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So many plaudits in my head for this! I actually wish people would step back from hoping to meet more people like themselves on Camino, as though it’s some kind of mobile summer camp.The camino is as much about the people of the camino as it is about the people who walk the camino. Be open and kind and engage with the local people along the way. If your friends don't already speak Spanish, it is so helpful to have some phrases and especially - hello / good morning / please / thank you etc. With these basic things and the willingness to communicate (even if it's with google translate), it will open them up to some wonderful rich encounters and experiences with the people who live in the communities they will pass through.
I am not being flippant here, but really, you should always use the bathroom before you leave in the morning.I have two friends who are preparing for their Camino in September 2021. If you could offer first-timers one piece of sage advice from your Camino experience what would it be? Hint: may it be something unique they’re not already hearing...such as “don’t pack too much”
Just like Mom always told you!I am not being flippant here, but really, you should always use the bathroom before you leave in the morning.
Nailed it! When it came to the people that I met, I always favored the locals.So many plaudits in my head for this! I actually wish people would step back from hoping to meet more people like themselves on Camino, as though it’s some kind of mobile summer camp.
Yes, we can make profound friendships out there.
But there’s something really ugly in the undercurrent of travelling thousands of miles to ignore the local languages, cultures, foodways, folkways and such that one passes along the way.
And yet that undercurrent *is palpable* in the indignant complaints: “Why don’t the restaurants want to feed us at 6pm?! We are tired! And we are paying!” or, “Whey must they have their festivals while I am trying to sleep! Don’t they know I’m a *pilgrim*?!” or, “Well why don’t these tiny villages put in Portaloos for us?!“ etc etc.
It might be worth recalling that the camino was supposed to form a kind of art and architecture and historical education for those who walked it in its earliest days, part and parcel of the idea of the “grand tour” for the moneyed classes, but more accessible for all kinds of interesting reasons that ranged from penance to healing.
Agreed. I have a linguistic/anthropological theory about cultures and how they communicate: communication basically consists of transaction and interaction. Both are permitted but are not given equal weight. In some cultures it is considered good manners to let people know what you want, then you can engage in chit-chat. This is a transaction-first culture. In other cultures, the Interaction comes first. Spain is definitely an interaction-first culture - a smile and an enquiry about their day, then you can tell them what you want. Holá, Buenas días, qué tal? come before the por favor.The camino is as much about the people of the camino as it is about the people who walk the camino. Be open and kind and engage with the local people along the way. If your friends don't already speak Spanish, it is so helpful to have some phrases and especially - hello / good morning / please / thank you etc. With these basic things and the willingness to communicate (even if it's with google translate), it will open them up to some wonderful rich encounters and experiences with the people who live in the communities they will pass through.
And she was right, of course, but did we listen? No, we didn't realise she was right until suddenly, one day, we heard ourselves saying exactly the same thing to our own kids, who will one day, etc etc.Just like Mom always told you!
1. If the decision to walk was made with the belief that the Camino is the "Camino Frances" then start again and consider other routes before settling on that specific one. It is not automatically right for you as a first caminoI have two friends who are preparing for their Camino in September 2021. If you could offer first-timers one piece of sage advice from your Camino experience what would it be? Hint: may it be something unique they’re not already hearing...such as “don’t pack too much”
I walked all but one of my Caminos with beloved family members, and everything you mentioned applied to our family dynamics as well as friends...you make some good points.All of these little things, if they aren't discussed ahead of time can impact their Camino and their friendship
I love this!Expect nothing and revel in everything
I don't know if they are likely to hear this from others or not, but it is the first piece of advice I give to all first-timers. Give yourself more time than you think you will possibly need. You don't know in advance what you will find your best daily walking distance to be. You don't know in advance if issues like tendonitis might lay you up for a few days. The last thing you want is to find yourself racing to Santiago to make a plane. Give yourself that cushion. If you need it, it is there. If you don't need it, you can spend an extra few days in Santiago, you can walk to Finisterre/Muxia, or you can see some of the other wonderful things there are to see in Iberia.I have two friends who are preparing for their Camino in September 2021. If you could offer first-timers one piece of sage advice from your Camino experience what would it be? Hint: may it be something unique they’re not already hearing...such as “don’t pack too much”
Só well said!!!When doing the Camino with others everyone must agree about what they will do in all different kinds of circumstances.
First of all, I think that they should possibly agree that they don't need to walk together every step of the way.
Another issue is if one of them is injured or sick. Will the other continue on - perhaps with the sick/injured one taking a bus to meet up, or will they stay together?
Have they all agreed on the kind of accommodations that they want to stay in?
Is one more budget conscious than the other?
Are either of them fussy eaters? That can weigh on a relationship.
Do they like the same kind of schedule? Some people need to have breakfast, coffee, etc. before setting out, while others prefer to walk a few km to the next town to get something to eat.
All of these little things, if they aren't discussed ahead of time can impact their Camino and their friendship.
Close your cellphone!I have two friends who are preparing for their Camino in September 2021. If you could offer first-timers one piece of sage advice from your Camino experience what would it be? Hint: may it be something unique they’re not already hearing...such as “don’t pack too much”
I brought hundreds of small Canadian Lapel pins (plastic so they weighed nothingBring one completely unnecessary item just for fun.
I couldn't agree more. When I walked my first Camino I had no idea about anything. I did have the luxury of time as I had quit my job. I booked the Camino for 48 days. My thought was who cares if I finish even 2 weeks early. I am in Spain, I am in Europe I doubt if I will have problems figuring out what to do. It ended up taking about 35 days, I spent 4 days in Santiago, 3 days walking to Finistere and then about a week in Barcelona. How awful having to spend a week in Barcelona when the weather was still good and most of the tourists were gone. I also found a room rented by two wonderful guys who treated me great, showed me off as their American friend who just walked the Camino. A great way to finish my Camino.I don't know if they are likely to hear this from others or not, but it is the first piece of advice I give to all first-timers. Give yourself more time than you think you will possibly need. You don't know in advance what you will find your best daily walking distance to be. You don't know in advance if issues like tendonitis might lay you up for a few days. The last thing you want is to find yourself racing to Santiago to make a plane. Give yourself that cushion. If you need it, it is there. If you don't need it, you can spend an extra few days in Santiago, you can walk to Finisterre/Muxia, or you can see some of the other wonderful things there are to see in Iberia.
When I went with my son in 2016, I thought it would take 33 or so days. That's what Brierley and the other guide books indicated. I booked our flights so we had almost two months in Spain. It ended up taking us 37 days to walk to Santiago and another 4 to walk to Finisterre. With the extra time at the end, we did some sightseeing in Spain. We found that my son's blisters got really terrible if we walked over 25 km day after day after day but remained under control if we generally kept it below that. I shudder to imagine what his feet would have been like on arrival if we had to get there in 33 days.
Always be careful with the smiling "pet" you might meet!!!I have two friends who are preparing for their Camino in September 2021. If you could offer first-timers one piece of sage advice from your Camino experience what would it be? Hint: may it be something unique they’re not already hearing...such as “don’t pack too much”
No. 2 for No. 2 for sure.Everyone is giving great philosophical advice, so here is my very boring/practical advice for first-timers (just a few tidbits; I could write a 94 point list if there was time):
1. Never pass a town without using the facilities (esp if you're female). Remember to pay the "potty tax" and not just take advantage of the business -- i.e. buy a bottle of water, a beer, a pack of gum, a banana, anything. Pay that potty tax with a smile on your face because that business saved you from a potential emergency before the next town.
2. Carry some toilet paper in your pack. It will help the businesses save on supplies, and many facilities didn't have any.
3. Bring a small ziploc bag full of odds and ends -- binder clips, safety pins, rubber bands, bobby pins, s-clips, etc. I ended up having to use almost every little bit for something (something broke, something new was acquired but no place to carry it, no clothesline at night, etc).
4. Wrap about 6-10' of duct tape around your water bottle and tear off what you need as you walk. I learned that trick from someone here on the forum and man am I glad I did that.
5. Have a pen and small notepad with you for when you need to make notes, leave a note for someone, etc. I didn't bring the paper and found myself jotting things on the tiniest scraps of receipt paper.
Buen camino to your friends! I really hope they are able to go this fall. It looks touch-and-go still. (I'm holding my breath that I will be able to go again Spring 2022 -- get your shots, everyone!)
Women need TP no matter what. But I hear you.No. 2 for No. 2 for sure.
I really enjoyed stopping and staying at midpoint villages instead of where the guidebooks say you should stay. Smaller crowds and more intimate dwellings...many having communal dinners.I have two friends who are preparing for their Camino in September 2021. If you could offer first-timers one piece of sage advice from your Camino experience what would it be? Hint: may it be something unique they’re not already hearing...such as “don’t pack too much”
Yes. I stay there.Stay in the albergues! You meet the most interesting people there.
This is a VERY good advice! Being an old man myself, I have seen many young people with horrible blisters++, due to overestimating their abilities at the beginning. Some so bad, they had to quit. Too bad. Take it slow in the beginning: You won't believe how strong you will grow as the days/weeks are passing."Start out like an old man so you can finish like a young man"
Just echoing my simultaneous post: Soo important!Look after your FEET!!!!
Blisters will spoil your Camino, spoil your day, spoil the experience......
Before you go do sufficient training kms to make sure your socks/boots/trainers are right for you. Learn how to prevent blisters (Plan A), learn how to treat blisters (Plan B).
And finally, as soon as your feet tell you they are not happy, STOP what you are doing right then and treat the hot spot on your feet.
Is this for blisters or ...?duct tape
I mostly used the duct tape for blisters, but I also had to do a bit of MacGyver-ing on equipment.Is this for blisters or ...?
Don't over plan.I have two friends who are preparing for their Camino in September 2021. If you could offer first-timers one piece of sage advice from your Camino experience what would it be? Hint: may it be something unique they’re not already hearing...such as “don’t pack too much”
Do not hesitate to stop along the way for an attractive view, or cafe, or whatever. Stay an extra day if you find a place so attractive you feel like taking time to savor it. If this means you have to take a bus or train to get pre-booked travel back home, so be it. My only regrets are related to feeling hurried. Actually, that is what I am feeling more and more about life in general now. I do not remember who I heard this from so am not able to give proper due, but this is more and more the way I want to approach life: "The past is history, the future is mystery, LIFE is NOW." Whatever you do, there is no one to whom you owe any explanation for the way you do your WAY! Make it yours. Ultreia......I have two friends who are preparing for their Camino in September 2021. If you could offer first-timers one piece of sage advice from your Camino experience what would it be? Hint: may it be something unique they’re not already hearing...such as “don’t pack too much”
Great ideaI mostly used the duct tape for blisters, but I also had to do a bit of MacGyver-ing on equipment.
Don't get a pedicure within a month of you leaving for the Camino. Your skin needs to be rough and not smooth to avoid those blisters and hot spots.View attachment 98342
Also, if you get a pedi before leaving for the Camino, DO NOT CHOOSE BLUE NAIL POLISH. As it chips off/grows out, fellow pilgrims (and a foot doctor in Burgos) will be very concerned that you’re losing your toenails.
With a wad of 'tramper's wool', i.e. lamb's wool.Look after your FEET!!!!
Blisters will spoil your Camino, spoil your day, spoil the experience......
Before you go do sufficient training kms to make sure your socks/boots/trainers are right for you. Learn how to prevent blisters (Plan A), learn how to treat blisters (Plan B).
And finally, as soon as your feet tell you they are not happy, STOP what you are doing right then and treat the hot spot on your feet.
This pairs well with my tip of "give yourself plenty of time". The plenty of time allows you to feel less hurried and take those extra days. The relaxed manner and time to savor is something wise to do with the plenty of time.Do not hesitate to stop along the way for an attractive view, or cafe, or whatever. Stay an extra day if you find a place so attractive you feel like taking time to savor it. If this means you have to take a bus or train to get pre-booked travel back home, so be it. My only regrets are related to feeling hurried. Actually, that is what I am feeling more and more about life in general now. I do not remember who I heard this from so am not able to give proper due, but this is more and more the way I want to approach life: "The past is history, the future is mystery, LIFE is NOW." Whatever you do, there is no one to whom you owe any explanation for the way you do your WAY! Make it yours. Ultreia......
Bring a notebook, nothing fancy. Something to jot notes. Weather, name of the guys you had dinner with, email of friends along the way, where first blister, where the rain began or finished. Name of each alburge and a distinguishing feature. A year later something will come to mind but you won't be able to place it. It will drive you crazy. I retraced my steps but couldn't remember one alburge I had stayed at. Total blank.I have two friends who are preparing for their Camino in September 2021. If you could offer first-timers one piece of sage advice from your Camino experience what would it be? Hint: may it be something unique they’re not already hearing...such as “don’t pack too much”
And take a photo of each place you stay to aid your memory.Name of each alburge and a distinguishing feature
So true, Marylynn! I wish I had done that consistently, but I have some big gaps even in 2000 pictures of village and albergue names.Good suggestion! A photo of the exterior of the place with its name included is helpful once you get home and can't remember the specifics of different accomodations. If no one is around, I also take a photo of the room and/or my bed.
I just read the suggestions from Geodoc! Impressive listMy one piece of advice? Read this forum (especially my thread, Lessons learned after 900 km on the Camino).
Not sure if this is advice, or an observation, but nobody does two caminos. Some people do one, and that's enough and others do three or four or fifteen, but never just two.I have two friends who are preparing for their Camino in September 2021. If you could offer first-timers one piece of sage advice from your Camino experience what would it be? Hint: may it be something unique they’re not already hearing...such as “don’t pack too much”
Liner socks, ear plugs and toliet rollI have two friends who are preparing for their Camino in September 2021. If you could offer first-timers one piece of sage advice from your Camino experience what would it be? Hint: may it be something unique they’re not already hearing...such as “don’t pack too much”
If the light goes out when you are in a Spanish toilet, wave your arms: they are motion activated. If you are in a Portuguese toilet and you can actually locate the light switch, you are a genius: Portuguese electricians are a strange tribe and whatever it is that motivates them, it is not a desire to make life easier for the rest of humanity. Believe me, I lived in Portugal for three years and I love them all to bits but I could never locate the sodding light switch in the bathroom.Practical tips.
When you use the toilet in a bar or cafe - take note where the light switch is and the general layout. If its on a timer, and you end up in a completely dark room, its useful to know where it is.
Someone else mentioned to take toilet paper - half the toilets you visit will not have any - best to be prepared for that.
If you run out of your toilet paper keep a stash of paper napkins.
I always take a really sharp pair of needlework scissors with me, useful for so many things - snipping blisters, cutting plaster, trimming fringes, cutting off labels, running repairs. Usually as soon as some one sees me with them they want to borrow them. They are small light and razor sharp - and get used daily.
DRY SOCKS : (note the capital letters). Take socks that dry fast. Test them out before you go - with a hand wash (no spinner). You NEED dry socks - typically the last thing to dry each day is the socks. And remember a lot of the time you are going to hand wash them - which takes longer to dry. Tip to get the water out. Fold up your towel, lay it on wet clothes and stomp on the towel. Gets way more water out than just squeezing by hand, and the towel doesn't take too long to dry.
Many of us take only 2 outfits, so getting stuff dry is very important. I take 2 of most things but 3 pairs of socks.
When you travel with someone else its good to have ME time as well. Unless you're good to be joined at the hip every second of the day - sanity time is important. Probably something they should be prepared for before they go to stop feelings being hurt.
If your phone charger requires a EU adapter - mark it with some tape or paint it - helps you to remember it. Very easy to leave behind, and could ruin your day.
I had a little mantra I would repeat every morning before I left to try not to leave anything behind.
Phone, charger, walking poles (yes. easy to forget these too), sunglasses.
Make sure your towel is bigger than a postage stamp. Tempting though it is to take a smaller - therefore lighter one - you will regret it. Its so so frustrating trying to pull your clothes on when your body is still wet because your stupid towel is too small. Ask me how I know this
You can buy phone chargers in Spain. They are quite cheap.If the light goes out when you are in a Spanish toilet, wave your arms: they are motion activated. If you are in a Portuguese toilet and you can actually locate the light switch, you are a genius: Portuguese electricians are a strange tribe and whatever it is that motivates them, it is not a desire to make life easier for the rest of humanity. Believe me, I lived in Portugal for three years and I love them all to bits but I could never locate the sodding light switch in the bathroom.
Yes you can buy most things in Spain - but as Murphy's law goes - never when you actually need one. Its like a pharmacy, when you need one they are never open, when you dont they all are.You can buy phone chargers in Spain. They are quite cheap.
I have definitely encountered these problems a few times myself.Yes you can buy most things in Spain - but as Murphy's law goes - never when you actually need one. Its like a pharmacy, when you need one they are never open, when you dont they all are.
I sometimes wished my arms had been longer.If the light goes out when you are in a Spanish toilet, wave your arms: they are motion activated.
The first third of your walk is physical, the second third is mental, and the final third is spiritual.I have two friends who are preparing for their Camino in September 2021. If you could offer first-timers one piece of sage advice from your Camino experience what would it be? Hint: may it be something unique they’re not already hearing...such as “don’t pack too much”
The camino is as much about the people of the camino as it is about the people who walk the camino. Be open and kind and engage with the local people along the way. If your friends don't already speak Spanish, it is so helpful to have some phrases and especially - hello / good morning / please / thank you etc. With these basic things and the willingness to communicate (even if it's with google translate), it will open them up to some wonderful rich encounters and experiences with the people who live in the communities they will pass through.peak Spanish is not as challenging
As the saying goes: "The tourist demands; a pilgrim gives thanks."So many plaudits in my head for this! I actually wish people would step back from hoping to meet more people like themselves on Camino, as though it’s some kind of mobile summer camp.
Yes, we can make profound friendships out there.
But there’s something really ugly in the undercurrent of travelling thousands of miles to ignore the local languages, cultures, foodways, folkways and such that one passes along the way.
And yet that undercurrent *is palpable* in the indignant complaints: “Why don’t the restaurants want to feed us at 6pm?! We are tired! And we are paying!” or, “Whey must they have their festivals while I am trying to sleep! Don’t they know I’m a *pilgrim*?!” or, “Well why don’t these tiny villages put in Portaloos for us?!“ etc etc.
It might be worth recalling that the camino was supposed to form a kind of art and architecture and historical education for those who walked it in its earliest days, part and parcel of the idea of the “grand tour” for the moneyed classes, but more accessible for all kinds of interesting reasons that ranged from penance to healing.
In my experience, speaking a few words in Spanish is not as challenging as comprehending what comes back at you ;-)The camino is as much about the people of the camino as it is about the people who walk the camino. Be open and kind and engage with the local people along the way. If your friends don't already speak Spanish, it is so helpful to have some phrases and especially - hello / good morning / please / thank you etc. With these basic things and the willingness to communicate (even if it's with google translate), it will open them up to some wonderful rich encounters and experiences with the people who live in the communities they will pass through.
Mmmm...TMI!Apply sun screen everywhere the sun shines, and talcum powder everywhere it doesn't.
I lay my clothes on my towel, then fold the towel over them and twist and wing the towel.Tip to get the water out. Fold up your towel, lay it on wet clothes and stomp on the towel.
If you do bring a separate adapter tape it to your charger so that you don't leave it behind in the socket.Like you, we come from a country that doesn't use EU style sockets so it avoided having to carry a charger and an adapter.
For some but not for all.The first third of your walk is physical, the second third is mental, and the final third is spiritual.
Right. No point asking for directions when you can't understand the answers! Unless it's someplace nearby where pointing and gesturing will suffice.In my experience, speaking a few words in Spanish is not as challenging as comprehending what comes back at you ;-)
Amen to that!There is no need to photograph the churches, bridges, monuments, and landscapes that you will encounter every day, they have already been photographed a thousand times over and better pictures than you will take are available on line. These things do not change, and are not part of your Camino. Rather, make sure that you take pictures of the people you meet and the events you encounter, these are the memories that you will cherish. Its easy to take a photo of the dinner table every night, the dogs herding the sheep, the picnic on the river bank, or the wedding procession through the village, and these pictures are the ones that will remind you of The Way. At the same time, live the moments, rather than documenting them - one quick snap is all it takes.
Good question...my answer would be keep a diary, record your memories forever 'cause we know memory fades!I have two friends who are preparing for their Camino in September 2021. If you could offer first-timers one piece of sage advice from your Camino experience what would it be? Hint: may it be something unique they’re not already hearing...such as “don’t pack too much”
That is easier said for some than others.Just like Mom always told you!
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