Camino De Santiago
Dec 17th, 2009, 12:02 PM
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Camino De Santiago
St. Jean Pied De Port is the classic starting point for the Camino De Santiago De Compostela from what I understand. I have read some Paulo Coelho books in which he references this fabled pilgrimage. So after some though, I will be giving it a go. Growing up on the East Coast here in the US, I have hiked most of the Appellation Trail. I am in avid shape for a 29 year old and certainly have the mindset to tackle something like this.
I am now living around Brescia Italy. I am close to a few airports and about an hour and a half from Milan's Malpensa. I have not decide when to hike the Camino but am thinking about late May early June onwards. I don't mind hiking in rain but would like to have the temperature be warmer then not, and not quite summer.
Having said, my question is to all of those who have hiked the Camino. How would you get to the starting point - St. Jean Pied de Port first of all?
Second of all, what would you say are the quintessentials in terms of packing?
Thank you!
I am now living around Brescia Italy. I am close to a few airports and about an hour and a half from Milan's Malpensa. I have not decide when to hike the Camino but am thinking about late May early June onwards. I don't mind hiking in rain but would like to have the temperature be warmer then not, and not quite summer.
Having said, my question is to all of those who have hiked the Camino. How would you get to the starting point - St. Jean Pied de Port first of all?
Second of all, what would you say are the quintessentials in terms of packing?
Thank you!
Dec 17th, 2009, 01:33 PM
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I have not walked the Camino but have read a lot about it and over the years I have visited quite a few of the Camino stops both in France and in Spain (by car). There is a lot of information in the internet and a lot of books available that can help you in the planning of your trip. You could really start in a lot of different places in France or Spain, not just in St Jean Pied de Port. Hope this helps.
Dec 17th, 2009, 01:44 PM
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My wife and her then 73 year old sister made the 500 mile Camino from St Jean to Santiago starting in May 2008. They planned to take their time so it took ten weeks, but most people do it closer to 7 or 8 weeks.
Go to Biarritz then take the train, bus, or cab to St Jean.
There are several on-line Pilgrm Forums so choose the one you like but it they will give you inisght into the wallk.
Learn footcare, it is critical.
Carry
Pilgrim passporrt
credit cards
including what you will wear bring:
left weight sleeping bad even though you will stay at refugios.
2 shirts
2 pairs of pants
2 pair underwear
3 pair of sock since they take longer to dry after washing
one pair boots
one pair sandals to wear when not when not walking
poncho
water bottle
toiletries
small first aid kit
safety pins used as clothes pins
wrist watch with an alarm
light jacket
The book she likes the best is A Pilgrim's Guide To the Camino de Santiago by John Brierly
And a friend of ours just issued a self-published book about his more than ten walks on the Caminio (some partial)
It is in Spanish with no english translation.
Anecdotas de Endika
by Enric Armengol avaialble at LibrosenRed.com
Go to Biarritz then take the train, bus, or cab to St Jean.
There are several on-line Pilgrm Forums so choose the one you like but it they will give you inisght into the wallk.
Learn footcare, it is critical.
Carry
Pilgrim passporrt
credit cards
including what you will wear bring:
left weight sleeping bad even though you will stay at refugios.
2 shirts
2 pairs of pants
2 pair underwear
3 pair of sock since they take longer to dry after washing
one pair boots
one pair sandals to wear when not when not walking
poncho
water bottle
toiletries
small first aid kit
safety pins used as clothes pins
wrist watch with an alarm
light jacket
The book she likes the best is A Pilgrim's Guide To the Camino de Santiago by John Brierly
And a friend of ours just issued a self-published book about his more than ten walks on the Caminio (some partial)
It is in Spanish with no english translation.
Anecdotas de Endika
by Enric Armengol avaialble at LibrosenRed.com
Dec 17th, 2009, 07:17 PM
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Just a few things to add to Aduchamp's excellent post. I think the easiest way to SJPP is by train from Bayonne -- I'm not sure if there's a train station in Biarritz or not, but it's a stone's throw away, with the airport in between. Depending on how long you have, there are lots of places in France (or further north) to start. One very popular starting point is LePuy. LePuy to St. Jean is about a month walking, as is the St. Jean to Santiago segment.
The best packing advice is to keep the gear to an absolute minimum, just as Aduchamp indicates. Most experienced walkers keep the total pack weight between 6 and 8 kilos. I would add just a few things -- good rain gear is essential (either a rain suit plus pack cover or a rain poncho depending on your taste) and a petzl headlamp or small flashlight is another necessity, IMO. I think it's also a good idea to make sure your sandals can double as water shoes -- the showers in many of the albergues are, well, not the cleanest.
I've walked one camino or another every year since 2000 and each time is different and special. Next year will be a Holy Year, with the subsequent Holy Year not coming till 2021, so everyone is expecting incredible mobs (the Catholic church gives special indulgences or pardons to those who walk during Holy Years). It's hard to imagine many more people walking the St. Jean to Santiago stretch than currently do, but the predictions are for a significant increase.
To avoid the masses, this year I'm going to walk an "alternative" camino, starting in Sevilla and going to Santiago on the Via de la Plata. For great information on the different routes and stages, I suggest www.mundicamino.com I think it's only in Spanish, but if you speak Italian or any romance language, you shouldn't have trouble at least getting a basic idea about the routes, elevation gain, etc.
The biggest and most active English language web forum is www.caminodesantiago.me There's a ton of information in the archives as well as a very active and well organized forum for posting questions.
Best of luck with this dream, it's a wonderful thing to do, but beware, it is addictive! Laurie
The best packing advice is to keep the gear to an absolute minimum, just as Aduchamp indicates. Most experienced walkers keep the total pack weight between 6 and 8 kilos. I would add just a few things -- good rain gear is essential (either a rain suit plus pack cover or a rain poncho depending on your taste) and a petzl headlamp or small flashlight is another necessity, IMO. I think it's also a good idea to make sure your sandals can double as water shoes -- the showers in many of the albergues are, well, not the cleanest.
I've walked one camino or another every year since 2000 and each time is different and special. Next year will be a Holy Year, with the subsequent Holy Year not coming till 2021, so everyone is expecting incredible mobs (the Catholic church gives special indulgences or pardons to those who walk during Holy Years). It's hard to imagine many more people walking the St. Jean to Santiago stretch than currently do, but the predictions are for a significant increase.
To avoid the masses, this year I'm going to walk an "alternative" camino, starting in Sevilla and going to Santiago on the Via de la Plata. For great information on the different routes and stages, I suggest www.mundicamino.com I think it's only in Spanish, but if you speak Italian or any romance language, you shouldn't have trouble at least getting a basic idea about the routes, elevation gain, etc.
The biggest and most active English language web forum is www.caminodesantiago.me There's a ton of information in the archives as well as a very active and well organized forum for posting questions.
Best of luck with this dream, it's a wonderful thing to do, but beware, it is addictive! Laurie
Dec 17th, 2009, 09:28 PM
#6
I have nothing to add but best wishes!
I too am hoping to walk part of the Camino this year - probably in the fall. I will probably not get to the "Camino" part but focus on the way through Switzerland and France.
I also read this thread to see if Aduchamp had checked in - his wife's experience is one of the few I have found here on Fodor's so I'm glad he did! He has a thread about it here which you can search for...
gruezi
I too am hoping to walk part of the Camino this year - probably in the fall. I will probably not get to the "Camino" part but focus on the way through Switzerland and France.
I also read this thread to see if Aduchamp had checked in - his wife's experience is one of the few I have found here on Fodor's so I'm glad he did! He has a thread about it here which you can search for...
gruezi
Dec 17th, 2009, 10:15 PM
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"St. Jean Pied De Port is the classic starting point for the Camino De Santiago De Compostela"
It isn't. And certainly not if you're coming from Italy.
The classic starting points are London, Paris and Rome. As well as anywhere else in Europe that had a substantial population during the period between the expulsion of the Moors from NW Spain and the Reformation. Which St Jean Pied de Port didn't
It's an extraordinarily Hispano-centric view of European history to think that the Spanish bits of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago was any more important than the parts through the rest of Europe.
From the Brescia area, the classic pilgrims' route was - and still is - to take the Via Francigena from Pavia, through Vercelli and Susa, to cross the Alps at Monginevro. Footpaths are marked with the route's pilgim logo virtually all the way, and there are voluminous handbooks to the route on sale in Italy . Once in France, make your way to Arles (the variant of the St James' routes known as the Via Tolosana), then via Toulouse, Pau and the Somport Pass to Jaca. From Pau, the footpaths to Jaca, then westward to Puente La Reina are marked with the scallop logo (though trendified so they look like a car headlight): I've not yet walked the bit between Italy and Pau.
A huge amount of Europe's culture has been squeezed into the corridors created by the routes to Rome and Santiago. The geography of Spain means that the hike from Jaca or Pamplona has far less interest per mile (or far more blisters for the scenery or buildings you see) than the earlier parts of the routes in Italy and France.
Fine if you want to redeem your soul through lots of pointless suffering. But if you want to see Europe at the same time, you get far more bang for your blister by walking the earlier stages.
It isn't. And certainly not if you're coming from Italy.
The classic starting points are London, Paris and Rome. As well as anywhere else in Europe that had a substantial population during the period between the expulsion of the Moors from NW Spain and the Reformation. Which St Jean Pied de Port didn't
It's an extraordinarily Hispano-centric view of European history to think that the Spanish bits of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago was any more important than the parts through the rest of Europe.
From the Brescia area, the classic pilgrims' route was - and still is - to take the Via Francigena from Pavia, through Vercelli and Susa, to cross the Alps at Monginevro. Footpaths are marked with the route's pilgim logo virtually all the way, and there are voluminous handbooks to the route on sale in Italy . Once in France, make your way to Arles (the variant of the St James' routes known as the Via Tolosana), then via Toulouse, Pau and the Somport Pass to Jaca. From Pau, the footpaths to Jaca, then westward to Puente La Reina are marked with the scallop logo (though trendified so they look like a car headlight): I've not yet walked the bit between Italy and Pau.
A huge amount of Europe's culture has been squeezed into the corridors created by the routes to Rome and Santiago. The geography of Spain means that the hike from Jaca or Pamplona has far less interest per mile (or far more blisters for the scenery or buildings you see) than the earlier parts of the routes in Italy and France.
Fine if you want to redeem your soul through lots of pointless suffering. But if you want to see Europe at the same time, you get far more bang for your blister by walking the earlier stages.
Dec 18th, 2009, 01:38 AM
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Next year it the year of Xacobeo, the saint’s year so the route will be busy.
Apart form the forum lreynold1 has suggested (I too recommend this one) maybe look at http://blog.xacobeo.es/ it too has a lot of inside information about all the routes.
Apart form the forum lreynold1 has suggested (I too recommend this one) maybe look at http://blog.xacobeo.es/ it too has a lot of inside information about all the routes.
Dec 20th, 2009, 07:23 AM
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Fly to Toulouse or Bordeaux or Biarritz. There you'll take a train or a bus.
Check timetables there http://plannerint.b-rail.be.
I have walked twice the Camino, first from home close to french italian border through our own maps till Arles where we went down towards the Mediterranée till Narbonne where we took the wonderful Chemin du Piémont Pyrénéen till Saint Jean Pied de Port to cross the Pyrénées and take el Camino Frances (1850 kms). Second we flew from Nice to Biarritz + train to San Sebastia where we started our walk (Camino del Norte) (+/- 800 kms).
We also walked from home to Roma. We'll walk the Camino a third time from beg of March 2010 from Sevilla (Camino de la Plata.
Start your camino whereever you wish. Don't listen to pseudo historians or specialists. In the past, pilgrims of course started from where they were living...
As far as packing is concerned, remember not to take more than 1/8 of your body weight. There are many lists of packing lists on internet in english spanish and other idioms. Just check the net.
Last, i would not enter the spanish part of the camino, specially the camino frances and the Plata, in may or june as the heath can reach very high temperatures.
Enjoy and if you need additional information, i can help.
If you read french, pse have a look to our site
wwww.stjacques.fr where you'll find quantity of information and photos.
Check timetables there http://plannerint.b-rail.be.
I have walked twice the Camino, first from home close to french italian border through our own maps till Arles where we went down towards the Mediterranée till Narbonne where we took the wonderful Chemin du Piémont Pyrénéen till Saint Jean Pied de Port to cross the Pyrénées and take el Camino Frances (1850 kms). Second we flew from Nice to Biarritz + train to San Sebastia where we started our walk (Camino del Norte) (+/- 800 kms).
We also walked from home to Roma. We'll walk the Camino a third time from beg of March 2010 from Sevilla (Camino de la Plata.
Start your camino whereever you wish. Don't listen to pseudo historians or specialists. In the past, pilgrims of course started from where they were living...
As far as packing is concerned, remember not to take more than 1/8 of your body weight. There are many lists of packing lists on internet in english spanish and other idioms. Just check the net.
Last, i would not enter the spanish part of the camino, specially the camino frances and the Plata, in may or june as the heath can reach very high temperatures.
Enjoy and if you need additional information, i can help.
If you read french, pse have a look to our site
wwww.stjacques.fr where you'll find quantity of information and photos.
Dec 20th, 2009, 08:13 AM
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Eze, it sounds like you have had some incredible Camino experiences. I have heard from many people that the Arles route is tough, but stunning. And I second your advice about starting wherever you wish. I've met so many Europeans who walked out of their front doors and months later walked into Santiago. But for those of us coming from North America, it is more likely that we'll start at one of the more established trailheads -- St. Jean, Roncesvalles, LePuy, Arles, etc.
In El Pais today, there's a "What's new on the Camino" article http://www.elpais.com/articulo/porta...pepspor_10/Tes
that gives some amazing statistics. On the Camino Frances (between Roncesvalles and Santiago), there are now 254 albergues! And this year, at the end of October, as many pilgrims had received their compostela (the official certificate for those who walk for religious/spiritual reasons) as had during all of 2008. And that number, 125,000, is expected to shoot up next year for the Holy Year -- hard to imagine. What that means is that if you're walking the Camino Frances anytime between April and November, you will probably never be out of sight of other walkers, I'd bet.
Just one question for Eze -- I went to your website and tried to access some of the Via de la Plata information, because I am also going to walk it next spring. But this was what I got when I clicked on different options:
Vous n'avez pas la permission d'accéder à cette page
Is there a way to access what you've got there? It looks very interesting. Thanks.
In El Pais today, there's a "What's new on the Camino" article http://www.elpais.com/articulo/porta...pepspor_10/Tes
that gives some amazing statistics. On the Camino Frances (between Roncesvalles and Santiago), there are now 254 albergues! And this year, at the end of October, as many pilgrims had received their compostela (the official certificate for those who walk for religious/spiritual reasons) as had during all of 2008. And that number, 125,000, is expected to shoot up next year for the Holy Year -- hard to imagine. What that means is that if you're walking the Camino Frances anytime between April and November, you will probably never be out of sight of other walkers, I'd bet.
Just one question for Eze -- I went to your website and tried to access some of the Via de la Plata information, because I am also going to walk it next spring. But this was what I got when I clicked on different options:
Vous n'avez pas la permission d'accéder à cette page
Is there a way to access what you've got there? It looks very interesting. Thanks.
Dec 20th, 2009, 09:15 AM
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Hola amigo peregrino,
Yes, you are right this Camino Frances becomes more and more crowdy. When we walked it, around easter 2006, when arriving in Spain, we found it very crowdy compared to our french "parcours" where we, during more than one thousand kilometers, had not met any pilgrim at all. 2010 will be even worse as it s an "année jacquaire" means that July 25th 2010 will fall a sunday. If you look as statistics, (italian site that i recommend to you even if you do not read italian http://compostela.pellegrinando.it/s....php?seid=1708) you will notice that each "jacquaire year" brings a lot of people to Santiago.That is also why we should normally stop in Salamanca and carry on next year for the remaining part of the trip as we fear the crowds that we should find in Salamanca when passing around Easter period where a lot of spaniards take the Camino.
ON my site, i suppose that it is because, stages information is not yet produced as we have not yet began our pilgrimage.
Only "avant de partir" has been provided with a comment.
Please check any of the others pilgrimages in order to verify whether you can access to the site.
Buen camino, Ultreia y suseia !
Yes, you are right this Camino Frances becomes more and more crowdy. When we walked it, around easter 2006, when arriving in Spain, we found it very crowdy compared to our french "parcours" where we, during more than one thousand kilometers, had not met any pilgrim at all. 2010 will be even worse as it s an "année jacquaire" means that July 25th 2010 will fall a sunday. If you look as statistics, (italian site that i recommend to you even if you do not read italian http://compostela.pellegrinando.it/s....php?seid=1708) you will notice that each "jacquaire year" brings a lot of people to Santiago.That is also why we should normally stop in Salamanca and carry on next year for the remaining part of the trip as we fear the crowds that we should find in Salamanca when passing around Easter period where a lot of spaniards take the Camino.
ON my site, i suppose that it is because, stages information is not yet produced as we have not yet began our pilgrimage.
Only "avant de partir" has been provided with a comment.
Please check any of the others pilgrimages in order to verify whether you can access to the site.
Buen camino, Ultreia y suseia !
Dec 20th, 2009, 08:07 PM
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Thanks, Eze, I have been able to get on the other parts of your website. Maybe we will meet up on the Vdlp, but I think you are starting earlier than I will be. I plan to start from Sevilla in early May.
Aduchamp, I have walked the Norte from Irun, and you're right it's spectacular. For someone like me, from the midwest of the US, walking for many kilometers on headlands overlooking crashing waves was just an out of body experience. It's true that there aren't as many albergues, and I did stay in private accommodations more than on other caminos, but we met walkers who planned their stages carefully and stayed only in albergues.
Buen camino a todos. Laurie
Aduchamp, I have walked the Norte from Irun, and you're right it's spectacular. For someone like me, from the midwest of the US, walking for many kilometers on headlands overlooking crashing waves was just an out of body experience. It's true that there aren't as many albergues, and I did stay in private accommodations more than on other caminos, but we met walkers who planned their stages carefully and stayed only in albergues.
Buen camino a todos. Laurie
Dec 20th, 2009, 09:12 PM
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Buen camino a todos.
Once was enough for my wife and her sister. And my wife agrees with Eze, the Camino stats as soon as you leave you house, no matter where that might be.
Her thoughts are under my board name entitled Accounts of the Camino and Camino Entries Part II.
Once was enough for my wife and her sister. And my wife agrees with Eze, the Camino stats as soon as you leave you house, no matter where that might be.
Her thoughts are under my board name entitled Accounts of the Camino and Camino Entries Part II.
Dec 21st, 2009, 04:47 AM
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Hola Laurie amiga peregrina !
Unfortunatly, we'll not meet as we have bought our airplane tickets from Nice to Madrid + train to Sevilla for March 8th 2010.
Back home if we do stop as scheduled in Salamanca, on March 29th from Madrid as we do not want to walk among crowds as 2010 is "année jacquaire" and, even on la Plata, i am afraid that from Easter (a lot of spaniards starting the Camino at this occasion) we'll meet more and more people.
We are interested in meeting a few people, sharing some parts of the Camino with them, but not following masses of crowds mostly running in order to be among the first pilgrims arrived at the "albergue" in order to get a bed.
Buen camino !
Unfortunatly, we'll not meet as we have bought our airplane tickets from Nice to Madrid + train to Sevilla for March 8th 2010.
Back home if we do stop as scheduled in Salamanca, on March 29th from Madrid as we do not want to walk among crowds as 2010 is "année jacquaire" and, even on la Plata, i am afraid that from Easter (a lot of spaniards starting the Camino at this occasion) we'll meet more and more people.
We are interested in meeting a few people, sharing some parts of the Camino with them, but not following masses of crowds mostly running in order to be among the first pilgrims arrived at the "albergue" in order to get a bed.
Buen camino !
Dec 23rd, 2009, 10:24 AM
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I apologize for being a bit late in response. I have been trying to squeeze some quality family time in now that I back in the states for the holidays. I am reading everything now and will post shortly. I can already see that I am to be very thankful for all of your help in advance!
