[Gocamino] small guide books, DVDs et al

[Blaroli at aol.com]

Hello you all,
the messages I´ve been getting from many of you tell me that, perhaps, I was´t as clear as I could have been describing the guide books and the DVDs in earlier messages.  So, here goes another attempt:There are three laminated tiny guide books.  In size they are equivalent to 25 or 30 laminated business cards coiled together. They are NOT accordion-like. By necessity, the information contained therein is limited to the names of towns traversed, the distance between them and the distance from the point of departure and to Santiago. They also contain diagrams showing the relative altitude of the sites. The information is accompanied by color-coded symbols indicating whether a place has a private or public albergue, and/or food (stores or bars) and services (bathrooms). That is all.  If you require more information you´ll have to get a regular guide book with description of the places and so on. The advantage of the little books is that they are laminated, tiny, durable and useful even in the rain and can be consulted at any time for reassurance, orientation, etc.  They cost 5 Euros or 7 US Dlls.  I do not know how much it would cost to send them to Australia; I should think that the cost from the US would be 5 or 7 Dlls. To send them to US cities from New York should´t cost more than a couple of bucks.The little books have three different points of departure, and they ALL are on the French Camino.  French pilgrims used to enter Spain for the pilgrimage through Sain Jean Pied de Port (Port means ¨door¨), or Saint John at the foot of the door, or through Somport (The Somme" door). Because Somport is in Aragon, that route, which is exactly 100 kilometers longer than the other one, is called "Aragonese", whether the one from SJPP leading directly into Roncesvalles, which is in Navarra, is called "Navarrese". Both routes meet in Puente La Reina.The little books cover the Franch Camino commencing in Roncesvalles, or commencing in Somport.  There is another one which covers a very small portion of the Camino commencing in Sarria.  These are the three books.
There are four DVDs.  They CANNOT be played on regular US DVD players since they are meant for the European PAL system (The USA system is NSCT). There are some inexpensive DVD players advertised in the USA as "PAL" compatible, however, they only work on a special "multisystem" TV.  The average cost, in New York, to converta a PAL DVD into one that playes in the USA is about 40 dollars.  The DVD themselves cost from 20 to 30 Euros (twenty eight to 42 dollars).Two of the DVDs were produced with the advise and consent of the Archdiocese to commemorate the Xacobean year and were first released as CDRoms:  "The Goal of the Camino", a 360 degree number that caused many complaints for being too "high tech" and not amenable to the ordinary user, and the other one which was produced to counter the many complaints and which is called "The Way to the Goal".  The names are surprisingly unimaginative and confusing.... but there you are.  The first one focuses on Santiago and environs and it is priceless.... if you want to understand the Portico de Gloria, the history of the crypt, and so on.  It has some great shots and videos of the Sobrado Monastery which should be named one of the world´s wonders and which is little visited because it lies on the Northern or Primitive Ways.  If you want to luxuriate on the artistic treasures in and around Santiago, this is for you.  Unfortunately, most unfortunately, even with the DVD you still have to go to the Menu and click on what you want to see. The pictures, however, are much, much better than on the CDRom and you do not have that "fish-eye" so-called 360 degrees constantly moving vision which so very many found irritating (techies, though, reportedly loved it).The other DVD is a straight following of the Camino from both the Aragonese and Navarrese routes until Santiago.  I particularly liked it for its views of San Juan de la Penha and its video of the crashing down of the old cement wall when the Holy Door opened, as well as of the showing of St. James´image without the deslumbrant cape.  Both DVDs can be heard in English, German, Spanish and Galician.  These DVDs cost 20 Euros (twenty eight Dlls.).
The other two Dvds are documentary-like: one produced by the French which focuses on the pilgrims walking, talking, and meeting challenges. It is very, very lovely and I wrote about it before. It is available only in Spanish and French and it costs about 30 Euros (42 Dlls.)The other one is :Xacobean... a Way of the Spirit. Which is a documentary of the Camino without the profound approach of the two Archdiocese-sponsored ones and with more generalized information.  This one costs about 20 Euros.Again.... These DVDs cannot be played in the system used by the American countries.  Sometimes the DVDs themselves indicate the "zones" in which they can be played:  0, 1, 2, 3.  I think that 0 (or 1) covers all the countries in America, and the other zones sygnify European or Asian adaptability.Caveat:  I´ve purchased many a DVD in Europe clearly marked with the zone for the USA and they did not play very well: kept stopping, or the sound didn´t come through, or such.Hopefully the above will clarify your many questions.
I´ve been invited to a dinner given by "The Ladies of the Archiconfraternity" on Tuesday night, which means that I will be going home on Wednesday.
Big hug to you all.Rosina