Hi Tess- just a few questions about the Lana if you have time and wifi to answer- which gps app are you using for your maps? Overall how necessary are you finding gps rather than relying on waymarking? Do you speak Spanish well enough to socialize with the locals? One of my concerns about doing this route is only having my own company 24/7 for 26 or so days. How does the scenery/presence of historical sights/sites compare to the other routes you've walked? Thanks for taking the time to reply.
First of all Ilaugh at all of the reports of crowds on the Frances....that’s something you’ll never have to worry about on the Lana! Over two and a half weeks and I’ve yet to meet another Lana peregrino. You will have lots of time to talk to yourself 24/7. To offset this I try to stay in a hostel in the bigger towns like Almansa and Cuerna so I get an opportunity to interact with other travelers even if they aren’t pilgrims.
My Spanish is passable but as far as socializing goes I don’t have the vocabulary to discuss religion or politics which is probably for the best. I can talk abut the menu, location of stores and the weather, along with a good introduction of myself, my family,where Ilive in the states and my career as a teacher. So far that level of Spanish has done well for me. My greatest deficit is my struggle to understand when the locals answer quickly.
The gps app I use is Galileo Pro. I think there was a small fee - a few dollars - not much. I’d truly be lost without it. In some places the Lana is very well marked . In others you may only see 4 arrows a day and that’s if you are really looking. Most towns have no arrows at all or they just stop one or two into town. The gps gives me street names and helps me find what I’m looking for. Some places they have even painted over the arrows so as to appear blank or trees are pulled down blocking the path. It’s a daily puzzle and a test of faith. At some intersections there are no markers anywhere..... I use my gps and my compass and sure enough a hundred or so yards down the road is a yellow arrow as if to confirm I made a good choice. Know that many of the albergues listed do not exist. Sometimes you get to sleep on a mat in an unheated local “social hall” and sometimes you will have to go for the only option- a Casa Rural. For the most part the locals are friendly nd a bit surprised to find that I am a pilgrim who is walking alone.
Sorry for any typos but I’ve been having some phone problems.
All in all I hope you love the Lana.
Buen Camino! Tess