Brierly guide alternative??

[Mr.Smirky]

Hi All..

I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for an alternative guide than the Brierly guide? I'm thinking maybe a good translation of a Spanish guidebook or something which isn't going to put me on the same Camino as my fellow English speakers?

Smirk

 

[Deleted member 3000]

a Spanish guidebook or something which isn't going to put me on the same Camino as my fellow English speakers?

You err in thinking that you have to stop at the end points in the Brierley guide! He gives accommodation information on the intermediate places, too. Just stick to them.

 

[Thornley]

Hi All..

I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for an alternative guide than the Brierly guide? I'm thinking maybe a good translation of a Spanish guidebook or something which isn't going to put me on the same Camino as my fellow English speakers?

Smirk

Just before Brierly's end points/pages/sections is the way to go Smirk.
We used it in 08 and ever since has MMDD .
We have walked with many who never used a guide only info from the tourist office which covered them for the coming 4 days to a week.
They never missed a thing and stayed in great places away from the herd.

 

[Felice]

We have the Spanish guide by Anton Pombo, unfortunately it has not been translated. There are slight differences where it breaks the stages, but many are the same.

 

[Dutch]

I have the Brierley, but from other pilgrims i've read German guidebooks and Dutch guidebooks and they all pretty much stick to the same stages. If that is what you mean?
Maybe some very minor changes here and there, but no more then that.

Not eveything about the Brierley book is Hallelujah, but i really like the simplicity of it.

I just bought an english guidebook of the Norte and Primitivo (from Cicerone) and i really dont like it. Seeing that book made me like the Brierley set-up even more.

 

[Felipe]

Go to Camino without a guide. You don’t really need it. It is not as the proverbial “six European capitals in four days” tour. No need to plan everything in advance.
As for albergues, choose beforehand your first, and ask your kind hospitalero about the next. Or your fellow pilgrims. This gives, too, a good excuse for socializing, and you will not be carrying a bulky, heavy think.
To me, this is the best alternative to Brierley's

 

[Mark Lee]

As much as I hate to admit it, the "Brierley book" is hard to beat.
Best thing to do is use it for the maps and accommodation information. Skip the mystical, magical rhetoric in it.
You can tear pages out of it too, as you go. By the time you reach Santiago, the dang thing weighs almost nothing!

 

[newfydog]

If you go off season at all, and have the luxury of a flexible schedule, just bring a map and a book on the history and culture of the route. We never have planned where we would stay, just stopped when we found a place we liked. Sometimes that was after lunch, sometimes late. There are so many different places available that something always comes along.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Hospitaleros are willfully clueless about the albergues ahead. They do not regularly communicate with each other. Do not expect reliable reviews from albergues. Your fellow pilgrims may not know what lies ahead, particularly those who have never walk the particular camino before. After all, they have not been there yet, either! Do not expect reliable reviews from them. Without any guide whatsoever, you do not know what is ahead and how far it is. While that is acceptable to some pilgrims, most pilgrims would like to know how far it is to the next place they can collapse in exhaustion. Ignorance may be fine for an individual, but I am not sure it is a good recommendation for others. Many guides have historical information. For pilgrims focused on covering ground, that may not be a necessary feature, but for others, it provides some context for the place of today's journey in a long history of pilgrimage. Brierley is not the best historical reference, however. It contains sketchy identification of many historic places.

 

[scruffy1]

I have used Brierley and did not like it, the recommendations were out dated, the comments often insipid, and the maps absolutely infuriating due to the crazy misorientation (I have been orienteering since I can remember and I always carry the compass my father gave me when I was 11.) Try instead "The Way of Saint James. The Pilgrim's Practical Guide. French Road" by Anguita Jaén, José María available from Editorial Everest here:

http://www.everest.es/buscador-listado.aspx?buscar=The way of saint james

This guide addressed all my complaints against Brierley, offers more accomodation, restaurants too, and is produced in Spain.

 

[Olivares]

Go to Camino without a guide. You don’t really need it. It is not as the proverbial “six European capitals in four days” tour. No need to plan everything in advance.
As for albergues, choose beforehand your first, and ask your kind hospitalero about the next. Or your fellow pilgrims. This gives, too, a good excuse for socializing, and you will not be carrying a bulky, heavy think.
To me, this is the best alternative to Brierley's

Everybody' traveling style is different. My Camino experience was enhanced tenfold by having a cultural guidebook on my tablet (weight: 0.1 lbs). OH MY! The amazing things I would had missed!

I also carried a pocketbook-sized Michelin guide with distances between towns and other practical info.

I have never use Brierley's, but walked with many people who were following it "religiously". Bad idea for many of those folks; injuries left and right....

 

[Mr.Smirky]

Wow.. thanks for all the great info!

I had a conversation with a woman who had walked a few years ago and she had made a comment something to the effect of since they all used the same guidebook it was as if everyone were on the same itinerary. Having not thought to ask her then whether she'd recommend I use something else, I thought I'd ask here.

Oh, and there's always an appeal to go a slightly different direction for me..

 

[annakappa]

We have never used a guide.
Sometime before starting, I check out 3 of my favourite sites on the Web: caminodesantiago.consumer.es ( this is inSpanish, but really worth checking out), Mundicamino ( has multiple languages, just hit on the Union Jack for English) and Gronze for an overall distance, facilities and names of each village you will pass).
At this stage, I make up my own guide, with notes gleaned from each if these sites. I think it's much more fun than simply buying a guide. Keeps us entertained for months sometimes! Anne

 

[Felipe]

One of my best albergue experiences was in a parochial, very basic albergue, some days after Roncesvalles (with a kind and enthusiastic hospitalero, full of anecdotes). And one of my worst was exactly in the same place (an hospitalero that seemed to be always angry...maybe he had had a bad day). My point is that there is not a guide that can anticipate this type of situations; they only give an illusion of predictability.
When I travel as a tourist, I usually am a kind of freak planner. I obsessively browse guides, forums, maps, even go in Google Street Map to see if there are pharmacies, shops or restaurants around a possible hotel. But in the Camino, I make a very general plan, and decide on the spot how much I walk, when I stop, or where I sleep. When I am in doubt, I ask locals, or change opinions with fellow walkers. Sometimes it turns out well, sometimes not so much; it is as life itself. But this gives me a sense of freedom that I like very much. And I am in the state of mind to improvise, and accept that the Camino is an inherently unpredictable journey. And that is good.
As I said in my previous message, this is “to me...”.
I suppose I should add a line below my nickname, so that it reads as “Felipe...the improvised and chaotic pilgrim”.

 

[Carol06]

I like the Rother guide. It has good historical information and tells you about villages and towns and the distances between. It also has elevation maps. You can make your own choices as to where you stay. You do not need to follow set stages.

 

[macao]

There is a village to village guide written by Anna Dintaman and David Landis:

http://www.villagetovillagepress.com/travel-guidebooks/hiking-the-camino-de-santiago

So there are no suggested stages like in Brierleys or the Rother guide. The new updated version has been released just two or three weeks ago.

 

[november_moon]

We used Bierley for the maps and elevation information. It was nice to have an idea about what was coming up - to we have a climb tomorrow, what are the towns that we are going to come to and about how far apart are they? Around lunch time, we'd start figuring out about where we wanted to stop for the night - not necesarily a specific albergue, but the towns - it was helpful to know what was coming and plan for it.

 

[frasert]

+1 for Brierly
helpful especially historical stuff and points of interest.
+1 for ripping out the pages if worried about weight! Though I didn't and just passed it onto another traveller.
Its interesting how often mine was borrowed for research for the next days journey.

"If its not broken don't try to fix it"

 

[Tincatinker]

There is little wrong with Brierley, I'll take a pass on the mystical stuff. Just don't follow the stages like Belloc urged us to follow nurse. His elevation profiles are distorted by scale and the imposition of a linear representation but they are still accurate enough to inform the reader as to up/down or neither. Subject to the ever changing, growing, provision of accommodation since the last edition date Brierley will tell you whether there is a possibility of a bed in any given place. He can't, and probably does not mean, to compel you to sleep there.

 

[Gillyweb]

I ditched Brierley in Burgos and posted him on to Santiago - not however before I had photographed the map pages onto my smartphone (contentious I know !!) I then downloaded and app called Wise Pilgrim. It gives different longer stages so you find your own way. It gives info on destinations, a great elevations map, lists Albergues with photos and reviews and doesn't weigh a thing. If you are on 3G it tells you how far from current position to next villages (I turned this off generally) and links to google maps to help find Albergues in big towns. (This isn't something you need anywhere else) I did however prefer Brierleys maps which is why I photographed them as a back up.
As everyone above has said, try to a aid the obvious stops and you will discover some hidden gems.

 

[DurhamParish]

I like the Brierley book, and plan to use it on future Caminos. You can use it as much or as little as you want to. I'm not stuck on his "stages" since he does seem to have all the info you need concerning lodging and cafes between the stages.

Some people don't need a guide at all. But some people do need a guide, ranging in need from "casual use" to some who "can't make a move without one". Brierley can help anywhere along that spectrum.

 

[DurhamParish]

I just bought an english guidebook of the Norte and Primitivo (from Cicerone) and i really dont like it. Seeing that book made me like the Brierley set-up even more.

Agree.

 

[RobertS26]

I have to second the Dintamin and Landis guidebook:

A Village to Village Guide to Hiking the Camino De Santiago: Camino Frances: St Jean - Santiago - Finisterre by Anna Dintaman and David Landis

In my opinion it does a better job of listing albergues, hotels, rural casas, grocery stores, and other important locations. I also think their maps of towns are much better.

 

[Mark Lee]

Guidebook I used on my first Camino last year. I showed up in St. Jean without a guidebook of any kind, but picked this one up at the albergue the first day as someone had discarded it. Decent guidebook at best, but I grew kind of attached to it as it rode in my back-pocket everyday for over a month.

 

[Thornley]

I have the Brierley, but from other pilgrims i've read German guidebooks and Dutch guidebooks and they all pretty much stick to the same stages. If that is what you mean?
Maybe some very minor changes here and there, but no more then that.

Not eveything about the Brierley book is Hallelujah, but i really like the simplicity of it.

I just bought an english guidebook of the Norte and Primitivo (from Cicerone) and i really dont like it. Seeing that book made me like the Brierley set-up even more.

German guide for Norte is the best

 

[C clearly]

It seems that poor Mr. Brierley gets a lot of flak because his book was too successful! I'll go with the maps-only version next time since I really do like to have something to orient myself and it seems at least as good as any guide I've seen. It never occurred to me that I should following the stages as if they were prescribed. It is good advice to deliberately avoid many of the stage ends.

 

[jeffnd]

I have mixed feelings about the Brierly guide. The elevation charts can be, to put it mildly, misleading. To put it severely, sometimes they are just plain wrong. Mileage between towns and landmarks is hit and miss, but due to Spanish Kilometers, I can't really blame Brierly if he's off by a km or 2 here or there. But orientation and the sun compass thing of his maps... asinine. If you're out on the trail, no big deal. But they are useless when it comes to navigating in larger cities.

Also, the guide is severely lacking when it comes to albergue information. Other guides has info about what facilities were available, such as laundry, kitchen, wifi, etc. Brierley's info wasn't nearly as detailed. Aslo, other guides had more information about what services were available each town along the way. (I should note that none of the these guides were in English.)

Mr. Brielry should be commended for his efforts to bring more people to the Camino. However, I think he is probably to blame for the bad reputation that some of the paths get, the Valcarlos route in particular. He said this route is "not recommended." Not recommended by who? Him? To illustrate his point, he puts a picture of a congested highway as a representation of the route. Yes, most of the route is on the road and you do need to be aware of traffic, especially after Valcarlos, but the views are still spectacular. And Valcarlos... what a beautiful little town. It is totally worth spending the night, especially if you want to start out slow. Also, I wonder how many towns have suffered because of pilgrims taking his stages as gospel instead of polite recommendations?

 

[Thornley]

It seems that poor Mr. Brierley gets a lot of flak because his book was too successful! I'll go with the maps-only version next time since I really do like to have something to orient myself and it seems at least as good as any guide I've seen. It never occurred to me that I should following the stages as if they were prescribed. It is good advice to deliberately avoid many of the stage ends.

Debatable about the word TOO successful .
He has been very successful on the Frances but only with us westerners C Clearly [lol]
Most europeans have their own guides , and Brierley has nothing on any french GR's.
He has now mapped out Finasterre which "blind neddy" could walk.
We found in 08 that the young spanish kids were always using the tourist offices which had a great selection of accommodation for the coming stages.
Thats 6 years ago so that system has only got better.
On the Le Puy camino these tourists / information offices play a big part and only the MMDD is required.
On the Norte the german guide was far superior to others that we came across on the 6 weeks walk.

They will be coming at me now C Clearly....sit back and enjoy the laughs.

 

[Thornley]

I have mixed feelings about the Brierly guide. The elevation charts can be, to put it mildly, misleading. To put it severely, sometimes they are just plain wrong. Mileage between towns and landmarks is hit and miss, but due to Spanish Kilometers, I can't really blame Brierly if he's off by a km or 2 here or there. But orientation and the sun compass thing of his maps... asinine. If you're out on the trail, no big deal. But they are useless when it comes to navigating in larger cities.

Also, the guide is severely lacking when it comes to albergue information. Other guides has info about what facilities were available, such as laundry, kitchen, wifi, etc. Brierley's info wasn't nearly as detailed. Aslo, other guides had more information about what services were available each town along the way. (I should note that none of the these guides were in English.)

Mr. Brielry should be commended for his efforts to bring more people to the Camino. However, I think he is probably to blame for the bad reputation that some of the paths get, the Valcarlos route in particular. He said this route is "not recommended." Not recommended by who? Him? To illustrate his point, he puts a picture of a congested highway as a representation of the route. Yes, most of the route is on the road and you do need to be aware of traffic, especially after Valcarlos, but the views are still spectacular. And Valcarlos... what a beautiful little town. It is totally worth spending the night, especially if you want to start out slow. Also, I wonder how many towns have suffered because of pilgrims taking his stages as gospel instead of polite recommendations?

I saw in 08 many young pilgrims discard Brierly's book in Pamplona.
The reason was Larrasoana....which he rated on 08 as *****star.
All present that night in outside sheds , with the local cafe closed as was purchased by albergue owner , rated the place *star and just that.
He canned Valcarlos which we also found was a wonderful place to stay. [We had no choice as the mountain was not recommended by the pilgrims office..rain/hail]
I think you are correct Jeff in asking about the towns which have suffered.

Did he marry the mayors daughter ??
Here they come again ....hang on for the ride.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The elevation charts can be, to put it mildly, misleading. To put it severely, sometimes they are just plain wrong. Mileage between towns and landmarks is hit and miss,

But orientation and the sun compass thing of his maps... asinine. If you're out on the trail, no big deal. But they are useless when it comes to navigating in larger cities.

However, I think he is probably to blame for the bad reputation that some of the paths get, the Valcarlos route in particular. He said this route is "not recommended." Not recommended by who? Him?

The elevation charts are as least as good as the profile charts distributed by the Pilgrim Office in SJPdP, and they are not misleading. If it shows an ascent, you can be sure there will be an ascent. The mileage information is accurate, and it is updated annually for changes in the route. Pilgrims who compare the distance markers to any guide will know that the markers are wrong. Sometimes they are decades old, and do not reflect route changes. Pilgrims provide feedback to Brierley for corrections, and he does an annual on-the-ground verification of his information. He did have the Astorga train station in the wrong place once. I don't know if that has been corrected!

Maps are oriented to fit on the page. North is rarely at the top of the page, but a compass rose is provided for those who wish to orient to north. Those who are familiar with orienteering know that you orient a map for your direction of walking. If you do not, how do you know what is on your left and your right? Brierley always goes to the top of the page, which is the way to use a map. If detail is necessary for larger cities, the tourist office will have a better map. Not every detail can fit in a book, if it is to be a manageable size.

Brierley has a recommended route. He almost never labels anything "not recommended." He describes three routes out of SJPdP, and offers guidance and choosing one. Routes in the guide are marked for Recommended, Alternative, Detours, and Alternative routes-not waymarked. The discerning pilgrim is allowed to exercise his discretion in selecting from the choices. Any interpretation that Recommended means mandatory is in the mind of the reader, not the words of Brierley. With English speaking pilgrims a small percentage of pilgrims, any reputation that a route gains is not controlled by Brierley! In the Forum it is easy to get spun up on the choice between the Route Napolean and the Valcarlos Route, but it is a tempest in a teapot among a very small group of people. The Spanish, French, and Germans control reputation to a much greater degree than Brierley, and we do not hear much from them here. Who knows; they may hate the Route Napolean and love Valcarlos. Every guidebook I have seen has pretty much the same recommended route as Brierley, by the way.

Non-English guides can be the better guides. However, for English guides, Brierley is the benchmark that challengers need to unseat. And it will be an uphill battle!

 

[november_moon]

I think that any of the guides should be thought of as guidelines rather than recipes or procedures

Regarding accuracy - I am looking for general information anyway. Is there an accent or descent? And about how much? I don't mind if the guide says a decent is 600m and it is actually 625m - I just want to know about how much of a drop to prepare myself for. Should I wear braces on both ankles and my knee today or am I good without them? Are there towns every few km (and do they have restaurants/bars) or is it going to be really sparse? Should I pack lunch or just eat at a bar along the way?

 

[Thornley]

We always eat at a bar along the way November-Moon, fun with the local traddies coming in from the fields and the best food.

 

[november_moon]

Oh sorry Thornley - I wasn't actually asking questions to you guys about what I should do (we have already gone once, and will probably go again ), but rather giving examples of questions I would ask myself when looking at maps for the upcoming days - basically how I used the guidebook and what I found most helpful.

We did a combo of eating in bars and picnics - mostly dependent on what was available along that day's walk.

 

[Thornley]

Oh sorry Thornley - I wasn't actually asking questions to you guys about what I should do (we have already gone once, and will probably go again ), but rather giving examples of questions I would ask myself when looking at maps for the upcoming days - basically how I used the guidebook and what I found most helpful.

We did a combo of eating in bars and picnics - mostly dependent on what was available along that day's walk.

No problems November _Moon, I know what you meant mate.
We loved the picnics , never ate so many olives especially after Leon in the country side , but i chucked in eating in the village bars at lunch time because too many walk past the best local food.
We have found that lunch time in the local restr. is better food as they cater for the workers not just the hungry pilgrims with their p/menu.

 

[jimtim]

i use the FFRP guides

 

[robertt]

Miam Miam Dodo guides, though in French, are so clear and visual that they might be worth considering. I love the things, and the two main ones, Le Puy and CF, are updated annually.
Very practical. Protective of the Way, but not at all precious. (The publishers even recommend ripping as you go - though I've kept mine as mementos.)

Buy fresh!

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

no need to carry more weight, if you speak spanish and have access to internet, i think these are fairly good:

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/

http://caminodesantiago.lavozdegalicia.com/ (this one also in english)

 

[Lauraperegrina]

no need to carry more weight, if you speak spanish and have access to internet, i think these are fairly good:

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/

I love the Eroski guide. Much more helpful if you can speak Spanish, as it explains all the things you will see on each stage. Even if you don´t speak Spanish, it has great maps of the different stages and gives you info about which towns have aubergues. El asociación de los amigos del Camino de Santiago (the asociation of friends of the camino de santiago) recommended this one to me.

 

[Lynda t]

I have to agree with Thornley. I walked following the arrows to start with and then on day 3 picked up a leaflet at the tourist info. Must lighter than a book. Just stopped when I was tired. Occasionally I had to walk on a bit, but then everyone has to sometimes.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Hi All..

I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for an alternative guide than the Brierly guide? I'm thinking maybe a good translation of a Spanish guidebook or something which isn't going to put me on the same Camino as my fellow English speakers?

Smirk

In 2006 I walked my 1st Camino on CF with a guide called Walking the Camino de Santiago by Pili Pala Press. I actually left the guide home, just brought photocopied pages of it, in a much smaller size than the original. Weighed nothing. It has basic maps, albergue and services info, but what I liked was the stories, legends, etc. of the different villages and town.

But the best info in my opinion are those 2 sheets of paper given out at the Camino Info Center in SJPP: one has distances and elevations, the other a list of albergues with phone number, number of beds, months they are open, facilities. For beds I also like the brochure put together by the Red de albergues. For the Camino del Norte I bought the Rother book for the maps.

Unless you are happy to walk 5, 10 km per days, sometimes, to stay in those fantastic places, I'm afraid you will likely end up in the towns most stay in, after all those are the ones with more beds, washers and dryers, often more history. But in Brierly's guide, on stages 14 and 15, I highly recommend these two little places very few stay at: San Bol and then San Nicolas. So get any guide, just opt to hang back when you arrive in a place you like. It's that simple.

 

[Pilgrim-S-414]

I used an ebook to save weight I found this one to be more than sufficient for me
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005AHUXLO/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I used an ebook to save weight I found this one to be more than sufficient for me
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005AHUXLO/?tag=casaivar02-20

I have a question about this ebook, and it really shows how untechnical I am, other than for work that is ;0): what do you download it on? Your smart phone, or do you need an e-reader or tablet? Next week I will be trying working with the photos I have taken of some guides on my I-phone and see how that goes.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

what do you download it on? Your smart phone, or do you need an e-reader or tablet?

It downloads to your Amazon account where you can read it with a Kindle or using an iPhone application for Kindle. Other devices with a Kindle application can also read it.

 

[Pilgrim-S-414]

Falcon explained it well... you have a Kindle app for Android as well

 

[Anemone del Camino]

It downloads to your Amazon account where you can read it with a Kindle or using an iPhone application for Kindle. Other devices with a Kindle application can also read it.

Does this mean I must own a Kindle? And to think it's not my age I'm showing, just my lack of interest about these things, until I realise they are useful and I should have paid attention ;0) Thank you.

 

[Pilgrim-S-414]

You don't need to have a Kindle device... Any Android or iPhone will do... Just install free Kindle application

 

[Richo]

Everybody' traveling style is different. My Camino experience was enhanced tenfold by having a cultural guidebook on my tablet (weight: 0.1 lbs). OH MY! The amazing things I would had missed!

I also carried a pocketbook-sized Michelin guide with distances between towns and other practical info.

I have never use Brierley's, but walked with many people who were following it "religiously". Bad idea for many of those folks; injuries left and right....

Hi Olivares,
What was the cultural guide you used? Could suit me well too

 

[Thornley]

In 2006 I walked my 1st Camino on CF with a guide called Walking the Camino de Santiago by Pili Pala Press. I actually left the guide home, just brought photocopied pages of it, in a much smaller size than the original. Weighed nothing. It has basic maps, albergue and services info, but what I liked was the stories, legends, etc. of the different villages and town.

But the best info in my opinion are those 2 sheets of paper given out at the Camino Info Center in SJPP: one has distances and elevations, the other a list of albergues with phone number, number of beds, months they are open, facilities. For beds I also like the brochure put together by the Red de albergues. For the Camino del Norte I bought the Rother book for the maps.

Unless you are happy to walk 5, 10 km per days, sometimes, to stay in those fantastic places, I'm afraid you will likely end up in the towns most stay in, after all those are the ones with more beds, washers and dryers, often more history. But in Brierly's guide, on stages 14 and 15, I highly recommend these two little places very few stay at: San Bol and then San Nicolas. So get any guide, just opt to hang back when you arrive in a place you like. It's that simple.

Very well said
It explains the camino in very simple terms.
Both San Bol and San Nicholas are a must if you have time

 

[bismith]

Go to Camino without a guide. You don’t really need it. It is not as the proverbial “six European capitals in four days” tour. No need to plan everything in advance.
As for albergues, choose beforehand your first, and ask your kind hospitalero about the next. Or your fellow pilgrims. This gives, too, a good excuse for socializing, and you will not be carrying a bulky, heavy think.
To me, this is the best alternative to Brierley's

Better yet, as part of the socializing, borrow theirs.

 

[MeganG22]

I have a simple guide by Gerald Kelly. It was newly updated in January of this year and has what I need: distances between towns, prices and info on each albergue, and also info on sights and history and simple maps. My walking partner two years ago had it downloaded on his Kindle, and now I have ordered the hard copy for myself for next month. It works for me!

 

[Olivares]

Hi Olivares, What was the cultural guide you used? Could suit me well too

Hey Richo!-- the book is titled The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: The Complete Cultural Handbook by David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson. It was about $11 to download to the tablet. Loved it! Buen Camino!

 

[Richo]

Hey Richo!-- the book is titled The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: The Complete Cultural Handbook by David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson. It was about $11 to download to the tablet. Loved it! Buen Camino!

Thank you Olivares! (BTW - I see you are a native Spanish speaker living in the US. Did u find there were any problems understanding the accent or being understood in Spain? What Spanish I have, I learned in South America years ago, just wondering if I'll still be understood.

 

[Olivares]

Thank you Olivares! (BTW - I see you are a native Spanish speaker living in the US. Did u find there were any problems understanding the accent or being understood in Spain? What Spanish I have, I learned in South America years ago, just wondering if I'll still be understood.

Richo-- never had one instance of not being understood by local Spaniards-- fluency in Spanish is definitely an advantage, specially in the smaller, more rurals areas. That said, regions such as Navarra and Galicia, the local dialect is definitely popular and Spanish was a second/go-to language. Buen Camino!

 

[marbuck]

We used the Brierley guide for our 2014 Frances, it has it's problems but I sure am glad we took it. We did not stay at the end of all his stages, his distances were out some of the times, some of the accommodation places were no longer open or had changed their names. But all in all he made a big difference to how much we enjoyed our Camino. His history and places of interest were excellent. I also wrote notes on almost every page and now his book takes pride of place on our book shelf. Thanks John Brierley for producing such a great guide book.