All Roads (Caminos) Lead to Santiago Mystery Cache
All Roads (Caminos) Lead to Santiago
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The Camino de Santiago is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in NW Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the saint are buried. It has been walked for centuries, with as many as 300,000 walking it annually before the Covid19 pandemic. Many follow its routes as a form of spiritual path or retreat for their spiritual growth. It is also popular with hiking and cycling enthusiasts and organized tour groups.
Here are some of the roads to Santiago:
1) The French Way (Camino Francés) is the most popular of the routes. It runs for 500 miles from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles on the Spanish side before making its way to Santiago through the major cities of Pamplona, Burgos and León.
2) The Northern Way is a 510 mile coastal route beginning near the French border, and following the northern coastline of Spain joining the Camino Francés at Arzúa. This route was used by Christian pilgrims when Muslim domination had extended northwards and was making travel along the Camino Francés dangerous. It passes through San Sebastian, Gernika, Bilbao and Oviedo. It is less populated, lesser known, and generally more difficult hiking.
3) The Camino Primitivo splits off from the Northern Way near Oviedo, and spans 222 miles. As the name suggests, this is one of the original Caminos.
4) The Portugese Way (Camino Portugués) begins at either Lisbon or Porto in Portugal. It is the second most popular way, after the French one. The route is 380 miles long when starting in Lisbon or 150 miles long starting in Porto.
5) The English Way (Camino Inglés) was used by pilgrims who traveled to Spain by sea and disembarked in Ferrol or A Coruña. These pilgrims then made their way to Santiago overland. It is so called because most of these pilgrims were English though some came from all points in northern Europe. Although it is one of the most famous routes, due to its historical and heritage value, it is one of the least traveled today, and shortest at 70 miles.
6) The Via de La Plata is the second longest of the caminos extending 625 miles. It starts in Seville traveling north through Zamora and Salamanca. It is much less frequented than the French Way - in 2013, of the 215,000 pilgrims finishing their journies in Santiago, 4.2% traveled on the Via de la Plata, compared to 70.3% on the Camino Francés.
7) The Camino de Levante is the longest camino at 800 miles. It starts at Valencia and passes through Toledo and Ávila before joining the Via de la Plata at Zamora.
In France:
The Way of St. James is said to have originated in France. This is the reason that the Spanish themselves refer to the Way of St. James as "the French road", since most of the pilgrims they saw were French. There were 4 main starting points in France at the cathedral cities of Tours, Vézelay, Le Puy-en-Velay and Arles.
Now to the puzzle: N 36 4A.BCD W 76 E.FGH.....................Cache: key holder />
A. An excellent movie which takes place on the Camino is "The Way" starring Martin Sheen. Which of the following actors/actresses accompanied him on the journey? Robert de Hoog = 6; James Nesbitt = 7; Emmanuelle Vaugier = 8
B. Albergues which are to be found all along the Caminos are - cafes = 2; public toilets = 4; hostels = 6; ATMs = 8.
C. The longest Camino in Spain is: The Camino Ingles = 1; Camino Frances = 4; The Camino de Levante = 6; The Via de La Plata = 9; (check cache page above)
D. A credencial is a pilgrim passport that is stamped along the journey at cafes, churches, and lodging places. At the end of the journey in Santiago they can be redeemed for a document of completion (a compostela). In order to receive one, a minimum that must be walked is the last: 100 kilometers = 0; 100 miles = 4: 200 kilometers = 6; 200 miles = 9 to Santiago.
E. According to tradition, one of Jesus' 12 apostles is buried in the Cathedral at Santiago. If True = 9, if False = 8
F. Which of the places to stay are NOT encouraged on the Camino; hotels = 2; pensions/private homes = 4; paradors = 6; camp sites = 8;
G. Which of the following are NOT cited by pilgrims as reasons for walking the Camino: "for the adventure" = 0; losing weight = 2; for a cash prize at the end = 4; gaining life perspective = 6; for spiritual reasons = 8; meeting interesting people on this international superhighway = 9;
H. If a pilgrim is lucky when they attend the daily noon Pilgrim mass in the Santiago cathedral they will experience a botafumeiro. It is: a very large censer = 1; a beautiful cantata = 4; an enormous stand holding votive candles = 7; a pageant about the life of St. James = 9.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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