This is one of the questions I get asked most frequently, what is the best time to walk.  In many ways they are all good for different reasons, and yes I know that is a bit oblique – so I will list what is considered the best times to walk the Camino Frances – which [...]

Field Report from Rabanal del Camino, Spain Wednesday, June 9, 2010 The four of us (Bob, Rowena, Chard and me) have now completed more than half our tour of duty here in Rabanal.  We are scheduled for departure one week from today and are all a bit nostalgic about it.  We agree that the experience [...]

A pilgrims passport is the identification that is used along the various Caminos to prove that you are a pilgrim and that you have walked and stayed in the places along the way.  It is just a simple card with enough space to collect stamps from various hostels and albergues. There are only a few [...]

This is the view that most pilgrims first get of St Jean Pied de Port. I remember it quite clearly, I was wondering what was ahead of me. I had not read much about the Camino before heading off there for a month, my flat mate and college friend had been my sole source of [...]

I was having a browse through some other Camino blogs this morning and came across one that is just not me. They were up and walking at 5 or 5.30am – in the dark! Now I will admit to having done the same once – but I had woken and just could not get back [...]

Roncesvalles was my first taste of a “real” albergue. 120 pilgrims in one large room – oh my God, I thought, is this what it is going to be like for the next four weeks? Yes and no. The offical hostels at Roncesvalles is the largest one room hostel along the whole Camino – as [...]

I paid €28 for my night in the Orisson, that was for diner and my bed in a small dorm. Okay price wise, but hell I thought if I had to pay every night like that. However this was the most expensive until I reached Santiago. The host in the Orisson was great, friendly, the [...]

The train must have taken longer than my memory states. I arrived in St Jean Pied de Port around lunch and the official Albergue was closed. I waited with the others, we all wanted a pilgrims passport before setting out. By the time it had opened and we had all gotten our Pilgrims Passport it [...]