There are still a few places left for our mini-Camino in late July in which patrons and readers can pack in all that is best about the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. I am leading this 61 mile pilgrimage – average temperature will be a pleasant 23 degrees – along with the chairman of the Herald, William Cash, and two priests.
What to expect? A lot of uplifting and inspiring sights and experiences. For one, the impeccable timing of the Herald’s planners means the group will arrive at the fabled city of Santiago de Compostela on July 25. It’s the feast day of Saint James, for whom the city and the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage are named, and which means, given that this is Spain, fiesta time. So be prepared for plenty of tapas, red wine and general merriment accompanied by the magical alchemy that comes from the constant arrival at the city throughout the day of pilgrims who have walked the network of ancient pilgrimage routes across Europe that comprise the Camino de Santiago.
Many arriving pilgrims will have completed the most popular 500-mile Camino Frances that starts all the way in the foothills of the Pyrenees on the French-Spanish border. The Catholic Herald’s endeavour is more of a mini-Camino by comparison, covering 61 miles spread over five days. Also, to avoid the crowds associated with the Camino Frances and to offer something a bit more eclectic, we shall follow the final phase of the Camino Portugués that approaches Santiago from the south—as opposed to the Camino Frances whose pilgrim hordes approach from the east—having begun down in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon.
“We will look into our souls, push ourselves every day, stay in crumbling castles, bath in hot springs, eat fried pulpo—octopus—drink Galician wine, walk with a priest and arrive in the great cathedral of Santiago at the tomb of St James on his feast day of 25th July,” sums up Catholic Herald chairman William Cash, who will accompany the pilgrimage.
In case you read my sweltering account about the Via de la Plata Camino that starts in Seville and slogs through the arid plains of southern Spain, rest assured that Camino-ing through northwestern Galicia offers a vastly different prospect. Galicia is one of the most temperate and wettest regions of Spain. It is lush and green, and often compared to Ireland—hence you will pass Celtic stone crosses and may even hear the bagpipes being played.
The average maximum temperature during July in Galicia is a palatable 23 degrees Celsius. Also, while there won’t be a reveille trumpet call to begin each day, if Catholic Herald pilgrims can raise themselves for a departure time of around 9 a.m. (many Camino pilgrims start earlier to catch the rising sun), most of the day’s hiking will be during the day’s cooler temperatures. The average route length is 12 miles and a lunchtime break of fine Galician cuisine and refreshments can make all the difference for covering the final kilometres to arrive at the day’s destination well before the heat of the day later in the afternoon. Furthermore, there will be a luggage transport service available to move your luggage between each day’s accommodation.
The group shall begin in Vigo, an attractive and upmarket coastal city on Galicia’s western coastline. Our route runs northeast along the Senda da Traída das Augas nature trail, with forests and panoramic views over the estuary, toward Redondela. Here there are several attractive heritage sites to see, such as the Parroquia de Santiago church and the Pazo de Vilavella, a former nunnery and now hotel, where we spend the night.
The route continues northward toward the city of Pontevedra. Surrounded by hills and at the mouth of the Lérez river by the sea, the city boasts a charming old town full of exquisite architecture. An important stop on the Camino Portugués, Pontevedra contains the circular church of the Pilgrim Virgin has a floor plan in the shape of a scallop shell, the symbol of the Camino and used as a way marker. The city’s medieval Burgo Bridge has scallop shells sculpted in its arches.
Caldas de Reis is the next destination, a delightfully attractive and friendly town, known for its hot springs. There is an open-air public bath fed by hot spring water right in the centre of town, where any member of the public or transiting pilgrim can hop in and submerge themselves to relax.
Next is Padrón, where the boat carrying the body of St. James after his death is said to have moored and where his body remained before being taken on to Santiago. That leaves one day of hiking to Santiago. Leaving Padron on the final day’s hike, the route passes the beautiful collegiate church of Iria Flavia, the first cathedral in Galicia. In its cemetery, under an olive tree, lies the humble tomb of Camilo José Cela, the Spanish novelist and poet awarded the 1989 Nobel Prize in Literature “for a rich and intensive prose, which with restrained compassion forms a challenging vision of man’s vulnerability”. The spires of the Cathedral of Santiago will appear on the horizon before the Catholic Herald’s mini-Camino finishes amid the unique atmosphere of the city of Santiago de Compostela that has been receiving jubilant pilgrims for hundreds of years.
The group will stay at 2- to 3-star hotels along the route. In Santiago, we will treat ourselves to staying at the 5-star Parador de Santiago de Compostela. Spain’s paradors— redundant historic buildings restored and converted to high-quality hotels— are a wonderful institution. The parador in Santiago could not be better placed, abutting a flank of the famous Praza do Obradoiro square right in front of the cathedral. Amid hugs and tears, Camino pilgrims congregate in the square at the end of their journeys.
The wondrous cathedral containing the tomb of Saint James will be but a minute’s walk from the parador hotel’s front door. The Catholic Herald pilgrimage group will also be well placed to contemplate the thousand other hints and echoes of this city’s holy past and present that remains inextricably bound up in the unique experience of the Camino pilgrimage.
To reserve a place at £950 a head (excluding flights and dinner) please contact: [email protected].
James Jeffrey is a freelance journalist and writer who splits his time between the US, the UK, and further afield. Follow him on Twitter: @jrfjeffrey and at his website: www.jamesjeffreyjournalism.com.
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