- Time of past OR future Camino
- Several and counting...
@peregrina2000 @NualaOC
Just a few thoughts on this variant. Thanks first to all the information already here in various threads which encouraged me to give this a go. I was walking the Primitivo and wanted to have a bit longer before hitting the Frances and also was keen to visit the (active working) monastery in Sobrado dos Monxes.
www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/alternative-way-from-lugo-to-santiago.7380/ and
www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/lugo-to-sobrado-not-missing-santa-eulalia.24326/ and
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/santa-eulalia-de-boveda.30227/#post-257832
@petro delighted to read of your experience this year - I walked this about 10 days before you. www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/in-sobrado-dos-monxes.40795/
1. I didn't stay in the albergue in Lugo - I took two nights for a break and stayed in a hotel, so didn't get any information from there. I went to the Tourism Office to look for a map or information and received a rather frosty reception. The guy more or less told me that there were two different caminos, Norte and Primitivo, and said I had to pick one and stick to it! I asked him for a map, and he said he didn't have any. He was definitely unwilling to assist me although I wouldn't say he was rude. But what we call where I come from a "jobsworth".
2. I borrowed the German "red-and-yellow" book for the Primitivo from a fellow walker and photographed a dozen or so pages with useful maps for the stage Lugo-Friol and Friol-Sobrado. The maps were very reassuring the odd time I thought I was lost. I don't speak any German unfortunately.
3. I walked the first section on Sunday 8th. I think the fact of Sunday is significant....not a soul to be seen in the fields! Or anywhere else. I can say truthfully I met no single person on the 30km until I got to Friol, except two people who came out to call their dogs off me!
4. I took the very short detour (just a few 1oom) into St Eulalia de Boveda, but sadly everything closed up resolutely on Sunday. I did settle in the Church grounds for lunch. There is a strange cross on the gate out of the top of the churchyard....I cut my forehead on it going out and then cut my forehead again coming back in!
5. The second day, from Friol on, there were a few people working in fields and it was useful to get confirmation of the way now and then. Anyone I asked gave me very confident confirmation of the direction.
6. Mud was quite an issue. I think it would be hard to walk without a stick of some sort. I had to resign myself to getting very wet and muddy on occasion. Once or twice I decided to try walking on the road instead, and was happy to see arrows pointing me back to the off-road path. Likewise, would have been difficult to walk in shorts, because of quite overgrown paths on occasion.
7. Green arrows. The path is essentially very well marked. There are confusing marks on occasion, but I only had to backtrack about 1km once. There is a confusingly signed choice at one point between passing through Alta and Retorta - I chose Alta and turned left.
8. Dogs. There are far more free dogs than on other routes, I thought. I don't mind (much). If you really are worried by dogs this could be an issue.
9. Pension Benigno in Friol was closed up and bar was closed. I had not booked. I rang the number in the door and someone emerged from inside and welcomed me in. They opened the restaurant for me alone that night. They were exceptionally hospitable - huge meal, including coffee and oruxo! Breakfast in the bar on Monday morning. They gave me a printout of a Spanish guide (with a poor English machine translation) for the day from Friol to Sobrado, which was not really helpful. It kept saying, for example, go 200m and turn left and then 400m and turn right, but not easy to follow in fact. It is available online, but I cannot find it right now.
10. Sellos - you can get one at a nice modern timber and glass bar/restaurant just next to the church as you come in to Friol, and again at the Pension.
11. The lady in the bar in Meson (where you join the Norte) was excited to hear I had come from Friol and gave me a cake!
In short: if you like being alone, and are willing to take a slight chance, it is a beautiful two days. The two stretches along the river, at the start of each day, are terrific. Among my favourite Camino days ever - ironic as @petro says - because not strictly on Camino!! And the monastery was wonderful, and a nice place to stay - there is an albergue in the town as well.
If you are uncomfortable being alone, or being approached by significant numbers of dogs, you might at least want to walk with someone else. If you are uncomfortable in mud, you might wish to avoid: I don't think walking on the road any more than is unavoidable would have been as attractive an option. Get the pages with maps from the German book, and you will not go too far wrong.
I'd love to hear other people's experience.
Just a few thoughts on this variant. Thanks first to all the information already here in various threads which encouraged me to give this a go. I was walking the Primitivo and wanted to have a bit longer before hitting the Frances and also was keen to visit the (active working) monastery in Sobrado dos Monxes.
www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/alternative-way-from-lugo-to-santiago.7380/ and
www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/lugo-to-sobrado-not-missing-santa-eulalia.24326/ and
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/santa-eulalia-de-boveda.30227/#post-257832
@petro delighted to read of your experience this year - I walked this about 10 days before you. www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/in-sobrado-dos-monxes.40795/
1. I didn't stay in the albergue in Lugo - I took two nights for a break and stayed in a hotel, so didn't get any information from there. I went to the Tourism Office to look for a map or information and received a rather frosty reception. The guy more or less told me that there were two different caminos, Norte and Primitivo, and said I had to pick one and stick to it! I asked him for a map, and he said he didn't have any. He was definitely unwilling to assist me although I wouldn't say he was rude. But what we call where I come from a "jobsworth".
2. I borrowed the German "red-and-yellow" book for the Primitivo from a fellow walker and photographed a dozen or so pages with useful maps for the stage Lugo-Friol and Friol-Sobrado. The maps were very reassuring the odd time I thought I was lost. I don't speak any German unfortunately.
3. I walked the first section on Sunday 8th. I think the fact of Sunday is significant....not a soul to be seen in the fields! Or anywhere else. I can say truthfully I met no single person on the 30km until I got to Friol, except two people who came out to call their dogs off me!
4. I took the very short detour (just a few 1oom) into St Eulalia de Boveda, but sadly everything closed up resolutely on Sunday. I did settle in the Church grounds for lunch. There is a strange cross on the gate out of the top of the churchyard....I cut my forehead on it going out and then cut my forehead again coming back in!
5. The second day, from Friol on, there were a few people working in fields and it was useful to get confirmation of the way now and then. Anyone I asked gave me very confident confirmation of the direction.
6. Mud was quite an issue. I think it would be hard to walk without a stick of some sort. I had to resign myself to getting very wet and muddy on occasion. Once or twice I decided to try walking on the road instead, and was happy to see arrows pointing me back to the off-road path. Likewise, would have been difficult to walk in shorts, because of quite overgrown paths on occasion.
7. Green arrows. The path is essentially very well marked. There are confusing marks on occasion, but I only had to backtrack about 1km once. There is a confusingly signed choice at one point between passing through Alta and Retorta - I chose Alta and turned left.
8. Dogs. There are far more free dogs than on other routes, I thought. I don't mind (much). If you really are worried by dogs this could be an issue.
9. Pension Benigno in Friol was closed up and bar was closed. I had not booked. I rang the number in the door and someone emerged from inside and welcomed me in. They opened the restaurant for me alone that night. They were exceptionally hospitable - huge meal, including coffee and oruxo! Breakfast in the bar on Monday morning. They gave me a printout of a Spanish guide (with a poor English machine translation) for the day from Friol to Sobrado, which was not really helpful. It kept saying, for example, go 200m and turn left and then 400m and turn right, but not easy to follow in fact. It is available online, but I cannot find it right now.
10. Sellos - you can get one at a nice modern timber and glass bar/restaurant just next to the church as you come in to Friol, and again at the Pension.
11. The lady in the bar in Meson (where you join the Norte) was excited to hear I had come from Friol and gave me a cake!
In short: if you like being alone, and are willing to take a slight chance, it is a beautiful two days. The two stretches along the river, at the start of each day, are terrific. Among my favourite Camino days ever - ironic as @petro says - because not strictly on Camino!! And the monastery was wonderful, and a nice place to stay - there is an albergue in the town as well.
If you are uncomfortable being alone, or being approached by significant numbers of dogs, you might at least want to walk with someone else. If you are uncomfortable in mud, you might wish to avoid: I don't think walking on the road any more than is unavoidable would have been as attractive an option. Get the pages with maps from the German book, and you will not go too far wrong.
I'd love to hear other people's experience.
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