Summer 2026: Parting Gifts
The Summer 2026 issue of La Concha, a magazine published by American Pilgrims on the Camino with news, pilgrim stories, poetry, and more on the theme of “Parting Gifts.”
Letter from the Chair – Summer 2026
Summer 2026 letter from American Pilgrims on the Camino Board Chair Rachel Ganzon, a special In Memoriam section, plus a summary of the April 2026 and January 2026 meetings of the American Pilgrims Board of Directors.
Camino Letter
Song lyrics by Robert Bain, set to the tune of the folk-rock song “Teach Your Children,” serve as an audio shadowbox for the gifts that accompanied him on his first Camino in 2018: a shell from friends, Euros to spend, a stone to leave at Cruz de Ferro, and a letter from his wife.
Film Review: All Backwards
A review of the documentary short film All Backwards, which considers an unlikely journey walked literally backward.
Three Gifts for My Camino
A friend’s special playlist, cards from her sister, and attending online services at her home church were the unexpected gifts that motivated and encouraged a pilgrim throughout her journey.
The Little Voice that Guided Me in Spain and to Spices
A woman learns to listen to her inner voice on Camino. Back home with a head cold, that same inner voice inspires her to create a healing blend of spices that opens her sinus passages and opens herself to possibilities.
Book Review – The Camigas Scarf: Crone
A review of Alder Allensworth’s “The Camigas Scarf: Crone” the last in a three-part fictional series inspired by an actual scarf that has created a special bond among women across many Caminos. This book follows 80-year-old Dot on the Camino Portugués.
Number 13: More Than Good Luck
Seeking a journey of rebirth, a man embarks on Camino. Along the way, the number 13 surfaces and resurfaces in unexpected ways, not superstitiously but as a reminder that we can always begin again
Chapter Happenings – Summer 2026
A Summer 2026 compilation of American Pilgrims on the Camino chapter happenings.
Not Just Any Piece of Cloth
As a woman embarks on Camino, a friend passes on to her a scarf the friend had rescued while on Camino in 2010. Upon her return, the woman hands the scarf off to another woman. The journey of the Camigas scarf continues today, and woven into its fibers is a simple yet profound truth: we walk our own paths, yet we are connected to each other in ways we don’t always see.