Just Updated my Primitivo Guide.

[ebrandt]

I just updated my Camino Primitivo Guide. The new version (the 4th -- Third Revision) is here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...tiago-and-then-to-muxia-finisterre-guide.225/.

Special thanks to Kat, Laurie (peregrina2000) and Veronika_CZ for detailed comments on earlier versions of the Guide. Hopefully I have incorporated their feedback accurately, along with little bits and pieces I have continued to glean from other forum posts.

After reading a number of posts about bottleneck spots and full albergues, I decided to add pensions, hotels and Casa Rurals to my listings. And I have added phone numbers and websites/emails where available for all lodging.

On a personal note we have finalized our travel arrangements for next summer and our tickets are purchased! We will arrive in Oviedo on 8 June and start walking from there on 9 June. We will start our service as Hospitaleros at Refugio Guacelmo in Rabanal del Camino on 30 June. So in between we will be on the Primitivo, in Santiago and then walking to Muxia & Finisterre! Maybe we will see some of you on the Way!

Liz

 

[Tincatinker]

Great work Liz and Buen Camino

 

[norelle]

Thanks Liz. I hope to walk the Primitivo as well next year and your guide will be a big help!

buen camino

 

[Kanga]

Downloaded and on the iPad. It looks terrific. Very grateful for your work, Liz. At this stage we are planning to walk the Norte and turn onto the Primitivo but we will see how fit we are by then. So, now if I can just haul my body out of bed each morning to do some training....

 

[Pelegrin]

Excellent work. Thank you for including the reference to the Roman gold mine in Hospitales.

 

[isabelle304]

I just updated my Camino Primitivo Guide. The new version (the 4th -- Third Revision) is here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...tiago-and-then-to-muxia-finisterre-guide.225/.

Special thanks to Kat, Laurie (peregrina2000) and Veronika_CZ for detailed comments on earlier versions of the Guide. Hopefully I have incorporated their feedback accurately, along with little bits and pieces I have continued to glean from other forum posts.

After reading a number of posts about bottleneck spots and full albergues, I decided to add pensions, hotels and Casa Rurals to my listings. And I have added phone numbers and websites/emails where available for all lodging.

On a personal note we have finalized our travel arrangements for next summer and our tickets are purchased! We will arrive in Oviedo on 8 June and start walking from there on 9 June. We will start our service as Hospitaleros at Refugio Guacelmo in Rabanal del Camino on 30 June. So in between we will be on the Primitivo, in Santiago and then walking to Muxia & Finisterre! Maybe we will see some of you on the Way!

Liz

Great work! Just a few comments I came up with from a quick scan of the document:

- San Juan de Villapanada albergue: the kitchen is NOT basic. In fact it's one of the best equipped kitchens I came across. Plenty of cooking utensils and all manner of cooking stuff basics available for free (salt, oils, butter, spices etc) as well as available to buy (eg tinned foods, wine, beer etc). There is also a vending machine.

- La Perada. Next to the horreo stop/shelter, there is also a toilet!

- Castroverde albergue. You've got this down as an albergue juvenil, but it's just a normal municipal albergue for pilgrims.

- You may also want to mention the 10pm lockdown/curfew for the Lugo municipal albergue. It was quite important (in a bad way) to some of the pilgrims I came across - Lugo can be a lively place (lots of bars and restaurants) so coming "home" by 10pm can be a bit difficult for some people, especially if there happens to be some kind of festival going on! ;-)

Very useful guide. Reading through it made me want to walk this camino all over again!

 

[sulu]

Just to add to Isabelle's comments:
Oviedo - San Salvado albergue does not have a kitchen, there is a microwave but no equipment.
The Naranco sites - it is only possible to visit the inside with a guided tour and these are in Spanish, though I think I read somewhere that you can visit them on Monday without a guide, though that may be my misunderstanding as most places are closed on Mondays.
Cornellana - a lovely albergue and the showers are not cold. it could be that the water heater is small and that it runs cold if a lot of pilgrims arrive, and shower, at the same time, the answer then is to wait half an hour.
La Espina - El Texu closes in October ? when it opens again.
Borres - keys are in the bar, not in a box outside, the bar isn't far, about 5 minutes, unless, for some reason you have to walk round on the road. The village is only small but the main road runs in a big curve, whilst paths and village streets cut across the village itself.
Lago - bar closes Sundays, they don't even have the decency to leave a seat ouside
Berducedo - €5
Ribadiso - has a great washing and drying area but no washing machine.
All the best fro your camino
Sue

 

[ebrandt]

Sulu and Isabelle -- THANKS! Ill be sure to make revisions and include your comments

 

[pilgrim b]

Thank you for taking the trouble to update Liz really appreciate it, hope to walk the route 2015.

 

[ebrandt]

I have to say that making this guide has been a labor of love and has kept me sane! If I could I would retire tomorrow and start walking somewhere. Working on the guide helps to contain my impatience! June cannot come fast enough when Tom and I can one again let the world fall away while we take time with each other, meet others, notice the beauty around us, and walk.

 

[peregrina2000]

Just to add to sulu's comments (I'm sitting in an airport and this is a good way to pass the time) -- I checked on the Naranco sites, and she is indeed correct that the Monday morning visits are free and without a guide. Here are the timetables for winter and summer:

1 Oct - 31 March
Tues-Sat, 10-2:30
Sunday and Monday -- 10 - 12:30

April 1 to 30 Sept
Tues to Sat -- 9:30- 1 pm and 3:30 - 7 pm
Sunday and Monday -- 9:30 - 1:00 pm.

I have usually found that the Spanish speaking guide is unobtrusive and gives individuals who don't speak Spanish plenty of time to enjoy the sites on their own. Sulu, did I see a picture of yours on the blog from inside the church?

Buen camino everyone, Laurie

 

[ebrandt]

Thanks -- I will definitely include this info and am glad to know it myself -- my Spanish is not great so I might have hesitated. Liz

 

[Pelegrin]

Stage 7 /. The name of the village is Castro (no Castroverde).

The Chao de Sanmartín prehistoric settlement has also Roman ruins, the remains of a patrician house. The visit costs 4 euros (museum + guided visit but everything explained in Spanish).

Anyway, we also could call the Camino Primitivo the "Camino Romano", because we have four Roman sites: the Roman gold mine in Hospitales, the forthill de Chao de Sanmartín in Castro, the remains in Santa Eulalia de Bóveda and the Roman walls in Lugo.

 

[isabelle304]

Pelegrin picked up on something I had not noticed (re Castro/Castroverde). Just to clarify (in relation to my previous comment) - the albergue in Castro (stage 7) is an albergue juvenil; the albergue in Castroverde (stage 9) is a "normal"/pilgrim albergue.

 

[ebrandt]

Pelegrin picked up on something I had not noticed (re Castro/Castroverde). Just to clarify (in relation to my previous comment) - the albergue in Castro (stage 7) is an albergue juvenil; the albergue in Castroverde (stage 9) is a "normal"/pilgrim albergue.

Yes -- thanks to you both. I got confused and made that change in the latest version of the guid. I'll fix it! L

 

[ebrandt]

Stage 7 /. The name of the village is Castro (no Castroverde).

The Chao de Sanmartín prehistoric settlement has also Roman ruins, the remains of a patrician house. The visit costs 4 euros (museum + guided visit but everything explained in Spanish).

Anyway, we also could call the Camino Primitivo the "Camino Romano", because we have four Roman sites: the Roman gold mine in Hospitales, the forthill de Chao de Sanmartín in Castro, the remains in Santa Eulalia de Bóveda and the Roman walls in Lugo.

Thanks for the additional info Pelerin. I am reading more about this Camino now and I'm trying to supplement the information in the guide so I will get this info included.

 

[JohnMcM]

Liz,
Thanks a million for this. It will be a valuable aid in my planning for next May.
Buen Camino

 

[Tia Valeria]

The castro at Castro:- When we were there the museum opened at 11.00am and then closed at 12.00 to go round to the castro itself. Payment is made at the museum and the curator was kind enough to take us round in his car as it is back round near the villlage. Similarly there is an afternoon opening around 16.00. If walking from Grandas de Salime it is possible to book into the albergue, then on arriving maybe leave your pack and go straight to the museum. Fascinating museum and a very good guide round the castro.

 

[Pelegrin]

Tia, the Roman remains in the Primitivo are fascinating for me.
When I was near them I made myself questions like:
Could a Roman soldier from Britania or Galia understand the native language?
Was the language of native Galaics similar to native Astures?

 

[Tia Valeria]

We too are fascinated by the history of the area. The Roman road and the bridge at Ferreira and the bases of some of the other 'modern' bridges. The Celtic links are interesting too and thoughts about language.... So much of the Camino that we now walk must have followed the ancient tracks and Roman roads. Here in the UK we often travel on the Fosse Way, the old road north and we even found an old paving slab in an unused, overgrown section, many years ago. Still there after over a thousand years.
I wonder how many words in various local areas reflect the ancient languages of the area mixed with that of the Romans.

 

[ebrandt]

Tia -- thanks for the info on opening times and the tour at Castro. Tom and I love the history. The slowness of travel on the Camino gave us a palpable sense of community with those who had walked before us. I often felt like the souls of the ancient peoples who settled northern Spain, the Romans and other pilgrims were present with us as we walked.

Pelegrin -- your comment on language is so interesting. It reminded me of the first time we traveled to Europe with our children. They were 9 at the time and we traveled in northern France and in Wales. They were completely fascinated with language. We were driving and camping our way through these areas and as we traveled, they started making up their own country in the back seat of the car, complete with maps and a language. They really seemed to intuitively understand that language is intertwined with people and place.

Liz

 

[Pelegrin]

We too are fascinated by the history of the area. The Roman road and the bridge at Ferreira and the bases of some of the other 'modern' bridges. The Celtic links are interesting too and thoughts about language.... So much of the Camino that we now walk must have followed the ancient tracks and Roman roads. Here in the UK we often travel on the Fosse Way, the old road north and we even found an old paving slab in an unused, overgrown section, many years ago. Still there after over a thousand years.
I wonder how many words in various local areas reflect the ancient languages of the area mixed with that of the Romans.

Well, I know a few words, I'll send you a PM because I think that this subjet is out of the forum.

 

[LMH27]

What an amazing guide, thank you so much for sharing!