Planning based on the phases of the moon

[november_moon]

Has anybody planned their camino around the phases of the moon?

The thread about the early morning walking got me thinking about the moon phases during our upcoming camino, so I looked it up to see what the moon will be doing. My husband and I will be walking in June of next year and I just learned that there will be a full moon on Friday, June 13th, which right in the middle of our walk. I am really excited about this. Not only will there be a full moon, but a Friday the 13th moon at that - I couldn't have planned it better if I had tried

Checking the moon and sun rise times, on the morning of June 12th, the (almost full) moon sets at 6:13 am and the sun rises at 6:44 am - we will definitely be up early on the 12th to be out to see the big ol' moon set and then the sun rise just afterwards. Then on Friday the 13th, the sun sets at 9:45 pm and the glorious full moon will rise at 10:03pm.

I guess we will have to make sure we aren't in alberques with late opening and early closing times those nights.

 

[mralisn]

Now that is pretty cool! What a great idea and fun to add to the walk. I am going to keep this in mind for my own Camino. Hmm...perhaps if a warm night, a sleep outside after a long walk in the moonlight might be in order.

I love this!

 

[Kiwi-family]

I had never thought about this - but now that I've looked, I see we have a full moon the night my hubby and two girls join the boys and me in Pamplona so we'll be sure to have a look at it....in fact with two kids being sent to India and another couple being left in NZ for the whole time, we might make a practice of looking at the moon each evening to think of each other. Thanks for bringing our attention to this. (I've also added the full moon details into my walking spreadsheet!)

 

[Alexster66]

Great idea - just looked it up and there is a full moon for me on the 14th May 2014 and is in the zodiac sign of Scorpio, which is me, pretty cool
Cheers November moon

 

[StuartM]

It wasn't deliberate but I made it into Santiago under a full moon. I got to the "concentration camp" at Monte de Gozo in the afternoon intending to spend the night there. It was such a dreadful place though after rural Spain, I watched the sunset, met a friend and spent some time talking then felt drawn to leave.

I walked into Santiago that night in the dark under the full moon. It was absolutely beautiful. I got to the square, it was completely empty and the moon was shining down between the twin towers of the cathedral.

 

[fortview]

One of the highlights for me, was walking on the meseta, with the full moon setting and the sun rising . It was truly magical.

 

[alexwalker]

After the climb up from Castrojeritz.

 

[Al the optimist]

Remember that bit. That was where I suddenly felt an need for the a toilet. Thank heaven for San Nicholas Albergue's lovely toilets!

 

[cecelia]

I too had beautiful 'moon' moments this year on the camino. One was also on the meseta after a grinding day of flat, flat, flat between Carrión de las Condes and Calzadilla de la Cueza. The moon was full and the sky was quite light all night. There were several young boys/men in the albergue who had trouble sitting still and quietly got up about 2:00 am to start their walk for the next day in the full moon. I envied them as they must have had an amazing time. I contented myself by gazing out the window long after they disappeared.
But I was particularly lucky the night I watched the sunset at Finisterre as it happened to be the summer solstice. After watching a glorious sunset we all turned around to get up and walk back to the albergue and noted that the full moon had risen behind us as the sun set. It doesn't show as well in pictures unfortunately, but it was breathtaking!!
Here are a couple of pictures if you're interested.

 

[november_moon]

I love these stories and the pictures of moons on the camino.

Arriving in Santiago under a full moon must have been very special.

 

[Andrew]

hey november-moon my son and i will be starting our camino 1st light friday 6th so will be approx a week behind you cant wait for a long night trek will be awesome (and cool)

 

[Cejanus]

There were several young boys/men in the albergue who had trouble sitting still and quietly got up about 2:00 am to start their walk for the next day in the full moon. I envied them as they must have had an amazing time. I contented myself by gazing out the window long after they disappeared."

Now that would freak me out. Did you hear any "baying or howling?"

 

[lukedarracott]

Much like Cecilia I was very lucky to get a full moonrise at Finisterre. I was there with a girl I had fallen in love with during the camino and we stayed watching it until night fell over us and everyone had left.

 

[lukedarracott]

Also, that shot with the moon between the towers is lush!

 

[StuartM]

Arriving in Santiago under a full moon must have been very special.

It was totally by accident, I'd resigned myself to a night in possibly the worst albergue imaginable to finish the walk off on when I met a wonderful woman that had been a good friend earlier on the walk. She, too, didn't like the place and I joked that Santiago was only 4km away. She said to me, "why not go? We all have to finish the Camino our own way". I knew it was right, I went to my room, packed my stuff up without a word to anyone and just went. When I saw the full moon following me I knew it was the right thing to do.

I was damn near running into the Plaza Obradoiro I was so excited, it was totally empty and I stood there in front of the cathedral, the moon shining down, alone, laughing my head off with a couple of opera singers in the busker's archway. It was perfect, particularly as it had been such an accident.

 

[november_moon]

Stuart - Sometimes the most amazing things happen by accident, or maybe it's not really by accident but it seems that way to mere mortals such as ourselves . There is a lot going on just outside our consciousness. And the presence of the opera singers just caps it all off beautifully.

Andrew - Where are you starting from? We are starting from Leon (limited time, so we had to start in the "middle") - we arrive in Madrid in the evening of June 4 and will travel to Leon by train the next morning. I am not sure if we will start walking directly from Leon when we arrive or spend the night and start our walk the next morning. We will probably opt for the next morning so we can spend the afternoon exploring Leon.

 

[Andrew]

Hi November_moon
we plan to start at SJDP aim to arrive there evening of 5th june and all going well plan to be in Santiago de Compostella 4th July for my sons 18th birthday.
Buen Camino

 

[november_moon]

You guys will be east of us on the route then. We plan to get into Santiago around June 20 or 21. If we were going to be in the same area about the same time, we would have kept our eyes out for you. Buen Camino.