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  1. johnnyman

    Four weeks - where to start?

    I allowed about 28 days to walk from Pamplona and it wasn't enough. I was 53, had trained quite a bit, walking as much as 20K in less than four hours, but it turned out that 20K on the Camino was a good, full day. I walked up to 28K a few times, but was satisfied with my 20K days. As I got to...
  2. johnnyman

    Avoiding Brierley stages?

    Avoiding the Brierley stages is highly recommended! By me, anyway. I stayed in some wonderful little albergues before I landed at the municipal albergue in Logrono. A nice place, but so busy, busy, busy and crowded, so many people rushing around, crammed in like sardines. The next day, my new...
  3. johnnyman

    What was your first day like?

    My first day was pretty darn memorable. I, too, wound up in the underground bus station at Pamplona, completely disoriented and jet-lagged. I dragged my duffel bag up the steps to the outside, looked around and had no idea what to do next. Luckily for me, a wonderful young lady happened by and...
  4. johnnyman

    Camino Support Group....

    Glad I found this topic. I walked the Camino Frances in June-July 2011, and it was a life-changer, to be sure. I'm afraid, however, that the experience has "ruined" me, as far as my everyday life is concerned. I'm so incredibly sick of the every day 9-5, pay bills, go to bed...
  5. johnnyman

    My experience

    I probably averaged 20 km a day on my Camino last summer. This was not nearly the mileage I anticipated logging each day before I got there. I thought I'd walk a lot more each day. But it was difficult at times, and I am glad I didn't "kill" myself trying to do too much. I met a number of...
  6. johnnyman

    First Time doing the Camino Frances :) Advice needed.

    Absolutely! Nothing to worry about. Like so many people say, just start walking. The rest will take care of itself. It really will :) People will help you. The Camino will take care of you. After a few days, your anxiety will be gone and you won't want to ever leave. Promise ...
  7. johnnyman

    Cost of the Camino

    Greetings, y'all: I probably spent 25-30 euros per day, and I ate out pretty much all the time. Sometimes I bought groceries, but really not very often. It was just easier to eat out. I withdrew cash about once a week (ATMs are all over the place) and kept it in a pouch I wore around my neck at...
  8. johnnyman

    Training

    There is really nothing that can fully prepare you for walking the Camino. It is not the distance(s) you walk each day, but the time spent on your feet, day after day, that takes its toll. The most important thing is to take breaks. Don't walk for 6 or 7 hours without stopping. Have a sit...
  9. johnnyman

    An unholy year on the Camino Frances

    The Camino Frances is an amazing and wonderful experience. I walked from Pamplona to Santiago last summer, and I still think about it every day. And I plan to go back in 2013. Yes, there was a little litter and other disgusting-ness, but certainly not enough to spoil it ...
  10. johnnyman

    Why do you stay in albergues??

    I stayed in a private room on my second night on the Camino, and shared private quarters several times after that with someone I befriended along the way. It was heavenly -- the peace and quiet, the privacy, the comfort. Many of the small-town, more isolated albergues I stayed in were fantastic...
  11. johnnyman

    Beware and be afraid - The champion snorer is on the Camino

    I am on occasional snorer, and one night in a small albergue (can't remember exactly where at the moment), I was apparently rocking the house pretty good. My friend in the bunk underneath me was chainsawing logs, as well. At one point, I was awoken by a woman shaking my shoulder. I told her, "I...
  12. johnnyman

    Yáll didn´t tell me

    I agree that nothing can fully prepare you for the realities of the Camino. I get a kick now out of all the questions people ask as they get ready for their first Camino (like I did). I was walking 20K on Saturday mornings before I went and thought I was pretty fit and would easily be able to...
  13. johnnyman

    Yáll didn´t tell me

    You know, that's a really good question: why didn't I notice all the elevation changes and such clearly outlined in the guidebook that I bought and took with me. Hell, I don't know. Why didn't I remember all the great advice I got on this forum, like taking a break from walking every couple of...
  14. johnnyman

    The other load in the Camino

    For me, the Camino was the "easy" part. I suffered quite a lot of pain for about a week, due to a massive blister, but it eventually started healing. And I met some girls from South Africa who had some amazing pain pills! The toughest part of the whole thing for me was the traveling to and from...
  15. johnnyman

    Starting my camino tomorrow!! Yippee!!

    Take your time, walk as much or as little as you can each day, enjoy ...
  16. johnnyman

    Yáll didn´t tell me

    Well ... it´s OK and normal to be nervous and scared. Just strap on your pack, start walking and follow the arrows/signs. Everything will be OK. You´ll see ... :)
  17. johnnyman

    Why?

    I know about fear. And I think my trip to Spain (first time overseas) and walking the Camino has helped me a whole lot in dealing with fear. I was so freaked out the night before starting my Camino that I had to tell myself out loud, over and over again, "You´re all right. You´re going to be OK...
  18. johnnyman

    Lessons learned

    Yes, 25 kilometers a day on the Camino is excellent. I´m not sure exactly where I went wrong in the beginning, except maybe it was not taking breaks. And that damn Compeed backfired for me, big-time. I had a small blister on the ball of my left foot, stuck a Compeed on it like I thought I was...
  19. johnnyman

    Yáll didn´t tell me

    They didn´t swing the incense burner at the mass today, either. And to think how bad I had to pee for 45 minutes ...
  20. johnnyman

    Lessons learned

    Finishing my first Camino today, and wanted to throw in my two cents worth of advice. If I had it to do all over again: Train harder -- be able to walk at least 40 kilometers, several days in a row. This will translate to about 20-25 kilometers on the Camino. It´s not the distances you walk...

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