Pilgrims Office Santiago – volunteers wanted October 2013 – April 2014

For many years volunteers have been engaged in the Pilgrims’ Office often on an informal basis. Now the Cathedral wishes to offer more defined, planned opportunities for pilgrims to volunteer to receive pilgrims, issue the sello of the cathedral and the Compostela.

Therefore we are inviting applications from experienced pilgrims to volunteer in the office from October 2013. 

The volunteers will pay for their own transport and subsistence. Accommodation will be provided.

Successful applicants will have walked a Camino and will have good language skills including being able to speak Spanish at intermediate level. 

From October 2013 – April 2014 we are seeking volunteers who would come usually for a minimum of 2 weeks.

Please inform your pilgrim friends and networks about this opportunity.   

Further information and an application pack available from:

Johnniewalker-santiago@hotmail.com

More on the Camino Portuguese by the coast...

Hola everyone

I'm getting many more enquiries asking for information on the route by the coast from Oporto. The original post is here

And here is a very helpful note from Sandra. 

Vila do Conde

 Johnnie, I emailed you some time ago asking for info on the above route. I have since been there, walked it, and the other day found your account of the coastal way which is the one I really wanted to do....

We walked from Porto to Santiago from 13th to 24th June. 
On the first day we took the metro to Matosinhos and along the boardwalk: absolutely wonderful day, brilliant sunshine and not too strong breeze. 
In Vila do Conde we found a really good place to eat: from the sello, it looks like Jose Gaifem, Adega Do Testas. It is a good bit away from the harbour, to the left and behind as you look over from the bridge into town. We were just strolling, so maybe ten minutes or so from the quay.
Jose, the owner, who has walked the Camino several times, was outside cooking sardines on his brazier, and easily negotiated a late menu del dia for us, although it was way past time for that. He told us of a Residencia near his restaurant which has reasonable rates for pilgrims, and also the Fire Station, but by then we had booked into a small hotel. The food was really good, freshly cooked by his wife and served by his son.

Then we cut across to join the route from Rates. That day was so hot, and the local fiesta of their patron included a 4 way set of speakers playing latino music all day and all night...!

The second place of particular note was in Ponte de Lima. It was a busy day of fiesta and we looked for a place recommended in our guidebook, to be waved off by a member of staff telling us that menu de pelegrino didn't start till 7pm... Walking on a little bit we found Restaurante Mercado. An excellent choice. It has recently changed hands, and the service and quality of food was excellent.

Last Stamp Albergue - highly recommended

The third place of note was the albergue we found in Santiago itself: El Ultimo Sello. This is a private albergue, to the right of the square at the top of the street leading up from the Cathedral to Caso Manolo.
It is absolutely spotless, only a few months in business. There are around 50 beds in various rooms. Sheets! Pillows! laundered! Duvets! There is a really well stocked kitchen and a great double patio for clothes, dogs, bikes... rate varies depending on the number of nights but around €16 or so. Very central: when we did the French Way seven years ago we had booked ahead because of the date of arrival being very near the feast of Santiago, and the albergue, also private, was a good walk out of town. This time we were so central it was much easier and when we didn't eat in Casa Manolo we were actually able to cook and invite some our walking companions to join us in the kitchen. The desk is attended 24 hours a day.

We had time to visit the City of Culture. A vast monument to .. what, exactly? I have never been to the Pyramids, but I imagine it might feel similar... the scale of the buildings in relation to human frame...
We saw maybe eight other visitors, and it was Wednesday, free entrance (usually €4.00) to the Orinoco exhibition.
Santiago itself is the city of culture, no need to compete with it. A Galician woman left us in no doubt as to how the local taxpayer feels about it.

I promised Jose in Vila do Conde, the owner of the restaurant in Ponte de Lima, and the receptionist in el Ultimo Sello - not forgetting Manolo himself in Santiago (where fast food is freshly prepared and excellent value) that I would pass on my experience of their special service, and so, here I am asking you to include brief references to them. If you think there is a better way of doing that, please let me know and I will send on the recommendations to a different site. 

I think I have taken enough of your time, thanks again for your excellent blog.
Regards,
Sandra

And now the analysis from Fraluchi...

Pilgrim friend Fraluchi from Costa Rica has sent me this interesting anaylsis of the pilgrim statistics published in the last post. Enjoy:

"As usual I had a close look at what has happened so far on the "Caminos a Santiago" this year.

It is interesting to note that 70% of all arrivals (78'310) had chosen to walk the Camino Francés (vs. 69'640 in 2012). 

This represents a 12.5% increase compared to the same period in 2012 and is growing faster than overall Camino arrivals (11.8%)

Of these Camino Francés arrivals, 26'204 (or 33% of the total) had started in Sarria, as compared to 21'012 (or 30%) in 2012. 

This indicates that the number of short distance walkers has proportionally increased by 25% compared to the numbers in 2012.

I haven't looked (yet) at the numbers who walked the Camino Portugués, but assume that these might show a similar trend.

The percentage of pilgrims who started from SJPP, Roncesvalles or Pamplona remained a steady 26% of all Camino Francés pilgrims and represent 18% of the total pilgrim arrivals in Santiago. Considering that these pilgrims have been "on the road" for an average of at least 33 days, they represent an extraordinary economic factor in the Camino. 

Compared to the 33% of pilgrims who started from Sarria (6 days), they should have contributed more than 5 times to Spain's Camino economy.

There is a constant decrease in pilgrims from Spain vs. foreigners: 46% this year, against 48% in 2012 and 52% in 2011. This is not particularly surprising under the country's economic difficulties.

Pilgrim arrivals in the various age groups are showing remarkable shifts. Those of less than 30 years old were 27% (32% in 2012), pilgrims between 30 and 60 years old were 55% (56% in 2012) and elder than 60 years old were 18% (12% in 2012) of the total pilgrim arrivals.

In absolute figures the >60 group has grown a solid 17% vs. 2012; i.e. 5 percentage points above the total arrivals between 2012 and 2013.

Thus the economic effects must have considerably increased. Elder people tend to have more money to pay for better facilities than young backpackers."

All the news and pilgrims numbers from Santiago

This has been a time of tragedy with the recent train accident claiming so many victims. Messages of support flowed in from all over the pilgrim world. On behalf of everyone in the Pilgrims' Office thank you to all of the organisations and individuals who got in touch with us to express their solidarity.

It has been a terribly sad time in Santiago. But still the pilgrims come and I think their presence has helped to lighten the atmosphere. For many life has not returned to normal. For the families directly affected it will never be the same. One constancy over the ages is the arrival of the pilgrims and in the last days they have flowed into the city in huge numbers. On one day we issued 1980 compostelas!

In other news: the programme of masses in different languages, Portuguese, French and Italian has been expanded with the arrival of a series of English speaking priests. We are running this on the same model as the Amigos Welcome Service. Priests apply and are considered and then they come for two weeks. It is working very well and is proving very popular.

Also the services in the Pilgrims´Office are expanding considerably. The courtyard now boasts an office for Alsa buses, the national bus company and also a Renfe office. Get your Compostela and your bus or train tickets all in the same place.

In an exciting development the Cathedral has now opened a new Left Luggage or Consigna which offers a wide range of services. Free Wiif, a boarding pass printing service, showers, washing machines and a bicycle store and return service. It is just a few metres from the Pilgrims Office on the left hand side of the street. See: http://www.consignaperegrino.com/

And now to the statistics.      

Total number of pilgrims who registered in the Pilgrims´Office between 1 January 2013 and 31 July 2013 - 112.081

Total number who arrived in the same period in 2012 – 100,304

This represents an increase of almost 12%. 

Country	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	Growth
Australia	529	624	652	931	1518	63%
Canada	1093	981	1116	1450	1602	10%
Ireland	1144	1365	1413	2296	2878	25%
South Africa	157	161	272	425	445	5%
United Kingdom	942	1085	1149	1950	2237	15%
United States	1573	2021	2234	3979	6171	55%
New Zealand	109	129	126	190	257	35%

Routes

Route                          Number of pilgrims

Frances-Camino de     78310 (69,87%)

Portugues-Camino      16234 (14,48%)

Norte-Camino de        6440 (5,75%)

Via de la Plata             5104 (4,55%)

Primitivo-Camino        3165 (2,82%)

Ingles-Camino             2306 (2,06%)

Muxia-Finisterre          268 (0,24%)

Otros caminos             251 (0,22%)

Gender

Gender           Number of pilgrims

Male               61516 (54,89%)

Female             50565 (45,11%)

Mode of transport

Mode              Number of pilgrims

On foot           97101 (86,63%)

Bicycle            14297 (12,76%)

Horeseback     654 (0,58%)

Wheelchair      29 (0,03%)

Reasons for making the pilgrimage

Reason                        Number of pilgrims

Religious and other     59502 (53,09%)

Religious                    46303 (41,31%)

Not religious              6276 (5,60%)

Staus

Status              Number of pilgrims

Employed        23683 (21,13%)

Student           22331 (19,92%)

Retired            15072 (13,45%)

Self emp          12393 (11,06%)

Technical         11956 (10,67%)

Teachers          8158 (7,28%)

Public sector    5223 (4,66%)

Manual            3880 (3,46%)

Unemployed   2720 (2,43%)

House people 2589 (2,31%)

Directors         1494 (1,33%)

Artists            989 (0,88%)

Priests             655 (0,58%)

Farmworkers   376 (0,34%)

Religious         271 (0,24%)

Sailors             145 (0,13%)

Sportspeople   137 (0,12%)

Oikoten           9 (0,01%)

Countries

Countries       Number of pilgrims

Spain              51718 (46,14%)

Germany         9531 (8,50%)

Italy                6761 (6,03%)

Portugal           6532 (5,83%)

USA               6171 (5,51%)

France             4624 (4,13%)

Ireland             2878 (2,57%)

UK                 2237 (2,00%)

Holland            1918 (1,71%)

Canadá            1602 (1,43%)

Australia          1518 (1,35%)

Korea             1441 (1,29%)

Brasil               1416 (1,26%)

Poland             1125 (1,00%)

Austria            1077 (0,96%)

Belgica            1036 (0,92%)

Dinamarca       1019 (0,91%)

México            742 (0,66%)

Suiza              716 (0,64%)

Suecia              675 (0,60%)

Argentina        542 (0,48%)

Japón               515 (0,46%)

Hungría           463 (0,41%)

Noruega          448 (0,40%)

Sudáfrica         445 (0,40%)

Finlandia         435 (0,39%)

Rep Checa       427 (0,38%)

Venezuela       393 (0,35%)

Colombia         359 (0,32%)

Rusia              284 (0,25%)

New Zealand 257 (0,23%)

China               223 (0,20%)

Eslovenia         197 (0,18%)

Eslovaquia       193 (0,17%)

Bulgaria           178 (0,16%)

Ecuador           148 (0,13%)

Rumania          145 (0,13%)

Chile                127 (0,11%)

Lituania           126 (0,11%)

Uruguay          102 (0,09%)

Ucrania            84 (0,07%)

Puerto Rico     82 (0,07%)

Perú                 77 (0,07%)

Singapur          73 (0,07%)

Taiwán            61 (0,05%)

Filipinas           57 (0,05%)

Croacia            56 (0,05%)

Malta               53 (0,05%)

Estonia            52 (0,05%)

Israel               50 (0,04%)

Andorra           50 (0,04%)

Grecia              41 (0,04%)

Luxemburgo    38 (0,03%)

Letonia            36 (0,03%)

Costa Rica       36 (0,03%)

Bolivia             35 (0,03%)

Guatemala       30 (0,03%)

Islandia           27 (0,02%)

El Salvador     26 (0,02%)

Dominican       26 (0,02%)

Malasia            22 (0,02%)

India                21 (0,02%)

Cuba                18 (0,02%)

Paraguay         18 (0,02%)

Líbano             17 (0,02%)

Panamá            14 (0,01%)

Turquía            14 (0,01%)

Bielorrusia       12 (0,01%)

Irán                  10 (0,01%)

Marruecos       10 (0,01%)

Nicaragua        10 (0,01%)

Indonesia        9 (0,01%)

Jordania           9 (0,01%)

Angola            8 (0,01%)

Vietnam          7 (0,01%)

Islas Feroe       7 (0,01%)

Albania            7 (0,01%)

Tailandia         7 (0,01%)

Honduras        7 (0,01%)

Pakistán           7 (0,01%)

Serbia              6 (0,01%)

Bangladesh     5 (0,00%)

Mauritania       5 (0,00%)

Namibia           5 (0,00%)

Sri Lanka         4 (0,00%)

Congo                         4 (0,00%)

Moldavia         3 (0,00%)

Bosnia             3 (0,00%)

Egipto                         3 (0,00%)

Zimbabwe       3 (0,00%)

UAE               3 (0,00%)

Argelia            3 (0,00%)

Túnez              3 (0,00%)

Chipre             3 (0,00%)

Dominica         3 (0,00%)

Kazajistán       3 (0,00%)

Georgia           3 (0,00%)

Kuwait            3 (0,00%)

Guinea             2 (0,00%)

I. Reunión       2 (0,00%)

Guyana            2 (0,00%)

Liechtensein    2 (0,00%)

Belice              2 (0,00%)

Tanzania          2 (0,00%)

Jamaica            2 (0,00%)

Uganda           2 (0,00%)

Mongolia         2 (0,00%)

Tuvalu             2 (0,00%)

Armenia          2 (0,00%)

Tayikistán        1 (0,00%)

Mauricio          1 (0,00%)

Rwanda           1 (0,00%)

Guinea             1 (0,00%)

Montenegro     1 (0,00%)

Libia                1 (0,00%)

Zambia            1 (0,00%)

Starting points

Starting point Number of pilgrims

Sarria                          26204 (23,38%)

S. Jean P. Port             13929 (12,43%)

León                           5356 (4,78%)

Cebreiro                      5352 (4,78%)

Oporto                         5216 (4,65%)

Tui                               4713 (4,20%)

Roncesvalles               4348 (3,88%)

Ponferrada                  3920 (3,50%)

Astorga                       3518 (3,14%)

Valença do Minho      2471 (2,20%)

Pamplona                    2363 (2,11%)

Ferrol                           2237 (2,00%)

Le Puy                         1930 (1,72%)

Burgos                         1882 (1,68%)

Oviedo - C.P.             1822 (1,63%)

Ourense                       1677 (1,50%)

Irún                             1595 (1,42%)

Sevilla                         1488 (1,33%)

Vilafranca                   1437 (1,28%)

Triacastela                   1043 (0,93%)

Francia - C.F.             1011 (0,90%)

Resto Portugal            969 (0,86%)

Lugo - C.P.                 840 (0,75%)

Resto C. León C.F.     761 (0,68%)

Samos                         675 (0,60%)

Ribadeo                       643 (0,57%)

Resto Asturias - C.N   591 (0,53%)

Lisboa                         587 (0,52%)

Holanda                      501 (0,45%)

Santander                    476 (0,42%)

Ponte de Lima             459 (0,41%)

Logroño                      446 (0,40%)

Oviedo - C.N.             440 (0,39%)

Rates, S. Pedro           433 (0,39%)

Bilbao                         420 (0,37%)

Vilalba                         357 (0,32%)

Mondoñedo                341 (0,30%)

Salamanca                   324 (0,29%)

Gijón                           324 (0,29%)

Madrid - C.F.             311 (0,28%)

Alemania                     309 (0,28%)

Barcelos                      293 (0,26%)

Somport                      292 (0,26%)

Chaves-Portugal          259 (0,23%)

Porriño                        252 (0,22%)

Avilés                         227 (0,20%)

Bélgica                        222 (0,20%)

Braga                           219 (0,20%)

Zamora                        218 (0,19%)

Puebla de Sanabria      189 (0,17%)

San Sebastián             183 (0,16%)

Sahagún                      180 (0,16%)

Resto País Vasco        175 (0,16%)

Vega de Valcarce        165 (0,15%)

Muxia                         163 (0,15%)

Lourdes                       157 (0,14%)

Resto Asturias - C.P. 153 (0,14%)

Gudiña                        144 (0,13%)

Suiza                           137 (0,12%)

Baamonde                   136 (0,12%)

Resto Cantabria          128 (0,11%)

Fonsagrada - C.P.       126 (0,11%)

Guimaraes                   124 (0,11%)

Jaca                             119 (0,11%)

Vezelay                       118 (0,11%)

Puente la Reina           115 (0,10%)

Finisterra                     105 (0,09%)

Frómista                      102 (0,09%)

Rabanal del Camino    97 (0,09%)

Hospital de Orbigo     95 (0,08%)

Valencia O.C.             92 (0,08%)

Lourenzá                     91 (0,08%)

Cataluña - C.F.            91 (0,08%)

Francia - C.N             90 (0,08%)

Resto Andalucia         88 (0,08%)

Carrión de Condes      87 (0,08%)

Viana do Castelo        82 (0,07%)

Sto. Domingo             81 (0,07%)

R.Pais Vasco C.F.       81 (0,07%)

Mérida                         80 (0,07%)

Grandas de Salime      80 (0,07%)

Navarra                       78 (0,07%)

Coimbra                      77 (0,07%)

Cáceres                        74 (0,07%)

Hendaya                      73 (0,07%)

Tineo - C.P.                 70 (0,06%)

Resto C. León - V.P. 67 (0,06%)

Granja de Moreruela   66 (0,06%)

Arles                            64 (0,06%)

Canfranc                     62 (0,06%)

Zaragoza                     62 (0,06%)

Neda                           62 (0,06%)

Verín                           59 (0,05%)

Laza                            58 (0,05%)

Baiona                         54 (0,05%)

Abadin                        52 (0,05%)

París                            52 (0,05%)

Madrid - V.P.             51 (0,05%)

Com. Valenciana  .      50 (0,04%)

Viseu                           50 (0,04%)

Granada                      49 (0,04%)

Barcelona                    49 (0,04%)

Montserrat                   49 (0,04%)

Ponferrada. C.Inv.      48 (0,04%)

Fatima                         48 (0,04%)

Monforte de Lemos    47 (0,04%)

Molinaseca                  47 (0,04%)

Fonfría                        47 (0,04%)

Estella                         47 (0,04%)

Resto Europa             45 (0,04%)

Cadavo                        44 (0,04%)

Vigo                            43 (0,04%)

A Guarda                    42 (0,04%)

Xunqueira de Ambia   41 (0,04%)

Povoa de Varzim        40 (0,04%)

Austria                        37 (0,03%)

Extremadura              36 (0,03%)

Rábade                        36 (0,03%)

La Rioja                      36 (0,03%)

Cast. la Mancha          34 (0,03%)

Esposende                   30 (0,03%)

Malaga                        28 (0,02%)

Com. Valenciana         26 (0,02%)

Italia                            23 (0,02%)

Aveiro                         22 (0,02%)

Roma                           22 (0,02%)

Castilla La Mancha     22 (0,02%)

Castrojeriz                   20 (0,02%)

Huelva                         18 (0,02%)

Allariz                         17 (0,02%)

Córdoba                      17 (0,02%)

Nájera                         16 (0,01%)

Cruz de Ferro             15 (0,01%)

Castilla la Mancha       14 (0,01%)

Reino Unido C.F.       13 (0,01%)

Benavente                   11 (0,01%)

La Mesa                      11 (0,01%)

Polonia                        11 (0,01%)

Valladolid                   10 (0,01%)

Republica Checa         10 (0,01%)

Cataluña - O.C.           8 (0,01%)

Grado                         8 (0,01%)

Faro                             8 (0,01%)

Irlanda C.F.                 7 (0,01%)

Salas                            7 (0,01%)

Badajoz                       7 (0,01%)

Murcia                         6 (0,01%)

Valcarlos                     6 (0,01%)

XGrandas de Salime   6 (0,01%)

San Juan de Ortega     5 (0,00%)

Chantada                     4 (0,00%)

Valdeorras                  3 (0,00%)

La Bañeza                   3 (0,00%)

Andorra                       3 (0,00%)

Inglaterra C.F.             3 (0,00%)

Reino Unido C.Ing     3 (0,00%)