Testimonials
The following are reviews of those who stayed at our Gite for which we are sincerely grateful to have received.
How the Camino is transformative.
When I first arrived in Saint Jean Pied de Port after cycling for 18 days from Holland, I had no clue that gite de la Porte Saint Jacques would become my home.
As planned, I left my bike here and started walking, with the intention to get back after reaching Santiago, pick up my bike en cycle back home. After a very intense and transformative camino I did return, but I did not go back 'home'. I decided to stay and volunteer until the end of the season 2021. The camino changed me, and so did the volunteer work. To be able to give back to the pilgrims community, to live a life of service, and to do that in a place which, to me, is filled with Love and Light was, and still is, an incredible experience.
And yes, it is an energetic job. Meeting new pilgrims every day, answering their questions, listening to their stories, making sure they are comfortable. Cooking pilgrims dinners several days a week, getting up bright and early to provide the pilgrims with breakfast and encouragement. Performing a small pilgrims ceremony to send them on their way, and after that; cleaning. Toilets, beds, showers, floors. And shopping groceries, while making sure everything is done before opening the gite again at 2pm to welcome the new pilgrims to come.
What makes this work so beautiful to me is meeting people on a very personal level, whilst most pilgrims have their deeper reasons to start a camino and/or are on a crossroad in their lives. To be able to provide them with a warm and safe place to start their (inner and outer) journey, fills me with gratitude, love and joy.
As for me, the camino became my life. As time passed by, the relationship with Axx evolved in a beautiful way, and I can still hardly believe it when I say and feel; this is my home now.
Living a life of service to the pilgrims community is my life now, and I love every single minute of it. And so do my two tiny little cute poodles ;-)
In 2022 we've actively started to attract more volunteers, which worked out great and adds another beautiful element to the work and atmosphere in the gite. So if you're looking for an opportunity to give back to the camino and you think volunteering could be a good experience for you, please reach out to us!
With love,
Karin.
The 2 weeks volunteering in Gite de la Porte Saint Jacques, SJPP, were incredible. They were intense, always busy, always moving, always learning. Erik, my Dutch colleague volunteer and I, established a superb bond and sharing tasks and chats was perfect. Karin and Axx, our hosts, were wonderful too, and in fact the four of us (plus the two dogs and the chicken!) got along so well during all these days, that everything was super easy…The contact with pilgrims was very rewarding and in fact, while I volunteered in order to give back time and energy towards the pilgrim community, I gained a lot also from the daily chats and love they all had to give! At the end, I was tired (my fault also since on my days off I travelled around in a very intense manner) but happy, and felt really good about deciding to spend these two weeks in this manner
Joao from Portugal, July 2023
Volunteering is about giving back to the Camino? Wrong… It’s about receiving: gratitude, smiling faces, happy pilgrims, warm hugs at the departure, lots of thank-yous, being a part of a dreamteam.
Erik from NL, July 2023
My last day in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
One last time in the morning I say goodbye to 17 pilgrims on their way to Santiago with the little morning motivation/meditation, hug the people who need a hug, wish a 'buen Camino', swing the broom, the fluff, make the beds , clean the showers and toilets... The valuable experience of being able to be a part of this path, to 'live' it in this special different way and to make the start of the many people with their different life stories and 'life backpacks' as good as possible has a deep meaning for me. A circle of receiving and giving from the heart. In the last few days I have accompanied pilgrims a little bit on their personal journey and I was happy to be there for them. It is - as we can experience so often here - the people who make the way. The encounters, the touches, the small moments of connection. Many of us kind of embark on this path 'raw' with all the excited openness to the unpredictable that may come. I was allowed to feel this special energy in the air every day. I'm quietly packing my backoack again, full of impressions and happy that I was able to support my friends Axx and Karin here in the pilgrims' hostel for a while. Thanks to these two great people for this opportunity and for doing their job here with so much love for the pilgrims. Thanks also to the other two volunteers I got to know - Audrey and Michelle. It wouldn't be half as nice without well-established teamwork. It will certainly not be my last trip to SJPdP. It's such an enchanting place that has its own 'magic'. After my short pilgrimage hike on the Camino del Norte, the many conversations with a wide variety of people here in the hostel, the lots of time for my own reflection and inner connection, a few hikes in the Pyrenees on days off, my soul feels freer again. I return strengthened and calm to my everyday life. With my backpack full of new pictures, memories and experiences. I light one last candle in the church. Until next time. l'll stay connected. Bon voyage to all travelers.
Karen from Bremen, May 2023
A Transformational Opportunity
Volunteering at Gite de la Porte Saint Jacques was an opportunity to reconnect with my Camino experiences (Camino de Santiago 2017, Camino a Le Puy-en-Velay 2018). It enabled me to be-of-service to Pilgrims just beginning on their Way, and facilitated a deeper understanding of the dedication and Love provided by those who operate Pilgrim Hostels.
The owner of Gite de la Porte Saint Jacques, Andrew, graciously offered many opportunities for a variety of volunteer activities; from cooking and baking, to gardening, cleaning, and shopping in the Open Market. My particular favorite activities involved greeting and assisting the eager Pilgrims in preparing for their 1st day’s journey on the trail, then sending them off in the mornings.
During off-duty hours I sauntered the village streets of Saint Jean Pied-de-Port, attended concerts at the Village Church, and strolled along the river. Such a nourishing place!
Through volunteering I can contribute to the Camino de Santiago and the transformational inner-journey that Pilgrims discover. Volunteering is my way of showing my deep gratitude for this magical Path of Love.
Cheryl T, USA, 2019
Life changes
May 2022, I took early retirement to create time for different and new experiences. And even before I said goodbye to my work, I found a message on FaceBook, an invitation to come and work for a few weeks as a volunteer in a pilgrims hostel. How nice! I walked the camino Frances in 2017 and 2018. Since then, I have fantasized about such an experience but didn’t have the time. And now it just presented itself, like the ‘camino provides’.
After a telephone conversation with Karin and Axx it was settled. For two weeks I was allowed to work in Gite de la Porte Saint Jacques. What a fantastic experience. I learned a lot about running a pilgrim's hostel and thoroughly enjoyed all the encounters with pilgrims. I loved discussing with pilgrims about their start of the camino; for example about whether or not to reserve a next overnight place, to check whether someone had enough energy for a long or shorter stage, to advise on the packing and how to fit a backpack with weight on the hips, etc. I like people, like to share experiences and to take care of them.
Of course there was also a lot of practical work to do. That was quite tough the first days - especially because I'm not used to so much physical exertion - but after that it became routine. Changing beds, the laundry, cleaning showers and toilets, shopping, preparing breakfast and caring for the pilgrims. Axx and Karin had made a very nice schedule so there was also plenty of free time. I worked for 2 days and the 3rd day I was free. On the day that I had the task of welcoming the pilgrims and showing them around, I provided breakfast for them the next morning. Because of this classification, I also had real contact with pilgrims.
When I was showing pilgrims around in the hostel, I also showed them the meditation room. Most pilgrims found that very special. In that room I asked each pilgrim if they had brought a stone. The reactions to that were always very nice, from 'oh, have I forgotten', or 'yes, and I also know where I'm going to leave it'. If someone didn't have a stone with them, I could offer one. Have seen so many happy faces.
The care of the breakfast also included guiding a short meditation with all the pilgrims present. That was such a beautiful moment. Encouraging pilgrims to leave by taking some time and going inside and then closing with a beautiful song. For many it was a moment of relief before they started their ’way’.
I very quickly gained the confidence to do the work in the hostel my way. Both the practical jobs and welcoming the pilgrims. I really liked that and it made me feel at home very quickly.
There really is a lot of attention for the pilgrims and that has a very positive influence on the atmosphere. Giving attention is also getting attention. Had so many nice conversations and reactions.
I highly recommend volunteering in a pilgrim hostel, to give back to the pilgrim community. It’s so rewarding. And I loved to stay in Gite de la Porte Saint Jacques.
Jacqueline V Aug 2022
Luca’s testimonial about volunteer work:
I cannot be thankful enough for having an opportunity like this at such an early age in my life. I spent six weeks in St Jean Pied de Port, as a volunteer here. At the beginning, it was difficult for me to complete every task in time, but I did it, and at the end, I can say, I became more organized and I gained a little more consciousness on the importance of time managing. Apart from those practical experiences I had the chance for inner growth as well. Just before starting my volunteering, I did the Camino Frances and my spiritual life and experiences became overwhelming, which I could barely manage on my own. But Andrew could help me with getting rid of this ‘struggle’. We had meditating sessions together, even a three hours long one, which opened some new doors in my religious and spiritual life as well. Also, as I said before, while the Camino experience was very intense, here I gained some clarity and calmness on how to manage my life from now on. I was able to develop a daily routine, as we had a schedule to which I had to keep myself every day. During my volunteer experience, I also had the chance to use my passions as a useful tool in creating a lovely atmosphere for the pilgrims, who are about to start their journey here, in our Gite. I was painting and decorating a meditation room which soon turned out to be one of the favourite spaces for them, as they could spend some time alone, reflecting on why are they actually here, also, shifting their mindset to receiving new experiences. Some of the pilgrims even stayed a day longer, because of that opportunity of resting and reflecting before getting on The Way. All in all, I had a beautiful, unique, encouraging time here, in St Jean Pied de Port, and I am looking forward to volunteering here again soon!
Luca K, Hungary 2020
Service to the Camino
Margaretha, Sept 2022
In September 2022 I volunteered at Andrew's gite. The year before I had walked from the Netherlands to Santiago and slept a lot in pilgrim gites. It seemed like a new adventure to work as a volunteer in a gite, what happens there. It was very nice to experience for once. I also learned a lot from it. Pilgrims from all over the world, who often walk a camino for the first time, pass by. New pilgrims every day. We worked in shifts. On 'day 1' I welcomed the pilgrims and prepared breakfast, I also helped with the cleaning in the morning. On 'day 2' I did breakfast and the pilgrimage ceremony. That was very special. Then we did the cleaning together. On 'day 3' I had a day off. A few days a week we also had a communeal dinner with the pilgrims. At the table everyone introduced themselves and told which country they came from. The pilgrims also had many questions, to which I often knew the answers or I could help them reorganize the contents of their backpack. Andrew has a very nice gite, which is well appreciated by the pilgrims. A very special place in beautiful St Jean Pied de Port. It was a fantastic experience.
Share the spirit by volunteering
I am digital nomad. I love to travel and to meet people. I am blessed, because I built myself a life that allows me to experience beautiful adventures around the world. Yet, there was something missing.
It was only on my second Camino when I talked to a French sailor, that I could finally figure out what was missing. It was the acts of kindness and service from the people around me. This realization struck me with such intensity that I knew; there is no reason to go anywhere if I dont bring to the people in the community. (No matter what continent or country I visit) Traveling is a privilege and I wanted to make something with that privilege. Something meaningful.
I remembered that Andrew offers Volunteering in his Gite. I could still remember VERY VIVIDLY the importance of staying at his place held for me.
Four weeks after arriving in Santiago I was back in St. Jean Pied de port; ready to volunteer.
I cleaned toilets, changed sheets, prepared breakfast, made fires, baked cakes and cooked dinner. I listen to a lot of people’s stories and I learned how a safe place feels to me (because I had a beautiful room, healthy food, beautiful nature and people to talk to) and what it means to provide a safe space for others.
I learned more patience and acceptance.
I met travellers, pilgrims, musicians, teachers, sailors and I learned that my intuition was right, that in order for me to have a fulfilled life I need the element of service-for-the-world I live in.
I highly recommend you to extend your Camino. To settle in with your Camino spirit and to share it with the people who need to hear about the beauty of the Camino so they can start their walk with confidence and trust in their feet.
Sindy K. - Germany 2020