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  1. oursonpolaire

    Passport stamps

    I have just posted this on another thread: For those of us who are sellomaniacs, I suggest in descending order--1) the parish church-- either after the mass, or by asking around for the keyholder, who may have the sello, 2) the ayuntamiento, 3) the police stations, 4) the Centro de Salud, 5)...
  2. oursonpolaire

    4-day 1st- time Camino.

    I would re-examine your urban schedule; do your 4-5 days in either Barcelona or Madrid, but not both. To do both will eat up 1-2 travelling days on a tight schedule, and will introduce a possibly unnecessary frazzle element to your trip. Pamplona-Logroño/Santo Domingo over 5-7 days will...
  3. oursonpolaire

    Have Pilgrim's Passport, but do I need to register at a local pilgrim's office before I can stay in municipal albergues?

    There is no registry. Just get your credencial stamped at wherever you start your journey. Churchgoing pilgrims will often get their first stamp at their parish just before their international voyage begins. Otherwise, get it stamped at your accommodation, a church, ayuntamiento, bar...
  4. oursonpolaire

    List of Churches - Sarria to Santiago

    1) Almost every pueblo on the Francese has a church. 2) Most (not all) will have an evening mass, at 7 or 8 pm, depending on the season. 3) The time may not be posted or may not be posted accurately; 4) hospitaleros should know the time (some don't!), 5) the bartender nearest the church will...
  5. oursonpolaire

    Is it possible to get stamps from Albergues if not staying there?

    There was what I suspected was a house of ill repute west of La Isla on the del Norte, and the same question came to my mind. Enquiring of a more experienced pilgrim, she suggested that if the volunteer at the Pilgrims' Office was a priest, I could likely count on the sello being accepted---...
  6. oursonpolaire

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

    Insurance agencies insist on it. In the 90s there was a string of thefts of paintings, retablos, statues, etc from Spanish churches-- warehouses were filled and sold to collectors who did not ask any questions. So the churches came to be locked--but the key is usually easily obtained from a...
  7. oursonpolaire

    stopping in Uterga

    My notes tell me that I had lunch there about 16 years ago; I recall very little but it was the usual Navarrese village with not much to do aside from eat, sleep, and hang out with other pilgrims, which to me is an agreeable way to spend time. I daresay that, were I a local adolescent, it...
  8. oursonpolaire

    Is it possible to get stamps from Albergues if not staying there?

    It wasn't only bars then!! You passed!!
  9. oursonpolaire

    Is it possible to get stamps from Albergues if not staying there?

    Stamps can be had anywhere; as a non-albergue person, I always had recourse to a sello from my casa rural/whatever, but I would get one from the parish church if there was an evening mass (on more obscure caminos, you might get a drink from the priest), or the ayuntamiento-- staff always seemed...
  10. oursonpolaire

    Los Arcos accommodation..

    I've stayed at the comfortable and reasonable Monaco. The suggestion of both @Martin 888 and @davejsy is worth considering, but staying in Monaco facilitates attendance at the evening mass in the wonderfully ornate baroque church of Santa Maria-- when I was there, the priest was warm and...
  11. oursonpolaire

    Seeking Recommendations for Memorable Stops along the Camino Francés

    This is one of the places where the Camino is very subjective. What worked for me will not necessarily work for anyone else. I have long recommended Estella for a second day, partly to recharge after a very intense first week out of the start from Roncesvalles, partly because it has a lot of...
  12. oursonpolaire

    Identify a church in Estella

    You'll have to go back, just to make sure.
  13. oursonpolaire

    Bus and Train Hubs Along The French Camino

    Almost every pueblo in Spain has a bus out in the morning to the nearest local city, and back in the afternoon (subsidized, of course, but local governments are aware that many people do not have cars-- would that Canadian municipalities could figure this out!) Ponferrada to Porto through...
  14. oursonpolaire

    Food options at Saint Irene

    As is the case with many Spanish restaurants in the countryside. Lunch is not our half-hour collation, but the main meal of the day with three courses and wine, usually lasting from 1.00 to 3.00. On Sundays countryside restaurants are either closed, or they make it a special Sunday meal...
  15. oursonpolaire

    Oct. 12 lodging, National Holiday in Spain

    Extemely rare along the Francese, given that it passes through both urban and farming areas, with few opportunities for wild camping. Some albergues allow it on their property. There are pages and pages of discussion on this forum on the topic. Search away!
  16. oursonpolaire

    Live from the Camino - Churches are closed

    Owing to decades of theft, the insurance companies are very firm about keeping the church locked when not in use. Churches are not owned by the municipalities and are therefore not their responsibility-- Spanish politics makes it even more complicated. In my experience churches along the...
  17. oursonpolaire

    In Belorado now on CF

    Generally, accommodations only release a few of their rooms on the booking sites, as the sites take a cut and few businesses want to sell all of their rooms at a discount. In my experience, there are usually rooms available. When the booking site says full, I usually just telephone the place...
  18. oursonpolaire

    Accommodation along the Camino

    You can also get in touch with the Canadian Company of Pilgrims (www.santiago.ca) as they have a network of chapters across the country (many with their own FB presence)-- if your schedule does not facilitate attending a local workshop or training session, chapter coordinators will happily put...
  19. oursonpolaire

    Favourite Accommodation Splurge along the Camino

    The San Zoilo in Carrion de los Condes was remarkable, being set in the old monastery (and with a good restaurant)
  20. oursonpolaire

    Finding my way along the route

    I do not think it be possible to get lost on the Frances. Just follow the other pilgrims as you exit in the morning and you will be fine. Should you go astray, be assured that dozens of Spaniards will issue forth from their offices, farms, and bars, to put you back on the good path. When in...

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