My third walk this year - I hope!

[HeidiL]

My husband just suggested that we go for a walk in December - and this is a fairly flat stretch, and we're not purists, so will gladly take a taxi if there isn't anyplace to stay. he will actually be able to take enough time off to make it worthwhile - and I will have 14 unused holidays from work, which my boss would like to see used.

Husband and I walked from Madrid at Easter, I'm taking a friend on a stretch from Burgos starting this Thursday - and now this chance!

I am vibrating with excitement.

Before I start reading the whole thread, are there any resources the veterans here think I should read? List of accomodation/distances, any idea of open hotels/pensiones/albergues in winter?

 

[KinkyOne]

My husband just suggested that we go for a walk in December - and this is a fairly flat stretch, and we're not purists, so will gladly take a taxi if there isn't anyplace to stay. he will actually be able to take enough time off to make it worthwhile - and I will have 14 unused holidays from work, which my boss would like to see used.

Husband and I walked from Madrid at Easter, I'm taking a friend on a stretch from Burgos starting this Thursday - and now this chance!

I am vibrating with excitement.

Before I start reading the whole thread, are there any resources the veterans here think I should read? List of accomodation/distances, any idea of open hotels/pensiones/albergues in winter?

Arghhhhh, I can feel you vibrating and envy you very very much - third time this year, oh my, oh my

Ultreia (whichever route you'll take)!

 

[HeidiL]

I found the downloadable file and have bookmarked some Spanish pages and ordered the 2013 Spanish guide.

I think we're doing it. Our first proper winter walk...

 

[peregrina2000]

Go for it, Heidi. But of course I am also jealous of your marvelous fortune in being able to walk three times in a year. My walking partner, LTfit also seems to figure out how to do this, but I haven't yet gotten that memo, so I'm waiting till I retire.

Anyway, I also walked the Levante in 2013 and maybe you're referring to my post as the downloadable file. If not, here it is, and also a link to nalod´s more recent comments which are very helpful, just in case you haven't seen them.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/levante-walked-in-april-may-2015.33963/
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-stages-on-the-levante.19142/

The number of albergues on this Camino is really quite astonishingly large! They are all (or nearly all) public or church-connected, so I think you will find that most of them will remain open. In my experience, it's mostly the privately owned and operated albergues that close for the off-season. Hope you have a wonderful walk, and Valencia, if you haven't already been there, is definitely a great place for a day or two of visiting. Stay in the Pensión París, they are great friends of the Camino! Laurie

 

[HeidiL]

Thank you, this is very useful!

 

[KinkyOne]

Thank you, this is very useful!

This might help you also on some parts:
http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/routes/details/levante.html
http://www.vieiragrino.com/camino/camino.asp

Ultreia!

 

[HeidiL]

Thank you! I'm back from the Meseta now, and am definitely going to start planning some days on the Levante. Now I just have to decide which one...

 

[peregrina2000]

How many days will you be walking? Are you inclined not to start at the beginning in Valencia?

 

[HeidiL]

Since we don't care about actually getting anywhere in particular, we're starting in Valencia. Or Alicante - I don't know yet.

(These plans are dependent on getting a more or less acceptable price on our flights.)

 

[peregrina2000]

Have you seen Kevin O'Brien's recent report on the walk from Almería to Granada? https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...guide-mozárabe-from-almería-to-granada.36769/ Seems like it would also fit your time constraints. Just a thought.

 

[HeidiL]

We don't really have time constraints - we walk as far as we want, then we carry on another year.

I do, however, have one big constraint - a knee that will have to be replaced at some point. The word "hill" is used 19 times in the 10 pages of that guide - no can do! The Meseta is my kind of walk. The Camino de Madrid (apart from the day before Segovia) is also excellent.

 

[peregrina2000]

If your knee doesn't mind asphalt, starting in Valencia is a great idea because it is flat. But the first four days are about 100% asphalt. The Madrid is probably the camino with the most off-road walking of any camino I know. I think that's because it was totally a modern construct, and the association that marked it was able to plot the way with all the modern highway system already in place. Lots of great choices, that's for sure. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[HeidiL]

My knee loves asphalt! I asked a while ago about other flat caminos, and you seem to have a lot of knowledge here. If you know any other flat bits, please feel free to make suggestions - we will need to have places to walk in the years to come, and (as I found last week) walking the same one again can be a bit boring for me.

 

[peregrina2000]

Well, I think the Ruta del Ebro, joining with the Castellano Aragones looks like it's pretty flat. I think I'll be walking this route in late May, you can combine the two, turning off the Ruta del Ebro at a place called Gallur and then continue through Santo Domingo de Silos and into Burgos. Both of those caminos have separate sections on the forum. Alan Sykes is currently walking it too so you can see some live posts. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[roberbolo]

Hi u all again!! back on the way!
Well Hedi if you do decide to walk the levante one, if you need any kind of help when getting close to Toledo, I will be more than happy if I can help you and your husband here at my kingdom (Yep, Toledo is mine )
Do not hesitate to ask for any assistance.

Ultreia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HeidiL]

Thank you! I don't think we'll have time to walk that far this time, but we have managed to cobble together other walks over the years. I have been in Toledo several times, but never walking...

 

[HeidiL]

I just received the 2013 version of the guide book from the Amigos in Valencia. Amazing resource, lots and lots of information about everything, if I bring that and a small dictionary, I won't need anything else to read for the walk...

 

[nalod]

Hello Heidil just seen the thread will put a post together in a few days. You can also see a link I have to photos I took this year it is on a thread of its own. Any spefic question pm me. Dermot

 

[HeidiL]

Thank you, Dermot! I just watched a video that someone put together of all their Levante photos, I really hope my husband will be able to go with me in December. I don't think I'd enjoy walking alone on such a desolate Camino, and I kind of like the guy...

 

[nalod]

Thank you, Dermot! I just watched a video that someone put together of all their Levante photos, I really hope my husband will be able to go with me in December. I don't think I'd enjoy walking alone on such a desolate Camino, and I kind of like the guy...

Good morning from a very wet West of Ireland. As promised I said I would post more info.
In Valencia I stayed in Pension Paris and eat in La Utilelana which is very near by. The first 3 to 4 days out of Valencia is flat but very hard on the hips and legs, take very slowly or you will do damage. The first stage in the Amigo book is too long do not do it in one day. I stayed in the Albergue Turistico el Palay in Xativa not impressed for the price of 18e find somewhere else. In Moixent Casa Rural Coralde Pablanch is good. La Font d la Figuera nice small Municipal Albergue on outskirts of town. Almansa Convent fine. Alpera Mun Albergue. Higeruela most people liked Horal Posada (I eat there) was full stayed in the much critised Albergue I found it adequate. Chinchilla no Albergue Hostel el Penon just adequate but I believe is better than the one beside it.

Albbacate Hostal Atioza booked out, stayed in Los Tres Regas functional. Atioza is in better Camino location if you can get it book slightly in advance if you want it. I liked this City some nice Cafe Bars. La Ronda Hostal Molina is closed stayed in Hotel Juanito nice room not the most friedly place. My friend stayed in Abergue in Bull Ring and said it was fine. Now in San Clemente it is a must to eat in Milan 1, best meal of Camino, I stayed in Mun Albergue just adequate, my friend stayed in Milan 1, which might be a good idea.
This is a link to my photographs in Blog http://www.dermotdolan.blogspot.ie/2015/06/recent-spanish-trip-camino-de-levante.html and photgraphs in website (which have titles) http://www.caminogallery.com/gallery/?id=36&area=9
I also have a separate post about the Levante you will find it.

You will walk through many Orange Groves.

Enjoy
Dermot

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Hi Nalod and HeidiL,

Just a detail: Nalod you say Hostal Molina is closed in La Roda? I see you were in town april-may 2015. I think Hostal Molina is open now, because I had breakfast there in late june 2015. Breakfast that is - so I suppose you can stay in the rooms as well(?). I did sleep there last year, in 2014, when I did the Levante. This year 2015 I did the Sureste (La Roda is on both) and then tried the "Bull ring" albergue. Both are good places to stay. Well, Bull ring is donativo and Hostal Molina is 25 euros if I remember it correctly................

HeidiL, this is a wonderful route and I hope you tell us about your journey once you're back!

/BP

 

[nalod]

Hi Nalod and HeidiL,

Just a detail: Nalod you say Hostal Molina is closed in La Roda? I see you were in town april-may 2015. I think Hostal Molina is open now, because I had breakfast there in late june 2015. Breakfast that is - so I suppose you can stay in the rooms as well(?). I did sleep there last year, in 2014, when I did the Levante. This year 2015 I did the Sureste (La Roda is on both) and then tried the "Bull ring" albergue. Both are good places to stay. Well, Bull ring is donativo and Hostal Molina is 25 euros if I remember it correctly................

HeidiL, this is a wonderful route and I hope you tell us about your journey once you're back!

/BP

I too had breakfast in there but almost certain the Hostal is closed.

 

[HeidiL]

Aaaand it's a GO!

We have tickets to Alicante on the 26th (less than half the price of Madrid right now) and there are several buses to Valencia a day. There's a Ryanair flight (I know, I know) back in the morning of January 5th, in time for my teacher husband to get to school before his students.

 

[peregrina2000]

Aaaand it's a GO!

We have tickets to Alicante on the 26th (less than half the price of Madrid right now) and there are several buses to Valencia a day. There's a Ryanair flight (I know, I know) back in the morning of January 5th, in time for my teacher husband to get to school before his students.

So happy for you, great news. Hope the weather treats you well, and that you have a great time walking. Would love to see some pictures to see what it looks like this time of year. Buen camino, HeidiL, Laurie

 

[HeidiL]

Laurie, I've checked the long-term weather reports, and if they're correct, we'll have a lot of sunshine, no rain at all, and between 10 and 18 degrees C. Perfect weather for me, I'm not fond of heat.

I've been e-mailing a lot of ayuntamientos to ask if their albergues are open, the hostales are all open according to their web pages/booking engines, so I expect we'll be fine. If not, there are taxis, bar owners and kind nuns or grandmothers!

The stages I'm planning for 9 walking days, 2 travel days (my husband hasn't seen this yet):

• Oslo - Alicante - Valencia (plane, bus)
• Valencia - Silla (15 km)
• Silla - Algemesi (23)
• Algemesi - Xativa (30)
• Xativa - Moixent (28ish)
• Moixent - Font de la Figuera (18)
• F dl F - Almansa (28)
• Almansa - Higueruela (38 (I'll carry most of his stuff))
• Higueruela - Chincilla (29)
• Chinchilla - Albacete (16), bus to Alicante
• Fly home

Not sure about the pictures, I've stopped bringing a camera on my caminos, but I'll see what I can do with my phone.

 

[peregrina2000]

Looks, good, the only thing I wouldn't tell my husband if I were you is that the Almansa -Higueruela stage is 38 only when measured by someone not willing to walk over 40. I think it's probably at least 40 maybe a bit more. Nothing challenging on the terrain, and most of it is off road except for the last stretch, so that's good for the feet.

The weather sounds fabulous, perfect in fact. No worries about the pictures, just have a great camino and report back when you are home again! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Not sure about the pictures, I've stopped bringing a camera on my caminos, but I'll see what I can do with my phone.

Wow, do use your phone from time to time please. I'd really want to go on Levante-Sureste in winter!!!

Take care/BP

 

[HeidiL]

Our packing is done, we've checked in and we're ready for the 04.30 airport bus tomorrow morning. Now for some more Christmas celebration - we can sleep on the plane.

Merry midwinter, friends!

 

[HeidiL]

We're home again!

On the whole, it was a lovely walk, though my husband turned out to be in worse shape than I had expected (the first time we have had to take alternative transport because he couldn't keep walking (a painful calf muscle)), so we only got to Higueruela. I'm working on a bloglike thing, will post it here when I'm done.

Thank you for all support here, it has been very useful!

 

[peregrina2000]

We're home again!

On the whole, it was a lovely walk, though my husband turned out to be in worse shape than I had expected (the first time we have had to take alternative transport because he couldn't keep walking (a painful calf muscle)), so we only got to Higueruela. I'm working on a bloglike thing, will post it here when I'm done.

Thank you for all support here, it has been very useful!

Welcome home, Heidi, I wonder if all that asphalt at the beginning (the first four days if I remember right) did him in. Glad you had a good time despite the injuries. Looking forward to read all about it!

 

[HeidiL]

I wonder if all that asphalt at the beginning (the first four days if I remember right) did him in.

Could be, but he was unusually slow from the very beginning - he has promised to keep fit(ter) until we take another walk in February (Merida-Salamanca) with our son.

Personally, I LOVED the asphalt and could have walked 35 km the second day. Just stretching out, letting my hips do the work, no need to look down for icky sharp pebbles...

 

[HeidiL]

We might (just might...) continue from Higueruela this December/January. Perhaps this is when we get to Toledo?

 

[peregrina2000]

We might (just might...) continue from Higueruela this December/January. Perhaps this is when we get to Toledo?

NO FAIR! Seriously, lucky you.

 

[HeidiL]

Well, it all depends on quite a lot of things, including this weird desire our families have to see us around Christmas. I tried to invite my father, who is in better shape than most 30-year-olds, to walk with us, but he seems strangely reluctant. We'll see!