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Wow, I never expected to be back posting on this forum but you got me here.
I am pretty sure that most pilgrims walking the Camino Ignaciano are well aware the Ignatius was on his pilgrimage to Jerusalem. His destination in Spain was to Navarrete to collect a debt, then to Monserrat to visit...
You lost me here. There is time to chat up pilgrims and answer questions but not enough time to ask "Can I see your credencial" and see if their name is legibly written? I'm pretty sure if you started with the third person in the queue, you could keep ahead of the pack and still have time...
I am starting to think that the difficulty of the walks is 90% in one's mind. I had heard about how difficult the alpine walk from Irun to San Sebastian was as well as the Hospitales route. I really focused on making sure I was mentally ready for those stages and when they came, I thought they...
Hi Paula,
Leaving a small stone on cairns on mountain passes is an ancient tradition but leaving them specifically at the site of the Cruz de Ferro, in the amount that is left there....? that's most likely a more modern tradition. One day, when you have walked your first Camino past this site...
Hi Bette, Welcome to the forum. Maps.me is a GPS system that uses your phone as its hardware. It works on an iPhone or an Android phone. The maps and trail markers are saved on your phone so that you will not have to download anything else via data or roaming data. Even in Airplane mode...
It was indeed a listing of all places on the Camino route, as listed by Gronze back in March. I'm not sure what @alaskadiver thought I missed on the list but it doesn't matter much. I actually stayed in one of the listed pensions in Fonsagrada - two nights because of a lack of beds in Castro. I...
Hi Steve, I just found out a few weeks ago that the botafumeiro swings at the beginning of some masses, rather than near the end as I had always seen it. I guess there may be times, therefore, when they signal that is okay to film it but all the times I have seen it, they haven't. I'll take...
First, I am very happy for you that you got to see the use of the Botafumeiro. Sincerely happy.
I am curious though... what gave you the impression that "they were happy enough to allow" photos or videos during the use of the Botafumeiro, which I believe is what you are saying? They do...
That may possibly be true at some point in the future but certainly not in my lifetime or, more precisely, "... in the lifetime of my legs." I plan on walking at least one pilgrimage every year, although they won't all end in Santiago. My walks are "pilgrimages" though and they all have some...
You may not understand why I get tired from the rants against leaving stones at the Cruz de Ferro or wearing the pilgrim shell during the Camino but at least we can commiserate in a shared misery!
Earlier this year in April / May, my wife and I walked the same trail that you have from Irun. I wouldn't say that the portion after Oviedo was more difficult than before but the day with the Hospitales section will be the biggest challenge before you. We are 60-ish and we don't exactly train...
Ahhhh.... no wonder I couldn't find it. The iPad issue AND the wrong Via Francigena page. https://www.facebook.com/AssociazioneEuropeadelleVieFrancigene/?fref=ts
FYI, I just did a search and there are a LOT of VF Facebook groups.
A very useful part of my kit is a long length of parachord and some small paper binder clips. Whether staying in albergues or private accommodations, it is handy almost every single day for drying clothes. In albergues, I usually arrive after all the lines are already in use. In other places...
I tried my best to blog our VF walk and summarise it at the end of this thread here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/live-and-alive-on-the-via-francigena.40041/
We only walked from Vercelli in April / May 2016 but I hope my information is helpful.
I'm at sea at the moment on an iPhone with rare internet access so I have to be brief. If I recall correctly, you can download the tracks from the Cicerone guide site as well as from Wikilocs. Just google "kmz file Camino del Norte". I did this on my PC where I could edit the tracks (changing...
I finished the Norte / Primitivo in May. I found the gronze site very useful for places to stay and planning mileage, although not always accurate. I used maps.me with the downloaded Camino tracks to keep me on the path. I carried the guide but only ever used it a few times for information...
I'm sorry that you missed taking one of the more beautiful walks to Matosinhos. There are lovely boulevards with wide sidewalks leading out to Matosinhos where one can observe everyday lives of Porto's residents. The walk along the Douro River, either on the north or south side is very lovely...
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