Walking the Caminos in the 70's or 80's

[John Briscoe]

As a keen walker apart from Caminos, I subscribe to the Australian Great Walks magazine which features some great stories (walks) and gear reviews etc. But this month, there was an article written by Hilary James on her family's 1973 Camino across the route now known as the Norte. They did not get to Santiago but did experience life along the way. But it does raise the question of all you older travelers who may have walked the Camino in the 70's or 80's before smart phones and albuergues etc.
Can we see if there are a few stories and even converted camera slides. (Because the digital camera did not make an entrance until the early 90's.)

As an aside, Hilary did write a book of her adventures and I can give the details if anyone in Australia is interested.

Thanks.

 

[mspath]

For several fascinating French accounts/memoires of early 20th c. walkers on the camino see/read the links cited in this earlier reportage from Pèlerin Magazine.

http://marcheurs.blog.pelerin.info/...-a-la-rencontre-des-pionniers-de-compostelle/

Imagine walking as a student as
Dominique Paladilhe did in 1948 during the time of Franco; his notebook/journal is still available on line!

 

[t2andreo]

Just great...I am working hard doing two Spanish lessons daily (one spoken and one online) to improve my Spanish. So, of course, this excellent article is in French. I have some French but it is "très rouillé."

Oh well, adapt and overcome... I hope the online Chrome translator extension is up to the challenge...

 

[FLEUR]

For several fascinating French accounts/memoires of early 20th c. walkers on the camino see/read the links cited in this earlier reportage from Pèlerin Magazine.

http://marcheurs.blog.pelerin.info/...-a-la-rencontre-des-pionniers-de-compostelle/

Imagine walking as a student as
Dominique Paladilhe did in 1948 during the time of Franco; his notebook/journal is still available on line!

@mspath
I would love to read this notebook/journal but couldn't locate it online

 

[mspath]

@mspath
I would love to read this notebook/journal but couldn't locate it online

See more re how to access it in this earlier thread begun by
Kathar1na --
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/a-1948-pilgrimage.36028/

 

[Bradypus]

@mspath
I would love to read this notebook/journal but couldn't locate it online

Downloadable as either PDF or epub from this website.
http://www.museedeseineport.info/MuseeVirtuel/Salles/PaladilheDominique/DominiquePaladilhe.htm

 

[FLEUR]

Thank you @mspath and @Bradypus

I started reading it and see that he started walking from Saintes (17 France) which is my neck of the woods for part of the year. Dominique Paladilh mentions the old hôpital des pèlerins just outside Pons. Since the year 2000 the hôpital has been restored and is now a World Heritage Site. The main road to Bordeaux has been re-routed.

Oh I am going to enjoy reading more. Thanks again.

 

[rappahannock_rev]

Back in the summer of 1977 it would never have occurred to me to actually walk the Camino. I wasn't 'Camino conscious' in 1977 - but then, who was, other than Don Elias?

But I knew my Spanish/Church history, and I knew that I absolutely had to visit SdeC when I did the classic young-American-with-a-backpack-and-a-Eurailpass trip....

Went from Paris to Lourdes, by train. Lourdes was then what it probably still is - wonderful, and very strange. (I'll find out soon enough. I'm revisiting Lourdes next May.) My 1977 visit inspired in me a very special, very private, devotion to Our Lady.

Then to Burgos, by train. Burgos was surprisingly quiet, as I recall, and a bit run down.... Not much of a tourist destination back then; and I cannot recall seeing any peregrinos at all.... I got a room at Hostal Cordon, now gone, that was actually inside the historic Casa del Cordon (unlike the current Hotel Cordon), but cold and shabby for all that. Ah, the cathedral was magnificent! Although it seemed to me then (and still does) more an art museum than a place of worship.... I recall that the Solar del Cid disappointed, and that climbing up to the Castillo was a bit dicey.... I was the only American visiting Las Huelgas that day, and it was not the polished operation it is now, but splendid nevertheless. Loved las Huelgas! Especially seeing the famous banner taken from the Moors at Las Navas de Tolosa....

Then via Madrid to SdeC, by overnight train. Compostela was also very quiet, by today's standards. Nothing like the flashy, busy, hustle-and-bustle modern city. Was there a Pilgrim Office back then? No idea. Didn't look for one. I wasn't pretending to be anything other than a devout and respectful tourista.... Explored the uncrowded cathedral, put my hand in the famous hand-print, no swinging butafumero in sight, no guided trips to the cathedral roof, only a very few visibly identifiable peregrinos - and they were being treated like saints.... Side-tripped to Santa Maria del Sar, enjoyed it very much... The street that runs from the Plaza de Cervantes past San Martin Pinario to the tunnel looked just about the way it does now. That I remember vividly! Lots of trinkets for sale, lots of tee-shirts....

Did not stay the night; took the midnight train back to Madrid. A mistake - but I was young and foolish and felt compelled to keep moving no matter what....

I would love to see any films or photos of 1970s Lourdes, Burgos, Compostela. I will try and find my old photos, convert them to shareable form, and push them out....

 

[OTH86]

Thanks so much for this thread, @John Briscoe ! I love reading about Camino experiences prior to 2005, and would love to read Hilary James article in the Australian Great Walks magazine about her family's 1973 Camino del Norte. But, I can't seem to find the article - such that I can read it - on the magazine's website - only vague reference to it on the cover. And I don't find reference to her book on-line. So, if you can provide details, I would be very grateful - alas, I'm not in Australia... Thanks again!

And thanks so much, @rappahannock_rev , for your reminiscence of your 1977 experiences!

 

[John Briscoe]

Back in the summer of 1977 it would never have occurred to me to actually walk the Camino. I wasn't 'Camino conscious' in 1977 - but then, who was, other than Don Elias?

But I knew my Spanish/Church history, and I knew that I absolutely had to visit SdeC when I did the classic young-American-with-a-backpack-and-a-Eurrail-pass thing....

Went from Paris to Lourdes, by train. Lourdes was then what it probably still is - wonderful, and very strange. (I'll find out soon enough. I'm revisiting Lourdes next May.) My 1977 visit inspired in me a very special, very private, devotion to Our Lady.

Then to Burgos, by train. Burgos was surprisingly quiet, as I recall, and a bit run down.... Not much of a tourist destination back then; and I cannot recall seeing any peregrinos at all.... I got a room for two nights in a Hostal Cordon, now gone, that was actually inside the historic Casa del Cordon (unlike the current Hotel Cordon), but cold and shabby for all that. Ah, the cathedral was magnificent! Although it seemed to me then (and still does) more an art museum than a place of worship.... I recall that the Solar del Cid disappointed, and that climbing up to the Castillo was a bit dicey.... I was the only American visiting Las Huelgas that day, and it was not the polished operation it is now, but splendid nevertheless. Loved las Huelgas! Especially seeing the famous banner taken from the Moors at Las Navas de Tolosa....

Then via Madrid to SdeC, by overnight train. Compostela was also very quiet, by today's standards. Nothing like the flashy, busy, hustle-and-bustle modern city. Was there a Pilgrim Office back then? No idea. Didn't look for one. I wasn't pretending to be anything other than a devout and respectful tourista.... Explored the cathedral, put my hand in the famous hand-print, no swinging butafumero in sight, no guided trips to the cathedral roof, only a very few visibly identifiable peregrinos - and they were being treated like saints.... Side-tripped to Santa Maria del Sar, enjoyed it very much... The street that runs from the Plaza de Cervantes past San Martin Pinario to the tunnel looked just about the way it does now. That I remember vividly! Lots of trinkets for sale, lots of tee-shirts.... Did not stay the night; took the midnight train back to Madrid. A mistake - but I was young and foolish and feeling compelled to keep moving no matter what....

I would love to see any films or photos of 1970s Lourdes, Burgos, Compostela. I will try and find my old photos, convert them to shareable form, and push them out....

Thank you for this reply.

 

[John Briscoe]

Thanks so much for this thread, @John Briscoe ! I love reading about Camino experiences prior to 2005, and would love to read Hilary James article in the Australian Great Walks magazine about her family's 1973 Camino del Norte. But, I can't seem to find the article - such that I can read it - on the magazine's website - only vague reference to it on the cover. And I don't find reference to her book on-line. So, if you can provide details, I would be very grateful - alas, I'm not in Australia... Thanks again!

And thanks so much, @rappahannock_rev , for your reminiscence of your 1977 experiences!

To those who wish to read her book
"On the Road: A family Trekking to Compostela"
$25 plus postage
Email Hilary at hjames95@gmail.com

 

[Karl Oz]

Back in the summer of 1977 it would never have occurred to me to actually walk the Camino. I wasn't 'Camino conscious' in 1977 - but then, who was, other than Don Elias?

But I knew my Spanish/Church history, and I knew that I absolutely had to visit SdeC when I did the classic young-American-with-a-backpack-and-a-Eurrail-pass thing....

Went from Paris to Lourdes, by train. Lourdes was then what it probably still is - wonderful, and very strange. (I'll find out soon enough. I'm revisiting Lourdes next May.) My 1977 visit inspired in me a very special, very private, devotion to Our Lady.

Then to Burgos, by train. Burgos was surprisingly quiet, as I recall, and a bit run down.... Not much of a tourist destination back then; and I cannot recall seeing any peregrinos at all.... I got a room for two nights in a Hostal Cordon, now gone, that was actually inside the historic Casa del Cordon (unlike the current Hotel Cordon), but cold and shabby for all that. Ah, the cathedral was magnificent! Although it seemed to me then (and still does) more an art museum than a place of worship.... I recall that the Solar del Cid disappointed, and that climbing up to the Castillo was a bit dicey.... I was the only American visiting Las Huelgas that day, and it was not the polished operation it is now, but splendid nevertheless. Loved las Huelgas! Especially seeing the famous banner taken from the Moors at Las Navas de Tolosa....

Then via Madrid to SdeC, by overnight train. Compostela was also very quiet, by today's standards. Nothing like the flashy, busy, hustle-and-bustle modern city. Was there a Pilgrim Office back then? No idea. Didn't look for one. I wasn't pretending to be anything other than a devout and respectful tourista.... Explored the cathedral, put my hand in the famous hand-print, no swinging butafumero in sight, no guided trips to the cathedral roof, only a very few visibly identifiable peregrinos - and they were being treated like saints.... Side-tripped to Santa Maria del Sar, enjoyed it very much... The street that runs from the Plaza de Cervantes past San Martin Pinario to the tunnel looked just about the way it does now. That I remember vividly! Lots of trinkets for sale, lots of tee-shirts.... Did not stay the night; took the midnight train back to Madrid. A mistake - but I was young and foolish and feeling compelled to keep moving no matter what....

I would love to see any films or photos of 1970s Lourdes, Burgos, Compostela. I will try and find my old photos, convert them to shareable form, and push them out....

This resonates with me. I was a green, young 19yo with a Eurailpass back in 1978. Took an overnight train from Paris to Madrid (!), leaving at 11:30pm and arriving in Madrid the next afternoon. (I learned a lesson from that over-ambition...) Passed though Burgos en route, which at the time triggered only historical references for me, the young amateur historian. Thirty five years later I arrived back in Burgos, this time by foot, as a pilgrim.

I feel glad about it. I can't express exactly what I feel glad about, but I feel glad about it.

 

[John Briscoe]

This resonates with me. I was a green, young 19yo with a Eurailpass back in 1978. Took an overnight train from Paris to Madrid (!), leaving at 11:30pm and arriving in Madrid the next afternoon. (I learned a lesson from that over-ambition...) Passed though Burgos en route, which at the time triggered only historical references for me, the young amateur historian. Thirty five years later I arrived back in Burgos, this time by foot, as a pilgrim.

I feel glad about it. I can't express exactly what I feel glad about, but I feel glad about it.

Karl We did the Francaise in Sept 2014 and the Portuguese in June 2016. Thanks for your comments.

 

[MinaKamina]

Here is one of the stories (took some difficulty finding it):


Claude and Claude Chauvin, husband and wife, left in 1958 on the road to Santiago de Compostela with nine Scout students from Parthenay (Deux-Sèvres).

"Our mixed group was a big problem, especially in Spain. It was the time when boys and girls used to adress each other with 'vous'. Once we had settled in a barn all together and the Spaniards were not happy at all. We had to tell them that our gathering was essential for our evening prayer.

In France, it wasn't better: sometimes we were greeted by gunshots! And everyone did everything to discourage us:' The girls are not going to make it. The mare must rest every 20 km', etc. We held on. We girls, in black skirts and moccasins. Our treasurer, who has roots in Auvergne, forbade us to shop.

It can always be useful one day', we said, filling our hands with useless things. Wasted effort. The purse strings remained closed. Times were tough for us and the Spaniards alike. Eating only potatoes and suffering from a lack of vegetables and fruit, we felt miserable. Then we realized that with our group we were much richer than the Spaniards.

What do the people of this country eat? we asked, desperate to discover only a little dried fish, olive oil, onions and bread on the shelves. Nada' (nothing) was the answer. We took part in more than 20 masses on the course and, arriving in Santiago, we slept in the municipal stadium with our mare Rosalie.

The canon gave us some money and we spent three days eating tortillas (omelettes) in the kitchens of the Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos ... We got engaged and married, full of sunny memories, and still keep this harmony between us, fifty years later. "

translated from:
http://www.pelerin.com/Pelerinages/...oigne-de-son-pelerinage-a-Compostelle-en-1958

 

[MinaKamina]

On 1 July 1976, Humbert Jacomet guided 25 Scouts, girls and boys between the ages of 18 and 30, to Santiago de Compostela.

"We were the Tanhof group, named after our philosophy teachers Norbert and Myriam Tanhof, united by the radiance of their knowledge. Two service cars transported tents and camping gaz. I was supposed to lead the troop, but I was too busy and slow. The others passed me and we arrived trickling in.

We would meet again in the evening, of and when we would meet again... We were pretty disorganized! And we suffered a thousand pains. Every night, there was someone who broke down, never the same one. And in the morning, we all left together, as if nothing had happened. In Logroño, we were greeted by children screaming "Napoleon, Napoleon!" because we were French and wore large felt hats. The soldiers of the emperor, who had been there a century and a half earlier, had not left behind fond memories...

We have also experienced rain, fog and mud. We were taking two steps forward, three steps back. The high desert plateau of the Meseta has marked me for life: "Nine months of winter, three months of hell..."

The Spanish peasants harvested with their sickles under a blazing sun. From afar, we could see the dust of the trillas, those flint boards that were used to separate the straw from the grain; the mules that turned and heaps of grain, everywhere. In Pont Ferrada, between Leon and Galicia, a dentist took pity on us and arranged that we could sleep in a school.

The classroom was transformed into a field hospital, dotted with bandages, blood, dusty boots and moaning... Each one of us covered their wounds. But everyone held on. After 900 km, we arrived to celebrate Santiago's Day on the 25th of July, the national holiday of Galicia, with our big hats decorated with shells!"

http://www.pelerin.com/Pelerinages/...ffert-mille-maux-sur-le-chemin-de-Compostelle

 

[FLEUR]

Downloadable as either PDF or epub from this website.
http://www.museedeseineport.info/MuseeVirtuel/Salles/PaladilheDominique/DominiquePaladilhe.htm

I've just managed to download this on Overdrive. I've not used Overdrive for ages but for this epub it worked instantly.

 

[sillydoll]

Read Walter Starkie The Road to Santiago which is based on his 3 pilgrimages to Santiago in the 1950's. A lot of his research was GG King"s 1903 classic trilogyThe Way of St James. Also read Edwin Mullins 1974 The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago where he describes how nobody remembered where the old paths were. I havent updated my books post since 2009 but you can find a list of books in date order here. Www.amawalker.blogspot.co.za/2009/09/books-on-camino.html

 

[MinaKamina]

Read Walter Starkie The Road to Santiago which is based on his 3 pilgrimages to Santiago in the 1950's. A lot of his research was GG King"s 1903 classic trilogyThe Way of St James. Also read Edwin Mullins 1974 The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago where he describes how nobody remembered where the old paths were. I havent updated my books post since 2009 but you can find a list of books in date order here. Www.amawalker.blogspot.co.za/2009/09/books-on-camino.html

That is one great 10-point template for writing a book about your Camino experience!

 

[rappahannock_rev]

DEAR DIARY: BURGOS 1977

[Cut me some slack! I was young, half-baked, and couldn't sit still for a minute....]

July 13, 1977

[By train from Lourdes, France, via Irun]

Burgos station finally came at about 6:30 PM. Damned if I could find a reasonable hotel room! I ended up at the Hostal Cordon, in the Casa del Cordon, where Ferdinand and Isabella received Columbus after his voyage of discovery. Far Out! Historic! But shabby. Cheap. Sigh.

I wandered through the town from, oh, 8 to 10:30 PM. Noisy! It reminds me of Mexico City [where I grew up] in every respect! Absolutely! Old buildings here look like old buildings there. New buildings, ditto. A small river cuts the town in two, and alongside is a beautiful gardened walkway, the “Espolon”. People thronged it, with an amazingly large number of soldiers, Guardia Civil, priests, and nuns….

No tourists! I looked at the site of El Cid’s home, blah!, at the imposing medieval City Gate, and at the Plaza Major. The backstreets, dirty and poor looking, all made me think of my childhood. Tomorrow before I leave I will visit the Gothic cathedral (by 8:30 PM it had closed). I’d also like to visit the two famous monasteries – Las Huelgas and Miraflores – but may not have time.

So -- here I sit with a tin of atun and a bottle of cheap Navarra wine, 12:05 AM. Long day. I’m depressed. I hated to leave Lourdes. I may have a blister starting. My cold room is overpriced. And I have been unable to see as much of Burgos as I had hoped.

July 14, 1977

Weather continues good. I’ve decided that visiting Burgos is a good way to get acclimated to Spain – aside from the fact that it makes a convenient stopping place. It is famously a very, very Spanish town – it was Gen. Franco’s seat of government till Madrid fell, and proud Castilian conservatism still seems the order of the day….

Up at 7:30, the lousy landlady didn’t show up to unlock the door till 8:15. Sheesh!

The first thing I did was hike up the tricky path rising behind the old part of town to where I could get a fine vista from the ruins of the ancient castle. Then I worked my way back down to the great Gothic cathedral, where I gawked for a few hours. Too late for morning Mass.

The cathedral just didn’t catch my fancy, although it made me think of the national cathedral in Mexico City [where I grew up]. It’s vast, with a closed-off choir and high altar, and many side chapels. We Anglicans don’t do side chapels…. El Cid and his wife lie entombed here. And the stained glass and the carved stone work are the finest I’ve yet seen. Still, I didn’t get into it. It seemed – well, I couldn’t help thinking of Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame – ‘medieval’, in the worst sense…. I’ve never really understood Gothic anyway; Romanesque always struck me as cleaner, nobler, as the best that Western Man could offer.

Surprisingly few tourists here! And no tourist traps! Really very quiet, run down….

After late breakfast I paid the hotel bill, dropped my bag at the station and hiked south of the old town for about 1 or 2 kilometers to the monastery of Las Huelgas. Not many people may have heard of it, but I sure had. Founded about AD 1200 Las Huelgas was for 600 years the most powerful and important convent in Spain.

A little old guide lady led a Spanish-only group tour at 11 AM, which I took. And I absolutely fell in love with the place, and not just because it reminded me of Mexico. Las Huelgas contains numerous royal Castilian tombs including Alfonso VIII and his queen, Eleanor of England, plus poor Dona Ana de Austria. Even better, it has four banners captured at Lepanto, AD 1571, and – the top prize! – a Moorish pendant taken by the Castilian knights when they crushed the Moors at Las Navas in AD 1212. The very stuff of history!

Back at the station I found that that the PM train I wanted to take to Leon was full up. Full up! Honest to God! This had me worried for a time, but I decided to take the next train to Madrid instead….

 

[LynnT]

As a keen walker apart from Caminos, I subscribe to the Australian Great Walks magazine which features some great stories (walks) and gear reviews etc. But this month, there was an article written by Hilary James on her family's 1973 Camino across the route now known as the Norte. They did not get to Santiago but did experience life along the way. But it does raise the question of all you older travelers who may have walked the Camino in the 70's or 80's before smart phones and albuergues etc.
Can we see if there are a few stories and even converted camera slides. (Because the digital camera did not make an entrance until the early 90's.)

As an aside, Hilary did write a book of her adventures and I can give the details if anyone in Australia is interested.

Thanks.

I walked the Camino in 1974 as part of a student group led by David Gitlitz. I'll try to upload a few photos (scanned slides, of course) that I took of some of the small towns that we walked through. They look very different today.

 

[MinaKamina]

Hi LynnT, a second welcome to the forum. These are great pictures! and I am amazed that the colours have kept so well ~that did not happen with many of out family pictures from that era. Thank you so much for posting these.

 

[LynnT]

I walked the Camino in 1974 as part of a student group led by David Gitlitz. I'll try to upload a few photos (scanned slides, of course) that I took of some of the small towns that we walked through. They look very different today.View attachment 37314 View attachment 37315 View attachment 37316 View attachment 37317 View attachment 37318 View attachment 37319

For those who are interested, the pictures are of Grañón, Rabanal del Camino, El Ganso, Manjarín - yes, there were still buildings standing then, El Acebo, and O Cebreiro.

 

[VNwalking]

I walked the Camino in 1974 as part of a student group led by David Gitlitz.

Just curious. How many of you who walked then have continued to walk now, and how do you feel about all the changes?

@LynnT , thank you, these photos are amazing to see. No kidding, they look different. Just a bit.
I had no idea that Manjarin's demise was so recent.

And your experience then would have been completely different then ,too, as compared to what it is now to walk the commercialized way that the Frances has become. The wonderful thing is that in spite of the commercialization, walking the Frances can still be a deep and transformative experience.
It's a paradox. It's possible to come for the party and leave as pilgrim for life.

 

[John Briscoe]

I walked the Camino in 1974 as part of a student group led by David Gitlitz. I'll try to upload a few photos (scanned slides, of course) that I took of some of the small towns that we walked through. They look very different today.View attachment 37314 View attachment 37315 View attachment 37316 View attachment 37317 View attachment 37318 View attachment 37319

That must have been amazing. Well done and thank you.

 

[peregrina2000]

I walked the Camino in 1974 as part of a student group led by David Gitlitz. I'll try to upload a few photos (scanned slides, of course) that I took of some of the small towns that we walked through. They look very different today.View attachment 37314 View attachment 37315 View attachment 37316 View attachment 37317 View attachment 37318 View attachment 37319

Hi, Lynn,
Let me add a welcome to the forum. How very lucky you are, I can't even imagine walking the Camino in 1974. Would love to hear any of the memories you care to share, and if posting photos is not too much of a problem, they are a real treat.

Your picture of Rabanal shows people with day packs, I think. Since your walk predates Jacotrans by many decades, I'm wondering how you got stuff from point A to point B or whether you walked with a truly minimalist kit!

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[LynnT]

Hi, Lynn,
Let me add a welcome to the forum. How very lucky you are, I can't even imagine walking the Camino in 1974. Would love to hear any of the memories you care to share, and if posting photos is not too much of a problem, they are a real treat.

Your picture of Rabanal shows people with day packs, I think. Since your walk predates Jacotrans by many decades, I'm wondering how you got stuff from point A to point B or whether you walked with a truly minimalist kit!

Buen camino, Laurie

Since this was an academic trip, the university required the professor to have a "library" with us - which consisted of a cardboard box filled with appropriate texts (Vázquez de Parga, Huidobro, and the like). That couldn't be carried, so we had a support car, which was a VW bus. Each day, one of us had to drive to our destination, arrange a place to sleep, locate a place to eat, buy groceries for the next day's lunch, and scout out interesting things to see in the town. On occasion, there was no place to eat and a local señora would be asked to provide dinner, but then that day's driver would have to drive to another town to find the food for the señora to prepare. Having a support car was almost a necessity in those days.

 

[Kanga]

@LynnT I second the welcome to the forum. What wonderful photos and how marvellous that you travelled the route with David Gitlitz - Gitlitz and Davidson's The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago - The Complete Cultural Handbook was always my go-to reference for the Camino Francés. So he and Linda Davison are heroes of mine.
The book became doubly useful now it can be downloaded onto our smartphones. The hardcover book was a bit too heavy to carry, and it is really a book you need to have with you while standing in front of a cathedral door, trying to decipher what it all means!