Going to read this right now! Will comment later!

I am looking forward to reading your recollections! When did you walk?

Thank you for posting this so quickly! It will be fun to follow you on this journey! I don't recall the locals saying "buen camino" but other walkers did.

It is lovely when you have the trail to yourself for some time. I didn't like the parts following the road, either, nor that industrial part which I don't remember where it was. Luckily those parts don't last for days on end!

Thanks for writing. I'm eagerly awaiting more.

Barbara, we arrived O'Cebreiro on 6/27, started walking on 6/28.
Lin, yes , for the most part other walkers (or bikers of which there were many!) would say Buen Camino or Hola when they passed you by.

Look forward to more.

I've been looking forward to your report and I'm really enjoying it so far. Can you tell us how you prepared for the Camino, both physically and mentally and what type of "gear" you took with you. Also, could you include the cost of your lodgings and other costs along the Way.

Barb,

My physical "training" was to walk as much as I could. Luckily we had a mild winter in NJ so starting in January/ Feb I would take long walks whenever I could. Frankly I never walked 25 kms in any one given day prior to the trip, the most I did was about 10-12 kms. I should have done more walking on uneven terrain and steep climbing. I should have also done some walking with a backpack.

In terms of gear, the most important is the walking shoes/ boots. I finally settled on a pair of Merrells mid "boots" which gave very good ankle support: http://www.zappos.com/merrell-moab-mid-waterproof~2
Its important that you use the shoes a lot before the trip.
Even though the shoes were comfortable there were a couple of "hot spots" on the side of my big toes so I would cover those areas with Moleskin to avoid friction.

The next most important thing IMO is a hiking pole. My husband and kids did not use one but for me some of the terrain would have been very difficult, even dangerous without the pole. The one I bought is a pair but I found it very awkward to use both, so I just used one on my right hand. My son used the other at times.

The hotel in O'Cebreiro was 60 Euros per room, I believe its much cheaper off season. The meals for the most part were very reasonable. The lunch (or dinner) Peregrino menu was around 8-9 euros per person, including a starter, main course, drink (water, beer or wine), bread and dessert. We had some dinners at some of the lodgings which were a bit more "elaborate" and expensive. I'll check to see what those were to give an idea.

The transport with Jacotrans was about 7 euros per suitcase per stage. I saw ads for another service called Xacotrans which seemed cheaper but you needed to call every day and arrange for the transport. With Jacotrans I paid in advance, gave them the itinerary ,and they took care of the rest. Without fail, our luggage was waiting for us every afternoon when we got to our lodgings.

Forgot to say, I suggest getting the "A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago" by John Brierley. It has very good info on itinerary, highlights, distances and description of terrain.

Day 1- O’Cebreiro to Triacastela- About 21 kms

The bar at the O’Cebreiro hotel didn't open until 8 AM , so we decided to go for a quick breakfast around 7 AM at another bar/café, the Venta Celta. The lady behind the counter wasn't in a chipper mood. She chastised the customer in front of me because she said “Buenos Días“ twice (she said it was more than enough to say it once!). When I thought it was my turn to place my order she chastised me with “¡Paciencia, el día acaba de comenzar!” (Patience, the day is just beginning! ) When I asked if she had any tortilla española she looked at me as if I had two heads. I knew from then on not to expect tortilla before 10 or 11 in the morning.

We started walking out about 8 AM. When we walked by the refugio we noticed that all the shoes we had seen the day before on the window sill were gone, which meant the pilgrims staying there were already on their way.

We were very lucky that this was a clear day which afforded us the beautiful views of the landscape for which this area is known. From what I understand this area many times is fogged in the early morning but not that day. The views we saw were magnificent, what you think of when you hear “Green Spain”.

We climbed the dreaded (only be me) Alto do Poio, the highest spot on the camino in Galicia. Once I got there I thought the worse was over, failing to understand that eventually we would need to go down (and then up, and then down….).

Lunch time found us at Biduedo, a sleepy little town where we followed signs to a casa rural, Casa Xato, for lunch. I think we woke up the owner, but she rose up to the occasion and prepared a Menu de Peregrino for us.

We continued our walk to Triacastela , arriving there around 4 PM. Visited the Iglesia de Santiago and then ,as previously suggested by our hostess at Casa Pacios(our lodging for the night in nearby Vilavella) we went to Restaurante Esther which is owned by Esther, a niece of the owner of Casa Pacios. Once there they called Silvia (another family member) who drove us to Casa Pacios, an old, lovely stone rural house ( 38 euros per room, with private bath) about 5 mins away. http://www.casapacios.es/

Later that evening Silvia drove us back to Restaurante Esther where we had dinner (not included but about 9-10 euros per person, with wine and water)and watched the Italy vs Germany soccer game with a group of Italians which were also staying at Casa Pacios. Esther drove us back to Casa Pacios when we were done.

To be continued...

My best friend's daughter and my daughter's college roommate just hiked the camino trail with Virginia Tech! She loved her experience and the people she met along the way. I am interested to read your report. I followed her blog as her group made their way or should I say found their way.

Loving this...thank you!

Enjoying your posts immensely.Your description of El Camino brings back fond memories.

It is actually relaxing and invigorating to read this report. Makes me want to go back again.

Oh Cruise!!! I'm so happy for you. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for sharing this .

Thanks for posting. We are going to walk the camino in a couple years for my 40th birthday, so I am soaking up all the info that I can in anticipation.

Thanks for the info! Can't wait to read more. I've been reading everything I can get my hands on about the Camino, so your report is very timely and inspirational. Did you have much interaction with other pilgrims? How were those pilgrim meals? I'm wondering, if you have your luggage delivered to your next hotel, what would happen if for whatever reason you could not make it that far?

If you don't make it to your next reservation you catch a taxi to the reserved hotel and next day decide if you backtrack in another taxi or forfeit that small trek.

Since we just watched the fine movie "The Way," this is a very timely and itneresting post.

Great thread, cruiseluv. More, please!

Enhorabuena, cruiseluv! So glad to hear you had such a great camino. Looking forward to hearing more, and I'm so sorry we missed each other in Santiago. Maybe next year, now that you seem to be addicted, too. Laurie

Cruiseluv, so glad you made your dream come true for you and your family.

Waiting to hear more...

Hola a todos! I hope to have day 2 tomorrow. I'm in the middle of unpacking and repacking as I'm headed Friday to PR to share in my dad's 90th birthday!

Hola Laurie! We had such a great time! Yes, I'm already thinking of maybe doing part of the Camino del Norte. I miss the Camino!! Pls tell me, how did it go for you?

Barb, as Lin says from most places you could probably call a taxi . By car distances are very close! At times we would walk alongside some peregrinos that were speaking English and we would chat. We didn't come across many Americans. But most of the times we were the only people on the trail!

The great thing about the camino is that despite its many scenic areas, it borders civilization. You are never too far from a bathroom, a café and taxis know every inch of the area to come get you when the feet say "no more"!

Lin, I will take a minor exception with your comment "you are never too far from a bathroom..." Unfortunately, sometimes you are, lol!! (see Day 2 below).

Day 2- Triacastela to Sarria (via Samos)- About 25 kms

Nice breakfast the next morning which included among other things the delicious Cebreiro cheese (very creamy, a bit similar to cream cheese, but better!). And it was here that I made a BIG mistake: I had TWO cafés con leche(my downfall when in Spain, I adore their café con leche), and a BIG zumo de naranja, etc. I would later pay for this.

When we finished breakfast, Esther’s husband drove us to Triacastela, to take the Triacastela to Sarria via Samos path. The Camino out of Triacastela offers you two choices to Sarria: either via San Xil , a shorter route (about 19 kms) or the longer , alternative route via Samos , where the old Benedictine monastery of Samos is located (about 25 kms). We selected the latter. For about the first 3.5 kms you walk on the road, mostly behind a guardrail , but still a little unnerving. I was hoping that by the time we reached the village of San Cristobo there would be an open bar for a “rest stop”, but no such luck. Just many dogs, cats and cows meandering around town, the bar was still closed. So we embarked in several detours trying to find a restroom and wasted precious time doing this. It was quite an “adventure”. Lesson learned: find out about available rest stops and plan accordingly how many cafés con leche you can drink at breakfast!

By the time we got Samos (about 10 kms from Triacastela) , unfortunately, the Monastery had closed (would reopen at 4PM) , so we were only able to see it from the outside. That was disappointing and it was entirely my fault. By the way, the way you come into view of the Monastery, from atop the road, is very dramatic, makes for a great photo op.

We had a light lunch of bocadillos at a café in front of the Monastery and then started our walk to Sarria. As soon as we did, it started to rain. It wasn't hard, more like a steady drizzle but it was raw and damp. We decided it was a good time to wear our rain ponchos for the first time (it would not be the last!). Our next rest stop was the Taberna del Camino in Sivil, where the San Xil route joins the Samos route.

We were now eager to make our way to Sarria, where we arrived about 5:00. After a brief stop at the Information office for a map, we continued into the town center. We debated between finding a bar for a drink or calling the owner of the B&B where we were staying that night for a ride, and opted for the latter. Javier picked us up in about 15-20 mins to take us to the lovely Rectoral de Goian http://www.rectoraldegoian.com. The house has a tranquil and very pastoral setting. Rooms were big, comfortable, and with a lot of character ( 66 euros for a double,w/breakfast). After we cleaned up we had drinks in the terrace, followed by a delicious meal prepared by Javier and his wife Raquel, the owners. I believe it was about 15 euros PP, very reasonable given the quality of the meal. There were no choices, but we had no complaints!

Although we really liked this casa rural, if I ever did this again I would opt to staying in town or at least closer.

oops! guess there are moments.

Great report!

I think the Rectoral looks beautiful. I can see why you chose it.

Thank you for such an enjoyable read. Walking the Camino is something I dream about doing but doubt it will actually happen due to certain circumstances in my life so reading your report is almost like being there.

A bit off this actual topic... anyone interested in the Camino might love to read the most fabulous book by Cheryl Strayed, "Gift". It is her story of hiking over 1,000 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, alone, with just about no actual experience and how she comes to turn her life around. Great read and extrememly well written.

Opps, don't know why I typed Gift...The title of Strayed's book is Wild....sorry.

Cruiseluv

“Walking the Camino is something I dream about doing but doubt it will actually happen due to certain circumstances in my life so reading your report is almost like being there.”

Count me in with Lowcountrycarol above. I am sure there are many of us in the same boat.

I did visit SANTIAGO DE COMPESTELLA a few years back on a tour of northern Spain. There was a charming older couple in our group – from Australia but of Irish decent. The fellow had done a long camino a few years before with a friend so he wanted to show his wife Annie the area.

He had written a terrific blog of the experience which is no longer on the web – amusing and moving.

To see the pilgrims like yourself along the road approaching their destination is very touching. I thought the town itself magnificent.

Cruiseluv, thanks for sharing what others dream about….

I'll be very happy to meet a group in 2013 at some point to do part of the camino in a very simple way anyone can do ..

Let's see if we can make some of these dreams come true.

I think many of you just need a little prodding and someone to set part of it up for you.

Lin, pls keep me posted of those plans! And I want to second what you say, a little prodding and reassurance can go a long way.

I'm not a hiker by any stretch of the imagination, and it was not until recent months that I started doing any serious walking to perpare for the Camino. At times it was tough, but much less that I feared.

I would love to do a portion again walking alongside like minded friends. Even though I went with my family most of the time I was walking alone because they walk much faster than me(which was fine but I missed having somebody next to me to compare notes) .

I'll try to come back soon to continue the trip report. Right now I only have an Ipad and Its tough for me to write long on it.

We can wait. Go enjoy that papa's 90th birthday party and tell him we all said "Feliz Cumpleaños Abu!"!Que cumpla muchos más.

Gracias Lin for your very sweet comments!

Lin, I am planning on doing at least the Sarria to Santiago portion probably the first week of Oct 2013, so I'd be very interested in meeting anyone going at that time.
cruiseluv, I am SO enjoying your report!!

Unfortunately I'll not be in Spain those dates. I might plan something for the end of May next year.

Looking forward to reading more, thank you for sharing. I'm another one who has fallen in love with the idea of doing the Camino.

hola Cruise, I know very well all about desperate searches for rest rooms.

Thanks for posting and please continue when you can.

¡Felicidades al abuelito!

While we're waiting for cruiseluv to continue her posts, I thought I'd bump this up to the top to add the scolding I just gave her personally via email, because I think it is something worth thinking about. Sorry, I don't mean to be preachy about this but I have had so many experiences with this that I just felt like bursting!

You'll see that in her first post, cruiseluv distinguishes herself from "real" pilgrims. This is no doubt a result of all the holier-than-thou pilgrims thinking that they are in charge of setting the standard for "real." But what is real? Do we have to walk barefoot, with a gourd, and a long brown robe? Do we have to start in Roncesvalles, or is it St. Jean, or Le Puy, or Paris, or Oslo? Or better yet, can we not be "real" unless we walk home from Santiago, since that's what they had to do in the middle ages.

I won't belabor this point, and I'm not accusing anyone here of doing this. My point is more to tell those of you who are thinking of starting out on a camino but are not comfortable with throwing a pack on your back, sleeping in albergues, and walking thousands of kms, that you shouldn't apologize for yourselves or somehow feel inferior. So there, take that! Buen camino, Laurie

Love it, Laurie! There ARE people who actually come right out and sneer when you say you have booked some nice B+b's along the way, not willing to share bathrooms and smelly sock odor... and have decided NOT to walk up some of the steeper climbs, etc.

So, the "holier than thou" attitude is prevalent at times..but "the others".. well.. we understand each other quite well and smile every night as we crawl into our clean sheets.

I think everybody needs to know his physical limitations and level of comfort of those you are traveling with. After that, it is just a wonderful experience that I hope many more are encouraged to take part in for as long as they can..after reading reports like these..

You know , at my age, I think it would be near impossible to walk the Camino in total(and certaintly ill advised) but nothing stopped me from walking on the some of the routes at various intervals..ie: Salamanca and points nearby, Burgos, Segovia, Madrid and the points nearby. . My passport shows the areas. I did not get stamped in Santiago as I did not walk the prerequiste end areas. I do feel I have experienced the wonder of the camino, the joy of accomplishment, and the fellowship of other pilgrims. If you want to try go for it and anyway is the right way !!!

Hi, lin,
I know all about the sneers and have heard all the snide comments, because though I hate to blow my cover, I'm one of those who usually sleeps in albergues with the snorers, the smells, the bathrooms..... Why do I do it? I'm not sure, but I certainly have done my best to stand up for more tolerance on the Camino. After all, if this is a pilgrimage, and people are walking to get good with their maker, what possible good does it do to be judgmental and condemning of others?

I am 62, did my first camino from Roncesvalles at age 50 and have walked every year since. I am totally in love with the Camino and though I am not a believer, I cannot think that Saint James or anyone else up there in heaven would be displeased to see how the Camino is drawing more and more people. So, although my many "real piligrim" friends would probably shudder, I want to say that I'm happy to offer my suggestions for anyone who wants to walk the camino in any way at all, with or without backpacks, in or out of albergues, whatever it takes to get you to see the beauty and wonder of the Camino. There is just nothing like it, IMO.

I want to thank you Laurie , for your support and, yes, for your scolding, LOL! When my family and I arrived at O'Cebreiro by taxi from the bus stop, and we took our suitcases out of the trunk, I was afraid people would start laughing at us! But thankfully, nothing like that happened. Actually, the next morning when we put our suitcases out for later pick up by Jacotrans , there were two more suitcases waiting to be picked up( so we were not the only ones!).

Amer_can, you got it right, hope you're planning to do more segments.

As you say Lin, the important thing is to participate in whatever way you can. As I was walking, always trailing my DH and kids, I had to every so often stop, look around, and say to myself "I'm really here!"

I'm just sorry that I started so late as I'm now hooked and want to keep doing it!

I'll resume writing tomorrow.

Yes.. it's such a great way to spend time.. and so much easier to figure out the logistics than one thinks.

I really think it would be fun to do a little Camino GTG for a few segments of the trail. I wine tour ahead of time.. hmmm. cold be alot of fun.

Unless I missed it, the people on Fodor's have always been supportive of all those who want to walk part of or all of the Camino.

Mrs Adu met a pilgrim who has walked the entire length 13 times and has written a book about it and now takes his daughter with him. I do think I have anyone who is more open and offers encouragement to others as Endika, no matter how far they walk or where they stay. Mrs Adu and the daughter still exchange e-mails.

There will always be those who need to create artificial barriers arising out of their own personal voids. They should be ignored as they usually suck the life and enjoyment out of any situation in which they are invovled.

No one on Fodor's has had that uppity attitude, Adu, but a very close "friend" ( friends.. really?) of mine does and I don't even tell her when I go.

Cruiseluv,

Thank you for your wonderful report.

Linca

There are people I know who make fun of the fact I seek out inexpensive but satisfying restaurants. My sister loves to stay in expensive hotels and does not understand why clean, safe, and comfortable is acceptable.

The one thing I know is the Camino is a personal experience and the restriction are placed by others as to whether you can stay at a certain albergue and do you qualify for you Composetela.

Otherwise, it is your Camino.

Day 3- Sarria to Portomarín- About 22 kms

IMO, this stage is the most beautiful we walked (well, maybe as beautiful as the first day from O’Cebreiro but in a different way). For the most part we walked on quiet country lanes and tree lined roads. That day we encountered a veritable parade of cows and bulls being shepherded by a couple of dogs. Of course, we stopped and let them go by (I think they have the right of way). The dogs went crazy barking when a couple of cows decided to stop and nibble from the leaves of a tree. Then, a bull decided to get a bit "frisky" with a cow, and wouldn't take "no" for an answer, to the laughter of all of us(my daughter caught it on video, we still laugh when we replay the scene)!

The day started with breakfast at Rectoral de Goian. Homemade muffins and marmalade, toast and yogurt. Once we finished Javier was ready to drive us back to Sarria, to the bottom of the steps where he had picked us the night before. We first went to the Iglesia de Santa Marina where the credencial could be stamped. Actually, we got two stamps: the first one a DIY stamp at the entrance of the church. We then noticed people lining up to go into the sacristy where a priest was also stamping the credencial (with a different stamp).

We then continued walking through town and prior to leaving it we stopped at the Convento de la Merced (also known as Monasterio de la Magdalena), from the XIII. We first thought it was closed but as we were turning to leave, a window above opened and a nice priest told us he would be right down. He was very sweet and wanted to know where we were from. And as usual, when I would say “United States” they would find it odd as I speak Spanish without an American accent (Spanish is my native language). So of course, I have to explain I’m Cuban born, etc ( the funny thing on this trip, I was asked if I was French or Italian several times). We got our credenciales stamped and the priest invited us to walk around the cloister, very beautiful and peaceful. We then said our goodbyes and were on our way out of Sarria. I was sorry we didn't have more time to explore the town, which seemed to have other buildings/ churches worth visiting.

Our first “rest” stop (I prefer to call them “café con leche” stops!) was at Casa Barbadelo, 3 kms outside Sarria, which in addition to bar/restaurant offers lodging (I peeked from afar at one of the rooms, which was being cleaned, it looked modern and attractive). I was already making mental notes for potential places to stay in a repeat visit!

We had another morning stop that morning, about 4 kms later, at Café O Xestelo. Lunchtime found us at Morgade, where we stopped at the cozy Casa Morgade, a stone Casa Rural which also serves a Pilgrims Menu. Can’t recall what I had but I remember it was very good, one of my preferred lunches. This looked like a nice place to stay too (although I didn't get to see the rooms).

Our afternoon walk continued, with one last stop (ok, this one was just a bathroom stop!) at cute Mercadoiro. I don't know what the "protocol" is, but every time I wanted to use the "facilities" I felt I needed to buy something, so this time it was just a bottle of water.

Shortly after we started going in a steep descent (at least for me) into Portomarín, by the river Miño. Here we were booked at the Pousada de Portomarin, a big (as compared to other places we stayed) hotel which was originally a Parador (double rooms were 85 Euros, the most expensive rooms we had in the Camino). Doesn't have any particular charm, but the rooms were comfortable ( although they could use a face lift)and bathroom was big and reasonably modern. Oh, and we had free wifi (to my daughter’s delight!).

After cleaning up we walked to the town plaza, which I found very handsome, with its stone colonnades, and Romanesque church of San Nicolas (which unfortunately was closed by then, and would be closed the next morning when we walked past it). We headed down to the recommended restaurant, O’ Mirador, enjoying a lovely view of the river/ reservoir from the glass enclosed terrace.
While we were having dinner we started reading about the next day’s walk, and my daughter alerted me that we would need to walk about 8 kms before a “café con leche” stop! Oh, dear, this brought back painful memories of day #2. I would need to do some thinking about what to do about that.

After another enjoyable dinner (I believe I had merluza (hake).I pretty much had fish/ seafood every day on the Camino),we strolled back to the hotel. The beds must have been comfortable because I know that I drifted very quickly into sleep.

To be continued...

What an enjoyable TR! You are taking many of us along with you on a beautiful long walk!

Lin: I'd love to join you and other Fodorites, but 2013 is a bit too soon for me for Spain. Perhaps another year...

Who knows if I'll be able to do 2013.. there are so many places I'd like to go..

I am loving the report!

I hope your daughter was wrong about the 8km before a coffee stop!

What were your kids' impressions of the journey?

Hi, cruiseluv,

Thanks for giving so much detail in your report. I haven't walked on the Frances between O'Cebreiro and Melide for many years, so I'm eager to hear how you found it. You are making me think that I should go back to the Frances next year. The crowds weren't suffocating?

I had lunch at the Casa Barbadelo once, and just looked at their website, http://www.barbadelo.com/. I can't believe what it looks like now. When I was there, must have been 2006, it was a little old stone house with a couple of rooms up top. Well, good for them, it looks nice if a bit motel-ish.

That same year, I slept in Morgade, http://www.casamorgade.com/ which was a working farm with a few rooms for an albergue. I had already seen its transformation to a hotel rural with restaurant, and we got a tour from the owner who remembered us. The rooms are pretty much what you would expect in a facility like this, and I think you'd be very comfortable there. The albergue part gets high reviews, also.

One of the most frustrating things about walking the camino is how so many of the churches are never open. It's a financial issue, I've been told. For the past couple of years the Junta de Castilla y Leon has provided some small amounts to give a stipend to villagers who want to keep their churches on the camino open, but alas, I think this program has been victim to budget cuts. And in Galicia, I know of nothing like that, so you just have to hope you can chance upon a church before a mass, or when the choir is practicing, or some other serendipitous event.

And I'm betting/hoping you found coffee before the 8 km mark! More, more, more!

Just a preview: No, unfortunately there wasn't anything for close to 8 kms! We need an enterprising person to open a bar/cafe somewhere between Portomarin and Gonzar!

More later...

Lin,

My kids really enjoyed it. My son's only negative comment was that there had been more walking by the road/asphalt than expected. I didn't think it was that much. My daughter had a field day taking pictures (her avocation), took about 4,000! I think she photographed every dog, cat, cow, sheep she came across!

Laurie,

There were no crowds! On the Camino we saw more cyclists than walkers( by the way, those cyclists can be dangerous. For whatever reason most of the times they don't call out a warning they're coming and you notice when they're almost on top of you!). Most of the times it was only the four of us on the Camino. Maybe the exception was the last day, as we approached Santiago but even then it was only a few .

Yes, it was very disappointing to find so many of the churches closed, Some were written up in the book and you could see they were something special but we couldn't get in. I would have rather have gotten sellos from churches than from the bars or hotels.

Churches are probably open for mass.. and there may only be one priest for several villages. So who knows when that is!

Day 4- Portomarín to Palas de Rei- About 25 kms

So yes, as feared, today we would need to walk about 8 kms before we could find a “café con leche” stop. So this presented a conundrum: go to the buffet breakfast at the Pousada , or forego any breakfast until we hit the first town, Gonzar. Remembering how awful I felt that 2nd day, without a restroom in sight for several kms, I opted to skip breakfast. The rest of the family didn’t seem to share my concerns and happily went downstairs about 7:30 to fill their tummies. I figured if I got lightheaded or something from hunger I would eat one of the trail mix bars I carried in the backpack.

We started walking about 8:30, it was foggy and COLD, I would say about 50F. Once we got out of Portomarín it was a continuous steep climb, not horrible but I felt it on my thighs. Initially we went through woodland, until we arrived at a path that goes by the main road. Later we would walk again through wooded area until we reached Gonzar. I don’t think I was ever as happy to see a town sign as when I saw the white sign with black letters heralding GONZAR ! The café bar there was a welcome sight. I was craving some tostadas (buttered toast) and café con leche. But it was not to be. The bartender informed me it was too late for tostadas, only bocadillos were being served (what??!! It was not even 11 AM). Oh well, a bocadillo it is.
Later we stopped for lunch at Ventas de Narón, at Casa Molar. Even though it was past 1 PM it seemed we were early for lunch and the barmaid had to go rouse the cook so he could come and start cooking!

My recollection is this day was not a difficult walk (maybe with the exception of the initial climb from Portomarín), with a variety of terrains.

We reached Palas de Rei about 4:30PM. Our place for the night was Casa Benilde, right in town. It’s a simple, modern hotel (65 euros for a double). The staff welcomed us as if they had been waiting for us all day! It was without a doubt the warmest welcome we got anywhere in the Camino, they had even taken our luggage up to the room and were eager to give us a rundown of the town and offer recommendations of places to eat. My most pressing concern was to find a place where we could have dinner watching a big TV as that was July 1st, day for the Euro Cup final between Spain and Italy. The man at reception offered several suggestions, and after dropping our backpacks in the room, our son and I set out to check them out . We first stopped at the town church, the sweet San Tirso Romanesque church, to get our credencial stamped. Actually, we should have walked past this church on the Camino once we got into town, but for some reason we had gotten disoriented and reached the hotel via a different street. We then checked three different restaurants/ cafes and decided on “A Forxa:”, around the corner from the hotel.

Though the rooms at Casa Benilde are pretty small, they’re modern, functional and super clean. The bathroom by comparison had a good size, with a tub. It looked brand new, thick nice towels and very good water pressure.

That night we had a pretty good peregrino menu at the “A Forxa”. We got there early to snag a table with a good view of the big flat TV screen suspended high on the wall. We were still eating dinner when the game started and stayed there through the end. It was lots of fun, especially because Spain won!!

That must have been fun to be in a bar with all those people and Spain winning! Even where I live, with the windows open you could hear every burst of "GOOOOOOOOOL!" constantly. It was exciting.

I'm enjoying your report as I am sure many others are , too!

Oh yes, we were screaming GOOOOOOL!!! too! Although, after the 3rd one I started feeling bad for Italy (and especially for their goalie Buffon whom I love, although not as much as Casillas!).

So, cruiseluv, now I can place exactly how far apart we were, because I was watching the game in the little hotel bar up at the Finisterre lighthouse. Our plan was to see both the game and the sunset, but there was no sunset! There were three Italians there and fortunately they were very good natured about the whole thing.

And I think you've hit on the way to enjoy the Camino in spite of the crushing crowds (which you never saw!). Leave at a reasonable hour-- because if you had left Portomarin at any time between 6 and 7, you would have seen a steady stream of humanity. I was in that stream in Arzua. There were around 800-1000 arriving at the pilgrims office in Santiago every day during the week you're describing, and though not all of them were on the Frances, certainly the vast majority of them were.

Gotta love the food rules -- too late to toast a piece of bread, but not too late to put ham and cheese on it.

You're getting close to Santiago!

I suspected that it was the "late" time we started walking that accounted for the solitude. I don't think I would have liked to walk with a sea of humanity, so I'm glad it worked that way (although , as I mentioned, we encountered many cyclists!). The downside is that we didn't have as much time to look around the towns when we arrived.

Laurie, is the walk to Finisterre nice?

Hi, cruiseluv,

For years, the walk to Finisterre could only be done in a 3 day package -- the first, a short day to Negreira (24 km), the second a long day to Olveiroa (31), and the third another long day to Finisterre (31). This was true even if you weren't wedded to albergues, there just wasn't any accommodation in any of the other towns.

This is changing pretty rapidly. I walked this year Santiago - Muxia - Finisterre and found a couple of new places that allow you to break it up into 4 or more days.

I have posted some updates here: http://www.caminodesantiago.me/board/santiago-to-finisterre-and-muxia/topic14568.html And there is more information in the santiago-to-finisterre section of the forum.

But the question you asked was whether it was nice, not whether there was accommodation, so sorry for the tangent. Yes, it's very nice. The hamlet of Ponte Maceira alone worth the effort. Just google it, it's a gorgeous little place on two sides of the river, just beautiful. There is some road walking, not overly much, too many eucalyptus trees for my taste, but it goes through many small hamlets and many rural areas. If you walk from Santiago to Finisterre, rather than Santiago to Muxia to Finisterre, you will have a nice long stretch of beach walking.

I know that some feel that going on to Finisterre really takes them to "the end." That could be true even though Finisterre really isn't the westernmost point of Europe, that honor belongs to Cabo da Roca on the coast of Portugal north of Cascais. Finisterre and Muxia are both pretty amazing places (though Muxia is less touristy and the church is on an amazing promontory), so I think that so long as people want to keep walking, they should continue on to Finisterre and/or Muxia.

Sorry for the long post, but if you're thinking of walking on to Finisterre the next time, we should talk!

Following along with great interest!

Thanks Laurie for your comments on Finisterre walk. I did go to the other board to read your comments there as well, thanks again!
I'm even thinking, maybe I'll go to Santiago and then just do this walk(at least one way). But are there any accommodations on the way there I could reserve in advance? They don't have to be fancy, but I do require private bathroom.
Oh, you burst my bubble, I didn't realize it wasnt't the westernmost point!
I'll be back soon to finish my report.

Hi, cruiseluv,

Well, I have seen references to some nice casas rurales, which might be just your cup of tea. And in the main stopping places (Negreira, Olveiroa, Cee) there are plenty of private places.

Here's a place about two kms from Ponte Maceira, which is one of the prettiest little villages along a river you will ever see. I'd say it's about 18-19 kms out of Santiago, so maybe a good first day's stop. http://www.ruralsantiago.com/ It says they are two km from the camino but they will do pick-up and drop-off.

If you did that the first day, on day 2 you would probably walk beyond Negreira, which is the place most people stop on their first day, and it's about 24 kms from Santiago, or 5-6 from this Casa Rural, making it a great coffee stop. In Negreira, there is private accommodation, though -- http://www.hotel-tamara.com/ , so if you wanted to walk all the way to Negreira, you'd find a hotel.

Negreira to Olveiroa is 33kms, more if you stop at Ponte Maceira. More than you probably want to walk, so cutting it up would be possible -- look at the mundicamino site, they list casas rurales in Maronas and Corzon.

Olveiroa has two really nice hoteles rurales, so no problem there.

From Olveiroa to Cee, on the water and a nice coastal town, is about 18 kms, lots of hotels.

Cee to Finisterre is 12, and there too you'll find lots of alternatives.

The British confraternity has an online guide that is short but has lots of information. http://www.csj.org.uk/guides-online.htm

Brierley has a guide just dedicated to Santiago-Finisterre, but I haven't ever seen or used it.

It's a nice 3-5 day walk, about 90 kms total, I think. The scenery is nice, but not jaw-dropping, and there are some chunks with a fair amount of road walking, but a great way to spend a few days!

and p.s., if you are going to Finisterre, why not continue on to Muxia? That's where Martin Sheen and his friends in "The Way" ended. Muxia is a lot less touristy than Finisterre (though I like Finisterre a lot), and the church on the rocky promontory is just spectacular. Tradition has it that when Santiago came back to life and helped the Spaniards push back the Moors in the Reconquista, the Virgen appeared to him at Muxia on those rocks.

I walked Santiago-Muxia-Finisterre this year, and some pictures are at the end of my Primitivo pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/laurie.reynolds/CaminoPrimitivo2012?authkey=Gv1sRgCO6Vk6OWv8um1QE#

When are you thinking of walking this camino?

But we are waiting to hear about the rest of this Camino!

Hi Laurie, thanks for the link to the pictures, beautiful! I'm so torn before Primitivo and walking to Finisterre (don't think I could do both!).

If it was up to me I would do it next year, but we already have some travel plans in the books so it will probably not happen then. When I told my daughter to pencil it in for 2014, she thought it was too soon! I told her I don't have as much time as her to wait.

Day 5- Palas de Rei to Melide– About 15 kms

Today will be a short day and I could not have been happier! The typical stage is from Palas de Rei to Arzua, which is about 30 kms. So we decided to break it in two, not only to have a break of two shorter days, but also to stay at the same hotel for two nights. I scoured the internet, message boards , etc. for the “perfect place” ,and thought I found it in the Pazo de Sedor in Castañeda (between Melide and Arzua) . But more about that later. www.pazodesedor.com ( doubles about 80 Euros)

We had breakfast at Casa Benilde, which actually was my only complaint about the place. They charged us 10 Euros pp (the highest we paid in our whole trip and certainly on the Camino) for a breakfast with very little fruit and prepackaged croissants and muffins. The lady that serviced the breakfast area was very attentive, but that’s about the best I could say about it. So if you stay here, go to a bar/café and save quite a few Euros.

It was great not being in a hurry knowing we just had to cover about 15 kms that day. Our 2nd café con leche stop came at O Coto, at the Casa de Somoza café/bar in a lovely garden. They also had what must have been the friendliest bartender we encountered in any of our stops (he also prepared a really yummy café con leche). Before we left he insisted my daughter pose with a staff and pilgrim’s hat with scallop which he provided. The Casa de Somoza offers rooms with private bath. Wish I had asked to see one if possible for a future visit, I really liked the setting.

We continued our walk to our destination of Melide, crossing the picturesque medieval bridge into Furelos and then climbing into Melide. We arrived there by around 2:00 and were ready for lunch. I had read so much about the pulpo (octopus) in Melide and was really looking forward to sampling it there. We followed Lincasanova’s recommendation of Pulperia Ezequiel and were so glad we did! From the casual communal setting of long wooden tables, friendly service and delish pulpo , it could not have been more perfect. We had eaten pulpo before in prior visits to Galicia, but this one was out of this world! My son was feeling adventuresome and also ordered orejas de cerdo (pig’s ears). A little too chewy for me.

Once we finished lunch we walked around town for a bit. Saw Iglesia San Roque , unfortunately closed ,and went to Iglesia Parroquial Sancti Spiritus, next to city hall (where we thought we could get a stamp for our credencial). Although the church was open we couldn’t find anywhere to get our stamp. So, we decided to call the taxi driver that had been recommended by the owner of the Pazo so he could drive us the short (by car) distance. The taxi driver, Jesus, promptly came and took us to the Pazo(less than 10 minutes).

As we approached it I could see it was just as I had imagined it: a gorgeous stone pazo, surrounded by rolling green hills and pasture. The owners were not home but a lady that worked there gave us the keys to the rooms and accompanied us. They even have an elevator! The room I got (sharing with my daughter) was ok in size; the bathroom was also big and modern. But the room my husband and son got was very small, with the smallest twin beds I have ever seen. I offered to go talk to the lady and see if they could move to a bigger room. But they had already made themselves comfortable and didn’t want to change.

We had dinner at the Pazo (not included in the rate), and this proved to be a very uncomfortable experience. The woman in charge of the restaurant/ kitchen was extremely rude and made us feel totally unwelcome. Actually, she ruined the evening. The food was also pretty mediocre, so all in all not what I expected. Unfortunately, this would not be the last run in we would have with her.

After dinner we sat in the front courtyard and enjoyed the star filled night for a while before going to bed.

What a shame about the nasty lady at the pazo! We stayed there a few nights on our camino as we were a large group and I don't recall any friction whatsoever, even with all our group movements in and out and up and down!

I hope the next days are "happier!" A shame to feel mistreated, especially n a trip like this. You are in a certain "mind state" and it is even MORE shocking when you get bad treatment in such bucolic settings. I wonder if she was the owner or unhappy staff?

Lin,

Don't know if she was related to the owners or just an employee. She seemed to carry sway with others there. The next afternoon I met one of the owners, a lovely woman, and was tempted to tell her of our experience, but decided not to rehash the whole situation. I had also dealt with this lady's brother (another of the owners) by email and he had been very polite.

As I'll explain later, we had one more and even worse encounter with this harridan. It's just too bad because it would keep me from staying again in this place which as you know is gorgeous.

wow what a shame. I only dealt with the owner and her brother.

Hi, cruiseluv,
10 euros for breakfast at the Casa Benilde -- I think you got the special pilgrim price. I know that happens now and then, it's happened to me a few times. It's not really the money that's so annoying, it's just this sense that you're a chump and they're taking advantage of you. Some of my non-Spaniard Camino friends have had this happen so often that they now try to make a point of asking the price or asking for a menu before they order anything anywhere. That's just not going to happen for most people, seems to me.

Ok, you're in Melide now and getting very close. I happened to be in Melide on a Sunday this year, and though I have been through there many times, I must never have hit it on a Sunday because there was a huge, lively, happy market throughout the entire old part of town. Amazing cheese, bread, produce, lots of "artesanal" kinds of food items like oils, honeys, etc. I was told it's a weekly event, it was a lot of fun.

The suspense is building for the worst experience at the Pazo de Sedor to be revealed....

Actually, this incident is very upsetting/ disappointing to me at Pazo de Sedor as I definitely was planning on using it next time i go up there.

I figured rather than reinvent the wheel, I would cut and paste the section from my review on Tripadvisor that deals with the breakfast fiasco the next morning:

"The next morning when we went for breakfast at about 8:15 ( we were told breakfast started at 8:00) we found that most things had already been consumed by a group that was already there. We sat and waited thinking that they would be replenished (the same horrid woman had peeked out of the kitchen and seen we had arrived). After 10 mins went by with the buffet not being replenished my husband got up and looked into the kitchen and motioned to the woman to please come out. When he pointed out that there was very little food out she shrugged her shoulders and said "Se acabó!" (It's finished!). At that point I intervened since I speak Spanish and told her it was totally unacceptable to charge us for breakfast and expect us to basically eat the crumbs left behind by other people. Her look was one of contempt and fury. Without a word of apology, she went back to the kitchen and then later came out with plates of fruit, bread and some cold cuts(in the process, throwing the plates on the table). I was so upset I couldn't even eat.

Given this shabby treatment, we decided we wouldn't eat dinner that evening or breakfast the next morning there. We took a cab into town and had a much more enjoyable time (cheaper too!).

It's a shame that I can't recommend this place because its indeed beautiful. But the poor dining experience and not feeling welcome were too big of a negative. I considered telling the owner the next day but frankly, I didn't want to relive the whole negative experience. "

Such a shame. I don't blame you. These incidents have no place on a trip like this. This should never have happened.

Sad to hear about this unsavory breakfast experience. But happy I stumbled upon your trip report. It is definitely filling my mind with the possibility of doing a camino of my own one day!

Yes, a shame but we didn't let it dampen our enthusiasm for the trip going forward.

Laurie,
The market in Melide sounds great! I'll try to time my stop there next time for a Sunday. Did you notice if most restaurants are closed that day?
To be fair to Casa Benilde, we knew going in what the breakfast price would be. My problem was that the way they described it it sounded that, although pricey, it would be magnificent. It wasn't, actually I would describe it as mediocre.

Back soon to continue trip report.

As mentioned before really enjoying your posts....El Camino is different for everyone.Each having their own experiences. If anybody is interestedthis is a short post on my experince of the great walk( from Roncesvalles to Santiago): http://theartichokeadventures.thespanishthymetraveller.com/the-walk-of-a-million-footsteps/

Cehegin.. I really enjoyed reading your Camino post as I am sure many others will, too!

Hola Cehegin, my hat is off to you! I recognized that little bridge of rocks in one of your pictures! You have a great family that supported you in your quest. I also miss the Camino, especially when I see the pictures.

Ok, next installment:

Day 6- Melide to Arzúa- About 15 kms

Another short day, loved those!

After “enjoying” our breakfast at Pazo de Sedor , as described above, we called Jesús the taxi driver so he could pick us and take us to Melide. After buying some water at a grocery store on the main street in the old town we started walking, and for some reason became disoriented and started going the wrong way. A store owner came running out to alert us and tell us what way we should go. After the nasty way our morning had started, this simple gesture reinstated my faith on the basic goodness of most people.

This day is a bit of a blur. Do recall that our café con leche stop was at Boente, at what was probably the cleanest/ most immaculate bar we stopped at on the Camino. My husband defines that as the men’s bathroom having paper towels for drying your hands! In front of it was the church of Santiago which we visited and also got a stamp from. The priest there was the nicest we encountered in any of the churches where we stopped. He insisted in doing a prayer with us and giving us his blessing, which we appreciated.

We arrived in Arzúa about 2:00 and had lunch in a café at the town square, the name was Los Casqueiros. Nothing memorable, but satisfying. There we sampled some Arzúa cheese which was very good. After lunch we visited the parish church located just off the square and got our stamp. After a quick stop at an internet café, we called Jesus to take us back to the Pazo, about 10 minutes. It’s difficult to fathom that what had taken us about 4-5 hrs to walk was just a few minutes away by car!

Given the bad experience the night before, we decided we wouldn’t have dinner at the Pazo again, so asked Jesus to pick us at 8:00 to go back to Melide for more pulpo! Interesting that when we came down about 7:30 to have some drinks before going to Melide, the person serving drinks was the horrid woman. And this time she had a lovely smile on her face, probably because the owner of the pazo was now back and looking in on her. Either that or she suffers from split personality!

That night we asked Jesus to take us back to Pulperia Ezequiel, which was very lively and almost filled to capacity. We had a really fun time and spent some time talking with a couple pilgrims sitting at our table, an American young woman and an Italian young man. About 10:30 we called Jesus to drive us back to the Pazo for the night.

Day 7- Arzúa to Rúa- About 17 kms (this distance is according to John Brierley’s book but I think it was a bit longer)

We decided not to repeat the breakfast experience at the Pazo and instead have breakfast in Arzúa. So we asked Jesus to pick us at 8 AM to take us to Arzúa, to where we had left off the prior day. It was a grey day, looked like it could rain at any time. At 8:15 I started thinking Jesus had forgotten and called him. He had overslept but in less than 15 minutes he was there. He left us at the main square and we said our goodbyes. He had been a great find, and his fares to/from the main towns to the pazo very reasonable. We spotted a cute café on the corner (Confiteria La Esquina) and had a light breakfast of café con leche and a delicious pastry.

Today we walked through different woodlands; some looked almost like rain forests, with ferns and a tropical feel to it. Others had huge eucalyptus trees. The terrain was pretty level , with no steep inclines or declines.

I don’t remember stopping for café con leche that day. Lunch time found us at O Emplame, where we had lunch at bar/restaurant O Ceadoiro. Lunch portions at this restaurant were huge. I was always amazed at the great value the pilgrim’s menu usually offered. The croquetas in this place were very yummy.

Not long after lunch, a little less than 3 kms, we arrived at A Rúa. The owner of our next hotel, O Muiño de Pena, suggested we stopped at the Information office at A Rúa and call him. We did and about 15 minutes later Javier, the inn’s owner, was there to pick us up (it was less than 10 minutes to the inn). The setting of the hotel is lovely. It’s housed in a very old water mill, in a very tranquil setting. Our rooms (doubles were 75 Euros, room only) faced the back and had lovely views of the water. Dinner that night at the Inn was mainly cooked (and served) by Javier and it was one of the best meals we had during our trip (3 course dinner, including wine and water, was 25 Euros PP. Well worth it). Because Javier wears so many hats in the inn, service was a bit, but understandably, haphazard. However, this didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the evening.

Rooms don’t have good sound insulation and we were able to hear the conversations of the ladies staying in the room next to ours. But eventually they settled for the night and all was good until…. As I was falling asleep I heard this blood curling scream coming from the ladies’ bedroom. Before I could even react and turn the light on, another one screamed and said something like OMG!! Next thing I know, I hear Javier’s voice in their room, calming them. The only thing I could think of is that they had seen a mouse or some other animal (not a very comforting thought)! I thought of getting dressed and going out to find out what the ruckus was about, but I was just too tired to do that. Eventually, they calmed down and went back to sleep. The whole episode had startled me so much that my heart wouldn’t stop beating a mile a minute. I thought I would never fall asleep!

Hi, cruiseluv,
I am really enjoying your posts. I know the bar you are talking about in Boente, it is actually part of the new Albergue Boente. I stayed there a few days before you passed through, and it's a brand new operation, run by two young guys. They are energetic, flexible, and have high standards of hygiene (not always the case in private albergues). They provide a pretty decent dinner (and their dinner kitchen opens at 7 and CLOSES at 8:30, unheard of in Spain, in fact several hours before the kitchen normally opens for dinner/cena), and they truly enjoy their work. I really wish these guys well, because they are giving it their all.

Your place in/near Arca/A Rua (I'm not sure of the names) looks so lovely on the web -- but your description of the screams gives me pause!) In any event, I'm looking forward to the final installment! Ultreia et suseia!

This is a great report!

Loving this!

I'm really enjoying your report. I am considering a camino sometime in the next couple of years. Your report makes it even more enticing!

Laurie,One of them was probably the guy behind the bar . He was continuously cleaning, picking up tables, etc. I saw a washer on the way to the bathroom, which was immaculate. I wouldn't mind staying in that kind of place.

Regarding the O Muiño inn(www.omuinodepena.com),as you'll see below, the scream was not as I feared, due to a mouse sighting!

Day 8- Rúa to Santiago de Compostela- About 21 kms

Today is the day! It was so exciting to wake up knowing that God willing we would walk into my beloved Santiago today.

I would have liked to have an earlier start but Javier the innkeeper didn’t offer breakfast earlier than 8 so that’s what we did. He asked us if we had been awakened by the screams the night before (duh!) and apologized for it. Apparently one of the ladies had a nightmare and woke up not recognizing where she was. Once she started screaming, her companion followed suit. Me thinks she had a bit much of vino the night before. Well, I was glad to hear it wasn’t a mouse or anything like that.

After a very simple breakfast, Javier drove us to the same point in Rúa where he had picked us the day before. The weather that day was promising at the beginning and for the first part of the day there weren’t any steep climbs or difficult terrain. That morning we stopped for café con leche at hotel restaurante Amenal.

We then continued our walk, eventually going by Lavacolla, where the airport is. I must have been deep in thought when we walked by it because I never saw it! (I later asked my husband about it and he said he doesn’t know how I could have missed it!). Shortly afterwards we started having periods of rain/ drizzle which forced us to stop and put on our rain ponchos as we started the climb towards Monte de Gozo. By the time we reached San Marcos, about 1 km away from Monte de Gozo, it was raining really hard. I saw a restaurant, on the highway just off the camino, and suggested we go there (Raxeria/Pulperia San Marcos). This was a bit fancier restaurant that we were used to, with tables set formally and, for the most part, men in business suits! I felt all eyes on us, our wet ponchos dripping water on the bar floor. I was about to tell my husband that we better leave before they asked us, when I noticed that on the back they had a glass enclosed terrace. So, we quickly made our way there, this was more like it! We had a really nice lunch. They claimed pulpo was their specialty, so my son asked for it and I tried it. Not as good as in Melide, but good enough.

By the time we finished lunch and rejoined the Camino the rain had subsided, but it looked like it could start again any moment. We quickly climbed to Monte de Gozo from where we could first view the sprawling city of Santiago at our feet. But where were the spires of the Cathedral that I or somebody should be able to spot?? Never saw them! Never mind, excitement was building because we knew we were so close. We continued our walk, now going down , and soon saw a sign high on a post that announced “Catedral 4,7 KM” and the ubiquitous yellow arrow above. From here on you’re pretty much on asphalt and not particularly attractive as you make your way into the city. You go over a bridge to cross over AP-9 highway (weird, what am I doing here!?) and then continue walking into Santiago.

And just as we’re starting to approach the old town, the skies opened and rain started to pour down. Oh, no!, I said to myself. It was not supposed to be like this! What about the pictures when we reach the Cathedral?? But we kept slogging, now wearing once more our hideous ponchos and getting soaked. But as we approached the Plaza de la Inmaculada and the Monastery of San Martin Pinario, the rain turned to drizzle, and a sliver of blue sky started to peek through the dark clouds. Could I hope?? As we approached the tunnel /arch where usually musicians set shop, I heard one of them playing those lovely bagpipes. And at this point the sky cleared, turned blue ,and the sun came out! It was so overwhelming. We took our ponchos off and stuffed them in our backpacks, walked quickly under the arch thanking the musician with some euros, and came out on the other side, on the glorious Plaza del Obradoiro and the majestic Cathedral. I was by now close to tears, it was very emotional for me, and of course we all hugged to celebrate! I have been several times to Santiago so I knew exactly what the Cathedral and surroundings look like, but it was almost as if I was seeing it for the first time.

We took the obligatory pictures, rested for a while on the square, enjoying the sun and the view of the Cathedral. We then went to the Pilgrims’ office around the corner on Rua do Villar for our Compostela. There was a short line that moved quickly and we finally got it. I was surprised to see that our names where written in Latin, I didn’t know they did it that way. Afterwards we went to the Cathedral and paid our respects to the Saint by visiting the crypt where his remains are kept.

We were tired, dusty and wet, so decided to head to our hotel and clean up rather that remain in the Cathedral. For our stay we had selected the Hotel Altair, owned by the same family which also owns the very popular Costa Vella.

More later…

what an emotional arrival!

Hate to see this come to an end, you did a great job with this report. What a perfect arrival into Obradoiro. No matter what the weather, walking into that square always hits you hard. How great to have arrived with your family.

Did you see the botafumeiro in action?

I have enjoyed every word of your trip report, as well as the encouraging commentaries of other readers. Probably more than any other item I've read in the years I've visited the site. A true inspiration. I often think of doing the Camino, and talk myself out of it, but your writing inspires me to make it a priority in the very near future. I will turn 65 this year, but feel 55, better do it soon.
I see that this is not a trip for my spouse, but finding the right travel companions would make this a trip of a lifetime.
Thank you to all who posted here

I've had a fascination with the Camino de Santiago for about 10 years but have not done anything to get in shape to walk even part of it. Perhaps this thread (along with my others I've read and the many books I've read) will prod me. I think if I had someone to do this with I would make the effort to train for the Camino.

Barb - are you serious about October, 2013? If so then count me in.

lincasanova - I'd need a great big prodding to get going, so prod away!

I'm reading "I'm Off Then" - yet another book about the Camino. I have a postcard of the way markers on my fridge (I ordered 20 of them a few years ago!).

I'm inspired!

I'll start prodding soon. once i get my plantar facilitis or whatever it is called under control i would love to do PART of this again.

unless you cannot walk, there is no reason you cannot do this at your own pace, and the distance you feel like. you need not do 100's of kms.. just enjoy part of this walk along this historical trail at the level you feel like attempting it.

i'll be happy to go with the "slower" group and stay at nice rural places along the way.

lincasanova - definitely count me in. I'm for the leisurely walk with lots of theraputic wine at the end of each day!!

One thing I've been thinking about is doing the Portuguese route, based on Laurie's wonderful trip report about it. But I'm up for any route. I can't get it together to do this on my own although I do travel solo.

adrienne -- Yes, I am definitely going Oct/13. My DIL is going with me too. We are both very excited about this journey. We plan on staying in small hostels (hotels) in each town, probably starting at Sarria. She only has a week to do it (DS has very kindly volunteered to stay home with kids), so unfortunately we will only be able to walk the last 100km. So come along!! It's going to be a trip of a lifetime.

cruiseluv this was a great report. It has inspired many of us. I think I would prefer to stay in small hotels inside town. Did you enjoy being outside of town at night? I just thought it might be more fun to be able to walk around before and after dinner. How far in advance do you think we would have to book our hotels? Again, thanks for this wonderful report.

Barb - let's email about this. My email address is in my profile.

I'm excited!!

Thank you for following along! I'm so gratified that what I wrote might give the necessary push to some of you sitting on the proverbial fence. I could kick myself for not keeping a journal , or at least notes as I had planned to do. I had to keep going back to the pictures to help me remember where we had stopped or what the terrain was on a given day.

I would love to join any group that might form. I would probably prefer to do a different segment or a different Camino if possible but I'm amenable to repeating this fantastic experience. For me it would be key to go with like minded people, I don't think I would like to do it by myself (although I walked by myself for what seemed to be hours at a time since the rest of my family walks much faster!). It's fun to compare notes and have people with whom to share it, even if its only during the breaks or at dinner time.

Barb, thanks for that question. If I do this exact segment again I would stay in hotels in town to the extent possible. I think you're correct, you lose something by not being in whatever city/ town at night. Some of the spontaneity is gone. Maybe just one night in a casa rural , to enjoy being in the countryside.

Laurie, yes, saw the botafumeiro swing twice! Actually I had seen it in a prior visit, but I could never get bored of watching the show!

Adrienne, I also started with the fascination and it took me close to 10 yrs to put my plan in action. So, go for it! Its a great incentive to get in shape by walking.

Lin, sorry you're dealing with that. Get well soon.

I'll come back later to give some comments about what we did in Santiago.

This is a link to some of the pictures which I posted on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.456604394358438.108236.100000266447650&type=3&l=ef3b1881e4

¡Buen Camino!

Barb, regarding timing to books hotels... I started booking hotels in early January, once I knew my dates. Maybe October is not as busy, but since I was going in prime season I didn't want to run the risk of not getting my desired accommodation. Except for the hotel in O'Cebreiro I didn't have to prepay, just give a CC for guarantee; and for the most part I could cancel up to a couple of weeks before the date.

Your pictures are absolutely beautiful. Wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing. I am now penciling in a May/June 2014 camino on my calendar.

Thank you oopsy. Keep us posted about your plans for 2014. My calendar is also marked for about the same date (even though my DH doesn't know it!).

3 days in Santiago-

This was the fifth time we've been to the city, so we have seen most of the “must sees”. Of course, it doesn't matter how many times you visit, the Cathedral is the biggest draw. The next morning we went to Pilgrims’ Mass at noon. We had already seen the Botafumeiro hanging over the altar , so we were pretty much sure it would swing during mass. We got there about 11:15 and already the first 4-5 rows of the pews on the side were occupied. This is the best spot to seat to see the Botafumeiro swing. Actually, the left side pews is the best. So we took our seats and waited for Mass to start, in the meantime taking it all in. I don’t get tired of being inside this magnificent Cathedral. The swinging of the Botafumeiro takes place at the end of mass. It’s a great spectacle!

As mentioned above, we stayed at the Hotel Altair. Great service, modern rooms, super clean. Unfortunately, we had cigarette smoke coming into our room through the ducts. The following morning we reported it and were moved to another room, problem fixed. Breakfast was lovely, everything from fruit, fresh orange juice, tostadas, croissant, tarta de santiago, yogurt, etc. My only complaint about the hotel is that there is some traffic on the street next to it, and if you want to sleep with the windows open it could bother you. Even though they have A/C, there was no cold air coming out of it (probably because the temps outside at night were in the 50s). The problem is that if you close the windows it was somewhat stuffy.

Weather was not our friend those 3 days. It was cloudy, a bit rainy and much colder that I expected. However, if there’s a city that looks lovely when wet, that’s Santiago. Among what we did was visit the Mercado de Abastos, shopping for Sargadelos (ceramic), and walk around town. For dinner, we went to Bierzo Enxebre , La Bodeguilla de San Roque and Restaurante San Clemente. All were excellent, the latter the most expensive one, the other two very reasonable.

After dinner, we would always go to the Pazo de Raxoi, on the Plaza del Obradoiro, to watch the tuna singing under the arches, so much fun! And then, of course, just stare at the Cathedral bathed in light, with those imposing spires jutting against the dark sky.

I know I’ll find a way to get back to Santiago, I always do! I can’t really say enough about the experience of walking there. It’s not like it’s always a beautiful walk, as you sometimes walk next to roads and/or hear traffic zipping by. But that really doesn't detract from what happens in between and, of course, the destination! I highly recommend it!!

¡Buen Camino to all!

I'm getting excited to do this. I've scheduled September 4 as my get in shape start date. Barb and I have emailed each other.

Questions:

- How important is it to know Spanish (the walk will be the last 100 KM)? Or...should I get my mind in shape as well as my body?

- Any suggestions on boots, packs, etc. How long did it take you to break in your boots?

- How heavy were your packs?

- What did you pack that you never needed and could have left home?

Hi, Adrienne,
How exciting that you will be walking a Camino. Some quick answers to your questions:

-- Spanish is not essential for the last 100 kms on the Camino Frances. As English has really become the universal language, we benefit from the fact that the Camino has more non-Spaniards than Spaniards (though from Sarria onwards I think the proportion changes, many Spaniards start there -- but in any event,you'll find English prevalent)

-- The boots vs. shoes decision, and the subsequent search for the perfect fit of whichever one you choose, is extremely personal. Don't let others' choices influence yours, because your feet are different. If you are lucky to be near one, get yourself to a local REI. Try on a million different pairs, but make sure you do it in the late afternoon after a long day with a lot of activity, so that your feet will have swelled. 8 hours of walking beforehand would be perfect but that's probably unrealistic. Try shoes on with hiking socks. Then get an extra 1/2 size bigger to account for the fact that you'll have the extra weight on your back and probably will have your feet swell even more. I prefer boots, others prefer trailwalkers. Ill-fitting shoes are the number one source of blisters, and boots/shoes that are too big are just as bad as those that are too small.

-- Keep your pack weight to an absolute minimum. I usually am in the 15 pound range, without food and water. Get a small pack with good support. One change of clothes, minimal toiletries, lightweight sleeping bag (about a pound),rain gear, minimal first aid, that's really all you need. I think that the biggest "mistake" camino newbies make is to over-pack. Be ruthless. Anything that you forget and really need is readily available in the many towns along the way.

How exciting for you. Lots of questions have been asked and answered on this forum: http://www.caminodesantiago.me/board/ And the search function is excellent (click on "Check if your question has been asked before"). And you can of course join and ask your own questions.

Buen camino, the planning is so much fun, isn't it?

How important is it to know Spanish (the walk will be the last 100 KM)? Or...should I get my mind in shape as well as my body?

It is always helpful to know Spanish. Most of the pilgrims do not speak English. My SIL used to conduct conversation in Italian and she does not spreak Italian.

Any suggestions on boots, packs, etc. How long did it take you to break in your boots?

It is not the time to break them in, as much as it getting a pair that are comfortable. Long before your Camino, you should buy the boots that you think are the best and when you walk to get into shape see if they are the right boots.

How heavy were your packs?

My wife's pack was twenty pounds.

What did you pack that you never needed and could have left home?

My wife met a Spaniard woman along the way who is now a friend. She was told not to bring anything because if she needed something an American will have it. She was wearing horrible shoes that caused pain and my SIL leant her second pair until they got into a town where the Spanish woman could buy a pair.

Great answers! I will learn some Spanish. I'm going to get audios from the library and I've already arranged with someone at work to help me out a bit to learn the language. Instead of work on my white board I have the days of the week and "no trabajo los Domingos." This is more about an excuse to learn a new skill and keep the mind sharp and having something to do at work to keep the boredom at bay.

I'm not good at choosing comfy shoes. I do know that I want ankle support since I'm clutzy and always tripping over my feet. There is an REI about 30 minutes from home. I did have a pair of hiking boots once but they killed my shins so I'm nervous about getting the right ones. But I'm sure boots have come a long way since my last pair.

I think a 20 lb pack is too much for me unless I get to a gym. Plus I'm only walking a week and not a month so will need less. I was thinking of 10 to 12 lbs. Barb mentioned sending luggage to Santiago since she's going on after the walk and I might go on too. A week in Europe is never enough for me. I thought about going to Provence and eating myself silly - LOL.

Hi Adrienne, Kudos to you and Barb for starting the planning!

Regarding the shoes... I first bought a pair of regular (not boots) Keen hiking shoes. Even though I tried them with hiking socks, once I started using them for hiking I found that my foot "rolled" sideways. I then bought a pair of Merrells "mid" boot :
http://www.zappos.com/merrell-moab-mid-waterproof-bungee-cord

They hugged my ankle and gave me excellent support. I started using them about 3 months before the trip and I was doing long walks at least 3 times a week.

I think Laurie's recommendation of going to REI is excellent. They have a policy that you can return anything for whatever reason, even if used. I wish I had bought my Keen's there because I would have been able to return them!

Regarding Spanish... I think that although not necessary, it would be to your advantage to learn some basic Spanish, specially as it relates to asking for things at a cafe, restaurant, hotel, etc.

And finally, regarding the weight of the backpack, etc... If you're staying at hotels/pensiones (not albergues) you also have the option of having your luggage moved by a company like Jacotrans or taxi , and you carry just a small day pack.

I agree, once you go all the way there, a week is too short. I recommend that if you have never been to Santiago and/or Galicia you stay at least a couple of nights in Santiago and also travel a bit around Galicia or continue to other points in Northern Spain. However, going to Provence sounds good too!

And if you find that you are enjoying the walking, you could just keep on walking 3-5 days to Finisterre and/or Muxia. It's a nice way to end the camino, too.

Laurie - have you been to Muxia? Does it look as it did in the movie "The Way?"

BTW - I'm signing up for some Spanish classes. There's an adult ed class starting in my town in October and a friend wants to take the class too so we'll motivate each other.

I so want to do this. Thanks for such a good trip report that makes it a possiblity.

Bookmarking!

cruiseluv...

Just have to say I've really enjoyed reading this trip report. Frankly, I only started reading it because my good friend Barb had told me she was planning to walk the Camino next year! But now I am beginning to be inspired to do this walk at some point in future years.

adrienne...

You will have a great time with Barb. She is a wonderfully funny person who knows how to enjoy herself. But do try to get yourself fit so you get the most from the walk.

I first came across Barb in her delightful TR of her time in Rome and Sorrento with the Divas. We then found we were going to be in Croatia - specifically Dubrovnik - at the same time in 2007, and eventually met up in person in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina.

We have managed to meet up every year since, in Dubrovnik, Paris, Barcelona and the Cotswolds. I am very sad that this year personal circumstances mean I am unable to get to meet up with Barb on her travels in Portugal and Italy. But I shall definitely get to wherever Barb goes after her Camino in 2013!

Good luck with the planning, I am already looking forward to the trip reports!

Hi, Adrienne,
I think I already posted this link, but my pictures from the Camino Primitivo this June have a few of Muxia at the very end. Yes, it looks just as dramatic as at the end of The Way! https://picasaweb.google.com/laurie.reynolds/CaminoPrimitivo2012?authkey=Gv1sRgCO6Vk6OWv8um1QE#

You can either Walk Santiago-Finisterre-Muxia or Santiago-Muxia-Finisterre, a tough choice, but to me it seemed more fitting to end in Finisterre. Buen camino.

Oh - she's THAT Barb. I didn't put two and two together. How dumb of me. I shall have to go back and re-read that TR and have another laugh! I think that thread takes the record for the number of responses.

I narrowly missed going to Barcelona with someone like them. Fortunately we both decided that we had different travel styles and we would not travel together. I'm going and she is not.

Laurie - how did I miss your photos. Maybe I thought that you were referencing a prior walk. Who knows what my brain is doing - LOL I took a quick look and it is the same rocky coast. I'll look at them more thoroughly tonight.

I was just talking about you (actually emailing) to Barb and was telling her how helpful you were when I went to Portugal.

I have my scallop shell so I've made a start (although perhaps that's not enough of a start). julia_t - I'll need you to ride my butt in the coming months so I do get fit.

starrs - why don't you come along on the walk - there's plenty of time for you to get ready for it.

Julia, thanks for the kind words. I'll miss not seeing you this year, but look forward to next year, maybe the Algarve?
Adrienne it sounds like you dodged the bullet with your possible diva

Barb's TR of her Italy trip is a CLASSIC!

So happy to see people becoming interested in the Camino. I hope all of you come back and write about your plans so I can live vicariously through you!

Laurie, thanks for reposting that link to your pictures. Let me ask you : I suspect they're totally different but, which segment would you say it's more satisfying :Camino Primitivo from Oviedo to Lugo, or Santiago-Finisterre-Muxia?

Hi, cruiseluv,

Well, here's the thing. For most people, walking to Finisterre and/or Muxia is sort of a topping off, a winding down, 3 or 4 days to put the whole thing in perspective, brace yourself for having to stop walking (don't mean to be melodramatic here). It's about 90 kms Santiago to Finisterre or Muxia, then another 32 or so between Finisterre and Muxia. So that'd be about 4 days walking, though you could do the whole circle and end up back in Santiago, adding a few more days. I don't know anyone who has done it as a "stand alone" camino, which is not to say you couldn't, of course.

Oviedo to Lugo is about 240 (?). It is a beautiful, rural Asturian camino. Some of the places I stayed had no alternative to the albergue, though, but I think you could probably do what you did on the Frances with casas rurales picking you up. I walked that part of the Primitivo in 8 days, but you might prefer a slower pace. It's not always obvious how to break up some of the stages, though, since they are remote and have very little between the two ending poitns. There are some really pretty towns, and lots of off-road tracks through nice green tunnels. IMO, it is generally much prettier than Santiago -Finisterre or Muxia (which has a lot of eucalyptus trees and not as much original growth as the primitivo; also more road walking on Finisterre route).

I know a British couple who walked the Primitivo in shorter stages, they have a blog on their walk starting in Tineo (two or three days out of Oviedo): http://camino-primitivo-2012.blogspot.com/

And I want to echo cruiseluv's hope that you peregrinas will come back and let us know how things are going. I am now chained to my desk, and a vicarious Camino is the only kind I'm going to enjoy for a while.

Laurie - I looked at your photos. You went through some beautiful country. I loved the stone buildings.

You realize we're not going for over a year - October 2013.

I think Barb's Divas ought to come with us. Can you imagine then in refuggios? What a hoot. And I'll bring my own Diva along. LOL

Thank you Laurie. What you mention about not much between the beginning and end points at times in the Primitivo might be a problem. That's what I thought after looking at the info in the Mundicamino website. I would love that kind of scenery but don't know if it would be easy to organize.

I was giving some thought of walking to Finisterre as a way to get there. We went on a day trip in a tour some years ago and would love to go back. But what you say about more road walking there I'm not sure I like.

As another option, is there any other segment of the Camino Frances(at the most 200 Kms)where scenery is specially interesting? Thanks!

What a wonderful TR! One of the best in carrying the readers along with you on almost every step. Thanks so much for sharing!

If Barb brings her divas along, we should all go along and see them in action!

My wife constantly ran into a fellow who was riding his horse along the Camino. Obviously this presented its own issues. The problem with a dog is she will probably not get her Compostela because she must answer a question about why she made the pilgrimage.

Hi, cruiseluv,

Am I right that you like to keep your days at about 20 kms? The Camino Frances is clearly the easiest to arrange that on, because of all the towns and infrastructure, but if you wanted to walk on the Primitivo, I wouldn't give up on it.

If you wanted 200 kms on the Frances, you might just want to start in Roncesvalles (or St. Jean in France (where Martin Sheen started, , with a two-day walk over the Pyrenees). There is a good way to break up the stage from St. Jean to Roncesvalles, with a stop at the albergue in Orisson. http://www.refuge-orisson.com/ (I know you like private rooms, and they do have one with 3-4 beds that I once got by chance, but maybe you can request it). That would make a very do-able two days to Roncesvalles. Roncesvalles to Logrono is under 150, to Santo Domingo de la Calzada about 30 more (do you hear the two paradores calling you?). The camino through the Pais Vasco and Navarra is very pretty, not surprisingly.

There are other routes, like the Vasco Interior, or the Baztan, that I don't know, but that are apparently very well marked and also go through beautiful scenery in Pais Vasco/Navarra. These are shorter and I have access to guides/reports on both of them if you are interested. Since you speak Spanish, none of these less travelled routes would be a problem for you.

Check out what this guided walk has chosen for the "prettiest" parts of the Camino Frances: http://www.amawalkerscamino.com/22-days---19-day-walk.html

Lots of decisions. Buen camino, Laurie

p.s. Adrienne, For some reason, I did think you were walking this October, so thanks for clarifying that.

I think the Divas could clear out an albergue in the first 5 minutes -- hmm, might be assured of getting a good bed. KIA would be organizing all the other peregrinas and showing them what her 10lb 1999 Lonely Planet book has to say about it. Eiffel Tower would have her neon green pants with pictures of pilgrims on them and camino shell earrings with matching bracelet, trying to find bargains in every town she passed through. D would keep all the peregrinas up every night talking nonstop. I can only imagine what they would tell the Compostela people in Santiago as to why they wanted to do the walk. Could be a good movie.

I think I will tell them about the Camino - AFTER - I get back.

Barb - If you're gonna make me wet my pants laughing I can't do the trek with you!!

Do you have a reason to walk the Camino? I certainly don't. From the movie I think there were 3 things to choose from. I only remember religion and health.

I start my Spanish classes October 1.

Awww, Barb! Why not bring them along?

Some of us would most likely love to see Eiffel Tower Diva with her matching orange and neon lime green outfits on the Camino. She'll likely have a matching hat or several of them and matching walking sticks. If you tell her that there's a shopping street in the next town, she'll make it there faster than anyone else will.

And which one was it that had had to have dinner before 6:30pm or she would absolutely DIE-E-E?

Just think, you could write a sequel to your Italy trip with a trip to Spain!

I think Spain, and specially the Camino, could be even more "traumatic" to Barb's friends!

Laurie, thanks for those ideas, I'll look into them. I would like to keep the walking to no more than 25 kms per day. I have not totally abandoned the thought of doing a segment of the Primitivo but rather not be dependant on pick up by the hotel or taxi. Maybe for one of the stops would be ok, but no more if possible. So I don't know if it would be feasible. I'll probably not do this until 2014 , so I have plenty of time to study the options!

Hi, cruiseluv,
I'm in touch with an Irish pilgrim who is trying to break up the Primitivo into shorter segments. We've come up with a pretty good plan, I'll put it out there for you even though your date is so far in the future.

Oviedo-Grado (21 km) (pension and hotel in town)
Grado -Salas (22 km) (hotels)
Salas-Tineo (18.5 km) (pension/hotel)
Tineo - Campiello (11 km) (casa rural connected to albergue)
Campiello - Pola de Allande (18 km) (Hotel La Allandesa)
Pola to Berducedo (16 km) (casa rural and private albergue)
Berducedo to the Grandas dam (20 km)-- Hotel Las Grandas on the water
Grandas to Castro (14 km) -- private albergue only (or stop 4-5 kms before Castro, in Grandas de Salime, hotel and pension)
Castro -Fonsagrada (20) -- pensiones
Fonsagrada -- O Cadavo (30 km) -- hotel
(this is the only day you would have to be picked up and dropped off and you could spend two nights in either Fonsagrada or O Cadavo with the owner picking you up half-way (Lastra is a good mid point))
O Cadavo - Castroverde -- (8.5 kms) (Pension Cortes)
Castroverde - Lugo 21 km
(From Lugo to Melide and the Camino Frances is two days with more road walking and not quite as rural)

So you do have a Primitivo option!

Excellent, thank you! Is the Oviedo to Grado segment anything special, or could I start in Grado and not be missing much? I might need to stay in Grado a couple of nights to do some sightseeing near there as it is where my grandparents came from.

That's funny, the pilgrim I've been in contact with is also going to visit family roots near Grado -- in a village called Trubia. She's going to do her sightseeing pre-camino from Oviedo for a few days with a rental car, which is probably not an option in Grado.

Oviedo-Grado is very nice, IMO, some green tunnels, some nice little villages, a pretty rural chapel or two, good coffee stop in Esclampero, some walking along a river. But that's just what the Primitivo is like, so you wouldn't be missing out on your only chance to see that kind of scenery. Even the way out of Oviedo is not horrible, as it is in many cities on different caminos. No industrial slog or massive suburban development.

Starting at the cathedral in Oviedo is a nice way to begin, too. The 12th century wooden Christ statue inside the cathedral is from the days when a detour north from the Camino Frances was very popular. The refrain goes like this: "quien va a Santiago y no al Salvador, visita al criado y no a su Senor." (he/she who goes to Santiago and not to the Salvador (statue in Oviedo), visits the servant and not the master -- yes, it loses something in the translation.) So I would start in Oviedo, but of course it's not up to me. Buen camino!

Dear Cruisluv,

Thanks very much for this incredibly well-done report.

A friend and I just decided to walk in 2014 but we like to talk and plan well in advance!

Thanks to everyone else who commented here as well.

gruezi

Hi Gruezi, thanks for your kind words. Are you doing the Camino Francés? Hopefully I'll be able to go back in 2014 and do a different segment.

I have one of those jobs where a month vacation is unheard off so I am walking the Camino in sections. I have already completed Sant Jean Pied de Port to Logroño last year, which was spectacular as far as scenery, cultural, confraternization, spiritual, and physically challenging (not as hard as you might think...). I am now getting ready to return in 2013 for 2 more weeks; planing to get to Leon. The meseta after Burgos is known to "play with your head" so I am looking forward to that

I am not the type for the comunal albergues, wish I was.

I also used Jacotrans; made my own reservations ahead of time. No problems at all. Having the right equipment with you is critical, from your hiking boots, to the poncho to the walking stick. I read extensively on foot care and never got a blister-- so far. I was amazed to see many pair of sneakers abandoned by the side of the road. Sneakers, specially if no ankle support, are a very bad idea for the SJPDP-Logroño portion, or any portion with rocky ups and downs.

cruiseluv asked >>As another option, is there any other segment of the Camino Frances(at the most 200 Kms)where scenery is specially interesting?<<

As I mentioned on previous post, the portion Sant Jean Pied de Port (SJPDP) to Logroño has actually some of the most beautiful scenery along the Camino Frances. If you have the flexibility to start from SJPDP on a nice weather day, do so as it will make a WORLD of difference. The scenery is breathtaking including sightings of wild horses galloping at a distance on the gorgeous French countryside which will take the experience from great to sublime.

I think you will also enjoy Roncesvalles to Zubiri, especially the town of Burguete. Roncesvalles, in and in itself, is one of the most interesting cultural buildings complex you will ever see. To see it for the first time as one approaches from the Camino after crossing the Pyrenees is simply an experience you will never forget. I thought the walk Pamplona to Puente La Reina was also very beautiful, with great villages in between. One of my favorite towns was Cirauqui; the sight of it as one approaches took my breath away. As if the town was not interesting enough soon after you leave Cirauqui and get back on the Camino you find an old Roman bridge with a magnificently well preserved Roman Road. There you are on an ancient pilgrimage path following an even more ancient trade route; no words to describe the feeling.

BTW, I have done the Camino so far as a solo female. No problems, not once have I felt unsafe. I am going back in May and cannot wait!!

Hola Viajero!

Your post is oh so timely because I feel I might need a fix of the Camino sooner than I thought... if I'm lucky, maybe 2013! You've sold me on doing that first stage. I just watched The Way again and had decided its worth start at St Jean.

Like you I'm not a good candidate for the albergues.

Did you write a report of your Camino, or if not, would you mind sharing where you stayed (accommodations)? I would book them myself as well. Thnaks in advance for any info!

Viajero, forgot to ask you, in what month did you do your walk?

Hey cruiseluv!! we may have more than one connection with our love for The Camino-- I grew up in Puerto Rico!

I walked in May; planning to always walk in May (later part) until I get done! (Fingers crossed!)

In St. Jean Pied de Port I stayed at Hotel Central (can't locate a website!)-- an old hotel, no frills but tons of character. The restaurant was excellent. The lady at the front desk spoke excellent Spanish. Very close to the Spanish Gate from where to start your Camino

In Roncesvalles I stayed at the Casa de los Beneficiados, http://www.hotelroncesvalles.com/html/principal_en.html Beautiful, historical hotel that offers an option to those who need privacy. It is in close proximity to the Albergue so you do not miss any of the nice confraternization that goes on in the evenings among pilgrims. Their breakfast was fantastic; substantial and fresh. Besides the Albergue there are about 3 other private lodging options at Roncesvalles.

At Zubiri I stayed at Hostal Gau Txori: http://www.hostalgautxori.com/ a bit out of the way from the Camino. The last 5 kms into Zubiri are rocky downhill and that was a bit rough on the hips . Consequently, it took all I got to once I had crossed the Puente de la Rabia across from the Albergue at Zubiri to continue on for 1 more Km off the Camino. The paella, wine, and beef cutlets made it all worth it, though. They had a pool and I did see other pilgrims staying there. That said, this hostal had one of the very few restaurants in town, so I think I was going to walk the distance anyway... That said, if I was to do it again, I would stay closer to the Camino path at Hostal El Palo del Avellano: http://www.elpalodeavellano.com/pinicio_1.htm

At Pamplona I stayed at Hotel Europa: http://www.hoteleuropapamplona.com/ -- excellent location, accommodations, breakfast, just great. If I was to do it again I would consider http://www.hotel-eslava.com/

This is the part when I started cutting my hotel budget! I booked the first 3 nights because I had no idea how I was going to take in the Camino. My budget for the first 3 nights was also higher.

My husband met me the second week in Pamplona. Due to an old injury, walking this type distance is not an option for him. We found this really wonderful apartment rental in Pamplona very comfortable and at a great price (about $85/night). http://www.atmirasierra.com/ Clean, quiet, supermarkets close by, etc… Basically, my husband dropped me off and pick me up in the late afternoon for the next three days (Puente La Reina-Estella-Logrono). In the meantime, he occupied his days traveling to the beach in San Sebastian, or driving on the French countryside (less than an hour away!). Poor guy! It worked out much better than what it sounds. We both had phones and coordinated well. That said, it does takes away from the Camino and as much as he loved it and as much as I loved it having him around (even though I walked solo!), I do think I missed some of the Camino experience by driving back and forth from Pamplona for those 3 days.

I have never stopped thinking about The Camino ever since I returned. I suspect that the same is happening to you; The Camino Blues are for real! This May (2013) I plan to take another bite at it; I plan to use Jacotrans again. BTW, if you email them they will email you their brochure which has an excellent list of albergues, hostals, and hotels they transfer from/to.

I will post a report…when done. BTW, loved the pictures!! Buen Camino!

Hola Viajero, Mil gracias!!
Oh, so you're a a PR transplant as well! Where do you live now?

Yes, it's true what they say, once you do the Camino it always stay with you. Sometimes the nostalgia is overwhelming. It's so funny that you posted yesterday, since yesterday I took out my John Brierley book and started looking at it. And today I found your post! And then , I just checked my Facebook feed and somebody posted a short you tube of the St Jean to Roncesvalles stage. I believe in signs, I think somebody is trying to tell me to lace up my boots and gets started again!

Buen Camino!!

Hey cruiseluv! those are more than signs-- "somebody" is really hitting you over the head to get back on the trail!
I am telling you the Stages from SJPDP to Logroño are definitely worth going back for. I will be more than glad to bounced off any advice or suggestion. All the best! Buen Camino!!

Gracias Viajero, I'm now in full planning mode for that stage! The only question is... will it be 2013 (probably Sept) or sometime in 2014?

I'm sure I'll be checkin in with you with more questions, thanks for the offer!

Buen Camino!

Hey, I wonder what happened to the plans of some of our other friends here,are they still going forward? Hopefully, they'll post and let us know.

So you are planning another walk? I would like to but DH is vacillating. My brother is thinking of doing it again with his grown up kids. DH doesnt want me to do it after my toe nail fiasco particularly because I am diabetic. Both nails are now gone and growing back finally.

Hi emdee,

At the moment its just in the "dreams" phase, however as soon as weather permits I'll start "training" again to be ready. I remember your problem with toe nails. Could it have been an issue with the shoes?

I'm glad this thread came back to the top.

I'm still planning to go in 2014.

I'll be walking 5 days in France from Cluny this March.

I've done bits of the Camino in Norway and Switzerland. This keeps it in my head.

Just read and enjoyed Hape Kerkerling's I'm off Then. Definitely a great read.

Hi gruezi,

Glad to hear you're still planning to do it. Are you planning to do the whole Camino Frances?