New Pilgrim walking The Camino in September 2009.

[Alexandra]

Hi Everyone,

I'm planning to walk the Camino in Sept 2009,starting in SJDP. At this stage I'm walking alone . I live in Western Australia so will need to learn some Spanish !! Reading the Forum is always so exciting as I learn from all your experiences and wisdom.

God be with you as you walk your camino.
Sandra.

 

[jl]

Hello Sandra,

Welcome. Both times I have walked the Camino Frances part of my journey I have started there around the 7th Sept (having arrived from further back in France) and it has been a good time to walk. Everything is very brown - but no doubt you are used to that, there are some hot days (again you will be VERY used to that at present looking at your forecasts) but the mornings are starting to get cool, and probably by the time you get to Galicia it could well be frosty in the mornings in the mountains, but lovely days for walking. The crowds - although plenty, are less too from what they were in the earlier months of July and August. I never fussed about rushing for a bed - and got one every time, though it helps if you have a flexible mind set and are happy to go on, go to a pension or a hotel etc.

Cheers, Janet

 

[Portia1]

Sandra: I'll be walking about the same time as you. Perhaps we'll meet.

Buen Camino!

 

[annakappa]

Hello Sandra,
I'm just new to the forum too, but welcome all the same!
We are planning to walk the camino the second time, starting in Roncevalles, probably on 16th September.
One thing I wanted to warn you about, is that if you intend to start your walk immediately after flying in from Australia, you must remember to take into account your jet lag and don't push yourself for the first days, also because you will be climbing over the Pyrenees. We will be flying in from San José, Costa Rica, will travel directly to Pamplona and on to Roncevalles and plan to start walking the next day. We did the same this last year, but limited ourselves to a 20/22 km walk the first days and took it slowly, resting whenever we found a bar to have a snack, refreshment or just to sit down and take our boots off. We have an 8 hour jet lag, but I believe you have about 12. Don't underestimate that!
Learn some Spanish - as much as you can. To be able to speak the language of the country you are in makes all the difference like day and night. There are folks from all over the world walking the Camino and part of the Camino is to be able to hang around at the end of the day and chat and not just mix with your own linguistic crowd. It's also a question of respect to the locals that you can at least try and communicate with them and it's very rewarding too.
Buen camino!
Anne

 

[jl]

Hi Sandra,

further to Anne's comments I will just post what I do, as we are not be the only Australians trying to figure out timetables. As it happens I have flown into Paris each time I have walked, and will do so in July when I go for the third Camino. What has worked for me is that I get into Paris around the 7a.m. time and go directly to where I am going to begin my walk. It is quite possible to get a TGV train straight from Roissy to Bordeaux at that hour and from there I change trains to get to my starting point. Getting to Toulouse was only one change of train but to Le Puy, via Lyon, there are 2 changes, (and I think also to St Jean) the trains getting smaller each time!. I book a hotel room for 2 nights (before I leave) which means that I have 2 nights when I can sleep uninterrupted and also have a bed for a rest during the day. I find this works for me, and I find that I can manage the frist day without too much stress - after all coming from Aust. means we are in the air / transit lounge for something like 24 hours plus. To me it seems easier to get to where I am going to start and then rest, rather than stay overnight in somwhere like Paris and then have to make an early start the next day for the next part of the journey, but I realise people cope with jet lag in different ways.

All the best with the planning, Cheers, Janet

 

[Arn]

Hi Sandra...and welcome to the Forum!

As you've already noticed the folks on the Forum are happy to share their wealth of information about the Camino they've already walked or the Way they intend to do it.

On this Forum...you can find just about anything you need, or want to know about having a safe, enjoyable and, possibly, deeply meaningful Camino.

It matters not why, nor how you intend to spend your days and nights...doing this or doing that...the Camino has a Way of making small, or drastic corrections to your initially charted course. The one constant is that the Camino will work on you for the rest of your life.

Please check the following threads: FAQ and Class of 2009. The first will give you some sound advice and points of departure. The second, will acquaint you with some of the peregrinos that may be traveling along the Way at the same time as you. If you don't find what you seek...start a new thread of your own.

Again, welcome and...
Buen Camino
Arn

 

[Alexandra]

Hello Everyone,

I'm amazed at the help I have already received. Such a wonderful start to my Camino. Spanish lessons are on the agenda to commence in 2 weeks !! Many thanks to fellow Camino walkers.

Cheers. Sandra.

 

[sharon w]

Hi Sandra,
We are a group of Aussies who walked the Camino, starting in St Jean Pied de Port on 1st September in 2007. We flew to Paris and had 2 nights there before catching the TGV from Montpaarnasse to Bayonne. At Bayonne, we caught the local train to St Jean. We stayed at L'Esprit du Chemin and they had dinner not long after our arrival. We booked the accommodation from Australia over the net. (hubertarno@espritduchemin.org) It was beautiful and a good starting point. We also booked the next night to stay at Orisson as we were unsure of our fitness levels. It was one of the best things we did.
Hope you have a wonderful camino. We are walking our second camino this year starting in Lisbon.
Sharon

 

[nidarosa]

Hi, Sandra and Portia, welcome to the forum!

I am planning on walking the Camino Frances in September with a friend, who knows, maybe we will meet? I am looking forward to it so much I am walking the Portugues in March to train! Until then, enjoy the preparation and anticipation,

All the best,
Linda