September Start for First Camino

[ShawnK]

Hi I'm Shawn & together with my friend Di, have been preparing for our 1st camino in September.

You haven't met us yet but many of you have been part of our "camino conversations" since March when we started planning....& discovered this forum.
Experience & advice shared by forum members has been invaluable & has been the backbone for our preparation. So thank you.
The rest will have to be up to us!

We are 2 Aussie women from the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia, leaving our husbands home on the farm while we walk the Camino Frances starting SJPP Sept 5th.
We're really looking forward to the experience & have had to try & quell our excitement while getting on with our commitments until Sept. Planning, reading, & thinking about it can be all-consuming, but only 4 weeks to go now!
We also look forward to possibly crossing paths with some of you along the way.

Kind regards
Shawn

 

[jpflavin1]

Shawn:

Buen Camino. I am sure all will go well. On another note, being from Western Australia, have you ever walked the Bibbulmum trail (unsure of spelling)? I am thinking of hiking it in September 2012.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[ShawnK]

Hi Joe
No I haven't walked the Bibbulmun Track, as they call it here. It's one of those situations where it's on our doorstep yet I'm heading past it to walk a 'track' on the other side of the world!
However my husband John & I have been talking about it for a few years now & we're booked to attend an "Intro to the Bibbulmun" lecture on Aug 17.
At 950 kms long, it's a bit tricky for John to take that amount of time away from the farm to walk the whole length in one go but we hope to do sections when we can.
Sept would be a pleasant time to go - not too cold or hot, with lots of spring wildflowers starting to bloom in the many areas of bush & forest.
I think you have to be fairly self contained with own tent & cooking gear etc if planning to walk any major part of it.....but we'll know more after the 17th!

Kind regards
Shawn

 

[jpflavin1]

ShawnK:

Thanks. I would appreciate any feedback I can get. I will also research as much as possible on the internet. I have yet to find a forum like this one on the Camino.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Anniesantiago]

Shawn,

September on the Camino is a lovely time to walk! I began my first Camino in September. You may get lucky and run across a harvest celebration or two - if so, be sure and stay for the fiesta!

Buen Camino!

 

[ShawnK]

Thanks Annie, we'll look out for them.
Will be interesting to see the Meseta, photos of it look just like our farming area....add a few gum trees & it could be our back paddock! All our training walks have been through here so sounds like we'll certainly be challenged once we set out from SJPP.

Cheers
Shawn

 

[Jimmy C.]

Hi Shawn,
Jimmy C. here from Ireland. Myself and my daughter are to start on the fifth from St. Jean also. Your the first ppl in months on the forum that we have found starting on the same day. My daughter Tanya is still so so, on whether to go for it or not. Even though the flights are paid for. I really hope she does as my planning of the Camino has all been with her in mind. Whatever she decides I'm looking forward to it myself anyway. Might very well run into you on the trail. I'm sure we'll all enjoy the experience. Buen Camino.....Jimmy

 

[ElizabethB8246]

Hi Shawn and Jimmy,

I am also starting the Camino in September, starting in Burgos on the 17th. Depending on timing, I may (or may not) see you along the way. In any case, wishing you both a safe journey and buen Camino!

Regards,
Elizabeth


---
- 'Solvitur Ambulando'
- St. Augustine

 

[sharon w]

Hi Shawn.
Hope you have a great camino with Di. We have walked 2 caminos in September and the weather was perfect. As for those gum trees...you will see many as you get closer to Santiago. It will make you feel like you're at home. Well, almost!
Buen Camino
Sharon

 

[PierreWM]

Hi, we are also doing our first Camino in September, starting from St. Jean on 18 September to reach Pamplona 20 September. We then intend to make use of public transport to Burgos, Leon, Ponferrada, and continue walking the rest of the way to Santiago. My question is, sleeping over at Burgos, Leon, Ponferrada, as we are going to arrive by bus, can we still sleep in refugios / hostels with the rest of the pelgrims or do we have to look for alternative accommodation?

Buen Camino, Pierre, from Cape Town, South Africa.

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

Private albergues and hostels do not differentiate between those who arrive by bus or on foot.

It is usual for the municipal and church albergues to refuse you permission to stay though they will gladly give you a sello.

However, unless you want to book ahead at a private albergues, you might ask at the municipal if you can stay because if they have space they might say yes.

The cost between the municipal and private albergues does vary from place to place but it not usually excessive.

It might be worth starting a thread asking for advice on private albergues in the places where you are arriving by bus because there are people here on the forum who have that information to hand.

You could then simply book ahead and at least you would know where you are staying.

The following church albergue in Burgos might offer you a bed if there is space:-
http://alberguesdelcamino.wordpress.com ... nos-emaus/

but you cannot reserve a bed in advance. It is a taxi ride from the bus station and off the route so it possible it will not be full.

The Camino does give you options!

 

[PierreWM]

Thank you for the reply.
Pierre

 

[ShawnK]

Hi Jimmy, Elizabeth & Pierre
I hope your preparation & packing is going well, I can't believe how quickly these last few weeks are flying by, little time even for forum reading!
If all goes well Elizabeth, we hope to be coming in to Burgos on 17th so we'll be a day behind you.....but we may catch up somewhere along the way.
Jimmy, we'll be heading to SJPP by train from Bayonne Sun 4th, haven't booked accom yet. Look forward to saying hi to you & your daughter;
and good luck with your planning Pierre,

Buen Camino
Shawn

 

[Arn]

Shawn, et al...

Please check out the Pilgrims calendar at the bottom right of the page. Add your start date and location to see whom else will be on the Way with you.

Arn

 

[dib]

Hi ,I'm the Di of "Di and Shawn" just to say that it is all getting so close now and a sore leg hampering my training.Sadly my dog mollie cannot come and she has done all the miles here!!Thanks Ivor we received our badges.See you all there.

 

[grilly]

Di and Shawn you are going to have the time of your life. The Camino is a unique experience. I rejoice for you both, knowing that you will discover so much about so many things.
Di, take a good care of that leg. I just went through some similar experience which I found very scary -- I tend to imagine the worse possibilities.
All will be well

claire

 

[wabana]

Yes, these last few (training) weeks (why am i tired every afternoon?! ) are going by CRAZY fast... can't wait for my flight into Barcelona on the 8th... and winding my way to SJPP end of week to (finally ! yay) begin