Hi! We are a family of 5 who walked the Camino from Leon to Santiago last month. I had read the forum extensively before we left and found then very useful. What I have to add concerns footwear and bedbugs (no relation intended).
Footwear: I had read suggestions concerning light hiking boots. Our family of 5 found that boots were rarely needed and in fact wearing them for 6-8 hours per day made for greater likelihood of blisters, unless they are very big in the toe box. We did not cross the Pyrenees in the beginning which might require boots. For the section that we walked, sturdy sandals and socks were definitely preferable. In fact research shows that the Romans wore socks and sandals on their campaigns too! So though it might not fit the latest fashion trends, consider yourself in good company with socks and sandals!
My daughter got blisters from her boots and the hospitalero at Rabanal cured her beautifully. He had taken a course in this and knew to make a short incision in each blister with a sterile implement. Then he irrigated each with sterile solution and applied anti-bacterial cream and gauze/tape which we changed at least once a day. She was walking without pain the second day after treatment!
Bedbugs: These are a big problem in the albergues. There is not much detailed information about bedbugs among pilgrims and therefore they continue to spread. It is hard for hospitaleros to keep the bugs out as they have an 8-day reproductive cycle so the “source” cannot easily be identified. We were very concerned not to get bedbugs (a family of 5 – no fun!) so we applied ourselves to making sure we did not get them. We did this by checking the underside of each mattress carefully as well as the pillows and general area (including floor) before checking in. We were forced to reject about 40% of the albergues we entered, though many of them looked great at first. The adult bugs are the size, shape and color of apple seeds, the nymphs are somewhat smaller. The eggs are microscopic so the only chance is to find an adult or nymph. They do not move fast so a quick check of the mattress will identify them.
We did not get bedbugs and I recommend this method to others. The number of pilgrims who were infested with bedbugs was alarming.
Now that I’ve mentioned two unpleasant items, I’ll say that the Camino was a beautiful experience and one I would gladly repeat another time. Next time I hope to go by bike!
Footwear: I had read suggestions concerning light hiking boots. Our family of 5 found that boots were rarely needed and in fact wearing them for 6-8 hours per day made for greater likelihood of blisters, unless they are very big in the toe box. We did not cross the Pyrenees in the beginning which might require boots. For the section that we walked, sturdy sandals and socks were definitely preferable. In fact research shows that the Romans wore socks and sandals on their campaigns too! So though it might not fit the latest fashion trends, consider yourself in good company with socks and sandals!
My daughter got blisters from her boots and the hospitalero at Rabanal cured her beautifully. He had taken a course in this and knew to make a short incision in each blister with a sterile implement. Then he irrigated each with sterile solution and applied anti-bacterial cream and gauze/tape which we changed at least once a day. She was walking without pain the second day after treatment!
Bedbugs: These are a big problem in the albergues. There is not much detailed information about bedbugs among pilgrims and therefore they continue to spread. It is hard for hospitaleros to keep the bugs out as they have an 8-day reproductive cycle so the “source” cannot easily be identified. We were very concerned not to get bedbugs (a family of 5 – no fun!) so we applied ourselves to making sure we did not get them. We did this by checking the underside of each mattress carefully as well as the pillows and general area (including floor) before checking in. We were forced to reject about 40% of the albergues we entered, though many of them looked great at first. The adult bugs are the size, shape and color of apple seeds, the nymphs are somewhat smaller. The eggs are microscopic so the only chance is to find an adult or nymph. They do not move fast so a quick check of the mattress will identify them.
We did not get bedbugs and I recommend this method to others. The number of pilgrims who were infested with bedbugs was alarming.
Now that I’ve mentioned two unpleasant items, I’ll say that the Camino was a beautiful experience and one I would gladly repeat another time. Next time I hope to go by bike!
