Hazards

[Margaret Butterworth]

“ It was said that pilgrims should not spend too much time planning their journey, for they might learn of so many hazards that they would decide not to go”. From: World without end by Frederick Forsyth.

 

[wayfarer]

You can always talk yourself out of doing something if you think about it too much.

 

[MKalcolm M]

The hardest part of any journey is making the decision to do it, once this is done everything else becomes easier, despite last minute nerves and unforeseen eventualities.

 

[CaminoCruiser]

Wasn't World Without End written by Ken Follett?

 

[Tincatinker]

It was.

 

[Mark Lee]

Hazards? On the modern Camino Frances?
What hazards?
Bad bottle of wine? Paella not up to snuff? Dodge a few cow patties on the road?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Paella not up to snuff?

Avoid the places with the extensive pizza-ad like menu boards for paella. It is frozen food, and you will be disappointed!!!

 

[Dennis D]

The only hazard for me was getting a positive addiction to this incredible experience. I don't want to stop walking and can't wait to return next year.

Buen Camino !

 

[Mark Lee]

Avoid the places with the extensive pizza-ad like menu boards for paella. It is frozen food, and you will be disappointed!!!

Ha ha. Thanks for the tip, but I was being facetious.
To me even the low end paella in Spain is good, but the best I had was in albergues where there was a communal meal and they served up the homemade stuff.

 

[JohnMcM]

You can always talk yourself out of doing something if you think about it too much.

Hmmmmmmmm? Now let me think for a while about how to reply to your post.....think,,,,,,,,,,think,,,,,,,,,,,think,,,,,,,think,,,,,,,,,,think,,,,,,,,,,think,,,,,,,,think.

There's that's better, and now that I've thought my thinking about it, I think I won't bother typing and posting this reply.

 

[Margaret Butterworth]

Wasn't World Without End written by Ken Follett?

Yes indeed. Sorry, everyone, I was mixing up two best selling authors.

 

[CaminoCruiser]

They're both very good authors too

 

[Margaret Butterworth]

What hazards? Things like bedbugs, blisters, getting your money stolen whilst taking a shower, food poisoning after eating at a certain restaurant in Carrion....

 

[Kanga]

Well, @Margaret Butterworth - let us compare with the hazards you encounter at home in Western Australia.....
Mega, mega rich inheritors of iron ore wealth with seemingly not a drop of charity in their veins.
Probably related to Great white sharks. At premier tourist beaches. Sea-snakes. Stonefish.
Some of world's most dangerous snakes (Taipan, King Brown, Death Adder, Western Brown).
No water for hundreds of kilometers.
Bluebottles. Redbacks spiders. Blue ringed octopus. Crocodiles. Stingers.
Deep fried icecream. Tinned fruit salad.
Bushfires that engulf and kill marathon runners during competition.
Cyclones.
Asbestos dust.
Huge road trains.
Kangaroos and emus that jump in front of cars, causing horrible crashes.
Not being able to get a meal after 8pm once you are out of inner city Perth. Or a good coffee. Anywhere. I swear.

 

[Al the optimist]

Time you upped sticks to live in Spain Kanga?

 

[Margaret Butterworth]

Kanga, I agree with everything you say except for the last comment. We do have excellent coffee in WA, though it does cost more than anywhere else in Australia!

 

[Joe Poblador]

Well, @Margaret Butterworth - let us compare with the hazards you encounter at home in Western Australia.....
Mega, mega rich inheritors of iron ore wealth with seemingly not a drop of charity in their veins.
Probably related to Great white sharks. At premier tourist beaches. Sea-snakes. Stonefish.
Some of world's most dangerous snakes (Taipan, King Brown, Death Adder, Western Brown).
No water for hundreds of kilometers.
Bluebottles. Redbacks spiders. Blue ringed octopus. Crocodiles. Stingers.
Deep fried icecream. Tinned fruit salad.
Bushfires that engulf and kill marathon runners during competition.
Cyclones.
Asbestos dust.
Huge road trains.
Kangaroos and emus that jump in front of cars, causing horrible crashes.
Not being able to get a meal after 8pm once you are out of inner city Perth. Or a good coffee. Anywhere. I swear.

Everything you said reminded me of what I read in "A Sunburnt Country."

 

[Kanga]

Time you upped sticks to live in Spain Kanga?

No, not for me. I love visiting Spain, love travelling, but despite the hazards, its Oz for me. It can't be beat! I'm grateful my convict forefathers were sent here.

 

[Brissy]

Everything you said reminded me of what I read in "A Sunburnt Country."

It is a beautiful place though. Beautiful blue water....sunshine....fresh air......cool crisp white wine....the reddest earth......the biggest trees! Can't wait to subject myself to the dangers lurking in Western Australia once again!

 

[Wanderer64]

You can always talk yourself out of doing something if you think about it too much.

So true, so true. I am one of those persons that tends to over-think big life decisions, and my Camino was one such decision. I knew the longer my Camino planning timeline was, the greater likelihood I'd talk myself out of it. I had a six month window (leave of absence from work) and wasn't even sure I'd do the Camino during that time, just had a strong desire to do it, or some other big adventure. Did some training at home for about a month into my leave of absence, and made a snap decision to buy a plane ticket in late July, 2013 after seeing a great last minute deal. I was on a plane 4 days after deciding to do the Camino, and two days after landing in Paris I was beginning my walk over the Pyrenees!

The only hazard I feared was talking myself out of going, and thankfully I overcame that with the help of some spontaneous will power.

 

[Margaret Butterworth]

More on the Australia versus Spain debate:
Tapas bars are suddenly all the rage in Perth, but prices are high and portions small.
At a deli, I paid $11 for a tiny piece of queso manchego.
It is impossible to get pimientos de padron here. I have tried to grow them, but they don't like the soil!

 

[bimblingalong]

Hi Margaret, where did you find seeds for the pimientos de padron?....I have 2 sweet pimentos plants waiting to go in!!
Are you coming along to the WA meetup next week? Would be great to talk Tapas & all things Camino with you...

 

[Margaret Butterworth]

Hi Margaret, where did you find seeds for the pimientos de padron?....I have 2 sweet pimentos plants waiting to go in!!
Are you coming along to the WA meetup next week? Would be great to talk Tapas & all things Camino with you...

Seeds are not available in WA. I ordered some from a chilli farm in Devon, UK, and imported them (maybe illegally?) via my sister in Yorkshire. Hope to come to meeting next weekend.
M.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

New seeds should be available:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/260791176280?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[Kanga]

Don't take the risk of importing unknown pathogens into WA @Margaret Butterworth and @bimblingalong - get the seeds pasturized or quarantined - contact your local branch of the Department of Agriculture. Please. Double please. Triple please.

 

[Gunde]

The only hazard for me was getting a positive addiction to this incredible experience. I don't want to stop walking and can't wait to return next year.

Buen Camino !

Completly agree. We got an addiction to the Camino. Thinking, talking and dreaming Camino nowdays.
An torturing all friends with photos an stories from "the way"

 

[fraluchi]

Strange no one has mentioned the hordes of cyclists who throw themselves past walking pilgrims.

 

[Mark Lee]

All I can say to the people reading this thread who are not members of this forum, or who have not yet done a Camino Frances and are contemplating doing one, is that there are no real hazards while doing it, just inconveniences. Especially if you do it during the summer and avoid the snow.

 

[pilgrim b]

Geradcarey now he knows all about hazards on the camino, he picks em up quite natural and wears them like 'buffs' when he finds them. Behind bushes usually!
I think he was the author of that tale too, if I am not also mistaken in my information about the author?

Edit: Oh Yes, I nearly forgot he has other tales of hazards like tall walls and dustbins if my memory serves me well .

 

[Diefenbaker]

Well, @Margaret Butterworth - let us compare with the hazards you encounter at home in Western Australia.....
Mega, mega rich inheritors of iron ore wealth with seemingly not a drop of charity in their veins.
Probably related to Great white sharks. At premier tourist beaches. Sea-snakes. Stonefish.
Some of world's most dangerous snakes (Taipan, King Brown, Death Adder, Western Brown).
No water for hundreds of kilometers.
Bluebottles. Redbacks spiders. Blue ringed octopus. Crocodiles. Stingers.
Deep fried icecream. Tinned fruit salad.
Bushfires that engulf and kill marathon runners during competition.
Cyclones.
Asbestos dust.
Huge road trains.
Kangaroos and emus that jump in front of cars, causing horrible crashes.
Not being able to get a meal after 8pm once you are out of inner city Perth. Or a good coffee. Anywhere. I swear.

But otherwise very nice??

 

[Kanga]

Some extraordinarily beautiful places @Diefenbaker and Sandgropers (our slang for residents of Western Australia) are usually kind, tolerant, amusing and relaxed people. Just the sort we hope to meet on Camino.

But I agree. The only hazards on the Camino are universal. I really can't think of a single hazard that is specific to the Camino. Except perhaps its addictive attraction.

 

[marbuck]

Don't take the risk of importing unknown pathogens into WA @Margaret Butterworth and @bimblingalong - get the seeds pasturized or quarantined - contact your local branch of the Department of Agriculture. Please. Double please. Triple please

We spend time weeding in National Parks and totally agree with you Kanga, the last thing we need is another weed in Australia.

 

[Thornley]

More on the Australia versus Spain debate:
Tapas bars are suddenly all the rage in Perth, but prices are high and portions small.
At a deli, I paid $11 for a tiny piece of queso manchego.
It is impossible to get pimientos de padron here. I have tried to grow them, but they don't like the soil!

When in Melbourne visit Mo Vida Aqui , the original Mo Vida in Hosier Lane or Mo Vida Next Door ,
or
Walk the Portuguese Camino Margaret , plenty on there after Tui.

 

[alexwalker]

For all you Australians:

Come and see me anytime

 

[Ahhhs]

I enjoy the planning part. It makes the time between the decision to go and your actual start date go by more quickly. The details are fun to analyze and the packing and repacking changes every time. I'm not worried about the details...it's just fun to discuss them. Over and over.

If anything it makes me want to leave sooner.

 

[Charles Hansen]

All I can say to the people reading this thread who are not members of this forum, or who have not yet done a Camino Frances and are contemplating doing one, is that there are no real hazards while doing it, just inconveniences. Especially if you do it during the summer and avoid the snow.

I thought the traditional wisdom was that there are greater inconveniences during the summer?

 

[Mark Lee]

I thought the traditional wisdom was that there are greater inconveniences during the summer?

I suppose that would depend on what one considers inconveniences.

 

[Charles Hansen]

I suppose that would depend on what one considers inconveniences.

Hordes of people + HOT

 

[Mark Lee]

Hordes of people + HOT

Yeah, it did get a bit more crowded after O'Cebreiro on both my Caminos, but never so bad I didn't have a place to sleep at night. Prior to O'Cebreiro the Camino was not crowded at all. One night I stayed in an albergue with just one other pilgrim.
The weather? Hot? Again, up to the individual. Having lived all my life in the southern US (Texas and Louisiana) and having worked and been stationed overseas in the middle east and SW Asia (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Dubai, Afghanistan) I found northern Spain during the summer to be very pleasant weather wise. Almost no humidity and it seemed the temperature never broke 32C (90F). Damn nice weather and not at all inconvenient, at least to me anyway and it got cool enough for me to break out the fleece only a handful of times in the evenings.

 

[Charles Hansen]

> "it seemed the temperature never broke 32C (90F)"

There's the difference Mark - I consider anything over 70 hot ;-)

I went in early June previously, and although it was sometimes over 70, it was indeed a dry heat, so manageable for me.

Also, I'm certain that cycling vs. walking helps in that regard.

However, I am starting to think about September for next time, or even May - although, I suspect that the latter is far busier than the former? (composition, not calendar wise ;-)

 

[Mark Lee]

> "it seemed the temperature never broke 32C (90F)"

There's the difference Mark - I consider anything over 70 hot ;-)

I went in early June previously, and although it was sometimes over 70, it was indeed a dry heat, so manageable for me.

Also, I'm certain that cycling vs. walking helps in that regard.

However, I am starting to think about September for next time, or even May - although, I suspect that the latter is far busier than the former? (composition, not calendar wise ;-)

For me if I do it again it would be in May. I suspect it would possibly be a bit wetter and a wee bit cooler that month, so that may force me not to wear shorts everyday and break out the fleece a few more times.
No way would I do it during the snowy months. After having to do cold weather training in the military I swore to myself never would I volunteer to go out in that kind of weather if I didn't have to. Same with the really rainy days. Mama didn't raise no fool.

 

[Thornley]

For me if I do it again it would be in May. I suspect it would possibly be a bit wetter and a wee bit cooler that month, so that may force me not to wear shorts everyday and break out the fleece a few more times.
No way would I do it during the snowy months. After having to do cold weather training in the military I swore to myself never would I volunteer to go out in that kind of weather if I didn't have to. Same with the really rainy days. Mama didn't raise no fool.

We started in early *****May***** 2008 from STJPP.
Mountain closed , Valcarlos was a very welcome stop , everyone was drenched.
Ferries from UK to Europe closed.
Albergues on rivers in the Basque all closed.
Planes on wrong runway in Asia...all dead
Storms covered the globe.
The Fall / Autumn is the best weather world wide in our opinion but i really enjoyed walking in August.
Baggage less heavy clothes , drying time when you finish is normally whilst you shower........... beer tastes better.........and Kanga better legs to look at..........[be gentle mate]
There are fewer people especially if you don't walk the 25-30 km range... its a great day.
** In the bigger towns , air conditioning a must at night , in the smaller villages with alberques......... ** don't close that bloody window .