Hi ... crazy person here :)

[tarasis]

Hi, I'm Rob and new around these parts.

I am wanting to walk the Camino Frances this year, ideally starting in May just after the Eurovision Song Contest (so around the 21st-24th) ... although I'm tempted to start a week earlier.

This is all happening rather quickly, so I have about a month to prep and get stuff sorted. While I haven't really been walking this year yet, I was out walking 15-20km a day around the local area for exercise purposes (usually ~6km/h) so the daily walk isn't too intimidating, but the lack of Spanish (I suck at languages, I've lived in Germany 13 years and I'm still not good at it), having a crap diet (hate vegtables, and most fruit) and the short prep are playing a little on my mind.

It was originally supposed to happen 2 years ago, but it got punted, and then last year we had costly work done to the house and I had to be around for the builders.

Why so soon / why walk the Camino? Well part of it is a break / space to consider where my life goes from here, I am contemp... no ... I need space to be sure about the decision I've made and not have to worry about house work & kids; nothing like being able to walk for ages to give you time to think The other reasons are that I'd like to see Spain, experience a different culture and people, I enjoy walking and I want to just be living in the moment & not walk on a day if I just fancy pootling around and seeing the town I'm in.

Ideally I'd do the Northern coastal walk first (I love the sea, I miss it dearly), but I think the Camino Frances is a more sensible start. (Although I am REALLY tempted to do SJPDP to Santiago, rest for a few days and then do Santiago to Lisbon ... I have permission to do so, but that would mean walking in Portugal in July which could be crazy hot)

Small part of me wants to take my iPad along for reading purposes.

Other than that ... I dunno. I'm 42, from Northern Ireland, living in Germany, Stay at home parent with 2 kids (13 & 12), former computer programmer, in to roleplaying, film scores, Jazz

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Hi, tarasis, and welcome to the Forum.

 

[trecile]

having a crap diet (hate vegtables, and most fruit)

Then you'll love pilgrim meals.

 

[Geodoc]

Welcome Rob. You'll love the Camino - lots of meat! Of course, that makes it a tad difficult for us Vegans Can you get by with something lighter than an iPad for reading?

 

[Anamya]

You won't have any trouble with food... LOTS of meats, rice, pastries, sauces, potatos.

If you can walk that much, you will be fine with the trail. Don't be afraid of lack of language. Lots of people speak English along the camino, and very quickly you will pick up the survival phrases. Have a smile on your face like you have in your photo and you will be fine most places

About electronics, take them if they can be multiple use (i.e also making bookings, calls, etc). The less weight you carry, the better. I do carry a tablet, and although I always take a pdf book to read, I've never done it along 2 caminos.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Welcome, crazy person Rob!

 

[Former member 49149]

Welcome. Sounds like you have a good plan worked out. If your iPad is going with you (and why not) you can take a few trips up and along the north east coast and round and down to Youghal if it is raining in Spain! Buen camino.

 

[Karl Oz]

Willkommen Crazy Person.
The relative paucity of fresh fruit and cooked vegetables on the camino route will make you feel quite at home. Additionally, the lack of Spanish will definitely not be a hindrance, since a only a minority of pilgrims have any Spanish language skills.
Many camino routes can be recommended but the CF is justifiably popular for first-timers for its scope and infrastucture.

Have fun.

 

[nycwalking]

Pork and potatoes typical pilgrim’s meal with a salad thrown in.

Yum, yum for you.

Buen camino.

 

[Former member 49149]

EAT UP: Spain officially the healthiest country in the WORLD

SPAIN is the healthiest country in the world, and that’s official. Paella, pata negra ham, fresh blue fish and the derided tortilla española have produced a healthy nation that heads the Bloomberg…

www.euroweeklynews.com

 

[Deleted member 73526]

just after the Eurovision Song Contest (so around the 21st-24th) ... although I'm tempted to start a week earlier.

I'm not a fan of the Eurovision Song Contest but I do like the fact that it's the anchor in your schedule.
If you choose to leave earlier I expect you can find somewhere to watch it in Spain.

 

[tarasis]

Apologies for the delay in answering, be floored by a cold bug from my kids.

Yay! *face palm* at least its Easter holidays.

Hi, tarasis, and welcome to the Forum.

Thank you kindly davebugg

Then you'll love pilgrim meals.

oh thats fantastic to hear trecile. I hadn't dug into what the sort of meals you got where. Good chance I'll make it to the end alive then

Welcome Rob. You'll love the Camino - lots of meat! Of course, that makes it a tad difficult for us Vegans Can you get by with something lighter than an iPad for reading?

Thanks Geodoc. I am overjoyed about the food although yeah, I see the problem it presents for youse.

I do have a kindle (older Paperwhite one) but I cant read comics on it (I do like novels too) and I thought it could do double duty with some Camino apps. Still got time to think and test.

You won't have any trouble with food... LOTS of meats, rice, pastries, sauces, potatos.

If you can walk that much, you will be fine with the trail. Don't be afraid of lack of language. Lots of people speak English along the camino, and very quickly you will pick up the survival phrases. Have a smile on your face like you have in your photo and you will be fine most places

About electronics, take them if they can be multiple use (i.e also making bookings, calls, etc). The less weight you carry, the better. I do carry a tablet, and although I always take a pdf book to read, I've never done it along 2 caminos.

Cheers Anamya. Happy to hear there are lots who will speak English and yes I intend to try and pickup the important phrases at least to read, if not hear and say. Noted about the smile, I'll endevour to keep it on my face.

Yeah the tablet is a bit heavy, I need to get a hold of all the bits I need for the Camino and get out walking here with it to test how I am with the weight.

Welcome, crazy person Rob!

Thank you kindlly RumAndChupacabras

Welcome. Sounds like you have a good plan worked out. If your iPad is going with you (and why not) you can take a few trips up and along the north east coast and round and down to Youghal if it is raining in Spain! Buen camino.

Thank ye kindly kirkie. Really? Cool. Didn't sound like a good plan in my head. Youghal as in the seaside resort town in County Cork, Ireland? I haven't really gone walking much in the North or South, although I'd like to go down the west coast some time from say Donegal to Killarney. The rain doesn't bother me, heat does Being from Ireland my ideal temp range is 0-20, outside of that its too warm or cold ... its one of the reasons I dislike living in Germany.

Willkommen Crazy Person.
The relative paucity of fresh fruit and cooked vegetables on the camino route will make you feel quite at home. Additionally, the lack of Spanish will definitely not be a hindrance, since a only a minority of pilgrims have any Spanish language skills.
Many camino routes can be recommended but the CF is justifiably popular for first-timers for its scope and infrastucture.

Have fun.

Danke schon Karl Oz thats good to hear. Yeah the Frances definitely looked like the one to start with for me, although I definitely want to give the others a go just not sure if I will get the chance to again.

I will try and learn some Spanish, I hope

Pork and potatoes typical pilgrim’s meal with a salad thrown in.

Yum, yum for you.

Buen camino.

Thanks nycwalking, it does sound pretty yummy. Hopefully I won't get too frowned upon for not eating a thrown in salad. Hmm maybe an essential phrase for me to learn "No salad please"

EAT UP: Spain officially the healthiest country in the WORLD

SPAIN is the healthiest country in the world, and that’s official. Paella, pata negra ham, fresh blue fish and the derided tortilla española have produced a healthy nation that heads the Bloomberg…

www.euroweeklynews.com

Thanks for the link kirkie. Heh maybe I should just stay there Not tried a tortilla española before, reminds me (distantly) of potato bread.

I'm not a fan of the Eurovision Song Contest but I do like the fact that it's the anchor in your schedule.
If you choose to leave earlier I expect you can find somewhere to watch it in Spain.

Ah, well Raggy, I've been actively watching Eurovision since I was 10-12, only ever missed a couple of them over the last 30 years. Over the last 6-7 years I usually have a stupidly long Facebook thread commenting on the songs, along with a bunch on friends who are in the UK, Denmark and elsewhere. Vaguely like a viewing party

 

[Former member 49149]

Good to hear back. Once you take the first step... you will know what is next. Bravo, Chico! Well done, friend! I am not from the North, but may I say: 'bout you, pal! That is kind of a mixture of what I understand to be a northerner's greeting to another northerner, and pal, being how folk are greeted sometimes near where I am from, not too far from Glasgow.

 

[trecile]

I do have a kindle (older Paperwhite one) but I cant read comics on it (I do like novels too) and I thought it could do double duty with some Camino apps. Still got time to think and test.

I don't think that there are any Camino apps that work on a Kindle. The best apps use GPS to show the route and your location on it. You can download some guidebooks on it though, but not the famous Brierly guide, which inexplicably is not available electronically. But you can also do this using the Kindle app on your phone.

I brought a small Kindle Fire tablet on my first Camino, thinking that it would be useful for reading a guide e-book, but I only used it a few times, abd ended up reading on my phone.

 

[Sylvmino]

Hi, I'm Rob and new around these parts.

I am wanting to walk the Camino Frances this year, ideally starting in May just after the Eurovision Song Contest (so around the 21st-24th) ... although I'm tempted to start a week earlier.

Also love that you are doing this around Eurovision. I forgot to check. Hoping I don’t miss it but guessing it must be the 18th so should be fine.

I’m starting from SJPdP on the 22nd. Fingers crossed there is room in Orisson. Buen Camino!

 

[Bradypus]

I am wanting to walk the Camino Frances this year, ideally starting in May just after the Eurovision Song Contest (so around the 21st-24th) ... although I'm tempted to start a week earlier.

That sounds a little eccentric but not totally mad. In May 2012 I took a long Interrail trip from the UK to the far east of Turkey and back. On one of my trains I met a group of postgraduate science students and researchers from Bristol who were travelling overland to Baku just to watch the final dress rehearsal for Eurovision that year: the result of some very ill-advised remarks made while drunk and watching the previous year's contest and a failure to buy tickets for the final itself. That was crazy

 

[tomnorth]

Pilgrims have been known to kill for fresh fruit and vegetables! ;-)

 

[ouroboros]

I don't think that there are any Camino apps that work on a Kindle. The best apps use GPS to show the route and your location on it. You can download some guidebooks on it though, but not the famous Brierly guide, which inexplicably is not available electronically. But you can also do this using the Kindle app on your phone.

I brought a small Kindle Fire tablet on my first Camino, thinking that it would be useful for reading a guide e-book, but I only used it a few times, abd ended up reading on my phone.

Question: debating about leaving my Brierly behind and depending only in the Wise Pilgtrim app. What do you think?

I don't think that there are any Camino apps that work on a Kindle. The best apps use GPS to show the route and your location on it. You can download some guidebooks on it though, but not the famous Brierly guide, which inexplicably is not available electronically. But you can also do this using the Kindle app on your phone.

I brought a small Kindle Fire tablet on my first Camino, thinking that it would be useful for reading a guide e-book, but I only used it a few times, abd ended up reading on my phone.

Would you ever leave the Brierly at home and depend only on apps like Wise Pilgrim etc?

 

[trecile]

Question: debating about leaving my Brierly behind and depending only in the Wise Pilgtrim app. What do you think?

Would you ever leave the Brierly at home and depend only on apps like Wise Pilgrim etc?

Yes, I have for three Caminos so far. My preferred app is Editorial Buen Camino. I also have a guide book on my Kindle app for more historical information.

 

[NorthernLight]

I have never walked with Brierly. It's very possible to walk the Frances without a guidebook.

 

[Bradypus]

Would you ever leave the Brierly at home and depend only on apps like Wise Pilgrim etc?

I dislike the Brierley guides and have never carried one. These days I get my accommodation information from the Gronze website and background route descriptions and historical information from the Eroski website. Between the two I usually find all the information that I need very easily.

 

[tarasis]

Nerves are definitely starting to set in. I have barely anything I want and struggling to decide on somethings

Spent the last 2.5 days trying on shoes/boots and backpacks.

Had wanted something more trainer like but none of the things I tried were really right. I kept going back to the Meindl Ohio 2 non goretex which seemed to fit the best and feel most comfortable. Handily the shop I was at today had 10% of everything.

Of all the bags I’ve tried (and I’ve forgotten many of the names now). Only the Lowe Alpine Airzone Camino Trek 30:40 and Deuter Futura 40 have felt closest to “right” (with 5kg loads) BUT I find the shoulder strap on the Futura too wide feels like it’s digging in on the front around the armpit. Feels uncomfortable.

As a random thing I tried on a women’s Deuter 34l bag which strap wise felt better but the bag didn’t sit on my hips as well. ‪¯\_(ツ)_/¯‬

I’m thankfully I’m not working and having to try & sort this out. Yee gads that would hurt.

What’s funny is I’m happy to wing things when walking, but prepping with lots of choice and not wanting to make the wrong choice apparently breaks me.

Plus side it’s 3 days running of walking 10km

 

[freeflyer123]

You are going to love your Camino, tarasis, trust me. You do realise that it's "a calling" don't you? Every one of us who have walked, or will walk, the Caminos (or in my case ridden) do so because of an inner yearning to just do it.

You will probably find you've packed too much but can always jettison (or send back home) anything you aren't using. What am I talking about? As a man, you'll probably not pack enough

And, as you've lived in Germany, you will also know that there's nothing you can't buy in Spain as well. Don't you just love trying new cultures. That's part of the overall experience.

If you're worried about your lack of Spanish, see if you can download an app for translation purposes. Wish I had had one on my mobile when we rode the Camino back in 2013. Instead, I tried to learn some Spanish before we left but found myself translating everything into French (which I was much better at). In the end, I was mixing both Spanish and French together and making a right mess of it, but at least having a go got loads of laughs.

Just writing this makes me nostalgic and want to go back for more. Sadly, I'm not sure I have it in me any more now that I'm 71 (I know, I know, loads of people will be coming on now and telling me I'm still a spring chicken compared to some of the ages of people who have walked the Caminos), although my husband is talking about walking just from SJPdP to Pamplona, and he'll need me along to make sure he doesn't lose his way.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

my husband is talking about walking just from SJPdP to Pamplona, and he'll need me along to make sure he doesn't lose his way.

Well, sounds like it would be okay to lose him in Pamplona then. If so then look for him in Puente de Reina. If he is not there then ...

 

[Former member 49149]

Nerves are definitely starting to set in. I have barely anything I want and struggling to decide on somethings

Spent the last 2.5 days trying on shoes/boots and backpacks.

Had wanted something more trainer like but none of the things I tried were really right. I kept going back to the Meindl Ohio 2 non goretex which seemed to fit the best and feel most comfortable. Handily the shop I was at today had 10% of everything.

Of all the bags I’ve tried (and I’ve forgotten many of the names now). Only the Lowe Alpine Airzone Camino Trek 30:40 and Deuter Futura 40 have felt closest to “right” (with 5kg loads) BUT I find the shoulder strap on the Futura too wide feels like it’s digging in on the front around the armpit. Feels uncomfortable.

As a random thing I tried on a women’s Deuter 34l bag which strap wise felt better but the bag didn’t sit on my hips as well. ‪¯\_(ツ)_/¯‬

I’m thankfully I’m not working and having to try & sort this out. Yee gads that would hurt.

What’s funny is I’m happy to wing things when walking, but prepping with lots of choice and not wanting to make the wrong choice apparently breaks me.

Plus side it’s 3 days running of walking 10km

Maybe you have a Celtic back and pair of feet - I'm a Celt, basically and Lowe Alpine, suits me, and Meindl also. You are going to just enjoy, I sincerely hope. Melt into it. Why not? Wish you Buen Camino, pilgrim!

 

[tarasis]

Maybe you have a Celtic back and pair of feet - I'm a Celt, basically and Lowe Alpine, suits me, and Meindl also. You are going to just enjoy, I sincerely hope. Melt into it. Why not? Wish you Buen Camino, pilgrim!

*chuckles* absolutely a Celt. Born and raised in Ulster, half family from Ireland and the other half was a mix of Scottish and Northern Irish.

And yes back is a curved mess (has been since a child)

Good to hear another Celt had similar choices.

Thank you.

 

[tarasis]

Not sure what the protocol with things is, but I have only just decided to delay my start till next week.

I was due to fly tomorrow afternoon to Bordeaux, but I’m just do not feel ready and after the some walking have realized that the boots aren’t right for my feet. Too close to foot, there is seam that goes over my ankle and a couple of times when taking the socks off my Veins were huge and very obvious.

Not something I ever had happen with my old walking boots (which sadly died last year as I failed to look after the leather and it cracked where it bends)

Right now plan is go with the trainers I’ve already done 750+km in, although they aren’t water proof in any shape or form, and either look for shoes, trailer runners or sandals tomorrow,

Will delaying really help? I don’t know, but I was absolutely stressing to be ready to fly tomorrow and feeling rather broken and means I can go to something that my son is doing on Sunday (which wasn’t known when I booked) …

Which dovetails a little into the message I missed

You are going to love your Camino, tarasis, trust me. You do realise that it's "a calling" don't you? Every one of us who have walked, or will walk, the Caminos (or in my case ridden) do so because of an inner yearning to just do it.

You will probably find you've packed too much but can always jettison (or send back home) anything you aren't using. What am I talking about? As a man, you'll probably not pack enough

And, as you've lived in Germany, you will also know that there's nothing you can't buy in Spain as well. Don't you just love trying new cultures. That's part of the overall experience.

If you're worried about your lack of Spanish, see if you can download an app for translation purposes. Wish I had had one on my mobile when we rode the Camino back in 2013. Instead, I tried to learn some Spanish before we left but found myself translating everything into French (which I was much better at). In the end, I was mixing both Spanish and French together and making a right mess of it, but at least having a go got loads of laughs.

Just writing this makes me nostalgic and want to go back for more. Sadly, I'm not sure I have it in me any more now that I'm 71 (I know, I know, loads of people will be coming on now and telling me I'm still a spring chicken compared to some of the ages of people who have walked the Caminos), although my husband is talking about walking just from SJPdP to Pamplona, and he'll need me along to make sure he doesn't lose his way.

Apologies, I missed your message when I was last here. Thank you for your encouraging words, I appreciate them.

I do feel a pull of sorts to do it, when a friend first mentioned it to me 2 years ago I was pretty much immediately taken with the idea. It felt like the thing to do, but it’s taken till now for it to become possible.

Definitely have packed light, I don’t have everything but I’m about 2.5kg at the moment, close to 4kg with iPad and something you are probably quite right about not having enough with me.

As you say, I’m used to Germany shopping, and feel confident that I can get most anything I’ve missed or need to replace.

I know very well the mixing up languages, when I first started learning German I was mixing in French too (did 5 years at school of French, was awful at it). It does making for some hilarious if embarrassing situations.