Gio's Signage Selection

Sorry for recent blog silence, but we've all got jigsaw addiction and when you start puzzling, evenings disappear before you know it!

But back to the Camino, It never ceases to amaze me that I can set off on a walk of several hundred miles without a proper map, and not get lost.

That this is possible, is all due to the amazing sign posting along the way. The traditional yellow arrow painted onto features (hopefully permanent ones!) indicating the way ahead, is the simplest and oldest way mark. It is all that is needed and works perfectly. You can't imagine the good feeling and reassurance that seeing your next yellow arrow brings.


On our recent trip there was just one place where more yellow arrows are needed and this was in the heart of the large town of Ponferrada. Normally, unless there is no other direction to go but ahead, you can see your next arrow. In Ponferrada there were stretches where this was not the case, and we had to keep going hoping and trusting another yellow arrow would appear; thankfully it always did!

While a yellow arrow is all that is needed, as the camino has got busier, the signage has got more sophisticated. Invariably the modern signs still include the yellow arrow, but they also include the traditional camino emblem of the cockleshell, appearing rather attractively and significantly as a sunburst.

The forms these twin emblems of the camino take are many and varied. Here are some of my favourites starting with the wall mounted tile, beautifully simple:


There were lots of these pseudo trig points along the way:


They were very good for seeing some way off and they also provided a fine perching point for a rest. The drawback was that they tended to attract a lot of graffiti - clearly many find the simple white background irresistible.

Occasionally we'd come across a 'one-off', seemingly the creation of the local municipality, and these were great as no two were ever the same.


I particularly liked the wooden ones as they always gave the impression of being hand made by a local craftsman.

However, these wooden ones, resembling the footpath signs at home, didn't seem to have quite the same touch of a craftsman. Mind you, by now we were getting very close to Santiago and, the closer we got, the less individual the signs seemed to be.


These last signs, however, were rather special as they appeared on the streets of Santiago leading up to the cathedral.


It was a good job that there were so many of them as the cathedral failed to reveal itself until almost the last moment. It certainly wasn't a case of being led in by the spires; mind you with so many pilgrims to follow, we could hardly get lost.

Lots of love Gio and friends xxx

The Big One

For any pilgrim, 'the big one' will always be the cathedral at Santiago. It is a fine church in it's own right, but, as the end point of the Camino, it has a significance far beyond it's outward appearance as a grand place of worship.

I always had the impression that the cathedral was the heart of Santiago and would dominate the city. We were therefore all very surprised that it took so long to catch our first glimpse of the famous towers. We seemed to have been walking through Santiago streets for ages before, all of a sudden, and completely unannounced, they suddenly appeared ...


I got very excited and even more so when, a few minutes later, it was there in front of me, in all it's splendour. What a facade! Despite the square being quite busy, I could have sat there in silence and admired it for ages.


However, the other chaps were keen to see inside so in we went. We weren't surprised by the rather ornate, and to us overdecorated, surrounds to the centrepiece of St James, but we were surprised that it was much smaller than it's outward facade implied.


There are 2 aspects to the cathedral that stay with you. Firstly, the botafumeiro; we talked about it at the time we were there, but none of us will every forget it's size, it's crazy swing and the ethereal singing from the amazing singing nun that accompanied it - simply awe inspiring.

The second lasting impression is that it is very much a shrine to St James. As a non Catholic, I kept wondering where Jesus was. St James was after all a disciple, not Jesus. I hunted around to see if I could find Jesus in the cathedral and I managed it, he was on the wall by one of the side doors. I still feel he should have far more prominence.

The cathedral takes on a whole dimension though, once you've picked up your Compostella. I was so pleased and proud when mine was awarded to me. There is no better place to have a picture taken with your compostela, than in front of the cathedral


I don't think I'd have felt the same way about the cathedral if I hadn't walked there. I can't imagine just flying into Santiago and going to visit. I guess I'm the lucky one, whose had the marvellous opportunity of walking there.

Lots of love Gio and my fellow camino bears xxx

Gio's Church Selection

I'm sure you won't be too surprised to hear that we did visit one or two churches along the way. The numbers weren't as great as you might think, due to the fact that, as we found on our earlier trip, the Spanish do tend to keep their churches locked. It's a great shame.

Quite soon into this trip, we walked through the big city of Leon. The Camino took us right past the entrance to this magnificent cathedral ...


The office where we went to get a stamp for our pilgrim passports was just after the rather fine screen in our next picture...


The artwork was so intricate that there was almost too much to see. I concentrated on the colours instead as I'm a simple soul, and found some of the frills too much.

In contrast, I really loved the simplicity of the church at Rabanal. It was just outside the albergue we stayed at, run by the English Co-fraternity of St James. It was very old and very peaceful. When we arrived a French pilgrim was playing his recorder inside and it sounded wonderful.


A few days later we went into a church that was open and, while the church was not really to my taste, with a bit too much gold and heavy decoration, I was more pleased that you can imagine, to see my old friend St. Roch, with his dog, again. We saw St Roch quite a lot in France but only occasionally in Spain. He is the patron saint of pilgrims and was a similar sort of figure to St Francis of Assisi, so, with me being a Franciscan bear, there is an immediate affinity.


You'll always know if you've seen St Roche as he always has his very distinctive thigh wound and the dog who saved his life by bringing him food when he was sick, at his feet.

We'll talk a bit more about the big one, Santiago Cathedral, next time.

Lots of love Gio xxx

Gio's Cross Selection

Some of you might remember that on stage 1 of our walk, I accumulated quite a collection of very different cross photos. I photographed a few more during part 2 of our walk. I like to see crosses along the way as they remind me that I am on no ordinary walk, but on one of the world's great religious pilgrimages.

Crosses by roads are good, as they speak not only to the pilgrims on the route, but also to drivers and other passers by who can't help but notice them as they go about their daily business.

My first cross was located beside the road out of the town of Astorga. I like it's simple nature and I always like crosses made of wood. I also liked the seat I had at the bottom and I found it useful to have a little map of the villages that were coming up on the way.


My next cross is a city centre one. It was located close to the centre of Leon and I liked the fact that it was there in the midst of all the traffic and hustle and bustle of the city. I think there should be more crosses, like this one, in a very different location to a church building.


My final cross was not in a town or a city, but was delightfully situated in a rural setting. It was a beautiful stone cross, in a small wood, just to the left of the camino. My guidebook told me it was very old, 17th century in fact. It was typical of many crosses in Galicia in that it had figures carved on both sides: Christ on the cross on one side, and Mary on the other.


It was a very tranquil spot so I lingered for a few moments to soak up the peace and sense of history.

Lots of love, Gio xxx

Our Art Selection

While we were away on our pilgrimage, you had lots of words from us and less pictures that usual. It's now time to redress the balance and share a few pictures with just a few explanatory words.

Here are the first 3 we have selected, on the subject of artwork.

Within minutes of setting foot back in Sahagun, the starting point for this trip and end point of our last trip, we were greeting our old friend St James, without whom there would be no Camino. He does seem to change his appearance quite a bit along the way, and here comes across as quite a lean and gaunt figure ,and we always think it looks like he has his shopping bag with him. It was nearly 2 years since we stood in this very place beside this particular St James, and we can't describe how good it was to see him again, even though we weren't too sure about the yellow eyes which he has gained since we last saw him.


A few miles down the road, in a small village, was this wonderful agricultural scene, carefully worked in metal ...


Yorkie and I were quite tempted to ask for a lift, but it was a bit soon in our walk and anyway, Gio, our pilgrimage leader, would never have allowed it. He was determined to walk every step of the way and we couldn't help but be inspired by his passion and commitment. We were there to walk, and walk we would.

After a lot of walking, every pilgrim needs a rest and our next sculpture showed us just how to do it. We wasted no time in following this pilgrim's fine example and resting our paws and eyelids.


We loved the spot chosen for this rest. It was right outside one of the most impressive and expensive paradors in Spain. We knew we couldn't afford to sleep inside it, but we did enjoy our snooze outside it.

More pictures to come.

Lots of love, George, Yorkie and Gio xxx

Home Again

As you can probably tell from the fact that our posts have stopped, we're safely back home and caught up in the usual daily grind.

We actually returned to the Bear Cave at 1.15 a.m. on Monday morning, then, a few short hours later, it was back to work, to do our part to keep the wheels of Bears Unlimited turning.

We've been so busy telling our friends and colleagues all about our trip that we haven't had too much time yet to reflect on our trip and what it means for us.

However, a friend and fellow pilgrim Luc, from Belgium, did email us some words that we strongly agree with. We met and walked with Luc 2 years ago and while he wasn't with us in body this time, he was travelling with us in spirit and said he 'would follow us on our trip to the field of the stars on the road that never ends'.

And he is quite right; the physical road may have ended for now, but the journey has not. While we were in the church at O Cebreiro, we came across the following prayer, written by a Franciscan relative of Gio's which we found very moving. It says far better that we ever could, what walking the camino, and returning from it, is all about, so here it is ...

Prayer of La Faba

'Although I may have travelled all the roads,
crossed mountains and valleys from East to West,
if I have not discovered the freedom to be myself,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have shared all of my possessions
with people of other languages and cultures;
made friends with Pilgrims of a thousand paths,
or shared albergue with saints and princes,
if I am not capable of forgiving my neighbour tomorrow,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have carried my pack from beginning to end
and waited for every Pilgrim in need of encouragement,
or given my bed to one who arrived later than I,
given my bottle of water in exchange for nothing;
if upon returning to my home and work,
I am not able to create brotherhood
or to make happiness, peace and unity,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have had food and water each day,
and enjoyed a roof and shower every night;
or may have had my injuries well attended,
if I have not discovered in all that the love of God,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have seen all the monuments
and contemplated the best sunsets;
although I may have learned a greeting in every language;
or tried the clean water from every fountain;
if I have not discovered who is the author
of so much free beauty and so much peace,
I have arrived nowhere.

If from today I do not continue walking on your path,
searching for and living according to what I have learned;
if from today I do not see in every person, friend or foe
a companion on the Camino;
if from today I cannot recognize God,
the God of Jesus of Nazareth
as the one God of my life,
I have arrived nowhere.'

We've lots more pictures and a few more tales to share with you in the next post or two.

Bye for now,

Love from the Camino Bears xxx

Time to Go Home

Today we're going home, although not until this evening. We will be spending the day in Santiago before going to the airport we've already walked round.

I'm sure lots of interesting things will happen today, but you may have to wait for a report, as hopefully we'll be airborne at our usual typing and posting time.

We'll be back soon though.

Love from the Compostella bears xxx