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  1. SeattleJen

    San Froilan festival in Leon - any experience?

    I happened to walk into Leon (+one planned rest day) the last weekend of April in 2018 and found myself in the middle of an intense festival. I loved the atmosphere and the celebrations, but it was wall-to-wall celebrants... almost all local Spaniards, very few pilgrims. Even though I'm a city...
  2. SeattleJen

    Sarria pilgrims

    Sarria to Santiago, walking earlyish May (thank goodness I blogged all this so I could remember): Sarria to Portomarin -- TONS of people. I hadn't seen that many people on the trail all at once since the 200+ of us all left Roncesvalles at the same time. It was shockingly crowded. Portomarin...
  3. SeattleJen

    Sarria pilgrims

    I've been thinking about this the last week or so. I was very lucky in that my job situation allowed me to take off for 8 weeks to walk from SJPDP to Santiago (plus screw off time). I wasn't annoyed by the "Sarria pilgrims" at all, especially since I had been asked for a month why there were not...
  4. SeattleJen

    is the first day as daunting as it looks?

    93 responses thus far, so I'm not sure what value my two cents will add. I walked the Valcarlos route, but I wouldn't do it again. The Napoleon route had just opened when I left SJPDP (April 5, 2018), but I thought Valcarlos was the smarter choice because I was such a novice and because I hadn't...
  5. SeattleJen

    Do they speak English ? Clues ? ?

    I'm somewhat fluent in French, yet when I am in France, locals immediately identify me as American just from my pronunciation. I only knew a few words in Spanish when I started the camino (I knew quite a bit of Spanish by the time I reached Santiago). When I started, I definitely knew "gracias"...
  6. SeattleJen

    Dealing with a broken ankle

    I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. It sounds like you will need to put off the Camino a bit longer due to the slow healing. I don't have too much more to offer that hasn't already been stated: listen to your doctor, listen to your body, get lots of Physical Therapy, and work on healing...
  7. SeattleJen

    Anybody stayed at Pension Eirexe, Eirexe?

    I should add that I had to reserve by email (I only pre-booked the morning of because the path past Sarria became super crowded and rooms very competitive).
  8. SeattleJen

    Anybody stayed at Pension Eirexe, Eirexe?

    I stayed there one night last May (2018), and I remember it as a wonderful room. I had a private room with a single bed, a sink and mirror, and a large closet to spread out all of my stuff. Bathroom was shared and super clean. I wish I could remember the name of the hostess; she was very nice...
  9. SeattleJen

    Danger for pilgrims walking between Roncesvalles & Zubiri

    I took pictures of the urban flooding in Estella on 12 April 2018 (at the bottom of this post): https://caminojen.com/2018/04/12/day-8-really-maneru-to-estella/ It was fascinating to see as a visitor, but heartbreaking when you realized these were people's homes and businesses (even the library...
  10. SeattleJen

    water quality

    So sorry. I didn't mean to come off as being rude or calling anyone else out for being rude. Perhaps I am still suffering the lingering effects of encounters with a few fellow pilgrims who insisted on telling me I'm "doing it wrong" -- and I was thinking the water conversation was starting to...
  11. SeattleJen

    water quality

    This seems like a pretty easy issue to deal with -- bring a refillable water bottle with a filtration system for protozoa and bacteria like LifeStraw or SurviMate for peace of mind and be done with it. Some on here are saying that's overkill, but seriously, if the OP is being encouraged to use a...
  12. SeattleJen

    water quality

    This is the water bottle I brought. I still have it and use it at home now, too. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076BJKQ27/?tag=casaivar02-20
  13. SeattleJen

    water quality

    I seem to be more susceptible to water issues, so I brought a water bottle with a filter in it. I used it to drink from village fountains, bathroom sinks, etc, and never had any stomach issues from water. When I did have tummy trouble, I could safely attribute it to funky milk in the coffee (so...
  14. SeattleJen

    Hacienda near Ponferrada

    Buen camino, Bill!
  15. SeattleJen

    Hacienda near Ponferrada

    You're welcome! Disclaimer: I didn't stay there and cannot vouch for the place. I actually stayed in the Alda Hotel in downtown Ponferrada. I quickly deleted my original response out of embarrassment for re-activating a four-year old thread, but the gist of what I wrote was this: I'm so sorry...
  16. SeattleJen

    Hacienda near Ponferrada

    I found photos of the place here: http://www.hotzebra.es/hotel.php?id=557535
  17. SeattleJen

    Hacienda near Ponferrada

    Oh my gosh, you are so right! How did it end up on my radar just now? So weird. Thanks for pointing it out, Falcon. P.S. I just figured it out-- it popped up after reading "Ponferreda Watch Out." Geez, I need more coffee before I start reading the forum boards...
  18. SeattleJen

    Camino prep Q's - last minute camino please help!

    You ask a lot of questions and have a number of great answers here. I highly recommend this guy or his cousin Lifestraw for water: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076BJKQ27/?tag=casaivar02-20. I didn't want the extra weight of a camel pack, but I also have the propensity to pick up food poisoning...
  19. SeattleJen

    All the ways that the movie “The Way” was spot on...

    I want to make sure you understand that I was NOT bashing Americans... especially since I myself am a proud American. The point I was trying to make is that the scenes in the movie where pilgrims boldly sit at tables with others they may not know -- or invite solos to sit with them -- is true in...
  20. SeattleJen

    All the ways that the movie “The Way” was spot on...

    I just returned home Monday night and my husband wanted to rewatch the film with me Tuesday. I was surprised by how emotional I felt watching it again having just finished the Camino last week. The original list is spot on (though I never got to see the buto fly). What really struck me to add to...

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