Seven week update

[MichaelC]

I thought I would be posting “live” updates every week! Better late than never, I guess. Also: I need some advice.

First up: I left Le Puy in August 21. That first month on the Podiensis - to about Aire Sur L’was incredible. I’ll be sharing plenty of observations over the winter. But it exceeded every expectation I had. The last week also had its moments, to be sure.

Crossing the Pyrenees was great. I enjoyed the influx of new people, and am enjoying it more now ten days later now that the crowds have subsided & a spirit of communal experience has set in.

And yet, I’m not fully invested in the Francès. I’m not “in the camino” the way I was before. I feel at times like I’m on the Camino Express, passing through Spain rather than being ~in~ Spain. I was hoping for a more immersive cultural experience.

Also, I’m already finding the terrain a bit flat (really), and I am completely over walking on dusty paths bordering the autoroute. Not sure how I’ll handle Castile! And so I’m thinking about different options once I hit Burgos in 2 days.

1. Bus to Olviedo and continue on the Primitivo. My only concern with this is how October weather will be in the mountains. I’m prepared for chilly weather, but not winter weather. I know half a dozen others pondering the same.

2. Jump to Lisbon or Porto and continue on the Portugues. This is more logistically challenging, but I like the idea of a weekend break in Lisbon.

For both of these I’ll miss the people I’ve met, which will be hard. But, both will allow me to continue to Fisterre.

3. Just continue on. I probably won’t have time to reach Compostela; I’ll be a few days short walking at the pace I like. I’m ok with finishing the route on another trip.

4. Jump ahead to Leon. This currently has little appeal.

The big piece of info I’m looking for is: how’s the weather now on the Primitivo? But any input is appreciated.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I know that you will get some good responses, and I look forward to reading them.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hello Michael ,

Also an option is go to Ponferado and walk the Camino de Invierno .

It's just a option but at the end of the day you and you alone have to make a decission witch route you will follow.

Wish you well and a Buen Camino , Peter .

 

[MichaelC]

The Invierno is also an option!

For some more background: Spain is experiencing one of its worst droughts on record. Navarra and La Rioja have been hot, dusty, and barren. These aren’t adjectives I usually see used for these regions. I have no idea what Castile must be like

 

[peregrina2000]

I thought I would be posting “live” updates every week! Better late than never, I guess. Also: I need some advice.

First up: I left Le Puy in August 21. That first month on the Podiensis - to about Aire Sur L’was incredible. I’ll be sharing plenty of observations over the winter. But it exceeded every expectation I had. The last week also had its moments, to be sure.

Crossing the Pyrenees was great. I enjoyed the influx of new people, and am enjoying it more now ten days later now that the crowds have subsided & a spirit of communal experience has set in.

And yet, I’m not fully invested in the Francès. I’m not “in the camino” the way I was before. I feel at times like I’m on the Camino Express, passing through Spain rather than being ~in~ Spain. I was hoping for a more immersive cultural experience.

Also, I’m already finding the terrain a bit flat (really), and I am completely over walking on dusty paths bordering the autoroute. Not sure how I’ll handle Castile! And so I’m thinking about different options once I hit Burgos in 2 days.

1. Bus to Olviedo and continue on the Primitivo. My only concern with this is how October weather will be in the mountains. I’m prepared for chilly weather, but not winter weather. I know half a dozen others pondering the same.

2. Jump to Lisbon or Porto and continue on the Portugues. This is more logistically challenging, but I like the idea of a weekend break in Lisbon.

For both of these I’ll miss the people I’ve met, which will be hard. But, both will allow me to continue to Fisterre.

3. Just continue on. I probably won’t have time to reach Compostela; I’ll be a few days short walking at the pace I like. I’m ok with finishing the route on another trip.

4. Jump ahead to Leon. This currently has little appeal.

The big piece of info I’m looking for is: how’s the weather now on the Primitivo? But any input is appreciated.

Hi, Michael,

If you decide on the Primitivo, consider starting on the Salvador in Leon, 4 or 5 days to Oviedo from there and it is just glorious. (Ender's guide is all you need it is meticulously detailed). https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B61VvtkuNOwEMXpaM280YWtTTXM/view?pref=2&pli=1

I walked the Salvador/Primitivo combo in early October once years ago, and the weather was not a problem. There was snow at higher elevations when we were in Tineo, which made for pretty views of the mountains int he distance, but none fell down where we were. I would chance it.

The Invierno is also a nice idea, but only if you want to be pretty much totall alone. It is beautiful and it has that "camino feeling," whatever that is, but it is not well traveled.

I loved the route from Lisbon, but that does seems a bit more abrupt and disruptive in some way, not sure why. But a few days in Lisbon would be very nice! Good luck with the decisionmaking, luckily there are no bad choices!
Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Anemone del Camino]

If you are finding the pre-Burgos scene boring then don’t even think about Porto to Santiago via de Central route. Even the Frances after Leon doesn’t offer half of what the first half has to offer. And forget walking from Lisbon if you are finding where you are blah.

I would not worry about cold temps on the primitivo, it’s not that high up. Google the weather for cities and towns like Oviedo, Grado, Tineo, Salas, Lugo, and that will give you a good idea of what might be happening weatherwise in the next two weeks. This being said, a sleeping bag would be wise to have for the Primitivo.

The Portuguese along the coast from Porto may be nice. The Salvador and Invierno will be super quiet. From Burgos you can take a bus to santander and walk the Norte from there, the most beautiful part is from Irun/San Sebastian, so perhaps even bus back to Irun. Or head south to one of the major cities along Via de la Plata: Merida, Caceres, Salamanca. On VDLP, the Norte and the Primitivo you will most likely walk alone bit meet up with the same bunch of people in the evening.

Tineo weather forcast: low to mid 20s during the day, around 10C at night. http://www.aemet.es/es/eltiempo/prediccion/municipios/tineo-id33073

 

[MichaelC]

Ahh, the Salvador + Primitivo would be a dream combination! The only ‘problem’ (which isn’t really much of a problem) is that I am just barely short of time to do that & reach Santiago.

Given that 99% of the French and German pilgrims I met do the Camino in multi-year stages, I’m now ok with not reaching Santiago this year. So ... one more thing to ponder.

My mind won’t be empty on this morning’s walk!

 

[MichaelC]

It was 3 deg Celsius (37 F) this morning leaving Villambístia at 8 am! Beautiful, but cold. It finally warmed up around 10. This is approaching my lower limit - I’m definitely not prepared for the Salvador (sadly).

Thursday is my ‘jump date.’ I’m sure I’ll change my mind a dozen times a day, though currently the Primitivo is the best looking option. The weather forecast is good.

Though a weekend in Lisbon, then Porto to Santiago along the coast, is still a temptation.

It’s nice that this is the most difficult decision right now! Life is so much simpler here, yeah?

 

[MichaelC]

My views seem to evolve by the hour. Short version: I’ll just keep going on. A ‘new’ camino just wasn’t feeling right. Also, so many people have dropped out or bussed ahead that the Francès feels more like a community now & less like a mass of people being processed through.

I’ll have lots of notes for later!

 

[CaminoDebrita]

My views seem to evolve by the hour. Short version: I’ll just keep going on. A ‘new’ camino just wasn’t feeling right. Also, so many people have dropped out or bussed ahead that the Francès feels more like a community now & less like a mass of people being processed through.

I’ll have lots of notes for later!

It’s definitely a good time to be walking. In Navarrete tonight, we had a very nice birthday dinner. Our group was definitely a good community, and two other tables in the restaurant visited with us throughout our night.

Not seeing hordes by any means.

People tonight— French, Belgian, Tasmanian, Netherlands, British, American. Wonderful group.

 

[MichaelC]

I would love to see a map that tracks who’s where on the Camino. Our nights the past couple evenings have included Italy (Liguria), Italy (Rome), Italy (Napoli), Italy (Torino), and Israel! At the bar today the patron asked me what part of Italy I was from. I told him I was American; he asked why I ordered the beer in Italian ...

Anyhow. I’m now in Burgos, in a small hotel off the Camino, and it’s been an interesting experience. At the bar this afternoon the owner saw me looking over my maps, asked if I was walking to Santiago, and took the pintxos off my bill. I had one last beer at the hotel, and the owner there brought out some empenadas as a treat. It felt nice.

I’m low maintenance, and I don’t expect much. But: I’d say at about half the albergues I stayed at in La Rioja and Navarre the hospitalero greeted my with ‘Hola. Credencial? 10 Euros. Your room’s upstairs.” And then they’d disappear. It was a quite a shock after France, where you’d have tea or menthe a l’eau with the patron for thirty minutes sometimes before you checked in or did all the paperwork.

It’s a museum day for me tomorrow, then onwards to the meseta.

 

[BmoreNomadic]

Hi Mike!
As someone who skipped ahead due to crappy feet (Xavier is still walking - maybe you will still run into him), my experience is that the last 117kms felt like a pilgrim factory - all spandex and mini-mochilas! I've looked at it as a cultural experience to have been part of both ends in a short time frame; it is nothing like the first 2 weeks.
Buen camino!