dgallen
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances (6), Primitivo(3), Finisterre/Muxia (3), Aragones, Norte, Portuguese, Camino del Rey
Subjective title here, but I normally do April Caminos and this one is a busy one. Arrived on the noon train on April 1st and after checking into the pilgrim office headed up to Orisson. Orisson has a renovation underway with an additional 16 beds (underneath the outdoor patio... quite the view). Still a little "fresh" as the showers are not yet completed (you have to use the older showers behind the restaurant) and the washroom stalls lack doors, but probably will be completed before the Easter rush starts.
Napoleon was obviously open and weather was overcast with short drizzles and later in the day some sunny breaks... good walking weather. No snow on the paths and muddy sections very limited with the typical thick leaves on the Roncesvalles downhill side. A lot of Pilgrims followed the signs at the downhill forest or road option b4 RV (Pilgrim office suggests the little road and I agree). The road might be a little longer, but 100% easier on the knees and toes and has the spectacular views of RV. Oh, and the staff at RV warned of caring for valuables and cell phone as they had some thefts last week.
The SJPdP office was at their high efficient best. They do a fantastic service for new and not so new pilgrims.
They were expecting snow today and perhaps the next few days, so they may be shutting the route down for a few days. This report is Monday/Tuesday. Today between RV and Zubiri was ongoing drizzle with some snow pellets and around 2-5c in temperature. Most of the bars and restaurants are in full swing, so lots of places for coffee and zumo along the way. The portable food stand is open at the top of the mountain b4 Zubiri, and was doing booming business.
For early April the Camino is busy! RV was placing pilgrims up into the third floor and pilgrims meals were full in some of the restaurants. Lots of pilgrims on the trail. Seems like an after Easter crowd, rather than 3 weeks before. Zubiri tonight is a noted choke point, but is busy. The restaurants were full so will venture out for dinner Spanish style (ie after 8pm). More pilgrims seem to be prebooking beds these days so apps like Ultreia and a local phone SIM have become par for the course, else that dreaded top bunk!
We'll see how much the crowds thin as options increase along the way. For me, I'm quite happy to switch to the Primitivo at Burgos, if bed racing ensues.
Enough for now... food calls!
P.S. Typos result from this damn tablet!. Oh and I know the Napoleon vs Valcarlos is a touchy subject, but even with some low clouds, I'd choose Napoleon every time (3 time Valcarlos veteran).
Napoleon was obviously open and weather was overcast with short drizzles and later in the day some sunny breaks... good walking weather. No snow on the paths and muddy sections very limited with the typical thick leaves on the Roncesvalles downhill side. A lot of Pilgrims followed the signs at the downhill forest or road option b4 RV (Pilgrim office suggests the little road and I agree). The road might be a little longer, but 100% easier on the knees and toes and has the spectacular views of RV. Oh, and the staff at RV warned of caring for valuables and cell phone as they had some thefts last week.
The SJPdP office was at their high efficient best. They do a fantastic service for new and not so new pilgrims.
They were expecting snow today and perhaps the next few days, so they may be shutting the route down for a few days. This report is Monday/Tuesday. Today between RV and Zubiri was ongoing drizzle with some snow pellets and around 2-5c in temperature. Most of the bars and restaurants are in full swing, so lots of places for coffee and zumo along the way. The portable food stand is open at the top of the mountain b4 Zubiri, and was doing booming business.
For early April the Camino is busy! RV was placing pilgrims up into the third floor and pilgrims meals were full in some of the restaurants. Lots of pilgrims on the trail. Seems like an after Easter crowd, rather than 3 weeks before. Zubiri tonight is a noted choke point, but is busy. The restaurants were full so will venture out for dinner Spanish style (ie after 8pm). More pilgrims seem to be prebooking beds these days so apps like Ultreia and a local phone SIM have become par for the course, else that dreaded top bunk!
We'll see how much the crowds thin as options increase along the way. For me, I'm quite happy to switch to the Primitivo at Burgos, if bed racing ensues.
Enough for now... food calls!
P.S. Typos result from this damn tablet!. Oh and I know the Napoleon vs Valcarlos is a touchy subject, but even with some low clouds, I'd choose Napoleon every time (3 time Valcarlos veteran).
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Fingers crossed I won’t be sleeping in The streets. 
I do remember one peculiar event there. For postre at dinner I asked for fruit and was given some small green grapes. I was eating them with my left hand while scribbling in my diary with my right. Bad habit! Only halfway paying attention but one of the grapes felt a little hard. I looked at it and discovered it was a small green snail almost identical to the grapes and already starting to crawl down my finger 
