LIVE from the Camino Camino Lessons: You get what you pay for.

[Satírico]

I guess it´s all relative.

Camino II is proving pretty heavy going for both body and wallet. My old, reliable boots, veterans of the CF, were killed off in the early stages out of Lourdes. I was lucky to hit a French town on a shopping half-day: one shop had boots around the 200 euros to 275 mark, another shop was closed, the third had comfortable boots at 45 euros. Naturally, I grabbed the bargain.

Well, here I am in Bilbao, forced to shell out another 175E at Decathlon because the French boots - or let´s be fair, the boots made somewhere which I bought in France - had worn right through on the inside, as if I had been sweating acid. On stony ground they were murder. You´ll understand if I say that I am apprehensive, about to set out again on untried boots (except for up and down in the store), with a great deal more of the del Norte to get through. With any luck these will prove both stronger and more comfortable, water resistant and quick to dry.

On a brighter note, the del Norte is very stimulating, often very beautiful, with cool sea breezes to keep the heat at bay. Bilbao is a splendid city and the bar snacks (pintxos) are works of culinary art in themselves. Twice I´ve been rescued by kind locals who stopped their cars to save me from walking the wrong camino and the peregrinos of the Norte have great camaraderie, many of us veterans of the CF et al.

I´m hoping nothing else breaks, physical or spiritual, because the accursed questions have still to be answered. I offer a Buen Camino to everyone else on the CdN, the CF and other ways to Compostela. Keep it together.

 

[DLJ]

Sounds typical, as you know it is all part of the Camino experience. God bless all the angels that support us along the way. The Camino can be enlightening, but I suspect the journey of life will for the most of us always have a question.
Ultreia!

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

I guess it´s all relative.

Camino II is proving pretty heavy going for both body and wallet. My old, reliable boots, veterans of the CF, were killed off in the early stages out of Lourdes. I was lucky to hit a French town on a shopping half-day: one shop had boots around the 200 euros to 275 mark, another shop was closed, the third had comfortable boots at 45 euros. Naturally, I grabbed the bargain.

Well, here I am in Bilbao, forced to shell out another 175E at Decathlon because the French boots - or let´s be fair, the boots made somewhere which I bought in France - had worn right through on the inside, as if I had been sweating acid. On stony ground they were murder. You´ll understand if I say that I am apprehensive, about to set out again on untried boots (except for up and down in the store), with a great deal more of the del Norte to get through. With any luck these will prove both stronger and more comfortable, water resistant and quick to dry.

On a brighter note, the del Norte is very stimulating, often very beautiful, with cool sea breezes to keep the heat at bay. Bilbao is a splendid city and the bar snacks (pintxos) are works of culinary art in themselves. Twice I´ve been rescued by kind locals who stopped their cars to save me from walking the wrong camino and the peregrinos of the Norte have great camaraderie, many of us veterans of the CF et al.

I´m hoping nothing else breaks, physical or spiritual, because the accursed questions have still to be answered. I offer a Buen Camino to everyone else on the CdN, the CF and other ways to Compostela. Keep it together.

Hi Philip, hope everything stays well.
Wish you a wonderful journey and a Buen Camino, Peter.

 

[Albertagirl]

Well, I am sorry for your misfortune, and possibly, for mine, as I have recently bought inexpensive boots to walk my next camino. But my experience on the frances last fall was that I got very much more than what I paid for - trip very cheap, experience very rich. Buen camino.

 

[NualaOC]

Good luck Philip, I hope those new boots serve you well. I'm now worrying about the bargain trail shoes that I picked up in TK Maxx a few weeks ago.....

 

[obinjatoo]

Ha ha ha ha...... Oh yes, cheaper not much better. I bought 9 dollar trainers in Guatemala recently. The bottoms peeled right off. Lasted about 2 weeks so I just rolled with them for another 2 months until the soft rubber took on the shape of my feet.
Now back in the US I just spent 100.00 on some fine, fine trainers.
Just think of all the early pilgrims who had no shoes. Or possibly no feet.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

And thank you for the reminder that if the Camino might provide, it doesn't always, and not necessarily at a good price.

 

[jennie]

Good luck Philip, I hope those new boots serve you well. I'm now worrying about the bargain trail shoes that I picked up in TK Maxx a few weeks ago.....

maybe no need to worry ,my sis bought her boots from lidl ,, and was very happy with them for the walk from san jean to finesterre

 

[domigee]

maybe no need to worry ,my sis bought her boots from lidl ,, and was very happy with them for the walk from san jean to finesterre

I was just going to say... Cheap is not always nasty, the poles and poncho I bought in Lidl are still going strong

 

[lovingkindness]

Go well, @Phillip347

 

[carolannex]

I also had my 'veteran' boots soles come away 4 days into my 2nd Camino. Thank you to a kind pilgrim who provided duct tape to keep me together as a temporary measure. I was blessed in Logrono with new boots from Decathlon- on sale, so much cheaper than Australia anyway and a wide choice - a gift for someone with small feet. But still chose quality and was suitably rewarded with comfort continuing.

 

[Roger Deee]

I bought new boots, top quality and not cheap.
I am size US15 Eu49.5 so if my boots fail my trip is probably over, size 15s are hard to come by even in Decathlon.

 

[cherrys]

My trusty boots fell apart (only the tip of the sole attatched) just before the bridge into Molinaseca. Wonderful man in cafe on the left dripped hot glue onto them to get me to Ponferrada. Agonized over boots at the store in the mall, finally bought the ugliest ones but they FIT. I called them my boots of Spanish Gortex. And they were black, not what I wanted. But, no blisters, absolute comfort from there all the rest of the way. They were 49 euros I think. And they're great for shoveling snow back here, although we didn't get to do that too much this winter fortunately. Although I now own a pair of lightweight Merrells, I'm seriously thinking of trail runners for this coming September, and was also looking at the Zero sandals in the other thread a few minutes ago. I wore my hiking sandals several times last camino, but think my feet would have been happier if I had worn them more, and at this point they are showing signs of wear (the sandals, not my feet) (well, maybe my feet as well). So, decisions, decisions, decisions.....

 

[nathanael]

I guess it´s all relative.

Camino II is proving pretty heavy going for both body and wallet. My old, reliable boots, veterans of the CF, were killed off in the early stages out of Lourdes. I was lucky to hit a French town on a shopping half-day: one shop had boots around the 200 euros to 275 mark, another shop was closed, the third had comfortable boots at 45 euros. Naturally, I grabbed the bargain.

Well, here I am in Bilbao, forced to shell out another 175E at Decathlon because the French boots - or let´s be fair, the boots made somewhere which I bought in France - had worn right through on the inside, as if I had been sweating acid. On stony ground they were murder. You´ll understand if I say that I am apprehensive, about to set out again on untried boots (except for up and down in the store), with a great deal more of the del Norte to get through. With any luck these will prove both stronger and more comfortable, water resistant and quick to dry.

On a brighter note, the del Norte is very stimulating, often very beautiful, with cool sea breezes to keep the heat at bay. Bilbao is a splendid city and the bar snacks (pintxos) are works of culinary art in themselves. Twice I´ve been rescued by kind locals who stopped their cars to save me from walking the wrong camino and the peregrinos of the Norte have great camaraderie, many of us veterans of the CF et al.

I´m hoping nothing else breaks, physical or spiritual, because the accursed questions have still to be answered. I offer a Buen Camino to everyone else on the CdN, the CF and other ways to Compostela. Keep it together.

I agree the Camino Norte is a walk on it's own, twice I've walked it and although somewhat more strenuaous than the other Camino a pleasure.

 

[Satírico]

Thank you to all for the kind words of support. I am in Santillana del Mar and delighting in its old Spanish charm.

 

[FurnessTravellers]

I wore my comfortable, reasonably expensive boots (that had been well and truly worn in before we left) and after the first day i could hardly walk for blisters. We had walked 36km because there was no room at the first 2 albergues, on a very hot and humid day. So I wore my running shoes for
the remainder of our walk and had no more problems. Next time i certainly will, be looking for good quality walking shoes rather than boots.

 

[Mike Savage]

Beautiful country and wonderful people. I'm jealous!

Ondo Ibili!