Latest news with #CaminodeSantiago
Time Out
2 days ago
- Time Out
The most beautiful hidden trails in Europe, revealed
Europe is a continent built for walking. There are trails that pass mountains, woodlands, vineyards and coastlines, weaving in local villages and scenic pit stops in between. These trail routes are the natural arteries of the continent, connecting regions and countries like tree roots connecting a forest. While many outdoor explorers flock to famous paths like Spain 's Camino de Santiago or the multi-country Tour du Mont Blanc, global travel and tour provider Hellotickets is shining a light on lesser-known paths instead. These trails offer all of Europe's natural beauty and biodiversity without the crowds. This summer, it's all about the roads less travelled. Starting on a literal high note (2,500 metres above sea level, to be exact), Hellotickets recommends the Alpa-Adria Trail, beginning in Austria 's Grossglockner mountain, the highest in the country, before descending through snow-covered pine trees and glacial rivers that lead to the vineyards of Slovenia's Soča Valley. From there, you'll make your way to Italy 's limestone cliffs off the Adriatic coast, and visit towns like Trieste, Tarvisio, Udine and more, where you can reward yourself with pasta after a 750 km job well done. For those on two wheels, Finland 's Åland Archipelago consists of over 6,500 islands that resemble stepping stones between the Finnish land and Sweden. And the best part? It's perfect for cycling. Ride along the water ferries and whiz through foot bridges that connect each segment, but make sure to take some detours along the way. Pedal your way to Kustavi to take in some culture at the Kustavi museum, or steer to Brändö to embark on a seal safari. Cycle further and you'll eventually find Kastelholm castle, one of Finland's five medieval strongholds in the country. In between, you'll cycle through magnificent landscapes of crystal-clear waterways, red rocky shores and lines of birch and pine trees. Did these get your heart pumping for more trail exploration? Read Helloticket's full list below. These are Europe's most beautiful hidden trails Walking routes The GR34, Brittany, France Camí de Cavalls, Menorca, Spain The Alpe-Adria Trail, Austria, Slovenia and Italy Cycling escapes Vía Verde de la Sierra, Andalusia, Spain EuroVelo 6 (Danube section), Austria Åland Archipelago, Finland Bonus routes The Lechweg, Germany and Austria Trails around Lake Bled, Slovenia Slovenian coastline: Piran to Koper, Slovenia
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
I hike when it's 30°C outside. How? This merino wool gear helps keep me cool
I'm an avid hiker and I tested top-rated hiking gear from Smartwool. Any seasoned hiker will tell you that lightweight, breathable apparel makes a load of difference on the trail, especially during the sweltering summer months — I certainly am among them. Over the past year, I have trekked 500 kilometres of the Camino de Santiago, hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and done dozens of one-off hikes in Ontario and Alberta. I'm an all-season hiker (we Canadians aren't afraid of winter!), but I find that I get out the most often during summer. Quick shop: I live in southern Ontario, which, temperature-wise, means summer hikes often hover around 30°C, not including humidity. As long as I'm well-hydrated (this Yeti truly keeps drinks cold for hours), the heat doesn't bother me too much, but wearing the right clothes is a huge part of that. When I first got into hiking, I would head out in any old T-shirt and leggings. Over the years, I've swapped out my heavy cotton tees for those made of ultralight performance fabrics and my leggings for adjustable bottoms laden with pockets. The result is longer, more comfortable hikes, wearing materials that shed moisture rather than lock it in. There are several brands that I love and wear often, depending on where I'm headed and for how long. One brand, in particular, that I've been wearing this summer is Smartwool. Like all hiking brands worth their salt, Smartwool uses merino wool in most of its products, which is essential for managing moisture, regulating temperature and keeping out odours. Merino wool was my go-to choice on the Camino and remains so today. I had the chance to test Smartwool's merino gear for summer hiking. Keep scrolling to read my honest reviews of the brand's Women's Active Ultralite Short Sleeve, Women's Active Mesh Racerback Tank and Women's Merino 4" Hike Short.
New Indian Express
15-07-2025
- New Indian Express
One tireless Jesuit keeps alive a pilgrim path for St. Ignatius in Spain
Besides celebrating Mass and dishing out historical and spiritual knowledge about Ignatius, he often carries a can of spray paint to touch up the hundreds of orange arrows he left on rocks and sign posts to mark the way. He even pitches in helping a server with orders at a bar that served as a refueling post. 'From rising in the morning until going to bed, I take care of everything,' said Iriberri, walking briskly through the sunbaked countryside. 'He's so knowledgeable and so deep. But also just like a fun person to be around,' said pilgrim Amanda Murphy. 'I feel like he's always got a tidbit to surprise you or help you learn more.' Following Ignatius' transformational journey Iriberri had worked for the Jesuits Refugee Service in Morocco and had walked Spain's popular Camino de Santiago, or St. James' Way, six times when he was assigned the gargantuan task of creating from scratch a Camino Ignaciano. The idea was to try to mimic some of the success of the Camino de Santiago, which drew nearly half a million walkers last year. Walking the nearly 600-km (370-mile) Camino Ignaciano can take a month, broken into 27 stages by Iriberri. Most pilgrims, like the teachers from the U.S., do a shorter version in just over a week that combines bus rides with daily walks. Iriberri charted the route along public footpaths, including some stretches of the Camino de Santiago in the opposite direction, to reconstruct the journey Ignatius made in 1522 from his hometown of Loyola in northern Spain to northeastern Manresa, about an hour from the Mediterranean coast. That journey was part of a profound religious transformation of Íñigo the man-of-arms into Ignatius the man-of-God who would go on to found one of the most influential Catholic orders. The Society of Jesus today has over 14,000 members around the world and has left an indelible imprint on modern education and humanistic thought. The late Pope Francis was the first Jesuit to head the Holy See. Christian Zombek is a 29-year-old Jesuit in formation who teaches in Washington, D.C. He said he would never forget his week in Spain. 'It just moves me to gratitude and honestly to tears to be able to pray in front of the same statues, pray the same churches that Ignatius was at, and recognize a man who's done so much for me and helped me to grow in our relationship,' he said. 'Now I can see how God did it with him.' The culmination of the pilgrimage is the cave in Manresa where Ignatius meditated and found inspiration for the Spiritual Exercises, a central tract of Catholic how-to spirituality. To enhance the pilgrim experience, Iriberri wrote a guidebook for the Camino Ignaciano. Besides practical information, it recommends daily spiritual exercises drawn from Ignatius' foundational text. They include meditations on Ignatius' teachings, on Christ and on the pilgrim's own life and relation to God. 'When you go on a pilgrimage, it is difficult to find an internal guide. You have external guides, the signposts, the route markings, but nothing to help you internally,' Iriberri said. 'And that is what the Camino Ignaciano is, it is an internal pilgrimage.' The pilgrimage faces an uncertain future Iriberri received a boost last month when the Vatican's Dicastery for Culture and Education granted him patronage for the pilgrim path. That recognition could potentially increase awareness of the path, but it doesn't come with any financial support. Almost 4,000 registered pilgrims have completed the trail since its creation, with around 400 people doing it each of the last six years — with the exception of 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many were personally guided by Iriberri, who this year plans to lead nine groups of pilgrims. Iriberri admits that those numbers are not enough to reach the needed 'critical mass' whereby the path can survive without his stewardship. He says more help is needed from local authorities to promote it as well as more hostels for pilgrims on some of the more isolated stages to ensure his work doesn't end up a quixotic quest. Pilgrim Dawn Kelly, a retired teacher from Houston, says the route is 'very specific' for those interested in Ignatius and the Jesuit tradition. 'You have to be into wanting to know about Ignatius,' Kelly says, even though Iriberri insists that it is open to people of all faiths and even avid hikers seeking an alternative to the sometimes crowded Camino de Santiago. Fortunately for the Camino Ignaciano, Iriberri is going strong even at retirement age. He already has three pilgrimages lined up for next year and has open dates for more. Wiry, with a graying, trimmed beard, he swings his walking stick at the front to set the pace, or stays behind his pilgrims on climbs like a shepherd worried he'll lose a stray. He exhorts the American pilgrims in fluent English to keep their feet moving when the going gets tough. The discomfort, after all, deepens the experience, he teaches. 'The idea is to bring the head, the heart and the body together,' Iriberri said. 'The sweat, the foot pain, the blisters, the hunger, they help you understand little by little that ultimately it doesn't all depend on you. There is something else that carries you forward.'
San Francisco Chronicle
15-07-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
One tireless Jesuit keeps alive a pilgrim path for St. Ignatius in Spain
MANRESA, Spain (AP) — Josep Lluís Iriberri helps celebrate Mass at a mountaintop basilica, swaps his priest's robe for a hiking backpack and rallies his latest group of pilgrims literally following him in the footsteps of the 16th-century St. Ignatius. Iriberri is the do-it-all Jesuit who designed the pilgrimage route to honor the founder of the Society of Jesus and for over a decade has almost single-handedly kept it alive. Since 2012, when Iriberri started the Camino Ignaciano (Ignatian Way) at the orders of his Jesuit superiors in Barcelona, this 65-year-old Spaniard spends six months a year guiding pilgrims along the trail that recreates the life-changing journey Ignatius made over 500 years ago. 'The Camino Ignaciano is putting flesh on the bones of Ignatius,' Iriberri said recently while an Associated Press journalist accompanied him and about 20 teachers from Jesuit schools in the United States on the final day of their pilgrimage. At one point on the 13-kilometer (8-mile) hike as the path dips from a village through some woods, Iriberri stops the group to tell them that Ignatius — or his mule — surely stepped on the very stones they stood on, making them natural 'relics' of the saint. 'We all know the history of Ignatius, because we have read about it, but being here, walking here, is what let's you feel like you know Ignatius. He now has a body for me,' Iriberri says. True to the Jesuit tradition of being active in the world, Iriberri stays busy problem-solving. Nothing is too transcendent or too mundane for him to tackle. Besides celebrating Mass and dishing out historical and spiritual knowledge about Ignatius, he often carries a can of spray paint to touch up the hundreds of orange arrows he left on rocks and sign posts to mark the way. He even pitches in helping a server with orders at a bar that served as a refueling post. 'From rising in the morning until going to bed, I take care of everything,' said Iriberri, walking briskly through the sunbaked countryside. 'He's so knowledgeable and so deep. But also just like a fun person to be around,' said pilgrim Amanda Murphy. 'I feel like he's always got a tidbit to surprise you or help you learn more.' Following Ignatius' transformational journey Iriberri had worked for the Jesuits Refugee Service in Morocco and had walked Spain's popular Camino de Santiago, or St. James' Way, six times when he was assigned the gargantuan task of creating from scratch a Camino Ignaciano. The idea was to try to mimic some of the success of the Camino de Santiago, which drew nearly half a million walkers last year. Walking the nearly 600-km (370-mile) Camino Ignaciano can take a month, broken into 27 stages by Iriberri. Most pilgrims, like the teachers from the U.S., do a shorter version in just over a week that combines bus rides with daily walks. Iriberri charted the route along public footpaths, including some stretches of the Camino de Santiago in the opposite direction, to reconstruct the journey Ignatius made in 1522 from his hometown of Loyola in northern Spain to northeastern Manresa, about an hour from the Mediterranean coast. That journey was part of a profound religious transformation of Íñigo the man-of-arms into Ignatius the man-of-God who would go on to found one of the most influential Catholic orders. The Society of Jesus today has over 14,000 members around the world and has left an indelible imprint on modern education and humanistic thought. The late Pope Francis was the first Jesuit to head the Holy See. Christian Zombek is a 29-year-old Jesuit in formation who teaches in Washington, D.C. He said he would never forget his week in Spain. 'It just moves me to gratitude and honestly to tears to be able to pray in front of the same statues, pray the same churches that Ignatius was at, and recognize a man who's done so much for me and helped me to grow in our relationship,' he said. 'Now I can see how God did it with him.' The culmination of the pilgrimage is the cave in Manresa where Ignatius meditated and found inspiration for the Spiritual Exercises, a central tract of Catholic how-to spirituality. To enhance the pilgrim experience, Iriberri wrote a guidebook for the Camino Ignaciano. Besides practical information, it recommends daily spiritual exercises drawn from Ignatius' foundational text. They include meditations on Ignatius' teachings, on Christ and on the pilgrim's own life and relation to God. 'When you go on a pilgrimage, it is difficult to find an internal guide. You have external guides, the signposts, the route markings, but nothing to help you internally,' Iriberri said. 'And that is what the Camino Ignaciano is, it is an internal pilgrimage.' The pilgrimage faces an uncertain future Iriberri received a boost last month when the Vatican's Dicastery for Culture and Education granted him patronage for the pilgrim path. That recognition could potentially increase awareness of the path, but it doesn't come with any financial support. Almost 4,000 registered pilgrims have completed the trail since its creation, with around 400 people doing it each of the last six years — with the exception of 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many were personally guided by Iriberri, who this year plans to lead nine groups of pilgrims. Iriberri admits that those numbers are not enough to reach the needed 'critical mass' whereby the path can survive without his stewardship. He says more help is needed from local authorities to promote it as well as more hostels for pilgrims on some of the more isolated stages to ensure his work doesn't end up a quixotic quest. Pilgrim Dawn Kelly, a retired teacher from Houston, says the route is 'very specific' for those interested in Ignatius and the Jesuit tradition. 'You have to be into wanting to know about Ignatius,' Kelly says, even though Iriberri insists that it is open to people of all faiths and even avid hikers seeking an alternative to the sometimes crowded Camino de Santiago. Fortunately for the Camino Ignaciano, Iriberri is going strong even at retirement age. He already has three pilgrimages lined up for next year and has open dates for more. Wiry, with a graying, trimmed beard, he swings his walking stick at the front to set the pace, or stays behind his pilgrims on climbs like a shepherd worried he'll lose a stray. He exhorts the American pilgrims in fluent English to keep their feet moving when the going gets tough. The discomfort, after all, deepens the experience, he teaches. 'The idea is to bring the head, the heart and the body together,' Iriberri said. 'The sweat, the foot pain, the blisters, the hunger, they help you understand little by little that ultimately it doesn't all depend on you. There is something else that carries you forward.'
Hamilton Spectator
15-07-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
One tireless Jesuit keeps alive a pilgrim path for St. Ignatius in Spain
MANRESA, Spain (AP) — Josep Lluís Iriberri helps celebrate Mass at a mountaintop basilica, swaps his priest's robe for a hiking backpack and rallies his latest group of pilgrims literally following him in the footsteps of the 16th-century St. Ignatius. Iriberri is the do-it-all Jesuit who designed the pilgrimage route to honor the founder of the Society of Jesus and for over a decade has almost single-handedly kept it alive. Since 2012, when Iriberri started the Camino Ignaciano (Ignatian Way) at the orders of his Jesuit superiors in Barcelona, this 65-year-old Spaniard spends six months a year guiding pilgrims along the trail that recreates the life-changing journey Ignatius made over 500 years ago. 'The Camino Ignaciano is putting flesh on the bones of Ignatius,' Iriberri said recently while an Associated Press journalist accompanied him and about 20 teachers from Jesuit schools in the United States on the final day of their pilgrimage. At one point on the 13-kilometer (8-mile) hike as the path dips from a village through some woods, Iriberri stops the group to tell them that Ignatius — or his mule — surely stepped on the very stones they stood on, making them natural 'relics' of the saint. 'We all know the history of Ignatius, because we have read about it, but being here, walking here, is what let's you feel like you know Ignatius. He now has a body for me,' Iriberri says. True to the Jesuit tradition of being active in the world, Iriberri stays busy problem-solving. Nothing is too transcendent or too mundane for him to tackle. Besides celebrating Mass and dishing out historical and spiritual knowledge about Ignatius, he often carries a can of spray paint to touch up the hundreds of orange arrows he left on rocks and sign posts to mark the way. He even pitches in helping a server with orders at a bar that served as a refueling post. 'From rising in the morning until going to bed, I take care of everything,' said Iriberri, walking briskly through the sunbaked countryside. 'He's so knowledgeable and so deep. But also just like a fun person to be around,' said pilgrim Amanda Murphy. 'I feel like he's always got a tidbit to surprise you or help you learn more.' Following Ignatius' transformational journey Iriberri had worked for the Jesuits Refugee Service in Morocco and had walked Spain's popular Camino de Santiago , or St. James' Way, six times when he was assigned the gargantuan task of creating from scratch a Camino Ignaciano. The idea was to try to mimic some of the success of the Camino de Santiago, which drew nearly half a million walkers last year. Walking the nearly 600-km (370-mile) Camino Ignaciano can take a month, broken into 27 stages by Iriberri. Most pilgrims, like the teachers from the U.S., do a shorter version in just over a week that combines bus rides with daily walks. Iriberri charted the route along public footpaths, including some stretches of the Camino de Santiago in the opposite direction, to reconstruct the journey Ignatius made in 1522 from his hometown of Loyola in northern Spain to northeastern Manresa, about an hour from the Mediterranean coast. That journey was part of a profound religious transformation of Íñigo the man-of-arms into Ignatius the man-of-God who would go on to found one of the most influential Catholic orders. The Society of Jesus today has over 14,000 members around the world and has left an indelible imprint on modern education and humanistic thought. The late Pope Francis was the first Jesuit to head the Holy See. Christian Zombek is a 29-year-old Jesuit in formation who teaches in Washington, D.C. He said he would never forget his week in Spain. 'It just moves me to gratitude and honestly to tears to be able to pray in front of the same statues, pray the same churches that Ignatius was at, and recognize a man who's done so much for me and helped me to grow in our relationship,' he said. 'Now I can see how God did it with him.' The culmination of the pilgrimage is the cave in Manresa where Ignatius meditated and found inspiration for the Spiritual Exercises, a central tract of Catholic how-to spirituality. To enhance the pilgrim experience, Iriberri wrote a guidebook for the Camino Ignaciano. Besides practical information, it recommends daily spiritual exercises drawn from Ignatius' foundational text. They include meditations on Ignatius' teachings, on Christ and on the pilgrim's own life and relation to God. 'When you go on a pilgrimage, it is difficult to find an internal guide. You have external guides, the signposts, the route markings, but nothing to help you internally,' Iriberri said. 'And that is what the Camino Ignaciano is, it is an internal pilgrimage.' The pilgrimage faces an uncertain future Iriberri received a boost last month when the Vatican's Dicastery for Culture and Education granted him patronage for the pilgrim path. That recognition could potentially increase awareness of the path, but it doesn't come with any financial support. Almost 4,000 registered pilgrims have completed the trail since its creation, with around 400 people doing it each of the last six years — with the exception of 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many were personally guided by Iriberri, who this year plans to lead nine groups of pilgrims. Iriberri admits that those numbers are not enough to reach the needed 'critical mass' whereby the path can survive without his stewardship. He says more help is needed from local authorities to promote it as well as more hostels for pilgrims on some of the more isolated stages to ensure his work doesn't end up a quixotic quest. Pilgrim Dawn Kelly, a retired teacher from Houston, says the route is 'very specific' for those interested in Ignatius and the Jesuit tradition. 'You have to be into wanting to know about Ignatius,' Kelly says, even though Iriberri insists that it is open to people of all faiths and even avid hikers seeking an alternative to the sometimes crowded Camino de Santiago. Fortunately for the Camino Ignaciano, Iriberri is going strong even at retirement age. He already has three pilgrimages lined up for next year and has open dates for more. Wiry, with a graying, trimmed beard, he swings his walking stick at the front to set the pace, or stays behind his pilgrims on climbs like a shepherd worried he'll lose a stray. He exhorts the American pilgrims in fluent English to keep their feet moving when the going gets tough. The discomfort, after all, deepens the experience, he teaches. 'The idea is to bring the head, the heart and the body together,' Iriberri said. 'The sweat, the foot pain, the blisters, the hunger, they help you understand little by little that ultimately it doesn't all depend on you. There is something else that carries you forward.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
