Re: My First Camino

[AlexanderCook]

Good evening, everyone:

I'll be walking the Camino de Frances from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela in June 2024 - it's been a long-held dream of mine for some time and I cannot wait.

That said, I would greatly appreciate some advice on the following topics:

1. Food - I have a passion for Spanish food, so any recommendations on what and where to eat on this particular route?
2. Footwear - I have very high arches, one foot is a size-and-a-half larger than the other and occasional ankle issues - Hiking shoes, boots or neither? If so, brand recommendations?
3. If there were one thing that you'd say that I couldn't miss on the Camino, what is it?

Thank you all for your time and I wish everyone a warm "buen camino".

- Alex

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Answer to number 3. Other pilgrims.

 

[C clearly]

Welcome to the forum!

Hiking shoes, boots or neither? If so, brand recommendations?

The simple but true answer is that you should get the most comfortable footwear you can find. Something that you can walk all day in. All the major athletic shoe brands make suitable models, and you need to ask your feet which ones they like. What do you wear for long walks at home? Be sure to get a size/width that provides plenty of room in case your feet swell.

I don't know what your ankle issues are, but the current thinking seems to be that in most cases boots do not provide protection against turning ankles.

For high arches or foot discrepancies, a podiatrist (or similar) could provide advice.

I've added the tags "foot wear & care" and "food & drink" under the title at the top of this post. If you click on the tags, you'll find hundreds of threads on those topics.

 

[Vacajoe]

You’ll have a wealth of places to eat. Choose Menu del Dia over the Pilgrim Meal if given the option. Avoid very large, obvious tourist places. Small does not mean bad.

Given your complex foot issues, see a podiatrist about orthotic inserts. Most people wear trail runners which are simply lightweight tennis shoes with decent padding and grippy soles. You don’t need boots and certainly should wear what is the most comfortable for your unique situation.

What you shouldn’t miss is being in the moment. You’ll feel the need to keep up with new friends or rush to the end, but walk slowly and really just take it all in. Santiago has been there for over a thousand years and it’s not going anywhere in the week you are walking towards it.

Buen Camino

 

[isawtman]

A suggestion for Number 1 is to go to the second cafe in the morning. Sometimes the Albergue that you start at has some breakfast, but it usually isn't very much. Then you start walking and you eventually reach a town with a cafe. Usually, the first cafe in that town will be really busy and there will be a line. If you feel the town is big enough to have a second cafe, keep walking. Or if there is another town with a cafe within a mile or two, keep walking. Usually, you can get right in the second cafe and be done faster, without waiting in line. As far as Number 2, if you have ankle issues then you should be looking for a middie. Lots of models of hiking shoes come in a Middie size. What a Middie is a shoe that extends up a little bit to support your ankle. Here is an example: https://www.merrell.com/US/en/moab-...r-hiking&prefn1=isOnSale&prefv1=false&start=1

 

[J Willhaus]

There a couple of really awesome places to eat in Arzua. One is called Casa Nene across from the Xunta albergue. You might need a reservation in the evening. There is another one as you are coming into town past the Hotel Arzua several doors down. I had beef cheeks there last summer for a menu del dia. They also had homemade apple ice cream with a pastry for dessert. Sorry, I don't have the name of that one. Be sure to try some Arzua cheese as well.

 

[jfgough]

Good evening, everyone:

I'll be walking the Camino de Frances from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela in June 2024 - it's been a long-held dream of mine for some time and I cannot wait.

That said, I would greatly appreciate some advice on the following topics:

1. Food - I have a passion for Spanish food, so any recommendations on what and where to eat on this particular route?
2. Footwear - I have very high arches, one foot is a size-and-a-half larger than the other and occasional ankle issues - Hiking shoes, boots or neither? If so, brand recommendations?
3. If there were one thing that you'd say that I couldn't miss on the Camino, what is it?

Thank you all for your time and I wish everyone a warm "buen camino".

- Alex

Food is not a problem on the Camino. Try everything. I had a pinxo of tuna on a pickle, surprisingly delicious. Look ahead the night before to make sure there are places which will be open. Siesta is still a thing and you may find yourself walking through a town with delicious scents of food cooking in homes, but everything is closed. I kept a couple of bananas, some nuts and a chocolate bar for such contingencies.
Shoes are a personal decision. I wore Hoka trail runners the entire CF with no issues, no blisters. They are light and dry quickly if you remove the insoles at night. Size up a half or whole size to allow your feet to spend over time.
Wear good socks, merino wool wicks sweat and dried quickly.
I would recommend walking without earbuds, you will enjoy the sounds of nature, your feet crunching the way and the imminent danger of bicycles whizzing by. Most polite bikers shout a warning.
Buen Camino!

 

[Debora]

1. Eat what looks good - try it all but more importantly stay hydrated.
2. Hiking Shoes not boots. Salomon are good.
3. Don’t miss the camaraderie and the solitude. Don’t miss that both are important. And don’t miss that the true blessing is the journey and not the destination.
Walk with God, my friend. Buen Camino

 

[Jodean]

Boots and shoes are about 50-50. You will see this on the racks in the albergues.
I am a boot person, all year round. It is all I ever wear, cause my feet feel comfortable in them. For all the asphalt and gravel and mud, they are fantastic.

The cafe in front of Albergue Mirador in O Pedrouzo has pretty good food, including the best Russian salad I have had. Ribadiso has great food in their cafe. Try their huge pasta salad. Had a veggie lasagna in Portomarin that was so yummy, I had a 2nd one. I think the place is called Slurp? In one of the covered arcades down the main street. Delicious ice cream and gelato across the street from the church. Stayed in Casa Barbadelo instead of Sarria and their restaurant makes great food. The restaurant across from the only albergue in Airexe had huge portions for 9 € and it was far better than what I expected.

 

[Lydia Gillen]

I know you did not ask for advice on this, but I feel it is important.
On the Camino only one thing is really important, feet.
In the heat our feet get very sweaty and then our skin gets wet and soft and blisters can be the result.
. There are 1001 ways of dealing with blisters. However, in my opinion preventions is better than cure.
I used to get blisters, but now I put antiperspirant on my feet each morning, I use a stick deodorant/antiperspirant and I rub it all over and between my toes. Since I started doing this some years back I do not get blisters
.Buen Camino

 

[Pafayac]

On the Camino only one thing is really important, feet.

As far as I am concerned, that makes two things.

 

[Jarrad]

2. Footwear - I have very high arches, one foot is a size-and-a-half larger than the other and occasional ankle issues - Hiking shoes, boots or neither? If so, brand recommendations?

You have some significantly complicating factors there. This forum is loaded with well-meaning and highly supportive people and it is fantastic for general footwear advice. But given your conditions I'd not likely take advice from the internet on whether to wear shoes or boots. I recommend describing the conditions you plan to walk in and your plans to a podiatrist, or perhaps an orthopedist, and get his/her recommendations first. Then worry about the brand (which is less important than the fit).

Personally, I experienced a severe sprain in 2021 that had me in a controlled ankle movement boot for much of the summer. Not good. So while I would have preferred hiking shoes for a trek in 2022, the prescription was for hiking boots. I found a lighter pair of Salomons with decent ankle support and that absolutely was the right choice for me at that time in those conditions.

 

[musicman]

Not withstanding boots or trail shoes - I use both depending on the terrain/ weather each day - blister prevention is of paramount importance and after a lot of Caminos over the years I swear by Vaseline rubbed into toes,heels and any other sensitive spot. I also put a second smear after Putting socks on.
Never has a blister. I’ leading a group in June, we start on our third stage from Astorga on the 7 th June - a group of nine - 3 pelegrinas and 6 Pelegrinos of a well defined vintage. I’ll buy you a beer if we come across . It will be twenty years since my first Camino,from Sarria , June 2004.
Buen Camino