Newbie Irish Family first Camino- all sorts of questions

[CahnClan]

So I've been reading this forum for weeks, ever since we decided to go. We are an Irish family with four children (3boys) 17, (14 our daughter whose idea it was to go, is turning 15 on the Camino) 11 and 9.
We fly to Bilbao on the 20th Sept and hope to bus or train or even car hire (whatever is cheapest) to about 100km from Santiago to begin our Camino. We have about 10days and if we make excellent progress we would like to walk to Finistiere too where we are meeting my parents on the 30th to help celebrate the finish and and the birthday. We are all pretty fit and adventurous. My husband and I have taken many trips and our kids have lived in a VW camper while volunteering in Europe fo 6 months (wwoofing) and in Mongolian Ghers/Yurts for 4 months on our organic farm in Ireland so we aren't too worried about adjusting to roughing it or life on the Camino.

We are making the trip to gain a bit of spiritual renewal after some busy years and as support as our two oldest enter their exam years. Our eldest will be leaving home soon so we wanted to take this last trip together in a meaningful way. Our smaller boys are very excited and in training with their 75year old grandad who walks every weekend up mountains.

Questions:
Getting to a nice place to start and where to start any comments? It seems Camino Francis? Will there be much along highways for that 100km? We haven't bought our guide book yet - any advice there.
Getting back to Bilbao and where to stay cheaply for one night there on the 3rd? I've tried couch surfing but no luck yet.
I am celiac (no wheat) and allergic to eggs. I can eat lots of veg and do eat a bit of meat too - think I need to worry - I can usually find what something...
Security - my daughter wants to bring her camera, though we hope to ban the older ones phones, are there tips re valuables?

Any must sees or other suggestions tips etc appreciated.
Can't wait ...
tanks
Suzie

[Leslie]

wow, sounds like you will have a fun time with all your kids.

Personally I would not start at Sarria the way most people do. It is the last 112km and it has a slightly different feel to it, however if one of your aims is to walk into Santiago then it is the place to start and you will have no problem with hostels each night.

Guide book is not required. But the Brierkey one seems to be the most chosen and it is good with maps etc. There is very little along main roads, when it is roads there are good paths at the side and they are usually quiet roads.

Re food - I have UC and you might find it hard to get no wheat anything. But there will be lots of meet and tonnes of veg, rice etc.

Many take cameras, phones etc. I do. However I like to switch off the phone and just check at night. Make sure you stop all data, as it will cost a fortune, as I am sure you know. Just don't leave things unattended, but it is safer than Dublin, (where I live), much safer.

[Precious1]

Hi Suzie!!

Wow! Your upcoming trek with your family sounds wonderful, especially for the reasons you mention. Lucky kids!!!
I certainly found spiritual reawakening...made me value the simple things, made my priorities clear, gave me insight to improve both for my own benefit and the people around me ( though some of m friends might not agree, lol).
Also found the Camino one of the best hiking, sightseeing, social and cultural events ever.

I would recommend getting John Brierley's guide book. It is always an advantage to have maps just for one's own orientation in a new land. Plus you get all kinds of pragmatic info about places to stay, and historical tid bits to make it even more awesome.

We flew from Dublin to Santiago de Compostela and took a bus right outside the terminal to Lugo, where we changed to a bus to Sarria after some 15 minutes. We stayed at Casa Matias, Calvo Sotelo 39. Then started the experience of a lifetime the next morning.

Seems to me in your time frame starting from Sarria could not be more idyllic. But you would have to take the bus to Finisterre from Santiago if you just have 10 days. Though I have only done the Sarria to Santiago trek, (keeping an eye out for starting at St. Jen Peid de Port next May) and have only seen videos and photos of the rest of the Camino Frances, and have read other people's accounts, I think it has to be one of the most lush, pastoral, verdant, and beautiful sections of the trek that I almost wish we had had the time to do even slower just to savor the bucolic idyl of it....loved the cow herds ambling about the roads with their humans and dogs, the stone villages, and many of the towns on the way with great old centers, as well as all the horreros!!! The Galician folks could not have been more congenial. Also, the country farms not withstanding, the Galicians are super cosmopolitan and have a great, simple style I would like to emulate, as over casual as we Yanks have the reputation for being.

Have not check into getting to Sarria from Bilbo, but seems buses go everywhere.

Going the buddy system as you are, I see no worries about valuables as someone can always watch while the others shower. But things seemed pretty safe at the alberques, regardless, and you saw people's mobile phones being charged up all over the place unattended.
You'll have no problem eating the way you like.

Wishing you guys a buen camino... gotta run, just out the door to head up to Vermont for our Labor Day week end here in the States, where we'll be doing a 30 mile bicycle tour. in an hour...biting at the bit. lol Can't wait to see your photos.

Ciao,
Kate

[CahnClan]

Thanks for all that. We are getting very close now. Packing and repacking trying to keep the weight as low as possible. I hope to get our camino doc in St James tomorrow. Do keep sending us any other tips you think we'll need from what I've said above
Suzie

[unadara]

Hey are you the lovely Irish family netia met, she mentions you on her blog, wheresnetia... well done, hope you all had a great time as we did, just home from 31days last Wed,not a drop of rain in all the days walking, amazing, but heat was a problem for my feet!
Una

[CahnClan]

Hi Una, Yes that was us. I haven't had a chance to update this post with our experiences but might put up some blog posts and pic if I can get round to it. We are back in term mode with four kids and lots of other stuff there is quite a contrast to those simple days on the Camino, walk eat sleep, walk again. We loved it all of us. The youngest 9 was in his element and no one suffered or complained in any major way. Really good for us all in many ways and as Netia suggested it was great bonding or regrouping as a family. Nice to think back on too. Who knows perhaps we'll be back some day....

Hey are you the lovely Irish family netia met, she mentions you on her blog, wheresnetia... well done, hope you all had a great time as we did, just home from 31days last Wed,not a drop of rain in all the days walking, amazing, but heat was a problem for my feet!
Una

[rosyposy]

Hi Suzi, Congratulation on finishing your walk with the family. I'm sure it was an unbelieveable experience for you all. What memories for your children.
I am hoping to walk the Camino later this year with my husband, and I also am a coeliac. I was wondering how you found it for meals, especially breakfast. Did you stay in the alberges? My biggest concern with the alberges is that they might usually serve pasta for evening meals which won't suit me. I realise I can eat fruit etc but feel I might miss bread and I won't be able to take 3 weeks worth in my rucksack. Thanks. Rosie

[CahnClan]

Hi Rosie,
Yes it was really wonderful, great memories for us all. Food was a bit off a challenge I have to admit- particularly when everyone is having pastries for breakfast and carrying sandwiches to eat on route. Finding an alternative that wasn't massively heavy but was filling was the hardest- the large heavy rice salad, full of chopped veg, we made ourselves is now one of the funny stories - it was meant for lunch but we had to eat it by 11 as no one wanted to carry it. Meat - sausages etc are easy come by, being creative about something else filling like carbs for energy, is a bit harder. The little supermarkets were pretty limited. Lots of things in tins and yogurts etc though. Most alberges we stayed had simple fare. We didn't eat in dining rooms much as even the low cost, times 6 of us, was prohibitive, but where we did we found not much pasta- (unlike Italy) but meat, chicken and veg but all very salty- soups too. Eggs for breakfast was common. We cooked when we could - but not all hostels have kitchens and those that do often have little or no equipment at all. If I wasn't feeding a family I think a very light weight camping set with a couple of tiny pots a spoon and knife would mean you could cook up something. There is fruit to be had easily most places. Hope thats a help have a great trip, Suzie

[rosyposy]

Hi Suzie

Thanks for your reply. It is very helpful and gives me more confidence to know that there will be something for me - meat, chicken, veg is what I was hoping for. For some reason I'd been thinking mostly pasta which would be a bit of a disaster! Your suggestion about the small camping set to cook on is great and definitely something I am going to look at.

The inability to eat pastries/sandwiches will be be the hardest thing to cope with I think, but eggs and fruit for breakfast will be fine I'm sure, to get through the morning anyway, until we get lunch.

Thanks again.
Rosie

[unadara]

Rosie
We had to stop eating bread as our energy levels were slow. Try and buy every day natural yogs, keep under bed, eat first thing ? carry bananas, nuts (great selections), lump of cheese, chocolate-do you eat fish ? tuna/sardines, olives all handy. Salad is served everywhere as primero plato?, fish and chips very common, potatoes are very good, on few times we could cook (as there was a pot available) we boiled potatoes, eggs, and ate with tomatoes, cheese, cold meats etc..This time i will avoid the pastries, bread if I can. There are coarse breads in some bakeries and they keep very well, I might buy and odd one.
Buen Camino
Una

[CahnClan]

Hi, This is a reply to a recent query that I wrote a bit more detail in so might be useful to others...
We started Saria which is a bit over 100km from Santiago so that the kids would get their certificates as a mark of their achievement in getting there. Our 9 year old loved getting his passport stamped at every opportunity. The main issue for us was keeping them all fed with good food. Eating out was often a lot of salty soups, meat, chicken, morning breakfast could be sweet stuff or maybe eggs, there was plenty of bread everywhere, but it was important to stock up on fruit and veg, sandwich fillings - tinned fish, cheese, salami, boiled eggs in shops in the bigger towns, but then we had to carry them. Hostel kitchens didn't all have any kit so a tiny saucepan, spoons and knives were a good idea. Otherwise the rest was fine kids we're well fit enough with little prep, they hostels all fine to sleep, wash relax in and people very encouraging when they saw the kids. Buon Camino!!

[CahnClan]

yes that was us