NomadBoomer
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Frances ( 2017, 2018,Aug 2023) Vdlp (2018)
Hi
After a fantastic frances Camino in September 2017 , I am lucky to be able to fit another 3-4 walk in April-Early May this year before heading back to Australia.
I posted before about which route to pick and after some great feedback decided on the Vdlp from salamanca via ourense, primarily as quieter than the frances and April a good time for this route. Further reading has made me a little concerned.
1. I am terrible at learning languages, so I have very poor Spanish. I do a lot of travelling so I don't mind being the village idiot in using mime etc in shops and restaurants. But is this going to prove difficult for accommodation? Am I going to find other pilgrims speaking English to talk to?
2. I can't get a sense of how busy the alburges are likely to be in this period. Some posts talk about quiet Alburges others (more recently?) mention full alburges. As above I may find it difficult to ring to book ahead. I don't mind paying a bit extra for a private room. I really don't want to taxi as I loved walking every step without no transport from beginning to end.
3. Although not particularly religious I love a Camino to be a pilgrimage not just another long walk. I went to as many pilgrim masses as I could on the frances and stopped at lots of open churches for a moments contemplation. I was always aware I was was following in the footsteps of countless pilgrims thru the ages. Does this hold for any other route?
Cheers Paul
After a fantastic frances Camino in September 2017 , I am lucky to be able to fit another 3-4 walk in April-Early May this year before heading back to Australia.
I posted before about which route to pick and after some great feedback decided on the Vdlp from salamanca via ourense, primarily as quieter than the frances and April a good time for this route. Further reading has made me a little concerned.
1. I am terrible at learning languages, so I have very poor Spanish. I do a lot of travelling so I don't mind being the village idiot in using mime etc in shops and restaurants. But is this going to prove difficult for accommodation? Am I going to find other pilgrims speaking English to talk to?
2. I can't get a sense of how busy the alburges are likely to be in this period. Some posts talk about quiet Alburges others (more recently?) mention full alburges. As above I may find it difficult to ring to book ahead. I don't mind paying a bit extra for a private room. I really don't want to taxi as I loved walking every step without no transport from beginning to end.
3. Although not particularly religious I love a Camino to be a pilgrimage not just another long walk. I went to as many pilgrim masses as I could on the frances and stopped at lots of open churches for a moments contemplation. I was always aware I was was following in the footsteps of countless pilgrims thru the ages. Does this hold for any other route?
Cheers Paul