Blog about the Camino Frances

[debonthecamino]

I would like to share my blog address for my trip on the Camino Frances last year from May 12 - June 12 2006. I walked from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. The blog contains photos, lists of books, a downloadable packing list, advice on what to bring and what not to bring, and my experiences on the road shared through writing. I hope you'll stop by.

http://www.onthecamino.squarespace.com

Deb

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Deb, thanks for the link. Great blog, congrats. Am thinking about doing one on my Caminos but don't know how to go about it, any suggestions? Best, xm 8)

 

[Lora]

Hello Deb:

We will be on the trail the same dates!! I will be sure to check out your blog!!

Buen Camino.

Lora

 

[debonthecamino]

Blogging while on the Camino

Hi Xm,

I thought about blogging while on the Camino too. It will be tough if you rely on the internet services available sporadically in the albergues and even in shops in villages. The internet speed of most of the terminals I used was less than a snail's pace and often things would just freeze up. Secondly, most are coin operated that are in the albergues and you will therefore not have the ability to easily write more than short messages. Not to mention the long, long lines of other pilgrims that understandably wish to also send word back home.

I have been told that the better way to go for blogging on the Camino would be a type of PDA device, like a Blackberry, or even a cell phone that has internet capability. There are even ways to recharge batteries for such devices via solar power. I seriously thought about that because after all there is the glorious Spanish sun all day. However, such set ups are not cheap and I am a firm believer in the "every gram counts" rule. And, I never had a problem recharging my digital camera batteries while in the albergues. Carrying a laptop would be insane unless you are planning to go with a donkey (don't laugh, there are people who do).


In the end, it has worked out very nice to have journaled extensively while on the Camino and then create my blog after returning. I found the absence of technology, including not wearing a watch, to be really fantastic. Writing at the end of my day of walking was for me, relaxing and a good way of thinking about everything that happened and what I was thinking. Using the internet services in the albergues and occasionally in a village was good for letting loved ones know I was doing just fine, but I was often frustrated with the lack of speed to the point of giving up.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog and your very nice compliment.

I hope if you blog about your Camino you will let me know so that I can visit your site. And, of course, I wish you a Buen Camino!

Hope this has helped!

Deb
http://www.onthecamino.squarespace.com

 

[sillydoll]

Blogging on the Camino

John Mifsud shared this advice with the CSJ of SA on Camino Blogging. I'm sure he won't mind if I share it with the forum:

A guide to blogging from the Camino

Among the many pilgrims who walk the Camino, some look forward to getting away from their everyday life back at home while others like to keep in regular contact with folks back at home or maybe share their experiences with the world at large. A great way of doing this is by blogging.

What is a blog?
“Blog” is short for weblog. It’s an online journal consisting of a series of articles (called “posts”) published in date order. Blogs can be open for anyone to read or restricted to a circle of family and friends. They lend themselves perfectly to travelogues and allow you to easily share photos by adding them to your posts. An advantage of keeping a blog is that one quick post keeps people up-to-date with your progress and any insights from your Camino that you may want to share, without needing to write numerous emails or make expensive international phone calls. Your family and friends can leave messages at the end of each post (as a “comment”) and all of these are saved for you to re-read when you get home.

How do I start a blog?
There are many free services on the internet that will host your blog (called “blogging platforms”) such as Blogger.com, Wordpress.com etc. and loads of information online to help you choose one that suits you. Have a look at this helpful online article for tips on choosing between some of the more popular platforms: http://weblogs.about.com/od/bloggingpla ... rmtips.htm Most platforms guide you step-by-step through registering, creating your blog and choosing a layout.

How can I blog from the Camino?
Traditional blogging: This method involves either writing your posts in advance (long hand) and then typing them onto your blog, or typing and publishing your posts all in one hit, when you come across an internet café or access point. You just log into your blogging platform, type your post, save any photos and publish the post to your blog. There are a number of internet cafés en route and some refugios even have internet access (sometimes free!)

However, you should be aware that you might encounter various practical problems with this method on the Camino in Spain. These include computers with old software that won’t allow you to view your blog properly or save photos to the blog, long distances where you won’t find any internet access and expensive internet cafes. For a discussion of these pitfalls and ways to get around them, see: http://la-via-lattea.blogspot.com/2006/ ... amino.html

moBlogging (or mobile blogging): This is an ideal solution for those who want to blog without being restricted to there being an internet cafe around. You can compose your posts while resting in bed at the albergue or wherever you like! You use a "portable mobile device" to write your posts and then connect to your blog over the internet, using the device’s mobile phone signal, wireless internet connection (known as “WiFi”) or even a simple public telephone to publish your post.

What exactly are portable mobile devices and WiFi?
There are various mobile devices you can use to moBlog. They include PDAs/PalmPilots, Smartphones and a device called Pocketmail. The common features of these devices are that they have a keyboard or touch screen to type your posts and are able to connect to the internet to publish your posts. For a comparison of the different types of devices and some practical considerations on using them on the Camino, have a look at the series of articles on moBlogging at: http://la-via-lattea.blogspot.com/searc ... e%20Camino

Once you’ve bought a mobile device, moBlogging can actually be quite cheap if you use wireless internet technology (WiFi) to connect to your blog. Many smartphones and PDAs scan the airwaves to see if there are any wireless access points (called “WiFi hotspots”) in the vicinity. These are basically points where you can receive radio signals that connect to the internet which are emitted from computer networks in neighbouring offices, homes etc. In most places, just stop outside almost any block of flats along the Camino and your device will register at least one network. If it’s unsecured (i.e. doesn’t require a password to connect) you should be able connect to it to surf the net, send emails or post to your blog for free! Some local authorities and businesses also provide WiFi access as a free public service.

Finally, for those concerned about the amount of weight they will be carrying while walking, PDAs and smartphones also have another advantage - they often double as MP3 music players, GPS navigation systems, diaries, language phrasebooks, phones for emergencies, a currency calculator, digital cameras, voice recorders and even guidebooks.

For more information on blogging from the Camino and other Camino-related information and stories, visit John Mifsud’s On the way to Santiago blog at http://la-via-lattea.blogspot.com

 

[KiwiNomad06]

I would like to share my blog address for my trip on the Camino Frances last year from May 12 - June 12 2006. I walked from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago.
http://www.onthecamino.squarespace.com Deb

Thanks Deb. Have had a quick look and look forward to reading more. Love your photos. And I share your opinion of pain au chocolat from France - magic :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

……rely on the internet services available sporadically in the albergues and even in shops in villages… speed … less tha a snail's … freeze up… coin … not have the ability to easily write…

I say ditto to that :!:

… absence of technology, including not wearing a watch, to be really fantastic…Writing at the end of my day of walking was for me, relaxing and a good way of thinking about everything that happened and what I was thinking. Using the internet services in the albergues and occasionally in a village was good for letting loved ones know I was doing just fine…

I like wearing a watch, to be aware of how much am walking at the time, if I make a stop at a town know when to move on, etc...guess it is another subjective one for us all.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog and your very nice compliment. …Hope this has helped!

It’s great, a good sample that has give me :idea: for my (poss) blog. beside, the content is excellent. Helped a lot

Buen Camino, peregina

xm

 

[Anonymous]

John Mifsud shared this advice with the CSJ of SA on Camino Blogging.

Excellent "Blog 101", thanks Sil :!:

xm 8)

 

[evanlow]

Here's my $0.02 on blogging on the camino.

1. Get a mobile phone with camera (2 megapixels with video support). 1 device, many usage, and less to carry. Just make sure you get a bigger memory card for the phone (at least 512 meg or better still 1 gig).

2. Just keep taking pictures as you are walking so not to be distracted by your original purpose of walking the camino. Every picture taken during my camino needs no more than 5 sec. 1 second to take it out from my pocket, 2 seconds to turn on the camera mode and focus, 1 second to take the shot and 1 second to put it back on my pocket.

3. For internet access, the cheapest way is to find a municipal library. Any mid sized or bigger towns will have one. Ask any one living there. Internet is free in the library.

4. If you carry a USB memory card reader, you can even blog using the pictures from your camera phone. Just plug the card reader to the USB port in the computer at the library and transfer the image over to the pc.

5. Resizing the images (making it smaller) for the blog is another big challenge. With the proper software (you are not allowed to download any programs on the library pc) you best bet is to resized it online. http://www.shrinkpictures.com/

6. You can spend up to an hour at the library just to do one blog post with image, and even more time doing it on the pda or cell phone with the small screen. That is why I don't do that very often during my camino. No more than once a week, just to keep the viewer's interest to my blog. The internet time is better spend getting in touch with friends and family than blogging.

7. Time in the camino is precious. Don't waste too much of it on blogging. Do it later.