The Way of Sant James

Domingo Fontán Infant and Primary School in Portas, Pontevedra hosted the A Journal of the Camino initiative, a set of activities designed for primary school children. They centre on following the Way of St. James through the story of Sophie, a French girl who spends her summer holidays undertaking the pilgrimage to Compostela in the company of her Galician grandfather.

The project, promoted by Turismo de Galicia, is intended to introduce small children to the Way of St. James and pilgrimage, as well as the importance of this tourist resource as a source of culture, heritage and economic wealth.

To aid in this, the project includes an interactive digital publication, Sophie on the Camino, and two activity books, one for pupils and the other for teachers.

The interactive book tells the story of Sophie and her experiences one summer when she walks the French Route to Santiago accompanied by her grandfather. It also describes aspects of the history, customs, cuisine and heritage around the Way of St. James. The publication contains the literary adventures of the characters and is enhanced with photographs, drawings, maps and hyperlinks to additional information.

The student activity book expands on the book content, with documentation on the cultural, artistic, heritage, culinary and natural resources of the locations visited by pilgrims following the Camino. For its part, the teacher's book suggests a range of tasks to do with pupils in class.

20 Galician municipalities
Events have already been held at schools in six Galician municipalities on the Way of St. James: Barreiros and Abadín, on the Northern Route; Guntín and Baleira, on the Primitive Route; Arzúa, on the French Route; and Portas, on the Portuguese Route.

In upcoming weeks, it will visit the municipalities of Mesía, on the English Route; Toques and Friol, on the Primitive Route; Boimorto, Guitiriz, Begonte and Mondoñedo, on the Northern Route; Negreira, on the Fisterra–Muxía Route; and Laza, on the Vía de la Plata, among others.

A total of twenty Galician municipalities on the routes of the Way of St. James in our autonomous community will participate in this Turismo de Galicia initiative.