gocamino Pilgrims, January to September

[Blaroliaaol.com]

Hello you all,
Xesus Perez Varela of the Galician Xunta informed that in the first eight 
months of this year 572,890 pilgrims used the 52  albergues sponsored by the 
Xunta and various municipalities.
The largest number of pilgrims, 432,205, availed themselves of the albergues 
on the French Route, followed by those  on the Portuguese Route, 55,807, and 
those on the Via de la Plata, 30,292, which, Mr. Perez Varela informed, has 
experienced a "spectacular increase in the number of pilgrims".
22,070 pilgrims used the albergues in the Fisterra-Muxia Way, 21,001 those of 
the Northern Way, 7,953 the English  Way and 3,562 the Primitive Way.

Mr. Perez Varela added that the above numbers are almost double those of the 
last Xacobean Year, 1999 , and that the Xunta estimates that about another 
150,000 pilgrims procured accommodations in hotels and privately run facilities.

This morning I got an e-message from a pilgrim from New Hampshire who is in 
Santiago at the moment after having walked from Sarria.  She says that she was 
on line two hours to get to hug the Apostle's image and that the city is very 
crowded depite the rain.  She also says that there was quite a do around the 
Cathedral owing, no doubt, to the arrival of the large group from Malta and 
their prince.

Warm regards,
Rosina
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