[Gocamino] July 25th, 2009 BAD ADVICE

Sat Aug 1 11:17:29 PDT 2009

Howard,
What time of year did you walk the Camino Francés? I have read that the refugios are crowded during the summer and it seems as though summer is the time of year when pilgrims "race" to claim a spot at the next albergue. I am wondering because I am going this fall, late September and, unlike my first Camino, I hope this time to stay in the refugios. We stayed in hotels last time and sometimes felt a bit isolated.
I agree with you about walking early in the day to avoid the midday sun. Two years ago, walking in September-October, I often found the sun too uncomfortable by 1 or 2 o'clock. I suppose a person's sun tolerance would make a difference, but for the very fair-skinned, even wearing a big hat and slathering on a lot of sunscreen may not offer sufficient protection at that time of day.
Rosina, Your advice about walking another route has me reconsidering my plan to repeat the Camino Francés....at the last minute! Have you done the northern coastal route? Time-wise would it be similar to the Camino Francés? What information could you share about weather up north---I leave 45 days from now. I suppose autumn weather can be "iffy" most any place, but I wonder if there is more chance of storms along the coast in September-October...?
Lastly, I have a question for anyone who has experience with this: What is the best way to get up to Somport? I am flying into Barcelona and plan to take the AVE to Zaragoza. I couldn't figure out if the train from Zaragoza goes to Canfranc Estación or only to Jaca. After getting off the train at one of these, will there be any problem finding a taxi up to Somport---on a Saturday afternoon? Thank you to anyone who can share information about this.
Buen Camino to all,Deborah

> To: GOCAMINO at oakapple.net; saintjames at yahoogroups.com
> Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 12:55:12 -0400
> From: hme347 at aol.com
> Subject: Re: [Gocamino] July 25th, 2009 BAD ADVICE
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> BAD ADVICE! ?
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> Depending on the time of year, it is probably best to walk as much as possible in the morning, or early in the day, because the afternoon sun can be brutally hot and oppressive. ?
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> Also, many towns do not have inns or small hotels. So refugios may be your only choice. Some of my best friends from the Camino are those that I met at refugios where you have great comraderie that you can never experience in a hotel.
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> The French Camino is popular for good reasons. ?It is beautiful, significant and inspirational. ?At no time did the number of people walking compare to Grand Central Station, and I am a native New Yorker!
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> Howard Mendes, NYC
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rosina <blaroli at aol.com>
> To: GOCAMINO at oakapple.net; saintjames at yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Sat, Aug 1, 2009 11:20 am
> Subject: Re: [Gocamino] July 25th, 2009
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> Hi Janan, 
> With my own youth way behind me I can understand your concerns.
> To begin with, I would not recommend staying in the albergues? because the rush 
> to get there limits walking to the morning since the albergues tend to fill up 
> by one p.m. and, I found, walking is easier, and more pleasant, in the 
> afternoon.? Walking 3 or 4 hours in the morning, then stopping for lunch and a 
> rest, and walking another three or four hours in the afternoon is less tiring 
> and more enjoyable, and it can be done if?one isn't in a rush to get to an 
> albergue on time to secure a bunk..
> It is easier to book rooms in an inn, or a small hotel, ahead of time from town 
> to town; usually the proprietor?of an inn will make arrangements for the next 
> one, etc. The cost of such accommodations is not much more than?what a private 
> albergue would cost, and there is the?added bonus of privacy and bathroom 
> availability.
> Also, by this method, one can send the heavy backpack ahead (it costs about 3-4 
> dlls. to do so and there are taxis, etc., that?do this) and carry only the 
> indispensable items for a day or so. Logically, this makes walking much, much 
> easier and effective without the weight, and discomfort, of a heavy burden.
> The news are that this year, as most recent years, the Camino is chock-full, and 
> the albergues are so overloaded that the municipal authorities of the various 
> towns?are fitting up sports arenas and parks with tents for pilgrims. I really 
> don't think that deferring the pilgrimage from 2010 to 2011 would make that much 
> difference insofar as crowds and places to spend the night are concerned.?And 
> then, doing so you three would miss the extraordinary?opportunity of 
> experiencing the?wondrous and special celebrations of a Holy Year, which will 
> not come around for another eleven years.
> What I would counsel the three of you, strongly, would be to avoid the French 
> Camino and opt for one of the other several routes which often are, in my view, 
> more beautiful, more significant and more inspirational. The Camino del Norte 
> and the Primiivo are quite?lovely and very welcoming; As you surely know, one 
> need only walk the last 100 kms. to Santiago to earn a Compostela, and while the 
> entire Via de la Plata maybe too much of an undertaking, the last 100-150 ms. 
> through Orense are hauntingly?beautiful, and certainly free of?the frantic 
> activity and crowds of the French Camino's segment from Sarria to Santiago which 
> at times can be likened to Grand Central Station in New York City at rush hour.?
> Some pilgrims may disapprove of sending the backpack ahead, yet, in the first of 
> my four caminos, ten years ago, I asked a priest?in Roncesvalles about it. He 
> told me that?the church strongly disapproves of self-inflicted corporal 
> suffering, and reminded me that when Saint Francis made his pilgrimage to 
> Santiago he carried nothing but his walking stick and a bundle made of a 
> handkerchief containing a Missal and some bread and fruit.?
> In fact, my very favorite Camino-related?work of art is precisely a painting of 
> Saint Francis descending the Pyrenees on his way to Santiago wearing just such a 
> garb.
> I can send you a copy of the painting, if you wish.
> Hugs!
> Rosina
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