St Edmundsbury Cathedral
Following in the footsteps of Edmund, King and MartyrPilgrimage to
Santiago de Compostela 2016
The Camino Inglés
Friday 13th May - Sunday 22nd May
A wonderful opportunity to walk the
Camino de Santiago
and to share with
others the spiritual experience of walking to Santiago de Compostela. The
Camino Inglés
(the ‘English Route’) is quieter than the popularised
Camino
Francés,
and begins from El Ferrol on the North West coast of Spain. It
was one of the routes traditionally used by English medieval pilgrims
landing on the Spanish coast and offers a fresh perspective on the
pilgrimage for those who have been before.
It is also less strenuous as
there are few steep climbs or rocky paths. If you have been before, you
will know that you can expect more than ‘just a walk’ - a real pilgrimage
and retreat experience, enjoying the company of other pilgrims, sharing
experiences and an evening meal each day together, meeting with Christ
and his Saints.
The pilgrimage will be approximately 130km (about 85 miles), arriving in
Santiago for the daily Pilgrim Mass and with a day to spare for sightseeing.
Pilgrimage to Santiago, 13-22 May 2016
Walking the Camino (Spanish for ‘pathway’) to Santiago de Compostela is an amazing experience, a walking ‘retreat’ to feed the soul. There are many different routes to Santiago from different parts of Europe and beyond. The route we will be walking (the Camino Inglés ) is described as the ‘authentic English route’ to the shrine of St James in Compostela.
A quick bit of history
Santiago Cathedral (Santiago - Spanish for ‘St James’) houses a beautiful shrine beneath the main altar, containing a silver casket which, according to tradition, is thought contain the relics of St James the Great. He became Spain’s Patron Saint because he is believed to have brought the gospel to the Iberian Peninsula in the first century. On his return to the Holy
Land, he was beheaded on the orders of King Herod Agrippa, and the followers of St James brought his body back to the Spanish region of Galicia for burial.
The Scallop Shell – symbol of Pilgrimage
Tradition has it that, on the voyage north, along the Atlantic coast, the ship containing St James’ coffin was shipwrecked. When the monks recovered the coffin, it was covered in scallop shells. Ever since, the scallop shell has been a symbol of pilgrimage. Some like to see the shell as a symbol for the Christian pilgrimage through life; or thinking of the grooves of the shell, which come together at a single point, representing the many pilgrim routes to Santiago, eventually arriving at the shrine. It is also said that the scallop shell served practical purposes for early pilgrims - it is the right size for gathering water to drink or for eating from as a makeshift bowl.
You will see many other walkers on the route wearing a shell. If you have one which you can attach to your backpack or hat, do bring it to enter into the spirit of the Camino. If not, we hope to be able to supply you with a pin-on badge with a shell image.
The Itinerary
The Camino Inglés is an ancient Pilgrim path. It passes first along the Ria de Ferrol (huge estuary coastline) and then through beautiful countryside and agricultural lands which include vineyards, crops and farms. The route is a mixture of tracks and well trodden footpaths, some minor country roads with relaxing sections along farm tracks and through forests. It passes chapels, churches and wayside shrines. The final day ends by taking us through Santiago’s outskirts and includes the city’s ancient streets.
Each night’s en-suite accommodation is in modest but comfortable, family run hotels in historic towns along the route, and will include a group evening meal together and breakfast the next day. You will walk beside the beautiful Eume estuary and you will use historic estuary crossings including the gigantic 21-arch bridge at Pontedueme, built in the 14th century
for pilgrims, and a tide mill at Neda. We’ll pass near the 12th-century clunaic
monastery on the Camino at San Martin de Xubia. The route, walked by so many pilgrims past and present, passes through ancient forest near Bruma, hot springs at Carra and many medieval villages and towns such as Betanzos. There is even a chance to swim in the beautiful sandy beach at Cabanas. The route is very well way-marked by the Confraternity of Santiago, and everything is on well trodden footpaths through beautiful countryside including the Ria de Betanzos estuary. There are a few sections where the Camino uses minor roads, and, although there are some hills, there is no rough or difficult walking or any very steep climbs. Two of the days are quite hard work because of their length.
Each day
We will depart each day quite early, at around 8.00am after breakfast and short prayers. This will ensure that we arrive in the next place in good time to allow for any stops you want to make for a sandwich, ‘nature calls’, occasional sightseeing, musing, resting your feet or simply ‘resting awhile’. Each town we arrive in will have plenty of interest, and the aim is to arrive mid-afternoon on each day to allow for a rest/siesta and a look round – and to buy yourself any supplies for the next day’s walking (there are hardly any places to buy food en route during the day as we are mostly walking through open countryside).
Each day after breakfast our luggage will be transferred to the next hotel (using a car we have hired for the week), so you will only need to bring a light back pack for the day to carry a bit of lunch, water, sun-cream, plasters, etc. There will be various opportunities each day for prayers and on some days a simple evening Eucharist.
Meals
Each day an traditional Galician evening meal is
provided at the hotel or nearby restaurant– hopefully we can all meet together before for a drink and chat and share experiences of the day. Breakfast is provided too, but you will need to find some food from local shops/supermarkets to take with you for your back-pack for eating during the day/at lunchtime. An evening meal is not provided on the last evening – there are many, many excellent eating places in Santiago and we will be staying right by the Cathedral in the city centre.
Footwear
Throughout the route the terrain is easy-going, with no difficult or rocky paths. So you will be OK wearing good quality trainers – lighter and can be more comfortable – or sturdy,
comfortable shoes. Some people prefer trusty well-worn walking boots. The terrain and time of year we are walking does not really demand heavy walking boots, but you should follow your instinct on this - just make sure you are comfortable.
Footcare
If you are wearing the right shoes, your feet will be fine, especially if you have done some longer practice walks before we travel. However, if you are worried about blisters, you can take in your back-pack a small pack of plasters, padding, antiseptic and scissors. The commonly recommended brand to look for in the pharmacy (or on the internet) before you leave is called Compeed in pale blue packaging – they do very good blister-care/ prevention packs. But if you are wearing shoes that don’t rub, you should not need any of that. Make sure your shoes are water-proof (eg, if you are using trainers, make sure they are Gortex or similar) as having wet feet all day can be miserable, and also make your feet much more prone to blisters.
Weather / Water-proof clothing
Bear in mind that Santiago is in the north-west, in the beautiful Spanish region of Galicia – known for being green and fertile. So, just like Ireland or Cornwall on the Atlantic, be prepared for downpours! If you have lightweight waterproof tops and trousers it would be no bad thing to put them in your luggage. Also, a tip from seasoned pilgrims: if you are carrying a mobile phone or camera, make sure you keep it in a couple of water-proof plastic bags. On a rainy day, water can get in the most unlikely places.
But… do bring a hat and sun-block to protect yourself as, on the other hand, it might well be hot sunny all the time. In other words – be prepared for all possible weathers… pack your T-shirt but also some warm/ waterproof clothing.
‘Credencial’
Finally, you’ll receive at the start a ‘pilgrim passport’ (Credencial) with spaces for a rubber stamp (ask for a ‘sello’ in Spanish) at all the places you go to each day. When you go into the Pilgrim Office near the Cathedral to get your ‘Compostela’ (certificate to bring home with you), you will need to show them the Credencial to prove that you have walked and not gone by car! The Credencial is also a nice keepsake, to remind you of all the places you went to along the way.
More information
The Confraternity of St James have an excellent website (www.csj.org.uk), along with the Galicia Santiago site
(camino.xacobeo.es), which are well worth a look, and far more reliable than many of the other tourist/travel company sites.
Other websites worth a look for more details: Some excellent photos of the route:
http://www.santiago-compostela.net/ingles/index_ci_en.html
More detailed descriptions and maps:
http://camino.xacobeo.es/en/routes/english-way
Detailed Itinerary for the Pilgrimage
Friday 13 May – Transport from Santiago Airport to El Ferrol. Our hotel is El Suizo in the old part of the port area with museums and other nearby points of interest. Evening meal provided.
Saturday 14 May – approx 7 miles (about 4 hrs) An easy start to the pilgrimage,
walking from the atmospheric port area of the town, and out of Ferrol through the town centre, passing along the beautiful river and estuary until reaching our first night’s accommodation – a Pension in the small coastal community of Neda with its Iglesia de Santa Maria which has a plaque: “Dedicated to the pilgrims who
visit this site on their way to Saint James of Compostela”. Sunday 15 May – approx 9 miles (about 4 hours)
Again an easy day of walking the estuary and river, including the opportunity to swim at the beautiful white sandy beaches at Cabana, until reaching the huge ancient pilgrim bridge into Pontedueme. – Hotel Eumesa – hotel just beyond the bridge. Historic picturesque fortress town on the water’s edge, built into the hillside. The Romanesque 12th Century Iglesia de San Miguel de Breamo is about 30 mins walk high above the town and is well worth the visit during the afternoon.
Monday 16 May – approx 11 miles (about 3-4 hrs)
Today is mostly inland apart from a brief walk through the coastal town of Miño, with small paths, roads and forest, including some hills on open paths, to our destination of Betanzos, a bustling medieval riverside market town with 14th -century church of Francis of Asissi. Hotel Garelos
is in the town centre.
Tuesday 17 May – approx 18 miles (about 7-8 hrs)
Day 3 takes you through the ‘heart of rural Galicia’ – beautiful, sparsely populated countryside and includes some demanding uphill stretches before reaching the hamlet of Hospital de Bruma. We stay nearby at a Casa Rural, Mesón Novo in nearby O Mesón do Vento which has grocery shops and bars. Today will have been the most tiring walk of the week, and we will be picked up from Bruma to take us to Mesón.
Wednesday 18 May – approx 16 miles (about 6-7 hrs)
Today, although another long day, is much easier walking and passes through countryside and the hamlets of Carreira, Mámoas and Carballeira and eventually reach the historic village of Buscas, with. Of note is the chapel of Our Lady of Mercy (Nuestra Señora de la Merced). Our destination is the Hotel San Vicente, on the Camino 3km beyond the large town of Sigüeiro.
Thursday 19 May – approx 9 miles (about 3-4 hrs) Although there are a few small hills to go up
and down, this is should be a much more relaxed final day of the pilgrimage – one of the shortest of our days – and some glimpses of the Cathedral as you approach the outskirts of Santiago! Depending on timings, we should arrive in time for the 12 noon Pilgrim Mass. We’re staying at the Hospedería San Martin Pinario for three nights, right by the Cathedral, and eating at a nearby restaurant (included in price) tonight.
Friday and Saturday 20-21 May
Two days to relax and recover and explore Santiago de Compostela with its vibrant atmosphere and long history. Each day there is a Pilgrim Mass in the Cathedral at 12 noon. Included in the price is a guided tour of the historic city
centre, probably on the Monday. We will arrange a trip out to Finistere and Muxia (about an hours’ drive) for those who fancy exploring further. If your time is limited, there are return flights on Friday 20 May – we can work out a lower cost for fewer nights’ accommodation.
Sunday 22 May – Depart hotel after breakfast. Taxi/bus will take us to Santiago Airport.
Costs and booking
Please be aware that, the pilgrimage is being booked by the Cathedral in Euros, and so the price may marginally increase or reduce depending on exchange rates at the time of paying final invoices in March 2016. The cost per person, based on a minimum group of 15 people, is £790.00 (at current exchange rates) and will include:
All accommodation, twin share
Food: all breakfasts and the first 8 of the 9 evening meals
Transfer from and to Santiago airport at the start/end of the trip
Luggage being moved each day; (and car ‘back up’ if needed)
Tour of Santiago medieval quarter and Alameda by local guide
Day trip to Finisterra and Muxia
To keep costs to a minimum, there are some things not included.
In particular, in order to allow flexibility for anyone wishing to stay longer (ie, to arrive before the main group or depart later and extend their days), you will need to fix your own flights. Additional costs for you will therefore be:
Your flights (Ryan Air etc, currently about £150 return)
Your own Travel Insurance, museum entry, personal costs etc.
All lunches (picnics en-route each day, from local supermarkets)
Single room supplement of £120.00 per person
A reduced price can be arranged for those wishing to depart early
Booking timetable is as follows:
Firm commitment needed by 15 January 2016, which will require a 25% deposit.
Balance payable by 1 March 2016
Your own travel insurance and flights, and other costs as shown above, are your responsibility.
For a booking form or to discuss any aspects of the pilgrimage, please do get in touch with
The Reverend Canon Philip Banks precentor@stedscathedral.org
01284 748724
A Pilgrim Prayer
May God shield you on every step, may Christ aid you on every path, may the Spirit fill you on every slope,
