Starting in July 2015--but from where??

[LadyBoadicia]

Hola Peregrinos and Peregrinas!

Hi! My name is Bethany and I'm an American living in Cologne, Germany. I've been slowly planning my Camino for the summer of 2015 for over a year now, but I don't seem to be any closer to figuring out WHICH Camino is the right one for me. The only thing I know for sure is that my Camino will finish in Finisterre/Muxia, regardless of how I get to SdC. I've been lurking on these threads (AMAZING information--you all are wonderful!) for quite some time and already know that the majority will recommend the Frances for a first-time Camino... And it's certainly in the running. But here are my reservations:

-The time I have is mid-July through the end of August (I'm a teacher and performer and that's just when I get my time off) and I'm concerned that this route will be brutally hot and crowded during that time frame--I like the social aspects of it, but I don't want the stress of feeling like I have to compete with my fellow pilgrims just to find a place to sleep!

-Technically, this isn't my first time. I walked from Sarria to SdC (so just the last 100km) in 2010 with a group and that was an incredible experience that has left me hungering for more ever since. While "more" could mean the Frances starting in SJPdP or Pamplona, I think I might prefer to do a completely new route.

The other two routes I've narrowed it down to are the Portugues (with the Coastal option from Porto to the Spanish border) and the Norte. I am very much a Water Person and the idea of spending time on the coast is very appealing to me--plus I'm hoping that being closer to the coast will mitigate the effects of doing it during the heat of the summer. Also, my mother is hoping to walk the last three weeks with me, so I need to figure out how/where to meet up with her roughly an easy 2 weeks out of SdC--just for an additional wrench!

The pros and cons as I see them from my research so far (any additional thoughts or input would be greatly appreciated!):

Portugues:
Pros: I could start in Lisbon, mom could meet me in Porto and we'd both have the feeling of doing a "whole" Camino. Port and viñho verde!
Cons: I don't speak ANY Portuguese! Also a bit worried about the long stages/lack of accommodation between Lisbon and Porto, though there are some fantastic resources on this site and I could probably manage it.

Norte:
Pros: This is the one that I think is actually calling me the most--it's on the coast almost the whole way (I would cut in at Ribadeo rather than taking the Primitivo, I think) and looks absolutely gorgeous. Cider and seafood!
Cons: I have no idea where I'd meet up with my mom. Gijon seems like the best place, but getting her there from a major airport (she'd be flying from the States) looks like it would be really tricky. Any recommendations here?

Frances:
Pros: Classic and very social. Could meet my mom in Léon (fairly easy to get to from MAD, it looks like?). Rioja and cheese!
Cons: As stated above.

I'd be very grateful for any and all advice!

Cheers,
-Bethany

 

[Jan_D]

I'd always recommend going with the one "that's calling you most" - don't overthink it too much! The Norte is very sociable, and more so every year. It is also incredibly beautiful, well-marked, and yes... seafood and cider!! what more do you need?

If you have 3 weeks with your mum then she should definitely meet you in Santander - you'll get there after 2 weeks, and in my opinion the walk between Santander-Gijon is one of the most beautiful along the Norte.

In any case you mum can fly into either Santander or Asturias airport, both of which are well connected to many major European airports by low-cost airlines such as Easyjet, Ryanair, Vueling, etc. Alternatively she can catch a train from Madrid, it should take about 5 hours (which is only a couple of hours longer than the trip to Leon...)

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hi Bethany
I'd say your analysis is quite accurate. I'll just make a couple of observations....
The Portuguese Way can get extremely hot in summer too. You don't need to have any Portuguese language about you, although I found a smattering of elementary french was useful. The Portuguese are astoundingly open, generous and friendly, which is a good enough reason alone for choosing this route, which can't really claim the beauty of the Norte for much of its length, although its towns and cities outshine the Norte e.g. Lisbon, Tomar, Coimbra and Porto. Although the accommodation options after Lisbon are better now than when I was there in 2012, you are still going to have fewer options than the Norte.
I did the Norte in 2 parts in 2013, with the 2nd part in August, which I really enjoyed. There were lots of opportunities to swim, the sea air moderated the heat and there was a holiday vibe about it all. Actually a lot of people on the camino at that time were part-timers - mixing walking with regularly taking a bus to the next town, meaning it sometimes felt more like a meeting of backpackers than pilgrims, a little less of that special indefinable camino 'magic'.
I don't think you'll have a problem getting your mum to wherever you are on the Norte. There are lots of good bus services in Spain and the ALSA service in particular can be quite luxurious between the cities and certainly will run to Gijon or Aviles. Shortly after Aviles you have a nice section of predominantly coastal walking all the way to Ribadeo.
Basically, as you already know, either will be excellent.
cheers, tom

 

[LadyBoadicia]

Thank you both so much--VERY helpful! I think I'm going to go with my gut and go for the Norte. My mom can decide for herself if she'd rather go all the way to Finisterre/Muxia with me and join me in Gijon, or if she'd rather do Santander-Santiago in her 3 weeks.

I've got roughly 6 weeks to play with and I want to allow a full week for Finisterre/Muxia since I want to use that time for reflection and don't want to feel at all rushed. I know most guides say it takes 5 weeks to do the whole Norte without rest days, so my idea was to plan on taking public transit to skip over the not-so-nice walking days in the outskirts of the big cities, basically buying myself 5 rest days in the process. So I'd be skipping the stages from Guernika to Bilbao and Bilbao to Pobeña (though certainly stopping to see Bilbao along the way!), the stage from Santander to Santillana del Mar (the stage INto Santander is actually very nice, it seems!), and then the stages from Sebrayo to Gijon and Gijon to Aviles (though again, stopping in Gijon along the way to enjoy the city--and maybe also using public transit to detour to see the cathedral in Oviedo on that rest day?).

Does that sound do-able? Or like it would ruin the rhythm of the road? Thanks again!

Cheers,
-Bethany

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hi Bethany
that all sounds reasonable, even if it's not exactly how I'd do it...
If I was fit and able and had a whole 6 weeks I'd aim to walk the whole lot. However I wouldn't mind bending the rule a little if I'd fallen in with a good crew and a bit of compromise was necessary to continue walking together. Go with the flow. As for rest days, another way is to do a short stage either before a city or afterwards. It's quite possible to walk 15km+ and arrive late morning, drop the bag, explore the city and be back on the road the next day. And sometimes, when, as you say, you are in the rhythm and it's propelling you forwards, that's the best way to stay with it, tom

 

[LadyBoadicia]

Katharina, it's funny you should mention that! I live in Cologne, Germany, and there are several Caminos (called "Jakobswege" here) that pass through my very own town, and I'm taking advantage of them in my training walks. Just hiked from the Cologne Dom to Schloss Brühl along the Camino that leads to Trier yesterday, and it was wonderful! I'm hoping to make it all the way to Trier doing it one stage at a time using public transit for my training walks.

 

[LadyBoadicia]

I've started a blog, which I hope to maintain throughout my preparation process and along the Camino when I can get access to computers... https://tosantiagoandbeyond.wordpress.com/ Should I also post this in the blog section?