Camino

There are many resources out there, so here are some ideas where to look if you are new to the Camino.

Each year normally hundreds of thousands of people walk to Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. They take many routes of pilgrims of the Middle Ages. The most famous route is the Camino Francés, a journey of some 800 km from the border of France and Spain to Santiago de Compostela.

For details about the routes and practical information check out the following sites:

www.csj.org.uk: the site of Camino Pilgrim, the Confraternity of Saint James in the UK; shop selling guide books and Camino related literature; run practical pilgrim days and information days; also zoom meetings

www.gronze.com: very good site with up to date information on most Caminos, accommodation, stage profiles, in Spanish;

www.wisepilgrim.com: guide books, maps and apps mainly for routes in Spain; site is in German, English and Italian; Wise Pilgrim also has an app that’s hugely popular.

www.godesalco.com: Spanish site with route information, history, etc. Includes a handy stage planner for various routes to calculate time needed, etc.

Preparing for the Camino - download Johnnie Walker’s preparation guide here. While it talks about the Camino Frances it contains a wealth of information applicable to any Camino in Spain, from health, accommodation, transport, language, etc.

Pilgrim Guide to Santiago by Johnnie Walker: download the guide here. The guide covers the arrival in Santiago, accommodation options, things to do and see, walks in Santiago and more.

Discussion groups:

Facebook English speaking private discussion group run by Johnnie Walker to share news, information and views on the Camino. Currently this group has over 11K members with a lot of actively, also zoom meet ups.

Caminodesantiagome: English language discussion forum with good search facility through previously asked questions, lively and very good for practical advice questions.

Books about the Camino

There is a wide choice of literature on the Camino these days. Here are some ideas:

Rufin, Jean-Christophe: The Santiago Pilgrimage, Walking the Immortal Way; 2013. Rufin, one of the founders of Médecins sans Frontières, describes his walk on the Camino del Norte. Includes a great chapter on the rucksack, weight and our fears.

Codd, Kevin A: To the Field of Stars: A Pilgim’s Journey to Santiago de Compostela; 2008. Codd shares his journey on the Camino Francés and tales from other pilgrims, how his perspective changes and challenges and triumphs along the way.

Photography

A great monthly read for anybody into black & white photography is this UK magazine: Black & White Photography - Cool, Creative And Contemporary; look it up on https://www.blackandwhitephotographymag.co.uk/ It’s been my favourite magazine for a while, interesting columns, project ideas and features.

One book that has been helpful in getting more into photography and to develop more of ones own style is zen camera - CREATIVE AWAKENING WITH A DAILY PRACTICE IN PHOTOGRAPHY by David Ulrich (2018). Well worth a read to become more observant and to practise more.

https://readframes.com/ is a new website and magazine, has a very active facebook group and regularly posts podcasts. The standard of photography is very high and great to get ideas to develop further.

Cameras: The photos for the book were taken on several cameras: Panasonic GX1, Sony RX 100, iPhone, Fuji X100T; the Fuji is now my firm favourite to take on the Camino, it’s small and light enough to carry and to have quick access to.