Linda's book

[Rosina Lila]

Hi Ana,
Before I left New York I had a wonderful time rereading and dividing Linda's
book  into seven sections, of about fifty pages, each covering four to five
walking days:   Jaca to Puente la Reina; Puente to Lonrono;  Logrono to
Burgos; Burgos to Sahagun;  Sahagun to Astorga; Astorga to Portomarin and
Portomarin to Santiago , and I sent them all from Jaca to the various towns.
I never carried more than fifty pages with me since, invariably, I gave the
pages away as I completed the applicable portion of the Camino.  I  also sent
ahead those items that were not absolutely-and-categorically-indispensable
for a given sector,  such a fleece jacket around Fromista, to be picked up
later as needed,  and, consequently, my pack was light.
Purchases that I made on the way I sent directly to myself to Santiago, with
the result that having left New York with only a backpack and my dear old
walking stick, I came back with suitcases.
Using the mails in Spain is delightfully simple and surprisingly inexpensive.
 The post offices sell mailing boxes and envelopes of various sizes complete
with sealing tape and whatever else may be necessary, and the workers at the
post office could not be more helpful.
The downside of Linda's book, for me, is that it is not available in other
languages;  I spent countless hours translating the sections to ever so many
interested people, such as other non-English speaking pilgrims, Spanish
priests, nuns, storekeepers, museum attendants etc.  Two Spanish professors
told me that they would love to have the book in Spanish to use in their
classes; one of them called it a priceless mini-encyclopedia and wished that
it were available at least in French.
I mentioned this to Linda last year and she told me that her publishers were
not, at that time, planning to have the book translated.
It is a pity that such quirky books like Shirley McClaine's (which I enjoyed
somewhat) and Coelho's (which I did not at all like) have been translated
into Spanish and are available all over.  It seems to me that Spanish readers
are being sold quite short and that is indeed a pity.  The Camino  may be
their country and all, but they do not have, to my knowledge, a book as
step-by-step detailed and richly informative as Linda's.
Well, maybe things will change; I told Linda that I was sure that those of us
in this list who know Spanish would gladly help translate the book on a
volunteer basis.  For myself, the offer stands.
Blessings to all,
Rosina