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[moconnell]

Hello my name is Maureen
I have just joined the forum. I have been reading your messages and found them all so inspiring, encouraging and compassionate. I am planning to do the Camino (French way) for the first time in Feb-March. I have wanted to do if for about 10yrs but never got round to it. Now after a very deep loss in my life and months of severe depression I have decided to take the plunge. I am terrified, so any advice or support would be welcome. I am wondering if Feb-March is a good time? I am going to try to avoid Easter.
Look forward to hearing from you
Regards
Maureen

 

[tyrrek]

Hi Maureen!

Good luck with all your preparations. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful experience.

Personally, I'd wait a month or two if it's only Easter that's worrying you. I set off from SJPP the day before Good Friday last year. This year (separate Camino!) I arrived in Santiago on Easter Sunday. I didn't really notice a significant 'Easter effect' on either occasion and accommodation etc was still easily available.

From my experience May is the ideal time to walk. Before that it can still be quite cold, but May is when the spring really starts and the wild flowers come out.

Buen Camino!

 

[SabsP]

Hi Maureen and welcome here!
In 2011 I walked also in April ( and holy week ) and I did encounter maybe some more spaniards who walked a week during their Easter Holidays but aside from that I always had a room in the inn. I did stop in between the stages though and prefered the smaller albergues in the smaller villages. Only had two days of rain in the 36 days of walking. Was happy to have a good warm sleeping bag for the night.

Good luck with the preparations!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I am wondering if Feb-March is a good time?

I walked March 8 to April 14 this year, and would not do it again at that time. Too many places were closed. Go when you can, of course, but if you can choose the time, I suggest going a bit later. Don't worry about Easter. I have been in Spain for several Easters, and it was always fun.

 

[scruffy1]

Shalom Maureen and Greetings from Jerusalem!

I can only agree with Falcon on this one, February/March will probably be a winter slog-snow leaving St Jean and snow climbing to O'Cebeiro-the older albergues freezing cold. I always walk over Easter, the holiday in Spain is marvelous! The towns and villages are usually all spruced up for the occasion, many flowers in the churches, and one never knows when you might chance upon a procession, night or day, costumes, conical hoods, the relics and statues of the church taken out for a holiday spin around town, good food, it is a special time to be on the Camino. Plus! Starting Easter usually means that the Spring will follow you across Northern Spain. In Navarra the vineyards are just pushing out leaves on the grape vines, the last of the narcissus and the first of the pansies, wheat knee high turning the fields and hills around a wonderful Irish green, Castilla and Leon are warmer, the wheat is higher, the vineyards all green with first flowers to attract the bees. The Meseta may be green, as you approach Galicia the hills run riot with wild flowers, entire hills colored blue with lobelia, gorse and azaleas everywhere, yellow broom, the rare and protected wild primrose, wisteria as you enter villages along with tulips, clarkia roses, and more pansies, many many others which I recognise but have not the names. Give your dates a second thought and re-plan if you can-this is a sight you should not miss.

 

[wayfarer]

Hi Maureen and welcome. I would agree with tyrrek on this one, end of April or May is a good time to go. Still plenty of room in the hostals and the weather is getting nice. I left on April 20th and got a lot of rain untill May. Either way have a great camino. :arrow:

 

[moconnell]

Dear All
Very many thanks for your advice, it is greatly appreciated. From what you say I think i need to wait until after Easter that is ok. It will give me more time to prepare
Please pray for me over the coming months that I have the courage and determination to carry it out
Many thanks for your replies
Happy New Year
Maureen

 

[tyrrek]

Hi Maureen.

Prayers said, but do your bit too. St James is great to pray to. He recognises his own.

When you pass Burgos you get to a village called Rabe, where the bar tender gives out tiny plastic medals of the village's 'patrona'; the Lady of Miracles. He gave out 15,000 last year. I still have the tiny plastic medal on my scallop shell and include the Lady in my prayers and petitions on Camino.

When doing the Camino clearup this month I was hoping we'd get back to Rabe so I could get another medal of the Lady of Miracles for a friend who needs a miracle or two. However that wasn't possible as it was too far back along the route.

Anyway, we turned up at a broken pilgrim monument one day to assess the damage intending to repair it. When we came back with tools the next day there was one of those medals from Rabe strung around the monument as if it was meant for me to pick it up for my friend!

Strange things happen over there! Buen Camino!