Thank you, Santiago

[peterhore]

I have written, obliquely, about this before but I caught the Camino (not bed!) bug in 2007 when, on a day break from conference in Ferrol, I visited Santiago and wondered what drew so many people there. Then in 2010, when I was researching for a book by exploring the routes over the Pyrenees which had been used in the Second World War by folk escaping Nazi persecution in occupied Europe, I realised that many of the escape routes were former pilgrim routes. They had fallen out of use by the mid-20th century, and were only known to shepherds and smugglers until the Camino movement was rejuvenated from the 1980s onwards.

Once I had the Camino bug, St James kept popping up everywhere. There was, for example, a notice by French friends of the Camino about crossings of the Pyrenees in the porch of one of the two co-cathedrals at St Lizier. I found startling photographic proof that the Chemin de la liberte – hard as it was – had been a former pilgrim route. And when my research took me to Stockholm, there, during a lunch break in Sankt Jacobs kyrka (St Jacob/James church), was a description of him (i.e. James the Greater) as the patron saint of travellers (not St Christopher), and a pamphlet about some local pilgrim routes for those wanting to practise their Camino.

Since 2010 I have crossed via the Pyrenees three times (the hard way, including a white-out in snow in April 2013), walked out to Muxia twice for some of that incredibly good seafood, walked the ingles with my daughter, and am hoping to walk the portugues this Autumn and the Vdlp next Spring.

Oh, and the book has been published. Thank you, St James.

Peter Hore

 

[jelle]

Hi Peterhore,
Do you have a reference for the book on the escape routes? I would be interested in knowing which routes were used and have an interest in both the escape routes and the pilgrim routes over the pyrenees.
Thanks,

 

[mspath]

For some earlier posts regarding ww2 escape routes through the Pyrenees see this thread.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/foix-st-girons.26843/

 

[peterhore]

I don't know of any catalogue of these 'dual-use' routes: there're several useful websites eg http://www.ww2escapelines.co.uk/?page_id=81 and http://www.conscript-heroes.com/escapelines/EscapeLines.htm about escape lines but neither of these make the connection with the routes earlier and recent uses by pilgrims. And I was able to find a route through Mauleon which seems to have been overlooked.

And thank you, mspath, for reminding me of my ealier emails.

Peter

PS my book is https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0750966211/?tag=casaivar-21

 

[purplesage]

I have written, obliquely, about this before but I caught the Camino (not bed!) bug in 2007 when, on a day break from conference in Ferrol, I visited Santiago and wondered what drew so many people there. Then in 2010, when I was researching for a book by exploring the routes over the Pyrenees which had been used in the Second World War by folk escaping Nazi persecution in occupied Europe, I realised that many of the escape routes were former pilgrim routes. They had fallen out of use by the mid-20th century, and were only known to shepherds and smugglers until the Camino movement was rejuvenated from the 1980s onwards.

Once I had the Camino bug, St James kept popping up everywhere. There was, for example, a notice by French friends of the Camino about crossings of the Pyrenees in the porch of one of the two co-cathedrals at St Lizier. I found startling photographic proof that the Chemin de la liberte – hard as it was – had been a former pilgrim route. And when my research took me to Stockholm, there, during a lunch break in Sankt Jacobs kyrka (St Jacob/James church), was a description of him (i.e. James the Greater) as the patron saint of travellers (not St Christopher), and a pamphlet about some local pilgrim routes for those wanting to practise their Camino.

Since 2010 I have crossed via the Pyrenees three times (the hard way, including a white-out in snow in April 2013), walked out to Muxia twice for some of that incredibly good seafood, walked the ingles with my daughter, and am hoping to walk the portugues this Autumn and the Vdlp next Spring.

Oh, and the book has been published. Thank you, St James.

Peter Hore

Well done, Peter. Buen Camino , Caesar

 

[mspath]

Peter,
It is wonderful to learn that your new book, Lindell's List, has been recently published! I look forward to reading it and learning more about those courageous souls who endured and escaped during WW2.

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Buen Camino(s) Peter and thank you

Just gifted a Kindle copy of your book Lindell's List: Saving British and American Women at Ravensbrück to a friend who has a great interest in accounts of WW2 escapes.

 

[SYates]

And for all others that are interested here is a direct link ;-) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0750966211/?tag=casaivar02-20

Buen Camino de la Vida, SY