[Gocamino] Walking in September

[Amy Beckford]

Hi Wes and Rita,
My friend and I walked the Camino in July of 2007.  She was 61 at the time, and her main concern was also the potential lack of a bed, especially since we did not take tents either.  We had heard horror stories associated with July in particular, as many Spaniards seem to walk the Camino at that time.  Frankly, we only had one occasion when we even remotely had trouble getting a bed, and that was within the final 100km.  We never raced to get to the albergues, and often arrived around 4:00 in the evening.  After all, the whole point is to relish the experience!  When there was once a lack of beds, we simply walked another kilometer to a private albergue, paid a bit more for an awesome experience, and discovered the next morning that we had yet another option just a bit more down the road.  Frankly, we generally enjoyed the more expensive albergues (5-10 euros) much more than the municipal ones, as we were away from the crowds and in better accomodations. When I was sick for a couple of days, we paid for a hotel, which can again be done affordably, and I recommend this as a periodic treat, if you don't think you will get too spoiled. ;)  The Camino has trail magic, much like the Appalachian Trail, and I am confident that you will find that everything works out, even if you hit a snag.
Buen Camino,
Amy

----------------------------------------
> From: wesrita at comcast.net
> To: gocamino at oakapple.net
> Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2008 20:45:56 -0400
> Subject: [Gocamino] Walking in September
> 
> Wes and I planned to walk the Camino last September and, just before we were to go, I put my back out (overdoing it in the garden as usual) and we had to cancel our journey.  We said we'd walk it next year and here it is, next year and we are planning to walk, starting in September from St Jean Pied de Port to Sanitiago and, if possible, on to Finisterre.  
> 
> We keep reading on this site about the crowds and the difficulties in getting a bed in the albergues.  Since we are not young (Wes is 72 and I am 65) we will not be traveling quickly and will probably not be arriving early in the day at our destinations.  I am not into racing to get to the albergue in order to get a bed -- that seems to defeat the spirit of how we want to experience each day.  
> 
> But what are we to expect?  We leave on September 9 and plan to start walking on September 11.  Are we unlikely to be able to stay in the albergues?  And what do we do if we arrive to find no beds available?  We will not be carrying tents or sleeping pads.  In fact, in order to do this, we will be carrying only day packs and we've practised reducing our load to an absolute minimum.  Are our only alternatives staying in hotels and inns, because that would be a serious financial hardship for us if that becomes a regular thing.  I'd love to hear from those of you with suggestions or ideas (especially those of you who have walked in September into early October).  
> 
> Thanks much,  Rita
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