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  1. Older Guy

    Holy Year

    I am tentatively planning on my second Camino in 2021. Since I have done the CF, I am thinking of a different one. I did the CF in the Holy Year of Mercy and it was crowded, but not impossible. I encountered a few villages where the Albergues were full, and the inexpensive hotels were full...
  2. Older Guy

    Hotels vs Albergues

    Very well said, except for the issue of comfort. I did the CF in May 2016 by bicycle on my own and stayed in a variety of places. It was nice on a rest day to stay at a place where I could have a bath, private room and sleep in with out being woken early in the morning by other pilgrims. In...
  3. Older Guy

    Observations after Completing the Camino Frances

    For me I traveled with both a dedicated Garmin GPS and a cell phone gps mapping application. To find the albergue, hotel, or B&S in large cities, I would enter the address and then let the electronics guide me to my final location. However, if you don't have a GPS, then the advice of taking...
  4. Older Guy

    Where are the arrows?

    I got lost exiting several large cities and had to ask for directions. As for Santiago, the spire is pretty distinctive, but the tangle of small winding roads is confusing and the traffic is harsh. Although when I got to the plaza on my bike, I had to go over to policeman to ask how to get to...
  5. Older Guy

    Observations after Completing the Camino Frances

    Great summary. thank you for sharing your insights. I loved resting in Burgos and Leon. The cathedrals were great. I agree that stuff at pharmacies were expensive, but very, very high quality. I wish I would have bought more lip balm to take home with me. As to the flash light, I took a...
  6. Older Guy

    Remember the first rule of the jungle/camino!!!!!

    I have had a US ATM eat my Debit card. I immediately called the bank to speak to an operator to see how I could get it back as the bank was closed. They didn't care. They didn't even want to know which machine it was. They told me that these things happen. Since then I always try to go to...
  7. Older Guy

    Older pilgrims - experiences, stories

    OK, I am only 68. I did my Camino by bicycle in 2016. This summer I biked coast to coast in England. I like to do long distance biking, and running (15 K to half marathon), I also do some mountain climbing and hiking. Have you thought about doing all or part of the Camino by bicycle as it...
  8. Older Guy

    Tips for Introverts...on the CF

    What I found is that pilgrims tend to eat dinner at a time that locals don't eat. That means if you see someone at a local restaurant dinning at the same time you are, they are probably a pilgrim. That means you have something in common. At dinner if I wanted company, I would raise a glass of...
  9. Older Guy

    Hotels vs Albergues

    Johann; I tried them all and it was a wonderful experience. First, I really liked the albergues, expecially the ones that had communal meals. I didn't like the rude people getting up at 4:30 AM and making noise so they could leave before dawn. What I like most was the price and the...
  10. Older Guy

    Ending in Santiago - 2 options?

    1) yes, but you will probably be so excited that you will do it anyway and stand in line. 2) Sure, why not, if you have the self discipline. That close, with the Cathedral calling you to come in and hug the statue of Santiago, it will take a lot of self control to stop at Monte del Gozo...
  11. Older Guy

    Lodging reservations needed on Camino Frances?

    As they say the Camino will provide. You have to at some point give up on trying to control your Camino experience and just accept that you are a pilgrim, one of millions that has taken the same route over the centuries and the infrastructure is there to take care of you. Nothing that happens...
  12. Older Guy

    2 questions: Dealing with Jet lag/Daypack?

    My thoughts. (1) On my Camino (which I did by bicycle) I flew from Seattle to Frankfurt then to Madrid. I spend one night in Madrid, then took the fast train to Pamplona where I had reservations. To make sure I was over jet lag prior to starting, I stayed two nights in Pamplona. Based on...
  13. Older Guy

    Tips for preparation? :)

    Since you are doing some running, I will assume you have been on some kind of training schedule. In almost all of the running training schedules I have seen they have something called a "taper." It is the time that you decrease your exercise before a major race, so that you heal your body and...
  14. Older Guy

    Sahagún or Burgos?

    You have been given some great advice and I can understand you have a hard choice to make. My thoughts are that in May about 1/3 of the days involve some form of rain. It might be a little or it might be a lot. Last year in May it was a LOT of rain. One of the things I enjoyed doing was some...
  15. Older Guy

    Why stay in traditional albergues when you could sleep better elsewhere?

    Good discussion. I have always been a fan of Aristotle. By that I mean balance and not overdoing anything. On my CF I stayed at a variety of types of lodgings. I stayed at one Rural Farm Association place, three hotels, several albergues, a few that were community, organization, or...
  16. Older Guy

    Any advice welcomed

    There is a great train route from Leon to Ponferrada and lots of points in between. When you get to Leon, you can see how you feel and even try your legs out a bit. Make sure that you completely get over jet lag before you start. After each day do some things that will help you recover from...
  17. Older Guy

    Am I a Pilgrim?

    As others have pointed out that is the key to being a pilgrim. Your statement indicates you are a "real pilgrim." That is why they offer two documents issued on behalf of the church at the end in Santiago one where the purpose of the journey was religious or spiritual and one were it was not...
  18. Older Guy

    Slowing down

    As someone who has gone through rehab for Achilles tendon surgery and knee surgery and a host of minor running related problems, may I suggest that when you talk to you doctor about your continued pain you ask for a physical therapy prescription. PT's, especially if Sports PT's are really...
  19. Older Guy

    Planning my next Camino and doubting about sleeping in albergues

    I did a combination of bunk-bed Albergues, inexpensive Hostals, and a few real hotels. Dinner among fellow pilgrims in a Albergue is much more of multi-cultural bonding experience that is part of the Camino. Still there were lots of little village square restaurants, where if you were brave...
  20. Older Guy

    (Too) busy in October? Or quietly (again)?

    My point is/was different from yours. My point as to why things are so busy on the Camino this year is that this is a year where one can earn one or multiple indulgences in the course of a normal religious Camino. The Camino is a pilgrimage where if you do it for most the CF, you can...

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