Walking Le Puy beginning of May - anyone else starting then?

[Drubah]

Hi,

I've walked the Camino Frances twice - once in September 2013 and again in May 2014. Now I'm going to walk from Le Puy to SJPDP - any other English speaking people going to around then? I speak some Italian but to my shame no French - but will be enrolling in Italian for Travellers soon. Any tips welcome

 

[BShea]

I'm starting out from Le Puy on April 29th. If you can start out a few days earlier, I'd be more than happy to translate for you. I never met any Italians along the Chemin last time, but many, many Australians, so you'll definitely find some English speaking company. The challenge will be communicating with shop owners, gite owners and the communal dinner conversations which are primarily in French. The critical word to know is Bonjour/bonsoir (you should to say it before starting any conversation). After that, pointing seems to work . As the Chemin gets more popular every year among English speakers, I think the French are getting used to the common questions posed. Feel free to PM me if you have further questions.

 

[Will Cowell]

Hi,

I've walked the Camino Frances twice - once in September 2013 and again in May 2014. Now I'm going to walk from Le Puy to SJPDP - any other English speaking people going to around then? I speak some Italian but to my shame no French - but will be enrolling in Italian for Travellers soon. Any tips welcome

I am walking from Le Puy to Santiago starting May 9th 2016, however; I do not speak or read French. You may see me being very humble asking for directions. From Will

 

[Kitsambler]

You both have enough time to work on your basic French phrases. Being a non-speaker of French in rural France makes for a more intensely humble pilgrim experience, as I can say from personal experience. My first Le Puy walk, I spoke absolutely no French. By the second walk, I had managed to learn a few phrases, and it went so much better. There are only two or three phrases you need to successfully navigate shopping transactions, restaurant transactions, and checking into gites in the evening. Get busy now! You will be surprised how much written French is easily navigated - as 1/3 of the English vocabulary came over from the French (basically, all the $5 words that don't involve technology). And most of the culinary terms in English came over from French. Get a pocket phrasebook, and look for Canadians or Normands on the route.

 

[AlwynWellington]

speak some Italian but to my shame no French

Hi, I start ex Le Puy about a month ahead of you. And after five years schoolboy French I have no conversational language and can read only basic signage.

@KiwiNomad06 would have the host for tonight's accommodation ring ahead while she pointed to the preferred gite (or whatever).

@SYates in a more recent post offered her experience of doing translations for fellow walkers and being paid in "pastis".