46 days to walk!! where do you suggest she starts?

[zammy]

A friend asked how much distance she can cover in 46 days. I suggested she starts un Arthez in France, She fears she won't make it to Finister,I don't sgree with her. 46 Days is more then enough to start from Arthez le Bearn in France,
any suggestions?

 

[CaminoKris2013]

Is that a total time that she will be in France/Spain or will she have some additional days? To me, I am planning on 40 days walking from SJPP to Muxia and then having, a few days at the Little Fox (see Pricillian) which seems like a retreat vs. going directly to an airport to come home. This will allow me to also take occasional days off to rest and take in the sights.

CaminoKris2013

 

[mralisn]

I suggest she take her time from SJPdP to Muxia then Fisterre. A couple of rest days in the middle, a couple of days in SdC, and perhaps a trip to Porto and northern Portugal (easy to do from SdC) is worth consideration. Travel days there and travel days back should work out perfectly.

 

[tyrrek]

I'm with mralisn. The last thing you want is to be rushed, so she could end in Santiago, Fisterre, Muxia as she pleases. She could even consider going from Santiago up to A Coruna or Ferrol to walk the Camino Ingles back down to Santiago (5 days or so, and pretty). So many options!

 

[scruffy1]

46 days is perfect! SJPP is the place to start and with that much time one may stop anywhere fancy decides-Pamplona Estella Burgos Leon Astorga all deserve much more then sticking your head into the church taking the sella and rushing on. Magnificent scenery to be enjoyed, medieval art and architecture all along the way,Roman and medeival bridges to be admired, the camaraderie with fellow pilgrims as you walk and over the food the wine, do consider a three day trip by bus to Santo Domingo de Silos, sixty kilometers south of Burgos for an amazing monastery and mass and prayers all with Gregorian chants! When will you be back to Burgos? Don't miss a thing! Fistera? Is no longer the quaint fishing village it once was, the lighthouse is nice enough the 0 kilometer stone is funky but the rest of it? No Thanks. Muxia? Fantastic place. Someone here has written that they finished the Camino in 15 days maybe 18 and I could only regret their impetuousness. Santiago is the target, the arrows point the way, but the Camino, the real Camino is in your heart, your mind, and if one believes in such things, your soul and the number of kilometers passed today the hours spent walking have no meaning whatsoever.

 

[BoldenMD]

I believe it's worth two or three days in Santiago. I actually spent about four and even in my last hour there I ran into someone who I had met on the Camino and had never expected to see in Spain again. (They walked onto the Praza do Obradoiro just as I stepped out of the cathedral for the last time and was about to go to the Parador and pick up my pack from the bellman). I also visited the cathedral a couple of times a day and tried to explore Santiago (and I am not Catholic). The pilgrim's museum (in the old location) is worth a visit, too.

I was actually glad I did not walk to Finisterre. Several of us hired a van and driver and rode to the coast. I found Finisterre uninspiring, and also felt that my final walk to Santiago was so emotional and joyful and special that I really wanted to end my walking at the cathedral. Muxia, however, is a special place. We drove there after Finisterre. Standing on the rocks on the coast, with the waves splashing behind me, I felt renewed. If I only had time for one of those places, I would go to Muxia. I would have missed it if I had followed my original plan and walked to Finisterre, which would have left a bad impression for me.

 

[nreyn12]

Definitely start no further away from Santiago than Saint Jean Pied de Port.

You didn't mention fitness level or age of your friend, and both can affect the answer to this question. How far can she walk in a day? I spent 43 days walking from Roncesvalles to Santiago, with rest days, and my pace is roughly 20 kms a day.

Starting in SJPP ensures arrival into Santiago and leaves enough time to enjoy the city and then get to Muxia and Finesterre. It is far better to have too much time than not to have enough.

 

[Pieces]

I'm with mralisn & tyrrek and all the others :lol:

 

[letendre]

A friend asked how much distance she can cover in 46 days. I suggested she starts un Arthez in France, She fears she won't make it to Finister,I don't sgree with her. 46 Days is more then enough to start from Arthez le Bearn in France,
any suggestions?

The best start is SJPDP. The first stage is the most difficult, for this reason she should
sleep at Orisson her first night on the camino.
46 days, it's enough to walk shorts stages for the begining of this long way and she will be able to go to Fisterra and the ocean.

Follow this link to see my stages from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago
http://carnets-de-croquis.blogspot.fr/2012/05/apres-une-semaine-de-tourisme-dans-le.html

 

[Kitsambler]

Besides, SJPP is much easier to get to than Arthez.

 

[Thornley]

START LIKE AND OLD MAN AND YOU WILL FINISH AS A YOUNG MAN.

We were told this many years ago , outside Le Puy by an elderly [76] Italian man .
We have used this every year since.

Buen Camino to all,
David