Greetings from a newbie!

[briantand]

Hello fellow pilgrims! 😊 My name is Brian and I am from Minneapolis, Minnesota in the US. I am making my first Camino starting on April 1st, 2022 from St. Jean-Pied-de Port. Already enjoying reading the great advice and wisdom shared on this board. 🙏🏻 Any other Camino planning resources you would recommend for a newbie?

 

[trecile]

El Camino de Santiago | Gronze.com

Bienvenido a Gronze, tu Guía del Camino de Santiago: Información práctica, actualizada y participativa de los principales Caminos de Santiago.

www.gronze.com

Great source of information for dozens of Camino routes, especially albergue and other accommodations information. The site is only in Spanish, but if you use the Chrome browser it will automatically translate to English or the language of your choice.

 

[trecile]

Planificador - Camino de Santiago - Godesalco.com

Perfiles altitudinales, planificación de etapas y archivos GPS para el Camino de Santiago.

godesalco.com

Has a stage planning tool.

 

[briantand]

El Camino de Santiago | Gronze.com

Bienvenido a Gronze, tu Guía del Camino de Santiago: Información práctica, actualizada y participativa de los principales Caminos de Santiago.

www.gronze.com

Great source of information for dozens of Camino routes, especially albergue and other accommodations information. The site is only in Spanish, but if you use the Chrome browser it will automatically translate to English or the language of your choice.

Thank you so much! I will check out this site.

 

[C clearly]

Welcome to the forum! You might find it interesting to browse through the threads tagged as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). You can find that section anytime by scrolling down the list of all the Forums (click on the Casa Ivar graphic at the very top of any page).

 

[LogansRun]

Cant wait to get going !!!
Ill be at St Jean Pied de Port mid to late April 22. Had enough sitting around feeling sorry for myself. Time to get back in the saddle.
God bless !!!

 

[boski]

Hello fellow pilgrims! 😊 My name is Brian and I am from Minneapolis, Minnesota in the US. I am making my first Camino starting on April 1st, 2022 from St. Jean-Pied-de Port. Already enjoying reading the great advice and wisdom shared on this board. 🙏🏻 Any other Camino planning resources you would recommend for a newbie?

Trailsmart is a great app. It includes accommodations,stores,atms,etc... Also it works offline.

 

[Arniece2022]

Hi There, I am new also and plan to start April 20th. I am waiting for Semana Santa to be over. I have just started watching Efren Gonzalez on Youtube. He was recommended to me and I am finding his videos very informative.

 

[Bert45]

Although they do say that failing to plan is planning to fail, they also say that no plan survives contact with the enemy. I don't mean that the Camino is your enemy, but no matter how carefully you plan, something is bound to go wrong and your plans go out the window. The old Yiddish proverb, “We plan, God laughs,” or Man makes plans … and God laughs. (Proverbs 19:21) (It's not verbatim, but it's the gist of it.)
So I would advise you not to plan too much. Allow a few days more than you think you need before you book your return flight. Go with the flow. If you don't need the extra days, time to tour Santiago or carry on to Muxía or Finisterre. I also recommend Efren Gonzalez' videos. Informative and entertaining. It's not a race. Allow an extra day for Burgos and León, possibly Astorga too. If you can find a shopping trolley in SJPdP, buy one and put your rucksack on it. Carry the trolley when the going is too rough. But it will be a blessing when you are on tarmac. I used a folding trolley on five caminos. [Foldable-Luggage-Carrier-Bungee-Shopping]

​

 

[simply B]

Over a lifetime I have learned the wisdom of the saying "Plans are useless, planning is essential." (Ike Eisenhower, I think)

By which is meant "The Plan" never really is up to the task but the effort in planning prepares the mind and heart for intelligent adaptation as circumstances change.

Start slow and let your body tell you when you can move faster.

No matter how light your pack is, leaving any expectations in it will make it too heavy.

After that, it's just one step after another to the west. (If your hat floats, you have gone too far.)

B

 

[JerryStroebele]

Do yourself a favor, stop by REI and buy a copy of Fixing your Feet by Jon Vonhof, $20. Read it before anything else. Buen Camino

 

[JerryStroebele]

Also, learn a few words in the Basque language (Euskera): Egun on (Good morning), Mesedez (Please), and especially Eskerik asko (Thank you) --- and enough Spanish to order food in a bar/cafe or restaurant. Buen Camino

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Also, learn a few words in the Basque language (Euskera): Egun on (Good morning), Mesedez (Please), and especially Eskerik asko (Thank you)

I agree. In the Basque Country my greeting workers on the way to a factory or something with a cheery buenos dias brought no responses.

Also, try to use Castellano in place of the word Español which you may have learned in school.

 

[Keith H]

Check out Dan Mullins on My Camino the podcast. He has over 200 episodes with pilgrims and it’s a great way to learn while walking

 

[trecile]

Also, try to use Castellano in place of the word Español which you may have learned in school.

 

[André Walker]

A great source for free downloadable camino-tracks can be found on the website of the Dutch fraternity of St. James. This page is (also) in English:

Downloads - Santiago

Translate this page: Indeling – Per land vind je hier een overzicht van praktische downloads voor onderweg, ingedeeld in onderstaande drie categorieën. Handleiding – Wil je meer weten over hoe u deze bestanden samen met een geschikte app in je smartphone kunt installeren, lees dan deze...

www.santiago.nl

 

[zerrecan]

hello i just joined you.

 

[C clearly]

hello i just joined you.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[alexwalker]

Hello fellow pilgrims! 😊 My name is Brian and I am from Minneapolis, Minnesota in the US. I am making my first Camino starting on April 1st, 2022 from St. Jean-Pied-de Port. Already enjoying reading the great advice and wisdom shared on this board. 🙏🏻 Any other Camino planning resources you would recommend for a newbie?

Welcome, new pilgrim (you are a pilgrim now, as you have already started your direction towards your Camino). to this forum of experienced pilgrims from all over the world.

 

[briantand]

Although they do say that failing to plan is planning to fail, they also say that no plan survives contact with the enemy. I don't mean that the Camino is your enemy, but no matter how carefully you plan, something is bound to go wrong and your plans go out the window. The old Yiddish proverb, “We plan, God laughs,” or Man makes plans … and God laughs. (Proverbs 19:21) (It's not verbatim, but it's the gist of it.)
So I would advise you not to plan too much. Allow a few days more than you think you need before you book your return flight. Go with the flow. If you don't need the extra days, time to tour Santiago or carry on to Muxía or Finisterre. I also recommend Efren Gonzalez' videos. Informative and entertaining. It's not a race. Allow an extra day for Burgos and León, possibly Astorga too. If you can find a shopping trolley in SJPdP, buy one and put your rucksack on it. Carry the trolley when the going is too rough. But it will be a blessing when you are on tarmac. I used a folding trolley on five caminos. [Foldable-Luggage-Carrier-Bungee-Shopping]

​

Excellent advice! Thank you! I also subscribe to the view of “Go with the flow” and allow for God’s Grace and providence to be the ultimate guide.

 

[zerrecan]

hello i just joined you

Excellent advice! Thank you! I also subscribe to the view of “Go with the flow” and allow for God’s Grace and providence to be the ultimate guide.

great.