Camino de Santiago de Compostela

[LNata]

Hello,

I am looking for a description of the Camino Levante from Arevalo to Zamora and then to Santiago via Querense which has helpful hints on where to go and look for arrows. Something like CSJ guides would be great but they don't have Levante.

They do have Via de la Plata which as it looks for me covers the part from Zamora. Can someone recommend a guide for the part Arevalo to Zamora?

Mundicamino does not give stage description in English as it does in Spanish. Unfortunately, my Spanish is basically not existing, I have tried to use electronic translator but the output is very confusing. So If I did not find an English guide, I would have to spend a lot of time. Can someone who knows Spanish take a look and tell me if it worths efforts? Those two parts I have translated looked not too instructive.

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Also I should admit that am a bit confused with all different names for Caminos and their variations in literature. For example, I found some very detailed description (in Spanish) for Camino Sureste which goes through Arevalo but to Benavente instead of Zamora. Is there something as Caminos intersections? If town has a several caminos running through it how pilgrims know which arrows to follow for correct way?

And then Sureste can be continues via Sanabres according to the guide. But according to Mundicamino Camino Sanabres starts from Zamorga and does not go to Benavente...

Then it looks that Sanabres on Mundicamino is the same as "Via de La Plata, Querense version" in CSJ... Is it the same way?

Bet you also lost already...
Natalia

[JohnnieWalker]

Natalia

Andy on the Forum is the last person I know to have walked the Camino Levante from Valencia. There is an excellent guide in Spanish which Laurie Dennet of the CSJ was translating into English. You should email the CSJ to find out where that project is.

John

[andy.d]

Hi Natalia,

I will try to answer both your messages here.

I walked most of the Camino Levante in September and October. I walked from Valencia to Torrijos and then Zamora to Santiago via Ourense (which is also called the Sanabria route).

I did not walk from Arevalo to Zamora. The person on this Forum who has done this most recently was Eamann in April last year.

I used the new Spanish guide which I found very good. It has good maps and instructions. Using these with the arrows, plus asking local people about the route was fine. The Camino Levante is a very solitary route. It is possible that there will be no other pilgrims until you get to Zamora and join the Via de la Plata. For this reason I would advise people thinking about walking it to have enough Spanish to ask directions, ask about accommodation and the like. Outside of major cities there were very few people who spoke anything but Spanish. I found local people very helpful and interested in what I was doing, but I usually needed to ask them or approach them if I needed anything.

The Spanish Guide to the Camino Levante takes you from Zamora via Ourense. You don't need another Guide for this part.

There are many Caminos and variations of Caminos going through these parts of Spain. Sometimes the routes follow the same path for a while.

There is more information about my experiences both here and on the 'Live from the Camino' part of the Forum. Also on my blog (weblink below).
There is also a lot of information on the Via de la Plata section of the Forum for the route beyond Zamora.

I hope this is helpful. Please ask if you want to know anything else.
I really enjoyed the Camino de Levante.

Andy

[LNata]

Thanks a lot, Andy!

I guess I should better start learning Spanish then Well, not really possible as I am very slow in languages... I picked some words during my vacations, conferences and business trips to Spain plus drawing on a piece of paper plus pantomimes... I am an optimist

Browsing web a bit, I have found several references to the same guide but in English.

THE WAY OF ST. JAMES FROM VALENCIA TO SANTIAGO GR-239. CAMINO DE LEVANTE - ISBN: 978-84-96715-33-2
http://tiendaverde.es/ficha.php?id=28118&lang=en

http://www.casadellibro.com/libro-the-way-of-st-james-from-valencia-to-santiago-gr-239-camino-de-levante/1616385/2900001351567

http://club.levante-emv.com/acto.jsp?pIdActo=582

That would be an answer for me! But the ISBN number or name is not available via Amazon. Tienda Verde shop hangs when I press "proceed to checkout". Casa de Libra asks 11 euros for delivery to Germany withing 3-4 working days (which I can handle) but it asks credit card information and I don't know anything about this service so afraid to give it right away. Now the question is how to get it in my hands...

[andy.d]

Good luck! Why not email the Amigos in Valencia and see if they will send you one?

Andy

[LNata]

Once again thanks for the good idea. I have wrote them already and now will wait for an answer. Hopefully my English will not scare them away.

Natalia.

[Javier Martin]

I'm going to try to explain something about some Caminos in Spain.

There's two different classes of Caminos looking at their beginning:

1) Historical Caminos (french, north, portuguese, VDLP, etc)

2) Political Caminos. For example, the path between Girona and the Camino catalan. Or the new Camino Portuguese by the coast (Bayona, etc). Well, one of them is the Camino de Levante from Valencia. Why? Just to justify some budget from the mayor in Valencia, some investments in some populations, and so.

The historic Camino from there is the one from Alicante. It takes by Albacete, Toledo, Avila, etcetera. It's been a hard fight between the Alicante and the Valencia arrow-painters, and in some places there's two different caminos one beside the other.

If I want to paint yellow arrows from my house to the Camino de Madrid (just 20 km. away) I can do it but, even repainting it every year, and walking this 20 km. every weekend, with some friends, and asking people to do the same in Twitter and Facebook, and ... it will never be a Camino de Santiago, because there were no pilgrims walking it some centuries ago. And no Santiago churches, cruceiros, pilgrimage evidences. This is the situation in that "Political" Caminos. Sometimes exist some evidences but they "change" the path just to let the pilgrims to stop in a "new" town, where tourism is apreciated.

The Association in Valencia belongs to the Spanish Federation of Camino Associations. In my particular opinion, the federation is not just working to improve the Caminos, but to maintain themselves in the head of the federation. That's also politics, of course. But, the second head (I don't know how to say it in english) in the Federation is the head of the Valencia Association, so from the federation is very published the political Camino from Valencia. And they don't talk about the historic Camino from Alicante.

Something similar happens in the Coastal Camino Portuguese by Bayona. The association who is improving this Camino is in touch with the mayors of the populations where this new Camino would be painted. So, they "move" everything in the galician press to obtain lots of pilgrims by this route.

I have to say, this is just my opinion, after reading lots of news in spanish papers, and hearing lots of people everywhere. I can be wrong, but it's just an opinion.


Something else, each of us have to walk our Camino, where we want to walk, not depending on what others want us to walk. Natalia wants to change from the Camino de Madrid to the Camino del Sureste? Perfect!! This is just her Camino!!


Buen Camino, historical in my opinion if possible,

Javier Martin
Nadrid, Spain.

[LNata]

Dear Javier,

Thanks for sharing this. This is the insides which we, as a camino "guests" do not have a chance to see unless someone would bring it up. I guess that every one has his own reasons to go and we don't always think about authenticity of the different ways.

Of course, I cannot talk for everybody but for myself. For me it is a way to check my limits, to stop rushing and have a time for myself, as probably selfish it sounds. Also, which is not the last, it is a way to discover your beautiful country and go away from crowds in big hotels. I would love to walk Camino Frances and it was my original thought. But then I have read about it and it's popularity is what pushes me away from it at the moment. Now I will try to avoid and bypass it. May be in 20 years when the peak of it's "fashion" will be in past, I will be retired and have a lot of free time and, hopefully, my legs will still hold me, I will come to it. May be I will understand that it is not my way - I have no idea what will happen. But I do appreciate your opinion, your wish to share it and I will try to consider it.

Natalia.

[prorromanix]

Hi, LNata!
I´m not sure whether you plan to walk your Camino starting in Valencia, or Alicante, and then joining the VDLP towards Santiago. Myself, I´m planning to begin in Valencia around the 24 of March -Just after the big feast of Las Fallas- and then -feet an health permitting- walk all the way to Santiago. I´ll be glad to share whatever I learn with you.
Alternatively, I have the 2005 Camino de Levante book, and I could send you some scannded pages in *.jpg form
Cheers

[LNata]

Hi, prorromanix

You will start Camino on my birthday! And I will probably drive 850km on that day because of business trip...

I have a plan to start from Madrid and then join Levante in Arevalo, follow Levante to Zamora and then continue via Querense to Santiago. So it is only a little part of original Levante but in any case I will love to hear your fresh experience! How long you are going to walk?

A colleague of mine is in Spain this week and she will look for the fresh guide for me which I was mentioning above and which covers way from Arevalo to Santiago. If not found, then I will order it next week. But in any case thanks for you offer and Buen Camino!
Natalia

[prorromanix]

Hi again, Natalia!
As for how long I´m going to walk, the answer is "as long as it takes", but it depends whether I can, or not.
I Rather say PLAN to walk than GOING to... Mostly, my feet will have the last word:

In any case, the total trip Valencia - Santiago, and then Finisterre, (to fulfill the tradition and burn my travelling clothes "to be reborn as a new man"), will amount to around 1.200 Kilometers, that is, 48 days . Puuf!

I have made a partial copy of my own travelling plan from Arévalo just in case it helps you:

From Arévalo to Medina del Campo 34
From Medina del Campo to Siete Iglesias de Trabancos 22
From Siete Iglesias de Trabancos to Toro 30
From Toro to Zamora 34
From Zamora to Granja de Moreruela 38
From Granja de Moreruela to Tábara 22
From Tábara to Santa Marta de Tera 22
From Santa Marta de Tera to Mombuey 32
From Santa Marta de Tera to Puebla de Sanabria 27
From Puebla de Sanabria to Lubián 28
From Lubián to A Gudiña 24
From A Gudiña to Laza 33
From Laza to Xunqueira de Ambia 31
From Xunqueira de Ambia to Orense 21
From Orense to San Cristovo de Cea 21
From San Cristovo de Cea to Castro Dozón 18
From Castro Dozón to Silleda 27
From Silleda to Ponte Ulla 22
From Ponte Ulla to Santiago de Compostela 21

About the yellow arrows, you´ll find that they are painted in places where you could have doubts about the correct direction, intersections, corners, forks, etc.

They are normally very visible for people walking, (You would never see them while travelling in a car, but walking, it is surprising the quantity of things that you SEE)

Do try to keep the weight of your rucksack down to 8 K. or less, if possible.

Que tengas muy buen Camino

[giorgio]

Hallo prorromanix , you are the first one i hear to plan the Levante.....we will be starting in Valencia early May to zamora . Will you post your walking experience whenever you'll have a chance to do so ? We will greatly appreciate any news you think we should be made aware of .
Muy buen Camino
Giorgio and Elisa

[prorromanix]

Hallo prorromanix , you are the first one i hear to plan the Levante.....we will be starting in Valencia early May to zamora . Will you post your walking experience whenever you'll have a chance to do so ? We will greatly appreciate any news you think we should be made aware of .
Muy buen Camino
Giorgio and Elisa

Of course I will share whatever info I learn.

Pity that we are leaving with a month difference, I`d love to have someone to walk with, as I understand how lonely this part of the Camino is. At lest until Toledo or so, I suposse.

Also, it would have been a good chance to refresh my badly neglected Italian!

Chi non lavora non fa il Camino

[andy.d]

[I`d love to have someone to walk with, as I understand how lonely this part of the Camino is. At lest until Toledo or so, I suposse. :

The hospitaleros on the Levante said that there should be some other pilgrims on the Camino around Easter. I found the weeks of walking alone to be hard, but very good,

I am jealous of you all walking this year,

buen Camino,

Andy

[andy.d]

[I`d love to have someone to walk with, as I understand how lonely this part of the Camino is. At lest until Toledo or so, I suposse. :

The hospitaleros on the Levante said that there should be some other pilgrims on the Camino around Easter. I found the weeks of walking alone to be hard, but very good,

I am jealous of you all walking this year,

buen Camino,

Andy

[giorgio]

Well prorromanix,i've got a solution...walk very very slowly.....we'll catch you...
Chi non lavora fa molti Cammini.....questo e' il decimo...
Ciao from Italy
Giorgio and Elisa

[LNata]

I have got the new guide yesterday. Ordered it from CSJ where it is available in English since a while and the price for delivery is more reasonable.

http://www.csj.org.uk/acatalog/The_CSJ_ ... des_7.html

The guide has very nice detailed maps and descriptions plus additional maps as a separate set. To my big surprise, the guide itself is VERY heavy. The paper is very dense and very good quality - almost cardboard, the text is printed widely with a lot of free space on each page. Luxury but heavy.

Natalia.

[andy.d]

I walked with the Spanish version. It is heavy - I ripped out the used pages at the end of every day. I took a waterproof Ortleib mapcase which held the book and the separate map over my shoulder so I could look at them easily.

Andy