Normie2500
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Via Francigena (Italy)
Hi all, I'm so sorry to beat a dead horse with this one, but thought I'd see if there might be any new insights.
I'm torn between the CF and the CdN at the moment, also somewhat considering the CdM. I know I'm going to appear very picky here, but I want to make sure I get everything I can out of the time and money I'm spending on the camino. I'm not a deeply spiritual person but I definitely think a lot to myself and enjoy the quiet.
I hiked the Via Francigena for a week last year in late April, from Lucca to Monteriggioni. Though time commitments forced me to leave from Siena, I would have had to face the biggest problem sooner or later: I was painfully ill-equipped. My 'goretex' shoes had holes in the toes so water could get in... And stay in all day. Then there was the heat. With my pale complexion I was really pushing it with a heavy bag on a stretch with few water fountains and very little shade in parts. Then the albergues (or whatever they were called in Italy), which were in varying states of cleanliness and a couple of which had some pretty nasty insect problems (roaches and/or bedbugs).
That said, I thought the hike was incredible - the vistas, the variety of scenery, the lovely forested stretches and the quiet mornings. There was limited pavement as well, if memory serves correctly. The ups and downs of the hike were never a serious issue, blaring heat notwithstanding. At any rate this time I'll be better equipped for my camino in Spain, having treated myself to a nice pair of boots this time around.
So my primary interests are: limited sun exposure (i.e. no or few multiple-hour-long shadeless stretches), places of historical interest, lots of greenery and wooded paths, but most importantly not too much monotony (and ideally as few crawling things in the albergues as possible). And while I do like connecting with people, I found it awkward the few times I walked alongside others for long, as we often found we had a different pace (or not much to talk about!).
With this in mind, I was wondering what options you all would recommend.
I'm torn between the CF and the CdN at the moment, also somewhat considering the CdM. I know I'm going to appear very picky here, but I want to make sure I get everything I can out of the time and money I'm spending on the camino. I'm not a deeply spiritual person but I definitely think a lot to myself and enjoy the quiet.
I hiked the Via Francigena for a week last year in late April, from Lucca to Monteriggioni. Though time commitments forced me to leave from Siena, I would have had to face the biggest problem sooner or later: I was painfully ill-equipped. My 'goretex' shoes had holes in the toes so water could get in... And stay in all day. Then there was the heat. With my pale complexion I was really pushing it with a heavy bag on a stretch with few water fountains and very little shade in parts. Then the albergues (or whatever they were called in Italy), which were in varying states of cleanliness and a couple of which had some pretty nasty insect problems (roaches and/or bedbugs).
That said, I thought the hike was incredible - the vistas, the variety of scenery, the lovely forested stretches and the quiet mornings. There was limited pavement as well, if memory serves correctly. The ups and downs of the hike were never a serious issue, blaring heat notwithstanding. At any rate this time I'll be better equipped for my camino in Spain, having treated myself to a nice pair of boots this time around.
So my primary interests are: limited sun exposure (i.e. no or few multiple-hour-long shadeless stretches), places of historical interest, lots of greenery and wooded paths, but most importantly not too much monotony (and ideally as few crawling things in the albergues as possible). And while I do like connecting with people, I found it awkward the few times I walked alongside others for long, as we often found we had a different pace (or not much to talk about!).
With this in mind, I was wondering what options you all would recommend.