St Jean to Pamplona and Sarria to Santiago would be considered to be the busiest , most noticably crowded sections of the Camino Frances
If you are wanting to start in St Jean and walk for a week then Logrono would have decent links to get home...
Really anything near Pamplona is likely to be crowded. Why don't you think of starting in Logroño? Or maybe in Somport and walk the Aragones which is considered the other way from the Pyrenees to reach Santiago.
Can you switch out your footwear for sandals? If you don't have walking sandals (and can't borrow them), consider taking public transport to Decathlon in Vigo for walking sandals (and socks). Good luck!
I can’t help you identify a podiatrist, but I would suggest that you stop into a pharmacy. In my experience in both Spain and Portugal, pharmacists are very knowledgeable when it comes to maladies suffered by pilgrims. On my first Camino, I was...
Bread, firm cheese, nuts, fruit, biscuits, nutella. The bread’s not ideal if it has to go to day 2, but I don’t throw it until I’ve secured a fresh replacement.
A spork, tiny can-opener/ bottle opener from long-ago compo rations, a corkscrew...
@Bedspring, where was this? It’s an odd time of year to be hunting Boar and very odd to waste meat.
An aside, but the majority of the people who live along the Camino routes have little interest and certainly no vested interest in the Camino...
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