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  1. woodswoman

    Too old?

    I will definitely weigh on this. I am going on my third Camino in September and I will be 72 in November. Chronological age has nothing to do with it. I know 40-year-olds who wouldn’t dream of going on this walk. I myself would never have dreamt of going on this walk when I was 40 or 50 or 60...
  2. woodswoman

    Should I prebook a room in Santiago?

    I totally agree. San Martin Pinario (formerly known as Seminario Major) is an excellent place to end your stay. What I learned this last time on the Camino is that if you go to their website, it says they are full. But they are also a place for full-price rooms for conferences, and THAT's...
  3. woodswoman

    Cash or credit card

    Check with your bank to see about charges for ATM machines. The big banks, Wells Fargo, Chase, etc. charge 3% foreign conversion fee plus a transaction fee. Smaller banks charge as little as NOTHING for the conversion fee, as my bank does. My bank charges $1.50 per ATM withdrawal but that's...
  4. woodswoman

    solo journey, or how to tell spouse you need to do this alone?

    Dear Joodle: Well, I beg to differ. Telelama, things don't always work out "exactly as it was meant to be" unless you take action. If you are not in the driver's seat, who is? I don't mean this to be harsh, but really, we have to take responsibility for our needs, especially for something...
  5. woodswoman

    solo journey, or how to tell spouse you need to do this alone?

    I too have done this Camino alone twice, and I suggest you tell him exactly what you are telling us. It's not threatening, not mean, just something for your SELF that is really important . . . your own inside and outside journey. Good luck. IT IS WORTH IT!!
  6. woodswoman

    Second and subsequent Caminos as good as the First?

    I just walked my second Camino, the Del Norte, two years after walking the Camino Frances. It was NOT AT ALL the same in many ways. MUCH harder, I got sick on the second day, struggled much of the first half. BUT, the freedom of walking, the people I met, the personal challenge to make this...
  7. woodswoman

    Chalk Up Another Small Favor Granted by Santiago

    For you, Scruffy, this was the right thing, but perhaps not for everyone. I loved Leon. Bussed in and then took a short bus just out about 5 km and began the walk again. But I did love the cathedral, much more than the one in Burgos. Burgos Cathedral is beautiful on the outside, but inside...
  8. woodswoman

    Thinking about Walking the Camino Frances but need a nudge?

    I've just finished my second . . . this one on the Norte, two years ago on the Frances. And frankly, honestly, I think no one should go on the Camino if they need a nudge. If you WANT to, or can't stop THINKING about the Camino, and are willing to go under your own power, for your own reasons...
  9. woodswoman

    "The Way" the movie 'tragic' seeks HELP!

    The restaurant in Burgos where Tom's pack was stolen is called Gordero Gohginillo: Horno de Lena. Just near the Tourist Info center at the Cathedral. Put your back to the side of the Cathedral and face the TI. And here are two photos of the outside. Just across from the sign is a restaurant...
  10. woodswoman

    Two Stamps for the last 100 kms

    I just looked at my Credenciale from 2013, picked up in SJPP, and it doesn't have anything about two stamps, though I did hear about that as I got closer to Sarria. When I asked my hospitalero in Portomarin about it, she said, "You have walked from SJPP. No one will think you cheated." But it...
  11. woodswoman

    Training? Absolutely necessary?

    I'd hope you could take six weeks, and plan one day a week to stay put somewhere . . . there are wonderful places to explore, and I found that my body really appreciated that extra day of rest once a week. Took me 43 days, with six full days "off", though I could have gone a little faster, but...
  12. woodswoman

    Number of Stamps on credential needed for last 100 km

    I started in SJPP, and when I got to Portomarin, I heard about the two stamps. I asked my albergue host, and she said, "You have walked from France. No one will think you have just taken taxis when they look at your Camino passport!" I had no problem, but had no idea there were "rules" from...
  13. woodswoman

    Weight loss while doing the Camino?

    I lost 15 lbs on the Camino and gained 8 back when I got home, but it has stayed off for two years. I also am shedding at least 8 lbs of BACKPACK when I go again in late August. I have no doubt that I'll lose more weight. And eating bread bread bread to boot! I got so sick of bocadillos and...
  14. woodswoman

    Worried about walking alone

    I walked solo in 2013, and of course there were no reports of concern at that point, but remember that all these incidents have taken place between Astorga and Rabanal, one stage, and though we always should be cautious, that one stage is a tiny part of the Camino Frances. Just ask each...
  15. woodswoman

    How many days did it take you to complete the Camino Frances?

    In September/October 2013, I started September 1 in St. Jean, and walked into Santiago on October 13. 43 days, including six full days of rest and a room by myself, one day a week. It was perfect for me. Then I visited Finisterre and Muxia, the former by bus in the pouring rain, and the...
  16. woodswoman

    No walking experience - have just decided to go - tomorrow. Help

    Well, you are already going to be in Paris, so getting to Barcelona or Madrid seems backward. But I do agree that if you start even in Roncesvalles, rather than going over the Pyrennees, that would be two-days easier. However, Terri, if you are going to do this the way you have just written...
  17. woodswoman

    Best month to walk The Way?

    Well, I don't like the heat, so I chose September and October because, though it was warmer in the first week than I expected, I knew it would get COOLER as I went along. The weather (2013) was gorgeous most days, with enough cloud cover some days to make the skies interesting, and cooler...
  18. woodswoman

    Disappointing arrival in Santiago

    I too felt great nothing upon arriving in Santiago. Rainy, very few signs, and I realize I had been a bit spoiled, even in Burgos and Leon, where pilgrims seemed to be more consciously welcomed than in Santiago. And then three mid-twenties little thieves stole my hiking poles. I saw them...
  19. woodswoman

    To go with my partner or go it alone???

    I like this answer very much. I definitely wanted to go alone, though a good friend asked if she could come along. I told her she could certainly walk the Camino, and if she did do that, we would probably see one another here or there, but that my vision was to do the walk by myself. She...
  20. woodswoman

    Things that I would do differently

    Good list. Next year I will go into the church at Santo Domingo. I stopped there for a "rest day" and rested so much I didn't really look around. 1) I will NOT take my bigger camera OR my sleeping bag. I sent both home from Pamploma, bought a light sleepingbag liner until the one my...

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