watching TV. ( 24 kms)

23RD JAN. Nothing open in Portomarin for coffee so we, and all the other pilgrims walk out of town in the hope of finding somewhere open later on. We walk through Gonzar, Castromayor, Hospital, Venta de Narón and Ligonde. After 18 kms we get to Eirexe and an open bar, so we have lunch instead of BK. It is a long way with nothing open at all though we pass numerous bars and cafes. In Palas we book in and get showered. Most places are closed on Sunday afternoon and although the place we go to has stopped serving they get us a meal – then Edwardo, then the Korean girls and another pilgrim.. After our meal we all go to the bar, for internet, but we do not realize that one of the Korean girls is pissed and is after Edwardo. There is a fuss back at the Albergue but eventually things settle down. (24 kms)

24th JAN. The Korean girl is embarrassed by her behavior and cleans up before going back to bed. We get BK in the bar next to the Albergue with the others and walk out of Palas towards Melide. Walk the tracks under a blue sky and criss cross with other pilgrims. We have a fry up in the Chaplin Café and a good break before walking up the hill to Boente and on to Arzúa. The hospitalera remembers us and so does the barman in the Venus where we have a good menu. Get a night cap and then back to bed as we are tired. Set the alarm for 6 for Edwardo to get up early. ( 28kms)

25TH JAN. We go to the square for BK with the woman which is good but pricey. Great weather. We have a great walk to a new bar which is very well designed for pilgrim use. Inge gets a bracelet and we have coffee. Next stop is the Albergue at O Pino for a sello and a fruit break in the sun. We have another drink in the café by the school and then walk to the Airport. Do not have to wait long for a bus into SDC. Go to the Pilgrim Office which is closed! Book into the Husa Hotel in Plaza Galicia which is just right. When we go back the office has reopened and we get our Compostela. Into the Casino Bar where we meet up with Jack. Out to the Bispo for eats which are very good. Then night cap and of to bed knowing that we do not have to get up in the morning and pack our rucksacks. It is great to be back in SDC. (23 kms)

26th JAN. We practically know how our day in SDC will happen. We do our bits and pieces in the morning and meet up with Jack. After the Pilgrim Mass we meet Lars and the 4 of us go to the place for a good value menu. A sleep in the afternoon then to the Hostal for the Pilgrim Meal. Afterwards we have a drink in the local bar. We finish with a wine in the city.

27th JAN. We go back to the Pilgrim Mass and meet the pilgrims we have been walking with. It is always had to say so many goodbyes at one time. After lunch we take the train to Vigo , then the bus to the Airport at Oporto to begin the journey home.

Stunning Oporto

2010-11-17T13:18:00.000+01:00

Jack, Eugene and Inge to walk the Camino Francés in January 2011 !!

2010-11-08T14:49:00.000+01:00

New Updates regarding the Camino Francés are to be expected in January 2011. Three members of the Support Team which edits the Camino de Santiago de Compostela Ultimate Handbook are to walk this road from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago.

NEW HANDBOOK UPDATES TO BE EXPECTED IN LATE AUGUST 2010

2010-08-08T17:03:00.005+02:00

We will be checking out parts of the "Camino Mozárabe", the "Camino francés" and the "Camino del norte" in August 2010. Start: Málaga, next Granada, Córdoba, Madrid, Palencia, Frómista, Castrojeriz, Burgos, Vitoria to Bilbao. For new updates: http://www.jackdegroot.com/

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Note: the Camino de Santiago de Compostela Ultimate Handbook may now be purchased in conjunction with Shirley Mac Laine's bestseller: The Camino: A Spiritual Journey. Total AMAZON price: US$ 40,12.

Santiago de Compostela

2010-06-06T14:01:00.038+02:00

Dear Pilgrims,

I am in Santiago and will give you a short impression on how I experience SDC at this moment in time.Of course there are many pilgrims and tourists present, but the atmosphere is quite nice. At the moment some 1500-1700 pilgrims per day arrive. I am staying at Hostal La Salle,* as always. Please note that entering the cathedral is only allowed from the southern entrance (and from the eastern one, of course, but here some 300 persons are ligning up all day). No backpacks are allowed in the cathedral, but you may leave them in an office close to the Pilgrims Office in Rúa Villar nr 1. Obtaining your Compostela may well take up to 1 hour because 100 pilgrims will be in front of you! The office is open from 9:00 until 21:00, every day. (Latest news: You may now enter the cathedral from the north if you show your certificate.) (Picture: view from a room at Hostal La Salle. More info in the MENU on the right)

At the moment (7 June) there are masses at 10, 12, 18 and 19.30 hours. The Botafumeira will only be swung if people are willing to pay for it. This may cost 500 Euros or more. It happens almost daily.

There are market stalls all over the centre of SDC, selling food, furniture, soap, herbs, drinks etc. Quite nice is this Medieval Market! (The prices are ´21st Century´ though).

Tours on the roof of the cathedral cost €10= (€8 if you show your Pilgrim Pass). To reserve this tour enter the Gelmírez Palace on the left hand side of the big entrance on Plaza Obradoiro. I did the tour in March and it was wonderful!!! The weather is hot most of the afternoon, cloudy in the morning.

Where to eat? Casa Manolo on Plaza Cervantes is quite good and charges €8,50 for a menu. Be early (1 pm or 8 pm) because they fill up quickly. Having coffee should be experienced at Plaza Quintana (east from the cathedral) in Cafe Literarios, especially early in the morning: 10 am. Order a large coffee and receive a free snack of croissant and a churro.

Ultreya !!

Andreas Schuehler, pilgrim.

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Hostal La Salle is situated just outside the old town center. When you leave this center on your way to the bus terminal via Calle San Roque, you will see the La Salle Building on your right, followed by the St Clara church. The hostal has more than 100 rooms, but do make a reservation if you can. English spoken: Ph. 981 58 56 67

The picture on the shows one of the rooms, with a view at the towers of the cathedral. Prices range from € 30-35 for a single room with a bath or shower, and upwards from €49 for a double room, depending on the season and the type of room selected.
More info on http://www.jackdegroot.com/ (My top 10)
They offer discounts to groups.
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Apart from friendly staff, computer services, as well as clean rooms, the hostal is situated in a quiet street very close to the city centre. You won't find this kind of tranquility anywhere else in Santiago, because the many catering establishments in the narrow streets, and their visitors, will surely keep you awake until the early hours of the morning!

Pilgrimages to Compostela and to Finisterra

2010-05-01T12:04:00.076+02:00

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"Twelve Hundred Years of Pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela. Religious Tradition Told by Priest, Poets and Storytellers"

Jack de Groot,

University Press of the South, New Orleans USA

PhD, University of Queensland, Brisbane Australia

(1)

In 1495 a monk named Hermann Künig Von Vach made a pilgrimige on foot from the Einsiedeln Sactuary in Switzerland to Santiago de Compostela. The pilgrim guide which emerged from this large journey was to become very successful. Künig wrote it in verse.

Yo, Hermann Künig Von Vach, voy,
con la ayuda de Dios, a hacer un librito
que llevará por título "El Camino de Sant-Iago".
En él enseñaré sendas y veredas
y cómo debe portarse un auténtico
cofrade de Sant-Iago.
En la bebida y también en la comida;
ni olvidaré tampoco
varios maldades que como corsarios,
le asaltan.
De esto escribiré lindas enseñanzas,
de cómo ha de precaverse un auténtico
cofrade de Sant-Iago. (In: Filgueira, 125)

Outbound he crossed the Alps on what he called the "Obere Strasse" (High Street) to Toulouse in Southern France, after which he entered Spain at Portus Cisere (Roncesvalles) in the Pyrenees Mountains. From here he followed the "Camino francés" or "Vía Aquitania" along towns and villages which in ancient times carried names such as Pampilonia, Ponte Regina (Puente la Reina), Stella (Estella), Illo Gronio (Logroño), Nagera, Sanctus Dominicus (Santo Domingo), Belfuratus (Belorado), Ataporca, Burgas, Fontanas (Hontanas), Frumesta (Frómista) and Sancti Facundi (Sahagún). At Legio (León), "La Bella Desconocida", he diverted the pilgrims to the north, to the San Salvador cathedral of Oviedo and to Lucus (Lugo), in order to avoid the steep and dangerous climbs over the Manzanal (Bierzo) and Februarii (Cebreiro) Passes.

Along de "Niedere Strasse" (Lower Street) the writer returned home, following the "Camino francés" through the Carceris (Valcarce) and Bierzo valleys to places such as Francavilla(Villafranca del Bierzo), Cacauellus (Cacabelos) and Ponsferratus. Being an observant writer, Künig soon discovered why this region had become so well-known amongst the pilgrims "En el Bierzo se deja correr el vino como un círio". (Círio is a large, dripping candle.) He therefore advised them to taste in moderation, as stated in the earlier-given quotation.

Via Siccamolina (Molinaseca) to Osturga, Alterdallia (Tardajos) and Burgas Künig continued his home journey along the "Camino francés", before diverting to Santander and Bilbao on the "Camino del norte". After crossing the border at Irún, he traveled on foot through the west of France where he visited its capital: "Una ciudad llamada Lutecia [Paris], que es la sede de un obispo". Through the low countries he reached Aquisgrán (Aachen, on the German/Bergian border) where his story ended.

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In 1139 a French Cardinal named Aymeric Picaud - from Parthenay-Le-Veux in the Poitiers region - traveled on horseback along the same "Camino francés". Picaud compiled a pilgrim guide titled Liber Sancti Jacobi "Codex Calixtinus", a valuable document with hundreds of handwritten pages with drawings. The book, which is preserved in the archives of the cathedral, contains texts written by Calixtinus II, who was Pope from 1119 until 1124, and by Turpin, the Archpriest of Rheims, as well as by Picaud himself. In one of Calixtinus' sermons the great variety of nationalities of pilgrims who made their way to Santiago is emphasized. The Pope predominantly uses nouns, and doesn't provide the reader with much detail in the quotation which follows. Adjectives feature only on four occasions, to describe the "ungodly people of Navarra" and the "numerous barbarians from everywhere" who go to Santiago.

A este lugar [Santiago] vienen los pueblos bárbaros y los que habitan en todos los climas del orbe, a saber: francos, normandos, escoceses, irlandeses, los galos, los teutones, los iberos, los gascones, los bávaros, los impios navarrros, los vascos, los godos, los provenzales, los garascos, los lorenses, los gautos, los ingleses, los bretones, los de Cornualles, los flamencos, los frisones, los alóbrogos, los italianos, los de Apulia, los poitevinos, los aquitanos, los griegos, los armenios, los dacios, los noruegos, los rusos, los joriantes, los nubios, los partos, los rumanos, los gálates, los efesios, los medos, los toscanos, los calabreces, los sajones, los sicilianos, los de Asia, los del Ponto, los de Bitinia, los indios, los cretenses, los de Jerusalén, los de Antioquía, los glileos, los de Sardes, los de Chipre, los húngaros, los búlgaros, los eslavones, [...] y las demás gentes innumerables de todas las lenguas, tribus y naciones vienen a él en caravana y falanges. (In: Picaud, 198-99).

More than seventy nationalities are listed, some of which didn't exist in the Middle Ages. Pope Calixtinus II may well have taken this information from the Bible, for instance from the gospel of St. Paul. His intention was to transmit to the few who would have been capable to read this Latin text that the road to Santiago had become overcrowded. Due to the fact that Jerusalem was occupied by the Moslims in the important year 1033 (the Millenium of Christ's death) believers had been looking for alternatives, Santiago de Compostela being one of them. The Galician authorities were forced to hand out fines to corrupt merchants who charged the pilgrims more than the locals for the same goods. Ground pepper to which water had been added, so that its weight increased, was sold to the pilgrim. Also the roasted powder of juniperberries was mixed in, or even black sand. Tailors didn't measure the woolen cloth which was sold to the customers with a standard length called the alma (44,4 centimeters), but used their elbow in stead. Medical doctors behaved badly when they were asked to cure tricky diseases.

No temen adulterar inicuamente los electuarios, los potingues y los jarabes y los demás antídotos con otros ingredientes. Mezclan las cosas buenas con las malas y venden las adulteradas por especies de gran precio. (In: Picaud, 222-23)

Pope Calixtinus II also informs the reader about the diseases of which the pilgrims could suffer while on their way. A substantial part of this quotation (below) derives from a Medieval book of Medicine named Etimol (Book IV), written by St. Isidoro, while other diseases may not have existed at all. More than thirty diseases feature on Calixtinus' list.

[...] leprosos, frenéticos, maniáticos, sarnosos, paralíticos, artríticos, escotomáticos, flegmáticos [...] lunáticos, estomáticos, reumáticos, dementes, enfermos de flujo, albuginosios y de muchas traídoras enfermedades. (In: Picaud, 67)

In the book's final section (Book V) the St. James' Way is described in detail by Picaud himself, descriptions which may often surprise the twenty-first century reader. On the character and lifestyle of the various kinds of people he met while on a pilgrimage to Santiago his statements are convincingly clear. Apparently the populations of Navarre and France didn't like each other much.

Tras este valle [Roncesvalles] se encuentra Navarra, tierra considerada feliz por el pan, el vino, la leche y los ganados. [Los Navarros] comen, beben y visten puercamente. Pues toda la familia de una casa navarra, tanto el siervo como el señor lo mismo la sierva que la señora, suelen comer todo el alimento mezclado al mismo tiempo en una cazuela, no con cuchara, sino con las manos, y suelen beber por un solo vaso. Si los vieras comer, los tomarías por perros [...] Este es pueblo bárbaro, distinto de todos los demás en costumbres y modo de ser, colmado de maldades, oscuro de color, de aspecto inicuo, depravado, perverso, pérfido, desleal y falso, lujurioso, borracho, en toda suerte de violencias ducho, feroz, silvestre, malvado y réprobo, impio y áspero, cruel y pendenciero, falto de cualquier virtud y diestro en todos los vicios e iniquidades. (Picaud, 519-20)

Page after page (the priest) Picaud continues his insults through the use of moderators, stating that "[el hombre navarro] besa lujuriosamente el sexo de su mujer y de la mula," and "por sólo un dinero mata un navarro a un vasco, si puede, a un francés. En algunas de sus comarcas, sobre todo Vizcaya y Alava, el hombre y la mujer navarros se muestran mutuamente sus vergüenzas mientras se calientan." (Picaud, 521)Nowadays the pilgrims and other visitors are welcomed in a different, more peaceful way. They are invited to attend the Pilgrim Mass, which every night is served in the small, foggy village of Roncesvalles, right on the border of Navarra and France. Five or six priests will sing canons, in unison and unaccompanied by musical instruments, after which they request the pilgrims to come forward to the altar to be blessed in eight languages. Often a personal message, spoken by one of the priests, will accompany this blessing: "Be careful pilgrim friends. Over the past days the snow has covered the yellow arrows, so we advize you to follow the main road. May the Apostle protect you during your long journey to Galicia. And remember us when you reach your destination."

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Poets too, over the centuries, have made their way to Santiago, if only in spirit. Juan de Mena, poet from Córdoba and secretary of King Juan II, mentions Galicia in his master piece, the Laberinto de Fortuna, completed in 1444. Also named "Las trescientas", the poem consists of three-hundred octets, one to be read by Juan II every day. While analyzing the Laberinto it isn't difficult to come to the conclusion that Mena's inspiration derives from various texts, such as Lucano's Farsalia, and from El tratado de amor, which was probably written by Mena himself, as well as from El liber regum and Eusebio's Crónicas. The poet would not have intended to hide his sources, to the contrary. In the Renaissance phenomenons such as "imitation" and "influence" weren't yet the Cultisms which they were to become in later times, up till today. By borrowing texts Mena showed his readers that he was a man of great intellect who had read many books.

In some of the early stanzas of the Laberinto de Fortuna Mena provides a description of the terrestrial world divided into five parts: Asia Mayor (the Middle and Far East), Asia Menor (Western Asia, Turkey), Europe, Africa and the Islands of the Mediterreanean Sea. This division of the earth, and in particular of the various regions on the Iberian peninsula, originates from Anselmo's De Imagene Mundi (Cap. XXX): "De Hispania. Inde est Hispania ab Hispano rege dicta, prius Iberia, ab Ibero flumine, et Hesperia, ab Hespero rege nominata. Haec versus occasum Oceano terminatur. Sunt in ea se provinciae: Tarracona, Cathago, Lusitania, Galatia, Betica, Tinguitania a praecipuis civitatibus dictae..." (In: Mena, 1984, 195).

An almost identical list of provinces is mentioned in the following fragment taken from the Laberinto de Fortuna: Tarracona, Celtiberia (parts of Tarracona and Southern Aragón), Cartago la de Hesperia (Cartagena la de España, not the African Carthago), Lusitania, Vandalia (Baetica), Galicia and Tingitania, which had become part of the Northern African Mauretania with its capital Tingis (Tanger). The poet's personal opinion on the character of the persons who populate these ultimate two regions is transmitted to the reader through an application of a non-violent hyperbaton in combination with the Cultism "ferosçe" which in this fragment stands for "feroz", from the Latin "ferox".

España

Vi a las provincias de España e Poniente:
la de Tarragona e la de Celtiberia
la menor Cartago que fue la de Esperia,
con los rincones de todo oçidente;
mostróse Vandalia la bien paresçiente,
e toda la tierra de la Lusitania,
la brava Galiçia con la Tinguitania
donde se cría ferosçe la gente (Mena, stanza XLVIII)

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(2)

A totally different homage to Galicia is written 160 years later by Luis de Góngora y Argote, Culteranist poet and "racionero" from Córdoba. In the early 17th century don Luis traveled on horseback through the north of Spain, from which a to him attributed poem ermerged, as well as parts of his Soledades. To read an extensive analysis of Góngora's links with Galicia in an article written by Jack de Groot, please go to the appropriate webpage on the website jackdegroot.com

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One Tercentenary later poet Federico García Lorca visited the same, badly tempered nort-west of Spain. Because of a small physical handicap, one leg being shorter than the other, Lorca would not have been capable to walk to Galicia. However, Lorca immaculately tasted the atmosphere of fog, rain and serenity which has always dominated Santiago. "Shadow and ash of your sea", he twice exclaims. And: "Santiago, far from the sun./Water of ancient morning/makes my heart tremble." Lorca had fallen in love with the capital of Galicia, which, like Granada, suffered from an absence of salty water: the sea. (3)

Madrigal a Cibda de Santiago

Chove en Santiago
meu doce amor.
Camelia branca do ar.
brilla entebrecida ô sol.

Chove en Santiago
na noite escura.
Herbas de prata e de sono
cobren la valeira lúa.

Olla a choive pol-a-rúa,
laio de pedra e cristal.
Olla no vento esvaído
soma e cinza do teu mar.

Soma e cinza do teu mar
Santiago, lonxe do sol.
Agoa da maña anterga
trema no meu corazón. (Lorca, 152-53)(4)
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Rosalía de Castro (1837-1885), Galicia's "Grand Daughter of Muse", never made a pilgrimage to Santiago because she actually lived in the city. In "Santa Escolástica" (from: En las orillas del Sar, written in the 19th century) a somewhat depressed Rosalía walks the streets of Santiago, entering the cathedral itself to find relief. She describes how the "botafumeiro" is swung, a silver pot filled with incense. Its purpose was to overpower the strong smell produced by pilgrims, who were permitted to stay overnight in the cathedral. By mixing air with inscense it was thought that one could even prevent diseases from spreading. Nowadays a priest will explain to a crowd of thousands of believers, that the swinging of the "botafumeiro" is meant to be seen as an act to praise God, not as a spectacle to attract onlookers (tourists). The loud applause which always fills the cathedral after the ceremony has finished proves that many still haven't understood this message. Rosalía de Castro's poetry is rich, and her message is as cristal clear as the waters of the Rías baixas. Some of her poetry features in the Camino de Santiago Ultimate Handbook.

Majestad de los templos, mi alma femenina
te siente, como siente las maternas dulzuras,
las inquietudes vagas, las ternuras secretas
y el temor a lo oculto tras de la inmensa altura. (From Santa escolástica, IV)

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Finally, after having quoted text written by priests and poets of the past, the moment has come to write down the story of a contemporary storyteller. On the descent from "Monte do Gozo" which overlooks Santiago, an Italian lady named Bea sits in a wheelchair. She is accompanied by a man, as well as by a large dog which has been carefully attached to this chair. Luggage has been kept to a minimum, just a small bag on her lap and a backpack tied to the back of her seat. To combat rain and sunshine she wears waterproof, leather boots, a cap and a raincoat.

The three come from Rome (they carry a book full of stamps) and are about to achieve their first goal: attend the Pilgrim Mass at noon in Compostela. From here on they will be moving in eastern direction, to Jerusalem, after which they will return to Rome. More than 5000 kilometers still lie ahead, through Spain, then through Southern France along the "Vía Domitia", through Italy along the "Vía Postumia" to Triest, then through Croatia, Bosnia, Servia, Bulgaria and Greece to the European and Asian regions of Turkey, in order to end up in Israel via Syria and Lebanon.

When asked how long this trip will take, the lady's answer is: "Dos años." Two years.

"Where will they sleep during the next 800 nights?"

"Donde sea," (wherever) is her reply. Someone will always take care of them when the purse is empty. A bright smile appears on her face every time "Santiago", "Rome" or "Jerusalem" are mentioned.

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Bea's story reminds of the one written by Doménico Laffi on his arrival in Santiago in 1670. Laffi, a priest from Bologna, published a book titled Viaje a Poniente about his experiences on the camino. Together with a friend, the painter Doménico Códice, he had walked from Northern Italy along the "Vía Aemilia", through Southern France along the "Vía Aquitania" to Santiago. When the two reached the same "Monte do Gozo" from where Bea and her companian contemplated the city, their "Te Deum" sounded: "cantando, continuamos el descenso hasta el burgo". (More of Laffi's text can be found in the Camino de Santiago de Compostela Ultimate Handbook.) Unlike Picaud, Laffi hardly ever complaints about people's behavior, bad weather or physical pain. He produced a much more positive story. As the German philosopher Goethe stated: "Europe was made through pilgrimages to Santiago."
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NOTES

(1) This picture features in A Memoria de Santiago, published in 2000 by Xeriais (Carlos Díaz Martínez)
(2) Right picture: Don Luis de Góngora y Argote (1561-1627) painted by Velázquez.
(3) Picture taken in 1935. Book cover: Actas del Congreso Federico García Lorca: Clásico Moderno 1898-1998. Granada: Diputación de Granada, 2002.
(4) The translation to English (and some interpretation) can be found on the website: jackdegroot.com

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Castro, Rosalía de. En las orillas del Sar. Santiago: Librería Gali, 1982.
Filgueira Valverde, José. Compostela, Camino y Estela. Galicia: El Lector Viajero, 1999.
García Lorca, Ferderico. The Selected Poems of Federico García Lorca. Edited by Francisco García Lorca. Fifth Printing. New York: New Directions, 1961.
Góngora, Luis de. Poesías. México: Editorial Porrúa, 1978.
Groot, Jack de. The Camino de Santiago de Compostela Ultimate Handbook. New Orleans: University Press of the South, 2009.
------ Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Chronicle of Love. New Orleans: University Press of the South, 2007.
Künig Von Vach, Hermann. Die Walfart und Strass zu Sant Jacob. Strassbourg: Matthias Hupfuff, 1496.
Laffi, Doménico. Viaje a poniente. Santiago: Biblioteca Mágica del Peregrino, 1992.
Mena, Juan de. Laberinto de Fortuna. Madrid: Editorial Alhambra, 1976. (Also Espasa Calpe).
Picaud, Aymeric. Liber Sancti Jacobi. Codex Calixtinus. Galicia: Xunta de Galicia, 1998.
Textos de Sala. Santiago: Museo das Peregrinacions.

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This refereed article was published in Antípodas. University of Auckland / La Trobe University: no. XVI, pp. 45-56, 2005.