Flies around farm animals are a given. I don't remember encountering any biting flies. Flies landing on my food are a different story as they can spread harmful bacteria. May be that the addition of screens on windows would solve the indoor fly issue.
Gite Ultreia is a very nice place with no communal meal. Breakfast is provided but it's a come and go affair so no public speaking. I think Orisson was the only place we stayed where folks got up and introduced themselves even if the meal was communal.
Many posts recommend booking through Zubiri as the beginning stages can be a large group of pilgrims vying for a small number of rooms. Definitely book Roncesvalles if you plan to stay there so that you can take your time on the trek from Orisson. It's mostly downhill but that can still be a...
Definitely make a reservation if you plan to stay there. I was told (wrongly) that reservations could not be made there and when I arrived - very late and exhausted - ended up in the basement on the top of a rickety bunk. Don't have very good memories of the place except for the kindness of...
Hi Stina. I feel a kindred as I love the planning phase as well. :) And I live not too far from you in MD. I walked the CF beginning Sept 22 of 2016 - which happened to be my 64th birthday. Arrived in Santiago on November 3rd. Booked ahead only a day or two until Galicia except on Friday...
We stayed in Roncesvalles on Sept 23, 2016. Arriving late on a Friday afternoon with no reservation because we had been told (erroneously) that it was first-come first-serve. Barely got a bed in the basement on creaking metal bunks with no side rails on top and no ladders to ease climbing. I...
Probably true too! Especially this year. :) We had been (falsely) told that Roncesvalles did not take reservations. We got a bed in the basement on rickety bunks. It was a bed but didn't provide much rest or sleep. Lesson learned - do my own research :)
I walked during the same timeframe in 2016. We found that booking a couple days ahead for a private room was good except that Friday and Saturday nights were very busy as locals travel weekends. Indeed, when we arrived in Roncesvalles on Friday night, found that busloads of pilgrims were being...
I walked the CF pretty much that exact timeframe in 2016. The coldest morning was 39 degrees (4 C) in Hospital de Orbigo but it warmed up to shorts-weather well before noon. Most days were quite comfortable for shorts/t-shirts. Only 3 days of light rain. I liked having my rainjacket. Seemed...
I walked late Sept to November. Only 3 days of light drizzle rain. I used my rain pants 2 of those days only. Third day I just let my hiking pants gets wet. They dried in a very short time while walking. I would not take rain pants for that timeframe.
Note:. I asked this same forum the very...
I walked the CF during that exact time in 2016. I had a fleece which I only used in evenings and during days off if cool, I never had to wear it while daily walking. Zipoff pants worked perfectly. Most days I was in shorts and t-shirt before noon. Early mornings in late October started with...
Check with the Pilgrim Office in SJPdP. They had two computers in a back area that pilgrims could use when I was there in 2016. I used one myself for a few minutes Could be different now but they should be able to help.
The uphill is easily manageable. The downhill is a bear. Slippery footing and 1000 meter drop over that distance. We broke it up at El Acebo to give our knees a rest. Still needed to watch footing and use poles. Thankfully it was dry.
Love this! Glad you got the help you need. Shortcuts and alternative paths are great - except when they are not! Perhaps your title should have been "Estamos perdido" as you were temporarily lost rather than the permanent situation implied by "somos perdido" unless of course you were...
Slow and steady. That's how I climb hills. It was chilly and windy the October day we climbed that hill. It was also memorable for the doe and her fawn that ran up the hillside just to the left of the trail. Almost the only wild animal we saw in all of Spain
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