The Camino Frances

I will be walking the Camino Frances starting in St Jean de Pied Port in southern France. The first day is a climb over the Pyrenees to the Spanish village of Roncevalles. The route then runs through the towns and villages on this poster to Santiago de Compostela.

It is an ancient pilgrims' route and many of the settlements along the way have been devoted to caring for pilgrims for over a millennium. Cheap accommodation, pilgrims' menus, cafes and bars cater specifically to pilgrims. In past centuries the Knights Templar guarded pilgrims from robbers and plunderers and provided shelter and food. 

The scallop shell or golden arrow point the way west, keeping pilgrims on the right track.