looking pilgrims to walk in September

[inma28]

Hi everyone!
I'm a spanish girl planning to walk the camino in September but I'm afraid to walk alone.
I know it's safe and there is no problem but I prefer to have company.
I did the camino del norte in 2007 and it was an amazing experience so I would like to repeat this year.
If someone is interested to make a nice group of pilgrims, please leave a message here and we can talk about the dates, the route and the start point to meet us.
Thank you! Y buen camino

[ken huocj]

Hola,

Rpsalee and Orla are both starting in Septembersee My Journey
more on me at Couchsurfing.com under Ottawa Group there i am caminofsgken
or Camino de Santiago ~ Way of St James - VirtualTourist.com

i hope to reach Santiago about 0ct 17th
so it will be a slow walk.

I believe that there are groups travelling at their own pace, but keep en eye on each other during the daily journey.

i will have Canada and South Africa flag on my backpack, also a Knight of Columbus patch

meegwetch - buen camino
ken ssg

[inma28]

Thank you so much

[Orla]

Hi Inma

Ken is right - Im starting the Camino early Sept. I arrive into SJDP on the evening of the 5th from Dublin, and have booked into a hostel for my first night "L'esprit du Chemin" , and start walking on 6th Sept.

Im also starting alone, but think I will meet lots of good people along the way! And am really looking forward to it to the whole experience.

Buen Camino!
Orla

[inma28]

Hi Orla!

Your plan sounds good.

I'm looking someome to walk together because when I made the camino del norte it was long stages without albergues and with no signal on my cell phone.

A lot of pilgrims and "hospitaleros" advice you that walk alone is sometimes dangerous if something happen to you nobody knows it. So if you are going to walk alone, tell someone in Dublin your planning, something like that:

- 1st day: Jean Pied de Port

- 2nd day: Roncesvalles

In case something happen they can guess where are you..
There is people that fell down and had to wait a few days to get helped.

You will have no problem in the french way. It is full of people in summer time. We cannot compare with "camino primitivo" or "camino del norte". They are not as popular as "camino frances" and you can walk a lot of kilometers without seeing anybody in the middle of nowhere. You can enjoy the peace and get the essence of the camino.
In the french way is the oppositte, there is pilgrims everywhere. It is so much crowded in summer time and the people is figthing to find an available bed in the albergue.

We have a joke in spain we say "french way" is like "Ramblas de Barcelona". If anyone knows that city will get the joke

Usually the people walk in one stage around 25-30 kilometers per day so if you wake up very early in the morning you can arrive to the albergue early but I remember people was arriving late to the albergue, in the evening, so it's not good if the night get you in the woods. But you know depends on the stages, sometimes you use 5 or 6 hours and in another stage you maybe spend 8 or 9 hours walking.


Another point is the "road signs" (yellow arrows and milestones). Sometimes is not good enough to get well oriented.

In the first stage of french way there is a record of lost people (from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Collado Lepoeder). They get lost specially in winter, so pay attention!

I recommend take with you a guide and take a look of your stages everyday

This website is very famous in Spain:

Camino de Santiago, todas las etapas y albergues | CONSUMER EROSKI

If you click on the map, you can find each way stage by stage.This guide is really helpful!I know it is in spanish but you can get still some notes about the stages.

And one more thing!!! Really important!!! All pilgrims have to know when you enter in GALICIA REGION the milestone change!!!!!! It is the opposite sense.

I put some examples!!! In the 1st and 2nd picture is very clear, you go right. You have to read the "concha" as an arrow.
But what about the 3rd and 4th picture. where do you go? LOL! This is funny! The "concha" indicates down to the earth LOL
The pilgrims are very generous and try to help putting stones on the right direction.

[rickP]

Which way do you go in pictures 3 & 4.

[Covey]

The blue arrows are the reverse direction for those walking back up the route.

If you are going to Santiago, then follow the yellow arrows!!

The signs based on the rays of the sun are confusing. The correct direction is to follow the line where all the rays meet and point the way. It was meant to show pilgrims arriving from all over Europe and walking the path to Santiago.

HOWEVER!! in the early stages of the Camino Frances they got a little confused and in many places the reverse is true as per the photo's where the direction is in the direction of the rays. Once you get past Burgos they seem to have got it right, but in some towns before Burgos you get both versions. It is best to follow the painted yellow arrows than worry about the vagaries of the Spanish signmakers!!

[inma28]

Hi!

The blue arrows are for pilgrims with bike.

Pilgrims by food have to follow the yellow arrows.

On the 3rd picture you go at left as the yellow arrow indicates.

On the 4th picture you go at left too. (The pilgrims give a tip for other people walking, you can see they put some stones drawing an arrow)

[vagnerlevy]

Hello everyone!!!

Im going to start the Camino at SJPP. THis is my first time, and Im very very excited!

I'll be arriving on september the 8th and hopefully Im gonna start the way on the 9th as I MUST be in Santiago on the 9th! Fast walk for me I guess...

Im actually scared about not making in time...

I hope to meet u all during the way!

Im quite noticeble as I walk... Cuz I'm 1,96m tall.. So u guys wont have a problem knowing who I am! Lol

Bon Camino Everyone!!!

Ultreya!!!

[redrat]

Hola,

Rpsalee and Orla are both starting in Septembersee My Journey
more on me at Couchsurfing.com under Ottawa Group there i am caminofsgken
or Camino de Santiago ~ Way of St James - VirtualTourist.com

i hope to reach Santiago about 0ct 17th
so it will be a slow walk.

I believe that there are groups travelling at their own pace, but keep en eye on each other during the daily journey.

i will have Canada and South Africa flag on my backpack, also a Knight of Columbus patch

meegwetch - buen camino
ken ssg

Good to know that another Canadian will be around in September, however I will start ahead of you by a few days. I am arriving in SJPP around the 7th give and a take a day.
Buen Camino y los vemos.

Marcel

[vigneau]

Hi everybody. Been reading this site for sometime and picked up a lot of useful advice and information. Finally set my start date. I'm booked in at the Esprit du Chemin - 17 sept. Looks a good starting point for those walking alone since they prioritize bookings for those having an evening meal with them so that they can introduce people. I'm setting aside 32 days to get to Santiago - so maybe I'll see some of you on the way.

Buen Camino.

Mike

[Orla]

Hi Inma

thanks for all that information!

Im not too anxious about the security issue, as I get the feeling that this route is quite a busy one. So yes definitely, the "ramblas" of the caminos.

And planning on arriving into towns and villages late afternoon to avoid travelling in the dark. Definitely not a safe option!. Though I will need to do 25k a day to reach Santiago with the time I have for this trip. And allow for a day or two of rest along the way.

Maybe our paths will cross at some point!
Orla

[inma28]

Hi everyone!

That evening meal in the albergue sounds good. I will check that.

I'm cheering up so it's no problem if i start the camino alone... I gotta check the dates and get some info about transportation to my start point. September is almost here!!!


Inma

[lillob]

hi inma

ken is right - im starting the camino early sept. I arrive into sjdp on the evening of the 5th from dublin, and have booked into a hostel for my first night "l'esprit du chemin" , and start walking on 6th sept.

Im also starting alone, but think i will meet lots of good people along the way! And am really looking forward to it to the whole experience.

Buen camino!
Orla

hi orla ,i am also from dublin but living in kerry ,i fly from stanstead to berritz on the 5 sep and am also staying in l'esprit de chemin .would you like to meet up.

[vagnerlevy]

Guys!

For anyone that is planning to leave from SJPP in september;

I have booked transportation with the guys from "Express Burricot".

Untill the moment, I'm the only person booked with them.

If anyone wants to share the ride, it would be awesome (and CHEAPER).

At the moment I'm paying 30 Euros. So if we could gather more people to go all together, the price would drop.

If anyone is interested, please let me know!

I have booked the van from Pamplone's Airport on the 8th of september at 16:30.

(I reckon they could stop by the bus station before we head to SJPP)

Hope to see some of you guys soon!

Buen Camino Everyone!!!


Ultreya!

;o)
---------------------------------------------------------
Ps: Sorry for the date Mistake at the topic: The sharing ride thing is for the 8th Sept!! Not the 7th as I wrote before.

[Julia]

Hi All,

I am starting the camino on Sept 5th so may bump into some of you on the way
Orla, I will be just a day ahead of you but chances are you will easily catch up to me as I will be taking it very easy!

Julia

[Orla]

Hi Julia

Maybe I will catch up..we'll see! Planning on walking from SJ to Ronc on day 1. Expecting a long day but it will to good to get started and there is something nice about crossing the border from France to Spain in one day.

Only two weeks to go and a couple of other bits to get before then. Really looking forward to it. Five weeks away and the camino to travel on.

There is another Irish girl travelling at the same time as me. So now there are three of us!

Hopefully we will cross paths along the way.
Orla

[szilvi]

Hello All,

I had already completed my first part in May from Pamplona to Burgos.

I am planning to continue from Burgos this September and just wondering is there anyone else be in Burgos around that time?

Buen Camino for all of you )

ciao Szilvi

[redrat]

Hello All,

I had already completed my first part in May from Pamplona to Burgos.

I am planning to continue from Burgos this September and just wondering is there anyone else be in Burgos around that time?

Buen Camino for all of you )

ciao Szilvi

doo,t worry there are at least a million pilgrims here right now, you wont be alone. The number are greater than what I would have expected.

Buen Camino and you wont be alone.

Marcel

[Roseallee]

Hi All,
And thanks for the well wishes. I am in SJPDP until tomorrow morning. I came from Biarritz with Burricot which was grand, fast, easy and inexpensive as the bus was full. I stay a 2nd night at Esprit du Chemin and set off in the morning. It is a wonderful albergue for the beginning. I highly recommend that if you have the time to spend SJ is worth it. Especially on a Monday which is market day & the farmer's market is heaven. I am well stocked for the road after an hour there! Esprit closes on the 26th for the season.
It's been wet weather here but the trend is for sunshine by tomorrow. It rained so hard on Friday that Bayonne train station was flooded and so were parts of the road. Quite a few pilgrims were stranded and couldn't get to SJ.
Anyway, I am already having a very fun time. Free internet at the pilgrims office. Rosalie

[Leslie]

Buen Camino Roseallee