This is a picture of Thomas who runs a Albergue in Manjarin. He dresses as a Knights Templar and appears quite a character. Mandarin had been a village abandoned as pilgrimages had lost popularity over the centuries. He re-established accommodation here as the route became popular again.
Gerald Kelly has a super book about the Camino de Santiago.
“CAMINO DE SANTIAGO Practical Preparation and Background An outline of its history and culture and a Camino phrasebook”
In it he describes how it is increasing in popularity again :
“The Camino reached a statistical nadir in 1978 when the ecclesiastical authorities in Santiago recorded a total of 13 pilgrims. This number has increased massively since then, reaching a peak of 272,135 in Holy Year 2010”
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