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So my Camino has snuck up on me

AZgirl

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances 2012 , via de la Plata 2014
Madrid/frances Sept/Oct 2017
Next : mozarabe 2021
Hello all,

I'm not sure how, considering I've been planning this for over two years and had my plane ticket in place since last October, but it seems to have hit me all of a sudden that I'll be flying out in less than two weeks. I am planning on the Madrid, Salvador, primitivo combination.

I have the e book version of the csj guide for Madrid, enders for Salvador and this forum's guide for the primitivo. And I just got @Magwood spreadsheet. (Thanks for your awesome blog!) I have decided to get a phone, but was wondering if a non smart one would be sufficient? I have resisted a phone on my other Camino's but I was able to rely on seeing other pilgrims and not having to call for albergue s to be opened. I realize this is a n arbitrary line as I will be taking a tablet and plan on using WiFi at night but I was hoping to spend most of the day unconnected, and don't trust myself to resist checking emails, etc. I have been cramming in reading blogs etc and having the maps of path on phone, looks tempting but hopefully unnecessary?

I arrive in Madrid on 11th plan to start walking on the 12th, would love to meet other pilgrims.

Thanks!
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
The problem with a simple phone phone is that you need to know the number you are calling. You can't google the local taxi driver for an emergency pickup should you need it. When my meniscus tore on VDLP, I was glad to be able to Google so that I could be picked up.

You can be as disconnected as you want even kf you carry a smart phone, just don't use it unless you need to.
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
Hello all,

I'm not sure how, considering I've been planning this for over two years and had my plane ticket in place since last October, but it seems to have hit me all of a sudden that I'll be flying out in less than two weeks. I am planning on the Madrid, Salvador, primitivo combination.

I have the e book version of the csj guide for Madrid, enders for Salvador and this forum's guide for the primitivo. And I just got @Magwood spreadsheet. (Thanks for your awesome blog!) I have decided to get a phone, but was wondering if a non smart one would be sufficient? I have resisted a phone on my other Camino's but I was able to rely on seeing other pilgrims and not having to call for albergue s to be opened. I realize this is a n arbitrary line as I will be taking a tablet and plan on using WiFi at night but I was hoping to spend most of the day unconnected, and don't trust myself to resist checking emails, etc. I have been cramming in reading blogs etc and having the maps of path on phone, looks tempting but hopefully unnecessary?

I arrive in Madrid on 11th plan to start walking on the 12th, would love to meet other pilgrims.

Thanks!
Smart phone is ok and keeping contact is to me essential
 
Buen camino, @AZgirl !
I was hoping to spend most of the day unconnected, and don't trust myself to resist checking emails, etc.
I hope you manage that unconnected time. It restores the soul. Letting friends at home know ahead of time that you'll be 'off the radar' helps - it takes the pressure off, and actually offers external restraint. If you tell folks you'll be 'gone gone' and then reappear shortly thereafter...well, it's a more public event than just deciding to be quiet and then reneging on that decision. :D )

@AZgirl I'm thinking of starting the Madrid on 7th, and I'll be breaking it down into as short stages as possible for the first week, so you will probably catch me.
Wow, and buen camino to you too, @Kanga ! How good to know it's more than just a pipe dream. May your legs be well and happy this time around!
 
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Bring a phone, disable data and don't get a data plan. You can take photos to your heart's content, make notes, book an albergue (esp after Sarria) check your guide and store it easier than a tablet. Use wifi where you find it (which is plenty). You only need to have to make a call once to have it earn its value in your pack.

Everything else you're worried about is just a choice.
 
Hi, AZgirl, I can give an opinion on one of your questions. I don't think you need a GPS for Madrid, Salvador, Primitivo. I do use GPS when I walk on solitary caminos, but didn't use it on this same combo and was fine. They are all extremely well marked.

As far as what to do about the phone, it is true that wifi is everywhere, but as you note, having a phone to call in case of need is a good thing. I usually get a Spanish SIM card and have them put it in my US phone (being careful to store my US SIM card carefully, since I lost it once!). I find that a Vodaphone prepay "super user" rate is a good deal for me -- about 30 minutes phone, 2 GB of data and it's good for a month. ONly about 15 euros, easy to renew. I agree that being disconnected is liberating, but it can also cause a lot of problems if the need arises. Take the "no phone unless there's an emergency" challenge and see if you can resist the urge to check while walking!!

And btw, buen camino, I think you will love this itinerary, it's an amazing combo of all sorts of terrain, towns, churches, etc etc.
 
Bring a phone, disable data and don't get a data plan. You can take photos to your heart's content, make notes, book an albergue (esp after Sarria) check your guide and store it easier than a tablet. Use wifi where you find it (which is plenty). You only need to have to make a call once to have it earn its value in your pack.

Everything else you're worried about is just a choice.

Or for 19Euros, purchase 7GB of data and 80minutes of calling time, for one month via Orange. I think I would go with the Orange (or Vodafone) equivalent. At least with the smartphone, you can upload your entire route onto Google Maps by going here: http://centrodedescargas.cnig.es/CentroDescargas/loadCamSan.do
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Hello all,

I'm not sure how, considering I've been planning this for over two years and had my plane ticket in place since last October, but it seems to have hit me all of a sudden that I'll be flying out in less than two weeks. I am planning on the Madrid, Salvador, primitivo combination.

I have the e book version of the csj guide for Madrid, enders for Salvador and this forum's guide for the primitivo. And I just got @Magwood spreadsheet. (Thanks for your awesome blog!) I have decided to get a phone, but was wondering if a non smart one would be sufficient? I have resisted a phone on my other Camino's but I was able to rely on seeing other pilgrims and not having to call for albergue s to be opened. I realize this is a n arbitrary line as I will be taking a tablet and plan on using WiFi at night but I was hoping to spend most of the day unconnected, and don't trust myself to resist checking emails, etc. I have been cramming in reading blogs etc and having the maps of path on phone, looks tempting but hopefully unnecessary?

I arrive in Madrid on 11th plan to start walking on the 12th, would love to meet other pilgrims.

Thanks!
I know what you mean! Like you, I've been planning this for two years and now its just over two weeks away!
Bear in mind a smartphone can do just about everything that a Tablet can and is lighter than a tablet and that's my only comment, as the choice is yours.

Buen Camino and Excelsior!
 
To be clear: Part of what the OP is struggling with is the distraction that comes from being connected all the time.
 
You may want / need a phone. Put it on "Airplane" and leave it there unless there is a real need. Having a tablet is not being disconnected if wifi is available.

Just my 2 cents, take a phone and leave the tablet at home.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
To be clear: Part of what the OP is struggling with is the distraction that comes from being connected all the time.
:) Oh, I understand that very well and the temptation too. After a good 10 years of being mobileless, I bit the bullet and got a smartphone. (previously I had one and wound up only using it to locate my husband in a parking lot, but that's another story) And the thing for which I use it the least is actually talking and it can be a real time waster and even with the wifi disabled and in airplane mode, it can be a real battery pig. So I will turn it off and tuck it away during the day. My maps will be hard copy because the screen I find to be just too small for easy map reading.
 
I sure hope it cools down for both @AZgirl and @Kanga. The heat and humidity (eg heat index) is in the low 30sC right now in Madrid. A smartphone gives you access to so much real time, like weather etc. I think just from a safety standpoint, I would go with the smartphone (w/data package). I remember wishing I had those KML files going over the San Salvador several years ago. A portion of that track is NOT well marked in my humble estimation. And I bet those pilgrims who got loss in the fog on the Hospedelero segment on the Primitivo, wish they had a KML file.
 
Our highs in Phx have been 108 / 112F. Pamplona is 75 to 80F. It will feel cold to us in the mornings.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

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@AZgirl I'm thinking of starting the Madrid on 7th, and I'll be breaking it down into as short stages as possible for the first week, so you will probably catch me.
That we be awesome! I don't post too often but read the forum quite a bit, and have been following your adventures.
 
Our highs in Phx have been 108 / 112F. Pamplona is 75 to 80F. It will feel cold to us in the mornings.

Oh, you live in Phx, where airplanes can't take off in the middle of the day due to the heat/air density!

Don't forget ~10 degrees added for high vs low humidity as per Heat Index definition :)
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
I have a rather old smartphone and it hard to read the screen in sunlight. Which makes it difficult to rely on it for directions, even though I love the GPS facility and Maps.me. I don't want to expend the huge amount necessary to replace it, and have the worry of a new expensive phone. I was wondering if there is any kind of a screen cover that would make the old phone to read. Anyone had experience with that?
 
Thanks for all the replies. My phone here is really on it's last legs, I've been needing to update it for a year or two. I'm not going to bother taking it. I think I will just see if I can buy a cheap phone in Madrid. If I can find a fairly cheap smartphone, I may get it and keep it in airplane mode as suggested but am glad to hear gps hopefully won't be required. I'll just see what I can find when I land!
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Thanks for all the replies. My phone here is really on it's last legs, I've been needing to update it for a year or two. I'm not going to bother taking it. I think I will just see if I can buy a cheap phone in Madrid. If I can find a fairly cheap smartphone, I may get it and keep it in airplane mode as suggested but am glad to hear gps hopefully won't be required. I'll just see what I can find when I land!
another tip from a tightwad. I saved myself some $$$ by getting a refurbished samsung. Lest some one try to dissuade you from this choice, I buy refurbished electronics all the time and have never been disappointed: my TV, home theatre, mp3 player, and other assorted things all refurbished. I saved major bucks over the years. It will likely be worth your while to check out. :)
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
another tip from a tightwad. I saved myself some $$$ by getting a refurbished samsung. Lest some one try to dissuade you from this choice, I buy refurbished electronics all the time and have never been disappointed: my TV, home theatre, mp3 player, and other assorted things all refurbished. I saved major bucks over the years. It will likely be worth your while to check out. :)

Wow, you are right! You can go on Amazon and buy an Unlocked GSM Sansumg smartphone refurbished for under $100. Then after you are finished using it, you could probably sell it for a PROFIT in Spain :)
 
Wow, you are right! You can go on Amazon and buy an Unlocked GSM Sansumg smartphone refurbished for under $100. Then after you are finished using it, you could probably sell it for a PROFIT in Spain :)

And I like to think that somehow I am doing something to keep stuff out of a landfill, somewhere.

Excelsior!
 
Yes, technology in Spain is more expensive than the US...
Thanks maybe I will just get an unlocked one before I go.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Well, just when I decided to get a refurbished Samsung, they are temporarily out of stock. And won't get here before I leave. There looks to be some fairly cheap other brands of gsm phones, but I think I just get a cheap non smart phone after all.

My flight gets in fairly early in the morning and I am hoping to make the 12 mass at the church if santiago. I've read that there can be Pilgrim blessing? Do you need to introduce yourself(or hope other Pilgrims have) or is it done daily?
 
Well, just when I decided to get a refurbished Samsung, they are temporarily out of stock. And won't get here before I leave. There looks to be some fairly cheap other brands of gsm phones, but I think I just get a cheap non smart phone after all.

My flight gets in fairly early in the morning and I am hoping to make the 12 mass at the church if santiago. I've read that there can be Pilgrim blessing? Do you need to introduce yourself(or hope other Pilgrims have) or is it done daily?

Hola

It is daily so just go to the church, introduce yourself as a pilgrim, get your credential in the backroom to the left and after mass the priest will do a pilgrim blessing.

Buen camino
Lettinggo
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Only one week till you start walking, AZgirl! I bet the excitement, the anxiety, the doubts, the thrills, are all reaching a fever pitch!

Just wondering how you are thinking about those first few days and the eternal debate about whether it is better to take a train or walk to Tres Cantos or beyond?!
 
Only one week till you start walking, AZgirl! I bet the excitement, the anxiety, the doubts, the thrills, are all reaching a fever pitch!

Just wondering how you are thinking about those first few days and the eternal debate about whether it is better to take a train or walk to Tres Cantos or beyond?!
I really am a very anxious person in general, so right now I'm super anxious! I'm planning on doing your suggestion where I walk from the church to the start of the arrows on one day, then take the metro to there the next, and end in tres cantos. After that I have not decided ...see how the body is holding up.
 
I just flew over the mountains outside Madrid you will be crossing soon on foot. They didnt look too bad from 20000 ft
I hear the redwine in/from Segovia is incredible.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I just flew over the mountains outside Madrid you will be crossing soon on foot. They didnt look too bad from 20000 ft
I hear the redwine in/from Segovia is incredible.
I'm ready to make sure what you heard is correct!
 
I really am a very anxious person in general, so right now I'm super anxious! I'm planning on doing your suggestion where I walk from the church to the start of the arrows on one day, then take the metro to there the next, and end in tres cantos. After that I have not decided ...see how the body is holding up.
Why would you take a metro???
I mean you don't know how the route looks like, do you? I guess you just read from someone's experience that (s)he did that but you don't know the reasons why. So why would you do that??? ;)
Exit out of Madrid is one of the fastest and nicest I experienced on all my Caminos. The walk out of Valencia (on Camino de Levante) for example is almost 2 days long... Just walk it and enjoy!

Buen Camino!
 
I
Why would you take a metro???
I mean you don't know how the route looks like, do you? I guess you just read from someone's experience that (s)he did that but you don't know the reasons why. So why would you do that??? ;)
Exit out of Madrid is one of the fastest and nicest I experienced on all my Caminos. The walk out of Valencia (on Camino de Levante) for example is almost 2 days long... Just walk it and enjoy!

Buen Camino!
Just wanted to break up the km's of the first day. So I planned on walking that first bit in the day I arrived but my hostal is in the center than take a metro out to where I stopped walking the next day and carry on to tres cantos.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Why would you take a metro???
I mean you don't know how the route looks like, do you? I guess you just read from someone's experience that (s)he did that but you don't know the reasons why. So why would you do that??? ;)
Exit out of Madrid is one of the fastest and nicest I experienced on all my Caminos. The walk out of Valencia (on Camino de Levante) for example is almost 2 days long... Just walk it and enjoy!

Buen Camino!

Kinky, I don't think you read AZgirl's post carefully. I did exactly what she did. I walked the 6 or so km from the church out to the Plaza Castilla on the afternoon I arrived in Madrid. I found it the perfect distance to keep jetlag at bay. Problem is there is no affordable place to stay near Plaza Castilla, so I went back to the area near Glorieta del Bilbao to a pension. The next day I hopped on the metro and got back to Plaza Castilla to walk.

I do agree with you that the exit from Madrid is very pleasant. No industry, no long suburban drip. Go under the M-40 and you are out in the country.

ps to those starting from Madrid. Has anyone stayed at the Korean Association albergue? It is actually pretty close to the starting point of the Madrid, but is not in a central part of town. I have read about it but haven't heard from anyone who actually stayed there. http://cachinyeon.wixsite.com/madrid
 
Obviously I didn't read it careful enough but she explained and I understand it now. Maybe that's what I should have done to avoid nasty blister because of the last kilometers on that tarmac bicycle path when my soles were already sore :eek::)
 
Like the Kinkster, I had to reread @AZgirl post as well. It is nice to hear the departure from Madrid is not going through a bunch of suspect industrial/suburbia wasteland. I know @KinkyOne has high standards as he called attention to this factor on several of the town/cities of the Levante. So I may have to put the Madrid route on the checklist of future Caminos.
 
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Like the Kinkster, I had to reread @AZgirl post as well. It is nice to hear the departure from Madrid is not going through a bunch of suspect industrial/suburbia wasteland. I know @KinkyOne has high standards as he called attention to this factor on several of the town/cities of the Levante. So I may have to put the Madrid route on the checklist of future Caminos.
Matt, you should definitely put this Camino to your list. Exit from Madrid (I started on Plaza de Espana because I stayed two nights in hostel there) is nice and most of the way in shade although on pavements. But soon after Plaza de Castilla and the Torres de Madrid skyscrapers you're out in the fields.
It is believed that Camino de Madrid has the highest percentage of natural/light gravel paths. Infrastructure is also very good more or less and there are some pretty nice albergues. The friendliness of the locals I can only compare to those on the Invierno. All in all it's really beautiful Camino especially if you like Meseta/Tierra de Campos which started immediately after Segovia.
Go! :)
 
Matt, you should definitely put this Camino to your list. Exit from Madrid (I started on Plaza de Espana because I stayed two nights in hostel there) is nice and most of the way in shade although on pavements. But soon after Plaza de Castilla and the Torres de Madrid skyscrapers you're out in the fields.
It is believed that Camino de Madrid has the highest percentage of natural/light gravel paths. Infrastructure is also very good more or less and there are some pretty nice albergues. The friendliness of the locals I can only compare to those on the Invierno. All in all it's really beautiful Camino especially if you like Meseta/Tierra de Campos which started immediately after Segovia.
Go! :)


Ooh, I like the Friendliness factor you mentioned for the Camino de Madrid. That is the highest variable for doing Caminos for me, and the reason I ditched the routes in France this year. Couple that with outstanding wine in Segovia, and I think @AZgirl will have a great time!
 

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