September-October journey?

[Gene Silva]

MaryAnn:

I walked from Leon to Santaigo this past September and can offer these
personal observations which may or may not be consistent with what you have
learned from others.

1. It was physically challenging and I would recommend getting in shape. My
two companions, one of whom was a retired fellow naval officer and shipmate
who walks or jogs daily, both quit after the first two days because of
blistered feet. Get very comfortable walking gear, perhaps one size larger
than what you would normally wear. My Vasque boots were not wide enough to
accommodate liners and even thin socks. I am still paying the price for that
misjudgment three months after returning from Spain.

2. The weather was good overall, but it rained two of the 14 days I was on
the road (13 of them walking and one "rest" day). It was cold in the
mornings, but I never needed even the light weight jacket in my pack because
the walking generated enough body heat to keep me warm without it. In
retrospect I note that most of the pilgrims who warned me in advance of my
departure about keeping warm and the need to take along a jacket (which is
additional weight, of course) were women. Maybe you will need one; I did
not.

3. I stayed in hotels or above bars and walked most of the distance alone.
Nearly everyone I encountered was friendly. Just about every age group was
represented and the motivations for undertaking this journey varied
considerably from person to person. That said, most of the people along the
route with me were older and I think chose September to avoid the crowds of
summer, which tend to include kids on holiday from school. Waiting until
October or November to start will invite cold weather and snow in Galicia.

4. The sun does not rise in western Spain until about 8:15 am during the
month of September. Take a light weight and small flashlight with you. The
only time I got lost was enroute from Villa Franca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro
because of my failure to see a marker at 5 am in the morning. That turned
into a 25 mile day hike during which I ran out of food and water, all
because of a missed, unseen turn up the wrong path in pitch darkness.

I hope these few comments are a help to you.




----- Original Message -----
From: "MaryAnn May" <mamayaNVINET.COM>
To: <GOCAMINOapete.uri.edu>
Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2000 7:27 PM
Subject: September-October journey?


> Dear List Friends,
> In fine-tuning our plans, we've decided that a late September-Early
October
> journey would be ideal from the perspective here. Has anyone made this
trip at
> that time of year?  Weather?
> Thank you for any information you'd like to share.
> MaryAnn