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Caminos Ingles & Muxia 2022
Pilgrim Stories
Having completed the Camino de Madrid, the next walk on my agenda was the Camino Inglés from Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela. Getting there from Sahagun was relatively easy, requiring a 5 hour train trip to Santiago followed by a […]
A Geometrical Pilgrimage
Pilgrim Stories
The late English professor of architecture, Keith Critchlow, started all his lessons and workshops with an intentional prayer. May we be all guided by Truth May Beauty be revealed to us And may it result in the Good Unfortunately, I […]
Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage, the Kohechi Trail 2023
Pilgrim Stories
The Kumano Kodo is one of two major pilgrimage routes in Japan, the other being the 88 Temples route on Shikoku island. The Kumano region is part of the Kii peninsular in the south of Japan’s main island, Honshu, below […]
The Camino—Why and Why Not?
Pilgrim Stories
Let’s be clear. If your idea of a holiday is sitting in a deck chair with a cocktail and not moving like my girlfriend’s ex, or are like my mother (even at a much younger age), who’s vacation aim is […]
The Labyrinth – A Metaphor for Pilgrimage
Pilgrim Stories
Once we begin walking a spiritual path, we are opening ourselves to soul work whether we know it or not at the time. Once on that path, there is no going back – it envelops us and it snowballs. After […]
The Way to Your Inner Monk
Pilgrim Stories
Twenty-four years ago, just before Easter in 1999, I left my home in the Netherlands to walk the pilgrim road to Santiago. It took me seven years to prepare for my first Camino and it’s interesting to notice that I […]
Identities on the Camino – Johnniewalker
Pilgrim Stories
“We’d like you to write about yourself, John”, said the invitation from my friends in the ‘Australian Friends of the Camino’. “Let people get to know you. Let them see what makes you tick, what motivates you.” Whilst I’d really […]
The Australian Family on the Camino
Pilgrim Stories
In March 2020 our family were counting down the weeks to our long-planned pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago. Enter a worldwide pandemic and, like millions of others, our travel plans were halted—we thought—for ever. We were still processing the […]
The fifth way through France – La Voie du Piémont Pyrénéen
Pilgrim Stories
In 2015, I walked from Arles to Col du Somport along the Via Tolosana. I broke the golden rule of walking, twice. I took side trips by train to Carcassonne and Lourdes. When I was in Lourdes, I realised it […]
Camino de Madrid 2022
Pilgrim Stories
After a two year Covid-19 enforced hiatus, I decided to get the pack out again, put on my pilgrim attire and head back to Spain. Given that I now have a new right knee and are two years further into […]
Sentier St Jacques (Chemin De Compostelle)
Pilgrim Stories
Following my Cluny to Le Puy hike of 2019, Covid-19 barred any further chemins, until the summer of 2022. This time around, the weather is slightly cooler, but the solitude of 2019 is gone. Rather than meeting one pilgrim every […]
The Camino Olvidado
Pilgrim Stories
If you are looking for a road less travelled, a path with beautiful scenery on a daily basis, a path where there is a mixture of nature and picturesque villages, a path with historical Roman ruins and anthropomorphic necropolis, the […]
Walking on the Camino Portugués… Covid Interrupted
Pilgrim Stories
Where does a journey begin? This one started with the purchase of a return ticket to Spain in the middle of 2019, hoping to walk part of the Via de la Plata in December that year. I eventually decided that […]
Leo Shows the Way
Pilgrim Stories
Hi, my name is Leo Sage – I am 15 years old and in May this year, I finished walking my second Camino Francés with my Dad James. It was a very special journey – different in so many ways […]
An Accidental Meeting Leads to a Whole New Camino Family
Pilgrim Stories
We were hiking the Baltic Coastal Trail when we connected with an Estonian lady, Merle, in Latvia, who was hiking a part of the same trail. Chats turn to where you’ve hiked and we are all pilgrims of Santiago. On […]
A Flash in Time
Pilgrim Stories
In December of that depressing Covid year, 2021, my friend Robyn and I cheered ourselves up by booking cheap flights, initially to Madrid towards the end of April 2022. The Australian government had only just lifted restrictions, and both of […]
A Camino Tale Tears and Healing on the Way
Pilgrim Stories
On my first Camino Francés I met a lovely Australian couple, David and Lynn, over dinner in Roncesvalles. They had previously walked the CF so had some knowledge of what I should expect. I told them my life had been […]
The Post-Pandemic Camino
Pilgrim Stories
On 11 April this year, Rob and I flew to Spain to test the waters on a post-pandemic Camino as things started to open up again. Apart from a few extra layers of ‘Covid administrivia’, we found things remarkably normal. […]
Walking The ‘Aussie’ Camino: Portland to Penola
Pilgrim Stories
The Australian Camino is a 250km pilgrimage walk from Portland in Victoria to Penola in South Australia, inspired by the life and journeys of Australia’s only saint. Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop and her mentor Fr Julian Tenison Woods. […]
Walking in Circles
Pilgrim Stories
Well, in this case walking in one circle – a very big one. In late March and early April this year, I completed a walk around Port Phillip Bay in Victoria – a distance of about 245km over 15 days […]
‘The Way Begins Now’
Pilgrim Stories
“Bringing it home¨ from the Camino is the focus chosen for the next Camino Conference, now to be held in 2023. We hope to explore the full circle of pilgrimage, including most importantly the return home and what we do […]
St James Day, Xacobeo Holy Year
Pilgrim Stories
The Xacobeo Holy Year, established in 1126 by Pope Callixtus ll, occurs when the feast day of St James falls on a Sunday. This also coincides with the laying of the last stone of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. […]
The Camino Heritage — and the Holy Year
Pilgrim Stories
The Camino de Santiago de Compostela – a name now familiar around the world – was once an exclusively Catholic religious pilgrimage, that is, a journey made to a sacred place with the purpose of venerating it, or asking there […]
A Pilgrimage or a Long Walk?
Pilgrim Stories
This question played on our minds when we were hiking the Chemin de Stevenson in the mountains of southern France in 2018. The route follows the path that a young Scottish writer, Robert Louis Stevenson, took in 1878 when he […]
Treasure on The Camino
Pilgrim Stories
While the way is not paved with gold, there is a range of ‘treasures’ along the Camino Francés that enhance the experience of any pilgrim and the treasure comes in many forms. I was introduced to the Camino in 2015, […]
The Way to St James Cygnet: from the Tasmanian Camino to the World
Pilgrim Stories
Way to St James Cygnet Camino The first time I heard about the Way to St James Cygnet was in 2015. I was starting to plan my first Camino in Spain and discovered that there was a two-day pilgrimage through […]
The Next Step
Pilgrim Stories
I was somewhere along the Camino Francés, the 500-mile stretch from St Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. Climbing a steep hill, I alternated my gaze between the ground just in front of my feet and the crest of the hill […]
Somewhere Along the Way
Pilgrim Stories
Stop for a moment. Really stop. Listen. Really listen. Why are we running like mice on a wheel? Why don’t we stop to enjoy the fact we’re still here? We are survivors. It’s sometimes lost on all of us, that […]
Casa Susi It’s Been a Journey
Pilgrim Stories
After 673 days closed, Casa Susi in Trabadelo on the Camino Francés reopened its doors to pilgrims, 1 September 2021. We have certainly not had the Holy Year that was predicted, but then the world never predicted Covid either. I […]
Larapinta Trail
Pilgrim Stories
Turning 60 in August, I wanted to challenge myself with a 19-day solo hike on the Larapinta Trail. I chose this because my husband and I had done it before in 2019 so I knew what I was in for […]
Interlude in Azofra
Pilgrim Stories
On the Camino Francés, every town has its tale. Often uneventful, but usually memorable – if you’re paying attention. And it’s easier to pay attention if you do the pilgrimage alone as I did. Except for the initial 26k slog […]
Heysen Trail from End to End
Pilgrim Stories
A thru hike of the 1200kms Heysen Trail had been on our Wish List for a long time but when Covid-19 restrictions occurred it quickly made its way to the top of the list, and Mick Noonan and I began […]
The Lavender Federation Trail
Pilgrim Stories
With Covid placing severe restrictions on overseas and even interstate travel and bush walking, my wife Lyn and I have turned our bush walking focus to long distance walks close to home. Through bush walking friends we were introduced to […]
On the Chemin De Saint-Jacques, from Le Puy to Nasbinals, with Mythical Beasts and… Llamas
Pilgrim Stories
Le Puy en Velay is the starting point of the Via Podiensis, which joins up with the Camino Francés at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, on the French side of the Pyrenees. Le Puy nestles among spectacular volcanic cones in the middle of France’s […]
Another Road Less Travelled: Shikoku, The 88 Temple Walk
Pilgrim Stories
My partner Ursula and I have been interested in walking the Spanish Camino for more than 10 years, Ursula has a strong interest in Spanish-speaking cultures and we had spent time in Central and South America as well as Spain […]
Walking On Country: The Wukalina Walk (Tasmania)
Pilgrim Stories
If ‘pilgrimage’ invokes ideas of journeying, reflecting, searching for meaning and knowledge within a spiritual or sacred context, the wukalina Walk might perhaps be considered a pilgrimage experience for the Aboriginal people of Tasmania. It is certainly a physical and […]
Bondi to Manly Walk, Sydney
Pilgrim Stories
I’ve always loved walking and, for many years, belonged to a couple of bushwalking groups. However, the Camino taught me that, while I enjoy it, I’m not actually a day-walker. I’m a distance walker. It’s the simplicity of walking day […]
Camino: A Journey of the Spirit
Pilgrim Stories
I was sitting in Plaza del Grano, opposite the municipal albergue in Leon in 2016. My Camino was a blessing I didn’t see coming. I watched the sun set over the buildings on the western side of the square, inviting […]
The Appalachian Trail – The Journey of a Lifetime
Pilgrim Stories
The spark first ignited in a kindergarten in London while sitting with some colleagues listening to the stories of Laura, who had recently returned from the trip of a lifetime, ‘thru-hiking’ the Appalachian Trail in America. My friend Marijke turned […]
It’s What Happens
Pilgrim Stories
When I walked the Via de la Plata in 2011, I walked the last 2 weeks in company with Ilsa from Germany, Wolfgang also from Germany, and Mateo from Holland. It was a joyous time. We just gelled together as […]
Canberra Centenary Trail – Showcasing the Best of our Bush Capital
Pilgrim Stories
The Canberra Centenary Trail (CCT) was created in 2013 as part of Canberra’s 100th birthday celebrations, and is a 145km loop designed to encompass the best of our urban and natural environments. It includes Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, […]
A View of Santiago from a Resident Aussie
Pilgrim Stories
Hello Aussie Pilgrims! I am Garry, an Aussie who has been living here in Santiago de Compostela for many many years. I organise a self-guided and guided walks (and cycle rides) on the various Caminos… So here are my thoughs […]
Camino Trees
Pilgrim Stories
I was somewhere along the Meseta, the flat central plateau between Burgos and Astorga. The height of summer along the Camino Francés, and yet there wasn’t a single pilgrim in sight. The weather was hot, dry and glorious. Fields of […]
Camino for Good
Pilgrim Stories
As a member of the Australian Friends of the Camino, I was invited to share with you about Camino for Good. I am Lindsay Teychenne pictured on page 12 with Kelly Gilfillan in 2018. We are two of the co-founders, […]
The Camino Del Norte: An Interrupted Journey
Pilgrim Stories
I commenced the Camino del Norte from Irun on 22 February 2020 in drizzling rain with my two Danish friends from last year’s walk from Madrid to Muxia. First thing is an 800 metre mountain, one of many to come. […]
Paul’s Camino Francés, Sept 2019
Pilgrim Stories
I’m a 68, (then 67) year old overweight (110kg, 6’1”) Sydney man who does a lot of walking. My wife and I do a walking holiday at least every year, last one was in June 19 – the Harz Hexen […]
Pilgrim Hospitality 101
Pilgrim Stories
In late 2000 Rob and I packed up our lives into a Camino-yellow VW campervan called Morrison and headed to Spain to ‘live on the Camino’. Our dream was to open an albergue of our own, which back in those […]
Sahagun to Santiago 2019
Pilgrim Stories
The first thing you notice when you turn the corner at Sahagun to head west toward Santiago is the people. I walked 313 kilometres from Madrid over 16 days seeing and walking with only 6 fellow pilgrims; from time to […]
St Francis Of Assisi and The Christmas Creche (Nativity Scene)
Pilgrim Stories
The Cammino di Assisi / Cammino di Francesco has been walked by a number of our members, and all return with glowing accounts of their journey. I was fortunate to walk this ‘road less travelled’ in August 2014 (See CC […]
Camino Jacobsweg 2019
Pilgrim Stories
Following our Camino’s Levante and Sanabres, we spent a few days in Madrid before heading to Munich to walk the Jakobsweg from Munich to Lindau on Bodensee or as it is more commonly called Lake Constance. For this walk there […]
Do I Really Need a Raincoat?
Pilgrim Stories
While volunteering in the Pilgrim Office in St Jean-Pied-de-Port (SJPDP), this was indeed a question from a woman who intended to walk 34 days, in autumn, across the Pyrenees, to Santiago de Compostela. In late 2018, I had applied for […]
Luz Del Camino
Pilgrim Stories
A very special pilgrimage began on Friday 19 June this year when a solitary backpack known as La Luz del Camino was blessed and farewelled in the traditional way of all pilgrims at the Collegiata Church of Roncesvalles before setting […]
Anyone Walked The Camino In 2020?
Pilgrim Stories
It doesn’t look like it. The pandemic has seen to that. So let’s dig up a recent story of a Camino experience. Being asked to recall and write the story of my Camino will test my memory on the details, […]
Camino Frances 2013
Pilgrim Stories
My interest in the Camino started in November 2009, after seeing black and white photos of the Camino at an exhibition in Daylesford, Victoria. Then in 2011 I watched The Way. After the film I began researching the Camino Francés, […]
A Camino Reflection
Pilgrim Stories
Globally it has been a challenging year of loss for many and a significant time of change and adjustment to how we live our lives. Victoria has moved into Stage 3 and 4 restrictions for 6 weeks through the winter […]
My Experience of a Virtual Camino
Pilgrim Stories
“Dare to dream, and then pay the price of your dreams!” This was one of the lessons I learned on the Virtual Camino de Santiago Challenge, run by the Dioceses of Calahorra and La Calzada-Logroño at www.challengelarioja.com. With my first […]
Cambodia To Camino
Pilgrim Stories
Eleven years ago, at aged 52, I was about three quarters of the way through a 2-year work contract that saw me living and working in Cambodia. Once this contract was completed I would be unemployed. Having no irons in […]
Why A Camino For Sydney?
Pilgrim Stories
In Australia, there is an indigenous tradition around ‘temporary mobility’ (formerly known as ‘walkabout’) as a rite of passage. Many young Australians spend months backpacking through places seeking out their own rite of passage. I did this for 6 months […]
Finisterre to Finisterre
Pilgrim Stories
We were standing in the ‘Camino corner’ of Glenella Guest House in Blackheath in the Blue Mountains staring at a map of the Camino routes through Europe when I said to Fi, “Look, we could walk from one end of […]
The Japanese Camino: Kumano Kodo
Pilgrim Stories
“JAPAN? Really?? For a walk in the mountains? Ten days? Yes, it would be great, Dad, but I’m too busy with work and there’s the wife and the kids… I couldn’t get away. So, no thanks.” After this conversation with […]
The Long Long Pilgrimage: Amsterdam to Santiago
Pilgrim Stories
What on earth would possess two perfectly sane, rational, normal human beings to walk from Amsterdam to Santiago de Compostela? Perhaps we were not as normal or as rational as we thought we were, but… who cares. The history behind […]
Bushfire Recovery Walking in the Blue Mountains
Pilgrim Stories
The Blue Mountains Camino Group meet monthly for a training walk starting from Glenella in Blackheath (guesthouse and home of Margaret and Rowan Bouttell). The group usually offers 2 walks – a 9km route along a fire road to Medlow […]
So Why Do I Walk?
Pilgrim Stories
When preparing for my 6th Camino, I am often asked, “so why do you walk again”? It is an interesting question and one I find difficult to answer in a few words, so I am going to start writing and […]
Camino De Limpieza
Pilgrim Stories
Empty water bottles, energy bar wrappers, tissues… and more tissues. When I walked the Camino Francés for the first time in 2011, I was disheartened by the amount of trash I saw along the trail. I ruminated for days over […]
Peaceable Projects
Pilgrim Stories
The seed for Peaceable Projects Inc. was planted back in the hot summer of 2004, at Fuenterroble de Salvatierra, a rambling, rustic albergue on the Via de la Plata. My husband Patrick and I were volunteer hospitaleros, in charge of […]
Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail, SA
Pilgrim Stories
This story is about a bushwalk on Kangaroo Island, just one of many places devastated by catastrophic fires this season. Following the horrendous summer fires, this walk, like many around the country, no longer exists. It is sad to think […]
Caminos Levante and Sanabrés
Pilgrim Stories
Following Caminos in Italy in 2017 and France in 2018 we decided to return to Spain for our 2019 walk and as usual we were looking for something different. This year we decided that we would walk the Levante from […]
The Pint-Sized Pilgrim
Pilgrim Stories
In 1999 I walked my first Camino and fell madly in love twice. First with the Dutchman who is now my husband, then with the country itself. And Spain has been the third person in our relationship ever since. Now, […]
A Day of Celebration on rhe Via De Francesco
Pilgrim Stories
The morning of Sunday 23 June 2019, the 22nd day of our pilgrimage from Dovadola, Italy to Rome, began in the Italian medieval hill town of Poggio Bustone. As my husband David and I left the village at 8am to […]
Sahagun … And Beyond
Pilgrim Stories
Deb and I left Madrid from the Church of Santiago in Sol on 8 March. A cold and windy morning, soon bloomed into one of those beautiful post-winter days in Spain. Destination was Tre Cantos, and the famed community centre […]
Life Lessons From The Camino: A Pilgrimage of The Heart
Pilgrim Stories
The inner life or the inner universe: The infinite potential for change within a human being is a life long pilgrimage to being human. A distant trek is nothing more than a series of small steps: When one is present, […]
Me, Leo and The Camino… A Father and Son Journey
Pilgrim Stories
In April this year, I was packing to walk the Camino Francés, a journey that I had been planning for several years. A few months before the journey, I asked my 12 year old son, Leo to join me, and […]
Camino Truths
Pilgrim Stories
The Camino Truth is my way of describing what happens when we undertake the journey of Camino – but its not an exclusive Camino thing. No way. The Truth is a process that can happen on any travel experience, particularly […]
Phil’s Diary Camino Frances, April/May 2018
Pilgrim Stories
Monday 9 April – Villafranca Montes de Oca to Orbaneja – 26.7 kms Today has been an amazing day in so many ways. We had a good night’s sleep in our private room in the San Anton Abad Hotel/Albergue. We […]
Sentier St Jacques (Chemin de Compostelle)
Pilgrim Stories
GR 765 AND 765O, Cluny to Le Puy-en-Velay, June 2019 Read the previous part of this story. It’s official. This area had a record heat wave (la canicule) during my hike. It was a scorching 37C on the afternoon I […]
A Modern Rome to Jerusalem Pilgrimage: Pt 3 – Turkey To Israel
Pilgrim Stories
This is part 3 in the 3-part series: Part 1 Part 2 On 15 June 2018, Day 76 of my pilgrimage, I walked into Turkey from Greece on the Via Egnatia – now a motorway, but originally a 2,000 year-old, […]
The True Meaning of Being a Pilgrim: Via Spain, Africa and Japan
Pilgrim Stories
“Here I stand in front of the Japanese home that was my accommodation on the eve of my first day on the Ohenro—the pilgrimage of 88 temples on Shikoku island. The house is a doll’s house by Western standards. Like […]
A Step Into the Unknown
Pilgrim Stories
I was looking at a photograph of something akin to swiss cheese. “It’s arthritis,” said my orthopaedic surgeon, “We took the photo while doing your arthroscopy”. Until then, I had no idea what a knee joint should look like but […]
History of Pilgrimage
Pilgrim Stories
The Aussie Camino is a pilgrimage path from Portland in Victoria to Penola in South Australia, inspired by the life and journeys of Australia’s Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop and her mentor Fr Julian Tenison-Woods. Although the Camino is […]
Childhood’s End
Pilgrim Stories
Many of my friends and colleagues with whom I have shared the story about walking the Camino with my son have told me, “I wish I could do something like that with my own son, but…” It goes without saying […]
A Modern Rome to Jerusalem Pilgrimage: Part 2 – Croatia to Greece
Pilgrim Stories
This is part 2 in the 3-part series: Part 1 Part 3 On 27 April 2018, Day 27 of my pilgrimage and a rest day, I was exploring the old historic walled city of Split in Croatia. I had walked […]
Walking the Camino and My 1 Big Goal
Pilgrim Stories
Walking the Camino was the hardest and yet the best thing I have ever done. My journey to the Camino came from creating a bucket list some 12 years prior during my first episode of PTSD. After suffering a second […]
Camino Baztan
Pilgrim Stories
Faced with a spare week before presenting myself in Nájera for hospitalero service, I had the wonderful dilemma of trying to decide where to walk. Nájera is about a week’s walking from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port and St-Jean is one of my favourite […]
Why Walk the Camino?
Walking the Camino
Why, I often ask myself, do over a hundred thousand people [Editor: 301,036 in 2017] walk the Camino de Santiago each year?
A modern Rome to Jerusalem Pilgrimage: Part 1 Italy
Pilgrim Stories
On Easter Day 1 April this year, I was up early and walked to the Vatican. With persistence and luck, I managed to get my backpack through two security stations allowing me to enter St Peter’s Square and find a good standing position for the open air Papal Mass that morning.
Via Romea Germanica: Pt 2 Italy
Pilgrim Stories
View Part 1 of this article. After negotiating the Brenner Pass, the lowest pass in the Alps, the way descends on a shared walking and cycling path on a former railway line. Many of the old railway buildings associated with […]
At Last: A Stone for Denise
Pilgrim Stories
Denise Pikka Thiem, an American pilgrim, was killed outside Astorga in the spring of 2015. Peaceable Projects Inc, a US non- profit organisation, started in October 2015, has established a memorial park out- side Astorga to remember Denise and other […]
Ray’s Camino Reflection
Pilgrim Stories
The question that I heard often on the Camino is ‘Why are you walking the Camino What was the event that prompted the desire to leave behind your daily life and to walk across Spain?’ This journey started when my […]
Via Romea Germanica: Pt 1 Germany & Austria
Pilgrim Stories
About 18 months ago I received a short email from one of our members and at the end he asked “Have you heard of the Via Romea Germanica?” No I hadn’t. I immediately searched for information about it and found […]
Le Puy to st Jean-Pied-de-Port
Pilgrim Stories
The end of May found us in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, preparing for a walk with a difference. Walking were John, Paul and Jane with John’s daughter Beck providing vehicular backup. While Beck would like to be able to walk, her […]
A Walk to Surrender
Pilgrim Stories
98 days. 2500 kilometres. 3 countries. 2 birthdays. Blood, sweat, tears, blisters, revelations! “It would be an adventure”, we said, but it was so much more.
Sentier St Jacques (Chemin de Compostelle)
Pilgrim Stories
This is 160km preceding the Moissac-Aire section, which I described last year in Camino Chronicle. I was constrained to late August, but I knew the (mainly) French pilgrims would already have thinned out. Still, I risked a hot week. So it turned out.
Camino Inglés
Pilgrim Stories
I walked the Camino Inglés to celebrate 55 years of friendship with my friend – another Jennifer. What a beautiful experience it was … so many glorious churches and bridges, a few tough paths but with restful combinations of minor roads, back roads through villages and delightful glades. The albergues – mostly new – were all great too.
Musings from Porto to Santiago
Pilgrim Stories
When I joined the Australian Friends of the Camino in May 2017, it happened that I was the 1,000th member to join so received an extra special welcome. Janet Leitch also suggested I might write an article on my return from my first Camino. The flow of words and images springing from the Camino seems inexhaustible, but being ever up for the challenge, I thought why not add my experience.
The Seven Stages of Pilgrimage
Pilgrim Stories
Most people can remember the first time they heard about the Camino. For me it was in 1992 when visiting an old friend in England who was writing a novel about a woman walking an ancient medieval pilgrimage across Spain. She was planning a road trip to trace the route of the Camino Francés as research for the book. I was at once attracted to the idea of walking across Spain, a country I had lived in as a teenager. I was born in Venezuela but had forgotten most of my Spanish after being sent to English boarding school and I imagined reviving the language I grew up with. I love old buildings and churches and enjoyed walking, at least in the gentle sense of a couple of hours’ rambling at a time. The yearning for the Camino – even though I had so little notion of what it really meant – was growing stronger.
The Way of Grief and Healing
Pilgrim Stories
At Valdeviejas, just before leaving the urban landscape of Astorga, the Camino Francés passes the Hermitage of Ecce Homo. Opposite the chapel lies a small park with some maple trees. Beside one of these young trees stands a small stone plaque in memory of Ron Duke, my husband, lover and best friend, my beloved partner of 40 years.
Camino Portuguese: Tragedy struck on the 4th day
Pilgrim Stories
Our 200km Camino began in Barcelos, Portugal. A 10-day walk was planned with the final 2 days in Santiago de Compostela. There were 15 in our group and we were led by Father Gerard. He was our spiritual leader and also our slightly reluctant tour leader. The Camino Travel Agency had organised all logistics, hotel bookings etc, for which Father Gerard was very thankful.
St Francis Way
Pilgrim Stories
Having walked into Santiago de Compostela in each of the past four years, this year we decided to do a different Camino and walk the Way of St Francis from Florence to Assisi.
The way of St James: A way back for veterans
Pilgrim Stories
Article based on the Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop Award winning presentation delivered at the annual conference of the Australasian Military Medical Association, Brisbane, Oct, 2017. In June this year, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released its report Incidence […]
Saint Patrick’s Way (Ireland)
Pilgrim Stories
My imaginings and adventure began when I stumbled across a St Paddy’s Way Pilgrim Passport in Belfast last spring. I learnt that the Pilgrim Walk was conceived of by Alan Graham while walking the Camino de Santiago. After months of […]
Walking the Camino Del Norte with My Daughter
Pilgrim Stories
My eldest daughter, Laura, lives in Abu Dhabi and travels the world flying with Etihad. A very sophisticated young lady. We were both excited when she managed to take a week off in spring to walk with her father for […]
The Lady with the Shell Tattoo – and Reflections on My Camino
Pilgrim Stories
A wet cold night, a priest and a pizza … this was the start of my Camino. My husband was away and I was home alone with our French intern student. We decided to go into town for a gourmet […]
A First Time Hospitalero, Grado – May 2017
Pilgrim Stories
First week in Grado Grado is a small town 25kms from Oviedo, the starting point on the Camino Primitivo. Set in a valley and surrounded by lush green hills, the weather is warm and a little humid. There is a […]
‘Hot Spots’ on the Camino
Pilgrim Stories
It had not been a busy night in the albergue (hostal), yet I hadn’t seen him arrive. Soon, however, bags were rustling and flashlights were dancing, darting about the room. I could now faintly see the slightly built man; he […]
Bikes, Blisters And Blood Poisoning
Pilgrim Stories
Bikes For over a year I had planned to cycle with my friend Mike from ‘Pilgrims in Sydney’ on the Camino, from Pamplona to Finisterre. Mike and I had both invested in new mountain bikes which we planned to bring […]
Walking The Camino With Type 1 Diabetes
Pilgrim Stories
Editor’s note: My friend Sandra and I met John, a 57 year old from Missouri, on our Camino last year and were so inspired by his attitude and courage, walking the Camino Francés with Type 1 diabetes, that we invited […]
The Magic Of The Meseta… In Early Autumn
Pilgrim Stories
As I walked out of Burgos, I thought “flat, dull, boring, nothing to see. Mile upon mile (kilometres) of same old same old”. What a wonderful surprise! Around every bend, along every straight stretch, there was a little gem to lighten […]
Rabanal Del Camino – The Hospitalero Experience
Pilgrim Stories
The refugio is run by the Confraternity of St James, an English-based organisation. It organises a roster of hospitale ros from its members. Volunteers stay for two weeks. Everyone at some stage has walked the Camino. I thought at the […]
Camino Madrid – April/May 2015
Pilgrim Stories
The degree of difficulty is medium with one or two stiff climbs – the first, on the Fuenfria Pass to Segovia and the second, a small double ravine on the outskirts of Penaflor de Hornija. I arrived in Madrid via […]
Camino De Invierno / The Winter Way
Pilgrim Stories
I first heard about it this year when our Chairman returned from the Friends of the Camino Associations Conference held in June in Galicia. The Spanish were encouraging pilgrims to take this route to lessen the congestion on the Sarria-Santiago […]
Camino De Levante (Valencia – Zamora)
Pilgrim Stories
Firstly, a summary of those things that we found most helpful in preparing for this journey. The website for the Amigos Del Camino Santiago Communidad Valencia, while mostly Spanish, has a quite detailed description of their 42 stages to Santiago. […]
Caminho Do Mar – Sintra To Santiago, April 2015
Pilgrim Stories
Sintra to Ericeira, 2 April – 27km, 436m climbing Our Caminho (with wife Elly and ‘gap –year’ son Jordy) began in Sintra near Lisbon, on ex-rental bicycles purchased locally. Pedalling towards the coast, we hit the beach at the picturesque […]
Cycling The Camino Frances – Spring 2015
Pilgrim Stories
Early on we decided not to take our bikes with us as we both had other travel arrangements before and after the actual ride and only wanted the bikes for the Camino itself. This meant that we needed to hire […]
Camino De San Salvador
Pilgrim Stories
To do this however, pilgrims have to take a diversion 120 kilometres along the Camino de San Salvador from León, through the Asturian mountains, to Oviedo. From there the usual path was, and is, along the Camino Primitivo, which rejoins […]
Pilgerwege Across Germany
Pilgrim Stories
Thus, with that in mind, I settled on a combination of paths that cross the central part of Germany. The altitude here is roughly 200-450 metres and, though snow was at times inclined to be deep, from my novice point […]
Walking The Camino Portugués – May/June 2014
Pilgrim Stories
Lisbon A grand city, slightly decaying around the edges. There is a lot to see and do in Lisbon, with the highlights being the Alfama district at night and the Fado bar halfway between the Cathedral and the Castelo Sáo […]
Being an Amigo
Pilgrim Stories
It was an older woman who had received her Compostela and had stepped back from the counter while she waited for her husband to receive his certificate. I moved closer to her so that the other pilgrims nearby could not […]
Cammino Di Assisi
Pilgrim Stories
You will notice that there are two Camminos (as opposed to Caminos), with different names, but are essentially the same path, just different starting points and different destinations. They are coordinated by different groups, have different guides, different credentials, different […]
Winchester to Santiago de Compostela
Pilgrim Stories
Part 1 To Mont-St-Michel – Pilgrims Trail, Chemin Aux Anglais Winchester, one-time capital of England, was an important city in the Middle Ages. Its cathedral houses the shrine to St Swithun, former bishop of Winchester, who died in the 9th […]
Jakobsweg In Bavaria
Pilgrim Stories
Because I needed to connect with another path called the Via Claudia Augusta, my plan was to follow this Jakobsweg for about 150 kilometres (of the 250), and what a different pilgrimage experience this proved to be. For this leg […]
Walking the Camino From Granada to Santiago De Compostela, April-May 2014
Pilgrim Stories
For a reference we took the CSJ guide for the Camino Mozárabe and maps provided by Kevin Burrows. Over- all the route from Granada to Merida was surprisingly well marked although we found that 3 pairs of eyes was definitely […]
Confessions of a Vegan Pilgrim
Pilgrim Stories
Speaking of salads, I remember going to a restaurant in Astorga where. There was only one vegetarian dish that the owner could offer: tomato salad. He brought it to me on a very large dinner plate. And there was… a […]
The Catalan Way (Montserrat To San Juan De La Pena, Near Jaca) & The Aragonés Way (San Juan De La Pena To Puenta La Reina)
Pilgrim Stories
We started at Montserrat, near Barcelona, travelling there by train. Montserrat is famous for its natural environment consisting of blunt, needle-shaped columns of rock forming a substantial mountain range, and for the monastery perched high above the valley. Our route […]
Un Camino De Santiago De Compostela A Caballo, May 2013 (A Horse Camino)
Pilgrim Stories
In October 2008 I had a bowel cancer removed, with apparently no spread. In December 2011 I grew a large me- tastasis in the right lung and had R lung lobectomy. This was followed in March 2012 by another growth, […]
How To Put Your Best Foot Forward On The Camino?
Pilgrim Stories
Let’s face it, both prospective and experienced pilgrims like to talk about ‘feet’—A LOT—and with good reason! In the last Camino Chronicle I listed some of the problems I’ve experienced on pilgrimage (including with my feet). “Like many pilgrims I’ve […]
The Plantagenet Way: From Saint Michael To Saint James
Pilgrim Stories
In general, waymarking was very good but I used the Rando publications guide for maps, accommodation, and information on towns and cities. I began in Avranches, near to Mont Saint-Michel (MSM) and well-known as one of the break-through towns during […]
The Camino Frances And Via Francigena Compared… And The Love Of Solitary Pilgrimage
Pilgrim Stories
Why do we feel the urge to undertake such strenuous journeys? The reasons are many and not always religious in nature. Many people from all walks of life, all ages, all religions, and all nationalities are drawn to undertake these […]
Can Everyone Really Go On A Pilgrimage?
Pilgrim Stories
I am fortunate to have been able to achieve my goal of walking each step of the Camino Francés twice. I completed my first pilgrimage in 2009 and it was profoundly transformative. My second Camino in 2011 was also positively […]
Montserrat and the Catalan Camino
Pilgrim Stories
However, for me, the moment of actually setting foot on an ancient pilgrimage path marked the real beginning of my understanding of the Camino experience. The first stamp in my credencial, dated 19 May 2012, is definitely as much treasured […]
Lost Tango In Paris Or… What To Do When Your Backpack Does Not Arrive!
Pilgrim Stories
Our scheduled arrival in Paris gave us plenty of time to connect with the train to Bayonne. Within minutes, it seemed, Jenny had collected her backpack from the carousel. Mine won’t be long, I thought, we had plenty of time […]
From the Couch to the Camino
Pilgrim Stories
I was surprised. I didn’t realise that I had held that view all those years ago. This made me wonder how much I was following that advice myself and I committed to, not only following my instincts, but trusting them […]
Camino Salvado (WA)
Pilgrim Stories
I first heard of Dom Salvado when visiting Samos Monastery in 2007 on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. On hearing that my friend and I were from Perth, a monk took us behind the scenes and showed us a […]
The Difference Between a Pilgrimage and a Long Walk?
Pilgrim Stories
In November 2001 we decided to have a break in Australia visiting Ines’s family and soon it became clear Ines did not want to go back. That was quite a significant moment – it meant that the dream we had […]
The Way Less Travelled
Pilgrim Stories
In Spring of 2010, I did a ‘mere’ 500kms of the Via de la Plata. It took me 25 walking days to cover the distance from Salamanca to Santiago. That averages out to a meagre (compared with other stories) 20kms […]
Montgenevre to Pamplona
Pilgrim Stories
Leaving Australia in early June I landed in Paris and took the lift down to the TGV station which took me to Valence, from which I took a local train to Briancon. Heading further east I noticed, with some trepidation, […]
Camino Ingles
Pilgrim Stories
Day 3 was the longest and hardest. This camino goes through forests or on rural paths or roads and is well marked/signed–and we didn’t get lost at all! However I would not do this walk without the CSJ guide as […]
Aussie Podcasts About The Camino
Pilgrim Stories
Podcasts about Australian pilgrims who have walked the Camino de Santiago can be downloaded from the archives of the ABC national radio and ABC local radio websites. I enjoy listening to them (and many other podcasts on my MP3 player), […]
Being a Hospitalero: Working at the Confraternity of St James (CSJ) Albergue in Miraz on the Camino Del Norte
Pilgrim Stories
I did not realise just how physically tiring it would be. We started at 6am and finished at 10.30pm, although by the end of our stint we were giving each other alternate early nights to bed. My duties consisted of […]
Chemin De St Jacques – Via Podensis
Pilgrim Stories
Compared with the Camino Frances in Spain, the comforting red and white bars marking this path are more frequent than the cockle shells and almost as ubiquitous as the yellow arrows. David Knowler and I from Adelaide, together with Jill […]
The Camino Aragon
Pilgrim Stories
The route is well waymarked with the French red and white slashes and GR65 and the more familiar Spanish yellow on blue arrows, as well as the scallop shell, and a map, although desirable for an overall view of the […]