Michael Glennon
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Mozárabe 2009
Vía de la Plata 2009
Arles-Puente la Reina 2016
Via Campaniensis (Reims-Vézelay) 2018
After all the useful advice I got on this forum I decided to learn some French and undertook an eight week course at Alliance Francaise de Sydney before beginning my Camino. So now I'm confident to walk the walk and even attempt the talk.
The canal alternative route out of Arles was an enjoyable way to start the Camino and there were not many of the mosquitos I had heard so much about.
There has been a lot of rain and some tracks are more like streams than paths but this does not detract from the beauty even when pelted by rain.
The mud is the usual soft gooey stuff that sticks to your shoes adding a kilo to each foot it's been quite deep too not that this has dampened my enthusiasm, I'm loving every bit of this walk.
Following the entire GR with it's delightful off-road challenges from Arles to Montpellier would have been very difficult without GPS. The GR653 is clearly marked on the Garmin France Topo Pro V4 map (expensive but can be downloaded if you know where to look). I met two fellow Pellegrino's at lodgings who had walked mostly on roads because they had lost the way.
I'm now at Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert staying at the clean and comfortable Carmel St Joseph. Wow this is a stunningly beautiful village.
The walk had been highlighted by the friendly and helpful nature of the people I've come across so far they have made everything relatively easy.
Two things that have made walking in the rain enjoyable are my OR waterproof broad brimmed hat and Dexshell waterproof socks. With the hat on you don't have to have the annoying raincoat hood over your head all day unless its driving rain in which case the hat hood combo works well. The socks keep feet warm and dry so light weight trail runners mean no need for boots although time will tell if there's snow later on route.
The canal alternative route out of Arles was an enjoyable way to start the Camino and there were not many of the mosquitos I had heard so much about.
There has been a lot of rain and some tracks are more like streams than paths but this does not detract from the beauty even when pelted by rain.
The mud is the usual soft gooey stuff that sticks to your shoes adding a kilo to each foot it's been quite deep too not that this has dampened my enthusiasm, I'm loving every bit of this walk.
Following the entire GR with it's delightful off-road challenges from Arles to Montpellier would have been very difficult without GPS. The GR653 is clearly marked on the Garmin France Topo Pro V4 map (expensive but can be downloaded if you know where to look). I met two fellow Pellegrino's at lodgings who had walked mostly on roads because they had lost the way.
I'm now at Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert staying at the clean and comfortable Carmel St Joseph. Wow this is a stunningly beautiful village.
The walk had been highlighted by the friendly and helpful nature of the people I've come across so far they have made everything relatively easy.
Two things that have made walking in the rain enjoyable are my OR waterproof broad brimmed hat and Dexshell waterproof socks. With the hat on you don't have to have the annoying raincoat hood over your head all day unless its driving rain in which case the hat hood combo works well. The socks keep feet warm and dry so light weight trail runners mean no need for boots although time will tell if there's snow later on route.
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