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ALWAYS take the safest route!! It is a wonderful 35 day walk not to be ruined by impatience or shortcuts.
Down to Roncesvalles
Downhill into Zubiri.
Downhill into Molinaseca.
Some paths down from Vilacha.
Come to mind.
One of the few playlists I have on my iphone for earbud listening as the albergue is settling in for sleep is: "Chanson"--a compliation of all the Piaf, Brassens, and Brel music cd I could find in my local library. A great listen IMO.
I dont see this so much as 'pilgrims vs tourists', but a matching of traditional pilgrims to limited 'cheap' beds in a total of less than 20 albergues out of many hundreds of other accommodations available. Probably a good thing for the 'traditional' pilgrim. Suitcase travelers and luggage...
My hiking companion in 2005 and I met a German girl in Tricastela; they clicked at dinner and he followed up by email and a meetup in Paris. She moved in with him in LA in 2007; they were married in 2008. A very happy marriage even with a 25 year age difference and a language difference. He...
2016 With adult daughter. Leon to SdC 19 nights. eu44.74 pppd cash plus 6.08 in charge slips. So 50 eur per person per day. A mix of everything but no scrimping--and no splurging. Just common sense. Probably well inflated into 2023. My first 2005 pilgrimage was $30 (23 euros) per day--same...
Last walk was 2016, but Pequeno Potala In Ruitelan was one of the best communal experiences with Hosts Luis and Carlos. And sets up for an easier walk up to Ocebreiro. And Fonfria, at the round house across the road is always good communal meal to meet fellows. (Pension a reboleira)
I left a small fetish from my wife's necklace in 2005 in a crack in one of the buildings behind the Samos Monastery. And another in the rocks at Finistere. Good grief resolution for me.
From my notes, the stages from 3 main sources.
Day
Brierly
Amis.fr
Gronze
0
SJPDP
SJPDP
SJPDP
1
Roncesvalles
Roncesvalles
Roncesvalles
2
Larrasoana
Larrasoana
Zubri
3
Cizur Menor
Cizur Menor
Pamplona
4
Puenta La Reina
Puenta La Reina
Puenta La Reina
5
Estella
Estella
Estella
6...
Early May 2005 Castrojeriz. My first camino was a big bedrace. My companion had blown his knee out first day over the Pyrenees and was hitchhiking in parallel and mostly staying in B&B types. I made pretty good time from Hornillos- 20km before 1pm. In line with the other pilgrims on the stairs...
Rest days never worked well for my body; but several 5-10k days did. And sometimes using a taxi early or late in the day to keep walking under 2-3 hours.
Yes, break the 'RULES". Except the one that says listen to your body.
IMO MMe Roncal is one of the 'legends of the Camino'. Along with Marcelino Lobato, the 'Fonfria Crepe Extortion Lady', Fr Jose Maria Alonso, Tomas Martinez, Jesus Jato, Eduardo Marino, Gordon Bell, and others that don't come to mind quickly anymore. And I always stop at Pequeno Potala in the...
Stopped there in 2008 finishing the Aragones. It is a must do and seemed at the time to be maybe 1km from the CF but Gronze says 2.5--so just a half hour each way. Seemed pretty easy and well marked. DId have tea and snacks with the hospitalero and wish we had been able to stay. IMO part of...
I'd suggest starting in Pamplona to eliminate the winter risk in the Pyrenees. Although many guides start at SJPdP, there is no official start to the camino. And Pamplona is easy to get to. Flew in one time and walked from airport to Cizur Menor.
IMO, Samos is a place of camino magic. The route from Tricastella is like a Hobbit set with all the slate roofs and big old hollowed out trees. And at the end of the walk, San Xulian seems to rise out of the valley. I know we are now in a ‘"design your own camino with nice alberges and kind...
May 2007 San Juan d'Ortega watched as bedbugs dive bombed my hiking companion during afternoon rest. The garlic soup was great though. And it was a pretty well worn, dark refuge. I think we ran out of hot water in the showers as well. But in those days (my second camino) my expectations were...
Around my Toulouse to Santiago 2008 Camino, I had a house sitter/housemate picked from Craigslist. Mixed results as had to take his dogs as well, and they trashed much of the property. Fortunately, with a fenced yard most everything recovered. But the dog was regularly fed, watered and had...
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