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[la sainte terre]

will be 67 when i attempt camino santiago in june july 2010
advise from older walkers would be appreciated
for example
if the refugio is full then what???
would like to go over the pyrennes[sp???]
is that wise
any and all advise appreciated
just an olde fool
la sainte terre

[AMNUSA]

Hello - I have walked 4 Caminos over the past four years and I am 67 years old. However, I did not walk in June or July as these are probably the hottest and most crowded months of the year and I definately would not walk a Camino those months in a "Holy Year" which will be next year 2010. They are expecting the number of Pilgrims to triple !!!!

I have found October to be a great time to do the Camino. The weather for the past four years has been incredible with hardly any rain at all, but I may have just been very lucky. The days that it did rain it rained pretty hard and I would not have liked to walk too many days like that (good rain gear is a must).

The Pyrenees are not too bad if you are in good physical shape. My friend and I walked from SJPP to Roncesvalles in about 8 hours but we had really good weather. However, you can walk the first part of the way, which is quite steep, and stay at Auberge Orrison but I believe it pays to make a reservation in advance.

Get in good shape, make sure you have good comfortable footwear, practice carrying a backpack with the weight you intend to carry and take the minimum that you can. Lots of people take too much and either throw it away or have to post it on to Santiago.

Good luck and Buen Camino ... It will be one of the best trips you will ever make.

AMN

[Gazza]

First time user. My wife, her girlfriend & I will be doing the Camino in June/July 2010....at time of booking didn't realise it was a holy year.
Due to time constraints starting at Burgos. Wish we could start tomorrow.
The only thing fazing us is bed bugs.
Are they really as bad as I have read & is there precautions one can take

Gazza

[AMNUSA]

Yes, you can spray your bedding (sleeping bag/sheet) with Permethrin before you go. (Permethrin is available online) Also, take a can of the spray with you and if there are any signs of bedbugs on the bed spray it well before you put your bedding on it or ask/look for a different bed. However, they are no worse than being bitten by mosquitoes but just really creepy to think of the little horrors crawling on you during the night. I also would spray myself with insect repellent before getting into bed if I thought there were any bedbugs around. I was bitten only once, even after all my precautions, but did see quite a few folk with multiple bites.

The main thing is not to take any home with you so make sure that you spray your pack well, don't take it into your house without spraying it again and take all your clothes etc. and wash and dry them at the highest heat they will stand. That should take care of any of the critters or eggs that you may have brought back with you.

I hope that you don't have any problems with bedbugs or finding places to stay and wish you Buen Camino it will be a wonderful experience.

AMN

[Gazza]

Thanx Amnusa.... sounds like a gr8 idea
Isn't the Net a wonderful thing

Gazza

[Aleesha]

Hello,
I am hoping to walk the Via Mozarabe in March 2010. I would be very glad of any assistance or comments, as there is almost nothing available on most forums. I will hook up with the Via de la Plata in Merida.
If anyone has a strong feeling that a lone female walker should not attempt the Mozarabe, I'd be interested in that too.
I have walked the Frances, and also read Tony Kevin's book.
Thanks in advance.
Aleesha

[Barbara]

Hello everyone, I'm planning to walk the portugese route in September. I'm a little concerned about the numbers travelling this year, it being a holy year, but I know if I don't do it now I probably never will. If there's anyone else planning this route for September please get in touch. I know I would feel a lot more confident about the trip if I could share my thoughts with others.

Thankyou

[AMNUSA]

I don't think you will have a problem on the Portugese route as the majority of pilgrims will be on the Camino de Frances. I am already planning to walk either the Portugese or the Aragones in 2011 and that will be my 5th Camino. I know whatever you do you will be taken care of by the "Angels of the Camino" and I'm sure that many fellow Perigrinos will attest to that.... so DON'T Worry it will be wonderful and a great blessing to your life.

Buen Camino

AMN

[Barbara]

Thank you for replying to my post Amnusa. The Camino that I'm walking is of a personal nature and I guess I simply have to learn to trust and cast away the worries.

Kind Regards
Barbara

[Oak Hill Walkers]

Hi to everyone. I'm 63 years old and my wife is 60. As you can see from my signature, we have modest experience with long-distance walking. But the Camino will be, for us, a whole new level of effort and adventure. I have to admit that we've been very spoiled by English & Irish B&Bs and full English breakfasts, so we'll have to keep an open and adventurous mind on this walk. We have lots of time and we'll be trying to keep our maximum daily mileage to just 10 miles. We will put in several rest days in the bigger towns and cities.

We heard about the Camino from two walkers on the Dingle Way walk in Ireland who walked the Camino, Anton and Alex -- they actually met each other on the Camino. Maybe some of you have met them. Anton was a tall lanky dude from Holland and Alex was a short brunette from England.

This is a great message board, comparable to the Sherpa Van message board for walks in the UK. I will be getting my guidebooks very soon and will be starting our planning for our walk in September 2010. I we get, like the British say, knackered by this walk, at least we'll be able to relax and recover on a transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Galveston, Texas -- and home in November. High adventure followed by a sinful luxury dessert.

[Covey]

As another Golden Oldie who likes his Full English, I have to say that the chances of finding one on the Camino is a long way south of ZERO.

Breakfast is normally at the first bar which opens to cater for us poor pilgrims and is coffee and with a bit of luck "Tosta" which is bread which may or may not have passed within 10 meters of some source of heat.

As for marmalade? In your dreams Peligrino!!

Have fun, and dream of being welcomed on board to a life of fluffy white sheets and Full English!!

[stainer1986]

Hello!

I am a 23 year old student, and I too plan to walk the camino frances this summer, aiming to leave StJPDP in mid July, and then reach Finisterra in about 5 weeks. Is anyone else planning to go around this time.

Rach

[SusanUSA]

I am so glad to have this forum. Thank you for offering it so this pre-Pilgrim can learn and prepare for my walk in September. I have studied the road for many years, but this year I will spend 35 days on the road to celebrate my 60th birthday!

May whoever is reading this post be blessed and filled with God's joy and peace.

[Snezbit]

Wonderful to see a site like this, wonderful.

Well, Male, 21, resident in Scotland for the time being.

The idea of a Pilgrimage has vexed me for a long time. Only recently on a trip to Sri Lanka have i understood what the purpose of such a journey is.

I will be dropping all, at the drop of a hat, to walk my road to SantiagoxXx

[Tanya Yaksich]

Hi Susan, how exciting for you. I am spending my 63rd birthday on The Camino in july with my older Sister who will be turning 68 two weeks after me. God Speed Tanya

[Tanya Yaksich]

My Sister lives in England, and i live in Western Australia

[Sabine]

Hi I'm Sabine, 40 years from Belgium. Planning to walk the camino franc?s next year from St-Jean. Going to browse around here, seems a very nice forum. Cheers.

[mosesmew]

Hi Susan, I too will be walking in September for my 56th Birthday! I will be coming from Nova Scotia, Hope we'll have a chance to meet! Blessings Nancy

[Tanya Yaksich]

Hi Sabine, I was going to do the whole Camino but my sister didn't have the time.I lived in Bruxelles years ago. This site is full of information. cheers tanya

[Sabine]

Thanks Tanya for the welcome! Wow from Western Australia to Brussels. I'll hope to travel to your country in the not so near future...

[Tanya Yaksich]

Hi Sabine, if you do come to Australia, let me know, and i can put you up for a while. Cheers Tanya

[Beatrix]

Dear All,

This looks a great forum, I am happy I found it!
I am 28, from Hungary, but I live in London since November.
I walked the Camino Frances in 2007 from SJPP to Finisterra, and walked the Camino del Norte last year in 2009.
I see there is a topic for the north way so I will try and summarise the nice places I have stayed in.

Do you organise any meetings? I just miss fellow pilgrims so much...

Cheers and Buen Camino to All pilgrims!

[Covey]

We have not so far but.................. that is a good idea!!

I also live in London and I hosted a reunion for our Camino "family" from the July/August09 Camino Frances just before Christmas, and we are all meeting up again in Amsterdam in April for another weekend at the house of our Dutch member.

It is sometimes difficult to explain to "non Caminoists" how people of all different backgrounds, ages and nationalities just gel together as though they have known each other all their lives.

I have often thought of doing the Northern Route but have run in to pilgrims who have done the route but preferred the greater numbers doing the Camino Frances. Last year one couple had abandoned walking the Northern Route, because they were on their own all the time.

[obrienjoe]

Hi Leslie. Well done on the forum. I am looking for a two day walk as a taster of the overall walk. Is there one of the key villages within two days walk 40/50km of Santiago? Joe

[Oak Hill Walkers]

obrianjoe,

In John Brierley's Pilgrims Guide, this last three days go as follows:

Palas de Rei to Ribadiso (26.4 km) via Casanova, Melide, Boente & Casteneda.

Ribadiso to Arca (22.2 km) via As Barrosas, Calle, Salceda, Xen and Santa Erene.

Arca to Santiago (20.6 km) via Amenal, Labacolla, Villamaior, San Marcos & Monte Gozo.

[Covey]

Catch a flight to Santiago, and then get the bus from outside the terminal building to Lugo. Get off the bus at Azura and walk back to Santiago.

Can be done in one day (a very long day!!) or two days easily

[Beatrix]

Covey, you heard all right, I was by myself a lot, but sometimes there were days when I stumbled on a mass of pilgrim. Usually in the nearby of a nice beach! Wonder why.

[diaz-diaz]

Hi All,

Just wanted to take a moment to say 'Hi!' and to introduce myself...

Diaz here from Sydney, Australia, heading to Paris on the 29/04/2010 and from there down to SJPdP on the 03rd or 4th /05/2010...

Would be great to meet some people who are starting their camino around the same time...

If you are heading on the camino between May - Early June and see a green backpack with 3 flags on it (Spanish, Croatian, & Australian) Come up and say Hi!

Wishing all Buen Camino from the land down under.... =D

Diaz
Sydney, Australia

[stubborn tresses]

Hi Everyone.

I'm writing to you all from Toronto, Ontario. Let see...I'm female, Canadian, 39.

I am very excited to do the Camino in April 2010 and I've found this website/forum to be a fantastic source of information.

I'll be flying in and out of London.

Happy Trails!

[Theresa]

wow, this is a great forum. It is actually the first forum I've ever written on. So I hope it works out ok!

The more I read of everyone elses experiences on the Camino the more intrigued I am and the more I want to go. I think the challenge is what makes it exciting! I will be going this fall, walking from St. Jean to Santiago! Super pumped.

I have a general question for any experienced Camino walkers... if you had one piece of wisdom that you found more important than anything else that I should know about walking at that time of year or in general, what would it be?