Laundromats on the Camino?

Holy Moley things have changed!

I just found out about several laundromats on the Camino!

From Falcon:

There is a new laundromat in Santiago about 60 meters from Casa Manolo. It has 12, 15, and 19 kg machines. Suitable for bug detox.

Also, a fairly new one in Arzua along albergue row as you enter.

And one in Astorga down the back street near the bed store.

From Martyseville:

FERROL:

There is a self serve laundry mat not far from Hotel Silva (which is excellent, inexpensive place to stay before doing the Ingles).
Ask at desk. Basically turn left out the Hotel door. Turn left at corner. Go straight down the street. Cross the main blvd. Place is located on your right. Clean.

From Father Jeffrey:

In re Santiago de Compostela: There's a splendid laundromat on the Rua das Hortas, very close to the Obradoiro and S Martin Pinario. And in Pamplona there's a splendid laundromat right on the Plaza del Castillo.

To Sahagun

2006

Some photos from Fromisto to Sahagun in 2006

Joe in Villovieco

Lunch time on the Camino!

This is NOT ok. Please carry out your trash!

I'm smiling, but I was very sick.

I was sick, and didn't want to infect others. I also couldn't walk. I sent Joe out to find a private room. He found a nice place for me to recover for a few days. It was at Hostal Pacho.

Here is a link to my blog from 2014, when I stayed in Sahagun at Hostal Pacho, not realizing it was the same place I had stayed in 2006.

Hostal Pacho 2014

To San Antón

2006

September

In 2006, San Antón was one of the highlights of my Camino. We arrived in the late afternoon and were greeted by Marina, our hospitalera. The regular hospitalero had been killed in a train accident the day before, and Marina was an emergency substitute, and what a sweetheart she was!

San Antón is beautiful. Built into the ruins of the ancient convento de San Antón, 16th century, it is only open in summer because the rooms are not enclosed. You sleep in a 3 walled room, with a heavy plastic wall that is dropped at night after everyone is in bed.

There are 12 places and Marina cooked a wonderful communal meal from things she found in the kitchen. As it grew dark, candles were lit all around the ruins, and we drank wine and shared stories. It was a very special experience.

Joe washing his clothes

San Anton was the monastery and hospice of the Antonine order founded in France in the 11th century. San Antón Abad is the patron saint of animals and he is often shown with a pig at his feet. If you look close, you will find the pig built into the ruins.  The Order's sacred symbol was the Tau, a T-shaped cross. Brierley says the Order was known for its ability to cure St. Anthony's fire, a fungal skin disease that could be fatal. The disease could often be cured or at least helped by a change of diet, increasing wine, and vigorous exercise. A pilgrimage was just what the doctor ordered!

The bathrooms are even beautiful here. 

Dinner with our fellow pilgrims

People often ask if you can camp along the Camino. The gentleman with the white hair and red vest and his wife were camping. They set up their tent in the yard and were welcomed.

Drop down plastic wall

2013

June

Leaving San Bol in the early morning, the walking was quiet and perfect:

Next, I would pass through Hontanas, tucked down in a dip in the meseta. A quick breakfast there, and a stop for some groceries, and I was on my way again.

I had to have a photo of the peeing man statue!

Soon I was at San Anton, passing under St. Anthony's archway with its alcoves where bread used to be left for pilgrims. Today, people leave messages and prayers here instead.

To Eunate and Ciraqui

2006

On September 4, 2006 we walked to Eunate 

through gorgeous fields of sunflowers, asparagus, and grapes.

Eunate is a small octagonal church which is one of the most important Romanesque monuments in Navarra. 

The name is Basque and means 

"house of 100 doors."

The church is commonly associated with the Knights Templar,

mostly because of its octogonal shape. 

Graves with scallp shells, 

presumably from pilgrims,

have been found around the church.

There is some talk the church may have been built

as a burial chapel by a locally prominant family 

in the late 1500's.

It's definitely worth the detour

to see, if you have the stamina 

and desire.

At one point in the not too distant past, 

there was an albergue here,

but it has closed,

due to local politics, 

and nobody seems to know for sure

if it will reopen.

From Eunate, we walked on to Obanos, where we stopped for a coffee.

Obanos is at the junction of the 2 main routes to Santiago, and this town, in the Middle Ages, controlled several churches and hospices. Obanos is also famous for its mystery play dedicated to Saints Gullermo and Felicia, performed since 1965 on the Sunday following Corpus Cristi each year.

The church of San JuanBautista contains Guillermo's skull, encased in silver. When his tomb was opened, a Santiago medal was found among his bones. 

On the day we arrived, 

a young girl about 10 years old was giving out sellos.

We took a shady rest,

then continued on.

In Puente la Reina we used the Internet (locaturia) 

and stocked up on Compeed.

Then in the heat, we kept walking...

Iglesia del Crucifijo

About 1 kilometer out of town, Joe realized he had left his glasses.

I stayed with the packs under a shaded overpass while he walked back to retrieve them.

From there, we continued on through vineyards and dusty road
 to Ciraqui 

where we stayed at Albergue Maralotx.

This was a very nice albergue where they served us

 the best dinner we'd had to date 

in the cool bodega-like cellar below the albergue.

2012

September

Wonderful standing stones

2013

May/June

The wildflowers in Spring are crazy bright!

Almost to Ciraqui

This year, instead of walking all the way through Ciraqui, I took the option to turn right and walk the road. This took me to a sweet little restaurant Los Calzadores.  Here, I had breakfast, then continued on the road until it met up with the Camino.

Right after this Restaurant is a park with picnic tables. This would be a great place to pitch a tent if you were camping. There was literally no traffic on the road when I walked.

2015 - Autumn
Gretchen and Sharon walking roman road outside Ciraqui




Click here for a post I wrote about the history of Ciraqui:About Ciraqui

2016 - The Holy Year of Mercy - Jubiliee Year!

Pope Francis has marked the second anniversary of his election 

by declaring a special Jubilee Year: 

The Holy Year of Mercy. 

The new Jubilee will begin on the Catholic Feast of the Immaculate Conception 

with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican,

 and end on the Feast of Christ the King on November 20, 2016. 

In his declaration, Pope Francis invoked his central message of compassion and pardon, saying: 

 “Dear Brothers and Sisters, I have often reflected upon how the Church can make its mission as a witness of mercy more apparent. It is a journey that begins with spiritual conversion. For this reason I have decided to proclaim an Extraordinary Jubilee which focuses on God’s mercy. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy. We wish to experience this inspired by the Word of the Lord: “Be merciful, just as your father is merciful” (cfr. Luke 6:36). This Holy Year will begin on the next Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and will conclude on 20 November 2016, Sunday of Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the universe and the living face of the Father’s mercy."

"I am convinced that the whole church ... will find in this Jubilee the joy to

rediscover and render fruitful the mercy of God, with which we are all called to give 

consolation to every man and woman of our time”

—Pope Francis, St. Peter's Basilica

What is a Jubilee Year?

A jubilee year is a special year called by the Holy Father 

for remission of sins and to receive blessing and universal pardon. 

Since the year 1300, 

the church has declared Jubilee Years every 25 or 50 years. 

There have also been several special years known as extraordinary jubilee years. 

This is the first one since 2000, 

during the papacy of Pope John Paul II, 

which was known as "The Great Jubilee." 

Jubilee years are an important time for the Faithful 

to make a pilgrimage to a sacred site such as Santiago

 to obtain forgiveness for their sins.

The Jubilee Year traditionally starts 

with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica, 

followed by the opening of the Holy Doors of the other three major basilicas in Rome: 

St. Mary Major, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, and St. John Lateran, 

as well as the holy doors of other basilicas around the world. 

The opening of the doors signifies God opening a new pathway 

to salvation, mercy and graces.

As in other Holy Years, 

there will be an opportunity to receive Plenary Indulgence, 

a year of forgiveness of sins. 

It's also a year of reconciliation and an opportunity to deepen your faith.

Come and Walk With Us

During a Holy Year or Jubilee Year,

the Camino is very busy.

As I"m booking lodging for our Spring and Fall Camino treks

I'm noticing more and more places are FULL.

Consider walking with either Annie (Spring) or Joe (Fall)

this year

and letting us do the work for you.

Our 21 day trips are a lot of fun!

Cost is $1495 this year,

another good reason to go: 

while the exchange rate is excellent.

You have the option of walking with the small group,

or heading out on your own,

knowing that you can take your time and relax,

and you'll have a warm bed and a hot shower at the end of the day.

No rushing for an albergue dormitory bed!

Our lodging is in private double twin rooms,

or private single rooms if you choose.

We help you with all the extra details,

and do everything we can to make the trip stress free for you.

We end the trip by walking the mandatory 100 kilometers

from Sarria to Santiago

so you can obtain your Compostela.

We can arrange backpack transport for you

if you do not want to carry your pack.

We are both experienced pilgrims,

having walked the Camino Frances over 14 times between us.

For more information see our website at:

Anniewalkers Camino

And if you choose to walk on your own in 2016,

I suggest you begin making your lodging reservations now.

It will be a busy year!

Buen Camino!

But How Do You Find Your Way on the Camino Santiago?

The answer is WAYMARKING.

Waymarking is a term used to describe the specific symbol which is used to mark a route people travel. Waymarks sometimes follow the route in one direction, or in other cases allow a route to be followed in both directions. Following is an explanation from the Confraternity of St. James website.

The waymarking along the Camino Santiago is,in general, very good. In France, the route from St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port is part of the long-distance GR65 footpath, and is marked by the red and white flash of the GR network. There are separate red and white to indicate changes of direction, and a red line crossed with a white one to indicate that you have taken the wrong turning.

In Spain, the official mark is the stylized scallop shell on a blue background, which is often placed on the walls of houses well above eye level to indicate the route through villages and towns. In open country, one frequently encounters these signs are often found embedded in small concrete pillars. There are also signboards with this mark at the top, a pedestrian sign in the middle, and a direction arrow at the bottom; these are much used at road crossings.

The red and white GR flashes are also found from time to time in Spain. However, the most common mark is a yellow arrow, which may be painted on trees, rocks, kerbstones, storm water gutters etc. Sometimes a yellow stripe is painted on trees as a continuation marker for reassurance. Some other waymarks incorporating the scallop shell can be found.

When walking the Camino Frances or most of the other routes to Santiago, one does not need a map... you simply follow the waymarks!