Becky 59
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- CF 2018, 2021, 2023; CI 2019; CP 2022, 2023
I walked the Camino Frances this fall (Sept 15-Nov 2), and was pleased to find very responsible perigrinos along the route when it came to Covid prevention behaviors. Especially early on before the weather got too cold overnight, I found lots of fellow pilgrims were willing to keep windows open overnight in the albergues, for air circulation and to minimize the build-up of aerosol contagious particles.
Most pilgrims are familiar with the "Camino Crud": the cold or cough that seems to catch up with many of us after awhile, sharing sleeping space with so many people. Part-way across the Meseta I developed a scratchy throat, then a cough and runny nose...I was staying in Sahagun at the Santa Cruz Monastery (nice folks!), and one of the staff priests came with me to the Urgencias in town so I could get tested for Covid. The medical staff had me stay outside on a waiting bench, and after taking my US passport information (since I had no EU medical card), they did a rapid PCR test, and brought the results outside to me within 20-30 minutes. (All for no charge!) Thankfully negative: I just had the Camino Crud. Had it been positive I would have quarantined myself; as it was, I booked private rooms for the next several days until the "Crud" cleared up.
I talked with several other pilgrims who had similar experiences, had themselves tested for Covid, and fortunately had negative tests. A take-home message seems to be that the "Camino Crud" is alive and well, even with masks and hand-washing, but Covid was blessedly scarce or absent from the Camino, at least while I was there.
I also discovered that with a late fall Camino, the overnight temperatures (especially near Foncebadon and O Cebriero!) are VERY cold, and cracking windows open for ventilation would make for horribly uncomfortable and cold nights, even with my down blanket, and maybe even lynching by fellow pilgrims!
Most pilgrims are familiar with the "Camino Crud": the cold or cough that seems to catch up with many of us after awhile, sharing sleeping space with so many people. Part-way across the Meseta I developed a scratchy throat, then a cough and runny nose...I was staying in Sahagun at the Santa Cruz Monastery (nice folks!), and one of the staff priests came with me to the Urgencias in town so I could get tested for Covid. The medical staff had me stay outside on a waiting bench, and after taking my US passport information (since I had no EU medical card), they did a rapid PCR test, and brought the results outside to me within 20-30 minutes. (All for no charge!) Thankfully negative: I just had the Camino Crud. Had it been positive I would have quarantined myself; as it was, I booked private rooms for the next several days until the "Crud" cleared up.
I talked with several other pilgrims who had similar experiences, had themselves tested for Covid, and fortunately had negative tests. A take-home message seems to be that the "Camino Crud" is alive and well, even with masks and hand-washing, but Covid was blessedly scarce or absent from the Camino, at least while I was there.
I also discovered that with a late fall Camino, the overnight temperatures (especially near Foncebadon and O Cebriero!) are VERY cold, and cracking windows open for ventilation would make for horribly uncomfortable and cold nights, even with my down blanket, and maybe even lynching by fellow pilgrims!