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When I walked in 2009 and 2013, I enjoyed breaks at ( in no particular order) : Burgos, Leon, Sarria, Astorga, Ponferrada, and Carrion de Los Condes. Although a bit early in the walk, Pamplona or Logrono would be a good candidates. I tried to choose places that had something interesting to...
Hi! I have done the same thing twice, ( fly out from Bayonne Biarritz after completing the Camino. I took the train from Santiago to Bayonne, it is a full day trip and gets you to Bayonne about 9PM at night after a morning start ( around 9 as I recall ) from Santiago. Fare was reasonable, I...
That is a natural reaction, once you walk a day or two and get into the routine of the Camino you will sleep just fine; believe me after walking 25 or 30 or more KM in a day, with a pack on your back, you will sleep!
Buen Camino!
I suggest you reserve at the private albergue Plano de Avellano in Zubiri, when I was there on Sept 11 2014 it was full by 2pm and they were turning people away. I had booked online ahead of time and got a bed, a lot of pilgrims ended up in a gymnasium.
I live in a small town in British Columbia and I walked the Camino in Sept-Oct 2013, never had a problem with my credit union debit/atm card. I did not even tell them I was going! Must be your credit union that's the problem.
Having just completed my second Camino on the Frances this past fall , I agree the problem of human waste and mess is serious. One would think that with the tremendous amount of traffic now using the trail, and the greatly increased economic spin offs that come from all those pilgrims, that the...
There are some alberques that have swimming pools, they are noted in the guide books. Depending on the time of year, you could probably swim in some of the rivers you will cross, and of course if you go to the ocean there is a great beach just before you reach Fisterra.
I just completed the Camino Frances and drank the local water and nothing else. Fountains are marked if they are not potable, but most are, and the water was fine. Tap water in the villages and towns was also fine for drinking. No worries about water.
Olivares; you are pretty quick to judge yourself. I was not referring to those who through physical limitations were unable to carry a pack, ( that should have been obvious), I was referring the many perfectly able bodied ( and proud of it) people who simply were too lazy to carry their pack...
It is different, I just returned from my second camino and found it crowded with a lot of pilgrims just being tourists ( no packsack to carry, luggage being forwarded to the next private Auberge), lots of complaining and down right miserable people...mostly the older crowd, the young people...
Yes, I was there on a Sunday and it was pretty quiet, although some of the touristy shops were open and so were the bars and restaurants. The big supermarket on the edge of town was also open for a few hours.
I have walked the Camino twice, in Sept/Oct, once in 2009 and I have just returned from my second Camino. I think it is a good time to walk, the weather was good both years, with a few days of rain here and there, but basically sunny and warm right into Galicia, where it is cooler and a bit...
A Tilley hat is the best choice, indestructible, rain proof, and good sun protection. You can roll it up in a ball or crush it flat, or run it through the washing machine, and with a little encouragement ( instructions in the hat) it springs back to its original shape....its magic! Also, if...
Short answer is "Yes". You can also buy bottled water if you are concerned about water quality on a particular stretch.
I never had to do that last time, as there were ample opportunities to obtain good ( free) water, but it is readily available.
Poshloyd; liked your last post....that's the spirit! I am doing my second Camino starting in Sept and have been following some of the blogs with a bit of trepidation. However, when I recall 2009, Sept and Oct , I had no problems ever finding a bed, people were great, weather was mostly good...
Put your pack, poles and other stuff in a cheap duffle bag and check it at the airline counter. This protects your gear from damage and you have everything in one place. You can either leave it at a hotel or hostel at your starting point for retrieval on return ( if this case you can also pack...
I walked the Camino in Sept/Oct 2009 and took both, used the sleeping bag twice, silk liner the rest of the time. Going again in two weeks, leaving the sleeping bag behind.
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