[Gocamino] Albergues.... new movie

[Rosina]

Hello you all

 

The Galician newspapers report a 32% increase in Camino albergues from 2006 to 2007.

According to the Xacobean sources, at the end of 2007 there were 219 albergues in the environs of the French Camino, of which 43% were public, 42% were private and 15% were sponsored by religious orders.  (In 2007 about 92,000 pilgrims traversed the French Camino).

Meanwhile, the head of the related Orense Council Committee, Fernando Blanco, and the Orense Bishop, Msgr. Luis Quinteiro, have announced the allocation by the Council of nearly 600,000 Euros for the betterment of that portion of the Via de la Plata that traverses the province (between January and April of this year there has been a 22% increase of pilgrims there). 

The Bishop and the Councilman are fully committed to the establishment of a public albergue every 25 kms before 2010.

A few days ago someone bemoaned, in a message here, the crowding of the Camino after choosing to follow the Astorga route as the Via de la Plata nears Santiago.  I should think such crowding is to be expected since the Via de la Plata converges there with the French Camino.

In my first Via de la Plata, and since, I chose to get to Santiago through Orense, and was very happy with the choice. Not only is the area beautiful, and dotted with little towns named “bread town”, “cheese town”, “wine town”, etc., that fully live up to their names, but is covered with those aromatic plants (collard greens-like) that are the staple of Galician Soup (the justly famous Caldo Gallego), but is also rich in fruits and those delicious green peppers which are known as “pimentos del Padron”. Orense, the city, is quite beautiful and interesting…. With its sulphuric hot water springs, etc., etc.

A month ago five of the Pilgrims’ Office workers, including Mari, who runs the office, went to Orense to walk the Camino from that city to Santiago, and they were quite impressed by the rivers, the bridges and the general quietude of the area, interrupted only by the murmurs of the water running down the rivers and the sounds of the cows, goats and sheep that amble on the sides of the hills. (Why anyone would choose to go through Astorga for the sake of saving a few kms. is beyond me).

Since the plan for the refurbishing of the Camino in the area was announced a few days ago, several protests have been voiced complaining that making the area more inviting to pilgrims will  ruin its “true pilgrimage” atmosphere of peace, quiet and reflection, and will turn it into the carnival  that the French Camino has become!

Speaking of which, two well known cinema and TV actors will star in a movie that will be filmed next July. The movie will be called “The End of the Camino” and will be shot in O Cebreiro, Sarria, Portomarin and Santiago.  It will be a comedy depicting the experiences of two reporters who decide to walk the Camino. At present, the producers are looking for 700 “extras” to play pilgrims.

Lastly, the New York TV news has reported that, so far, the No. 1 preferred name for little girls born this year is Isabella, followed by Sophie. I wonder if this is related to the recent spate of shows, articles, etc., about the Spanish Catholic Queen.  The preferred name for boys is, as usual, Michael, followed by James. 

Hugs!


Rosina