Personally I think people should not even be walking this year. But for those who will I also think that they should be prepared to have extra expenses. For the pilgrim that needs to walk on a very tight budget this is not the year to walk. After walking three Caminos I have certainly met my...
Albergue de la Piedra stands out in Villafranca del Bierzo. Very nice owners who are peregrinos themselves. Albergue Ecologico El Beso outside of Triacastela. Lovely owners. Vegetarian food. Albergue Casa Barbedelo outside of Sarria. Clean and modern, and the pool is an absolute treat on a hot...
To each their own. I found it creepy and culty feeling. And don't expect to see that lovely vegetarian dinner until at least 8 pm so the guru can sing his songs first and stroke his own ego.
The Frances has more infrastructure and won't be terribly busy until the last few days. I would highly recommend that you get up early and walk as early as possible. It is not advisable to walk portions of the Camino in the heat of the afternoon. There is siesta for a reason.
No route alternatives to avoid the road walking? I did a fair bit of it on the Invierno last summer and was not a fan. I prefer to be away from cars and roads as much as possible.
A simple stove top espresso maker will do nicely. And warm the milk if you want to make it more authentic. Coffee pods are expensive and terrible for the environment, but to each their own.
I can't offer an opinion on the Aragones but I too am curious. Interesting what you say about the Norte, I would like to do that walk as well but didn't realize there was so much asphalt. I do have some experience with the Invierno having walked it this summer. It is beautiful, well marked but...
Not sure if the word meltdown applies but this year on the Vezelay route about a week or so into what would be a very long Camino I started to experience intense dizziness and balance problems. I almost fell. It scared the bleep out of me. My walking friend and I were in the middle of nowhere...
This site is run by Ivar at in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon