• For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Sorry if this has been asked before...

andywild

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
CF april 18.. CP sep 18.. CF april 2020
Hi all, I'm considering doing the VDLP in April and will be away from home for a few weeks. My question is this,

Do I give my butler and both maids the 6 weeks off or should I have them pop in occasionally to dust the chandeliers etc..

I don't really want to come back to a dusty mansion like "common" people do.

Thank you
Andy
xxx
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
It is a tricky question. Your valet will travel with you of course - someone has to do the laundry, keep you well shaven, lie in your bed for an hour before you go to bed to feed the bedbugs, and carry your rucksack .... but your butler may feel that he also deserves a break and as it is worth keeping him onside, a good butler being such a rare thing, even if they all do quietly steal from us, I would give him a holiday.
This would leave two maids and who knows what shennanigans they would encourage each other to get up to so I would just sack them - they are easily replacable after all. If you don't give them references they will still be unemployed when you return and they will be so grateful to get their jobs back - and if they start the day before you return the house will be prepared and fresh for you.

To keep the estate safe I would hire a security guard to live in, not necessary for him/her to bring their own dog as I assume that he/she will be looking after your own hounds.

There - problem solved, well, apart from the horses but I assume that they will go into livery?
 
Last edited:
I'm glad you mentioned the valet going to bed earlier to feed the bedbugs.. this is one of my top tips for a successful Camino (or JesusJolly as me and the chaps at the club like to call it). I find that dosing said valet's food with A strong pesticide works best as it then transfers straight from his blood stream. It does seem to make him slightly less talkative too which is always a bonus.. no one likes a pilgrimage with someone constantly complaining about how heavy the 42 piece Victorian tea-set is...
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
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,-
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Don’t worry, bring as much as you need, you are just honoring traditions. On the British Kabul expedition in 1839, one brigadier was said to have had no fewer than sixty camels to transport his personal camp equipment and the officers of one regiment had two camels assigned just to carry their supply of cigars. So why worry about a detail like a 42 piece Victorian tea-set….
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Don’t worry, bring as much as you need, you are just honoring traditions. On the British Kabul expedition in 1839, one brigadier was said to have had no fewer than sixty camels to transport his personal camp equipment and the officers of one regiment had two camels assigned just to carry their supply of cigars. So why worry about a detail like a 42 piece Victorian tea-set….
Ever read "The Ascent of Rum Doodle" ? :cool:
 
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.
Don’t worry, bring as much as you need, you are just honoring traditions. On the British Kabul expedition in 1839, one brigadier was said to have had no fewer than sixty camels to transport his personal camp equipment and the officers of one regiment had two camels assigned just to carry their supply of cigars. So why worry about a detail like a 42 piece Victorian tea-set….

I wonder if some of those below stairs employees felt this way?
8411A31E-A312-4B6C-A6F7-EF3DAA4AEEC3.jpeg8411A31E-A312-4B6C-A6F7-EF3DAA4AEEC3.jpeg
 
No, should I?
I read "The Great Game" by Peter Hopkirk.
Everyone should :) Excellent spoof on the mountaineering stories from the first half of the 20th century. Disaster from start to finish told with British stiff upper lip :D

PS: a 5 part BBC radio abridged audio version is available online to give you the flavour of it ;). https://archive.org/details/AscentOfRumDoodle
 
Last edited:
If you decide to get a friend to look over the house every week whilst you're away then
can I suggest getting a different friend to pop in on other days and move a few things
around? Maybe introduce some fresh flowers into the house on week three?

This arrangement works best if friend number one hasn't been told about friend number 2
visiting the house :eek:
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Actually, there is a long tradition of people traveling with an entourage on the camino,
Prince Carlos (before he became Carlos III) traveled with a vast entourage in the 1380s to thank the saint for his release from France. And I bet other catholic nobility didn't walk with back pack. I am sure @Kathar1na will be along presently to enlighten us all.

On a more serious note, if your question is about keeping your humble pile safe while you are away then consider a house sitter. We've always had someone look after the place when away, as much as to feed the dog and cat as to deter burglars and check we havent left the gas on. It's a bit more difficult now we've moved to the country, not everyone wants to take on our surfs role of shifting stock, feeding pigs, exercising the dog, mowing 16 hectare and pruning countless trees while I am away. Oh it's a hard life being the landed gentry.

Enjoy the VDLP, it's long and hard but an absolute joy.
 
Of course this question has been asked MANY times before
Hi all, I'm considering doing the VDLP in April and will be away from home for a few weeks. My question is this,

Do I give my butler and both maids the 6 weeks off or should I have them pop in occasionally to dust the chandeliers etc..

I don't really want to come back to a dusty mansion like "common" people do.

Thank you
Andy
xxx
Of course this question has been asked many times before. You really need to ask your Executive Assistant to do some research!!! BTW, I always take my butler with me, you need someone hold the door of the Albergue when you come in exhausted at the end of he day. You will need your scullery maid too - there is washing to be done every day. Other than that, perhaps a footman 🤔...
 
Personally, I travel light, with just a ghillie or two to assist with the luggage and to shoot peasants pheasants. I give my gentleman's gentleman the time off (without pay, of course, I'm not made of money) so that he can visit the orphanage where I found him and employed him as Boots. And do, please, remember that a gentleman never eats soup at luncheon. Toodle-pip!
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Andy, my dear chap, you've got the wrong end of the stick. Us proper toffs send one of our minions to do this walking business and have them use one's name on that compostela thingy.
Leaves more time for a spot of shooting and fishing dontcha know.
 
Andy, my dear chap, you've got the wrong end of the stick. Us proper toffs send one of our minions to do this walking business and have them use one's name on that compostela thingy.
Leaves more time for a spot of shooting and fishing dontcha know.
Of course!!! There is a long tradition of the rich paying the poor to carry their sins! Easiest way to buy a stairway to heaven 😀
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Hi all, I'm considering doing the VDLP in April and will be away from home for a few weeks. My question is this,

Do I give my butler and both maids the 6 weeks off or should I have them pop in occasionally to dust the chandeliers etc..

I don't really want to come back to a dusty mansion like "common" people do.

Thank you
Andy
xxx
I can always house sit (as long as your mansion is in a nice place).
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
It is a tricky question. Your valet will travel with you of course - someone has to do the laundry, keep you well shaven, lie in your bed for an hour before you go to bed to feed the bedbugs, and carry your rucksack .... but your butler may feel that he also deserves a break and as it is worth keeping him onside, a good butler being such a rare thing, even if they all do quietly steal from us, I would give him a holiday.
This would leave two maids and who knows what shennanigans they would encourage each other to get up to so I would just sack them - they are easily replacable after all. If you don't give them references they will still be unemployed when you return and they will be so grateful to get their jobs back - and if they start the day before you return the house will be prepared and fresh for you.

To keep the estate safe I would hire a security guard to live in, not necessary for him/her to bring their own dog as I assume that he/she will be looking after your own hounds.

There - problem solved, well, apart from the horses but I assume that they will go into livery?
I noticed you did not fall into the social faux pas of suggesting the Butler be employed to do the valet's job. After all Jeeves was always described as a personal man servant or valet and never incorrectly a "Butler". The Butler is responsible for the household and staff.
 
I noticed you did not fall into the social faux pas of suggesting the Butler be employed to do the valet's job. After all Jeeves was always described as a personal man servant or valet and never incorrectly a "Butler". The Butler is responsible for the household and staff.
Oh, well then, Barrow definitely gets the job. 🙂
 
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,-
Hi all, I'm considering doing the VDLP in April and will be away from home for a few weeks. My question is this,

Do I give my butler and both maids the 6 weeks off or should I have them pop in occasionally to dust the chandeliers etc..

I don't really want to come back to a dusty mansion like "common" people do.

Thank you
Andy
xxx

Sack them all and buy new ones when you return. What is your address and what dates are you going? Cos then your pad will be empty and I can pop round to nick your paintings. After we have free-partied the place that is.

Ta, Davey
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Ok, I am a bit lost on the date bit......

BUT does this mean Andy is a secret Royal? Could be! He (or she) is wearing a mask in his pic. Is it Andrew? Could even be Lizzy off on a jolly.... You never know.....
I can verify that Andy is a wild man. I recall his original avatar photo...he definately had a long red beard. If he was a lady I think he would be in the circus, not walking Caminos! 😂
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
I can verify that Andy is a wild man. I recall his original avatar photo...he definately had a long red beard. If he was a lady I think he would be in the circus, not walking Caminos! 😂

Could be the queen with a sticky-on beard.
If you was the queen, you would need a disguise to walk the camino.
Has he ever mentioned Corgis by any chance?
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Sack them all and buy new ones when you return. What is your address and what dates are you going? Cos then your pad will be empty and I can pop round to nick your paintings. After we have free-partied the place that is.

Ta, Davey
I've decided to send them for retraining, two of them wouldn't know an ivory shoe-horn if you hit them with one (which I often do). And I've decided that it's best all round if the one that's developed a limp is put out of his misery. You're more than welcome to attempt to pilfer the objets d'art but you'll have to get past the corgis...ehemm, I mean attack dogs first..
 
I've decided to send them for retraining, two of them wouldn't know an ivory shoe-horn if you hit them with one (which I often do). And I've decided that it's best all round if the one that's developed a limp is put out of his misery. You're more than welcome to attempt to pilfer the objets d'art but you'll have to get past the corgis...ehemm, I mean attack dogs first..
Kind Ladies and gentlemen,
I have just finished reading the entirety of this thread and no where could I find mention of the obvious need to bring one’s own personal botafumeira, solid silver of course. Perhaps you are unaware that the original one in the cathedral in Santiago is only set in motion on certain days of the month, unless you and several onlookers want to cough up a wad of cash to entice the church leaders to light it up when you arrive. I believe if you bring your own with you, your chances of seeing the thurible swing are greatly improved, especially if you also bring along 6-8 sturdy monks (or nuns) who can both attach it and then coordinate the necessary rope pulling. Of course you could press into service the various butlers, maids, cooks and footmen you already have with you, but certainly the one you have been using as bedbug bait will be half dead by then and of very little use. I suppose you could try harnessing the corgis but likely they will be more interested in herding other pilgrims, not to mention dog tired. So there you have. The problem outlined and it’s solution contained here in one paragraph. I only hope you read this far into the thread before the expedition begins. It would be a shame if you had to wait till Sunday to see the spectacle like the common riffraff must do.
 

Most read last week in this forum

Could I ask what may be naive question. This will be my 1st Camino and I will be mostly staying in alberques. Could you please explain the bathroom/shower etiquette to me? I have no idea what...
Do i need both these apps? I want to spend as little time my device as possible so if one app will do fine that’s my preference.
I was planning to document my journey through my blog (or Vlog, as I would probably take lots of videos). I was thinking of using my iPhone, and I ordered a foldable keyboard to facilitate typing...
I did the Norte in 2017. This set off a wild ride of changes in life - shifting many things. I am now at a new plateau and it feels like the right time to do Camino #2, this time the...
Hi to all, I'm looking for a really, really good place (an artist) to get a Tattoo in Santiago, it could be before Santiago but I presume in Santiago I will be ready to have my first one. The...
My daughter and I will be on the Portuguese on June and July starting in Lisbon. We will arrive in Porto about the 27th of June. We want to stay for three nights. Can we stay in an albergue for...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top