G'Day from Australia !

[Gerardus]

A friendly hello to everyone!
I joined up today, my name is Gary (Gerard),live in Melbourne Australia, Dutch background and intend to walk the "Coastal Route' for the first time,commencing approximately medio August 2011.
Will be doing this on my own at this stage, but interested to share this walking experience with a cheerful,flexible and (more or less!) compatible person. As I am a fitness orientated person (used to run long distance, including marathons etc.although well past my "prime" now!), I will most likely walk at a competitive pace, hoping to reach Santiago de Compostela within a month, allowing for 5 to 7 "rest days".

Look forward to hearing from some of you, who perhaps can also provide some tips for "en route" !
Cheers,
Gary

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Welcome! Tips are plentiful, so surf around the Forum. You may find it helpful to start with the "FAQ" toward the upper right corner, and the northern coastal route has its own section:

el-camino-del-norte/

Ask a question, and an answer is likely to appear shortly thereafter. Have a great walk.

 

[dougfitz]

snip
I will most likely walk at a competitive pace, hoping to reach Santiago de Compostela within a month, allowing for 5 to 7 "rest days".

Gary, welcome. Good luck with your endeavours.

Your background sounds very much like a friend of mine who did his second Camino Frances last year, covering that route in 32 days overall, 35 if you count rest days in Burgos and Lenon. He had a few 30km+ days, but did not attempt that regularly.

If I understand you correctly, you will be attempting to walk the 825km of the Coastal Route in 24 days, or about 35km daily on average. You might want to see who has achieved this, and how they went about it.

It would certainly be a significant challange, and I wish you the best with it.

 

[lindamac]

Dear Gary, I walked the CF in oct. last year finishing in 34 days, with no rest days, more than happy to discuss any concerns you may have in the lead up to your trip. Unfortunately, I can't make the trip with you but will just have to live vicariously thru you. My e-mail is lmac3366@yahoo.com.au so if you want to drop me a line.

 

[jl]

Hello Gary, welcome - from another Aussie!. I walked the Camino del Norte and the Camino Primitivo from Oviedo in 2009. I had a quick look in my notes and there were numerous days when I walked more than 25 kms (some days were closer to 35kms) - although I did not feel as if I was racing. (by the time I started the del Norte I had already walked 1,000kms and so had a reasonable fitness level). I left Irun on 24th August and arrived in Melide (where the Primitivo joins the camino Frances) on the 25th of September. I must say that I then arrived in Monte de Goza on the 26th - having walked all that way in one day - I just had a bit of a bee in my bonnett! Normally that takes about 3 days - or it has the other 2 times I have walked it. While doing this section I had rest days in Bilbao, Oviedo and Lugo and a very slow day one day so that I could detour to the caves at Alta Mira. I am not young, nor "fitness orientated" and so if I can do it by the sounds of it you should be able to. Send me a PM if you want more information. Cheers, Janet

 

[Caminando]

As I am a fitness orientated person (used to run long distance, including marathons etc.although well past my "prime" now!), I will most likely walk at a competitive pace,
Gary

Hi G

I wish you all the best in your camino at your pace. You will surely experience it in a way which I can't.

Buen camino

 

[Thornley]

My wife and i are doing the coastal route in July and early August Gary and any advice you need just PM .
Just give me until the start of August as we are continuing the walk onto Finastere and Muxia.
In 07 we did C . F and Finasterre and the following years Porto and Le Puy.

We were persuaded by the many europeans we encountered that the camino from Le Puy must be walked. We were very glad for this as its the most beautiful and harder than C.F.

Please do not hurry Gary, enjoy the surroundings and people on the coast.
We have noticed over the years how the good camino walkers have existed............every 2 hours mate, off with the pack , a bit of fruit/coffee/water or whatever and onwards.
That little rest without the Ospray on the back works wonders.
Enjoy and safe trip.

 

[pcurtin]

Gary (gerald), Im travelling to France to start on walk on 4/8
I live in Sorrento, 0409 33 77 36
Peter

 

[pcurtin]

Gary, at this stage, I really busy with my work prior to my departure in Aug, off to Sydney and SA in July Plus I need to finalise the Oct.,
Hope to chat via the phone
Peter

 

[Gerardus]

Hola to all of you peregrinos and future peregrinos!!
13oct,2011
Thought I let you know that I have safely returned to Melbourne,Australia after 3 months in Europe,spending time in Holland and Germany before commencing my Camino, as planned, on August 16th,2011 from Irun in North Eastern Spain.
I arrived in Santiago de Compostela on September 10th, 2011 having completed the unbelievable journey in 26 days,covering 825 kms via the Camino del Norte and the Camino Primitivo. I managed to spend (not sleep!!)all 26 days in 26 different places, ranging from auberques of mainly fair standard to excellent accommodation ("Hospital das Seixas")and included monasterios,an exconvent,abbey,different types of schools,sportshall,(yes the judo mats were great to sleep on!),a pension which also included mentally handicapped adults etc etc. Throughout the weather was great,mainly low to mid twenties with a few hot days in between and would you believe the only time it rained was the last 15 km or so into Santiago...!
Whow, you might think 825 kms in 26 days, was it just walking,sleeping walking then ?? NO WAY, I managed to spend time wherever possible in the "restaurantes' to mix with the locals,walked part of the distance usually with someone and thus got to know great friends from France, Germany,Madrid etc. Also managed to take about 600 photos en route and spent within that 26 days 2 days in Bilbao (Festival and of course the Guggenheim Museum),whilst enjoying ancient cities like Gernica,Oviedo and Lugo.
As I had mentioned in my "introduction" back in May 2011, I am a pretty fast walker,whose background has always been fitness orientated but this journey was another experience and physically extremely demanding,considering I also carried a 10kg plus backpack which seemed to get heavier each day. Spent 4 days in Santiago de Compostela prior to flying back to Holland.
And WHY did I make this adventure? Well, I guess a variety of reasons, but mainly historical,cultural and sporting interests,as well as getting to know a bit more about Spain, in particular this area where certainly away from the cities and coastal towns, there is still a lot of poverty in many areas.
At some stage in the future I hope to provide a slightly more comprehensive summary of my camino and I shall be happy to answer any questions then and now if this can be helpful to future and current peregrinos. But one tip here: if your Spanish is limited,like mine, at least learn the following in Spanish!! 1) Straight ahead.. 2) Go back!.. 3)1st or 2nd street/road to the left or right!
This will make it somewhat easier when you have lost your way a bit, which will happen to ALL OF US at some point!
Regards to everyone and of course Buen Camino ? (Oh, my age ? Well I just turned 66 years of age)