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  1. oursonpolaire

    LIVE from the Camino LIVE from the Camino de Catalán

    I would agree with this with lots of sparkly images. The old monastery at San Juan de la P is one of my top ten travel experiences-- it's like a Maxfield Parrish painting with forests peeking through the romanesque arches-- quite like a visit to another planet in time.
  2. oursonpolaire

    Has the dog “policy” on the Camino changed?

    There never was a policy-- the Camino only has one policy, that for the last 100km before Santiago, you must collect two stamps a day if you want a Compostela. Market pressure is clearly creating more accommodation spaces for dogs and dogowners. The wisdom of taking dogs on the Camino stays...
  3. oursonpolaire

    Passport stamps

    I have just posted this on another thread: For those of us who are sellomaniacs, I suggest in descending order--1) the parish church-- either after the mass, or by asking around for the keyholder, who may have the sello, 2) the ayuntamiento, 3) the police stations, 4) the Centro de Salud, 5)...
  4. oursonpolaire

    Ebro and Soriano

    I followed the Camino up the Ebro and then to Soria about 8 years ago. It's extraordinary. I love the backroads Caminos and they are an extraordinary introduction to the old Spain, far away from tourists. You are correct that many don't even know that there is a Camino there. For those of us...
  5. oursonpolaire

    Stops on Camino del Norte

    You can walk whatever distance/day works for you. In the first week from Irun to Bilbao, the trek can require a certain degree of vigour, and there are few albergues. You should being with short stages (well, I would) and realize that you may have vary albergue accommodation with private...
  6. oursonpolaire

    Camino Castellano-Aragonés and Camino de San Olav spring 2023 — Video and notes!

    I've just noticed this thread-- I did the Castellano Aragones a few years ago and I am not surprised to hear that not much has changed. I really liked the small townsall along the way, full of history (I like that) with Borgias and the Civil War, but very friendly people, happy (if a bit...
  7. oursonpolaire

    Dressy comfortable town shoes!

    I think the clergy are happy as long as we are not barefoot, but will likely overlook even that.
  8. oursonpolaire

    4-day 1st- time Camino.

    I would re-examine your urban schedule; do your 4-5 days in either Barcelona or Madrid, but not both. To do both will eat up 1-2 travelling days on a tight schedule, and will introduce a possibly unnecessary frazzle element to your trip. Pamplona-Logroño/Santo Domingo over 5-7 days will...
  9. oursonpolaire

    Vertigo

    I am vertigo-sensitive, but the only two spots which concerned me was climbing El Brusco, east of Noja-- just take the road instead; and the bridge over the Rio Eo on the Galicia/Asturias frontier-- I have always taken a taxi. Everything else was fine.
  10. oursonpolaire

    Cancelling Camino - Soliciting Advice

    Walk what you can at a pace which suits you best. You may not be able to reach Santiago this time, but there is often another year to finish it-- this is very common practice among Europeans. Or, as others have sugggested, start closer to Santiago. Unless your confessor wants you to...
  11. oursonpolaire

    public transport on Camino Primitivo

    Quite feasible. Buses are principally from towns, but usually stop in each village twice a day, to pick up passengers going into town, or to deliver them in the later afternoon. Diligent use of rome2rio.com will usually inform you, but if you are on the ground, just check in at a central bar...
  12. oursonpolaire

    Pilgrim rates for Hotel Accommodation?

    Not suggesting that you had expectations!! Budget planning is very legitimate. I was writing more for the information of a general readership (and, I fear, a few pilgrims I have met whose notion of the Camino included lots of cleverness!!) Best that they have no cause for misapprehension!
  13. oursonpolaire

    Pilgrim rates for Hotel Accommodation?

    I have found on the off-piste caminos (e.g. Castellano-Aragonese or Catalan) that hotels will often give pilgrims the commercial travellers' rate (or the truck-drivers' rate in hostales which cater to them). Usually the arrival of a dusty or sodden pilgrim earns one a sympathetic greeting and a...
  14. oursonpolaire

    Have Pilgrim's Passport, but do I need to register at a local pilgrim's office before I can stay in municipal albergues?

    There is no registry. Just get your credencial stamped at wherever you start your journey. Churchgoing pilgrims will often get their first stamp at their parish just before their international voyage begins. Otherwise, get it stamped at your accommodation, a church, ayuntamiento, bar...
  15. oursonpolaire

    Respectful donativo amounts in 2024

    Most of what I would have to say has been covered by one contributor or another. As a known if not notorious caminoholic I am sometimes consulted by people preparing for their first Camino and a frequent question is what should they pay at a donativo. I tell them that this aspect of the Camino...
  16. oursonpolaire

    Bathroom stops on the camino for female Peregrinas

    Given the small populations of many of the pueblos through which we pass, the costs of obtaining land, construction, maintenance, and servicing these toilets would be beyond local resources. There is no central Camino Authority to disburse funds for this. In a recent, related, post, I noted...
  17. oursonpolaire

    Public transport and the Aragones Route: Need advice

    I can comment on the trail between Jaca and Santa Cilia-- it follows alongside the carretera, weaving in and out; it's not too bad. What is really difficult is the trail between Jaca and the monastery; the trail between the monastery and Santa Cruz is also pretty unspeakable and involves...
  18. oursonpolaire

    A Quiet Camino Route?

    Cami Catalan, out of Montserrat. I've done it three times, totalling 40 days walking, and met five pilgrims in total. On the Vadiniense (10 days) I was the only one.
  19. oursonpolaire

    Cheese

    Both Canada and the US are very very strict about meat. Check on the official customs website before buying. I have found the cheese joints at the Abastos markets excellent; they likely have a similar opinion of me as I usually pick up about 100euro or so of cheese. I tell them that I have...
  20. oursonpolaire

    Time for more compostela type certificates?

    I would go for (obligatory) participation tattooes. Having been on the fringe of Camino decision-making, I shudder at the complications involved in changing the point to Portomarin, nor do I think it fair to the good burghers of Portomarin to subject them to the process. Life is short.

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