Hello from Prince Edward Island, Canada!

[PEI_Heather]

Hello! I am getting ready for my first Camino walk in October and November and getting very excited/nervous/happy/not looking forward to blisters (or, gah, bedbugs)! I'll be in England for a course on 6-7 October and making my way over to Cherbourg or La Havre to reach St Jean de Pied Port; hopefully starting my walk on the 8th, if not the 9th (it depends on the transport from point A to point B, right?).

My choice of months for traveling are because I was born in November and would like to arrive in Santiago for my birthday mid-November (13)--if I arrive a day or two or three later, meh, then I arrive a day or two or three later. I will try for 13 November! It's a big birthday this year so I am going to celebrate it by doing something big: walking the Camino Frances!

I have been really happy to read all the posts and advice here about traveling the Camino, and especially during those month. I will pack accordingly. Frankly, it sounds like I will feel quite at home; we have a saying here in Atlantic Canada that if you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes!

If anyone has any general suggestions or will be traveling at that time, I would love to hear them/know. I'm a bit concerned about albergues that are closed in November and being able to find a warm, dry place to stay. Is there a way to find out before I leave Canada? A list or website that I can look at to get a basic idea?

I've done quite a bit of hiking before, but not this distance or amount of time (and not for a long time), so...

My 'training' to this point has been to bus to work and walk back home with my daypack on my back. Depending on the route, it can be a 6.5 km to a 13 km walk. I'm also doing some longer hikes, and this weekend, getting in some good walks in some of the hiller parts of the Island. Besides that, I'm getting back into yoga (flexibility and strength). Got the boots; got the (non-cotton) socks; got the will; got the zen for walking!

I look forward to your advice and comments, and maybe will see some of you on the Camino Frances!

Cheers!
Heather

 

[Deleted member 3000]

No list of albergues is perfect, but this one is very good. Pull it up in Chrome and you will get a translation:

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/alb ... no-frances

 

[skilsaw]

Hello Heather from PEI.
Welcome to the forum.

Your adventure has already started! A 13 km walk home from work! Now that's a commitment late in the day, but doing it a couple times will give you the experience of sticking with a commitment, even if you are tired, hungry, thirsty... Take water to drink, and a couple of pieces of fruit to eat and enjoy the walk. It isn't a race. I hope it includes some nice rural roads.

The Camino will be upon you before you know it.

My first Camino in 2004 was to celebrate my 50th birthday. It was a good milestone, and I've been back to walk a couple more routes since.

Having made the decision to walk, your pilgrimage has already begun.
Buen Camino,
David, Victoria, Canada.

 

[PEI_Heather]

Thanks for that Falcon269; I will have a look! Logically I know I won't have any problems finding a place to sleep for the night, but it is a concern. I'm sure I will be able to rest easy when I get on the trail. (Pun intended!)

Thanks David! That's exactly the birthday I will be celebrating! I call it jumping the fence, so I want to do so as a Great Big Time! (Yikes! How did I suddenly--almost--become 50? I was just learning how to ride a bike yesterday and finishing high school the next day...it seems!)

My 13 Km walk begins in downtown Charlottetown at the start of the Confederation Trail, the old railway bed now Island-wide hiking trail, to about 1/4 km to my house. I get to walk (or meander or run or lope or skip!) along a peagravel trail that goes by farmers' fields and through some woodland as well as some lightly developed areas. Yesterday the excitement was mosquitoes the size of horses, a plethora of delicious ripe raspberries and a group of enthusiastic senior cyclists making their way down the trail to town! Yes, it's a great way to get home, though you are right, being tired at the end of the day makes for a longer trek than if I started in the morning. Closer to the day I hope to walk to work then back home (I'm self-employed so am able to set my own hours).

Thank you; in my mind's eye my Camino will start the moment I touch French soil. It's nice to know I have already started on my journey!

Cheers from the other coast! (Victoria is such a gorgeous place! You live in a beautiful city.)
Heather

 

[rglongpre]

Sounds like a great time for a walk, especially to celebrate a "big" birthday as part of the camino. Buen camino, Heather - from Robert in Saskatchewan.

 

[PEI_Heather]

Thanks Robert! I was in Saskatchewan a couple of years ago--took the train across Canada. Fell in love with the province.

 

[efdoucette]

Hello Heather, from another canuck, Nova Scotia. I walked the Frances last Sept / Oct, any questions let'm rip. You can also PM me if you like.

Eric

 

[fraluchi]

Hello! I am getting ready for my first Camino walk in October and November and getting very excited/nervous/happy[...] I'll be in England for a course on 6-7 October and making my way over to Cherbourg or La Havre to reach St Jean de Pied Port;

Spending a few days in England will help you to overcome the jet-lag and start the Camino in an "updated" condition. Carry on with your daily trims, don't overload your backpack, and remember that you will be walking along a civilized countryside, mostly with other motivated pilgrims.
By mid-September check this Forum for information on available albergues during October and November. Make sure you have decent rain-gear and a warm pullover (the "wait-a-bits" can be excruciating in Galicia). Whatever other extras you may need can always be bought in the larger towns you will pass through like Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, León, etc.
Ultreya

 

[PEI_Heather]

Thanks, Eric! We'll have to meet up after I get back! My cousin, who just graduated from University King's College in Halifax celebrated by walking the Camino. She's still in Europe but will return to Halifax to work.

I'll certainly send you some questions. Maybe such as: did anyone understand you with your Maritime accent?! Did you miss blueberry grunt? How did you get by without Tim Hortons?!! :lol:

Cheers!
Heather

 

[PEI_Heather]

Hi Ultreya!
This is great information. I am only in England for a few days to do a course so am hoping I don't fall asleep during it because of jetlag. I'm hoping to avoid that as much as possible.

I bought a good down jacket that folds up into itself. I'm wondering if that would be overkill taking that or a good idea for the higher up places. (I'm from sea level so to me, unless it's July, higher altitudes = cool to cold.). I was thinking a fleece vest with a windbraker and some cycling sleeves would also work instead or just as well. The sleeves are not attached to anything and worn in fall weather to keep cold arms from falling off!

What are 'wait-a-bits'? New term for me...
Thanks for the help.
Cheers!
Heather

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I bought a good down jacket

It worked in "The Way" with its obvious pre-harvest vineyards! Most pilgrims would cook inside of Sheen's clothing. Down probably is overkill, though November can be cold. If the down jacket is not waterproof, it will become soaked and useless. I suggest layering long underwear, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, fleece, windbreaker, and poncho. You can pick the right combination each day, and will never be cold. Sleep in it if you need to. A vest will be redundant to some combination you already have. While it is practical in your home closet, I don't think you will want it on the camino. Pretty much everything you carry should have a second use if practicable. Zori will make sandals unnecessary. Crocs will substitute for both. It will rain in October and November, so be sure that everything in your pack is in plastic bags.

Others talk of albergues without blankets, but I have been only one place without blankets -- the albergue in Leon. It was stifling hot that night anyway. Every place else has had blankets on the beds or on request. It might be a good topic thread for albergues without blankets so we have specifics on who does not have them. Generalities are insufficient to be useful, and serve only to panic the timorous!

 

[Gailsie]

Hello Heather, greetings from across the Confederation Bridge, I am just outside of Fredericton. I am not sure that I can add much as my camino was Sept. to early Oct. of 2009. But I sure enjoyed it and will go again for my 65th present to myself. But feel free to email me any questions. There was two women from PEI who walked from SJPP to Castrojeriz in May. Rachael loved it so much she is returning to complete her camino in Sept. Hopefully she will read your post and respond.

Gail

 

[PEI_Heather]

Thanks Falcon269 for all your good advice on clothing; I will (happily) leave the down jacket home. It'll be my treat to wear in the cold PEI winter when I return.

Hi Gail! Thanks; I hope to hear from Rachael. Who knows; we may just find each other over in Spain!

 

[WendyL]

Hello Heather,

Congrats on the decision of making this journey I live in Dartmouth, NS and have just returned home after walking the Camino starting in SJPP on June 30th. I completed the journey on July 23rd. I found this blog most helpful for all of my questions and concerns.

When I started training for my journey, I started with Keen hiking boots and had a lot of difficulty with them then changed to Patagonia hiking shoes. They were fantastic. The socks I used were Wrightsocks and vasoline everyday. Blisters I think are inevitable and I would recommend Not using Compeed or Blister bandaids. They caused more problems with people that I met this month.

Albergues, that's another story. I have never experienced hostels in my youth and I would not be too quick to return to them, lol. I was fortunate this month and stayed in really good ones and a few disgusting ones. Most sell you for 1 euro disposable sheet and pillow case, which I bought everytime. I also brought and used nightly a silk sleeping bag liner and had to purchase a sleeping bag due to the very cool nights. By being overly paranoid about the bedbugs and using the disposable sheet and liner, I personally never had a problem. Now having said that, there were many who didn't use protection and were pickled with bites.

If I had to repack my pack I would never bring clothing that required a belt. Due to weight loss and wearing the belt and backpack, my belt felt like a knife in my hips. I ended up washing and wearing 1 pair of LuLu Lemon shorts for the duration and would put on the shorts requiring a belt after I showered until the others were dry.

I would also recommend increasing your walks to 15-20+ km if you can. Yoga is great at the end of the day not right after your walks but after your shower and maybe even after you eat. My stretching was incorporated into my daily routine and it helped a lot.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me. So great to see Maritimers online

Buen Camino
Wendy Lane

 

[ivar]

Hi there,

Regarding a list of albergues, here is one:
http://www.caminodesantiago.me/camino-d ... o-frances/
...and you have some contact info there in case you would like to ask them if they are open...

Buen Camino!
Ivar

 

[PEI_Heather]

Hi Wendy! Thanks for this great advice! I will be heading to Halifax in the very near future to go shopping/looking at MEC. I'd love to meet for coffee to get more of your experience and advice! Have you been to Two If By Sea (Octerloney at Wentworth)? You can send me a message and I'll let you know when I'll be travelling over.

Thanks for the link, Ivar! I actually have already copied this chart; very helpful. And thanks for taking care of (starting?) this forum. It's probably the most useful centre of information I've come across about the Camino.

Cheers!

 

[joanfromcomox]

Hi to my fellow Canucks and others ...

Hi from the west coast of Canada ... from the pretty little seaside town of Comox. I had hoped to be on the trail this September to celebrate a big birthday (65 in my case). My daughter had arranged time off work and we were to head off together. One often hears the question ... why are you doing this? One of mine was out of gratitude for good health. My mom, dad, and brother didn't make it this far without major health issues and my brother didn't make it this far at all. So, I'm feeling particularly fortunate and grateful. What I didn't count on was my very-robust 78-looks-ten-years younger husband becoming ill a few months ago. He who originally was a little concerned about my going but who had taken advantage of my last two birthdays to give me gifts to support my journey (a silk sleeping bag insert and my lovely backpack). I was holding on so tightly to my dream of walking in September that it became painful and I came to realize that I needed to let it go ... for now. The good news is that my husband appears to be on the mend and I'm hoping that I will be on the road with the class of 2013. During these past few months I have been working toward becoming a hospice volunteer with the most wonderful of women. As we sorted through my feelings about the Camino she said something that lingers. She reminded me that what I was experiencing could all be viewed as part of the pilgrimage experience ... it just wasn't unfolding as I had anticipated. While I don't know if my daughter will be able to arrange a few months off work again in the near future, what I do know is that I will be walking ... I just don't know when. I considered sharing this with members of the forum before, but didn't. I don't know why I have chosen today to do so, but it feels good being in the company of those who I know will understand, deeply, what this journey means to those who have already taken to the road and those of us who are planning to do so. They will understand in ways that others may not. So fellow travellers who are setting out in September, I wish you well. And to those who are preparing for a later departure, I now join your ranks with hope and optimism.

 

[rglongpre]

Re: Hi to my fellow Canucks and others ...

Hi from the west coast of Canada ... from the pretty little seaside town of Comox. ... I was holding on so tightly to my dream of walking in September that it became painful and I came to realize that I needed to let it go ... for now. The good news is that my husband appears to be on the mend and I'm hoping that I will be on the road with the class of 2013..

Wow! Joan, I wish you good luck in helping your good husband back to health and for your class of 2013 hike.

Robert from near Saskatoon

 

[rgallant]

Hi Heather,
You will have a wonderful time!!! It's amazing! I am from PEI as well. As Gail mentioned in her post, I did walk from SJPDE to Castrojeriz in May. I'm flying to Madrid September 12 and will be walking from Castrojeriz to Finisterre.

Buen Camino,
Rachelle