The phenomenon of pilgrimage, and in particular, the Santiago pilgrimage, has been studied for centuries. More recently, photographic "studies" of the Camino have added new richness to the Camino story and to the meaning that the Camino holds for individual pilgrims. Here in Essays and Galleries, American Pilgrims offers a fascinating series of essays on various topic related to the Camino. In addition, we will be posting peregrino journals, essays and photo galleries that will present the Camino as it is in all its mystery, complexity and beauty. Be sure to check back to this page for new essays, journals and photographs.

Essays:

	Ultreya: "A man sleeping in the cot next to mine was snoring." Beginning with this inauspicious first night on the Camino a young woman finds the meaning of "Ultreya!". (5/29/12)
	Pilgrims' Progress: Medieval pilgrims hiked the Camino de Santiago hoping for a miracle. Modern-day ones do it for the physical and spiritual challenge. Oh, and for the bragging rights too. (1/20/12)
	Ode to a Bedbug: With apologies to Robert Louis Stevenson and just about everybody else as well. (8/31/10)
	Pilgriming and Post-modernism: Connecting with the Camino Within: What place does pilgrimage have in 21st century society? (5/1/10)
	A Tale of Two Pilgrims: She was from The Netherlands. He was from California. Their paths, their Caminos crossed in Estella. (11/17/09)
	John Adams and the Camino de Santiago: Those of you who have read any comprehensive biography of John Adams will perhaps remember that, sailing to Paris in December 1779, the leaking ship carrying Adams and his party was forced to put in at Ferrol in Galicia from where they eventually made their way by land to Paris. And for those who knew this and then wondered if Adams knew of the pilgrimage to Santiago or wondered what he might have written about this journey, you few will be most interested to know that indeed he did know well of the Camino and that he "…always regretted that We could not find time to make a Pilgrimage to Saint Iago de Compostella." (3.2MB) (11/10/09)

Perspectives on the Camino: A collection of essays on the Camino by E.O. Pederson:

	An Introduction: An introduction to the collection of essays and how they came to be.
	Language on the Camino: Inspired by the experience of being a tourist in a foreign country for which the traveler had few language skills, this is a reflection on the issue of the Medieval pilgrim traveling into a linguistically foreign land.
	Three Classic Guidebooks: The Codex Calixtinus, the 12th century "guidebook" for the pilgrimage to Santiago, is widely recognized as being the world's first travel guidebook. In this essay, the author considers three classic guidebooks written during the first three decades of the 20th century.
	Sheep on the Camino: Sheep? Yes. From Roman times into the 19th century, the economies on the Iberian Peninsula had at their center sheep or, more correctly, the wool they produced. This is an examination of the phenomenon and should serve as incentive for the contemporary pilgrim to be attuned to the sheep culture that he or she will encounter along the Road.
	The Canal de Castilla: As the contemporary pilgrim is struggling, physically or psychologically, across the Meseta west of Burgos, suddenly just past Boadilla del Camino a mirage of placid water appears beside the Road. This is the history of that mirage, the Canal de Castilla.
	Food and the Medieval Pilgrim: El menú del peregrino, bocadillos, merluza, pulpo, calamari, the mid-morning café con leche. These are the trials and joys of the contemporary pilgrim. What was food on the Road like for the medieval peregrino?
	The Tarta de Santiago: Not an essay but a recipe for the delicious dessert that appears on every menú del peregrino in Galicia.
	A Christmas Feast on the Camino: While not specifically about Christmas on the Camino, a chilling thought for most of us, this essay considers Christmas celebration in the medieval world.
	Recipes for a Medieval Feast on the Camino: If walking the Camino hasn't been enough, here is a complete menu to reproduce a medieval feast.
	Music Associated with Santiago and Pilgrimage I: From its begins in the mists of history some 1,200 years ago, the pilgrimage to Santiago has been the inspiration for music. This is an examination of the phenomenon focusing on the period before 1500.
	Music Associated with Santiago and Pilgrimage II: Further reflections on the Road to Santiago and music associated with it, from 1500 to the present.

Galleries:

Random image gallery: Observant visitors to our humble site will have noticed that the elongated images that appear in the left margin of the site's pages appear randomly. If you want to see this effect, go to one page and do a Reload or Refresh command from your browser's menu. At the moment there is a pool of some 160 images and some have expressed minor consternation at not being able to reload a particular image. Well, we have something for you! Just click here to see a gallery that has ALL of the images.

Thanks are offered to image contributors Deirdre Magner and Gene McCullough.