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  1. Burton Axxe

    Expected weather beginning March 27

    I walked at exactly the same time last year but from Pamplona, as the Napoleon route wasn’t open yet. Some zero degree mornings that warmed up to the twenties by afternoon. Blue skies all the way to Rabanal. Lots of (expected) rain and mud thereafter.
  2. Burton Axxe

    LIVE from the Camino Struggling with doubt on the Camino Frances

    I started in Pamplona in late March and hit a bit of a wall about a week later in Belorado where both body and mind started to rattle. I ventured on a bit further to Villafranca Montes de Oca and decided to splurge at the Saint Abad hotel. This did wonders for me. I started out late the next...
  3. Burton Axxe

    How many days

    Exactly. My advice would be to consider how long she/he has, or wants to commit to the Camino, and then choose a starting point that is compatible.
  4. Burton Axxe

    Overwhelmed, grateful, still slightly dazed….

    I completed my first CF in April this year. I duly returned home and washed it out of my system. Or so I had thought. Then, the urge to go again appeared. On my first CF, I missed the initial SJPP to Pamplona section, some bits before and after Leon, and the dreaded entry into Burgos because of...
  5. Burton Axxe

    My experience on the Camino Francés from Sarria…

    Like Dani7, I reached Sarria forewarned and mentally forearmed about the alleged shortcomings of the final 107k’s. However, save for a conga line departing Sarria at 8 AM (hint to newcomers- start later!), I did not find the increased numbers as overwhelming as I had thought (‘twas mid-April...
  6. Burton Axxe

    Mansilla de la Mulas to León: why bother?

    Actually, I knew of it and actively looked for the alternate route but the dirt road leading off the asphalt airport road past the housing block was infested with dump trucks and accompanying clouds of dust. That day, at least, it looked even less promising than the slog around the airport...
  7. Burton Axxe

    Mansilla de la Mulas to León: why bother?

    I skipped the way from Carillon to Leon due to time constraints earlier this year. I dropped this section as it was widely regarded as less ‘interesting’ but I now feel the strong urge, like you, to go back, complete, and fully embrace it. In fact, I’m planning to do precisely that (as well as...
  8. Burton Axxe

    Opinions please days 3 - 7; SJPDP to Uterga. Off & short-stage.

    I would stress that it pays to be generally knowledgeable about your route without being too rigid in your planning. For example, if you know that there are towns located 12, 16, 21, and 25 kms from your starting point - and that the town at km 21 is a beauty and that the one at 16 has a...
  9. Burton Axxe

    The White Lady near O Pedrouzo

    I told my son about it and he thought she'd probably noticed that my scallop shell had a Hinomaru (Japanese flag) drawn on it. But the interesting thing is that no one else seems to have seen the location nor the lady (yet). Her 'thank you' response was, I suppose, based on the fact that I had...
  10. Burton Axxe

    The White Lady near O Pedrouzo

    One of the most surreal, and enduring, memories of my recently completed Camino occurred about 5 kms out of O Pedrouzo. I came upon a ‘healing’ area decorated with proverbs and other words of encouragement. As I walked past, I noticed a woman dressed all in white out of the corner of my eye, on...
  11. Burton Axxe

    Which part of the Frances for a week?

    I would urge you to continue your previous journey- do Logrono to Burgos. Lots to see, varied but not difficult terrain. Ideal for a group, and without the bed issues that might affect the Sarria-SDC section.
  12. Burton Axxe

    Pamplona suggestions needed.

    Hostal Acella under 100 Euros on Booking.com as I write this. Advice to bed-seekers: Try not to arrive in the big cities on Friday or Saturday nights. Schedule your arrivals accordingly as much as possible.
  13. Burton Axxe

    LIVE from the Camino Walking the Meseta now. Advice welcome

    I think people divide the Meseta into two parts when discussing its virtues or lack thereof. The section from Hornillos to Fromista is stunning and is the heart of the Camino. From Fromista to past Leon, however, it is largely featureless flat scrub with straight Sendas lining the road. This...
  14. Burton Axxe

    LIVE from the Camino Walking the Meseta now. Advice welcome

    Nuns were not at Santa Maria when I passed through two weeks back. None of the ‘recommended’ activities were being held. Any updates since?
  15. Burton Axxe

    When do most pilgrims feel like quitting the Camino de Santiago?

    As the OP, I feel compelled to write that I did complete the Camino (2 days ago) and had no serious thoughts of quitting. A few very adverse weather events and that nasty entrance into Burgos served to harden my resolve - that I was walking a pilgrimage, not a day hike - and made the ‘easier’...
  16. Burton Axxe

    Beds available Sarria to SdC?

    I just finished this section and there were plenty of rooms/beds at pretty much every location - same day reservations, walk-ups, no issues whatsoever. I saw no ‘full’ signs anywhere from Pamplona on and in fact many of the places I stayed were less than half full.
  17. Burton Axxe

    Booking a Horseback Ride to O Cebreiro

    I did this a few days back. For those not used to riding, think carefully about your underwear if you want to avoid saddle sores - it’s a bumpy ride. It’s 50 Euros, by the way. You can arrange rides the day before from the albergue in Vega de Valcarce.
  18. Burton Axxe

    Leaving mementos of loved ones in the CF

    I’m carrying very small mementos representing family who have recently passed or are very ill. I know that leaving a stone at the Cruz Ferro is a tradition but is there anywhere significant I can leave these mementos to honor or bless them without creating a burden for the Camino? Currently...
  19. Burton Axxe

    Top 2 rest days places

    When reading travelogues or travel literature it is always interesting to me how the writer managed to immerse him/herself among the local dinner/drinks crowd because, while it sounds ideal to the reader, in reality, if takes not only linguistic skill but a certain type of personality to carry...
  20. Burton Axxe

    Top 2 rest days places

    If you’re traveling solo you may find that staying an extra day in the larger cities can be a bit sad and depressing. The locals will be out at their preferred watering holes en masse having a great old time and a solo foreign visitor can really feel like an outsider. In the small...

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