- Time of past OR future Camino
- Portugués Porto'17,Lisbon'18
Inglés A Coruña y Ferrol '18
Invierno'19
Hello All,
For those that read my thread 'the many ways to Bruma' you read that my son and I were passing time waiting for selectividad results by walking the old, new, and Coruña ways to Bruma.
Now we are waiting for his college placement and we needed a new challenge. We live in A Coruña so we have walked the inglés many times, in order, out of order, from Ferrol, from Coruña, mainly on weekends and rarely 2 stages in a row, in order to train for our caminos away from home. This summer we have no plans for an away camino having walked the invierno during semana santa but we want to walk, you know that feeling.....so we decided to walk the inglés in order from Ferrol, walking every day but going home to sleep like camp, luckily I have a super husband who is always willing to be our cab driver.
Before I comment on our trip I want to give a tremendous shout out to Elle of the website 'The Pilgrimage Traveler' also a forum member, her maps, photos, comments, insights and detail are second to none and were our constant companion.
Monday July 1
Ferrol to Fene 19km/4 hours(approx)
This stage we have only walked once before, last year, the route seemed to be as we remembered, the pedestrian bridge to Neda is open and you can see the alburgue across the Ria even though the arrows and pillars lead you around the bend, we crossed the bridge and continued along the Ria passing by the front of the Alburgue not going around the back up to the main road as the camino leads you, If you don't need the services this walk is nice and clear as to when and how you join the Camino Proper. The stage has a couple of climbs near the end. Our last walk from Ferrol we ended in Pontedeume this time we had a family lunch so we stopped in Fene, I liked this much better going forward, and I would recommend this to warm up to the camino burdens. However Fene and Neda are really 'suburbs' of Ferrol so if you are planning on fewer days not fewer kilometers per day you might want to push on to Pontedeume a very quaint town with much more to do and not miss.
Tuesday July 2
Fene to Miño 19km/4 hours
Again as we remembered, this stage is much more demanding and we were glad to have another short stage. Miño is a beach town and a nice place to stop. A couple of weeks ago we tried the route provided by John from Pontedeume to Miño along the Ria. For a first timer I don't recommend this, we both really like the walk from Pontedeume to Miño, yes it is hilly but that leads to wonderful views I wouldn't want to miss. If you are a beach fan I would recommend staying the night in Miño. If you are walking the inglés again then maybe try this variant but be aware that it isn't marked at all though John's description is great.
Wednesday July 3
Miño to Presedo 23.5km/5.5 hours
We felt the added kms today, we also walked under more sun which slows the time passing. For us, since we are sleeping at home these stages work but really there is nothing in Presedo and to miss Betanzos is a mistake so again if you have limited days I would stop in Betanzos and enjoy. The final walk along the highway into Presedo is truly a mystery...I have not walked the 'old way' later this summer we will go try to walk it then maybe I can make an educated guess as to why they changed it.
Thursday July 4
Presedo to A Calle 23km/5h15min
This is the famous climb to Bruma stage in the beginning, look for my thread 'the many ways to Bruma' that gives my thoughts. Today we chose the new way knowing we would be continuing on to A Calle. After Bruma I have to admit it is a bit of a slog.... the day was hot and spent mainly on pavement. The new alburgue in Poulo is sitting on the Camino and looks nice. We walked just a couple of km further to the bar O cruceiro.
The area after Betanzos until Sigueiro is through very small places, for every person that enjoys short stages and stopping in these little places there is another that could go crazy. I am the latter. However this challenge has taught me that my feet like to walk under 20km days and if I didn't have the 'Dad Cab' I would choose to embrace the quieter life. I think each kind will find what they need, the inglés provides ample places to stop now for every need.
July 5
A Calle to Santiago 28km/5h50m
This is a walk we have made many times and just as remembered. A lot has been written about the walk along the highway, this is the only way we have ever walked and it just doesn't bother us. It is along a highway but it isn't pavement and there is plenty of shade at times. The fountain the path takes you by looks old I wonder if this path was here before the highway. I have to admit that you hear cars going by but my pragmatic son said 'I like the passing cars, they make a needed breeze at times '. On this summer day the trees hid a lot from our eyes and at times I forgot we were walking along the highway. Also important to note we have always walked this portion at the beginning of the day not at the end, this could influence our feelings. Again as with the portion before Presedo I have no idea 'why' the camino here was changed, but the difference is I don't think we will go try to walk the old way, if it skipped the walk past the televes buildings maybe. We have never started from Sigueiro and for us the final 16km seem long, but they are through farms and forests and quite lovely. Just the final push through the Santiago suburbs is hard on the mind and feet.
Thanks for reading, this week really took me back to my years as a Campfire Girl, spending the day outside in the sun and coming home tired to sleep in my own bed just to wake up early the next morning and do it all again.
Buen Camino
MaryEllen
The new alburgue at Poulo
For those that read my thread 'the many ways to Bruma' you read that my son and I were passing time waiting for selectividad results by walking the old, new, and Coruña ways to Bruma.
Now we are waiting for his college placement and we needed a new challenge. We live in A Coruña so we have walked the inglés many times, in order, out of order, from Ferrol, from Coruña, mainly on weekends and rarely 2 stages in a row, in order to train for our caminos away from home. This summer we have no plans for an away camino having walked the invierno during semana santa but we want to walk, you know that feeling.....so we decided to walk the inglés in order from Ferrol, walking every day but going home to sleep like camp, luckily I have a super husband who is always willing to be our cab driver.
Before I comment on our trip I want to give a tremendous shout out to Elle of the website 'The Pilgrimage Traveler' also a forum member, her maps, photos, comments, insights and detail are second to none and were our constant companion.
Monday July 1
Ferrol to Fene 19km/4 hours(approx)
This stage we have only walked once before, last year, the route seemed to be as we remembered, the pedestrian bridge to Neda is open and you can see the alburgue across the Ria even though the arrows and pillars lead you around the bend, we crossed the bridge and continued along the Ria passing by the front of the Alburgue not going around the back up to the main road as the camino leads you, If you don't need the services this walk is nice and clear as to when and how you join the Camino Proper. The stage has a couple of climbs near the end. Our last walk from Ferrol we ended in Pontedeume this time we had a family lunch so we stopped in Fene, I liked this much better going forward, and I would recommend this to warm up to the camino burdens. However Fene and Neda are really 'suburbs' of Ferrol so if you are planning on fewer days not fewer kilometers per day you might want to push on to Pontedeume a very quaint town with much more to do and not miss.
Tuesday July 2
Fene to Miño 19km/4 hours
Again as we remembered, this stage is much more demanding and we were glad to have another short stage. Miño is a beach town and a nice place to stop. A couple of weeks ago we tried the route provided by John from Pontedeume to Miño along the Ria. For a first timer I don't recommend this, we both really like the walk from Pontedeume to Miño, yes it is hilly but that leads to wonderful views I wouldn't want to miss. If you are a beach fan I would recommend staying the night in Miño. If you are walking the inglés again then maybe try this variant but be aware that it isn't marked at all though John's description is great.
Wednesday July 3
Miño to Presedo 23.5km/5.5 hours
We felt the added kms today, we also walked under more sun which slows the time passing. For us, since we are sleeping at home these stages work but really there is nothing in Presedo and to miss Betanzos is a mistake so again if you have limited days I would stop in Betanzos and enjoy. The final walk along the highway into Presedo is truly a mystery...I have not walked the 'old way' later this summer we will go try to walk it then maybe I can make an educated guess as to why they changed it.
Thursday July 4
Presedo to A Calle 23km/5h15min
This is the famous climb to Bruma stage in the beginning, look for my thread 'the many ways to Bruma' that gives my thoughts. Today we chose the new way knowing we would be continuing on to A Calle. After Bruma I have to admit it is a bit of a slog.... the day was hot and spent mainly on pavement. The new alburgue in Poulo is sitting on the Camino and looks nice. We walked just a couple of km further to the bar O cruceiro.
The area after Betanzos until Sigueiro is through very small places, for every person that enjoys short stages and stopping in these little places there is another that could go crazy. I am the latter. However this challenge has taught me that my feet like to walk under 20km days and if I didn't have the 'Dad Cab' I would choose to embrace the quieter life. I think each kind will find what they need, the inglés provides ample places to stop now for every need.
July 5
A Calle to Santiago 28km/5h50m
This is a walk we have made many times and just as remembered. A lot has been written about the walk along the highway, this is the only way we have ever walked and it just doesn't bother us. It is along a highway but it isn't pavement and there is plenty of shade at times. The fountain the path takes you by looks old I wonder if this path was here before the highway. I have to admit that you hear cars going by but my pragmatic son said 'I like the passing cars, they make a needed breeze at times '. On this summer day the trees hid a lot from our eyes and at times I forgot we were walking along the highway. Also important to note we have always walked this portion at the beginning of the day not at the end, this could influence our feelings. Again as with the portion before Presedo I have no idea 'why' the camino here was changed, but the difference is I don't think we will go try to walk the old way, if it skipped the walk past the televes buildings maybe. We have never started from Sigueiro and for us the final 16km seem long, but they are through farms and forests and quite lovely. Just the final push through the Santiago suburbs is hard on the mind and feet.
Thanks for reading, this week really took me back to my years as a Campfire Girl, spending the day outside in the sun and coming home tired to sleep in my own bed just to wake up early the next morning and do it all again.
Buen Camino
MaryEllen
The new alburgue at Poulo
By the afternoon, the shade all but disappears, and I found this long section, while not disgusting, to be an unwelcome change from the old route. Walking by the old fountain was a lovely, shady reprieve from this long, hot walk into Segueiro, and I can't help but wonder if this was the reason for the change. While we walked this section, we had a car drive by us, containing a pharmacist, asking if we needed anything! Perhaps too many pilgrims have had to be rescued through here? Perhaps this is the reason for the change?
