Starting my first Camino from SJPdP on 6 April

[mikebond]

Hello, my name is Michele (= Mike) and I'm Italian, now living in Brittany (NW France).
After quite a bit of thinking, reading (and worrying), I booked a night car to Bayonne on 4 April, and a bed at a private albergue in SJPdP for the following night (5-6 April).
I see that the Route Napoléon may be closed and may be snowy anyway, which would make the Valcarlos variant an almost compulsory choice for me. I do like walking but have never done any long-distance hiking. I am not very fit but think/hope I can do the whole Camino at my pace.
I have read many threads on this forum, but I thought I'd start a new one to gather any useful insight or suggestions you would like to share with me.
Since I am going to walk the Camino with a religious purpose, alongside with a personal one, I wonder how/when I will be able to attend Holy Week and Easter services (considering that pilgrims usually leave early in the morning).
Any practical advice or experience will be very welcome.
Thank you!

 

[HighlandsHiker]

Michele, how fortunate to be in Brittany - my favorite vacation was a long wander through it. You will build strength along the way. If the Napoleon Route is open, you could, if you wanted, make use of Caroline's Bourricot Express out of SJPP (her office is next to the pilgrims office on Rue de la Citadelle and she leaves from the main tourism office on the main road for cars through town). If you ride with her service up to Ourisson, you would cut out the initial very difficult/steepest climb and not miss any of the breathtaking beauty of the Pyrenees. If not, you could just go as far as Valcarlos on the lower route that first day. Just a thought in case you'd like to start out less strenuously. The pilgrim mass at Roncevaux/Roncesvalles is very moving. I hope you have a wonderful Camino!

 

[mikebond]

@HighlandsHiker thank you for being the first to reply to my first thread! I love Brittany and plan on visiting it more by bike when I am back from the Camino.
I had read about the Bourricot Express and have just had a look at their website. I fear it may be a bit expensive for my budget, and anyway I have read the Valcarlos route is also beautiful (I'm more into towns and villages than mountains...)
Thanks for recommending the pilgrim mass at Roncesvalles. I'll add it to my to-do list.

 

[piggyhinton]

Hello, my name is Michele (= Mike) and I'm Italian, now living in Brittany (NW France).
After quite a bit of thinking, reading (and worrying), I booked a night car to Bayonne on 4 April, and a bed at a private albergue in SJPdP for the following night (5-6 April).
I see that the Route Napoléon may be closed and may be snowy anyway, which would make the Valcarlos variant an almost compulsory choice for me. I do like walking but have never done any long-distance hiking. I am not very fit but think/hope I can do the whole Camino at my pace.
I have read many threads on this forum, but I thought I'd start a new one to gather any useful insight or suggestions you would like to share with me.
Since I am going to walk the Camino with a religious purpose, alongside with a personal one, I wonder how/when I will be able to attend Holy Week and Easter services (considering that pilgrims usually leave early in the morning).
Any practical advice or experience will be very welcome.
Thank you!

Take your time, it's not a race

 

[HighlandsHiker]

@HighlandsHiker thank you for being the first to reply to my first thread! I love Brittany and plan on visiting it more by bike when I am back from the Camino.
I had read about the Bourricot Express and have just had a look at their website. I fear it may be a bit expensive for my budget, and anyway I have read the Valcarlos route is also beautiful (I'm more into towns and villages than mountains...)
Thanks for recommending the pilgrim mass at Roncesvalles. I'll add it to my to-do list.

You are most welcome. I live in the mountains, and found the Pyrenees to be stunningly beautiful, but you'd really have to like the mountains. The first time, I hiked over during Hurricane Henri on Sept 16, 2015 (I am quite insane, evidently:0)). The second time it sleeted (if that is a word) and hailed. You won't lack for lovely towns and villages! Pamplona is a wonderful town. Burgos Cathedral is light and spectacular, and the monastery off of the riverwalk called the Cartuja de Miraflores and the Abbey of Las Huelgas in Burgos are definitely worth a look. The monastery at Canas (turnoff at Azofra) was a good side trip also. You'll catch plenty of good masses along the way!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I am walking with a Spanish-American priest. Every night he finds the mass at church, and attends/participates. You can be as religious as you want. His heaviest piece of equipment is his Bible. He is 72 years old, on sabbatical, and making his first pilgrimage.

 

[Sr.Bigote]

We have started a "conversation" on this forum that now has about twenty folks who will begin in SJPdP the first week of April. The assumption is that a few of us will perhaps see some familiar faces as we pass along the camino. I will send you a separate message to "join" that conversation.

 

[Kelly Catlow]

We have started a "conversation" on this forum that now has about twenty folks who will begin in SJPdP the first week of April. The assumption is that a few of us will perhaps see some familiar faces as we pass along the camino. I will send you a separate message to "join" that conversation.

Please add me to your group - I start on April 8th from SJDP and I am travelling solo so would be very interested in meeting fellow friends

 

[Tina Olson]

We have started a "conversation" on this forum that now has about twenty folks who will begin in SJPdP the first week of April. The assumption is that a few of us will perhaps see some familiar faces as we pass along the camino. I will send you a separate message to "join" that conversation.

Please add me to the group. I will begin from SJ on April3rd. Looking forward to meeting fellow pilgrims along the way.

 

[Lisa B Cook]

Michele, how fortunate to be in Brittany - my favorite vacation was a long wander through it. You will build strength along the way. If the Napoleon Route is open, you could, if you wanted, make use of Caroline's Bourricot Express out of SJPP (her office is next to the pilgrims office on Rue de la Citadelle and she leaves from the main tourism office on the main road for cars through town). If you ride with her service up to Ourisson, you would cut out the initial very difficult/steepest climb and not miss any of the breathtaking beauty of the Pyrenees. If not, you could just go as far as Valcarlos on the lower route that first day. Just a thought in case you'd like to start out less strenuously. The pilgrim mass at Roncevaux/Roncesvalles is very moving. I hope you have a wonderful Camino!

Thank you ! I am not the OP, but am very wooried about getting shin splints on the mountain. I will definitely do this!

 

[Lisa B Cook]

We have started a "conversation" on this forum that now has about twenty folks who will begin in SJPdP the first week of April. The assumption is that a few of us will perhaps see some familiar faces as we pass along the camino. I will send you a separate message to "join" that conversation.

Add me too, please! Thank you.

 

[Zman]

And me three....I'll start at SJPP on/about April 15. Many thanks