Excited and Daunted

[neilthemod]

Hi Everyone.

We've decided to retire this year at the tender age of 60 and walk the Primitivo either in May or September 2022: I have to have a knee arthroscopy to tidy up a damaged cartilage before then so the date is a moveable feast. It's just background research at the moment but whilst we're both very excited at the prospect I have two concerns which hopefully you can help me with. We're both vegetarian and quite happy to live on bread, cheeses, fruit and veg bought from shops but in the auberges that offer food is there usually some meat free alternative?
Also, where does one sleep if the auberges are full; is there a reasonable selection of b+b type establishments?
Thought of a third one - bed bugs! I doubt I'll get my wife into a bed if she even suspects that there is something crawly and bitey around. Any places I should be aware of?

Many thanks

Neil

 

[VNwalking]

Welcome here, @neilthemod !
To your first concern, I can only say...not so often. But if you are flexible and can eat eggs, you'll be fine. I've not walked the Primativo, but have never starved on any of the Caminos I've done, even on the quieter routes. Sometimes it takes a little forethought and preparation, such as when you know you will be doing a stage that is quite remote. But that's no different for anyone, vegetarian or not. To allay your concerns, I'd encourage you to do a search here on the forum, because there have been a number of threads about what we face on the Camino as vegetarians or vegans.

And bedbugs...
Well, there is no way of predicting where they will appear, and you're just as likely to get them in a flash hotel as in an albergue. There are plenty of threads here about them too.

Happy planning!

 

[mspath]

Here is an earlier thread but still relevant re vegan worries
Whatever our diets most pilgrims carry some food with them. Wherever/whenever you walk it is important to be prepared.

Gronze Primitivo is helpful for your planning. It lists all types of lodgings.

Good luck and Buen camino to you both.

 

[gns]

I think you will find it much easier if you are able to communicate your dietary requirements in Spanish. The people along the Camino Primitivo are usually keen to help but many speak only Spanish.

The Happy Cow may be useful for larger towns and cities.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

Communal meals are wonderful but it’s actually a minority of albergues that offer them. I see one or two mentioned on the primitivo threads - and it looks like your dietary needs might be accommodated if you get in touch in advance - as always demand nothing and be grateful for what people will do for you. If someone can’t cook without meat then at least you will know in advance and bring your own food.
Another way to enjoy communal dining is to club together with fellow pilgrims and buy ingredients for a group dinner that you cook together in the albergue kitchen. I’ve had meals like this and found that people are generally delighted to have a vegetarian curry or some other non meat dish for a change - even the most dedicated omnivores enjoy a change from the very carnivore offerings that dominate in Spain.

 

[davebugg]

Hello, neilthemod, and a warm welcome to the Forum.

The good news is, you are in a forum with a wonderful group of people. Most are here to help people like you to achieve their pilgrimage goals. We can offer you encouragement, knowledge, and point you in the direction that will help you help yourself.

My suggestions to start is this:

1. Take a deep breath. Write down in large letters the reasons why you want to go on Camino. Place that piece of paper where you can see it every day. That way, if anxieties and fears threaten to overwhelm you as you plan, you can just breathe, read what you have written, and focus on those reasons until the negative stuff fades.
2. Make a list of questions and concerns that you have.
3. Go to the Search Engine at the top of the Forum pages. Enter the words or phrase that you want more information about. You will get a huge amount of information to explore.
4. If you find that you need help with anything, post a new thread so that your question or concern can be readily seen. If you post a question within someone else's thread, you won't receive as big of a response.

As you deal with the challenges of your surgery and recovery, please keep us informed of how you are doing during it all as things progress.

Dave

 

[Former member 60103]

I have been vegetarian for all my adult life. Food in Spain for me whether on camino or otherwise has always been an issue. This is not restricted to Spain as for the most part eating out anywhere including UK is problematic there being poor choice for veggies.
On my first camino I lost quite bit of weight as quite simply I did not eat properly for over a month and that combined with the calorie burn took the weight off. I learned and on subsequent caminos and got my act together - which meant;
Take a couple of packets of noodles and packet soup to put in the bottom of your rucksack. This as well as a lightweight silicon fold down bowl will mean that as long as you can get hot water you will at least have something to eat at the end of the day.
Bread at under a euro together with packet sliced cheese generally 1 euro or thereabouts can be readily obtained in supermarkets and food shops. This together with yoghurt and the odd bit fruit made up most of my diet. Plus of course strong Spanish lager. In some supermarkets there are also ready prepared salad's which you can mix up yourself - some have meat in them but this is kept separate. I do not know how strict a veggie you are but do not expect the cheese to be marked up as Vegetarian. I made sure that I always carried enough food for the day.
I also carried single cup tea bags plus coffee sachets as well as a plastic cup to drink them from.
My opinion is that being a veggie on camino can be hard work if you expect anything more than bread and cheese, pasta or pizza. Quite a few Spanish (as elsewhere) simply do not get it. Try ordering a "vegetal salad" and it will come sprinkled with Tuna.
When I did manage a meal out - which was rare - it was always Pizza.
One last point - the places where I was always assured of a reasonable "meal" was in Turkish Kebab places. They do great falafal kebabs.
Buen camino for when we all get going again,
Enjoy your retirement,
Don.

 

[lindam]

You might also be interested in joining a FaceBook group called Vegetarians and Vegans on the Camino. There you will find several resources as well as recommended restaurants on various Camino routes. Plenty of sharing within this group and much "food for thought."

 

[Marbe2]

I think you have gotten excellent suggestions regarding your dietary needs. As far as BBs go, it is true that there is no way of knowing,where you will find them. In my experience ,over the years, I have encountered them more often at albergues, then at hotels. However, I have been bitten also at hotels on the CF. Your wife should know that there is a chance she will encounter them on a camino before she walks.

BBs love me, and in warmer weather, I rarely escape without being bitten. However, I am better able to cope with the bites then I Initially was. Besides using things like Permethrin and deet as preventative measures on your clothing and gear, I take a antihistamine daily while walking the camino. It lessens the impact of the bites. In addition, I carry a Benadryl stick (1oz) which I dab on any bites I might get. Between the two it keeps the swelling and sting manageable.
However, I react significantly to the bites. Some folks have almost no reaction to the bites, and some pilgrims reveal they have never even encountered a BB on the Camino. Though I have had my battles with these buggers, the camino experience is well worth it!

 

[VNwalking]

My opinion is that being a veggie on camino can be hard work if you expect anything more than bread and cheese, pasta or pizza.

I have had increasingly better luck with this year by year, and recenty (even off the beaten path) I've had really good luck. What I sometimes do is to be very clear what I don't eat, and ask the server to see what the kitchen can rustle up, leaving it up tp them and not constraining anyone's creativity. I had the most amazing salad with walnuts and local goat's cheese on the Invierno after doing that.

 

[Albertagirl]

I agree with @VNwalking that available vegetarian food is improving along the camino. On my last camino, I skipped a planned stop (no booking) at an albergue that offered vegetarian food, and went on to the next nearby albergue. A large group of teen-agers was just arriving at the first albergue, and I was not eager to share a dormitory with them, assuming there was space.
There was a communal meal offered and we two vegetarians (not travelling together) were given two full vegetarian dishes to share with others at the table, plus salad. It was a wonderful social meal, in four languages. As the dormitory was full, myself and another woman who arrived simultaneously shared a 2 bed room for 10 euros each, about the usual cost for a dormitory bed. I got a good night's sleep and continued on solo the next day. It was a wonderful example of how receptivity to whatever arrives can often make for the best days on camino.

 

[Chris Gi]

I have been vegetarian for all my adult life. Food in Spain for me whether on camino or otherwise has always been an issue. This is not restricted to Spain as for the most part eating out anywhere including UK is problematic there being poor choice for veggies.
On my first camino I lost quite bit of weight as quite simply I did not eat properly for over a month and that combined with the calorie burn took the weight off. I learned and on subsequent caminos and got my act together - which meant;
Take a couple of packets of noodles and packet soup to put in the bottom of your rucksack. This as well as a lightweight silicon fold down bowl will mean that as long as you can get hot water you will at least have something to eat at the end of the day.
Bread at under a euro together with packet sliced cheese generally 1 euro or thereabouts can be readily obtained in supermarkets and food shops. This together with yoghurt and the odd bit fruit made up most of my diet. Plus of course strong Spanish lager. In some supermarkets there are also ready prepared salad's which you can mix up yourself - some have meat in them but this is kept separate. I do not know how strict a veggie you are but do not expect the cheese to be marked up as Vegetarian. I made sure that I always carried enough food for the day.
I also carried single cup tea bags plus coffee sachets as well as a plastic cup to drink them from.
My opinion is that being a veggie on camino can be hard work if you expect anything more than bread and cheese, pasta or pizza. Quite a few Spanish (as elsewhere) simply do not get it. Try ordering a "vegetal salad" and it will come sprinkled with Tuna.
When I did manage a meal out - which was rare - it was always Pizza.
One last point - the places where I was always assured of a reasonable "meal" was in Turkish Kebab places. They do great falafal kebabs.
Buen camino for when we all get going again,
Enjoy your retirement,
Don.

Beware the TUNA! It seems to come with lots of meals and if you don't like it - it can become a problem. Plus, it's not usually the white tuna - rather something that looks and smells like it came from a can of cat food.

 

[gayeh]

Hi Everyone.

We've decided to retire this year at the tender age of 60 and walk the Primitivo either in May or September 2022: I have to have a knee arthroscopy to tidy up a damaged cartilage before then so the date is a moveable feast. It's just background research at the moment but whilst we're both very excited at the prospect I have two concerns which hopefully you can help me with. We're both vegetarian and quite happy to live on bread, cheeses, fruit and veg bought from shops but in the auberges that offer food is there usually some meat free alternative?
Also, where does one sleep if the auberges are full; is there a reasonable selection of b+b type establishments?
Thought of a third one - bed bugs! I doubt I'll get my wife into a bed if she even suspects that there is something crawly and bitey around. Any places I should be aware of?

Many thanks

Neil

To deter bedbugs: permetherine is a spray that can be applied to ones backpack etc.
Also, consider a silk liner for your sleeping bag. Good protection as they do exist. Although some say with covid, the population will be down

 

[Kieranodriscoll]

Neil, just a tip re avoiding bed bugs. I have walked 3 caminos and have not encountered them - probably due mostly to good fortune. But it is worth (1) checking this forum each evening for anyone posting about bed bugs in a hotel/ albergue in the towns ahead of you, and (2) following anyone who is blogging the route in the weeks and days ahead of your walk to see if bugs are mentioned. For me, this has identified a few places to avoid in the past.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

Neil, just a tip re avoiding bed bugs. I have walked 3 caminos and have not encountered them - probably due mostly to good fortune.

Or perhaps because you're not a real princess. ;-)

I think that forum posts about bedbugs are somewhat helpful as long as they're recent and first hand.
When I walked in 2017, I was pretty concerned about tales of bed bugs in Xunta albergues along one stretch of the Camino Sanabres. It transpired that the tales that I was reading were the "echoes" of a long-ago resolved problem. When one person repeats something without context (e.g. "Apparently, that place has an ongoing infestation" - no date, no source), it looks like a fresh report and a new set of ripples is set in motion across the internet.

Folks that you meet along the way, who are walking in the opposite direction can be a good source of very up-to-date intel. on the places that you're about to pass through. Don't let them walk by with a nonchalant "buen camino." Give them a rigorous debrief before allowing them to continue on their way.

 

[Terry Callery]

The Primitivo is very difficult with lots of elevations to tackle out of most stops.
It almost killed me at 64 years old. Steep climbs and valleys of the Cantebrian Mountains.
Think about the flatter Portuguse Route.
Asturias is Cowboy Country.... Lots of meat.
Best seafood is had on the Portugal Route

 

[trecile]

Permethrin is not a deterrent to bedbugs and will not kill them on contact. What it will do is kill them over time - like a couple of hours. So, while it won't necessarily keep them from crawling inside your sleeping bag, if your bag has been treated with permethrin they probably aren't coming out alive!
I spray inside my backpack, my sleeping gear, and all my cloth stuff sacks. I don't want to be that pilgrim who is transporting the critters from albergue to albergue. And I definitely don't want to bring them home with me!

 

[lt56ny]

As VN Walking stated you can never know where there will be bedbugs. Watch a couple of videos on how to spot bedbugs. It isn't hard. Never put your pack on a bed. Hang it or put it on a chair. If you see bedbugs. Inform everyone especially the hospitalero and walk out.

As others have suggested the Primitivo has lots of very steep hills. I walked the Norte from Irun and didn't take the Primitivo and the hills on the Norte were tough, especially the downhills. Often very long also. Need my poles and did a lot of zig zagging down hills. It took its toll on me. My friends who I met up with that walked the Primitivo said the Norte was a piece of cake compared to it. More hills, and longer ups and downs. Maybe you should consider another pilgrimage. In May or September in a holy year it is going to be crowded for sure. You will have the most services on the Frances and the Portuguese. Both will be easier and if you do the coastal route in Portugal it will be a whole lot flatter.

 

[Jean Ti]

Or perhaps because you're not a real princess. ;-)

I think that forum posts about bedbugs are somewhat helpful as long as they're recent and first hand.
When I walked in 2017, I was pretty concerned about tales of bed bugs in Xunta albergues along one stretch of the Camino Sanabres. It transpired that the tales that I was reading were the "echoes" of a long-ago resolved problem. When one person repeats something without context (e.g. "Apparently, that place has an ongoing infestation" - no date, no source), it looks like a fresh report and a new set of ripples is set in motion across the internet.

Folks that you meet along the way, who are walking in the opposite direction can be a good source of very up-to-date intel. on the places that you're about to pass through. Don't let them walk by with a nonchalant "buen camino." Give them a rigorous debrief before allowing them to continue on their way.

Talking to folks you meet along the in the opposite direction about the albergue or private accomodations were they sleep is a very good intel. This is a great idea !

Instead of having the nose in the cell ... Looking for fresh data on bed bugs

 

[sunwanderer]

Larger cities almost always have one or more vegetarian restaurants. The smaller the town/village, the more that vegetarian food will be an issue.

We showed up a little after noon at one café in a very small place and saw only meat in the display case. When I said that we were vegetarians, she pointed to the pigs ears. When I asked about tortillas, she replied that they were all gone, and they wouldn't be making any more until the next morning. Nor would they be able to make anything else for us. That day we went without lunch. And we learned to always have some bread and cheese in our packs.

A few days later at large restaurant with a name that indicated "heavy on the meats" there was a sign in the window with a picture of a lamb lying on the table. Not our kind of place. A waiter standing at the door tried to entice us to come in for lunch. We mentioned that we were vegetarians. He replied, in quite good English, that he would take care of us - he would give us an especially delicious meal from the checks of a pig.

We saw an ad in the window of one restaurant that advertised their sandwiches. One, a "Ham Sandwich" and another a "Vegetarian Sandwich," the latter being a ham sandwich plus lettuce.

At one restaurant the waitress told us we would be well taken care of because she had served many vegetarians. After a short wait, she brought us two plates of white rice with ketchup on top. Nothing else.

Also, we stopped by one or two vegetarian albergues and asked if we could buy dinner, but the answer was no, they only provided meals for those who stayed overnight.

 

[witsendwv]

We're both vegetarian and quite happy to live on bread, cheeses, fruit and veg bought from shops but in the auberges that offer food is there usually some meat free alternative?
Also, where does one sleep if the auberges are full; is there a reasonable selection of b+b type establishments?
My husband and I walked the Primitivo in 2016 at 61 and 67. It was a wonderful walk. We walk slow and have shorter stages than most. The most difficult was across the Hospitales because it was so hot and despite having six liters of water we ran out towards the end of the day. There was a "pop up" snack truck just before the descent and we regret to this day, not taking advantage of it. Luckily we met a homeowner cleaning his front steps who filled all our bottles. We also did not stay in albergues, always in small hotels, b&b etc. We just had to plan ahead. I am not vegetarian, but I do not eat a lot of meat and no seafood at all. I never had a problem with finding food. Tortilla, Salmorejo, Chickpeas with Spinach, Lentil salad, patatas bravas, croquettes, marinated carrots, rice dishes with veggies and the always present on the menu- ensalada mixta with the atun- separado en el lado. (For my husband to eat!)