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The VdlP was my first Camino, walked and relished in the spring of 2018. I loved it fiercely, though I have no comparison. I’m almost afraid to walk a second Camino because I imagine it would only be a disappointment. Only time will tell if I take that risk.
I loved the VdlP for all the reasons...
Annie, your story and description of your walk sounded familiar to me, so I checked my notes of my walk to Villafranca on April 25, 2018:
"A funny thing about today’s walk was it felt like the universe was playing tricks: I looked at the map and it said I was only 45 minutes from Villafranca...
Not sure if it's the same one, but I was recovering from an infection when I left Tábara, so I couldn't manage 34k and stopped in a lovely albergue in Villanueva de las Peras, just 14K from Tábara. The next day, I took an alternate route to Rionegro that was 30km (shaved 7 km off). I wish I...
Thank you for posting about Me Gusta Comer. It's one of my favorite memories of the VdlP, and I agree it's a wasted life opportunity to miss it! Buen provecho, buen camino!
Yes, yes to the Albergue Parroquial in Monesterio. Very clean, beautiful tiling and I seem to remember a separate bathroom for women. The albergue in Puebla de Sanabria (Hostel Casa Luz) also had a gorgeous bathroom just for women (sorry guys, this mattered to me at the time!). I also loved the...
I echo those recommending Airbnb. That's what I did in Seville, and I just checked, and the place I stayed is E30 on April 5 (not avail April 6 though). I hardly saw the host (it was during their festival), but he was helpful and it was centrally located, and I didn't have to deal with snorers...
I can respond based on my experience during the high season (wildflowers!), starting in mid April 2018. There were days when it felt like a race for beds, and many people made reservations where possible. I'm a fast walker, and only had an issue when I walked to a private albergue that accepted...
Just chiming in with another vote for an April start. I did the whole VdlP this spring, starting in mid-April, and know that the rains wreaked havoc for many who started in March. This year may have been worse than usual for the rains, but it typically is wetter in March regardless. Buen camino!
I really don't think you'll have a problem. And if worse comes to worst, you can take a bus or taxi ahead to drop your bag, take the bus/taxi back to the starting point and then walk. What takes 4-5 hours to walk often takes only 15-20 minutes by bus (a painful truth, but a truth nonetheless)...
This is good advice. I walked from Seville to Santiago in the spring and know someone who taxied her pack almost every day. There were some days she carried her pack, but I think it was personal choice and not because she had to (though I didn't ask).
A couple other notes: I took the train...
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