Any feedback on Camino det Norte welcome

[Allan Wall]

My wife and I are scheduled to do a 8 day walk from May 24/2008.
We start in Prado and end in Oviedo and then hope to spend 4 to 5 days in that region before heading to Santiago for 3 days.

I would appreciate any feedback on the walk and especially any thouights on good spots for time at end of walk before we get to Satiago.

we are Australians 9 a fit 61 !!!

Thanks

[lughcamino]

After 3 caminos frances, i decided to do the camino norte. I was initially very surprised by the almost complete lack of other pilgrims (i did it in mid-April with one other person). also surprised at the lack of albergues then (2005). Stayed in only one - but it was truly excellent. I found the days of walking to be hard and long and sometimes very disspiriting. we had bad weather so that didn't help. many walks by the side of roads with very fast cars. not the most conducive to internal meditation. and although there were some alternative routes, the thought of walking an extra 3-5km after struggling to walk 30km kept us on the road. Eventually after 2 weeks and many times getting lost due to disappearing arrows, we abandoned the north and took a bus to the safety of Leon.
I don't mean to put anybody off the walk, especially as i have heard that the infrastructure has improved a lot in the last few years. There is plenty of hotels and the walks by the sea that are truly stunning. Not to mention some amazing villages. We had some amazing days of walking that just would not be possible on the French route. However, it is very much more difficult in every other way and does require some perserverance. I walked from seville to santiago last year and found that to be much easier!! but as always, one person's experience is radically different from another's. I think it is a very authentic route as it does test the pilgrim to a degree that the "recreational" camino Frances cannot. I wish all pilgrims on the northern route the best of luck!