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  1. MesaWalker

    Night stage recommendation?

    Another option, rather than walking all night, especially in the heat, is just to get out at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning and walk 2-3 hours in the morning in the dark. We did that daily during very hot weather in September last year on the VdlP, and we treasured those hours. In the case of the...
  2. MesaWalker

    What would you change about the CF - if you could?

    I wish there were fewer locked, inaccessible churches. That may be because of fear of, or actual, vandalism. I was surprised how many churches were closed. I would have liked quiet time in many.
  3. MesaWalker

    Palace of the Kings of Navarre, Olite

    I can't comment on the Palace of the Kings, but the Museum of Navarre in Pamplona is an amazing art and history museum, if that type of place interests you. It doesn't seem to get the notice that it deserves. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Navarre,_Pamplona
  4. MesaWalker

    Decaffeinated coffee on CF?

    You will love it. Fall is a perfect time to go - a lot of beautiful weather, harvest season, etc. ¡Buen camino!
  5. MesaWalker

    Decaffeinated coffee on CF?

    The café descafeinado is everywhere on the Camino Francés - in bars, restaurants, etc., almost always made using an espresso maker. It is consistently wonderful. In five weeks of walking, there might have been one place that didn't have it. It's much more common on the Camino Francés than in...
  6. MesaWalker

    Sahagun worth it for tourism?

    The story we were told in the royal pantheon, which is fascinating, is that Napoleon's troops came through on their horses and smashed up pretty much all the tombs themselves, but failed to look up at the amazing ceiling and didn't harm it at all. It includes detailed depictions of medieval...
  7. MesaWalker

    Sahagun worth it for tourism?

    If this is your first time on the Camino Francés, I can't find fault in the advice of most folks. As much fun as my wife and I had in Sahagún (and we're definitely more of the off-the-beaten-path types), León and other spots on the route offer a whole lot more. If I were allocating...
  8. MesaWalker

    Sahagun worth it for tourism?

    We spent an extra day in Sahagún in Fall 2021. It wasn't a matter of planning, but there was in mixup in the date we were meeting another pilgrim there. We thoroughly enjoyed the extra time, and there was a surprising amount of things to do and see. The museum connected with the Cathedral in...
  9. MesaWalker

    Parroquial in Viana closed

    We wanted to stay there in October 2021 but it was closed - maybe due to COVID or maybe just too late in the season. I hope that the restoration work goes well and they're welcoming pilgrims before too long.
  10. MesaWalker

    CF Backwards? West to east.

    I like your plan better than ours! We initially intended to be walking it now, with cooler temperatures in the south and gradually warming heading north. Life just got in the way this Spring, so we'll do a fall trip. It will be warm in September in Andalucia!
  11. MesaWalker

    CF Backwards? West to east.

    We plan to walk the Camino Inglés backwards to A Coruña this fall as part of a pilgrimage starting in Gibraltar and walking the Camino Serrana, and Via de la Plata/Camino Sanabrés to SdC. We're thinking of the last portion as an alternative to walking the Camino Finisterre to the coast, which...
  12. MesaWalker

    Declining Pilgrimage Numbers on the French Camino: Understanding the Local Political Context

    Agree with Marb2. After we departed Sarria after starting in SJPP, we met lovely people walking the minimum distance to get their Compostela, and they were every bit as excited about their pilgrimage as we were departing from SJPP. One group of wild senior Irish women were staying in SdC and...
  13. MesaWalker

    Tips for securing a bed at Albergue de La Faba during the busy September season on Camino Frances

    We went to the German albergue in La Faba in mid-October 2021. The albergue was already closed for the season, but the small chapel beside it was open. We went inside and found it to be one of the loveliest, most peaceful places of worship on the entire CF. It's simple and obviously lovingly...
  14. MesaWalker

    Declining Pilgrimage Numbers on the French Camino: Understanding the Local Political Context

    I agree with a number of posts that the meseta was among my favorite parts of the CF. There is something mesmerizing an mantra-like about the even slower pace of change as you walk - seeing something from a great distance and very slowly approaching it. For me, the meseta encouraged introspection.
  15. MesaWalker

    Irache wine fountain - 30,000+ bottles so far this year!

    The generosity of the owners of that winery is awe-inspiring. They may get some good publicity, like this article, from what they do, but that can't possible make up for all the lost sales. They have single-handedly created one of the most iconic experiences on the CF for us peregrinos. Our...
  16. MesaWalker

    A bit of fun comparing Pilgrim gender over time

    Very interesting! Thank you for this information.
  17. MesaWalker

    CF in september: bring rain trousers or no?

    We walked the CF (and then on to Finisterre) mid-September through end of October last year. Like you, one of our last decisions was whether to bring rain paints. We opted to omit them and never regretted the decision. When walking your legs are generating a fair amount of heat, and with a...
  18. MesaWalker

    Favorite places to spend an extra day/night to visit historical/cultural sites?

    We thought the Museum of Navarra in Pamplona was the sleeper museum of our entire trip. A fantastic collection of major archaeological and art, displayed in ways that were fascinating. We spent an extra day last Fall in Pamplona (as well as Burgos and Leon), and Pamplona might have been our...

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