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For those looking for answers or healing after the Pilgrimage experience I suggest reading RETURNING FROM CAMINO by Alexander John Shaia. It’s available on Amazon and the author has been there and done that. -Ron
I had similar feelings on my pilgrimage in 2016 -and stayed in the same spot, Villamayor de Monjardin. I got there at a little after 9am and loved just hanging around the place. I stayed at an albergue hosted that day by a couple from Germany and enjoyed a great dinner with the other guests...
I suggest The Moon Santiago de Compostela book by Beebe Bahrami. You can find it on Amazon I think. A different kind of guidebook that includes those special things YOU don’t want to miss. I suggest reading it before you travel and to bring it along for the pilgrimage too.
As you walk up the hill into Astorga and reach the Albergue Siervas de María, if you look ahead past the statute of the man with a suitcase on his back you will see an archway into a garden. That is the Jardín de La Sinagoga. There is not much more than the name to link it to the Jewish...
I am happy to report that my wife, Ann, and I drove to Samos today to meet Jan and give him back his credential. He was thrilled to get it back, he had already dealt with never seeing it again.
We then went on a guided tour of the monastery, a first time for Ann and Jan and my second visit...
Thank you for that suggestion. I actually typed the full name into FB and found him posting daily. I'm just waiting for him to look at his FB messages and I'll try and take his credential to him.
Go for it. Look for Susan Jagannath’s book on Amazon that has details of the trip. I did some it last week using hostels instead of albergues and it was interesting. I’m 73 years old.
I would like to try the Invierno as well, but like estorildon, I had no negative things to report on the Sarria to SDC stretch. I continued to spend time alone and with old and new friends alike. Each of us is different and it isn't negative for many of us.
I will be attending this free hour-long online meeting by two experts on this topic and thought that others would enjoy it too. I have had the pleasure to discuss this topic with them in person so I know it is going to be great.
If you can’t be online Saturday they offer a recording for later...
Each of us travel the journey with different expectations, but I can report that we retired near Astorga almost 4 years ago and life here has exceeded our expectations and we look forward to enjoying life along the Camino for many years to come. Just like shoes, it is hard to get recommendations...
I ran across this story in the Guardian and thought others would enjoy it.
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022/oct/22/camino-de-santiago-spain-holiday-walking-with-my-brother?utm_source=eml&utm_medium=emlf&utm_campaign=Email_Roundup20102022_UK&CMP_TU=mrtn&CMP_BUNIT=holys
We see that there are some copies at Flores del Camino here in Castrillo de los Polvazares near Astorga, but you are long past this beautiful place. You can contact the author, Alexander John Shaia, at drshaia@quadratos.com and he might have a suggestion.
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