Walking the Camino Francés Trivia Quiz

Answer: Napoleon

The Napoleon route is 24.6 km and is a steady climb up through the hamlet Huntto, past the last auberge in France at Orisson to the top of the Col de Lepoeder and then down to the monastery in Roncesvalles. Stunning views along the way over two countries.

The route is closed between November and April to walkers due to inclement weather which can occur on the route and is considered to be the hardest day of the Camino.

Answer: Pamplona

Vitoria and Bilbao are both cities on the Camino del Norte. Bunol is home to the Tomatina festival. Pamplona is the capital of the Navarra region and lies on the River Arga a tributary of the Ebro. It is best known for the San Fermin festival also known as the Running of the Bulls which is held annually in July. Pinchos are snacks that are local to the northern regions of Spain, they differ from tapas in that they are usually served with a toothpick or skewer on a piece of bread.

The photo is of the medieval bridge at Trinidad de Arre on the outskirts of Pamplona.

Answer: Red Wine

The Bodegas Irache were established in 1891 in the village of Ayegui at the foot of Mount Mountejurra close to the medieval city of Estella. In 1991 they added a fountain into one of the walls that dispenses both red wine and water for pilgrims who are following the way.

The fountain itself is not open 24/7 and can run dry at times. I was lucky getting there just before 8 in the morning when the tanks had just been filled for the day.

Answer: La Rioja

La Rioja is one of the smallest regions of Spain and its capital Logarno lies in on the Ebro River. The festival of San Mateo held in September in the capital is of great importance to the region. On the main day of the festival, grapes from many vineyards across the region are carried by children into a local park and then poured into a large wine barrel. Two men dressed in traditional costume tread the grapes till they can fill a jug with wine that is then offered to the statue of the Virgin of Valvanera.

Answer: Chicken

The legend of why chickens are held in the church dates back many years to when a German couple and their son were walking the Camino. The son was accused of stealing, found guilty and then hung for his alleged crime. The parents carried on to Santiago de Compostella and on their way back found their son hanging but still alive and claiming that St James had kept him alive. The parents went straight to the town judge who was sitting down to a poultry dinner and told him that their son was still alive, to which his response was "That boy is no more alive than these chickens on my plate". The roasted birds then came to life, sprouting feathers and beaks and started walking round the table. The sheriff then cut down the young German, pardoned him and allowed him to go home to Germany. The story of the miracle spread and petitions were sent to the Pope to allow two birds to be displayed inside the church as a sign of the miracle.

The photo is taken on the Camino just outside Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

Answer: El Cid

Rodrigo Diaz also known as El Cid was born around 1043 AD, 10 kilometres north of the city of Burgos and died in 1099. According to the poem "Song of El Cid" he prayed on the steps of Burgos's first cathedral after being exiled by King Alphonse VI of Castile-Leon.

He is buried with his wife Ximena under the transept of the current Cathedral. The Hollywood film made in 1961 starred Charlton Heston as El Cid and Sophia Loren as his wife Dona Ximena.

Answer: La Meseta

La plato means plate or dish, la mesa table and el tenador is a fork. Although many days are a perfectly flat walk, there can be hills especially in the early days - highlight villages were Hontanas, Castrojeriz (the last of the truly big hills till the Galician border) and then the wonderfully named villages of Carrion de los Condes, Terradillos de los Templarios and Mansilla de las Mulas. The halfway point of the Camino can be found just before you reach the town of Sahagun where you can get a half-way certificate by showing your pilgrim's passport at the Santuario de La Peregrina just outside the centre of town.

The photo is taken from the top of the Alto de Mostelares just outside the town of Castrojeriz.

Answer: Reims

The Cathedral in Leon that you see today is the third one to be built on the site and construction began in around 1205 under the supervision of Master Enrique who had worked on the cathedral in Burgos and is believed to be French. Although it follows the layout of Reims Cathedral influences from Chartres and Amiens Cathedral can be found in other areas. Numerous works have had to be done over years to shore up the foundations of the Cathedral as it was originally built on Roman ruins and sometimes the building material used in the initial construction was not of the best quality. For anyone that visits today it is the medieval stained glass one of best preserved collections in Europe that are the stand out features of this building.

Answer: Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi was born in Reus on the 25th June 1852. Most of his work can be found in Barcelona with his most well-known building being the Sagrada Familia on which work is hoping to be completed in 2026 to mark the centenary of his death. Gaudi was asked by the Bishop of Astorga Joan Baptista Grau a childhood friend to design a new episcopal palace to replace the previous one which had been destroyed by fire. Constructed in neo-Gothic style with four cylindrical towers work began on construction in 1889, Gaudi resigned from the project in 1893 after disagreements with the clergy following the death of Bishop Grau. It was finally finished by Ricardo Gonzalez Martin in 1915. Currently housing a museum about the Caminos, it remains one of only 3 buildings designed by Gaudi outside Catalunya.

Photo is of a lovely donativo cafe just outside Astorga, an unexpected oasis that appeared at the top of a hill after a long walk.

Answer: Stone

No one is really sure of the origin of the tradition but pilgrims have been laying stones at the foot of Cruz de Ferro for many centuries. On laying the stone the following prayer is said - "Lord, may this stone, a symbol of my efforts on the pilgrimage that I lay at the foot of the cross of the Saviour, one day weigh the balance in favour of my good deeds when the deeds of my life are judged. Let it be so".

The stone should have been carried with the pilgrim all the way from their home country and for many pilgrims the ceremony symbolises the laying down of a burden.

Answer: Galicia

Galicia is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Cantabrian Sea to the north, Castillo y Leon and Asturias to the east and Portugal to the South. With an economy based on agriculture and fishing it is one of the poorest regions of Spain. Although scenically beautiful with a hilly landscape, in part due to its remoteness and the mild climate tourism is has not made a big impact here like in other parts of Spain. Often felt to be the 7th Celtic nation, Galicia has its own language as well as having further connection with the Celts due the music of the gaita (Galician bagpipes) and the Galician belief in the supernatural power of stones and the sea. Galicia has nearly 100 festivals each year, the most famous being the "Noche of San Juan" which has pagan roots and celebrates the Summer Solstice in June with ceremonial bonfires, fire jumping and a parade of witches.

The photo is the border marker between Castila y Leon and Galicia - the weather was playing true to form.

Answer: 100 kilometres

To earn their Compostela a pilgrim needs to walk a minimum of 100 km or cycle at least 200 km. Although Sarria is 117k from Santiago it is the closest convenient point for starting out as it has good bus and rail connections to other parts of Spain. Proof of walking/cycling the distance is provided by credentials in the "pilgrims passport" which is stamped by various hostels, shops, bars and restaurants along the way. As well as having completed the distance required, a pilgrim needs to have a spiritual or religious reason for completing their journey. The Compostela is written in Latin and can be collected from the Pilgrims Office in Santiago.

The photo is of the 100km marker from Santiago.

Answer: The Way

I have to admit I had no knowledge of the film when I started on Day 1 just talking to people along the way alerted me to its existence. I watched it in parts over many days not wanting to spoil what was to come. The film was inspired by Emilio Estevez's own son, Taylor who had driven the length of the Camino with his grandfather Martin Sheen. Originally Martin wanted it to be a documentary but Emilio wanted it to be something more exploring the themes of loss, community and faith. Unfortunately when I was there in 2019 they were renovating the Cathedral in time for Holy Year in 2021 so there were no pilgrims masses with the swinging of the Botafumeiro (incense burner) so it was nice to see this service in the film.

The photo is taken from the square in front of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.

Answer: Cabo Fisterra

In Roman times Cabo Fisterra was believed to be the end of the known world and the name is derived from the Latin finis terrae, meaning "end of the earth". It is sometimes said to be the westernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula but Cabo da Roca in Portugal is about 16.5k's further west and thus the westernmost point of continental Europe. It is not even the most westernmost point in Spain as Cabo Touriñán is further up the coast is more westerly. At Fisterra today the lighthouse remains with its shining powerful light guiding ships safely along the Costa del Morte and a hotel for pilgrims who want to treat themselves after their long journey.

The photo is taken from walking up the Costa del Morte between Muxia and Fisterra.

Answer: Scallop

There are many theories about why the scallop shell has become a symbol of the Camino. The two that I can relate to the best is the one that the shell was used as a container to drink water from springs and streams and the markings on the outside represent the paths to Santiago of which there are many and the one relating to Venus about rebirth, resurrection and moving forward to a life less materialistic and leaving past burdens behind.

The photo is one of many murals I came across, this one judging by distances is close to the town of Grañón in the La Rioja region.