I could have murdered for ...

[SYates]

A bocadillo with vitamins. Don't get me wrong, I love the Spanish bocadillo, I really do, but occasionally I craved a few vitamins like in lettuce, tomatoes, fresh onions, pickled cucumbers on it too. I am not complaining but I really would like to know what is the one thing you could have murdered for on the Camino? Just doing a bit of "market research" to learn to know what other pilgrims really miss / wish for on the Camino. Oh, and don't restrict yourself to food topics either - nearly anything family friendly goes.

Buen Camino, SY

PS The expression "murdered for ..." is used as a figure of speech and not to be taken literally!

 

[Albertagirl]

A bocadillo with vitamins. Don't get me wrong, I love the Spanish bocadillo, I really do, but occasionally I craved a few vitamins like in lettuce, tomatoes, fresh onions, pickled cucumbers on it too. I am not complaining but I really would like to know what is the one thing you could have murdered for on the Camino? Just doing a bit of "market research" to learn to know what other pilgrims really miss / wish for on the Camino. Oh, and don't restrict yourself to food topics either - nearly anything family friendly goes.

Buen Camino, SY

PS The expression "murdered for ..." is used as a figure of speech and not to be taken literally!

@SYates:
I think I may be the one of a very few pilgrims who walked the camino frances from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago without once eating a bocadillo. As a semi-vegetarian, I ate a piece of cheese and a piece of apple every day for lunch, occasionally with some bread (usually stale) and a carrot. This was adequate. And I ate whatever was offered for breakfast. But my evening meal very often consisted of salad and fish. I would really have liked to have the option of preparing my own food, without having to carry it with me all day. But what I really missed was privacy. Fortunately, I was generally too tired by bedtime to notice. I don't think I ever got murderously desperate for any of the comforts of home. But the weather was fair. I could easily have got murderous if I walked for days on end wet through.

 

[LesBrass]

A bathroom... with a proper lock where I could leave all my things and shower... In the hottest water for ages... Then dry outside of the shower... And get dressed on a dry floor, in comfort... And then maybe blow dry my hair... And not worry about the three people waiting outside for their turn.

I guess that's generally called an ensuite bathroom in a hotel

 

[natefaith]

There were a few times I really craved having a hostel like, right HERE on the trail, and not just 10kms farther away!

 

[SYates]

Hm, moveable hostel - now there is an idea SY

 

[natefaith]

Hm, moveable hostel - now there is an idea SY

Like the Room of Requirement in Harry Potter!!

 

[SYates]

You really are the most unusual evangelicals I ever had the pleasure to meet! Now there is an idea --- Many years back there was a British guy on the CF with his motor caravan that stationed himself at for pilgrims difficult points (f.e. SJPdP > Roncesvalles, before Huntto and Orisson existed) or the stage after Carrion de los Condes. A room of requirements for pilgrims - something to think about. SY

 

[koilife]

First, hot sauce for the tortillas. Finally, we found some Tabasco. This time, I take enough to get me from Logrono to Leon, where I should be able to find a small bottle to carry me through the Salvador and Primitivo.

Second, a sleep aid that actually works all night long.

 

[SYates]

... Second, a sleep aid that actually works all night long.

May I suggest vino tinto, or in really desperate cases of insomnia - Orujo Buen Camino, SY

 

[koilife]

Second, a sleep aid that actually works all night long.

May I suggest vino tinto, or in really desperate cases of insomnia - Orujo Buen Camino, SY

Restated . . . a sleep aid that actually works all night long without a headache or dehydration the next morning . . .

 

[Ahhhs]

Mexican food and a loooong hot shower with great shampoo.

 

[VNwalking]

The decent shower that comes with a place to hang clothes and towel. And vegetables.

 

[Ahhhs]

The decent shower that comes with a place to hang clothes and towel. And vegetables.

Yes! Vegetables and condiments.

 

[koilife]

I suppose crisp fries (chips to those of you with British roots) and firm asparagus could make the list too.

 

[hope2travel]

Restated . . . a sleep aid that actually works all night long without a headache or dehydration the next morning . . .

Ok, I just went and looked for the sleep aid "Restated" thinking it was some fancy new drug I've never heard of! LOL time to get off the forum for the night...

 

[Davey Boyd]

Extremely hot Indian curry, I'm a real spice head! I did carry a bottle of hot chilli sauce though which made me a lot of friends!

 

[HeidiL]

On the Camino de Madrid - vegetables that were NOT in the form of ensalada mixta. I still remember the place where the barman served us verduras a la plancha - I could have kissed him...

 

[jdpiguet]

A dormitory where I'm the only one snoring...

 

[Schildawg]

When I hiked a section of the AT back in 2014 I had this craving for a cheeseburger and cherry coke that I couldn't shake for days. Further into the hike I started dreaming about eating apples that didn't go away.

Now I eat an apple every day and remember the feeling of wanting them so badly during my hike.

 

[koilife]

A dormitory where I'm the only one snoring...

The title is about things "I could have murdered for" and not about things "I could have been murdered for" . . .

 

[Castilian]

A room of requirements for pilgrims - something to think about.

Think too about Spanish bureaucracy...

I suppose crisp fries (chips to those of you with British roots) and firm asparagus could make the list too.

Didn't you find chips/crips along the route? I find it quite strange (unless you are talking about some specific type of fried potato that I'm missing).
Not canned asparagus are seasonal and really good if you can find them.

On the Camino de Madrid - vegetables that were NOT in the form of ensalada mixta.

Next time look for a menestra. It's not made everywhere but surely you'll find it somewhere along the route. If you found pisto, that's another good option.

 

[koilife]

Didn't you find chips/crips along the route? I find it quite strange (unless you are talking about some specific type of fried potato that I'm missing).
Not canned asparagus are seasonal and really good if you can find them.

We walked a fair amount with two Irish and British couples. Thumb-sized, thick-cut fried potatoes came with many of our meals. In the US, we called them "french fries" (although I'm sure the French probably object to that) and the Brits called them "chips". Those that we had in Spain were universally soft (and sometimes soggy) rather than having a crisp outside and soft, fluffy inside, which is IMO the measure of a french fry / chip (in the US, companies like McDonalds and Burger King spend millions on research to get the perfect combination of crisp and fluffy). Please don't misunderstand me; I'm not saying that the Spanish "fries" are bad, they are simply different from what we know and love (not unlike an Italian trying to understand pizza in the US), and sometimes you crave what you grew up on.

We found fresh asparagus only once along the way in a larger grocery store (Logrono if memory serves), but then again, we walked on the extreme tail end of the asparagus season so pickings would have been slim.

I cook every couple of days in albergue kitchens, and it's mostly fresh vegetables and protein (and wine, lots of wine, mustn't forget that!).

 

[michael heitzman]

I know this is what we'd murder for ON the Camino, but I would murder to be on the Camino.

 

[Older Guy]

A real ceasar salad; a good old fashioned USA bacon and egg breakfast, a jar of garlic kosher dill pickles.

 

[Carol06]

Vegetables and more vegetables please. We had an amazing lunch today in Estella. Not a pilgrim menu and not cheap but a wonderful way to treat ourselves. The best salad I have ever eaten. The place is called Taller Gastronomico Casanellas. It is open from 1.30 to 3.30pm and is also a cooking school. When we arrived at 1.30 we did not think it was open. Do push the door.

 

[mspath]

Vegetables and more vegetables please. We had an amazing lunch today in Estella. Not a pilgrim menu and not cheap but a wonderful way to treat ourselves. The best salad I have ever eaten. The place is called Taller Gastronomico Casanellas. It is open from 1.30 to 3.30pm and is also a cooking school. When we arrived at 1.30 we did not think it was open. Do push the door.

Sounds and looks delicious! Here is their website.

 

[Pruden]

I'll would have murder for comfort on the albergues , sometimes for a good meal , vegetables , fresh fish, a good bed and shower , and for so many other tnings , but then THAT would not be the real Camino ,( that would be a good vacation , a good hotel) , and to tell you the truth I did not come to Camino de Santiago for that. So I'd better be happy the way it's , and I'm!!

Is not perfect and would never be ( but who care about that ).

Ben Camino and enjoy it!

 

[Waka]

Peace and quiet after Sarria.

 

[Seabird]

Jeesh, I'm on the camino now and don't expect a thing to be different. Except I STILL wish I had that sink stopper i left at home, based on advice received on the forum........

 

[rappahannock_rev]

A good ole Southern breakfast once in a while -- American coffee, orange juice, eggs scrambled hard, hash brown potatoes, fried green tomatoes, salt-cured ham, biscuits and gravy -- and, in the best of all possible worlds, scrapple! Yum! (Why haven't a meat-loving people like the Spanish picked up on scrapple, eh?)

 

[psychoticparrot]

A bocadillo with vitamins. Don't get me wrong, I love the Spanish bocadillo, I really do, but occasionally I craved a few vitamins like in lettuce, tomatoes, fresh onions, pickled cucumbers on it too. I am not complaining but I really would like to know what is the one thing you could have murdered for on the Camino? Just doing a bit of "market research" to learn to know what other pilgrims really miss / wish for on the Camino. Oh, and don't restrict yourself to food topics either - nearly anything family friendly goes.

I'm also worried about vitamins along the Camino, literally worried. I had bariatric surgery last year and must supplement my diet with vitamins/minerals or run the risk of developing nutritional deficiencies. Vitamins weigh a lot. Are they readily available in Spanish pharmacies?

 

[koilife]

I'm also worried about vitamins along the Camino, literally worried. I had bariatric surgery last year and must supplement my diet with vitamins/minerals or run the risk of developing nutritional deficiencies. Vitamins weigh a lot. Are they readily available in Spanish pharmacies?

Yes.

 

[SYates]

I'm also worried about vitamins along the Camino, literally worried. I had bariatric surgery last year and must supplement my diet with vitamins/minerals or run the risk of developing nutritional deficiencies. Vitamins weigh a lot. Are they readily available in Spanish pharmacies?

Sorry for having added to your pre-Camino stress. First of all, yes, vitamins and other supplements are widely available in Spain. Second there are also a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables available in Spain. My Bocadillo comment referred more to the added taste lettuce, onions, tomatoes etc would give it than to the need to get enough vitamins.

Buen Camino, SY

 

[psychoticparrot]

Sorry for having added to your pre-Camino stress. First of all, yes, vitamins and other supplements are widely available in Spain. Second there are also a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables available in Spain. My Bocadillo comment referred more to the added taste lettuce, onions, tomatoes etc would give it than to the need to get enough vitamins.

Buen Camino, SY

I understood the intent of your post, but it did remind me about my nagging doubt about whether I should carry my own (heavy!) vitamins or purchase as I go. The easy availability of vitamins has enabled me to take quite a few grams off my pack load. Thank you!

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

Veggies to eat and conditioner for my hair. I have long curly hair and it is always a mess on the camino but I don't want to carry a big bottle of conditioner. Found some in an albergue once and was so grateful to the person who left it there. I could run a comb through the hair for the first time in 3 weeks.

 

[Icacos]

A good ole Southern breakfast once in a while -- American coffee, orange juice, eggs scrambled hard, hash brown potatoes, fried green tomatoes, salt-cured ham, biscuits and gravy -- and, in the best of all possible worlds, scrapple! Yum! (Why haven't a meat-loving people like the Spanish picked up on scrapple, eh?)

Thanks for the introduction to scrapple. I'd never heard of it, and checked it out on the web. As someone who is always keeping an eye out for interesting, different things to try, I'll bear this in mind when I finally manage to get down to your Southern stomping grounds. My dilemma is that I don't eat meat..........but I eat bacon so scrapple might qualify.

 

[ktchnofdngr]

a cork screw. The one on my knife broke the first time I used it. (incidentally, this is the same knife I plan to take on this Camino--at less than 4 oz, you can't beat it). I only hope that I'll be able to find one when I need one this time around. I really don't want to abandon bottles of wine in Albergue kitchens again.

 

[trecile]

Veggies to eat and conditioner for my hair. I have long curly hair and it is always a mess on the camino but I don't want to carry a big bottle of conditioner. Found some in an albergue once and was so grateful to the person who left it there. I could run a comb through the hair for the first time in 3 weeks.

I have bought a bar of solid conditioner on Etsy. It works great with my solid shampoo bar, also from Etsy

 

[DurhamParish]

What would I "murder" for???? A "real" towel, not a "camp" towel, after my shower.

 

[Pabloke]

I could have murdered for my bed.

First days were fine, but approaching to Santiago it became harder and harder to sleep well, rest enough and, the worst, get up quick and easy.

I'm also worried about vitamins along the Camino, literally worried. I had bariatric surgery last year and must supplement my diet with vitamins/minerals or run the risk of developing nutritional deficiencies. Vitamins weigh a lot. Are they readily available in Spanish pharmacies?

They are easily found in pharmacies and, since they aren't drugs, in many supermarkets. Products like Supradyn (Bayer), Multicentrum (Pfizer) and Pharmaton Complex (Boehringer I.) are the best sellers and the easiest to find along with others less known.

I always walk with supplements in my pack as i don't expect to have the best nourishment - or at least that enough to replace the daily waste in a long time trekking - each and every day. Nutrition and hydration are the basis to avoid many physical problems such as tendinitis, muscular contractions, digestive problems or some infections, regardless of the fact that one may need these supplements regularly.

On the other hand, it sounds strange how many people seem to miss veggies. Spanish cuisine is quite rich in vegetables and garden products. The majority of the bars i ate at had at least one dish of bean, chickpea, menestra, artichoke, cabbage, rice, purée... Vegetables are cheap, so many menues, even pilgrim ones, include them.

I think.

 

[koilife]

a cork screw. The one on my knife broke the first time I used it. (incidentally, this is the same knife I plan to take on this Camino--at less than 4 oz, you can't beat it). I only hope that I'll be able to find one when I need one this time around. I really don't want to abandon bottles of wine in Albergue kitchens again.

Rule #1: NEVER abandon good wine.
Rule #2: ALWAYS follow Rule #1.

I saw dirt cheap corkscrews like below almost everywhere wine was sold, which was almost everywhere I went. They are well under an ounce and readily replaced. I've never had one break.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

I have bought a bar of solid conditioner on Etsy. It works great with my solid shampoo bar, also from Etsy

Hmm sounds like a plan.

 

[trecile]

Hmm sounds like a plan.

It did take me some trial and error to find a shampoo bar that works well with my hair. I've been using my current one for a week or so, and like it a lot. My hair is actually behaving better than when I was using traditional shampoo. I want to see how long it lasts before I start the Camino.

 

[newgabe]

On the other hand, it sounds strange how many people seem to miss veggies. Spanish cuisine is quite rich in vegetables and garden products. The majority of the bars i ate at had at least one dish of bean, chickpea, menestra, artichoke, cabbage, rice, purée... Vegetables are cheap, so many menues, even pilgrim ones, include them.

I think.

Nup. Fresh veges aren't common in cafes/restaurants. Not in spring (now) at least. Maybe later in the growing season. Dried/recooked beans don't count. Potatoes are veges but that's the main one I ever see. Not interested in iceberg lettuce or the odd slice of pale tomato.
I've been served a few cooked/canned red peppers, saw the traces of something once green in a bean/potato stew, I'm eating fairly 'posh' (casa rurales etc on a mid-market range group thing ) at the moment and tonight was served a tiny floret of broccoli like a garnish and some slices of zucchini like they were gold dust. I would LOVE a big bowl of fresh generous veges- broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, green beans, peas, carrots, celery, parsley...beetroot... sigh

But I did manage to acquire one my 'to die for' items in Ponferrada.. an immersion coil so I can make coffee/tea when I want to, in hotel rooms /albergues.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I think this is what's known as a "first-world problem."
It is always puzzling to me. I live in Spain, I eat in restaurants often, and I never lack for fresh vegetables.
This lack could be because we're in the "hungry gap" between the days when last year's stored root vegetables run out and this year's vegetable patch starts producing... that could be why the veg you get are from jars or cans. But Spain's canned veg, fish, and fruit are among the best in the world. Nothing to complain about -- the menestra is very good, and the peas, green beans, leeks, and asparagus are outstanding.
It's a camino. You adjust to it. It may not adjust to you.
If you habitually go for the Menu del Dia or pilgrim menu, you might run into fresh-veg problems -- fresh veg take a while to clean and prepare. But if you order off the Carta, or an occasional plato combinado, or raciones... you might get your needs met.
Or go to a grocery store and buy some fresh fruit and vegetables, prepare and eat those. That's what Spanish pilgrims do.

 

[newgabe]

That's funny Rebekah.. Spain IS first world! And yes, I agree it's more about eating with local seasons. it's Spring and local fresh stuff isn't grown yet. I've been looking in shops all along to buy veges and there just isn't much at this time of year. There was some big white asparagus somewhere like Puenta de la Reina. Got some fresh red pepper once. I fill up on olives even though they're pickled, not fresh. Indeed the most nutritious thing around at the moment is probably the nettles growing by the path side. I was harvesting/cooking up lots of those a few weeks ago in the UK

I've also been fed by Spanish pilgrims a few times recently; noodle soup with pork bits. I'll survive. Or I'll go to more upmarket supermarkets with imported stuff if I'm ever in a big enough town again!

 

[Mike Savage]

I think this is what's known as a "first-world problem."
It is always puzzling to me. I live in Spain, I eat in restaurants often, and I never lack for fresh vegetables.
This lack could be because we're in the "hungry gap" between the days when last year's stored root vegetables run out and this year's vegetable patch starts producing... that could be why the veg you get are from jars or cans. But Spain's canned veg, fish, and fruit are among the best in the world. Nothing to complain about -- the menestra is very good, and the peas, green beans, leeks, and asparagus are outstanding.
It's a camino. You adjust to it. It may not adjust to you.
If you habitually go for the Menu del Dia or pilgrim menu, you might run into fresh-veg problems -- fresh veg take a while to clean and prepare. But if you order off the Carta, or an occasional plato combinado, or raciones... you might get your needs met.
Or go to a grocery store and buy some fresh fruit and vegetables, prepare and eat those. That's what Spanish pilgrims do.

Quite a few times on the Francés last year I had some very tasty and well prepared zucchini (calabacín.)

 

[Pabloke]

Maybe it's more about finding vegetables the way we like instead of simply finding veggies. (I guess that's what Rebekah was talking about)

We should notice that going to low price places means we'll often find low quality. Sometimes dishes may be overcooked, sometimes they're made the day before and then microwaved for us. The most of veggies (if not all) we'll find if we pay 10-12€/menu, will be frozen (the cheapest) or canned. Even if we are in summer or autumn.

Anyway i understand the missing of fresh veggies. Last year, when i walked in Norway, my daily menu was made of bread with salami, bananas, nuts, orange juice, yogurts and kit-kat. I felt i needed fresh vegetables -though i'm not a fan of them-, so when i arrived back in Oslo the first thing i ate was a McDonald's caesar salad. Not the one i would eat at home but the cheapest i found then.

 

[Albertagirl]

Maybe it's more about finding vegetables the way we like instead of simply finding veggies. (I guess that's what Rebekah was talking about)

We should notice that going to low price places means we'll often find low quality. Sometimes dishes may be overcooked, sometimes they're made the day before and then microwaved for us. The most of veggies (if not all) we'll find if we pay 10-12€/menu, will be frozen (the cheapest) or canned. Even if we are in summer or autumn.

Anyway i understand the missing of fresh veggies. Last year, when i walked in Norway, my daily menu was made of bread with salami, bananas, nuts, orange juice, yogurts and kit-kat. I felt i needed fresh vegetables -though i'm not a fan of them-, so when i arrived back in Oslo the first thing i ate was a McDonald's caesar salad. Not the one i would eat at home but the cheapest i found then.

The very best meal that I had on my last camino was at the Bar/Restaurant Xacobeo in Triacastela. The food was thick with vegetables, fresh and beautifully prepared and served. I wanted to thank the cook for this treat, but the server did not seem to understand my request and my Spanish was very basic at that point. I shall certainly eat there the next time I go through. And I may prepare a few words that I can pass on to the cook to show my appreciation. I was pretty desperate for such a meal at that point.

 

[Pabloke]

I slept in Triacastela this year, at the public albergue.

I don't remember the name of the bar i had dinner at, it was right in front of the Xunta's albergue. I took a 'menú del día' instead of the pilgrim's one; just 7€. Macaroni bolognese and fried eggs with frankfurts and french fries.

Delightful. Specially after a 43kms walking day.

 

[mspath]

During past caminos the menu de dia offered mid-day Monday through Friday (not the pilgrim menu) usually provided a varied choice of good food at a most reasonable price. Hence I never craved any particular unavailable food.

However half a lifetime ago hiking in alone in rural Japan and knowing no Japanese I could only order by pointing (!!) and thus ate/drank only what I could see. Sweets were almost impossible to spot but containers of chocolate milk were often sold from small self-service kiosks which resembled mail boxes. Thus I happily 'had a few too many' chocolate milks every day to calm my craving for sugar.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I gotta wonder how anyone can go into even the smallest grocery store and not find a few fresh red peppers, olives, aubergines, or leaf lettuce. It may not be pristine, but it's there, because that is what the locals eat, year-round. Honestly, I think some pilgrims are walking in an alternate Spain.
The veg are not suitable, the yogurts are unflavored, the lomo is lamentable!
... and somehow we all survive. And a lot of us keep going back for seconds.

 

[mspath]

Not only seconds but elevensies!

 

[VNwalking]

the yogurts are unflavored

And are most delicious!

Personally, I'm not at all fond of canned vegetables...so can crave fresh ones and am happy when I get to Gallicia and can eat as many pimentos de padron as possible.
And I have to admit I can whine, at least to myself.
But fondness has nothing to do with pilgrimage. So for me as a (99.99%) vegetarian it's about learning to gratefully and graciously take what's offered as an alternative to meat. Even if it's only the biggest plate of french fries I've ever seen (and I love these, by the way but it was a lot).
It's such a relief to put aside this entitlement and preference thing, when I'm able to do that!
And as Rebekah says--carrots, tomatoes, olives, bread, cheese...all from a corner tienda...what better lunch, and full of fresh veggies.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

The very best meal that I had on my last camino was at the Bar/Restaurant Xacobeo in Triacastela. The food was thick with vegetables, fresh and beautifully prepared and served. I wanted to thank the cook for this treat, but the server did not seem to understand my request and my Spanish was very basic at that point. I shall certainly eat there the next time I go through. And I may prepare a few words that I can pass on to the cook to show my appreciation. I was pretty desperate for such a meal at that point.

Had the same experience. I was so satisfied with my meal there.

I gotta wonder how anyone can go into even the smallest grocery store and not find a few fresh red peppers, olives, aubergines, or leaf lettuce. It may not be pristine, but it's there, because that is what the locals eat, year-round. Honestly, I think some pilgrims are walking in an alternate Spain.
The veg are not suitable, the yogurts are unflavored, the lomo is lamentable!
... and somehow we all survive. And a lot of us keep going back for seconds.

I ate veggies when I prepared the food my self. I missed them on the plate when I ate in bars, restaurants and albergues. Mostly for lunch. I eat half the plate with veggies every lunch at home so yes I missed them what I was serves just french fries and meat, just tortilla or something else without veggies.

 

[domigee]

Honestly, I think some pilgrims are walking in an alternate Spain.
.

My feelings entirely and habas (from around April), espinaca, pepinos ....

 

[Sheilajg]

I was thrilled when I came upon the food truck just before Los Arcos and had the best veggie bocadillo. And when I spotted a sign for a curry bowl a couple of weeks later, I was so happy. I always managed to find a banana or an orange to eat fresh every day. The oranges were wonderful.
I would have killed for a bigger towel and next Camino, I will splurge on a slightly larger towel. Those few nights when I had a room in a hostel with towels, pillowcases and sheets....ohhhh, that was nice.

 

[Marcus-UK]

Yes! Vegetables and condiments.

You can get fantastic roast meats from the Assadors in Burgos, Great Seafood from Basque country through to Galicia. Good cheese in the Picos De Europa. However vegetables do not appear to be on any restaurant menu! Spain has got many wonderful vegetables. I have walked or driven past fields of them. I have not seen fresh asparagus in Spain, but it is seasonal. I work near Evesham and buy the stuff when it is in season from roadside stalls.