We are not very fond of cheques but they remain used for people who have no other means to receive money: associations, individual people, small gites...
The next railway station is Decazeville.
You can go there by train and then by bus: Decazeville to Conques
Otherwise La Malle Postale can take you in any town on Podiensis to Conques.
Hospitaleros need to know if you want dinner in advance, in order to plan food. Breakfast is generally included in price.
Cheques are yet used in France for this kind of activity: they do not have other means to be sure of your booking.
My advice is to book at Le Puy (for instance in Grand...
Why not thinking about Nitahalstead Ways ?
(I mean it is easy to plan a Camino: the added value is not worth paying for organization)
Many members here can help you organize a Primitivo for free: just tell us how many kilometers you want to walk a day, if you do want to stop in some towns and so...
In Sahagún, you can get a half-compostela (nice souvenir) in the church of the Virgen Peregrina:
https://en.mapy.cz/turisticka?source=osm&id=94316551&ds=1&x=-5.0332893&y=42.3686528&z=17
There, you can also find the model of Sahagún Tourism Office stamp...
Before walking to the ocean, my advice...
Strictly speaking, that is not true: Camino Frances starts at Puente La Reina, when the 4 ways from France are joining.
Yes, Codex Calixtinus describes this way as this.
I do not agree:
- Pamplona is surrounded by ramparts. It should be something new for our fellow from the New World...
- Its cathedral is worth visiting, you can even climb in the bell towers.
- Last, but not least, you can eat there a tasteful chocolate con churros !
No, being a pilgrim is not a big deal: it just means that you try to progress towards a goal. It is not an achievement.
All christian believers (and perhaps jewish people, too ?) should consider themselves as "pilgrims on earth". Chistian texts tell about "our pilgrimage on earth".
No, it does not belong to the definition of a pilgrimage. Lourdes is often reached by train, Mecca by plane: could you deny them the name of "pilgrimage" ?
Like @wayfarer reported: "A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place", nothing is said about the means you use to reach it.
However...
However, there are many traces of christian spirituality on the Camino. When walking on it, it seems difficult to forget it was a christian way, even if now the religion is often forgotten.
That's the magical of the Camino:
- We all walk toward something doubtful.
- Sometimes we even are not christians.
- We came from different origins, for different reasons...
However we are happy to be there together.
It is the magical of the Camino. One can think there are only 2 answers:
- Religious
- Not religious
But no, indeed there is a 3rd way "Others", which should represent both "religious" and "not religious".
Pilgrim Office has set a quantic Compostela ! ;-)
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