Tots els pilgrims guanyen el Camí de Sant Jaume a sobre d'experiència something que mai never happen again in their lifetime. Aquest evening, August 12, a total solar eclipsi will sweep across northern Spain, plunging large sections of the Camino into an extraordinary twilight just before sunset.
Per a cada vegada que estiga el Camí Francès, el Camí del Nord o el Camí Primitiu, aquest no és un ordinary stage. Pilgrims que beguen els seus dies following yellow arrows through northern Spain will end it watching the Moon move front of the Sun on one of the most spectacular astronomical events visible from Europe in decades unfolds directly above the pilgrimage.
The eclipse is already attracting enormous international attention. Milions de persones són expectatives de la watch across Spain, while authorities ha deployat exceptional security and emergency measures to cope with huge concentrations of visitors. Spain és una de les world privileged locations for today's phenomenon, s path of totality crossing the country from west to east.
The Camino lies directly beneath the eclipse
What makes totay's event particularment extraordinary for pilgrims is geography.
La pata totalitat crosses molt de nord-espanyol, precisament el territori mitjançant el several del most famós Camí de Sant Jaume routes run.
According a Spain's National Geographic Institute (IGN), el total eclipsi crosses de l'Iberian Península de West to East, passing through or close to provincial capitals including La Corunya, Lugo, Oviedo, Lleó, Burgos, Santander, Bilbao, Vitòria-Gasteiz and Logronyo.
View map of the Camino and the significance immediately becomes clear.
The Camí Francès passes through some the areas experiencing totality, including major pilgrim destinations such as Logronyo, Burgos and León. The Camí Primitiu crosses Astúries and Lugo, while the Camí del Nord follows molt of Spain's northern coast.
Per thousands de pilgrims, therefore, l'eclipsi no és sometent que havien travellat separately to see.
It has menjat directly to the Camino.
From yellow arrows to a darkening sky
There is something almost symbolic about the coincidence.
Every day, pilgrims wake before sunrise, shoulder les seves backpacks and follow a succession of yellow arrows towards Santiago de Compostela.
Totay, many will finish their stage looking in the opposite direction.
Instead de following the arrows towards Santiago, they will be searching for clear western horizon.
Espanya es troba a prop de l'eclipsi de la path, mètodes totals d'occurs quan el Sun és already very low in the evening sky. The IGN stresses that observers need an unobstructed view towards the west.
A la Corunya, per exemple, l'eclipsi begins at approximately 19:31, reaches maximum at around 20:28 and continues until shortly before sunset. In Burgos, una de les grans ciutats del Camí Francès, les begins at around 19:33, with maximum eclipse at approximately 20:29. Totality there lasts about 104 seconds.
A minute and half may sound short.
Per a somiar standing a partir de les passes de Santiago, t'has de demanar un dels mostos unforgettable minuts de la jornada.
Pilgrims have paid a price for the spectacle
The eclipse has creat a molt less romantic reality along parts of the Camino.
Accommodation has been under exceptional pressure.
Pilgrims ha bé warning for months that beds around August 12 could become difficult to find because eclipse visitors i organised groups were booking accommodation throughout northern Spain.
Tha prediction has now become reality in some places.
One pilgrim currently walking the Camí del Nord recently descriu contacting seven different albergs without finding a bed for tonight. The same pilgrim reported hotel prices averaging around €500 for the night, forcing them to considereu changing their route altogether. Aquest és individual account rather than evidence that €500 prices són widespread across the Camino, però les il·lustrades extraordinaris pressure in some locations.
Per pilgrims accustomed to inexpensive albergs, el sudden arrival de thousands d'eclipse turistes ha therefore created an unexpected challenge.
Some people planned their Camí specifically to coincideix with the eclipse.
Altres simplement enverinat que un bisegest astronomical events de la ciutat havien fallat directament amb la seva pilgrimage.
Spain prepares for an extraordinary evening
Tothom eclipsi és fer bigger than a Camino story.
Milions de persones across Espanya estan preparant-se per a veure-ho, mentre que visitors han travellat de tot el món specificament per a l'esdeveniment. Authorities ha introduït exceptional safety measures because the eclipse coincideixes amb summer heat, wildfire risk and potencialment huge movements of people towards viewing locations.
A Cantàbria alone, traffic restrictions hauen introduït at several popular viewing areas, incloent Cap Major in Santander i Penya Cabarga, a les authorities prepare for large crowds.
Scale of the preparations shows just how unusual this evening will be.
Però l'experiència del pilgrim és molt diferent de la gent que ho ha guanyat uns quilòmetres specificament per veure el perfect viewing point.
A pilgrim mai simply stop walking.
Take off the backpack.
Find an open field or hill with clear western horizon.
And wait.
A Camino stage that will never be repeated
Every pilgrim eventually collects stories.
The unexpected storm. The stranger who became a friend. The impossible climb. The alberg nobody planned to stay in. El sunrise que té getting up at 5 am worthwhile.
Tonight, another story will be added to the Camino.
Per brief period, daylight will fade across northern Spain as the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun.
Temperatures mai fall. The landscape will change colour. Shadows will become strange. I al llarg ancient pilgrimage paths travelled for more thansth years, thousands of people will stop and look towards la seva punta en el sky.
Tomorrow the yellow arrows will still be there.
Els pilgrims puten els seus backpacks on again i continuen towards Santiago.
But the Camino they walk tonight will never look tregui like this again.
