peregrina nicole
RIP 2016
We arrived yesterday in Santiago via the Camino Ingles and picked up our credenciales today, so that they could be dated July 25, which is Santiago´s feast day and also my birthday!!! It was a bit of a treat to do this in a Holy Year. All along the route I have been reading the Voz de Galicia which reported MAJOR overcrowding along the French route. On the English route, we didn´t have any problem at all getting places to stay. We didn´t make any reservations in advance (except for Santiago, which we knew would be booked solid). We had a tent and sleeping bags with us ´just in case´, but didn´t need to use it. When we arrived in Santiago, there was a massive queue at the pilgrims office. One woman we talked to had been waiting for three hours and was still about 10 feet from the door. We lined up this morning between 7 and 7:30 and there already was a queue (some people slept out in line). The doors opened at 9am and we had our credenciales by 9:30 am.
We used Johnniewalkers excellent guide which we downloaded from the Co-Fraternity of St James site. His directions are very accurate, but there are a few areas where you are diverted away from the route because of work on the camino. On Day 1, what his guide gives as a ´highly recommended alternative route´ leaving Ferrol is now the official route and is very well waymarked. In fact, the route is well marked for most of the way. Days 2 and 3 are very straightforward. On day 4, near Ordes, you are diverted away from the route, but the diversions are very well marked and easy to follow.
On day 5, just before you hit the picnic area at 5km, there is a sign indicating that the cafe bar Fontiña is 30m off route (this isn´t mentioned in Johnnie´s guide). They have a sello and are very helpful. As you start to rise after the railway tunnel at 8km, what Johnnie calls a path is now a track. The waymarking is still faint, but the way to go is pretty obvious. Once you hit the highway, you are dirverted away from the route because of construction work. The way to go is pretty obvious as you just follow the track that runs along side the highway. Then you hit another detour as you enter the industural area outside of Santiago. This directs you to walk behind the main buildings with the main road to your left. This isn´t well sign posted and we ended up coming out at the Cafe Bar Edison and had to ask directions to get back on track. Thankfully, everyone knew where the walled cemetary was. We started out on the wrong side of it but walked around until we found the shell marker. After that, we were back on track.
We were given information, including distances, from Tourist Information in Ferrol. I also downloaded information from the Mundicamino site. There are huge variations in the distances given. We think that Johnnie´s are the most accurate. For example, on day 4, tourist info says that the day is 30 km long. Johnnie says that it is 24km. It took us 6 hours and we walk about 4km per hour (on a good day). So a big thanks goes out to Johnniewalker for his work in producing an updated guide in time for the Año Santo.
Overall, I would say that the Ingles is a ´nice´ route. It has some long days, but no really big climbs. The albergues are very far apart, and so most people will either have to camp or stay in a pension at some point until more albergues are built. The waymarking is clear apart from the diversion mentioned above. This would be a nice ´starter´camino.
We used Johnniewalkers excellent guide which we downloaded from the Co-Fraternity of St James site. His directions are very accurate, but there are a few areas where you are diverted away from the route because of work on the camino. On Day 1, what his guide gives as a ´highly recommended alternative route´ leaving Ferrol is now the official route and is very well waymarked. In fact, the route is well marked for most of the way. Days 2 and 3 are very straightforward. On day 4, near Ordes, you are diverted away from the route, but the diversions are very well marked and easy to follow.
On day 5, just before you hit the picnic area at 5km, there is a sign indicating that the cafe bar Fontiña is 30m off route (this isn´t mentioned in Johnnie´s guide). They have a sello and are very helpful. As you start to rise after the railway tunnel at 8km, what Johnnie calls a path is now a track. The waymarking is still faint, but the way to go is pretty obvious. Once you hit the highway, you are dirverted away from the route because of construction work. The way to go is pretty obvious as you just follow the track that runs along side the highway. Then you hit another detour as you enter the industural area outside of Santiago. This directs you to walk behind the main buildings with the main road to your left. This isn´t well sign posted and we ended up coming out at the Cafe Bar Edison and had to ask directions to get back on track. Thankfully, everyone knew where the walled cemetary was. We started out on the wrong side of it but walked around until we found the shell marker. After that, we were back on track.
We were given information, including distances, from Tourist Information in Ferrol. I also downloaded information from the Mundicamino site. There are huge variations in the distances given. We think that Johnnie´s are the most accurate. For example, on day 4, tourist info says that the day is 30 km long. Johnnie says that it is 24km. It took us 6 hours and we walk about 4km per hour (on a good day). So a big thanks goes out to Johnniewalker for his work in producing an updated guide in time for the Año Santo.
Overall, I would say that the Ingles is a ´nice´ route. It has some long days, but no really big climbs. The albergues are very far apart, and so most people will either have to camp or stay in a pension at some point until more albergues are built. The waymarking is clear apart from the diversion mentioned above. This would be a nice ´starter´camino.
