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This book by Katherine Lack landed on my doormat last week. I ordered it having found her Frontstalag 142, The Internment Diary of an English Lady fascinating, not least because my grandmother and aunt must have been interned with Fanny Twemlow...
If you sponsor the use of the botafumeiro - as well as the certainty of seeing it in action, you do get a number of reserved seats close to the censer itself. The main event should clearly be the Mass; but a proportion of the congregation wait...
Day 1: Ponferrada to Villavieja
As usual, life has a habit of changing plans so we found ourselves on the Invierno a month later than expected. Regardless though, we are happy to finally get started!
Day 1 was a hard one right from the off. We...
Ok, so Santiago has a population of around 100,000. A few thousand pilgrims, tourists and rubber-neckers a day is scarcely to be noticed. There’ll be a few days a year when the Vigo and Coruña cruise ships add to the throng, but not for long...
I like walking mostly by myself but enjoy social time with other pilgrims in the evenings. I also stay in all private rooms, so meeting people is sometimes difficult. Luckily I am an introvert so am happy by myself most of the time but I do get...
I am always perplexed by. statements regarding how special or unique a camino experience is. There are as many definitions and meanings of a "unique camino experience". One pilgrim"s unique experience may be completely meaningless to another...
Likewise. I am a little surprized that anyone sees the temporary formation of tight knit small groups as in any way unusual or Camino specific, particularly when the groups have a shared goal.
And while I more often walked alone than in company...
Personally I have a much different take on the "camino family" experience. When I first walked in 2012 I believe (oly 8 to your 11 so I am a rookie haha). There were no camino families nor did I hear that term used. People I encountered walked...
Something I’ve never thought about until just now is the difference in the terms I use for the social groups that form in these two situations. I must say I don’t really love the term ‘camino family’, but it certainly implies a tight-knit group...
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