Pierre Julian
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Frances, Ingles, VdP, San Salvador, Aragonese & Northern. Sections of Portuguese & Mozarabic.
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I'm off in Feb so looking forward to your follow up information.I have been putting together some memories of the VdlP which I walked earlier in the year. I've spent a fair bit of time on this, and thought I might as well share them for the benefit of others who may be planning to walk in January. I'll add the rest in instalments over the next few days.
- Getting a credencial in Seville was not easy especially as we arrived on a weekend, and Spanish opening/closing times are hard to negotiate. The Cathedral staff (security guard?) didn't seem to know about availability of credencials, but were happy to get me a cathedral stamp. Again, getting into the cathedral without paying is not easy, I think we went into the public chapel part of it early morning for the stamp.
- We ended up getting our credencial from Hotel Simon. It was a pretty shabby version though (and I've got many credencias) as one whole side had a map of the Camino de France, which was useless for the VdlP, and the side for stamping was not big enough for a Camino of this length (plus I like getting lots of stamps).
- The helpful people at the Merida Albergue further on, sell cheaply the official Credencial. I'm guessing most people would need at least 2 crecencials for such a long journey.
- We stayed in Seville at Casa Palacio Don Pedro C/Gerona 24, which was a very reasonable price, very friendly and central, highly recommended (a much more friendly place than staff at Casa Simon when we went there to buy the credencial).
- We stayed the first night at Santiponce, so as to not overdo the first day, and to see the Roman ruins and monastery, all of which were wonderful. I reckon not to be missed.
- The Hotel Anfiteatro Romano at Santiponce was excellent, reasonably priced, opposite the entrance to the ruins and had good meals. Lots of bars and restaurants in that town.
- Guillena: the Municipal Hostel was great, good kitchen, the bar next door gave us a great lunch and was very friendly. We got quite lost trying to find it though. I'm guessing most people use the private albergue - as you go past it on arrival into town, which is a shame - my friend and I were the only ones at the Municipal, while about 6 others were in the private.
- Castilblanco: the municipal albergue was closed in late January. Lots of walking around the town looking for somewhere to stay. The Casa Salvadora on the Avenida España was excellent, quite a few private rooms, very clean and comfortable, very friendly, cheap.
I'll look up the info later, but I need to do everything on a budget and usually use albergues, so a hotel room would need to be less than 15 Euro for me, I shared a room with my friend, so that's probably around what we paid each, and I think there was pilgrim rates. I've often stayed in lovely pensions on Caminos - when I needed a break - for around 15 Euro. I think the one at Catilblanco a little further on may have been less.Great info! What does "resonably priced" or "cheap" amount to?
I'll look up the info later, but I need to do everything on a budget and usually use albergues, so a hotel room would need to be less than 15 Euro for me.
Which month? Let me know any questions - I may be able to help, at least as far as Salamanca.That's my kindda 'reasonable"! Thanks. I'm toying with a very early season VdlP so might need to use hotels now and then...
Not much chance of a hotel room for €15. let alone,less!That's my kindda 'reasonable"! Thanks. I'm toying with a very early season VdlP so might need to use hotels now and then...
I think 4 weeks is reasonable, I took about that time, and had a few rest/exploring/short days mixed in there. There are beautiful towns and areas to walk through and I tend to spend time enjoying and exploring. I would really encourage you to do that too. The people I met who explored and didn't race everywhere seemed to be happier.We are starting (we think) 1 st of April 19. We have had a fleeting look at the Camino to Salamanca, as we are meeting someone there. We also think we want lots of time to stop and enjoy the towns. If we take 4 weeks, is that reasonable? We would hate to find out we missed something significant or interesting... From all I have seen so far is most people get to Salamanca much quicker. Then we have whatever it takes to get to SdC.
If you get the credential from Ivar then it has all the camino routes on the back.Thank you so much for the tips!
I went to Hotel Simon to buy the credentials for me and my sister in advance to start the vdlp at the end of March 2019. Not really handy to have one with the camino Frances map on the back and too little room for stamps. So the one in the Merida Albergue (where please?) is different? Or am I misunderstanding?
Looking forward to the rest of your tips!
Hi Just Karin, thanks. To be fair, H Simon may have been using up old ones, and may have new ones by now. I don't use the basic maps on the back of credencials, but their one was a real waste of space, and not even the Camino I was walking. I like collecting lots of stamps (btw the local town halls and government buildings all the way through had lovely stamps). The Mérida municipal albergue is at Molino de Pan Caliente, a beautiful old mill by the river. The ones that they sell are I think the official ones now - like the one in the picture on Ivar's Camino Passport tab.Thank you so much for the tips!
I went to Hotel Simon to buy the credentials for me and my sister in advance to start the vdlp at the end of March 2019. Not really handy to have one with the camino Frances map on the back and too little room for stamps. So the one in the Merida Albergue (where please?) is different? Or am I misunderstanding?
Looking forward to the rest of your tips!
If you say south of the Netherlands: Noord Brabant? Limburg? We are originally from Tilburg! Left in 1986.Well P, at least you didn’t bore me, your style of writing is quite entertaining
Thanks for sharing. I just made plans to start a week test-camino around where I live in The Netherlands. There are some routes from here to Santiago, and when I pick a route in the south part of our tiny little country, the conditions according to at least gravel roads and steepness are a bit similar. Just a bit ...
altitude is about 100 meters instead of 1000. A difference of one zero is nothing, right?
Sorry to hear about your nails. That is the reason I am looking at ankle high trail shoes - to be able to hold the feet in the back of the shoe when walking downhill. I have Salomon trailrunners but they don’t do that. What makes me a bit anxious to use them on the Vdlp. I ordered Hoka, two Decathlon ones and Salomon (because I’m addicted to Salomon).
Let’s see what will feel good
Buen camino fellow peregrino!
Hi P,If you say south of the Netherlands: Noord Brabant? Limburg? We are originally from Tilburg! Left in 1986.
Re the locking down your heel in low shoes on a downhill: have you tried a lace lock? Google it, much easier than me trying to explain...(I have all my trainers laced like that because I am so kacky footed.) Buen Camino sisters!
]Hi P,
There is one part starting from the catherdral in ‘s-Herthogenbosch, up to Visé in Belgium I think, indeed through Brabant and Limburg
Yes I know the lacelock thank you. It’s more the way those lower shoes are built - the opening for your foot makes it possible to move back and front just a little. The lace lock makes my feet go numb and still possible to move. If you know what I mean ... I might be not totally clear but I don’t know a better way to explain
Buen camino!
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