ShefollowsShells will be followed by five kiddos

[shefollowsshells]

Super excited that my dream of taking five of my six children on the Camino is finally here! We will be leaving the first two weeks of August and actually will stay and travel around Europe for four months total . I have in the past few years walked the Frances, Finesterre, Muxia...then the Norte and Inglais. I have had dreams that my children would walk what I have walked, wanting to show them what I experienced, they too seem to have bonded with my previous walks and mention seeing things that I saw. However in the past few days I am wanting to start in Le Puy (I've wanted to do this for a while). I'm starting to imagine doing Le Puy getting to Burguete and heading up to the Norte from there. I would prefer to walk it and wondered if anyone could advise me on this, I have nothing against taking transportation (for this part) , we have the time to walk it though. Kiddos are ages
17,15,13,11,9 all have hiked with me and seem as prepared for this as can be.
The Le Puy population of walkers seem like a mature group and I feel my kids should be fine there, but I wondered if the gites would be welcoming to children who in my opinion are appreciative and knowledgeable in
their History.
Thanks in advance,
N

 

[C clearly]

I can't help with any of your questions, but wish you well on the trip. I'm not so sure of who will be following whom, though!

 

[shefollowsshells]

So true! ... they will all probably leave mom in the dust
I did find this site that I am going to put here for anyone in the future that might be interested.
http://www.travesiapirenaica.com/gr11/gr11.php

 

[shefollowsshells]

@shefollowsshells

Great to read you.

Do let me know if you are all passing thru Bilbo.

Ondo Ibili !

MendiWalker

You know it!!! 100 percent on my list! Loved meeting you and walking with you on the Norte!

 

[Ekelund]

What a wonderful thing to do with your family. That is a great way to spend time together.
Buen Camino.

 

[Mike Savage]

Sounds wonderful an challenging. Buen Camino!

 

[Fatma]

Super excited that my dream of taking five of my six children on the Camino is finally here! We will be leaving the first two weeks of August and actually will stay and travel around Europe for four months total . I have in the past few years walked the Frances, Finesterre, Muxia...then the Norte and Inglais. I have had dreams that my children would walk what I have walked, wanting to show them what I experienced, they too seem to have bonded with my previous walks and mention seeing things that I saw. However in the past few days I am wanting to start in Le Puy (I've wanted to do this for a while). I'm starting to imagine doing Le Puy getting to Burguete and heading up to the Norte from there. I would prefer to walk it and wondered if anyone could advise me on this, I have nothing against taking transportation (for this part) , we have the time to walk it though. Kiddos are ages
17,15,13,11,9 all have hiked with me and seem as prepared for this as can be.
The Le Puy population of walkers seem like a mature group and I feel my kids should be fine there, but I wondered if the gites would be welcoming to children who in my opinion are appreciative and knowledgeable in
their History.
Thanks in advance,
N

Amazing! Enjoy!

 

[Dave]

The Le Puy population of walkers seem like a mature group and I feel my kids should be fine there, but I wondered if the gites would be welcoming to children who in my opinion are appreciative and knowledgeable in
their History.
Thanks in advance,
N

This will be great! I had high schoolers with me on the Le Puy route last summer. We were welcomed at all stops along the way. I often worry that some might be annoyed by the group's youthful exuberance (at times!), but it was heartening to be told by multiple pilgrims that they found the teenagers to be a really positive force in their walk.

The GR-11 connects Burguete with Irún. I've only walked part of that (long day, something went wrong), but it's definitely strenuous in places. I can recommend the GR-10 between St Jean and Hendaye, though it has some very challenging and rocky ups and downs. Incredibly beautiful in places, including a long stretch along a ridge line with horses and sheep hanging out at the top. If you're concerned about the extended mountain walk, though, there's also a lower-level route on the French side, complete with occasional flechas.

 

[billmclaughlin]

Well with a group of six you'll certainly want to reserve ahead. Will you be welcome? There are some gites where you arrive and check yourself in, so your hosts may not see you until dinner. So there won't be any problem. Didn't the French invent the fait accompli?

Some of your hosts may be a bit unhappy, depending on what problems they've had lately, if any. I'm wracking my brain and I really can't recall anyone I'd expect to be unhappy with your group (I know the French path better than Spain), but you know it's going to happen. I'd suggest being ready for it and, unless something is critical, just roll with it and move on. Arguing with a French person who is enforcing a rule -- even an unwritten rule -- is pointless. It quickly becomes a matter of principle and there's nothing at all to be gained by arguing. Cut your losses and move on.

I hope your 17-year-old plays the part of older brother/sister real well, so the first impression isn't you and a troop of five little ones.

And of course teaching them a few words of French! A proper "Bonjour, madame" and "Merci, madame" -- always with the Madame or Monsieur! never just Bonjour or Merci -- will help.

 

[shefollowsshells]

This will be great! I had high schoolers with me on the Le Puy route last summer. We were welcomed at all stops along the way. I often worry that some might be annoyed by the group's youthful exuberance (at times!), but it was heartening to be told by multiple pilgrims that they found the teenagers to be a really positive force in their walk.

The GR-11 connects Burguete with Irún. I've only walked part of that (long day, something went wrong), but it's definitely strenuous in places. I can recommend the GR-10 between St Jean and Hendaye, though it has some very challenging and rocky ups and downs. Incredibly beautiful in places, including a long stretch along a ridge line with horses and sheep hanging out at the top. If you're concerned about the extended mountain walk, though, there's also a lower-level route on the French side, complete with occasional flechas.

Thank you Dave for your input, not certain if you remember but I was a huge fan of your Norte book and tried to blog from that Camino and update here on the board.
My oldest son I think is wanting to hit Pamplona and go up...however we are renting a car in Santiago to continue on and travel Europe for two months (totaling four months in Europe) and I told him we might just have to drive there. I trust your opinion and will take a closer look at the G10...this might be easier so we don't necessarily bond with people starting off the Frances and then the kiddos have to say bye to them. Maybe doing Le Puy and splitting in St Jean will help them with that.
If you read this thread I would love to know more about where you all stayed etc... My fear is looking at the prices for gites x6 of us is scaring me some. I think I read people pay roughly 35E for a night and a wonderful meal which I could do for me by myself, but x6 really kills my budget. What did you do? Also if you have any advice on certain places we should really consider to stay I would love to hear.
Thank you!
Neve

 

[shefollowsshells]

Well with a group of six you'll certainly want to reserve ahead. Will you be welcome? There are some gites where you arrive and check yourself in, so your hosts may not see you until dinner. So there won't be any problem. Didn't the French invent the fait accompli?

Some of your hosts may be a bit unhappy, depending on what problems they've had lately, if any. I'm wracking my brain and I really can't recall anyone I'd expect to be unhappy with your group (I know the French path better than Spain), but you know it's going to happen. I'd suggest being ready for it and, unless something is critical, just roll with it and move on. Arguing with a French person who is enforcing a rule -- even an unwritten rule -- is pointless. It quickly becomes a matter of principle and there's nothing at all to be gained by arguing. Cut your losses and move on.

I hope your 17-year-old plays the part of older brother/sister real well, so the first impression isn't you and a troop of five little ones.

And of course teaching them a few words of French! A proper "Bonjour, madame" and "Merci, madame" -- always with the Madame or Monsieur! never just Bonjour or Merci -- will help.

Excellent advice Bill! Thank you! Older brother will be a great ambassador for the family, glad you mention this though as I never would have thought about how we might be perceived just thought it would be his way of being. My parents (in their eighties) spend about two months a year in France, They retired and I spent my teenage years in a home on what was George Washington's property at Mount Vernon, they still live there. My father is a Historian and his expertise is with Washington, Lafayette and Rochembeau...so it just seems natural to me to walk this area of France as they cheer us on from Virginia.
My knowledge pales in comparison but I hope to catch the kiddos up on this rich history in more detail as we prepare.
I am worried about gite cost (though respect the cost fully...great meals and a place to stay at the rates I am seeing are fully justifiable to me) but my fear is x6 and not certain I can easily swing that for 30 plus days, continue on to Finesterre and then travel around Europe for two months after in a rented van... that is where some of my fear lies right now.
Great advice, I will remember it when I might see a frown on someones face as we come a knocking.

 

[mspath]

shefollowsshells,

What a great family journey you have planned; may all go well for all of you!

Before leaving Le Puy on foot you might consider visiting Chavaniac-Lafayette 32 km to the west. There the Chateau Lafayette is open to the public. It was the birthplace of the Marquis de Lafayette and, of course, has strong American ties. See more here in their web.

Bon chemin and Buen camino to you and your family!

 

[Dave]

If you read this thread I would love to know more about where you all stayed etc... My fear is looking at the prices for gites x6 of us is scaring me some. I think I read people pay roughly 35E for a night and a wonderful meal which I could do for me by myself, but x6 really kills my budget. What did you do? Also if you have any advice on certain places we should really consider to stay I would love to hear.
Thank you!
Neve

I totally remember, Neve!

You can find our daily itinerary here. Click on each blue bar and it will expand, providing each day's walk plan and concluding with the accommodation. We had some very good fortune with our flights, as they came in $500 lower than what we had budgeted (thank you, Iceland Air!), so we pushed some of that cash back into the pot for meals. As a result, we signed on for a few more demi-pensions than we had originally expected. The dinners were fun; we often wished we would have handled the breakfasts on our own.

By and large, you're going to want to focus on gite municipals, as they're typically (though not always) cheaper than the other options. (There are some donation gites as well, but my experience was that they were less open to reservations and groups. The following places charged 12 euros or less for a bed and had a kitchen, unless otherwise noted: GC Saugues, Aubrac Hotel Gite (Aumont-Aubrac), GC Nasbinals, GC Espagnac (Cele Valley), GC Eauze, GC Nogaro, GC Arthez-de-Bearn, Maison Franciscaine (St. Palais). I felt like the Auberge Jeunesse was a bargain for Le Puy, as well--much better for me than Gite Capucins, where I stayed my first time. Your kids will get a helpful discount.

If you were to splurge and pay for meals on a couple of nights, our favorite for experience and value were: Gite St. Come Romiou (St. Come d'Olt) and Gite l'Alchimiste (Navarrenx).

I don't suppose the kids would be happy in a tent?

BTW, I did a quick search for info on the lower-level connection between SJPDP and Hendaye. Beilari's website has an outline of accommodation options along that route (to be clear, this is not the GR10, though it overlaps in a couple of places) that should give you a rough sense of the itinerary. It's here.

Dave

 

[shefollowsshells]

shefollowsshells,

What a great family journey you have planned; may all go well for all of you!

Before leaving Le Puy on foot you might consider visiting Chavaniac-Lafayette 32 km to the west. There the Chateau Lafayette is open to the public. It was the birthplace of the Marquis de Lafayette and, of course, has strong American ties. See more here in their web.

Bon chemin and Buen camino to you and your family!

YES!!!! 100 percent in our plans. I joke my parents home is a revolving door of guests from France, just about ten days ago a couple who lives there on some of the property in Chavaniac was visiting them. I have not finalized but have gotten a price quote that is decent to rent a van from CDG and drive it thru the North of France and end up in Le Puy du Fou for two days and then drop it off in Lyon. I need to get to Le Puy from there. I personally think Le Puy du Fou is one of the best places on Earth, their bird show had me crying my eyes out with its beauty when I took the kids there about seven years ago.
Any other ides I am all ears
Huge hugs,
Neve

 

[shefollowsshells]

I totally remember, Neve!

You can find our daily itinerary here. Click on each blue bar and it will expand, providing each day's walk plan and concluding with the accommodation. We had some very good fortune with our flights, as they came in $500 lower than what we had budgeted (thank you, Iceland Air!), so we pushed some of that cash back into the pot for meals. As a result, we signed on for a few more demi-pensions than we had originally expected. The dinners were fun; we often wished we would have handled the breakfasts on our own.

By and large, you're going to want to focus on gite municipals, as they're typically (though not always) cheaper than the other options. (There are some donation gites as well, but my experience was that they were less open to reservations and groups. The following places charged 12 euros or less for a bed and had a kitchen, unless otherwise noted: GC Saugues, Aubrac Hotel Gite (Aumont-Aubrac), GC Nasbinals, GC Espagnac (Cele Valley), GC Eauze, GC Nogaro, GC Arthez-de-Bearn, Maison Franciscaine (St. Palais). I felt like the Auberge Jeunesse was a bargain for Le Puy, as well--much better for me than Gite Capucins, where I stayed my first time. Your kids will get a helpful discount.

If you were to splurge and pay for meals on a couple of nights, our favorite for experience and value were: Gite St. Come Romiou (St. Come d'Olt) and Gite l'Alchimiste (Navarrenx).

I don't suppose the kids would be happy in a tent?

BTW, I did a quick search for info on the lower-level connection between SJPDP and Hendaye. Beilari's website has an outline of accommodation options along that route (to be clear, this is not the GR10, though it overlaps in a couple of places) that should give you a rough sense of the itinerary. It's here.

Dave

Dave thank you! Always a wealth of information. I remember you speaking of taking your kids/ students before and I thought what lucky kiddos to be lead by you! GREAT information all the way around, I can not thank you enough!
My children LOVE camping , so I think much of it will be done via camping. Infact we have these special hammocks called NUBEs which have a cover to them...you can bunk them in one cover (which is a suspended tent), they are heavy BUT kids plan to do the AT in two years exactly so they'll have more weight than this if they do.
Renting a car pre Camino and post Camino now as we want to squeeze in Puy du Fou, if you have never done that or heard of it take a look via youtube video and the website. I am not a theme park person in the least, but this park is centered around History and they do a bird show that has to be in a league of its own...there is nothing I have ever seen like it. Please share anything that you think might help me.
Off to read your itinerary.
Neve

 

[caminka]

the route Dave has mentioned is called Voie Nive - Bidassoa. this is possibly the best up-to-date site:
http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/spip/spip.php?rubrique684

your family adventure sounds amazing!

 

[LesBrass]

Hello, your trip sounds amazing, I wish I could convince my kids to join me!

I may well be telling you something you already know, so sorry if I am... but the first 2 weeks of August will be the peak of the peak season for holiday accommodation... and it often feels like most of France goes on holiday at this time. I live in the Dordogne and whilst I love the busy summer months because there is so much to see and do... it does get kind of busy around here.

Having said that I have no idea what the walking will be like... beautiful for sure... but I just thought I should mention it?

and I hope you have an amazing trip!

 

[shefollowsshells]

Hello, your trip sounds amazing, I wish I could convince my kids to join me!

I may well be telling you something you already know, so sorry if I am... but the first 2 weeks of August will be the peak of the peak season for holiday accommodation... and it often feels like most of France goes on holiday at this time. I live in the Dordogne and whilst I love the busy summer months because there is so much to see and do... it does get kind of busy around here.

Having said that I have no idea what the walking will be like... beautiful for sure... but I just thought I should mention it?

and I hope you have an amazing trip!

Lucky you to be in Dordogne, what a gorgeous place!
That has been one of my biggest worries BUT we are going to buy some time and go to Puy du Fou prior. I actually have thoughts of flying into CDG renting a car (already have rates quoted) drive around Northern France and head to Puy du Fou for two days/nights and then on to Lyon. Which has us starting the middle of August vs the beginning...I am hoping that might help us some.... So we would have a week to ten days to spend before Le Puy. Then at the end renting another van to take us through Europe.
I hope I am not getting ahead of myself, but these are hopes, God willing!

 

[LesBrass]

Lucky you to be in Dordogne, what a gorgeous place!
That has been one of my biggest worries BUT we are going to buy some time and go to Puy du Fou prior. I actually have thoughts of flying into CDG renting a car (already have rates quoted) drive around Northern France and head to Puy du Fou for two days/nights and then on to Lyon. Which has us starting the middle of August vs the beginning...I am hoping that might help us some.... So we would have a week to ten days to spend before Le Puy. Then at the end renting another van to take us through Europe.
I hope I am not getting ahead of myself, but these are hopes, God willing!

It really is the first two weeks that are the busiest. We have a holiday starting around the 20th August most years and rarely have a problem, even on the coast... so starting mid august us a good idea... I dont know specifically about the camino routes but generally... things quieten down.

And the other great thing is that if you're on 'holiday' at the start of August there is soooo much happening that you'll be spoilt for choice

p.s. yes the Dordogne is beautiful and I go into Perigueux most days and often follow the golden shells to the cathedral and Puy de Fou is great.