This Year's Camino

I'm not many days away from setting off on this year's Camino and it's going to be a bit unusual. Me and Becky are walking from Astorga which we have done twice before however, once we get to tricastella we are meeting up with Mum and Dad.

Dad has walked several Caminos with us but this will be mum's first, her bad back's meant that we thought she'd never be able to come with us but she's done a lot of work and is coming this year.

Tricastella to Santiago will be 'slackpacking' as mum is going to have most of her stuff carried and will be staying in private rooms. The rest of us will be carrying own bags and staying in albergues but whilst the first part of our Camino we will walk 130 km in 5 days we will be covering 144 km in 10 days usually walking about 12km a day - a lot slower than I have walked before. A part of me is very interested in seeing what the Camino is like at this speed and what, if any, difference I will see in the Camino and perhaps myself as I go.

I am not sure how much I wil blog on this Camino - I really do enjoy this blog but don't want it to become the 'aim' of my Camino so I think I'm going to see how it goes and how I feel (and when I have wifi and if my 'phone battery holds out!). If I don't blog a lot whilst on the Camino I will do a write up of each day when I get back.

I have some of my 'Don't STOP Walking' badges ready for this Camino so if you see me then do ask for one!

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Route Napoleon closures: November-March

For anyone thinking of setting off on the Camino anytime soon just a reminder that the Navarrese Govenmnet closes the Route Napoleon over the Pyrenees from November 1st - March 31st each year (and longer if need be). Roncenvalles in the snow The official notification for this (from last year) is below.

The Camino Primitivo

The Camino Primitivo (or the Original Way) is reportedly the very first Camino Way to Santiago in the 9 th century when most of Spain was under the control of the Moors and it runs from near the city of Ovideo in Asturias as it starts in Villavicosa (which also lies on the Camino Norte so many people follow this Way from Basque city of San Sebastian (Donosti in Basque) or in from the French border at Irun ( this route then hugs the Bay of Biscay passing through Guernica, Bilbao, Santander, Llanes before going under the Picos de Europa and then heads along the coast to Ovideo) before branching off onto the Primitivo which goes across the mountains and through the city of Lugo before joining the Frances at Melide. The route is 320km long. Image taken from https://viaalpina2013.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/camino-del-norte-camino-primitivo/

Albergue - Arca

126 beds in large rooms but sectioned off into 6s - two bunks and two single beds. Lights above each beds and lockers (but no locks on them). Large kitchen - the best equipped in Galicia as far as I know. Showers are hot but open and mixed. A little tired in appearance but I do stay here every time I'm in Arca!

On the Camino

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