Chapter Happenings – Autumn 2025
An Autumn 2025 compilation of American Pilgrims on the Camino chapter happenings.
Book Review: Tales from the Trail
A review of Jackie Saxon’s Tales from the Trail, a humor-infused collection of 53 short essays that offer both pilgrim wisdom and disenchantments, along with a glimpse into the unique challenges the author faced as an African American woman walking the Camino.
To Estella
In this poem, Rebecca Ring writes about escaping on pilgrimage upon retirement from a career as an elementary classroom teacher, only to find herself surrounded by a group of Spanish students on a field trip day on Camino, and a connection she made in one brief exchange with one of the students.
The Precise Moment Between Need & Surrender
A man discovers that the ethereal quality some call Camino magic is provided by fellow humans in those precise moments between a pilgrim’s need and surrender.
The Laundromat Lady
Days into his Via de la Plata journey without encountering another pilgrim, a man yearns for meaningful human connection. Then a woman at a laundromat engages with and comes to his aid, reminding him that the formula for making genuine connections is helping others.
The Tale of Billy Pilgrim
Bill Artz shares his poem about being inspired to cycle the Camino after surgery had improved his eyesight, and another kind of sight he gained on pilgrimage.
The Ethereal Effect of Pilgrimage
A woman considers how meeting a fellow pilgrim can bring our Camino memories to the forefront of our hearts and minds.
The Camino as the Circle of Life
While on the Camino last year, a man received word of his father’s stroke. Back on the Camino this year, he walked in remembrance of his dad. As he walked this linear journey, from Point A to Point B, he reflected on the circle of life.
When in Paris, Consider a Stop at La Tour Saint-Jacques
Whether you are starting a pilgrimage in Paris or just find yourself in the City of Light, consider a stop at the Tour Saint-Jacques, a stunning Camino-related monument now recognized as a starting point for the Camino de Santiago in France.
Book Review: Stones on the Camino
A review of Lilly de Holanda’s Stones on the Camino. This memoir includes daily accounts on Camino, each complemented with post-Camino reflections that demonstrate the author’s insights and growth as she revisits and considers her experiences.