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A slight change in the air?

domigee

Veteran Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2022 CF
After many long, long months of not making plans.... out came the guidebooks yesterday 😎 Wow, I’m back in my element! 😁

Are any of you feeling the same? Or maybe you never gave up planning?

It may not come to anything, of course but at least I feel a first ray of hope 🌈
 
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I have had my tickets for September 1, 2021 since November 2020! Finished booking two camino routes booking.com.by mid March.

Once I knew the Vaccines would work, I guesstimated what I I thought might be a reasonable opening date? Having puchased it early, I can still change to another date without penalty and I got a non-stop RT to MAD for less than $500 with seats and checked bag!

in addition, the ticket can be changed without penalty. Since April 2021 the major US carriers will no longer let you change a basic ticket without a change fee! So now I’m even happier I booked early!
.
AA already scrapped the free change.

Hope I see many of you!
 
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WoW! MArbe2, So happy for you. Smart move! I am beginning to make plans to fly as soon as I can. When you say RT to MAD is that from the USA?
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Alas, even if the EU will open up to Canadians and/or if my passport arrives from Dublin (requiring their offices to re-open), my workplace has just re-newed the travel ban for all staff and faculty.

Cannot plan… or, *could* plan but it would just be a fantasy…
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I wish that I could share your enthusiasm. I'm getting discouraged about this pandemic ending with so many refusing to get vaccinated.
Trecile, look where we have come from a year ago. It may take some time, but eventually we will defeat this virus. In the meantime, celebrate your being vaccinated and enjoy the possibilities😆!
 
When this really kicked in, lockdown and so on, I altered my mindset into "that's it, no more Caminos for me, will be years until any normality returns" ..... but now?
I am in the UK and there is a ferry crossing from Plymouth direct to Spain .... and for the last two days the thought "hhmmm, I think I might go for a really really long walk when travel opens up" has been popping up in my mind .. .. had to go to an outdoor shop yesterday to buy some new lightweight trainers, for town, and somehow found myself in the rucksack department looking at an Osprey Talon 33 .... oh dear ..... :);)
 
had to go to an outdoor shop yesterday to buy some new lightweight trainers, for town, and somehow found myself in the rucksack department looking at an Osprey Talon 33 .... oh dear .....

Yes! I know the feeling. Walking into an outdoor shop is like walking into a dragon’s lair – everything can happen. I prepare myself by repeating in my mind “you are mature and responsible… you are mature and responsible” but it doesn’t always work :oops:
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Have the research done and gear bought... Contemplating booking Dublin to Biarritz flight for 28 Aug (Ryanair so not massively expensive) for 2 week trip starting at SJPdP. I'm vaccinated and working full time in healthcare. Am I being wildly optimistic? Banking on Irish travel restrictions being lifted by then...
 
Alas, even if the EU will open up to Canadians and/or if my passport arrives from Dublin (requiring their offices to re-open), my workplace has just re-newed the travel ban for all staff and faculty.

Cannot plan… or, *could* plan but it would just be a fantasy…
Curious as to how an employer can impose a 'travel ban' if the government give the go ahead on international travel? Where I come from what you do in your own time is your own business. Is this legal?
 
I'm in Australia. If we leave, we probably won't be allowed back in. But I still keep trawling through the equipment websites, lusting over the latest backpacks, wondering if I can justify buying myself a new pair of hiking sandals. Today I got my first vaccine jab. And I renewed by passport.
 
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I can't imagine going anyplace yet. The world's like a big bathtub, and waves in one corner of the tub will eventually reach the other side. So no matter what's happening in Spain or the EU or North America, until the whole tub is more quiet (including 'faraway places' like India or South America), I'm inclined to stay put.

That said, I'm feeling more optimistic than I have in a while.

Today I got my first vaccine jab. And I renewed by passport.
🥳🤩
 
After many long, long months of not making plans.... out came the guidebooks yesterday 😎 Wow, I’m back in my element! 😁

Are any of you feeling the same? Or maybe you never gave up planning?

It may not come to anything, of course but at least I feel a first ray of hope 🌈

I never gave up hope and never stopped planning.
But I'm a realist. So planned on returning 2022 at the earliest.
That might just be possible for me.
Travel restrictions etc.

But things can turn on a dime.
Just look at India.
 
Curious as to how an employer can impose a 'travel ban' if the government give the go ahead on international travel? Where I come from what you do in your own time is your own business. Is this legal?

They can impose the ban for any university-related purposes (conferences, field-work, collaboration etc). This fall I am teaching, albeit remotely, so while I could conceivably go to the EU as an Irish citizen and teach via ZOOM from there, I'd need my passport to arrive first and the Irish office -- where my PP was literally a day or 2 from being sent out when they closed last November -- is not going to reopen to get my PP just because I'd like to teach from Ourense or Ponferrada or Vigo. That does not count as "urgent business".

I have a sabbatical coming in January, and my hope was to associate as a visiting scholar with one of the universities in any of the above locations, take a Spanish course there, and do some more work on the ground on my secondary research track -- which is on the relationship of foodways to cultural well-being and health, broadly defined. My primary research is about disability, bioethics, and medicine as an institution. Contrary to public perception, sabbaticals are not time to faff around doing nothing; I have to have a research proposal that the university approves. "I'm going to Spain to walk around and eat tapas, visit churches and museums and walk my butt off" does not count. And, for the foreseeable, using the "vacation" card is not permitted by our border agents. So...

As soon as I try to accomplish that, I'm on "university business" and that is banned.

The travel ban is perfectly legal in a public health context that has restricted travel for all Canadians. It is considered an emergency measure.

My emotional response to it is twofold: I mourn the life and opportunities we have all lost to this scourge (and I recognize that I've not suffered at anything like the level that my students have; many come from groups that the virus has been able to target. 10% of my students have become sick; many have lost immediate family; some are now the only earners for their families; some are fighting with younger siblings for access to the *one* computer in the family...). But I also recognize that I have no particular entitlement to wander the world to please myself, and so I have put some of my toys away (no cruising flight booking sites, muted Booking.com, etc).

Eventually this will end... my PP will arrive, and perhaps by then I will be in the early exit plan to retirement with a gradually diminishing amount of teaching to do over 3 years to a final exit when I am 57/58... and then I can move to Spain. For these opportunities I count myself among the very fortunate.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
When this really kicked in, lockdown and so on, I altered my mindset into "that's it, no more Caminos for me, will be years until any normality returns" ..... but now?
I am in the UK and there is a ferry crossing from Plymouth direct to Spain .... and for the last two days the thought "hhmmm, I think I might go for a really really long walk when travel opens up" has been popping up in my mind .. .. had to go to an outdoor shop yesterday to buy some new lightweight trainers, for town, and somehow found myself in the rucksack department looking at an Osprey Talon 33 .... oh dear ..... :);)
Yes - Osprey Talon 33 - my go-to Camino etc pack. 1720km so far and counting!
 
My emotional response to it is twofold: I mourn the life and opportunities we have all lost to this scourge [...] But I also recognize that I have no particular entitlement to wander the world to please myself,
Ditto. Thank you for clearly saying what I have been feeling, Faye. I lose hope every time I see or hear about people doing whatever they individually feel entitled to do, consequences to others and the big picture be damned.
 
Ditto. Thank you for clearly saying what I have been feeling, Faye. I lose hope every time I see or hear about people doing whatever they individually feel entitled to do, consequences to others and the big picture be damned.

I respect your reasoning and your personal feelings on this matter... There are a number of people on this website that share your sentiments as well.

Personally, I have followed CDC guidelines precisely. I have not yet even dined at a restaurant in the USA at 25 percent capacity.

However, when Spain and the USA allow travel between counties.... I will go.
I am confident that that being vaccinated with 2 Pfizer shots and continuing to follow sensible CDC guidelines everywhere, will allow some of us to travel safely without harming anyone else and returning to some sense of normality. So are our governments. That is important too!

Here is just another consideration. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm
 
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New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
They can impose the ban for any university-related purposes (conferences, field-work, collaboration etc). This fall I am teaching, albeit remotely, so while I could conceivably go to the EU as an Irish citizen and teach via ZOOM from there, I'd need my passport to arrive first and the Irish office -- where my PP was literally a day or 2 from being sent out when they closed last November -- is not going to reopen to get my PP just because I'd like to teach from Ourense or Ponferrada or Vigo. That does not count as "urgent business".

I have a sabbatical coming in January, and my hope was to associate as a visiting scholar with one of the universities in any of the above locations, take a Spanish course there, and do some more work on the ground on my secondary research track -- which is on the relationship of foodways to cultural well-being and health, broadly defined. My primary research is about disability, bioethics, and medicine as an institution. Contrary to public perception, sabbaticals are not time to faff around doing nothing; I have to have a research proposal that the university approves. "I'm going to Spain to walk around and eat tapas, visit churches and museums and walk my butt off" does not count. And, for the foreseeable, using the "vacation" card is not permitted by our border agents. So...

As soon as I try to accomplish that, I'm on "university business" and that is banned.

The travel ban is perfectly legal in a public health context that has restricted travel for all Canadians. It is considered an emergency measure.

My emotional response to it is twofold: I mourn the life and opportunities we have all lost to this scourge (and I recognize that I've not suffered at anything like the level that my students have; many come from groups that the virus has been able to target. 10% of my students have become sick; many have lost immediate family; some are now the only earners for their families; some are fighting with younger siblings for access to the *one* computer in the family...). But I also recognize that I have no particular entitlement to wander the world to please myself, and so I have put some of my toys away (no cruising flight booking sites, muted Booking.com, etc).

Eventually this will end... my PP will arrive, and perhaps by then I will be in the early exit plan to retirement with a gradually diminishing amount of teaching to do over 3 years to a final exit when I am 57/58... and then I can move to Spain. For these opportunities I count myself among the very fortunate.
Ok, so you're referring to traveling for work? Which is of course an entirely different situation - if your employer decides travel abroad (which they are presumably paying for) is not appropriate as part of your job, then that's their call. As I said, you're free to do what you want (or the law allows) in your own time.

As I understand it, the Canadian government has banned incoming flights from certain countries and has mandatory quarentine - much the same as here in Ireland. This is not the same as an employer deciding to impose an arbitrary "travel ban".

Sorry to labour the point but if you re-read my post, my point was that in the absence of a state/EU/national travel ban, an employer has no legal basis to impose an arbitrary travel ban of its own making, on travel in your own free time.
 
I respect your reasoning and your personal feelings on this matter... There are a number of people on this website that share your sentiments as well.

Personally, I have followed CDC guidelines precisely. I have not yet even dined at a restaurant in the USA at 25 percent capacity.

However, when Spain and the USA allow travel between counties.... I will go.
I am confident that that being vaccinated with 2 Pfizer shots and continuing to follow sensible CDC guidelines everywhere, will allow some of us to travel safely without harming anyone else and returning to some sense of normality. That is important too!

Here is just another consideration. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm
Thank you... My thoughts exactly.

If we follow the rules set by the experts rather than make up our own rules in a kind of misguided process of virtue signalling then we'd all be better off. I plan to travel as soon as it's allowed and safe to do so.
 
I am confident that that being vaccinated with 2 Pfizer shots and continuing to follow sensible CDC guidelines everywhere, will allow some of us to travel safely without harming anyone else and returning to some sense of normality. That is important too!
Fair enough, @Marbe2 .
And what you are describing in following CDC protocols is completely responsible. That does not count in my book as
I lose hope every time I see or hear about people doing whatever they individually feel entitled to do, consequences to others and the big picture be damned
You're obviouly taking the big picture into account!

Edit:
If we follow the rules set by the experts rather than make up our own rules in a kind of misguided process of virtue signalling then we'd all be better off
No disagreement here, either.
I'm just anti- willful selfishness that doesn't follow the guidelines set by experts (public health experts, not politicians).
 
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Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
I respect your reasoning and your personal feelings on this matter... There are a number of people on this website that share your sentiments as well.

Personally, I have followed CDC guidelines precisely. I have not yet even dined at a restaurant in the USA at 25 percent capacity.

However, when Spain and the USA allow travel between counties.... I will go.
I am confident that that being vaccinated with 2 Pfizer shots and continuing to follow sensible CDC guidelines everywhere, will allow some of us to travel safely without harming anyone else and returning to some sense of normality. So are our governments. That is important too!

Here is just another consideration. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm
Be cautious, mask up, wash hands, social distance, be vaccinated and begin to carefully move back to some sense of normality. I agree with you Marbe. Also, appreciate the link and the thought. For me, I need social interaction again. I have no interest in concerts, large dinners, or big events of any kind. To recall my Camino and to plan again has boosted my spirits greatly.
 
I can't imagine going anyplace yet. The world's like a big bathtub, and waves in one corner of the tub will eventually reach the other side. So no matter what's happening in Spain or the EU or North America, until the whole tub is more quiet (including 'faraway places' like India or South America), I'm inclined to stay put.
I love this analogy. I wish that more could see beyond their own front door.

Be cautious, mask up, wash hands, social distance, be vaccinated and begin to carefully move back to some sense of normality.
In an ideal world everyone would follow those protocols. Unfortunately, we don't live in such a world.
 
Fair enough, @Marbe2 .
And what you are describing in following CDC protocols is completely responsible. That does not count in my book as

You're obviouly taking the big picture into account!
I am optimistic that most international travelers walking a camino will be responsible!
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I've been planning on 2023, the year I will probably retire. It is far enough out that I remain fairly optimistic, although I hold tight to my idea of not holding tight to any dates by which Covid will no longer be a concern. My plans have been fairly nebulous, however, as they will depend on who, if anyone, wants to walk with me. I have different routes planned depending whether I am walking with my wife, my cousins, my son, my friends, or alone.
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
I myself am not particularly confident, but I go ahead determinedly planning for and preparing for my next camino, as a way of staying relatively sane in a crazy world. For me, it is one step at a time, and no one step is inevitable. I have received my first vaccination. When I have received my booster shot, currently expected in June or July, I shall feel as safe as I can be, for myself and those whom I meet.. Then I shall look to the governments of Canada and Spain for their regulations. Will things be opening up on the pilgrim routes in Spain? I shall look into this. Shortly thereafter, I shall be checking on my gear and committing myself by buying an air ticket to Spain. That done, I shall book accommodation in Valencia and plan my first week of walking.
All of this is looking forward hopefully, but with no commitment until I buy the air ticket. But I continue working persistently on getting my new knee, and the rest of my lazy body, in decent shape for a very long walk.
 
Thank you... My thoughts exactly.

If we follow the rules set by the experts rather than make up our own rules in a kind of misguided process of virtue signalling then we'd all be better off. I plan to travel as soon as it's allowed and safe to do so.
I agree with following the rules set up by experts. I am against making up our own rules for others. I am not against making up our own rules for ourselves if they are more strict/risk averse than the rules provided by the experts. They are not putting anyone at additional risk. Early on in the pandemic, the value of masks was uncertain (at least to our local public health experts) and we weren't being advised to wear them. Some people chose to anyways (perhaps from an excess of caution, perhaps out of "virtue signalling"). What they did did not harm anyone. As more information came in, we discovered it might have helped. I wouldn't fault anyone for not wearing a mask when public health experts were not recommending one. But I wouldn't call those who chose to wear one misguided.

The same is true for worries about getting covid through physical contact with items. At first there was a lot of concern with getting the disease through surface contacts and we were told by the experts to let things sit for varying amounts of time depending on the type of surface. I remember libraries would let books sit for a few days before processing. Now that is not seen as such a big vector or matter of concern. I have a friend who still lets deliveries sit in his garage for a week before touching them. We wouldn't be better off if he stopped that. It wouldn't affect any of us at all.

And I've never been comfortable with concerns around "virtue signalling". As far as I'm concerned, if someone does something virtuous, that's a good thing. Whatever their motivations, it is better than them not doing something virtuous. And if they are seen to be doing something virtuous, that also has benefits, in terms of modelling virtuous behaviour and resetting cultural norms. If what they do is not virtuous, it can hardly be signalling virtue.

All of which to say, if you want to make plans for a Camino as soon as the public health experts say it is okay - more power to you. If you want to set your own rules that would have you wait a little longer, I don't think you are harming anyone.
 
I'm confused. The sentiments expressed in this thread seem to be at variance to this one. It must be me.
You're right. There is an apparent contradiction.
But only from the vantage point of not knowing anything about the person who started that thread, his specific situation, and the precepts he lives by. Just as the devil is in the details, so is God. ;)
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
After many long, long months of not making plans.... out came the guidebooks yesterday 😎 Wow, I’m back in my element! 😁

Are any of you feeling the same? Or maybe you never gave up planning?

It may not come to anything, of course but at least I feel a first ray of hope 🌈
According to today's New York Times, E.U. is likely to allow vaccinated Americans to travel this summer. I hope!
 
All of which to say, if you want to make plans for a Camino as soon as the public health experts say it is okay - more power to you. If you want to set your own rules that would have you wait a little longer, I don't think you are harming anyone.
I like this and agree. It is saying a lot with a little.
 
Ok, so you're referring to traveling for work? Which is of course an entirely different situation - if your employer decides travel abroad (which they are presumably paying for) is not appropriate as part of your job, then that's their call. As I said, you're free to do what you want (or the law allows) in your own time.

As I understand it, the Canadian government has banned incoming flights from certain countries and has mandatory quarentine - much the same as here in Ireland. This is not the same as an employer deciding to impose an arbitrary "travel ban".

Sorry to labour the point but if you re-read my post, my point was that in the absence of a state/EU/national travel ban, an employer has no legal basis to impose an arbitrary travel ban of its own making, on travel in your own free time.
Sort of; if we are perceived to have done something stupid while the travel ban is in effect, the employer can refuse us re-entry to campus for the quarantine period and put a disciplinary note on our files.

Do I care? well, financially yes. I can't afford to quarantine as it is. And a disciplinary note in my file would not be a nice thing as I head toward retirement.

And there's the issue that anything we do on sabbatical is not "vacation" but "university business" -- we get 28 days of vacation per year. Period. If I am on camino in a sabbatical year, I had better have a research or teaching related reason for it. If I have no reason for it, I'd better hope that the university does not query my travels (this is all hypothetical, but I mention it because there *are* faculty who treat sabbaticals as *vacations* -- there's historical precedent for that of course, but our contracts now stipulate otherwise).

It's all very convoluted, and I'd not want to put myself in that corner.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I agree with following the rules set up by experts. I am against making up our own rules for others. I am not against making up our own rules for ourselves if they are more strict/risk averse than the rules provided by the experts. They are not putting anyone at additional risk. Early on in the pandemic, the value of masks was uncertain (at least to our local public health experts) and we weren't being advised to wear them. Some people chose to anyways (perhaps from an excess of caution, perhaps out of "virtue signalling"). What they did did not harm anyone. As more information came in, we discovered it might have helped. I wouldn't fault anyone for not wearing a mask when public health experts were not recommending one. But I wouldn't call those who chose to wear one misguided.

The same is true for worries about getting covid through physical contact with items. At first there was a lot of concern with getting the disease through surface contacts and we were told by the experts to let things sit for varying amounts of time depending on the type of surface. I remember libraries would let books sit for a few days before processing. Now that is not seen as such a big vector or matter of concern. I have a friend who still lets deliveries sit in his garage for a week before touching them. We wouldn't be better off if he stopped that. It wouldn't affect any of us at all.

And I've never been comfortable with concerns around "virtue signalling". As far as I'm concerned, if someone does something virtuous, that's a good thing. Whatever their motivations, it is better than them not doing something virtuous. And if they are seen to be doing something virtuous, that also has benefits, in terms of modelling virtuous behaviour and resetting cultural norms. If what they do is not virtuous, it can hardly be signalling virtue.

All of which to say, if you want to make plans for a Camino as soon as the public health experts say it is okay - more power to you. If you want to set your own rules that would have you wait a little longer, I don't think you are harming anyone.
Maybe I'll learn to be more virtuous/patient/tolerant on my Camino. 🙏
 
And I've never been comfortable with concerns around "virtue signalling". As far as I'm concerned, if someone does something virtuous, that's a good thing. Whatever their motivations, it is better than them not doing something virtuous. And if they are seen to be doing something virtuous, that also has benefits, in terms of modelling virtuous behaviour and resetting cultural norms. If what they do is not virtuous, it can hardly be signalling virtue.
All of which to say, if you want to make plans for a Camino as soon as the public health experts say it is okay - more power to you. If you want to set your own rules that would have you wait a little longer, I don't think you are harming anyone.
I love this. So very wise. Thank you.
 
Yes! I know the feeling. Walking into an outdoor shop is like walking into a dragon’s lair – everything can happen. I prepare myself by repeating in my mind “you are mature and responsible… you are mature and responsible” but it doesn’t always work :oops:
WARNING! Do not go into an Out Door Shop without a firm list of purchases to make. Due to the hiatus on travel this past year-plus, each shop I've visited has massive sales and mark downs. I went into REI for a pair of Smart Wool Trekking socks. I came out with: new Diamond Poles, sock liners, quilted vest, wind breaker, hiking shorts, carabineers, neckerchief and hat.
I don't depart for Camino until the end of August. I'm considering a self-imposed quarantine for all-sports stores until I depart. Well, maybe one side trip, or two.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
WARNING! Do not go into an Out Door Shop without a firm list of purchases to make. Due to the hiatus on travel this past year-plus, each shop I've visited has massive sales and mark downs. I went into REI for a pair of Smart Wool Trekking socks. I came out with: new Diamond Poles, sock liners, quilted vest, wind breaker, hiking shorts, carabineers, neckerchief and hat.
I don't depart for Camino until the end of August. I'm considering a self-imposed quarantine for all-sports stores until I depart. Well, maybe one side trip, or two.
Ugh... I've been the *worst* for sustaining my hope by purchasing shoes, socks, packs... I think I have some kind of "hiker hoarder" problem developing. If only I could *forget* TheLastHunt.com
 
WARNING! Do not go into an Out Door Shop without a firm list of purchases to make. Due to the hiatus on travel this past year-plus, each shop I've visited has massive sales and mark downs. I went into REI for a pair of Smart Wool Trekking socks. I came out with: new Diamond Poles, sock liners, quilted vest, wind breaker, hiking shorts, carabineers, neckerchief and hat.
I don't depart for Camino until the end of August. I'm considering a self-imposed quarantine for all-sports stores until I depart. Well, maybe one side trip, or two.

You know – I actually had a ’crisp’ comment about this, but then I thought, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” 😇
 
WARNING! Do not go into an Out Door Shop without a firm list of purchases to make. Due to the hiatus on travel this past year-plus, each shop I've visited has massive sales and mark downs. I went into REI for a pair of Smart Wool Trekking socks. I came out with: new Diamond Poles, sock liners, quilted vest, wind breaker, hiking shorts, carabineers, necker and hat.
I don't depart for Camino until the end of August. I'm considering a self-imposed quarantine for all-sports stores until I depart. Well, maybe one side trip, or two.

Actually traveled 75 miles today to REI...

They have a sign...sorry....but we are low on inventory!! Still trying to buy shoes....no luck...couldn’t even try on a a few pairs in my size on...no stock!
 
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The number of times I've filled the on-line trolley shopping cart at the big hiking equipment store....

Only to empty it.

As far as planning our next camino, it is hopeful but I think we just have to keep flexible. We have had no community cases in Sydney for ages. Months. Yesterday, I had my first vaccination. And in a spirit of optimism, I renewed my passport. And suddenly, today we have three new cases. So, restrictions were announced immediately, again. Household gatherings limited to 20, ditto weddings, masks compulsory on public transport, no singing allowed inside, restrictions on restaurants etc. Ho hum.
 
Yes! I know the feeling. Walking into an outdoor shop is like walking into a dragon’s lair – everything can happen. I prepare myself by repeating in my mind “you are mature and responsible… you are mature and responsible” but it doesn’t always work :oops:
I do not know the feeling. No shops are open. Well, anywhere for actually crossing the threshold and mooching around and engaging staff in conversation and ....
so: (here comes the chorus line) Que sera, sera! People, be happy. And then maybe take a course in phenomenology. Yes, a distraction. I think this post can be attributed to the craziness resulting from my second vaccination this morning!
Don't shoot me, I am a moving target and it could ricochet!
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Kirkie - get ready, your shops in Ireland open this month!!

REALLY??? If the shops are to open, then surely the passport and citizenship offices will open! And then my passport will go in the mail via express post to me and I will die from joy. Are you working on hope, David? Or some specific information? I keep looking at the map and thinking we are nowhere close...
 
I do not know the feeling. No shops are open. Well, anywhere for actually crossing the threshold and mooching around and engaging staff in conversation and ....
so: (here comes the chorus line) Que sera, sera! People, be happy. And then maybe take a course in phenomenology. Yes, a distraction. I think this post can be attributed to the craziness resulting from my second vaccination this morning!
Don't shoot me, I am a moving target and it could ricochet!
Delighted to hear you've had your second shot!
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
REALLY??? If the shops are to open, then surely the passport and citizenship offices will open! And then my passport will go in the mail via express post to me and I will die from joy. Are you working on hope, David? Or some specific information? I keep looking at the map and thinking we are nowhere close...
Faye, if you have a number for the passport office, that would be your best bet to find out the current situation. I did read something recently stating that it was all systems go again.
Edit
Sorry, this shot off before I had a chance to check for you. I have taken a screenshot of what I saw on the website:
Screenshot 2021-05-06 at 15.11.36.png
 
I wish that I could share your enthusiasm. I'm getting discouraged about this pandemic ending with so many refusing to get vaccinated. 😥
I feel that there will be some risk for quite sone time yet. The degree of risk one is willing to accept will be a personal choice. For those who feel they have had enough (and enough is enough), wishing you a Buen Camino and I recommend only looking forward.
For those wanting to wait, advise scouring your local areas for other similar activities (Californians have the CALIFORNIA MISSION TRAIL, the PACIFIC CREST TRAIL, JOHN MUIR TRAIL and also many regional parks for day hikes). I’m sure most states have alternatives. And then make plans for a Camino when you think you are really ready to enjoy it without some innate fear. For a few, that day might not come, and that’s ok too! The spirit can enjoy a amino hearing of the experiences of others, and Buen Camino to those adventures as well.
 
REALLY??? If the shops are to open, then surely the passport and citizenship offices will open! And then my passport will go in the mail via express post to me and I will die from joy. Are you working on hope, David? Or some specific information? I keep looking at the map and thinking we are nowhere close...

 
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REALLY??? If the shops are to open, then surely the passport and citizenship offices will open! And then my passport will go in the mail via express post to me and I will die from joy. Are you working on hope, David? Or some specific information? I keep looking at the map and thinking we are nowhere close...
Faye, the Irish passport office is only open for Web Chat
ive tried every which way to call them and no telephone lines are open at present
n fact for some reason I thought they were opening today?
I will try and add the screenshot of the “contact us” page here
they’ve generally been very good when I’ve web chatted them!
They have a lot of patience as I “chat” with then fairly often for news of PP renewal!
 

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Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

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When this really kicked in, lockdown and so on, I altered my mindset into "that's it, no more Caminos for me, will be years until any normality returns" ..... but now?
I am in the UK and there is a ferry crossing from Plymouth direct to Spain .... and for the last two days the thought "hhmmm, I think I might go for a really really long walk when travel opens up" has been popping up in my mind .. .. had to go to an outdoor shop yesterday to buy some new lightweight trainers, for town, and somehow found myself in the rucksack department looking at an Osprey Talon 33 .... oh dear ..... :);)
David
I caved in yesterday and bought my tickets from Vueling, travelling from Gatwick to Bilbao for this coming September, to rejoin the CF at Logroño.

Flexible fare of course, just in case 😁
 
I'm also fully vaccinated and planning to restarted the Camino from Logrono by mid September for 20 days, I have done some reserves already, I have found that the prices of the places are slightly higher than 2019. I cancelled this trip three times last year and hope this year can happen, sooner or later we will learn to live with this
 
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I can't imagine going anyplace yet. The world's like a big bathtub, and waves in one corner of the tub will eventually reach the other side. So no matter what's happening in Spain or the EU or North America, until the whole tub is more quiet (including 'faraway places' like India or South America), I'm inclined to stay put.

That said, I'm feeling more optimistic than I have in a while.


🥳🤩
I'm like you. I have cultivated a love of my local park, here in NYC, going round and round and round, daydreaming as I walk.
 
I can't imagine going anyplace yet. The world's like a big bathtub, and waves in one corner of the tub will eventually reach the other side. So no matter what's happening in Spain or the EU or North America, until the whole tub is more quiet (including 'faraway places' like India or South America), I'm inclined to stay put.

That said, I'm feeling more optimistic than I have in a while.


🥳🤩
Brilliant analogy, and I agree, I am more optimistic and remain hopeful
 
After many long, long months of not making plans.... out came the guidebooks yesterday 😎 Wow, I’m back in my element! 😁

Are any of you feeling the same? Or maybe you never gave up planning?

It may not come to anything, of course but at least I feel a first ray of hope 🌈
Peaking out from under a rock with Ivar's new announcement that seems to support those that want to dream of an upcoming Camino and that they won't get chastised and insulted for doing so. I agree we are a forum for pilgrimage not one to stand on a branch discuss pilgrimage and get picked to the bone by others for doing so.
Hoping the World opens up and to be on Camino, though clearly a different, one this year.
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
When this really kicked in, lockdown and so on, I altered my mindset into "that's it, no more Caminos for me, will be years until any normality returns" ..... but now?
I am in the UK and there is a ferry crossing from Plymouth direct to Spain .... and for the last two days the thought "hhmmm, I think I might go for a really really long walk when travel opens up" has been popping up in my mind .. .. had to go to an outdoor shop yesterday to buy some new lightweight trainers, for town, and somehow found myself in the rucksack department looking at an Osprey Talon 33 .... oh dear ..... :);)
David, I was looking at those ferries also a few weeks ago. Then I got confused about COVID testing and how long the crossing might be and how long the test would take to get results and would the number of hours allowed still work out--wondering what your plan is on that point.
And it looks like I will be paying hundreds of dollars/euros for testing when I go to UK and Spain and Portugal this autumn if they all require a COVID test before entering each country. It seems odd that I can be tested here in the US for free and other clinics here charge $20-$30 for a test, yet in the EU the cost is $110 and higher. In any case, October is months away and things will have adjusted several times by then.
 
I respect your reasoning and your personal feelings on this matter... There are a number of people on this website that share your sentiments as well.

Personally, I have followed CDC guidelines precisely. I have not yet even dined at a restaurant in the USA at 25 percent capacity.

However, when Spain and the USA allow travel between counties.... I will go.
I am confident that that being vaccinated with 2 Pfizer shots and continuing to follow sensible CDC guidelines everywhere, will allow some of us to travel safely without harming anyone else and returning to some sense of normality. So are our governments. That is important too!

Here is just another consideration. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm

I see a risk factor of unvaccinated people alongside vaccinated ones in the albergues. I think the trail will be safe but the albergue is a wildcard. Will the Pfizer vaccine protect you for 33+ nights of community habitation?
 
I see a risk factor of unvaccinated people alongside vaccinated ones in the albergues. I think the trail will be safe but the albergue is a wildcard. Will the Pfizer vaccine protect you for 33+ nights of community habitation?
Agree...we have made arrangements for private accommodations.
 
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After many long, long months of not making plans.... out came the guidebooks yesterday 😎 Wow, I’m back in my element! 😁

Are any of you feeling the same? Or maybe you never gave up planning?

It may not come to anything, of course but at least I feel a first ray of hope 🌈
I dropped my Camino 3 plans during the month of April for a Camino this Fall. I am starting to plan a Mozarabe again because planning a Camino gives me hope. I elevates me above the mundane.
 
I'm in Australia. If we leave, we probably won't be allowed back in. But I still keep trawling through the equipment websites, lusting over the latest backpacks, wondering if I can justify buying myself a new pair of hiking sandals. Today I got my first vaccine jab. And I renewed by passport.
Home via NZ on Qatar.
If stopped there , happy camper.
2022 May .
We have our second jab in early June , quiet comfortable from then on.

Jill , the amount you have saved these last 2 years would allow you a very extended holiday , Maldives’s with the cricketers after the Camino and its Paradors.
I say that because I feel for the many albergues we once knew.
 
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I'm in Australia. If we leave, we probably won't be allowed back in. But I still keep trawling through the equipment websites, lusting over the latest backpacks, wondering if I can justify buying myself a new pair of hiking sandals. Today I got my first vaccine jab. And I renewed by passport.
Yes we actually need to get permission to leave. I don't think to go "caminoing" would count as a good enough reason.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
No, it wouldn't. Nor would "flying to France to attend a loved one's funeral.' At least, it didn't 5 weeks ago when I tried.
As of yesterday, the Australian government is still formally advising that travel to France is not permitted.
 
Now that the air is changing may our hearts be filled with fresh hope.

".....Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never walk alone."


These timeless lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein sung to music by Richard Rodgers were written for the 1945 American musical Carousel. In the 1960s the song was adapted and adopted by fans of the Liverpool Football Club.

For all seeking better times these lyrics continue to offer poignant encouragement.
 
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The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Yes we actually need to get permission to leave. I don't think to go "caminoing" would count as a good enough reason.
No, it wouldn't. Nor would "flying to France to attend a loved one's funeral.' At least, it didn't 5 weeks ago when I tried.
As of yesterday, the Australian government is still formally advising that travel to France is not permitted.

Buy a business in 2 months
Hope like hell things change but the loop holes are there as many have proven ......like a recent wedding.
I pray 2022 will be kind ti us down here , we have been blessed with the numbers.
Only EU members can enter France and Spain presently i believe.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
David, I was looking at those ferries also a few weeks ago. Then I got confused about COVID testing and how long the crossing might be and how long the test would take to get results and would the number of hours allowed still work out--wondering what your plan is on that point.
And it looks like I will be paying hundreds of dollars/euros for testing when I go to UK and Spain and Portugal this autumn if they all require a COVID test before entering each country. It seems odd that I can be tested here in the US for free and other clinics here charge $20-$30 for a test, yet in the EU the cost is $110 and higher. In any case, October is months away and things will have adjusted several times by then.

Hi Mycroft - no, I am not planning at all, just that when things do open up (if they open up) I might find myself on my way (possibly).
I always take the ferry from UK to Spain, then it is a cheap and fast coach ride to Bilbao and change for Pamplona (from Bilbao there is even a direct express to Puente la Reina and Estella for 12 Euros).
The ferry is 24 hours and crosses the Bay of Biscay, lands at Santander. It is comfortable with bars and lounges and restaurants, two cinemas, and live music at night. There is also a ferry to Bilbao but only for passengers with vehicles.
Rather good for anyone doing the Norte too.

It is quite cheap - though you are forced to book a cabin, no sleeping on the deck to save money! but you arrive Santander all fresh and rested and fed and clean and with plenty of time to travel onwards.

As for testing and all that stuff .. I will wait and see - we aren't allowed to go to Spain, and still won't be when we open up some safe countries on the 17th. The UK sees Spain as a dangerous Covid country.

Actually, thinking about it - for pilgrims from far across the oceans landing in the UK could be a pleasant method. Travel down to Plymouth and take the ferry - arrive in Spain all fresh and with no jet lag. There are frequent cheap flights from Santander back to the UK (in normal times). and for those who want to stay in Europe a long time? Well, we are independent now so no longer in the Schengen zone .. use up your time then pop over to beautiful UK for a couple of days and then return.
 
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we aren't allowed to go to Spain, and still won't be when we open up some safe countries on the 17th. The UK sees Spain as a dangerous Covid country.
Is that right? From what I know you cannot go from the UK to red district zone countries in Europe but Spain is supposed to be in the Amber (I guess that's orange) district zone. You just take one test before the travel and 2 tests when you are back in England. Yes, it costs maybe 500 euro to take those 3 tests but if you go for a month, it's probably worth it. Am I wrong?
 
Is that right? From what I know you cannot go from the UK to red district zone countries in Europe but Spain is supposed to be in the Amber (I guess that's orange) district zone. You just take one test before the travel and 2 tests when you are back in England. Yes, it costs maybe 500 euro to take those 3 tests but if you go for a month, it's probably worth it. Am I wrong?

UK law is that you cannot visit any country for tourist purposes. On the 17th there will be a list of 10 'green' countries where we can go. Spain and France are not on that list.

apart from us not actually being allowed to go to Spain or France, those who arrive from those countries have these rules in place
"Those entering England from amber countries will need a negative pre-departure Covid test, have to isolate at home for 10 days and get a PCR test on days two and eight."

We have to wait - wait for Spain to get their plague under control by lowering numbers and really increasing vaccinations ... we are ready, Spain (and France) is a shambles.
 
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Is that right? From what I know you cannot go from the UK to red district zone countries in Europe but Spain is supposed to be in the Amber (I guess that's orange) district zone. You just take one test before the travel and 2 tests when you are back in England. Yes, it costs maybe 500 euro to take those 3 tests but if you go for a month, it's probably worth it. Am I wrong?
From what I know: The UK government tells their people that they cannot travel for touristic purposes from the UK to Spain before the 17th of May, and the Spanish government tells the world that the UK is what they call a third country and therefore nobody is allowed to enter Spain from the UK for a touristic trip, which includes a trip to walk a camino, until the 31th of May 2021, 24:00 h. Just check the usual official government websites.
 
No, I meant after 17th of May. Sorry about using present tense. But 17th is just one week away
 
No, I meant after 17th of May. Sorry about using present tense. But 17th is just one week away

On May 17th we in the UK will be allowed to travel to only these countries - means a Portuguese Camino would be legal (stopping at the Spanish border).
The list will be updated by the Gov on a regular basis.

Portugal including the Azores and Madeira
Israel
Australia
New Zealand
Singapore
Brunei
Iceland
Faroe Islands
Gibraltar
Falkland Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
St Helena
Tristan de Cunha
Ascension Island
 
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No, I meant after 17th of May. Sorry about using present tense. But 17th is just one week away
And the 31st of May is three weeks away.

And I believe the next review of their traffic light list by the UK government is scheduled in three weeks' time although I don't know whether that's three weeks from now or three weeks from the 17th.

Spain usually reviews their travel ban on visitors from third countries towards the end of the month, and since September of last year, they usually prolonged the ban for another month.

And of course any official government rule related to the public health crisis could still change for the better or for the worse within hours.

Until one is planning to travel to Spain within the next week or two weeks, all these minute details are rather academic. The general trend is welcome but was to be expected, given that the vaccination campaigns are under way and the 14 days incidence rates are showing a downwards trend although still way too high in some regions and that includes regions of Spain.
 
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I can't imagine going anyplace yet. The world's like a big bathtub, and waves in one corner of the tub will eventually reach the other side. So no matter what's happening in Spain or the EU or North America, until the whole tub is more quiet (including 'faraway places' like India or South America), I'm inclined to stay put.

That said, I'm feeling more optimistic than I have in a while.


🥳🤩
I really love your description of our present world. I live in Australia & we are all grounded here, so noone is travelling very far., apart from holidaying in our own very large country. Many people are doing treks & walks within Australia. We are all learning how beautiful and diverse our island is with so many hidden gems. I don't stop thinking about my next walk even though it is pencilled in for 2023/24. I also had 2 OS holidays booked for later this year, however both trips have transferred to take over next 3 years.
I really can't imagine how our return to Caminos will look going into the future. But my excitement for the new walk is still strong and will happen in the right time .
 
On May 17th we in the UK will be allowed to travel to only these countries - means a Portuguese Camino would be legal (stopping at the Spanish border).
The list will be updated by the Gov on a regular basis.

Portugal including the Azores and Madeira
Israel
Australia
New Zealand
Singapore
Brunei
Iceland
Faroe Islands
Gibraltar
Falkland Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
St Helena
Tristan de Cunha
Ascension Island
Thank you @David. Of course all these countries rely on reciprocity and, to some extent, are academic.
Eventually, with patience and care, life will return with a semblance of normality and travel will return again....
 
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There's more than just "a slight change in the air". As Portugal has been put on the future green countries list drawn up by the British government, UK newspaper reports say, and I quote, that UK holiday agencies are experiencing a 'frenzy of activity' for Portugal bookings [...] However, mainland Portugal remains off-limits to tourism, with no indication of when holidays may resume. As the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office warns, 'If you are travelling from the UK, you can only enter [Portugal] for essential purposes, such as to live with immediate family members, or for professional, educational, health or humanitarian reasons.'

That's also what Portugues government websites still say right now.

There are two sides to each border. Let's see what the situation is actually like next Monday, seen from the Portuguese side of their borders.
 
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and for those who want to stay in Europe a long time? Well, we are independent now so no longer in the Schengen zone .. use up your time then pop over to beautiful UK for a couple of days and then return.
You can't just leave the Schengen zone for a few days and reset the clock on your Schengen stay. The rule is that you can be in the Schengen zone for 90 out of 180 days. So you can't stay in Schengen for 60 days, go to the UK for the weekend and return to Schengen for another 60 days.
 
You can't just leave the Schengen zone for a few days and reset the clock on your Schengen stay.
@trecile, your comment made me smile. They'll soon be familiar with the Schengen calculator and the meaning of the small exit/entry stamps in their passports and the importance of the dates in those stamps. ;)
 
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Is that right? From what I know you cannot go from the UK to red district zone countries in Europe but Spain is supposed to be in the Amber (I guess that's orange) district zone. You just take one test before the travel and 2 tests when you are back in England. Yes, it costs maybe 500 euro to take those 3 tests but if you go for a month, it's probably worth it. Am I wrong?
I was reading yesterday that the cost of the test nowadays are around £120 both. Travel companies are pushing to lower the price so more people don't see it as an obstacle to travel.
 
You can't just leave the Schengen zone for a few days and reset the clock on your Schengen stay. The rule is that you can be in the Schengen zone for 90 out of 180 days. So you can't stay in Schengen for 60 days, go to the UK for the weekend and return to Schengen for another 60 days.

Ah - me and a little knowledge. Mind you, you could stay for 90 days and then visit the UK for 90 days and then go back - you would have a wonderful time! ;)
 
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You can't just leave the Schengen zone for a few days and reset the clock on your Schengen stay. The rule is that you can be in the Schengen zone for 90 out of 180 days. So you can't stay in Schengen for 60 days, go to the UK for the weekend and return to Schengen for another 60 days.
So here's a funny question... I guess that when I eventually get to leave Canada, I should leave on my Canadian PP so that my local immigration service knows I've gone, but I should use my Irish PP when I land in the EU and show that stamp if I should wish to stay beyond 90 days? Right now, I'm hoping that rules at my work place will change by the new year and I will be allowed to rent a place to live for 6 months in NW Spain.
 
but I should use my Irish PP when I land in the EU and show that stamp if I should wish to stay beyond 90 days?
You don't get a stamp when you travel from Canada to Spain and show your Irish passport at border control when you have landed in Spain.

When you are staying for longer in Spain, you will get a kind of ID card issued by Spain that shows that you are an Irish resident in Spain. No Schengen exit/entry stamps for you.
 
So here's a funny question... I guess that when I eventually get to leave Canada, I should leave on my Canadian PP so that my local immigration service knows I've gone, but I should use my Irish PP when I land in the EU and show that stamp if I should wish to stay beyond 90 days? Right now, I'm hoping that rules at my work place will change by the new year and I will be allowed to rent a place to live for 6 months in NW Spain.
No, you should fly to Europe with your Irish (EU) passport. There is no outbound passport control from Canada.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
No, you should fly to Europe with your Irish (EU) passport. There is no outbound passport control from Canada.
I guess we will see. Sometimes I clear customs before lift-off in Canada, but that might be only when travelling to the US. I do always have to show my passport at multiple points in the security and boarding process.
 
On May 17th we in the UK will be allowed to travel to only these countries - means a Portuguese Camino would be legal (stopping at the Spanish border).
The list will be updated by the Gov on a regular basis.

Portugal including the Azores and Madeira
Israel
Australia
New Zealand
Singapore
Brunei
Iceland
Faroe Islands
Gibraltar
Falkland Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
St Helena
Tristan de Cunha
Ascension Island

Really? Not sure Australia will let you in though......... :)
 
No, you should fly to Europe with your Irish (EU) passport. There is no outbound passport control from Canada.
There is no official outbound passport control, but you need to show your passport to the airline staff at departure - both to confirm your identity and to reassure the airline that you will not likely be rejected by the country of destination. In this case, either passport would probably be fine, in the experience of my family. However, when you arrive in the EU, you are supposed to show your passport from an EU country, if you want to be treated as an EU citizen. When you leave the EU you need to use that same EU passport.
 
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The British FCO advice on foreign travel on their website is always the current advice
It will change on May 17th - but not before.
 
Oh, then Camino-wise, Americans, British, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans are still in the same boat. Uffff, that feels so much better. That would be so unfair to let the English walk the Camino and keep the Americans away until the end of pandemic, which may be in 2025 or whenever
Excuse me, why have you included Aotearoa New Zealand in that list?

Kiwis 🥝 are not prevented from travelling.
 
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The British FCO advice on foreign travel on their website is always the current advice
True. But what the Spanish government's ministries say also counts.

Borders have two sides. Think of the erstwhile Iron Curtain border, now defunct: it was permeable on its west side and impermeable on its east side. You need to be allowed from your side to get out and you need to be allowed from the other side to get in.

Some countries will always let their own nationals in and out. I was truly surprised to learn this year that this is not a universal principle.
 
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Excuse me, why have you included Aotearoa New Zealand in that list?

Kiwis 🥝 are not prevented from travelling.
It is an academic list Doughnut...opening up for travel has to start somewhere. The UK Government know this. The UK people know this also. When you are ready and agreement is on your side then it's all good.
Secondly.....we like you.
 
It is an academic list Doughnut...opening up for travel has to start somewhere. The UK Government know this. The UK people know this also. When you are ready and agreement is on your side then it's all good.
Secondly.....we like you.
That is a different list.

The post that I quoted said that Kiwis can't travel. That is incorrect.
 
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Are we talking of two different lists? I am talking about the UK green list after 17th May.
Two lists, one a governmental list and the list that was quoted was a made up list.

I guess that the made up list was imagined by someone who is unable to distinguish between Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Australians have to ask permission before leaving Australia, Kiwis do not need to ask permission before leaving Aotearoa New Zealand.
 
Two lists, one a governmental list and the list that was quoted was a made up list.
Right, I must have missed the made up one...
I know the same question has been asked of an Australian member as to why they should appear on a list of destinations that it is ok to travel to when they do not accept from that country.
There will be a few differences along the way.
The same thing has happened all year with countries being "banned" from countries when they can't travel there anyway.
Eventually the dust will settle.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Read this on the Undogmatisches Pilgerforum on FB: A pilgrim who was on the way to SJPP yesterday, travelling on an ICE train to Paris and changing to the TGV there reports that they nearly missed the connection due to the fact that not only was the ICE train arriving late in Paris but also a huge queue formed because police checked the travellers' documents about their negative PCR test results.

It surprised me a bit because I'm not used to being checked for anything when I get off or on a train in those parts of Europe. :cool:
 

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