I will be walking the camino in May of 2004. I will start at St. Jean-pied-de port and planning on walking for 30+- days. Any suggestion when it would be best to start in May since this will bring me in to the month of June when I arrive. I have great guide book send to me from the tourist information office. it is by Millan Bravo Loazano and details day by day. Any suggestions, advise etc. will be appreciated.

If you can find a copy of Jack Hitt's 'Off the Road' (currently out of print but you may be able to find it in one of those 'here today, gone tomorrow' discount book outlets), read it. He's a South Carolinian like you and his narrative is amusing.

When you get there, try to attend a Pilgrims' Mass (11:00 AM Saturdays). They swing the Botafumeiro since '04 is an Año Júbilar Xacobeo

Hi Mecky - I assume you know that it's going to be a Holy year - so the crowds will be allot heavier (some say 10X!). Yow! I walked from Burgos to Santiago with my son in June/July of 2002 and had a great time. If you want updated practical advice you can't beat the "Confraternity of St. James" website and guides. Go to their book store and and buy early next year. It'll have places to stay & eat (refugios & inexpensive nearby hostals). Here's the link:

http://www.csj.org.uk/

You're in for a great ride! By the way you're going to want a rest a bit at the end. If in Santiago, you might consider getting a reservation NOW at an inexpensive hostal there. They're plentiful - but this next summer will be jammed!

Best of luck - fupanier

Just one suggestion: Enjoy!

The Camino de Santiago is one of those experiences that leaves a footprint on your soul for the rest of your life.

Fernando

Greetings to all, well the book OFF THE ROAD has arrived and instead of working I am curled up on the chair in my office listening to the rain and the hauling winds (we are having tornado warnings and expectings a lot of rain etc.)and hearing the music from Top radio out of Madrid. Eddie thank you for the advise in regards to the book. I will give an update at a later time on my toughts of this. Fupanier thank you for the advise also, I am letting my friend in La Coruna guide me with places to stay. I will probably leave for the journEy in mid May and not later. All info is being processed and final decisions will be made later. My hiking boots are being tested everyday by walking with my German Shepard and my backpack is molding to my body. (My neighbors dont know what to make of this strange woman walking with a backpack etc.)
Fernano you are right it is the journey itself that is important. Some of my friends from Madrid will probably join me for a few days but I am not depending on them walking it with me. It will be great if any of them can, since there are very special to me, but it is MY journey. To all once I have finshed the book I will let you know.

mecky, are you back from Spain yet? I am interested in hearing about your experience on the Camino. Doing research for my classes today, I came upon the route of the camino which was very detailed and interesting for any and all interested.

dear esperanza and all
Yes I have returned here to the US. My 4 weeks in Spain where the greatest. If you get me started on talking about my journey, we should open a bottle of Vino and just sit back. But let me just make a few short comments on my adventure. After arriving in Madrid on April 23 I spend the weekend in Madrid with friends and then took the bus to Pamplona on Monday the 26, my journey had started. I've walked from Pamplona to Burgos, which took about 10 days. (it was cold and raining once out of Pamplona and it was very hard but suffering belongs to a pilgrimmage and I was a very good Pilger) Then I took the night train to Sarria in Galicia and then walked for 7 days to Santiago. My first part of the journey was incredible and I've met many wonderful people from all over the world. It was hard leaving out of Burgos and jumping ahead to get closer to my destiny but my time was limited. Once I've started walking again in Galicia I was lucky enough to make new friends and arriving in Santiago d C was just incredible including the reunion with friends I've lost on the trail. I have a friend that then picked me up and I've was lucky to see Coruna and a lot of Galicia. Then it was time to leave, and again I was lucky to be with friends in Zaragoza and then again a few days of being spoiled in Madrid. There is so much I could tell. Please let me know how I could answer some questions for you about MY Camino. Once I arrived back on American Soil I was confronted with major issues that pushed my Camino totally out of sight for a few weeks. Today my local hometown newspaper published part one of two parts about my Camino, Iam sending this to you by email. I would really love to talk with you by phone. If you can send me you're phone number and I will call you. If youhave a preferred time let me know. Thank you for you're interest on the Camino it was a journey that has made a major impact in my life.

Mecky that sounds wonderful and good for you. I know the Inca trail made a huge impact on my life sort of like that, and that was only 4 days long! very cool.

mecky, you should post a link to the article that you sent me...I am certain others would enjoy reading it

Yes please, I'd love to read it

Jo

Ummm, it seems you finally had use for some of my advices

I'm happy you enjoyed the Camino. It is one of those experiences in you life that marks your soil forever, now you know why "Spain Marks"



Fernando

Fernando and everybody, yes this journey has marked my heart and soul. I will always remember what the priest told to us Pilgrims in San Juan de Ortega and being served Garlic Soup with Bread after the mass. It is not the destination but it is the journey itself. Well just as we live, in my interpretation:
we live to die but it is how we live before we die.
If any of you like you may go to this link
http://www.thelancasternews.com/features
I have not finished writing my story about the camino, too many things happened upon my return and I am still working thru some tings. I did keep lots of notes and I have actually already written about my first day, but there are many days more to write about. To all enjoy life is incredible no matter where you are. Thank you for letting me share this with everybody

Great thread and great piece of writing Mecky!

BTW, is anybody as crazy as myself to be planning to do El Camino at the end of August?

No no Pim you are not crazy. Where would you start from? I think that would be very important as it will take you days to get to Santiago DC.

For any of you that are interested here is the 2nd installment of the article in my home town paper. Enjoy look uder features http://www.thelancasternews.com/
A great weekend to all

Hi Mecky, I'd like to start off in Ponferrada, and take 9 to 11 days from there....I'm starting to really fear I won't be in enough good physical condition, though (anybody who's in Madrid right now will understand me, it's so hot it can take an effort to even move, not to mention exercise! ), besides, instead of preparing for my trip, I'm going to just relax on the beaches of Mojacar for the first part of my vacation, and I feel that's not exactly the way to go

Dear Pim
If you are starting of in Ponferrada I really dont think you will have much of a problem to do journey in the time you have allowed. The hardest part of the journey will be from Ponferrada to Sarria. El Cebreiro is very challenging from what my friends told me, just because of the mountains. I started after having taken the train from Burgos to Sarria in Sarria early that morning.
If I follow by my guidebook you would start in Ponferrada to Villafranca approx. 24km day 1
day 2/3 Villafranca El Cebreiro 28km, that I would make a short day simply because of the terrain,
4/5 O Cebreiro - Sarria 39km 2 days forsure
1 day for Sarria to Portomarin
1 day for Portomarin to Palas de Rei
1 day for Palas de Rei to Arzua (Ribadiso)
1 day for Ribadiso to Arca
1/2 from Arca to Santiago de Compostela, left by 7 in the morning an made if for the 12clock pilgrims mass

I see nor reason while you could not make it in the time you have scheduled for it. For you to get your pilgrims certificate you must have walked aprox. 120-150km. Let me know if you need more detailed info I will be glad to detail it out more for you. Also if it really gets tough you can always take a bus to the next town. I had to do this on my third day as I hurt my leg while walking in the rain thru the mountains in mud. So you should just go. You will find yourself having incredible inner power pushing you. Buen Camino.
It will be great.

Hola - telephone tag and I'm resorting to our fav website to touch base!!!!

I'm awaiting the second part link to the Camino - FYI, the link you posted here doesn't have the article .....

Hello Wendy
Well we are playing phonetag. In any case sorry about not being able to pull up the second part, so here it is. I hope that this ok to be put on the board. My friend from Idaho is walking on the camino and everyday I go to the webcameras, I know I will not be able to see her, but it gives me a nice connection anyway. well here it is

Journey rough, but worth taking

By Nita Botzenmayer - For The Lancaster News
On April 21, Maggie Bowers flew first to Madrid, then to Pamplona (famous for the annual Running of the Bulls) in the Pyrenees Mountains to begin her pilgrimage.

The Camino de Santiago is not an easy walk. The footpath reflects the terrain, and is rough and mountainous for much of the way. The paths, though rugged, are worn from countless pilgrim feet that have made the journey before, but the reward is awesome sights, sounds and smells, Bowers said.

Boots and clean socks are extremely important. Bowers washed her socks each night, so she would always have a clean pair.

"I saw plenty of raw feet and blisters," she said. "I was glad I had broken in my boots before the trip."

Backpacks for clothing and supplies must be packed a certain way to carry the load correctly. The walk can be a challenge, even for those who are physically fit.

"It was very hard, with some rugged terrain," Bowers said. "The second day out, it was raining, and I pulled a muscle in my leg. But somehow, I just moved on. I could travel at my own pace, and I wouldn't take anything for the solitude."

Bowers said most pilgrims walk alone, and socialize in the evening at hostels along the way. Hostels provide only bunk sleeping quarters and there are no restaurants. Check-out is at 8 a.m. Pilgrims learn to appreciate the simple things in life, Bowers said.

"We knew what it was like to be homeless," she said. "Everything we owned was on us. I learned to live without makeup or daily showers. It got to the point where water and a dry piece of bread sounded wonderful."

Some things were just not important anymore.

The food available along the way caused Bowers to switch to an almost vegetarian diet with some fish occasionally. In the San Juan de Ortega region, pilgrims were served garlic soup and bread by the local priest after evening Mass.

After reaching Burgos, the city of El Cid, in the province of Castille, Bowers took a few days' break to visit friends, and then traveled by train to Sarria for the last leg of her pilgrimage. When she reached Santiago de Compostela, Bowers said she was exhausted, but felt compelled to go to the cathedral for Mass. As she entered, someone tapped her on her shoulder, and she turned to discover a fellow pilgrim she'd met earlier. It was an especially poignant ending to the journey.

"He told me he and two others had saved me a place because they knew I was coming," she said.

Bowers said making the pilgrimage alone was very meaningful to her, though she values the new friends she made in hostels along the way.

"It is the journey that's important, not the destination," she said.

After a short visit with friends in Fisterra, called "the end of the world" because it is the westernmost cape of Spain, Bowers returned home May 21.

Thanks!!!! It was a wonderful write-up - even minus the photos! Congratulations - again.
Beso - W

Hola Mecky!!!
First, I want to thank you so much for replying to the email I had sent you, and then CALLING ME!!! It was such a positive beautiful inspirational phone call. muaaaaa
Second, I want to applaud you for starting this thread and giving me and others hope. It's much needed in this world.
So muchos besos para ti
and SMILE
Kerry~LittleWing~

Hi all -

A couple years ago my son and I walked the Camino from Burgos to Santiago. We just returned last week hiking some in Portugal - then Crossing over into Verin, hiking on to Laza, which is on the Via de la Plata, and on to Santiago. It's not as well known - or near as well travelled as the Camino Frances. This time I was with both my sons. It's a great ride - both personal, and communal at the same time. The people, sites, smells, and hardships roll together in an experience that I believe is unique in the world. For awhile you can get rid of the busy static in your life while walking the same steps of millions.

I'm glad that you had a great experience mecky! - I've yet to run into anyone that hasn't walked away with far more than they walked in with -

Buen Camino!

Fup