The Camino de Santiago by Reinaldo Espinoza

The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage routes start in the Middle Ages with the discovery of the  “sepulcro de Santiago el Mayor”,evangelizer of Spain. The road has many legends and religious stories in which you can learn quite an exciting adventure and knowing the small towns of these countries. Routes leading to Santiago are many because in the past these were important routes to Santiago.

Aragon Road begins at the port of  “Somport “ where tourists can visit the hospital of Santa Cristina, in the second stage starts tourists crossing the road where you can see the church of Santa Maria with a tower considered the most beautiful Romanesque Aragon .

In Rocaforte the third stage starts, where there is the Spanish first stay of St. Francis of Assisi and so on we can can see each of these buildings at each stage. The last stage is that of Santiago. Start the tour ” Burgo”, who continues “ Arca, San Antón, Amenal and San Paio”.. Then enters Lavacolla population where pilgrims washed and adecentaban to enter the city of Compostela.

I would like to visit the Camino de Santiago that is very interesting to know the landscapes of other countries and live a great experience walking and meeting new people. For me the most important thing is to get rid of the daily routine.

Camino a Santiago de Compostela, Belen Chediak

As we know, a lot of people do certain things in order to follow their faith, some other just for fun.
In Europe there's a reallly important pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, settled in Galicia, were it is known that the remains of Apostle Santiago are burried there. It is one of themost important Christian pilgrimage in the world. Every day lots of people take the route in France to Santiago de Compostela. The route is the first European Cultural Route.

The route starts usually in Roncesvalles, it is an eight hundred kilometres trip. It is known that The Milky Way share the trip from the sky.
There are plenty stops during the route, some hostels accept all of the pilgrims that hold the Pilgrim's Passport, which is sold by a few euros, gives access to free or unexpensive refugios during the Route. Most of the people take the trip because of religion, to earn forgiveness; some others tourists for allthe places tovisit, the landscapes and the food.

I would definitely do this trip. Sounds amazing to walk from one place to another visiting beautiful spots, eating delicious food and also having the experience of being a pilgrim. Some day when I have the time and money I will visit Santiago de Compostela, I think it would be a great adventure.

St, Santiago road by Andrea Cardenas

The apostle James is the one who continues the pilgrimage and evangelization in Spain after the death of Jesus, and the route is named for the Camino de Santiago or Way French, because it is the path that leads to the grave. Those who choose to make this expedition face a passable road as much walking or riding a bike. There are facilities as there are different strategic points of rest and shelter. People who go here are not necessarily Christians or unbelievers because more than provide spiritual experiences have a direct connection with this character, is a tourist spot where you can do a cultural exchange, it is visited by tourists from worldwide, by the mystical richness and beautiful scenery surrounding the trip, so it is declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

St James's Way by Cristian Rosero

History of St James’s Way

The Way of St. James or St. James’ Way, often known by its Spanish name, el Camino de Santiago, is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where legend has it that the remains of the apostle, Saint James the Great, are buried.

The Way of St James has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times. It was considered one of three pilgrimages on which all sins could be forgiven; the others are the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

 

There is not a single route; the Way can take one of any number of pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. However a few of the routes are considered main ones. Santiago is such an important pilgrimage destination because it is considered the burial site of the apostle, James the Great. During the middle ages, the route was highly travelled. However, the Black Plague, the Protestant Reformation and political unrest in 16th– century Europe resulted in its decline. Until the 1980s, only a few pilgrims arrived in Santiago annually. However, since then, the route has attracted a growing number of modern–day pilgrims from around the globe. The route was declared the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe in October 1987; it was also named one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in 1993.

 

The modern day pilgrimage

Today tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims and other travellers set out each year from their front doorstep, or popular starting points across Europe, to make their way to Santiago de Compostela. Most travel by foot, some by bicycle. In addition to people undertaking a religious pilgrimage, there are many travellers and hikers who walk the route for non–religious reasons: travel, sport, or simply the challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign land.

 

Routes to Santiago

Pilgrims on the Way of St. James walk for weeks or months to visit the city of Santiago de Compostela. They can follow many routes (any path to Santiago is a pilgrim’s path) but the most popular route is the French Way or Camino Francés. The most common starting points on the Camino Francés are “Saint Jean Pied de Port“ on the French side of the Pyrenees or Roncesvalles on the Spanish side.  Some Europeans begin their pilgrimage from the very doorstep of their homes just as their medieval counterparts did hundreds of years ago.

In conclusion, "the Way of St. James" is a spiritual trip, but also considered as a family outing or friends, for sports, where you enjoy fresh air, a good walk and an unforgettable experience.

 

 taken from:

www.caminosantiago.com/

www.thewayof-stjames.com/

Camino de Santiago- Bianca

THE CAMINO IN HISTORY: El Camino de Santiago, in English “The Way of Saint James,” is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, where legend has it that the remains of Jesus’s apostle Saint James the Elder lie. The Camino has existed as a Christian pilgrimage for well over 1,000 years, and there is evidence of a pre-Christian route as well. Throughout the medieval period it was one of the three most important Christian pilgrimages undertaken. Indeed, it was only these pilgrimages—to Jerusalem, to Rome, and to Santiago de Compostela—which could result in a plenary indulgence, which frees a person from the penance due for sins. Christian legend has it that when the Apostles divided the known world into missionary zones, the Iberian peninsula fell to James. Seventh and eighth century documents suggest that he spent a number of years preaching there before returning to Jerusalem, where in the year 44 AD he was beheaded by Herod Agrippa I. After his martyrdom, popular belief relates that his followers carried his body to the coast and put it into a stone boat, which was guided by angels and carried by the wind beyond the Pillars of Hercules (the Strait of Gibraltar) to land near Finisterre, at Padrón, in northern Spain. The local Queen, Lupa, provided the team of oxen used to draw the body from Padrón to the site of a marble tomb which she had also provided. Saint James was believed to have been buried there with two of his disciples. And there the body lay, forgotten until the 9th century. Early in that century, Pelagius, a hermit living in that part of Galicia, had a vision in which he saw a star or a field of stars that led him to what proved to be an ancient tomb containing three bodies. He immediately reported this to the local bishop, Theodomir, who declared the remains to be those of Santiago and two of his followers and who in turn reported the find to the King of Asturias, Alphonso II, who forthwith declared Santiago to be the patron saint of Spain, or of what would eventually be Spain. That would come later. A small village named Campus de Ia Stella (Field of Stars) and a monastery were established on the site. (Or possibly the Roman word for cemetery, "componere": to bury, is the source.) In any event, news of the discovery spread like wildfire and a trickle of pilgrims began to arrive. Miracles came to be attributed to the site, and the miracles encouraged pilgrimage and pilgrimage elicited more miracles. This was all greatly encouraged by the powerful Archbishop Gelmirez of Galicia and the cathedral authorities, who were anxious to promote Santiago as a pilgrimage destination, as well as by the monks of the Abbey of Cluny in France who were anxious to support the Spanish Church in its struggle against the Moors on the Peninsula. And thus began the millennium-long relationship between the holy and the commercial. All of that having been said, there is historical support for various aspects of the story and, on the other hand, there are complications and contradictions. Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela reached its peak during the Middle Ages and it is safe to say that it constituted a major cultural aspect of that period of history in Europe. By the 12th century, the Camino had become a rather organized affair and what is widely regarded as the world's first travel guide, the Codex Calixtinus from around 1140, provided the would-be pilgrim with the rudiments of what he or she would need to know while en route. Book V, the famous "Liber Peregrinationis" ("Guide of the Medieval Pilgrim") would have provided practical information, while Book II, the "Book of Miracles", would surely have provided encouragement while underway. In addition, a massive infrastructure developed to support pilgrimage and, not coincidentally, to gain commercially from it. Bridges were constructed across rivers to draw pilgrims to certain cities and they prospered. Pilgrim hospices were chartered by religious orders, kings and queens and they gained favor in heaven. All manner of commercial businesses were established to both take advantage of and to support pilgrims. Cultures mixed, languages merged and history was affected. After its peak during the Middle Ages, the phenomenon of pilgrimage to Santiago tapered off and several possible causes or contributing factors have been cited. At the end of the 16th century Spain engaged in wars with both England and France and these affairs effectively cut off access to Spain from elsewhere in Europe. The Reformation initiated by Martin Luther around 1520, certainly would have had an effect, being deeply critical as he was of the practice of indulgences, a concept thoroughly intertwined with the pilgrimage to Santiago. Two centuries later, the Age of Enlightenment certainly did not encourage its rejuvenation. But throughout all of this, the pilgrimage to Santiago never quite died out. One small piece of evidence to its continuation comes from the journals of John Adams who, while making a land crossing from the Galician coast to Paris in December 1779, wrote that he "…always regretted that We could not find time to make a Pilgrimage to Saint Iago de Compostella."

WHY THE SCALLOP SHELL: As with many myths, the details change depending on who is telling the story. To repeat part of the story above, after Jesus' crucifixion, James went to the Iberian Peninsula to preach. Eventually he returned to Judea and was beheaded by Herod Agrippa I. After his death, his body was mysteriously transported by a ship with no crew back to the Iberian Peninsula to the Northwestern province of Galicia. (We'll use the more mythological version of the story.) A wedding was taking place along the shore as James’ ship approached. The bridegroom was on horseback, and on seeing this mysterious ship approaching, the horse spooked, and horse and rider plunged into the sea. Through miraculous intervention, the horse then emerged from the waves with horse and rider both covered with cockleshells. Another version substitutes a knight for the bridegroom, but whichever, Santiago had performed his first miracle. On the other hand the symbol may have come into being simply because pilgrims while in Santiago de Compostela had ready access to a plethora of sea shells, Santiago being relatively close to the Atlantic coast, and enough pilgrims returned home with them as souvenirs that the sea shell eventually became the symbol of the pilgrimage. But whichever story you buy into it is fact that to this day, the scallop shell, typically found on the shores in Galicia, remains the symbol of Saint James and of the Camino.   THE MODERN CAMINO: So we now have some idea of the background of the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and of what it was like for the medieval pilgrim. But what is the Camino for the modern pilgrim?   Some aspects of the modern Camino are fundamentally the same as they were for the medieval peregrino: as a practical affair, the Camino is a long walk. While underway, the peregrino needs support for food, lodging and direction. As was mentioned above, an infrastructure of hospices arose in the Middle Ages and this infrastructure still exists - and in fact, it is growing rapidly. There are still a few peregrino facilities run by religious orders, but much more common today are albergues or refugios. These are essentially operated like and look like youth hostels typically with bunk beds in dormitories and communal shower and toilet facilities. Some provide breakfast and/or dinner, some have cooking facilities available while some do not, some have a set price while some are donation, some are operated by municipalities or associations while some are private businesses. Aside from the few albergues that provide meals, meals can be found basically in the same sort of places that a tourist would use - restaurants, bars and the like. The medieval peregrino surely almost always was undertaking the arduous journey that was the Camino for serious religious reasons. The modern peregrinos' reasons for walking surely span the range from the religious through spiritual to historical and cultural to sport. Where the medieval peregrino was seeking forgiveness for sins or for the Saint's assistance in some matter, most modern peregrinos will, for whatever reason, be looking to earn the compostela or certificate of completion of the Camino from the cathedral in Santiago. To accomplish this the modern peregrino carries a pilgrim's credential or passport which is stamped in the various cities and villages passed through. This record serves as proof that the route has indeed been walked or bicycled. This credential can be obtained on the Camino in a variety of places as well as from American Pilgrims. NOTE: This pilgrim's passport is not to be confused with a traveler's passport issued by a government for international travel!   Probably the most obvious and serious difference between the medieval and the modern peregrino is that pilgrimage for the former began on his or her doorstep, wherever that might have been, and upon reaching Santiago, the pilgrimage was half over. Yes, today some few walk from home and some few walk in reverse, but this is unusual. Related to this is that the modern peregrino can elect to start the pilgrimage in any arbitrary location with the single restriction that to obtain the compostela, the last, westernmost 100 km for walkers or 200 km for cyclists must be documented.   If you want more information about El Camino de Santiago, visit:   http://www.americanpilgrims.com/camino/history.html   http://www.csj.org.uk/   http://www.caminoguides.com

Way of St. James- Abigail

It is a tradition in the northwestern in which people remember that the remains of the Apostol St. James are buried. It is about a pilgrimage route to the Catedral of Santiago de Campostela in Galicia, Spain. This is a route that has existed  for over a thousand years. The history tells that Alfonso II, Asturias' King built a church where Apostol St. James' rests.

Christian people who believes in this tradition goes to the Catedral of Santiago as a penance, or looking forward to their request be made.

In my opinion I would not do that, I think it depends on the faith of each person. I don't believe that is necessary to do things like a penance to receive forgiveness. In our country de route to La Virgen del Cisne, is something like that, but in our days young people doesn't believe in anything, so if they go to this kind of religious activities they did it just like a tradition, but most of them don't think in the true meaning if this. Religion is always a controversial topic, I just think that if you do something to be a better person is well.

Skype chat by Reinaldo Espinoza

Last Wednesday we had a video conversation with U.S. students of Creighton University. I talk to a girl, I don´t remember the name of her, It was a bit difficult to pronounce. She studied biology and is 22 years old. She told me that live on campus and it is 40 kilometers away from their parents. She lives in Oklahoma and told me that there are many trees. I asked if she celebrates Halloween and told me they have many festivals and costumes, children trick-or-treating in their neighborhoods. She didn´t know exactly why they celebrate Halloween, celebrated only masquerading as a celebrity. She told me that Halloween is fun and loves; also she said me that she likes watching Halloween movies. I told her that we don´t celebrate Halloween in Ecuador but we celebrate the Day of the Dead. I told her that we do “colada morada “and baby bread. We're going to visit our loved ones in the cemetery and let those flowers. The Day of the Dead is an ancient Mayan tradition but was altered by the Spanish.

 We talked about Christmas and she was very interested in our tradition of the old year, she said she is going to do in this New Year. I asked what she does at Christmas and told me that depends on family traditions. They eat turkey on Thanksgiving and Christmas are given many gifts.

I asked if I wanted to visit Ecuador and said he was scared because there are many dangerous animals but if you'd like to visit Galapagos because she studied biology. In conclusion it was a fun conversation that she did not know much Spanish and danced to remember the words but we understood enough when we talked.