Camino de Santiago queries, info ...

blorg

I have basic Spanish which certainly helps, but I would have thought there was a fair bit of English. Not everyone doing it is Spanish and English would be the dominant language amongst the other Europeans, eg if you have a German, Dutch and French group talking together odds are they will be doing it in English.

Starting in St Jean you are one day walking in France so French not really relevant unless you are talking to French walkers. I have basic French also but few and far between has it happened that a non-French person spoke French better than they did English.

Apart from that everyone is very friendly and while the effort is appreciated if you learn a few basics in Spanish with regard to greetings, accommodation, food and so on, I wouldn't stress over it too much.

kevrr

Horse4horse wrote: »

Hey,

Really good thread. I was just wondering is language a big barrier? I've read a few different sites that say no one really speaks english on the trail. Would you want to have alot of Spainish/ French?

Yeah for practical stuff like food/accomodation you can get by fine with hardly any Spanish at all, but a little bit does go a long way. A lot of times you're in small villages and towns etc....and would be glad of having a few words to communicate with the locals you meet, it can make the trip a lot more enjoyable and interesting.

Precious1

Just returned from doing the trek. It was incredible beautiful from Sarria but tough doing from 15 to 23 kilometers a day at times, and the exhaustion you feel when you get to your albergue is delicious, and after a brief rest, maybe a shower, lol you are ready to go and explore the village or town you are resting in. Having a friend to do it with is better I think than doing it alone, as it is more rewarding to share just like in life. The local people are the most hospitable and very friendly. The hostels, albergues, are great fun and I loved the minimalist, good sportsmanship, social aspect of it. .

When you reach the old town of Santiago and first glimpse the magnificent structure of the Cathedral, the destination of your pilgrimag...it is moving. Then when you get your certificate, there is a sense of accomplishment in getting this symbolic document. You are now a pilgrim for life on the Way of Saint James, which to me is the way of agape.

You don't want to miss the Mass for the pilgrims every day at noon regardless of your affiliations. I was overcome by the throngs of people crowding into the huge cathedral, the transporting music sang by a nun with a voice of an angel, and got teary eyed when one of the priests read out the names of all the countries from around the world pilgrims had arrived from...even though I speak no Spanish beyond hola, buen camino, and por favor...

Then, when they swing the great incense burner hung from the rafters before the gold embossed altar, it is a spectacle in itself but suggests things different for each person. Me, I was thinking of how this is how they fumigated the pilgrims of old who arrived tattered and sweaty ...much like it was fumigating my camino buddy and me. lol :]

Though the Cathedral of this holy man is the destination of this pilgrimage, the end of the journey by way of mileage is the peninsula on the wild and mountainous coast at Finisterre. This was thought to be the end of the earth for a long time and where James the Great landed when he arrived from Palestine and where he departed from to return, where he was crucified by King Agripa I.

Even if you are not spiritual, it can't help but be a transcendent experience. It will change you, your view of life, values and what is precious to you in this pilgrimage of life, it this fleeting time, becomes very clear. The end is only the beginning of a journey to the inner Self, and towards Transcendence.

Clareboy

Hello Precious1, Delighted to read that you have completed the Camino and that it was such a wonderful experience for you. You were lucky to have a good friend to walk with. Congratulations and well done!

Precious1

That is indeed a good film, freedom13, thanks!!! :]

Horse4horse

Does anyone no if the walk is seasonal or can you do it all year? I was thinking of starting in mid to late august so would not be finished til nearly the end of September? Would weather be an issue or anything?

Fox McCloud

I did a week of the camino in April, starting in st jean.

Found alot of info here, especially in the forums. Camino frances is the one your looking at.
http://www.caminodesantiago.me.uk/

I would say proper boots and a light comfortable backpack are really impotant to enjoy your trip. I found tying my boots tight with proper hiking socks avoided any chafing and I didnt get any blisters. Your supposed to limit your backpack to 10% of your body weight, we carried 5-6 kilograms of weight which was quite comfortable, barely noticed carrying it!

Autumn and spring are the best times to go apparently, it gets crowded and very hot in summer, with spots in hostels going very fast.

Clareboy

I have posted a full account of my Camino in the Travel Reports and Reviews section of this forum. Buen Camino!

kevrr

Horse4horse wrote: »

Does anyone no if the walk is seasonal or can you do it all year? I was thinking of starting in mid to late august so would not be finished til nearly the end of September? Would weather be an issue or anything?

It's not seasonal in that people do do it at all times of the year.

However mostly during the the summer months, like someone else said those months are so busy that there is often not any room left in the hostels at the end of the day. In August, even into early September, it would still be quite busy.

The autumn and the winter are quieter, and you don't have to contend with the sun so much. The rain can be a pain though, a good poncho is very usefull but you'll still get wet.

I remember reading in the guest books at one of the hostels an entry from some people who had been there on Christmas day, and they were talking about how they were the only people there and were walking through the snow in the cold and the dark! So, you could really go whenever I guess, just depends what you're looking for.

tripline

Clareboy wrote: »

I have posted a full account of my Camino in the Travel Reports and Reviews section of this forum. Buen Camino!

Hi Clareboy, I have read your account of your Camino journey from Astorga to Santiago de Compostela, have you written a similar account of your trip from St. Jean de Port to Logrono and the other stages of your journey ?

Clareboy

tripline wrote: »

Hi Clareboy, I have read your account of your Camino journey from Astorga to Santiago de Compostela, have you written a similar account of your trip from St. Jean de Port to Logrono and the other stages of your journey ?

Hello tripline, The report on Part 1 of my Camino from SJPP to Logrono and the report on Part 2 from Santo Domingo to Astorga are on page 2 of the Travel Reports and Reviews section. Enjoy!

phoenix39

Hi there,
I'm planning on walking the camino from St Jean Pied de Port this August! The info here has been really helpful! I have my boots, my zip off at the knee trousers and my lightweight t-shirts bought and tested! is there anything major I need to remember??

I'm walking the camino alone after plans with a friend fell through and am a bit nervous about it. I'm young and pretty fit and healthy but I dont know how tough going the camino can be at times, what are the most callanging parts?

At the moment i'm walking a bit each day and going on one long walk up the hills on the weekend. Is that enough preparation??

Any advice would be appreciated!

Clareboy

phoenix39 wrote: »

Hi there,
I'm planning on walking the camino from St Jean Pied de Port this August! The info here has been really helpful! I have my boots, my zip off at the knee trousers and my lightweight t-shirts bought and tested! is there anything major I need to remember??

I'm walking the camino alone after plans with a friend fell through and am a bit nervous about it. I'm young and pretty fit and healthy but I dont know how tough going the camino can be at times, what are the most callanging parts?

At the moment i'm walking a bit each day and going on one long walk up the hills on the weekend. Is that enough preparation??

Any advice would be appreciated!

Hi phoenix39. The reality is that August is the busiest as well as the hottest month of the year in which to walk the Camino. You should read a book entitled Buen Camino by Natasha and Peter Murtagh. It tells the story of two Irish pilgrims who walked the Camino in August.

Walking alone will not be a problem. Be very carefull about crossing the Pyrenees. Read my discription of the Camino from SJPP to Logrono. Also, you should consider just doing part of the Camino this year and returning again next year. Santiago will still be there next year! Enjoy your preparations and Buen Camino!

event

great thread

im interested in this, but maybe for next year as i wouldnt have the time off.

i wouldnt be able to take 4 weeks for the whole thing, but maybe 10-11 days of walking.

id be fit enough, 30 years old so id say around 20km each day

what would be a good route to do, about 200km in length, where would be the best place to start.

id like to end in Santiago de Compostela

Clareboy

event wrote: »

great thread

im interested in this, but maybe for next year as i wouldnt have the time off.

i wouldnt be able to take 4 weeks for the whole thing, but maybe 10-11 days of walking.

id be fit enough, 30 years old so id say around 20km each day

what would be a good route to do, about 200km in length, where would be the best place to start.

id like to end in Santiago de Compostela

I would suggest that you start in Ponferrada, which is about 200 kms from Santiago. Have a read of my thread entitled - Camino de Santiago: Astorga to Santiago. Ponferrada is a medium sized city and is easily reached by bus. From there, you will be heading into the wilds of Galicia, one of the most facinating parts of the Camino. Enjoy!

freedom13

The Camino is a great trek/walk , the folk you will meet are great.
A lot of people do the Sarria to Santiago walk just to get a taste for the Camino [ thats what I did at the start of June]. Sarria is easy to get to by flying in to Santiago de Compostella and getting a bus to Sarria via Lugo.
Ita a 115km trek so could easily be done in 6/7 days. You will have one day travelling to your start point and a day to sight see around Santiago.
I hope to be going back in either this September or next April/May next year to do some stages from St Jean de Pied de Port.
I found this site a great help http://www.caminodesantiago.me.uk/ check out the forum, hope to see you there :-]

nhickey

I was thinking of doing this next autum, I was hoping to start from leon which is around 300km. would 14 days be enough? concidering I should only be able to get 3 weeks off work at the most?

freedom13

From Leon to Santiago is split up into 13 stages, so it would be achievable to reach there in 14 days.
Good luck with it, hope you do it :-]

springhill6

As well as your wonderful pilgrim accounts of Clareboy and Freedom 13, I have just come across another very interesting blog by John Murphy, Pamplona to Santiago August 2008,
very useful on Hotels he stayed, and the hardship he endured,
https://sites.google.com/site/camino/log/execution/28th-august---23rd-september

freedom13

Great blog, really enjoyed reading it.
Thanks for posting it :-]

Precious1

Wonderful reading these posts on the Camino. Causes HD flashbacks to the trek we began on June 1st in Sarria this summer, the "unreal" ...Galicia...so lush and fragrant with the heaviness of wildflowers, their delicious overhanging colors, the cacophony of birds trilling, flitting by on soaring wings.... like walking in a pastoral idyll with stone fences, rolling hills, old little churches, cow herds meandering towards one with their humans and a couple of German Shepherds and always one small Galician version of Pekingese.

The Irish boy, my Camino buddy at the time, and I wanted to spend several days in Santigao de Compostela (talking about magical...pleasure is a fleeting flower, memory the perfume that lingers forever) and a day in Finisterre, so the twelve days allotted worked perfectly. Next time I'd like to make it a full two weeks...It's that crossing the pond that is so dear ouch.

Though the first day Irlandie carried Magyarskie's bag, whose left shoulder was burning, for the last 2.5 kilometers to Portomarin,.not that they could not have done it themself :] the rest of the stretches worked fine, having a tour guide pull one along on an invisible string, especially with new walking sticks, wooden ones, a gift in Palas de Rei. Still, why do we feel like this is a marathon that we seem to be doing speed-walking? I noticed few peregrinos relaxing on the wayside just chewing on a leaf of grass, staring at the clouds, listening to their ipods, talking on their mobiles, smoking a cigarette. jkg. :]

Who ever said this was supposed to be a marathon? lol We marched from one point to the next per our guidebook, arriving at our albergues, freshening up, going out to eat, drink, walk around our host town...plenty of time to well have spent earlier up the way a bit hanging out in some stone village which transported the user back into the Middle Ages, or to have stopped at a flowering grove by a brook that was just calling out to stop, linger, and lay back on ones arms to ponder the clouds awhile.

We marched through, or past, these once in a lifetime places in goose step lol for the most part, pausing, if we did, at old churches, to take pictures, :] pray? or a place to get churizo with eggs,fried potatoes for some, and water. Others got a salad only Galicians know how to put together. That quaso panini, the country home-made soft cheese, with the most delectable firm, thick casing and creamy, soft filling, was to die for. Nam nam. For Christmas, there will be for sure some orders on line for the real thing from Galcia.

It's true, the albergues we might have planned to stay in might well have been filled up if one loitered on the way like that...and it was nice to get a good alberque. But still...one fantasizes....

Hope to go back to begin in St. Jean Pied de Port this May. This time since we don't have to reach Santiago de Compostela, plan to amble behind whistling a song while the marathon runners push ahead. How far we get in two weeks, who cares. Throw that guide book in the bottom of the pack. Sleep under the stars, or is it clouds? in the rain. lol



Buen Camino, peregrionos....catch ya in the morning breeze, on the Way. :]
Ultreia et Suseia

Clareboy

Great piece of travel writing. Well done!

quinntin

Hello all,

It's fantastic to hear about your experiences of the camino.

I'm intending on travelling to France to do the Camino Francees and the end of June this year which would mean I'd be walking throughout the heat of July. Am I mad? Should I wait until autumn?

Your advice would be much appreciated!

Precious1

quinntin wrote: »

Hello all,

It's fantastic to hear about your experiences of the camino.

I'm intending on travelling to France to do the Camino Francees and the end of June this year which would mean I'd be walking throughout the heat of July. Am I mad? Should I wait until autumn?

Your advice would be much appreciated!

Hey Quinntin, Great that you are planning your Camino, which a lot of people seem to do in July. I would always opt for late May early June, and barring that, late September, early October. The weather was super fine this May/June from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela, and then Finisterre. It was a bit too cool for swimming, but great for walking, was also less crowded. You'll have the time of your life, whatever you decide, and it will be a life changing experience, be forewarned. lol Buen Camino amigo!!!

quinntin

I really am very excited about it. I met a lovely woman on my final leg of the Wicklow Way last May who had done the camino and urged me to do it also. I'll be finished my thesis mid May this year and am going to wait to find work until I walk the camino. No better time to do it I reckon. Just worried about my poor Irish skin in the sun! I'll whack the sun cream on sure.

Do you mind if I ask, what happens if I arrive at a hostel late and there are no beds left? Do the owners mind if you just sleep on the floor somewhere or do you end up having to walk on to the next hostel?

Precious1

The Xuntas, state run hostels, are locked at ten pm. But there are private hostels, private rooms, pensions, hotels..depending where you are.
Do you have John Brierley's "A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago"?

I owe it to my Camino buddy to have had learned the value of planing one's stages ahead; where you plan to arrive, how many kilometers you want to do a day. He had done it all weeks in advance. While there are always opportunities to be spontaneous along the way, being "disciplined" by planning a guideline really gave us more freedom to enjoy ourselves after we checked in to a hostel , showered, rested up, and then went exploring our host village or town.

billyhead

Hi,

I was thinking of doing the Camino next February or March. I was just wondering would anyone have doe it around this time before and if so what was the conditions, Weather, Crowds and availability of accomodation like?

quinntin

Yes, I must get my hands on John Brierley's book! Thanks for the help

Corholio

Watched the film 'The Way a while back about Martin Sheen travelling this route through Spain. It seemed quite an interesting experience and quite a good alternative adventure.

Done a fair bit of reading up on it since, anyone ever done this, or partially done it?

This route especially has me interested:

http://www.caminodesantiago.me.uk/camino-frances/

edeldonlon

I walked it last summer. I started in July. There is a lot of Irish and Germans on the route. I had the most amazing time. I made some great friends and only lost one toe nail!

I did 34 days straight of walking with no rest days. The shortest day being 16km and the longest being 43km.

When you thinking about doing it?