L'Esprit du ChemiN
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our 2000th guests in 2006: Maurizio, Roberto
and Giovanni, from Italy
The 18th August 2007 we received our 10.000th
(!) guest: Joseph, from France
pilgrims on the way (Puerto del Perdon,
Spain)
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an association of pilgrims, which
offers
hospitality and accommodation, to
-especially-
pilgrims and (other) walkers, in a
tradition of
simplicity, quality and inspiration.
The hostel “"L'Esprit du
Chemin" is run entirely by volunteers and has, for that reason, no
profit motive.
A lot of people want to leave the pressure of everyday
life behind them for a while. Back to simplicity. Into nature. Looking for
new inspiration. A large number of them takes their courage in their hands
and walks the ancient road to Santiago de Compostela (the
"Camino"). That very much appeals to us. Not in the least
because this road has brought us a lot too.
However, more walkers also means that there is more demand for all kinds
of facilities. Commercial interests then can start to play their own part,
with the risk of losing the original goal and character of the route. We
want to contribute to keeping “the spirit of the road” alive and
kicking. That is why we bought an ancient house along the Camino and
rebuilt it into a real hostel. An attractive, clean place where you can rest, take a
good shower and sleep in a comfortable bed. A meeting point where you can
have dinner with us and the other guests in the evening. In short: an hostel
where you come home for a moment.
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The past years we have made the travel to Santiago de
Compostela at different moments and in different ways. In 1999, Arno
walked from the Netherlands, via Vézelay, Le Puy-en-Velay and Santiago,
to Cabo Fisterra
in 100 days.
Inspired by this travel, Huberta
walked from Le-Puy-en-Velay to Santiago in two months the year after. In spring 2002 we took off
together, our great wish. We walked
from Sevilla to Santiago de Compostella along the Vía de la Plata then.
During this travel the idea formed of setting up our hostel: “L’Esprit du
Chemin”.
It is a new
stage in our “pilgrims’” existence. We have hung around together for a
long time. We like walking very much, especially the combination of nature
and culture. We have made beautiful travels at a lot of magnificent places
in the world and have enjoyed special encounters.
The
last few years, Huberta has worked as a theater director, trainer and
coach, and Arno as a manager in public organizations. Now, in spring and summer, we would like to
welcome you in our hostel. In autumn and winter we do our “old” work
or
develop new activities, which fit
“the spirit of the way".
Of
course, we do not work alone. We run our hostel
together with other volunteers. Also in other ways we have gotten and are getting a lot of
help from friends: in renovating and maintaining our hostel, in designing,
translating and managing this website, in giving advice concerning legal
matters and administration and so on. Without all that help "L'Esprit
du Chemin" would not exist.
hosts
(`hospitaleros`)
In 2008
Huberta and Arno will receive you with the help of 27 `hospitaleros`
from 5 countries. |
Huberta & Arno
hostel "L'Esprit du Chemin"
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Our logo
consits of three parts, which, to us together form "L'Esprit du
Chemin" –the spirit of the road:
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our logo: the house
It seems somewhat contradictionary: a house in
the middle of the logo of “L’Esprit du Chemin”. However, every road
needs a stopping place, where travellers can come to ease. By the way,
“L’Esprit du Chemin” to us is also a stopping place to..... ? Who
will say. For the time being, we have left our backpacks on the doorstep
and here we feel very at home. It is a special experience: first we made
long travels ourselves, now people from all over the world are our guests.
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our logo: the shell
To us, the Camino de Santiago was and still is a great source of inspiration, and by far the majority of our guests is
“pilgrim”. For centuries, the symbol of the Camino is the Coquille St.
Jacques. There are, of course, a lot of legends about the origin of this
symbol. For example the one about a knight who was caught by the see, but
was saved by James at the last moment. The knight jumped out of the waves
alive, covered with shells from top to toe....
At the façade of our hostel hangs a large, bronze Coquille St. Jacques, made
by Jan Bruin, Huberta’s father.
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our logo: the (star)road
The faith in
“holy places” is of all
times. For example, the Camino de Santiago follows an old road which was
already used by the Celts. There, at the end of the
world, the sun set and
the underworld and the world of rebirth begins. According to some, the
Celts in their turn followed an old star road, which led back to the lost
kingdom of Atlantis.
In the
“Codex Calixtinus”, the pilgrims’ book from the 12th Century the
Camino is seen as the earthly replica of the milky way. According to the
book, Charlemagne one night saw “a road of stars”. It started at the
Frisian Sea and led (...) from Galicia, where in that time the remains of
the holy James rested without anyone knowing.”
James himself then gives Charles the task to liberate “my
pilgrimage route (...), so that one (..) can visit my grave.” (Whether
this is true or not, Charles anyway never got further than Zaragoza, from
which he made his famous return via Roncesvalles).
The
European Union’s flag has been, amongst other things, inspired by the
(star)road to Santiago de Compostela, which has been an important unifying
factor in the past. Today, Brussels has officially given the Camino the
status of cultural heritage, hoping that this will contribute to the
unification of present-day Europe. Time will tell if this is a success.
The influence of the expansion of the European Union, since 2004 there
have been 24 member states, is clearly noticeable on the Camino. Each year,
the number of pilgrims from new member states on the Camino increases.
Going
down “the road” is also a well-known metaphor for life. This is
explained in more detail in the chapter titled the
journey.
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Charlemagne and his road of stars
flag European Union
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“Santiago” is Spanish for Saint James. James (the Greater) was one of
Jesus’ apostles. The Codex Calixtinus tells us that he used to preach in
Spain. In later years, he returned to Jerusalem, where he died as a martyr.
Supposedly, his body was then transported to Spain, where he was buried in
the place which is known today as “Santiago de Compostela”. It is
described in the Codex how the grave was rediscovered in the 9th
century. The news travels quickly and Compostela becomes one of the most
important places of pilgrimage. Until then, the only European grave of an
apostle could be found in Rome.
During the recapture (“Reconquista”) from the Muslims of
present-day Spain, the peace-loving apostle is gradually assigned a new
role, namely the role of knight in shining armour. His name becomes a
battle-cry, his nickname is “the Moor Killer”. The conquest of Granada,
in 1492, signifies the end of the Reconquista. In that same year, America
is discovered. The Spanish “conquistadors” (conquerors) continue their
battles in the New World in name of their faith and Santiago. Several
towns and villages are named after him in Central and South America. After
that, Santiago disappears into the background until…General Franco puts
him forward as Spain’s patron saint during the Civil War. The great
revival of the Camino de Santiago, however, does not come about until the
1980s. By that time, Franco has died, Spain has become a democracy and the
“Camino” – literally and figuratively, has become a movement of tens
of thousands of people who take the road by their own choice.
As one pilgrim described, on
March 11 2004, the day the horrible attack in Madrid took place: “I can
hear the horse of the Moor Killer snort, I am afraid”. Let us hope that
it will not come to that, and that Santiago will appear as pilgrim only:
peaceful and with an open attitude towards others, irrespective of race,
political conviction or faith.
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Santiago: “the Moor Killer”
Santiago: "the pilgrim"
(Santa Marta de Tera, Vía de la Plata)
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Besides Rome and Jerusalem,
Santiago de Compostela is one of the most important places of Christian
pilgrimage. Other world religions also have famous holy places, such as
the Islam (for example Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, and Jerusalem), Buddhism (for
example, the Borobudur, in Indonesia), and Hinduism (for example, Varanasi,
in India). In these places, the devine becomes, as it were, tangible. In
Santiago de Compostela, believers embrace the statue of St. James, which
stands behind the great altar. In Mecca, the pilgrims walk around the
Ka’aba, which represents the center of Islam, during the annual
pilgrimage. In Varanasi, believers wash themselves in the holy River
Ganges. The terraces of the Borobudur lead the pilgrims higher and higher,
to the nirvana.
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Santiago de Compostela: main entrance of the
cathedral ("Portigo de la Gloria")
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