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There are buses parallel to the route most of the way. Take one when you need to pick up a day. You can cover a day in a taxi for about 20 Euro. Decide what to skip when you have experienced some of the terrain. If flat or hills have become boring, skip a bit. Buen camino.Any recommendations/advice? Many thanks!
The smoothest and easiest way to knock off 5-7 days walking is to skip the Meseta by bussing from Burgos to Leon. This would put you closer to your target time and no need to skip other (more beautiful) portions of the trail.Hello everyone - Looking for advice from more experienced peliginos. Through a series of unfortunate events, the time my friend and I had originally allocated to walk the CF has been compressed. We'll now start April 10th from SJPP and she needs to be in Santiago by May 8 - 4 weeks. That's probably more time than enough for some, but we'd been planning to take the odd rest day and enjoy the walk. I'm wondering if there are some portions of the CF that experienced walkers might recommend we could skip (i.e. bus through) - I've been reading some accounts of people skipping (bussing) some of the portions of CF that run alongside busy highways.
I've also thought about using the luggage transfer service, at least on the more challenging stretches, on the assumption that we might be able to cover more distance without our packs.
For personal reasons, it's important for us to start in SJPP (otherwise we'd just start closer to Santiago) and to start/finish together.
Any recommendations/advice? Many thanks!
This also is a viable plan. Read up on the meseta and look at pictures to see if the meseta is for you. If you do skip this whole section you are likely to have time left over when you get to Santiago. They can be used for walking to Finisterre and/or Muxia (3 or 4 days).The smoothest and easiest way to knock off 5-7 days walking is to skip the Meseta by bussing from Burgos to Leon. This would put you closer to your target time and no need to skip other (more beautiful) portions of the trail.
The smoothest and easiest way to knock off 5-7 days walking is to skip the Meseta by bussing from Burgos to Leon. This would put you closer to your target time and no need to skip other (more beautiful) portions of the trail.
I know, I know, some people love the Meseta for personal reflection and yes, it is pretty in its own way, but the terrain is flatter and more unchanging there than on any other 5-7 day stretch you could eliminate.
No need to look at the meseta any differently than the rest of the Camino. Don't get me wrong. It's a cool place to walk in and all, but it's no less, or no more cool to experience than the rest of the Camino. It kinda get's over-dramatized by some people. I'd love to smoke what they're smoking. It's simply a flatter part, with some low rolling hills and surrounded by agriculture fields like sunflowers, wheat, etc. reminded me of some parts of the US like the Texas panhandle or say, Kansas, Oklahoma. I thought it was nice and gave my knees a break from uphills and downhills. Can't say it played with my mind, though and was hardly a hostile environment.Thanks very much to everyone who replied to my request. My instincts align with Mark Lee's advice to just start in SJPdP and adjust as we go...thanks for that, Mark.....will keep the different perspectives on the meseta and other options for skipping ahead that were offered in mind, too. Love the Forum.
Hello everyone - Looking for advice from more experienced peliginos. Through a series of unfortunate events, the time my friend and I had originally allocated to walk the CF has been compressed. We'll now start April 10th from SJPP and she needs to be in Santiago by May 8 - 4 weeks. That's probably more time than enough for some, but we'd been planning to take the odd rest day and enjoy the walk. I'm wondering if there are some portions of the CF that experienced walkers might recommend we could skip (i.e. bus through) - I've been reading some accounts of people skipping (bussing) some of the portions of CF that run alongside busy highways.
I've also thought about using the luggage transfer service, at least on the more challenging stretches, on the assumption that we might be able to cover more distance without our packs.
For personal reasons, it's important for us to start in SJPP (otherwise we'd just start closer to Santiago) and to start/finish together.
Any recommendations/advice? Many thanks!
I live in the midwestern USA, so that's why I'm not as impressed with the Meseta. One of the many reasons I love the Camino and spend $ to get there is to experience something completely different than home. I'd never choose to hike through the corn, soybean or wheat fields of Illinois where I liveNo need to look at the meseta any differently than the rest of the Camino. Don't get me wrong. It's a cool place to walk in and all, but it's no less, or no more cool to experience than the rest of the Camino. It kinda get's over-dramatized by some people. It's simply a flatter part, with some low rolling hills and surrounded by agriculture fields like sunflowers, wheat, etc. reminded me of some parts of the US like the Texas panhandle or say, Kansas, Oklahoma. I thought it was nice and gave my knees a break from uphills and downhills. Can't say it played with my mind, though and was hardly a hostile environment.
Sorry la meseta gurus...ha ha.
Pretty much all of the terrain in northern Spain looked like places I have been before in the US to some degree. The meseta looks like the panhandle of Texas. The stretch between Ages and Burgos looks like the Texas hill country or some parts of California. The first day over the Pyrenees? The elevation was higher for sure, but otherwise looks like wooded hills I've seen before. The coast at Finisterre looks like a lot of coastal seaside towns all over. The rural villages look like rural villages in other parts of Europe.I live in the midwestern USA, so that's why I'm not as impressed with the Meseta. One of the many reasons I love the Camino and spend $ to get there is to experience something completely different than home. I'd never choose to hike through the corn, soybean or wheat fields of Illinois where I live, which is why I advised to eliminate that portion.
In general I found dealing with the buses I used on occassion to be rather stressful...locating and getting to the stations, not speaking Spanish, and hoping the bus schedule aligned with me not waiting too long. Totally interferred with my peace of mind and amped my stress level until seated on the bus when I sighed with relief. Just the opinion from my experiences.
I enjoyed reading your reply, Mark, and although your comments are true for you, they are not true for me. It just goes to show how we are all unique and different.Pretty much all of the terrain in northern Spain looked like places I have been before in the US to some degree. The meseta looks like the panhandle of Texas. The stretch between Ages and Burgos looks like the Texas hill country or some parts of California. The first day over the Pyrenees? The elevation was higher for sure, but otherwise looks like wooded hills I've seen before. The coast at Finisterre looks like a lot of coastal seaside towns all over. The rural villages look like rural villages in other parts of Europe.
Can't say I expected northern Spain to look completely different than the US or other places I have been, and that's not why I traveled there to walk the CF. If I wanted different in that respect I'd go back to SE Asia. Now that's different, ha ha.
I rode the bus system in Spain on the Camino a few times, and found it quite easy and inexpensive. No stress. Actually was never stressed once on the Camino (or on any vacation I have been on for that matter). Stress is something that I booted down the road with a swift kick the moment I left to go to the airport to fly to Europe to walk the Camino.
I'm actually a fairly shy guy in person, ha ha. Pretty quiet and easy going.I enjoyed reading your reply, Mark, and although your comments are true for you, they are not true for me. It just goes to show how we are all unique and different.
I have traveled to over 40 of our 50 states (including the final two), both coastlines, and many of our famous national parks in between. Add to that Caribbean islands, the border countries of Canada, Mexico, Central America, Italy, France, Ireland, Mediterranean islands and Turkey. For ME, most everything about the Camino's terrain has looked different than all my other travels, and they one from another. It's all in the eye of the beholder and how much we observe. I'd never walked amongst eucalyptus forests, heard cuckoo birds sing, saw poppies growing in the wild, walked on ancient slabs of bluestone slate, nor saw villages rising high up on a hill in the distance from miles away, nor down in a valley as I walked, all with beds waiting for weary pilgrims at day's end.
As for dealing with buses, they were rather stressful for me. For you, as a male police officer and man of the town, I can see how it would be a breeze for you. For me as an older woman...not so easy.
We all see (and feel) through our own lenses, and no two of us are alike. That's one of the many things that makes this forum so very interesting!
30 days plenty of days to get to Santiago. As you are starting in sjpd
Well, Im sure that's true since you say it is, but I've yet to meet a police officer who displays a "quiet and easy going" personality. Usually they are a very confident and self assured bunchI'm actually a fairly shy guy in person, ha ha. Pretty quiet and easy going.
Well, Im sure that's true since you say it is, but I've yet to meet a police officer who displays a "quiet and easy going" personality. Usually they are a very confident and self assured bunch... Lol.
I enjoyed reading your reply, Mark, and although your comments are true for you, they are not true for me. It just goes to show how we are all unique and different.
I have traveled to over 40 of our 50 states (including the final two), both coastlines, and many of our famous national parks in between. Add to that Caribbean islands, the border countries of Canada, Mexico, Central America, Italy, France, Ireland, Mediterranean islands and Turkey. For ME, most everything about the Camino's terrain has looked different than all my other travels, and they one from another. It's all in the eye of the beholder and how much we observe. I'd never walked amongst eucalyptus forests, heard cuckoo birds sing, saw poppies growing in the wild, walked on ancient slabs of bluestone slate, nor saw villages rising high up on a hill in the distance from miles away, nor down in a valley as I walked, all with beds waiting for weary pilgrims at day's end.
As for dealing with buses, they were rather stressful for me. For you, as a male police officer and man of the town, I can see how it would be a breeze for you. For me as an older woman...not so easy.
We all see (and feel) through our own lenses, and no two of us are alike. That's one of the many things that makes this forum so very interesting!
Thank you for the added information you've provided. I was not saying that poppies, eucalyptus trees, etc. never grow anywhere else, only that I personally have never observed them until my Caminos in Spain. I spent only two weeks on each trip mentioned. It certainly was not enough time to see everything. I saw lots of lavendar fields in France, but it certainly grows in many other countries as well.If you claim to have to visited France, Italy, Ireland, the Med etc among others but never have seen poppies growing in the wild then maybe you should observe a bit more carefully- they are everywhere. Poppies are one of the national crops of Turkey... albeit the White Opium kind, but they have plenty of Red ones too. Cuckoos are common across Europe, maybe the US too. As the for the Eucalyptus, well they are actually quite controversial, of course native only to Australia, only imported and planted recently in Spain to combat deforestation because it grows quickly. Parts of Northern Spain could easily be mistaken for parts of Argentina, France, Italy, the Balkans, Romania, Bulgaria...
Wrong, wrong, wrong!! Eucalyptus is native to Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippines. The Spanish monk, Dom Salvado exported the first Eucalyptus seeds to Spain in the 19th century, cultivation began around 1860 and it was well established as a plantation crop by the turn of the 20th century.As the for the Eucalyptus, well they are actually quite controversial, of course native only to Australia, only imported and planted recently in Spain
I like that stretch of them growing right along the Camino somewhere between Sarria and SDC. I remember some of them had limbs down and I'd grab a handful of the leaves and roll them between my hands releasing the oil, then cup them an inhale deeply. Natural sinus opener.Wrong, wrong, wrong!! Eucalyptus is native to Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippines. The Spanish monk, Dom Salvado exported the first Eucalyptus seeds to Spain in the 19th century, cultivation began around 1860 and it was well established as a plantation crop by the turn of the 20th century.
I don't think that "quiet and easy going" is mutually exclusive with "confident and self assured." Also, people learn a professional face, that doesn't necessarily transfer exactly to their personal lives. There is usually some truth to stereotypes, but we need to be careful in applying them. How many police officers have you met who are repeat offenders at walking the camino?" I've yet to meet a police officer who displays a quiet and easy going" personality. Usually they are a very confident and self assured bunch
Totally agree and thanks.......LMAO!
She said she wanted to, and it's important for her to start in SJPdP... all the advice to start some where else! SMH
To the OP. Start in SJPdP. Walk as fast or as slow as you want to, and carry a guide, and as you walk you will get a better idea as to how much you will cover in your allotted time and as you go you will know when you need to catch a bus or taxi (lot's of buses, lot's of taxis) to jump ahead a day or two to get to Santiago when you need to be there. Believe me, you will know exactly what you need to do as you go along and figure out where you want to skip. Also Hospitaleros are great sources of advice and information as to where and how to get a bus or taxi, as are the tourist offices.
I wouldn't worry too much about leaving people you have met. Camino friends come and go. You will meet more where you start from again. It's easy.
ultreia
There you go! ...a quiet, shy, (emoji) reply!
I guess I meant
Certainly the geographic distribution of eucalyptus plantation appears to have been concentrated in the southern parts of Spain. However, Dom Salvado came from Tui, and it appears that this was where the first cultivation took place sometime around the 1860s. You might be correct that the major plantations on the CF and CI are recent. The material that I have access to does not go into that level of detail. However, the comment that I objected to made the claim that eucalyptus plantations were a recent phenomena to Spain, and that is clearly not true.I feel that the poster with the Monty Python moniker has a point: in the context of the history of the pilgrimage to Santiago, the eucalyptus forests in Galicia are a recent addition.
I don't think that "quiet and easy going" is mutually exclusive with "confident and self assured." Also, people learn a professional face, that doesn't necessarily transfer exactly to their personal lives. There is usually some truth to stereotypes, but we need to be careful in applying them. How many police officers have you met who are repeat offenders at walking the camino?
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