english section in bookstore?

PixieAuror said:

Hi all, I am planning to hike the camino this year! I would like to know if there are bookstores with an English section in Pamplona, Lagrono, Burgos, Leon and finally Santiago - I know that these are big cities, but I have never travelled to Spain and after a long day of hiking I'd like to be able to read a book while my phone recharges.
So any info would be appreciated.

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The foreign language section in the bookstores will have some English titles but mostly the more popular ones and not always the most recent.
Do not underestimate the fact that you will be somewhat tired after a long day walking.
Also showering, washing your clothes and some grocery shopping will take up some time.
And most probably you will end up on in a cafeteria or bar and spend some time and drinks with your fellow pilgrims.
If you have a smartphone it can be interesting to install the Kindle or another E-reader app.

And : lots of pilgrims leave old paperbacks behind in the albergues.

On my first Camino I brought a paperback with me : did not finish it on those 36 days.
Now I just browse the local newspapers that you find in every bar.

I packed a book of verse for that reason. Reading longer texts was never possible on account of: a) exhaustion and, b) distraction, as one always ended up chatting with another pilgrim. I found that a New Yorker would take about 10-14 days to finish....

Personally, I found that reading was a great way for me to relax post-shower in the afternoon when it was often too hot to go outside and before the evening socialising and consumption began. I read six books in Spanish on kindle while on the Camino Francés. @PixieAuror, I hope you find some good books!

PixieAuror said:

Hi all, I am planning to hike the camino this year! I would like to know if there are bookstores with an English section in Pamplona, Lagrono, Burgos, Leon and finally Santiago - I know that these are big cities, but I have never travelled to Spain and after a long day of hiking I'd like to be able to read a book while my phone recharges.
So any info would be appreciated.

Click to expand...

Hi, most of the large bookstores in Europe have an English section. I particularly like the El Corte Inglés department stores, as they usually have a shelf of cheap English-language paperbacks in their book section (about 10 euros for a book).

The days of being able to pick up a discarded paperback in an albergue or hostel are long gone, although I always leave mine in them. Occasionally I find one, but they are few and far between.

So I downloaded the Kindle app on my smartphone. It is the best thing I ever did for caminos.

It depends who I’m with whether I read a lot or a little. If I am alone then I read a lot.

If the albergue closes at 10pm and everyone is in bed, then I read for an hour or more inside my sleeping bag until I am sleepy. I keep the backlight under cover so it doesn’t disturb anyone, but there is usually another person in the dorm doing all their internet stuff until the early hours.

I carry an extra long charging cable with me, so if I am staying in a place where there is a socket next to my bed, I can charge my phone and read at the same time.
Jill