- CARD LAUNCHED FOR PILGRIMS ON THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO
The card offers discounts of up to 20% in more than 600 establishments in addition to accident insurance and medical care. Camino Mutua Madrileña Card is the first card designed for the pilgrim to walk the Camino de Santiago, it includes accident insurance and health care, as well as discounts of up to 20% at over 600 facilities. “We want Camino Card, personal and not transferable, so pilgrims can be served and helped when making the way, “said communications director of the company from Asturias, Begoña Panea during a lunch with journalists in Madrid. This service, which is already available and has already had its first customers, now covers sections of French way, North way and primitive way. The Camino Card objective is to provide the Pilgrim “a tool with a very clear identity and about services and benefits associated with their own motivations,” explained from the company. For all nationalities, there are three types of cards, designed according to the duration of the trip, with the first option 7 days with a cost of 10 euros, a second 15 days for 15 euros, and finally, a maximum service 30 days available for 25 euros. As 49% of the pilgrims on the Camino are foreigners, this service is aimed at all travelers regardless of nationality, for this reason, information such as telephone assistance is provided in Spanish, English and French. This card can be purchased at pilgrim hostels or tourist establishments even in associations of pilgrims, and of course, on the Internet. Subsequently, we will implement an option to purchase through mobile devices. Possession of this card gives access to discounts of at least 10% in accommodation and catering, transport such as buses and car support, and a variety of services including laundry or bicycle repair, podiatrists and massage therapists for the toughest stretches of road. It will also feature a section on organized trips, as it is commissionable to travel agents. Meanwhile, accident insurance and health travel assistance includes medical, pharmaceutical and hospitalization costs 6,000 euros, dental emergency, repatriation of wounded, finance and legal expenses and baggage tracing and death benefits among others.
- CROSS OF SANTIAGO, THE SHELL OR “buen camino”, NEW TATTOOS FASHION
This is the novelty in the Camino: some pilgrims choose to immortalize their experiences on the Camino patterned skin. Topics are the same, but the design of each one is personalized. Many of these pilgrims have decided to immortalize their trip with memorial tattoos on the skin. From all over the world, including New York, Miami, China, Brazil, Jamaica and New Zealand and any age, all bearing this pilgrimage in their heart and skin. In an interview Miguel Herrero , 28, a young tattooist in his shop on Avenida da Coruña (Old Skull Tattoo) explains that it is more and more popular among pilgrims to make small tattoos that are usually ready in half an hour or so. The minimum price is 50 euros, because each tattoo is a unique and exclusive design for the customer and the equipment, the needles and other utensils used have a fixed cost.
- MORE THAN 51,000 PILGRIMS ARRIVED IN SANTIAGO LAST AUGUST
The figure is the highest record of visitors since the Holy Year in 2010. A total of 51,219 pilgrims received last August their Compostela, certifying that made the Camino de Santiago. It is the largest visitor data from the last Holy Year 2010 it has also been confirmed the busiest day was the 9th of August when 2,748 people came to the city by different routes and walked at least the last 100 kilometers on foot or 200 bike. Each day the Compostela was collected by about 1,652 walkers on average although exceeded 2,000 pilgrims a day. Most pilgrims came from Spain, 61%, Andalusia in top of the list-a 13% -. Followed by Madrid, Valencia and Catalonia, while Galicia was seventh. Of foreigners pilgrimage to Santiago in August, mostly Italians, of whom 15% of caminantes- followed the Portuguese, German and French. In the tenth post of foreign pilgrims: a total of 454 Korean citizens. Also receiving the Compostelana award a hundred Japanese people.
- MERKEL AND RAJOY WERE PILGRIMS THIS SUMMER
German chancellor Angela Merkel has followed in the steps of thousands of pilgrims and walked along a section of the Camino de Santiago. She was accompanied by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for the 5km trek.
The meeting of both rulers had an objective: they had to talk over the state of the Spanish economy and the new European Commission. Rajoy, who is a regular jogger and was actually born in Santiago, interrupted his summer break for the meeting. While Merkel is no stranger to hiking either, as she regularly holidays in the Alps.
Buen Camino!
Anxo Saco
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