We’re in the last quarter of 2022 and looking forward to a fresh annual itinerary of local and overseas walks.

Current News

As I type this some of us are walking the 3-day Round Gozo trek (1st – 3rd October 2022) on behalf of Hospice Gozo. We are grateful that the Hospice foundation have asked us to lead this them and also grateful for Don Pace and John Darmanin who agreed to lead this trek. We’re grateful also for XirCammini members who have participated in this and other Hospice events this weekend. Let us keep supporting them in their very worthy cause.

We are also overwhelmed by the support that we have received by Regjun Punent, the regional association of local councils of the western region in Malta when walking the western region of the Universal Peace Walk on 16th September 2022. We will be walking the full Universal Peace walk in November 2022. In the meantime work on the signs continues. I also wish to thank Fr. Walter Vassallo ofm who is working on an app of the Universal Pleace Walk 1543AD. We hope to release this before the end of the year.

A special thanks also to Mark Mifsud for helping with finalising the accounts of XirCammini.

Oct 2022 – Sept 2023 Annual Itinerary

We are pleased to present you with the annual calendar of trekking. This has over 60 trekking activities, 9 of which overseas. More information on the overseas trekking events will follow in due course. We may also add a few more overseas treks or caminos as we further gauge members’ interest. With a few exceptions, we are streamlining our local walks to our customary Wednesday evening (19:00) walk and to Saturday afternoon (14:00). We have also included a few social events since these have gone down well in the past.

The overseas activites are:

1. Trekking Fra le Vigne – Tenuta Regaliali & Palermo, Sicily (February, 2023)
2. Camino Portungues (Mar/April 2023) from Porto to Santiago de Compostela
3. Camino Portugues (April 2023) from Tui to Santiago de Compostela
4. Pantelleria, (Early to mid-May 2023)
5. Cammino di San Francesco from La Verna to Assisi (May/June 2023)
6. Pollino and Sila, Italy – Trekking, Kayaking and Rafting (Jun/Jul 2023)
7. Tochar Phadraig (St. Patrick’s Camino) and other Irish Walks, (Aug 2023), Ireland.
8. Transumanza, Abbruzzo, Italy (Sept 2023)
9. Camino de San Salvador from Leon to Oviedo, Spain (Sept 2023).

In Malta, in addition to the Official Launch of the Universal Peace Walk 1543AD (on its 480th anniversary) we will also walk the Victoria Lines again and also introduce a “Round Malta” over 3 Days. These local trekking events will be subject to prior booking since we would need to cater for transport and/or accommodation.

This is the updated full itinerary on pdf for you to download:

In the few years since registering XirCammini as a Voluntary Organisation we have come a relatively long way … and the road ahead is even longer and more exciting!

Introduction

From the original group (of less than 20) that walked the Camino Primitivo in May of 2018, XirCammini has grown to over 200 registered and paid-up members and a wider social media network of the XirCammini Community on Facebook of over 1,200.

We immediately started forging relations with like-minded, mainly, Camino and hiking organisations in Europe and also rolled out a robust itinerary of local and overseas trekking activities. In time we also became recognised as the local organisation representing the International Federation of Associations of the Way (of St James). As representatives of the Friends of the Way, XirCammini also provides Credencials and practical advice on various Caminos to all who request assistance prior to embarking on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. We do not profess to know it all. We are pilgrims helping fellow pilgrims on the journey.

In addition to pursuing Caminos in Spain, XirCammini was also the first international organisation to field groups walking all five Celtic Irish Caminos (61 Maltese walked the irish Caminos in 2019) and also the first international group to walk the Cammino di San Giacomo in Sicilia in 2021. Since founding the organisation we have walked, scouted or led trekking teams in Ireland, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Sri Lanka. Close to 200 people have joined us overseas on trekking experiences since 2019.

Committed to also putting Malta on the European map of faith-based heritage walks we started working on re-launching the pilgrimage of St. Gregory fromCitta Notabile ( Mdina) to “le terre di Santa Caterina (Zejtun) as mandated by Bishop Cubelles in 1543. Pro Pace Universali, or the Universal Peace walk 1543AD was again walked by XirCammini members on its anniversary date in March 2022 and shortly be available with waymarks as a self guided walk.

On the social well-being and charity front, it has become a Christmas tradition of ours to help inner-harbour families by collecting and donating shopping hampers during December. We have also assited other causes by leading charity / fund raising walks. We are grateful that our members participate whole-heartedly i nthese endeavours.

End of 2021-22 Itinerary: Hospice Walk

With only one overseas trek (Isole Eiolie) and two local ones (Selmun Sunset Walk and Universal Peace Walk Western Segment) to go, we will be concluding this trekking itinerary by leading a 3-day Round Gozo Walk in aid of Hospice Malta (money raised by Hospice Malta will go towards building much needed palliative care capabilities in Gozo).

We urge you to join at least one of the 3 events organised by Hospice Malta and to donate.

More information about registration and donating is available here. XirCammini is endeavouring to organise pre and post event transport as well as accommodation in Gozo for those interested in joining the 3-day Round Gozo walk that we are leading for Hospice. By completing our form you will be helping us. We cannot guarantee transport or accommodation for those who do not fill in the form. Please also note that to participate in the actual events you would need to separately register via the Hospice form.

I want to thank John Darmanin and Donald Pace who have offered to lead the walk.

The new 2022/23 Itinerary

I would like to share with you the upcoming local trekking itinerary for October and November 2022. The rest of the itinerary for Dec 2022 – Sept 2023 will follow shortly.

For October and November 2022 the itinerary is as follows. We will stick to the Wed evening and Saturday afternoon formula which worked well for us in the past:

In respect of our overseas trekking itinerary for 2023, we still have to firm up the dates but can state that we will be having 2 Caminos in Spain over the Lenten and Easter season (March | April 2023) One of these will be the Camino Portugues from Porto (2 weeks), providing also a 1-week option from Tui. In May / June 2023 are endeavouring to run the Camino di San Francesco in Italy. We are actively working on putting in place routing, accommodation and transport requirements. There is already a strong demand for the Tochar Phadraig (Ireland) so we do not rule out walking this again. In September we are actively looking at walking the Camino San Salvador in Spain. We have had requests for other walks but we are still studying them both from an economic viability perspective as well as from a resources perspective since more walks would also require more persons to lead such walks and more resources to plan, organise and manage them.

Conclusion?

I trust the above provides you with a flavour of what lies ahead and we look forward to sharing this wonderful journey with you.

I’m pleased to update you on membership news and activities.

Universal Peace Walk 1543AD | Volunteers

I want to thank all of those who put their names forward as volunteers to assist in the Universal Peace Walk 1543AD effort. We will be in touch with you later on in June to start working on the project together in July.

I’m pleased to inform you that the local councils have also, in the main, responded positively and we have meetings scheduled with most of them who are on the route.

I am conscious that we have missed the date to distribute the Universal Peace Walk  certificates since these were delivered after the social event. We’ll plan another event towards the end of June (or merge it with our end of season trek and swim event) to distribute the certificates as well.

Overseas Treks | Food Intolerance & Teeshirt Size Form

Amalfi (June 2022), Camino Primitivo (Jul / Aug 2022) and the Tochar Phadriag (Irish Camino, Aug 2022) are fully booked. All those who are coming are in the respective WhatsApp Group.

Those who have not yet settled their dues please do so by internet banking to XirCammini (IBAN: MT43APSB77013000000042921110018). For those who prefer to settle by mobile banking or Revolut, it is also possible to direct your payment to the said IBAN number (the process is explained under the Membership section below). Please quote your name and what you are paying (e.g. Joe Borg Amalfi) in the payment reference box so that we can allocate the payment. Thanks.

Can the participants of each of these event please fill in the attached forms?:

Amalfi:

Name *

First

Last

Email *

Mobile Phone *

Food Allergies, intolerances or preferences

• Vegan
• Vegetarian
• Lactose intolerant
• Gluten intolerant
• Low sodium
• Other

If 'Other' please specify:

Shirt Size

• S
• Medium
• Large
• XL
• XXL

Submit

Primitivo

Name *

First

Last

Email *

Mobile Phone *

Food Allergies, intolerances or preferences

• Vegan
• Vegetarian
• Lactose intolerant
• Gluten intolerant
• Low sodium
• Other

If 'Other' please specify:

Shirt Size

• S
• Medium
• Large
• XL
• XXL

Submit

Tochar Phadraig (Irish Camino)

Name *

First

Last

Email *

Mobile Phone *

Food Allergies, intolerances or preferences

• Vegan
• Vegetarian
• Lactose intolerant
• Gluten intolerant
• Low sodium
• Other

If 'Other' please specify:

Shirt Size

• S
• Medium
• Large
• XL
• XXL

Submit

By early June we will also be finalizing and reverting on the Isole Eiolie treks of September.

Local Treks Itinerary

This is the itinerary until the end of May:

In early June we do not have walks because some of us will be travelling to Amalfi. We will write to you again before we meet for our final Trek (and Swim) for the season.

Membership Dues

As you are aware membership is split between a June and a December tranche. The June tranche is coming up for renewal.

Regrettably Din L-Art Helwa are increasing their fees in 2022 and, as a result, we will not be contributing our membership towards din the l-Art Helwa Foundation since XirCammini will not be increasing its fees. We will maintain the Euros 20 per person per annum.

The following are the changes with respect to membership:

• All memberships due in June will be automatically extended to December 2022 at no extra fee. All memberships will expire/ be due in December.
• The annual fee will remain Euros 20 per person.
• It will no longer be tied to Din L-Art Helwa membership. The cards you have are valid until expiry, New cards will be issued for all members in December 2022.

Another very important change is that we will no longer be accepting cash or cheques whether for membership or for any activities that we have. All payments must be submitted via internet banking.

Many are familiar with mobile and Revolut payments. These are still possible modes of payment to our bank account. For example, with Revolut one just has to follow these simple instructions: For Revolut users: tap ‘Payments’ → ‘Transfers’ → ‘Send’ → ‘+ New’ → ‘Add a bank recipient’. You’ll be asked to add the bank transfer details. In this case these are name: XirCammini Bank: APS Bank, Address: you can input just Malta if requested. The important thing to input is the IBAN number: MT43APSB77013000000042921110018

Similar instructions apply for other mobile banking devices such as APS Bank.

The reason why we are adopting this approach is because it reduces the risk of human error and delays in processing payment. Above all, payments processed through a single electronic source also greatly improve governance. As an NGO we are audited and this improves our diligence processes without imposing a strain on our volunteer resources.

Photo Competition

As advised earlier we are running a photo competition to collect photos from pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago during the Jubilee Years 2021 or 2022 for a XirCammini Calendar 2023. In addition to the pleasure of having a photo featured in a 2023 Calendar a Euros 50 voucher will be gifted to each winning entry selected for the Calendar.

The closing date of submissions is November 20th, 2022:

Name *

First

Last

Email *

Mobile Number *

please add international prefix preceded by +

Number of photos *

• 2 photos (Euros 10)
• 5 photos (Euros 20)

Please add a description (or location) of each photo

GDPR Agreement *

• I consent to having this website store my submitted information so they can respond to my inquiry.

Camino Photos *

Click or drag files to this area to upload. You can upload up to 5 files.

Please upload a maximum of 2 photos (10 Euros) or 5 photos (20 Euros) from your Camino Experience. The closing date is the last Sunday of the Iiturgical year 2022 (i.e. 20th November 2022).

Submit

I’m pleased to update you on membership news and activities.

Universal Peace Walk 1543AD

I’m pleased to inform you that work on the walk continues unabated. The waymarks have been delivered and shortly we will be adding signs and emblems to the waymarks.

If anyone can spare a few hours this summer to help us with fixing emblems and other tasks around assembling the Unversal Peace Walk waymarks please reach out on information@XirCammini.org.

The certificates for the first group Camino (12th March 2022) have been received from the Archbishop’s Curia, signed by H.E. Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna. Discussions continue with the Archbishop’s Curia to work closely together on the Universal Peace Walk 1543 AD.

We will also pursue discussions with the local councils to consolidate their involvement in this endeavour.

Overseas Treks

Amalfi (June 2022) and Camino Primitivo (Jul / Aug 2022) are fully booked. There are still some spaces available on the Celtic Camino – Tochar Padraig (Aug 2022) and Isole Eiolie (Sept 2022). We will shortly (before the end of May ) be writing to those who have expressed interest (and or have booked the flights/paid deposits) for the Tochar Padraig (Ireland) as we are finalising the program this week with Ballintuber Abbey. Thank you for your patience.

By early June we will also be finalizing and reverting on the Isole Eiolie treks of September.

Local Treks Itinerary

This is the itinerary of local treks until the end of June 2022. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, 7th May 2022.

This week we have the following two walks. Please note that the Gozo walk has been changed from the 7 hills to a slightly more moderate walk from Mgarr Quay to Dahlet Qorrot in view of the fact that the weather is expected to be relatively warm. We will then either loop back to Mgarr or to Rabat and take public transport to the Quay.

Tucc and I will be waiting for you in Mgarr, Gozo, terminal for a 08:30 a.m. start. We suggest that you take either the 07:30 a.m. or 08:00 a.m. ferry crossing. Regrettably we would not be able to wait for anyone who misses either ferry and comes up with a later one. We endeavour to be back in the Mgarr port 16:00ish.

Membership Dues

As you are aware membership is split between a June and a December tranche. The June tranche is coming up for renewal.

Regrettably Din L-Art Helwa are increasing their fees in 2022 and, as a result, we will not be contributing our membership towards din the l-Art Helwa Foundation since XirCammini will not be increasing its fees. We will maintain the Euros 20 per person per annum.

The following are the changes with respect to membership:

• All memberships due in June will be automatically extended to December 2022 at no extra fee. All memberships will expire/ be due in December.
• The annual fee will remain Euros 20 per person.
• It will no longer be tied to Din L-Art Helwa membership. The cards you have are valid until expiry, New cards will be issued for all members in December 2022.

Another very important change is that we will no longer be accepting cash or cheques whether for membership or for any activities that we have. All payments must be submitted via internet banking.

Many are familiar with mobile and Revolut payments. These are still possible modes of payment to our bank account. For example, with Revolut one just has to follow these simple instructions: For Revolut users: tap ‘Payments’ → ‘Transfers’ → ‘Send’ → ‘+ New’ → ‘Add a bank recipient’. You’ll be asked to add the bank transfer details. In this case these are name: XirCammini Bank: APS Bank, Address: you can input just Malta if requested. The important thing to input is the IBAN number: MT43APSB77013000000042921110018

Similar instructions apply for other mobile banking devices such as APS Bank.

The reason why we are adopting this approach is because it reduces the risk of human error and delays in processing payment. Above all, payments processed through a single electronic source also greatly improve governance. As an NGO we are audited and this improves our diligence processes without imposing a strain on our volunteer resources.

Photo Competition

As advised earlier we are running a photo competition to collect photos from pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago during the Jubilee Years 2021 or 2022 for a XirCammini Calendar 2023. In addition to the pleasure of having a photo featured in a 2023 Calendar a Euros 50 voucher will be gifted to each winning entry selected for the Calendar.

The closing date of submissions is November 20th, 2022.

Interested persons are requested to complete the following form and submit their photos by or before the 20th November 2022:

Name *

First

Last

Email *

Mobile Number *

please add international prefix preceded by +

Number of photos *

• 2 photos (Euros 10)
• 5 photos (Euros 20)

Please add a description (or location) of each photo

Camino Photos

Please upload a maximum of 2 photos (10 Euros) or 5 photos (20 Euros) from your Camino Experience. The closing date is the last Sunday of the Iiturgical year 2022 (i.e. 20th November 2022).

Photo 1 *

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

Photo 1 Description *

Location / short description of the photo

Photo 2

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

Photo 2 Description

Location / short description of the photo

Photo 3

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

Photo 3 Description

Location / short description of the photo

Photo 4

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

Photo 4 Description

Location / short description of the photo

Photo 5

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

Photo 5 Description

Location / short description of the photo

GDPR Agreement *

• I consent to having this website store my submitted information so they can respond to my inquiry.

Submit