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  1. Shalaw

    If you had to choose to skip a part of the route. What would be your choice?

    You can more than likely do that trek in 42 days, however when I did the Camino, I cycled the meseta to save time. A lot of people think that’s sacrilegious, but it was necessary for me at the time, and I do plan to go back, maybe just to walk the meseta one day. It basically cut 6-7 days’...
  2. Shalaw

    LIVE from the Camino HELP!! Nowhere to stay tomorrow

    Maybe have a shorter day and stay in Logrono? We had our rest day there, booked the Carlton and it was fab! We didn’t stay on the Brierley stages though, as the albergues fill up quick.
  3. Shalaw

    I need to shorten my walk

    The OP asked for ways to save time on their Camino so I made a suggestion. I don’t understand why some people feel the need to judge others on how they complete their Camino and say how I did it is ‘incorrect’. It’s just uncalled for.
  4. Shalaw

    I need to shorten my walk

    We cycled across the meseta in 2.5 days which is normally a 7-8 day walk so we saved 5, 5.5 days doing that. Lots of people say it’s sacrilege to not walk the meseta but we still experienced it, just by bike instead. It was so much fun too! We had our bikes delivered to La Fabrica, our albergue...
  5. Shalaw

    Bed bugs & getting rid of gear

    I also had encountered bedbugs twice on Camino Francis. What I did was wash the entire contents of my backpack, then sprayed my backpack with chinchos spray from the ferreteria (hardware store) which got rid of them. I also sprayed my passport and other things that couldn’t be washed. I also had...
  6. Shalaw

    LIVE from the Camino Ethics Question -- to walk or not to walk?

    When my partner and I walked in 2015, we agreed before we left that tired or injury trumped all, and so we would be together throughout the entire thing. Thankfully, neither of us got injured enough to stop walking. I did get a couple of small blisters, but only after walking through Galicia...
  7. Shalaw

    Coping with change after Sarria - wisdom needed please

    The original poster asked for advice and it’s been given. She can decide if she listens to any of it, or not. No one is trying to convince her it’s been unpleasant, and we have shared what works for us.
  8. Shalaw

    Coping with change after Sarria - wisdom needed please

    I find when I’m feeling negative about things, it’s time to reframe my thoughts into positive thoughts. I would use this time to re-enter the non-Camino world, because once you get to Santiago you’re back in the real world again. You can also choose to add the energy and excitement of those...
  9. Shalaw

    Polling Fellow Walkers - Start in SJPP or Pamplona?

    My vote is SJPdP. Even if you need to delay a day.
  10. Shalaw

    Rabanal del Camino to Molinaseca

    It’s funny how certain things stand out in your mind, and this stage is one of them. The ‘down’ into Molinaseca was particularly brutal and slow going. Very steep and ridged, so you just have to pick your way down slowly, and with your hiking poles. It also helps to zig zag your way down which...
  11. Shalaw

    Walking Camino Frances as a couple

    My initial plan was to walk the Camino Frances alone, but my partner at the time saw the movie, The Way and wanted to come with. We did go together, and the one rule we had before we left was that we would walk together and that sore or tired trumped everything, meaning if one of us ran out of...
  12. Shalaw

    Illness, injury, recovery and hopes for the Camino Frances this Spring/Summer

    We didn’t sanitize any of the water we drank, and if the water isn’t drinkable, there’s usually a warning sign to that effect. I guess we were fortunate not to get sick, if it’s happened to others.
  13. Shalaw

    Illness, injury, recovery and hopes for the Camino Frances this Spring/Summer

    On the days we sent our packs ahead, we carried 2 litres of water and filled up at every town that had water fountains, of which there are many. On the days we carried our packs, we carried each other’s water in the pockets on the sides of our packs because it was so easy to grab our water from...
  14. Shalaw

    Illness, injury, recovery and hopes for the Camino Frances this Spring/Summer

    You may want to consider investing in a small daypack. We carried one between the two of us, which was big enough to carry the essentials for both of us - extra socks to change every few hours, sandals, ibuprofen, sunscreen, lip balm, phones, my ipad mini that I used to take photos, snacks and...
  15. Shalaw

    Illness, injury, recovery and hopes for the Camino Frances this Spring/Summer

    Wow - that’s quite a journey you’ve been on! And congratulations on having the will and determination to overcome these curveballs life has thrown at you! Truly inspiring. Don’t forget that you are able to use a courier service for your pack, to give your feet and back a rest. We started using...
  16. Shalaw

    Help and advice for my First camino 2021

    What an exciting time for you, Huub! Planning your first Camino is so much fun, and actually doing it is magical! We did ours in Sept/Oct 2015, and had 28C degree weather up to October and only a few days of rain in all that time. I think the answer to your first question will depend on Spain’s...
  17. Shalaw

    Surplus accomodation planned for mass return of pilgrims?

    It’s impossible to answer this question. No one knows for sure, nor can anyone predict when Spain will welcome international pilgrims back into their beautiful country. I’m planning another Camino, but not until 2022, earliest, but even then, it won’t be my priority. I’ve had to postpone travel...
  18. Shalaw

    Trying to work out the length of my camino for flights

    It took us 32 days. We left SJPdP on September 6 and strolled into Santiago on October 7. That included two rest days, plus we decided to cycle the meseta, which took a six day walk down to two days on bikes (I plan to go back one day, just to walk the meseta). A lot of people don’t like that...
  19. Shalaw

    Images from Brierley Camino Frances Handbook.

    Are you referring to the John Brierley books? I’ve got a few for the different caminos and even though I don’t follow his stages because of the bed-race impact, they are very good for planning where I will stop and also what sites to see along the way.
  20. Shalaw

    Where to have two rest days

    You can plan your rest days, but I think you should let your body tell you when it's time to take one. We knew we would likely have some, but didn't plan where or when. Sure enough, about seven days in, I felt so run down and like I was coming down with something, so we decided to book a room...

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