Autumn 2026: Hidden Arrows
Letter from Our Editor
by Amy Horton
Fellow Pilgrims,
Before I left on my most recent camino, a La Concha copy editor, Anna, bid me a “buen camino” and added, “Do me a favor and pet all of the animals (especially if you can find a donkey—they’re so silky soft!).” A fellow animal lover, I smiled at her suggestion and tucked it away. Then, on Day 1 walking out of St. Jean Pied de Port toward Orisson, I encountered several donkeys grazing in pastures alongside the path. Some seemed especially curious and friendly, walking right up to the fenceline. Remembering Anna’s appeal, I stepped over to the fence and reached my hand out to pet one, and it leaned in gently and nuzzled my hand. Anna was so right, its fur was unexpectedly soft. That experience brought me such delight that morning, and without Anna’s suggestion, I likely wouldn’t have that memory to share now.
Several days later, just beyond the legendary Irache wine fountain, my camino family and I peeled off the main Francés path to take the alternate route to Luguín. This lesser-traveled way, which passes through quiet woodland and emerges onto a country road with splendid views, felt like a hidden gem and is among my favorite stretches of my 2026 camino. Its serenity recharged my batteries that afternoon, and with extra pep in my step, I got lost in thought and sped ahead. Only when I took my phone out to snap a photo did I notice several missed calls and texts from my walking companions alerting me that I’d wandered off path. Fortunately, I hadn’t gotten too far and doubled back to rejoin them, but this mistake added more than a kilometer to my steps that day. Somehow I’d completely missed the waymark I should have taken, and my camino family redirected me to the right path.
These memories are two examples of the many subtle nudges and unexpected waymarks that shape our camino journeys.
This La Concha issue searches out the HIDDEN ARROWS, the seemingly unremarkable or imperceptible features that guide our way or pinpoint essential moments. We have reviews of books including a novel about a spiraling medieval journey; a guide to geological features along the Camino; and several memoirs of pilgrimage. We also have reflections, poetry, and imagery that illuminate the subtle yet distinctive features of our pilgrim experience. Caminos walked against the flow of pilgrim traffic and lessons of faith, fear, acceptance, intuition, fortitude, and more.
Join us here in La Concha as we map the unobvious yellow arrows that guided our way or became defining features of our journey.
May your journey be sacred,
Amy
Autumn 2026 La Concha Content
American Pilgrims News
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Letter from the Chair – Autumn 2026
Autumn 2026 letter from American Pilgrims on the Camino Board Chair Rachel Ganzon, plus a summary of the July 2026 meeting of the American Pilgrims Board of Directors. -
Chapter Happenings – Autumn 2026
An Autumn 2026 compilation of American Pilgrims on the Camino chapter happenings. -
A Heartfelt Welcome: Pilgrims Enjoy the Palencia Region
A group of 33 American Pilgrims members traveled to the Spanish province of Palencia for an immersive experience exploring the history, culture, wine, gastronomy, and hospitality of the region.
Camino News
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A Camino Walk Along the Voie de Tours in France
A pilgrim provides highlights of his 17-day trek on the lesser-traveled Via Turonensis from Tours to Pons in France.
Pilgrims Way: Reflections on the Theme “Hidden Arrows”
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Walking in Solitude but Never Alone
Disoriented in the waning light and from exhaustion, and unable to rely on her phone to navigate, a pilgrim speaks out loud to a higher power and surrenders. In that moment, she feels a quiet peace that allows her to receive the knowledge she needs to find her way. -
The Way With Parkinson’s Disease
A husband reflects on the Camino journey he shared with his wife after her Parkinson’s diagnosis. -
The Pilgrim in the Mirror
After a man is annoyed by the behavior of someone staying at the same albergue, he realizes the other pilgrim is a mirror reflecting an image of himself he is not proud of. -
Led & Held Through Grief to the Camino
The Infant Jesus of Prague becomes a source of comfort to a woman after the dissolution of her marriage and all the way to the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela. -
Kindness Leads the Way
An obscured Camino marker and the kindness of locals lead two pilgrims to find a sense of connection and camaraderie one morning on the Finisterre route. -
Inner Flecha
A woman’s Camino dreams are dashed when she suffers a brain injury. Then people in her local American Pilgrims chapter help her find a renewed sense of purpose and direction that becomes her “inner flecha,” or arrow pointing the way to see her pilgrimage as possible. -
Get Out of Your Own Way
Labeled a “loser” at 17, a woman later walks the Camino Francés. With each step toward Santiago, that hurtful, unhelpful word dissolves and she replaces it with a powerful mantra: “I can do hard things.” -
Finding Welcome & Shelter with Belén
With no other accommodations available in Agés, a pilgrim finds shelter at the home of a woman named Belén, the Spanish word for Bethlehem! This felt to her like a miracle. -
Faith Over Fear
Under a dark morning sky, heavy with rain and punctuated by lightning and thunder, a pilgrim sets out. Searching for the familiar yellow arrows she had followed for days, she sees none. Out of nowhere, a pilgrim appears, wearing a bright yellow poncho—a beacon in the storm to guide her way. -
Even They Are Glorious
Repeatedly encountering three men who’ve become a source of annoyance to her, a pilgrim is nudged by a divine thought to consider why she continues to see these men every day. Perhaps she could see their presence as an invitation to love, rather than as a nuisance. -
English Sheep Teach Me a Lesson
Navigating the English countryside at the start of her Camino Inglés, a woman encounters a flock of sheep that teach her a profound lesson in trust and faith. -
Best Laid Plans
A husband and wife discover that the best-laid plans of mice and men (and even experienced camino pilgrims) often go awry. It’s how you navigate the detours through grief and pain together that leads to joy, a stronger partnership, and an enduring life lesson. -
Arrows Hidden in Plain Sight
A husband and wife, experienced Camino Francés pilgrims, embark on the same route, this time in reverse. Walking against the flow of pilgrims and seeking the more elusive blue spiral arrows that marked their way, they gain new perspectives along a path they thought they already knew.
Poetry
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Pilgrim Soles
Bill Artz shares his jaunty yet sincere ode to pilgrim feet. -
Laundry Day
A pilgrim spends a rainy day in a Santiago de Compostela laundromat staring into the spinning machines and contemplating the tumbling cycles in our world. -
Everything Leads To
In this poem by John Delaney, over a day’s walk a pilgrim considers the varied forms life’s paths take—forced, free, ascendent, decisive, tantalizing, concentric, straight, unadorned. -
Tribute to Camino
Amul Purohit’s self-described “attempt to put into words the quiet, enduring pull the Camino leaves on those who have walked it, long after the boots come off.” He draws on experiences accumulated over the past ten years on five separate journeys along various routes. -
Blessed to the End
In this poem by Robert Bain, a pilgrim suffering an ankle injury must slow down and turn back. From this seeming setback, an enduring friendship is forged and a life lesson is learned.
Book & Film Reviews
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Book Review – Yellow Arrows
A review of Shelli Peck’s engaging and introspective memoir Yellow Arrows, a physical and emotional journey story that ultimately reminds us of the higher purpose that pilgrimage can serve to help point the way in our lives. -
Book Review – The Way Beneath Your Feet
A review of a “brilliantly illustrated and beautifully written” small book in which Paul Fee shares his love of geology with his fellow pilgrims, offering them a preview of what they might see geologically as they make their way along the Camino Francés from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela. -
Book Review: The Codex of Christian Surname
Book review of The Codex of Christian Surname, Shoshana D. Kerewsky’s debut novel set in an alternate late Middle Ages Spain. The story begins with a 13-year-old girl, orphaned and living with aunts, uncles, and cousins in a small town near a pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela. The shimmering tale follows the protagonist along the Camino and far beyond, spiraling toward a sacred feminine core. -
Book Review – The Joyful Gypsy Gal
A review of The Joyful Gypsy Gal, in which author Mary Baldree weaves together her Camino experiences in Spain with the larger pilgrimage of her life to tell a journey story of joy and courage. -
Book Review – Someone Else’s Saint
An experienced Camino pilgrim finds the idea of a pilgrim walk in Scotland appealing until he considers the region’s rainy climate, dampening any desire he has to walk there. Then, he reads Matthew Anderson’s account of pilgrimage walks in Scotland and Nova Scotia, enticing him to reconsider a walk in Scotland, rain or shine. -
Book Review: A Way to Forgiveness
Book review of A Way to Forgiveness, Erin R. Dooley’s memoir about her journey as she heals from a painful divorce and comes to understand mercy from the inside out.
Gallery
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Hidden Arrows: A Collection of Imagery
Selected images that consider this issue’s theme, “Hidden Arrows.”
Your MEMBERSHIP in American Pilgrims on the Camino makes it possible for everyone to make the pilgrimage that is best for them. Thanks, as always, for your support and if you aren’t already a member, you can become one here.
Submissions to Winter 2027 Issue Close December 19
The Winter 2027 theme is ENDURING GIFTS. At journey’s end, the hero returns to their ordinary world carrying the “elixir,” a magic potion of wisdom and power gained through their odyssey. They return with something they didn’t start with and share it with their community. The story of getting the treasure is the treasure. This issue explores the ways we bring the magical elixir of our pilgrimage back to our lives and communities, each offering an echo of the Camino-an outward ripple that touches others far beyond the trail.
We invite American Pilgrims members to share their pilgrim experiences and insights on this theme. Watch your email for our La Concha call for submissions as the Winter 2027 deadline approaches. If you would like to submit materials and are not yet an American Pilgrims member, learn more here.
Your original creative contributions may take the form of:
- Personal accounts, reflections, and essays
- Poetry
- Artwork
- Photography
Please limit written works to 400 words maximum.
Access the LA CONCHA SUBMISSION FORM for complete submission guidelines and to submit your creative work. We include as many submissions as possible in each issue. We may defer some items to future issues.
Team La Concha – Autumn 2026 Volunteers
- Amy Horton, editor-in-chief
- Carol Guttery, web designer and content creator
- Copy editors: Kelly Bates, Julie Gianelloni Connor, Jeanette Mills, Deborah Reyes Haggart, Anna Harris, Lauren Kerr, Pruitt Layton
- Julianna Goodman, social media management
Other Communications Team Volunteers
- Corinne Dougherty, committee chair and membership liaison
- Rachel Ganzon, board chair
- Tracy Pawelski, board member
- Joe Curro, board member, webmaster, and technology wizard
- Thom Ryng, communications manager and monthly e-newsletter editor
- Jim Porter, video and YouTube management
- Rosa Torres-Tumazos, Facebook group lead moderator
Archives
Explore our archive of back issues of La Concha in PDF format (through Winter 2024) and find more recent content on our La Concha homepage.
Thoughts and opinions expressed by La Concha contributors are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of American Pilgrims on the Camino.
Contact Us
If you have a question for our La Concha team, email our editor-in-chief.