Looking forward to being a touro-grino!!!

[sillydoll]

In 2002 I walked the Camino Frances with two friends. We stayed in a mixture of albergues, habitaciones, hostales and even a few hotels.
In 2004 I walked the Via Turonensis and stayed mainly in hotels until we reached Spain where we spent the last week or so in albergues.
In 2007 I walked the Frances again and with two friends and this time I sought out all the most basic, traditional albergues, only staying in two hotels in Burgos and Leon.
In 2009 I walked from Lourdes to Pamplona, Ferrol to Santiago, and Santiago to Fistera - staying mostly in albergues and a few inns. Each time my backpack got lighter and lighter as I managed with fewer and fewer things.
Now, in 2011, I'll be doing a completely different Camino - as a tourogrino! This time I have pre-booked nearly all of our accommodation in hostals, hotels, inns, pensions, apartments, casa rurals and a few private albergues. I am really looking forward to this new Camino experience. I'm looking forward to sleeping in late, having a leisurely breakfast, ambling along the paths, stopping for tea, taking time over lunch, maybe a siesta under a tree if it is a hot day; having time to wait for a church or museum to open or doing a detour - all because I know that there is a bed waiting for me at the end of the day. We might even send our packs ahead on some sections, imagine that! I'll be able to pack a few extras this time!
But most of all, I'm looking forward to walking with a wonderful group of like-minded people who are all just as excited about this Camino as I am - what a pleasure - I can't wait!!

 

[Vigdis]

Yes, why not, give yourself some luxury!
You have tried the rest, so you know what you are doing.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Doesn't make it any less of a pilgrimage if you want it to be Sil - I think you remain a peregrino!

 

[lynnejohn]

Sil, it sounds grand!

Wish I could be in your touregrino group!!

Buen camino and have a wonderful time!

lynne

 

[jeff001]

One reason I don't play golf is so that I can afford to do it that way. You are absolutely right about being able take time to actually enjoy the sights rather than rushing to get a bed.

 

[sillydoll]

One advantage of being with a group is that you can share costs to do things most pilgrims can't afford to do on their own.

Express Bouricott is going to collect us from Pamplona and take us to St Jean for lunch! Caroline is even booking us into a little restaurant that serves typical Basque food. Then she'll take us all back over the mountain to Roncesvalles where we'll start our walk the next day.

In Logrono, I have hired a minibus to take us to the castle at Clavijo for a couple of hours. This is where legend claims that St james was first seen on his white horse fighting for the Christians in 841.

I have also hired a taxi to take us from Villafrance del Bierzo to Sarria where we sill start the last stage of our walk. I've arranged for the taxi to take us to O Cebreiro on the way where we will have an hour for morning tea.

From Ponferrada a mini bus will take us to the Las Meduals World Heritage site for a morning - something I've wanted to do on previous trips but didn't have the time or the money to do on my own.

On our first night in Santiago we will be collected at 8:30pm and taken to Fistera to watch the sunset (praying for a clear night) with a hamper of tapas and wines to celebrate the end of our walk. Sunset is at 10:17pm so we won't get back to Santiago until after mid-night.

We are booked to do a nocturnal walking tour of Santiago on the Friday night which includes a visit to the cloisters of the Parador and a Queimada at mid-night. You have to have 15 people to do these tours.

I have never seen midnight on the Camino so I'm really looking forward to these different experiences!

 

[renegadepilgrim]

Sil, I can't wait to hear how this trip goes for you and your group. It sounds very exciting and I look forward to hearing all about it!

 

[nellpilgrim]

"I've arranged for the taxi to take us to O Cebreiro on the way where we will have an hour for morning tea".


Oh Sil the very fact of O'Cebreiro and 'morning tea' appearing in a sentence together made me laugh out loud. Now I have an image of you all sitting in the square at linen covered tables wearing a collection of fetching hats and 'facinators' sipping Earl Gray tea (with your pinkies out of course :lol: ) Please please post a photo on the forum of the tea party when it happens.

 

[sillydoll]

..... delicately nibbling on cucumber sandwiches!!

More likely huddled around the fire at the inn scraping 'marmelade' on small rounds of tostados and drinking Cola Cao!!!

I'll make sure to get the photograph - with pinkies extended!!

 

[jeploss]

I'm pleased to say that I'll be with Sil on this trip. Cucumber sandwiches with pinkies extended?
Hmmm, that isn't what I had in mind, but am open to it, just for fun. Don't drink Coca Cola, however. I'm open. We're going to have a fine time!!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Be a rebel and slip some morcilla under the cucumber, hiding it with your pinkie!

 

[sillydoll]

Aaaarghh!!!! I'm a vegetarian - please don't! Its bad enough trying to get a tuna-free salad without having a sausage hiding under the cucumber!