Cicerone article about the Camino Mozárabe

[NualaOC]

In a lovely piece of Camino serendipity, I met forum member @C clearly in Québec City a few days ago. We were staying in the same hotel and not surprisingly, most of our conversation was about past Caminos and possible future ones. As she walked the Mozárabe this year, it was part of our chat.

I hadn’t really considered the Mozárabe before, but this article from Cicerone just popped into my inbox. I’m browsing it as I wait for my flight home - it gives an overview of the route. So many Caminos .......

 

[C clearly]

Hi @NualaOC It was fun to meet! I will read that article.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi @NualaOC It was fun to meet! I will read that article.

Is that a selfie? Nuala, either you have learned a lot since we met in Irún or ©C clearly is a selfie expert. What a great piece of camino serendipity!

Go for the Mozárabe! The springtime wildflowers, flowering almond trees, and beauty of the dehesa are a great backdrop for lots of amazing castles to climb around and explore in so many of the places we stopped. I do think that some of the Mozárabe mob from April would disagree with the Cicerone article’s statement that “there are no difficult climbs.” There are no technical climbs, that’s for sure, but between Almería and Granada there are more hard ascents than on any other camino I can think of.

 

[Oppis]

Nothing against Almeria option, but I think the Malaga option is easyer. We loved it last February March. My opinion considering Almeria is based on your stories on the road. Hi to all from The Norte ( Aviles today)

 

[NualaOC]

Is that a selfie? Nuala, either you have learned a lot since we met in Irún or Clare is a selfie expert. What a great piece of camino serendipity! .

That made me laugh, Laurie! My selfie skills haven’t improved since that hilarious moment in Irun. Clare didn’t need to use her (no doubt very proficient!) talents in Québec as Damian joined us and took the photo on her phone.

And here’s another little piece of Camino serendipity - we took that Irun selfie back in May 2017 to post it on a thread titled ‘In defence of selfies’. Guess who started that thread?! Yep, it was @C clearly

 

[NualaOC]

Hi @NualaOC It was fun to meet! I will read that article.

And fun to meet you too!

 

[donalomahony]

In a lovely piece of Camino serendipity, I met forum member @C clearly in Québec City a few days ago. We were staying in the same hotel and not surprisingly, most of our conversation was about past Caminos and possible future ones. As Clare walked the Mozárabe this year, it was part of our chat.

I hadn’t really considered the Mozárabe before, but this article from Cicerone just popped into my inbox. I’m browsing it as I wait for my flight home - it gives an overview of the route. So many Caminos .......

Very interesting article Thanks GRMA

 

[C clearly]

Clare didn’t need to use her (no doubt very proficient!) talents

My selfie skills are very limited, and I usually prefer to crop my face mostly out. Neither Nuala nor I have long enough arms to do it! But I DO defend selfies as an art form.

 

[C clearly]

Reading this article actually makes me feel a bit inadequate - I didn't find the Mozarabe to be as idyllic as described. I was just too tired each day to fully appreciate all those wonders. Mea culpa.

Reading these articles makes me think I should do it again, to let the route redeem itself in my mind. However, I have some other routes to try first.

 

[Paladina]

Serendipity for me too! I’d been considering the Mozárabe for my next Camino, and when the Cicerone newsletter landed in my mailbox it sealed the decision. Maybe I’ll meet @NualaOC and other Mozarabists next year.

 

[NualaOC]

Serendipity for me too! I’d been considering the Mozárabe for my next Camino, and when the Cicerone newsletter landed in my mailbox it sealed the decision. Maybe I’ll meet @NualaOC and other Mozarabists next year.

Lucky you, @Paladina! Unfortunately I won't be able to do a long Camino in 2019 - I'll probably have to settle for a short walk at some point during the year But the Mozarábe is definitely on my wish-list, as is the VdlP and finishing the Norte.

 

[Paladina]

Lucky you, @Paladina! Unfortunately I won't be able to do a long Camino in 2019 - I'll probably have to settle for a short walk at some point during the year But the Mozarábe is definitely on my wish-list, as is the VdlP and finishing the Norte.

Never mind , @NualaOC: from your photo it looks as if you have many more Camino years ahead of you than I have. I need to seize such opportunities while I am still fit and able. Buen Camino, whichever it may be!

 

[peregrina2000]

Serendipity for me too! I’d been considering the Mozárabe for my next Camino, and when the Cicerone newsletter landed in my mailbox it sealed the decision. Maybe I’ll meet @NualaOC and other Mozarabists next year.

Last year about 14 forum members left Almería within a day or two window. Maggie and her spontaneously formed group of five or six hung together, while the rest of us spread out. But there were always people at the end of the day in the albergues. Verónica and the Association take terrific care of you between Almería and Granada. There are plenty of albergues (they will even cart inflatable mattresses up and down the camino to help out with bubbles like ours), and also a lot of good private accommodations in the 20-30 euro range.

We started around April 12-13. It was great weather-wise, and the wildflowers, because of the months of spring rain, were absolutely the best I’ve ever seen on any camino.

So, @Paladina maybe you should start a thread and see if you can beat the Mozárabe Mob’s record for what must have been the most forum members together at the same time.

 

[Paladina]

My thanks to @NualaOC, @peregrina2000 and @C clearly for the benefit of your experience, advice and encouragement. Nearer the time, when I’ve done a bit more research, I will indeed try to make contact with other prospective pilgrims on the route. There may be a new thread, and perhaps a new record, but there won’t be any selfies from this forum member, who still lives without a smart phone.

 

[peregrina2000]

My thanks to @NualaOC, @peregrina2000 and @C clearly for the benefit of your experience, advice and encouragement. Nearer the time, when I’ve done a bit more research, I will indeed try to make contact with other prospective pilgrims on the route. There may be a new thread, and perhaps a new record, but there won’t be any selfies from this forum member, who still lives without a smart phone.

This is part of the mob, I can’t remember if we ever posted it. Friday the 13th of April. A very lucky day, notwithstanding the number 13! Missing from the picture are @Freewalke, @jpflavin, @ortemio, @marilyn van graan, and maybe a couple more. Only @magwood’s right eye and half of her nose is in this picture.

Straight ahead at the back with the big smile is Veronica, one of several Camino Mozárabe angels from the Almería association.

 

[Paladina]

...and hardly a peregrino in sight! Now I know why there were so few women walking the VdlP this year: they remained firmly attached to the Mozarabe.

 

[laineylainey]

I only walked a little part of the Mozárabe last december as a personal birthday present. I finished in Granada. I agree with @C clearly it's a bit of a challenge (imo). I loved the talc quarry climb day but didn't enjoy some of the dry riverbed walking -tough on the feet!
Having said that it was an amazing walk, solitary but beautiful and the treat of Granada was just the best ever birthday present.
@NualaOC I hope you get to walk this route some year, but the VdLP is also a real treat!

 

[Magwood]

I’ve only just seen this thread. That riverbed walking was indeed a challenge and I definitely remember some significant climbs. But most of all I remember the MozMob. Here is a slightly more inclusive pic of that memorable occasion including half of Marilyn’s face and all of my nose. What an amazing bunch of camigas...

 

[laineylainey]

Great photo!

 

[C clearly]

I loved the talc quarry

I did too. It was very eery but mesmerizing to walk through that short section by myself, especially without expecting it. I thought it was perhaps the most awesome section I have ever walked, but I know at least one other person who hated that part. (I understood why, but it had the opposite effect on me.)

 

[NualaOC]

I did too. It was very eery but mesmerizing to walk through that short section by myself, especially without expecting it. I thought it was perhaps the most awesome section I have ever walked, but I know at least one other person who hated that part. (I understood why, but it had the opposite effect on me.)

Wow, that really is awesome - in the literal sense of the word.

 

[laineylainey]

@C clearly thank so much for the great photos. Really brings back the same "wow" when the same as yourself I came upon it so unexpectedly! It was like being on a different planet!
The climb down was a bit steep in part I seem to remember but I am not sure if I missed the signs (If there were any?).
Great and very memorable day. Actually a year ago today for me!

 

[C clearly]

The climb down was a bit steep in part I seem to remember but I am not sure if I missed the signs (If there were any?).

There weren't many, that was certain. I remember backtracking a bit and not knowing if I was actually on the path. However, I think the bottom of the hill and civilization were in sight, so I knew I'd get there eventually. But i

 

[laineylainey]

Yes I remember seeing the road and thinking "well if I slip I might end up on tarmac!"

 

[peregrina2000]

I’ve only just seen this thread. That riverbed walking was indeed a challenge and I definitely remember some significant climbs. But most of all I remember the MozMob. Here is a slightly more inclusive pic of that memorable occasion including half of Marilyn’s face and all of my nose. What an amazing bunch of camigas...
View attachment 49893

Now all we need is a shot with ALL of @marilyn van graan’s face! But wait,wasn’t @C clearly there?????

 

[C clearly]

Now all we need is a shot with ALL of @marilyn van graan’s face! But wait,wasn’t @C clearly there?????

I'm there on the right! Maybe someone can photoshop Marilyn from this photo and put her in the one @Magwood posted. Then we'll all be there.

 

[peregrina2000]

I'm there on the right! Maybe someone can photoshop Marilyn from this photo and put her in the one @Magwood posted. Then we'll all be there.

Well, of course you are there. How, you may ask,did I not see you?! Well, I had a memory of you sitting right across from me and thought you should be where Alun was. So that was where I was looking for you.

Reminds me of the famous selective attention test. If you haven’t taken it, do it, it’s pretty amazing. I failed spectacularly.

 

[C clearly]

Reminds me of the famous selective attention test. If you haven’t taken it, do it, it’s pretty amazing. I failed spectacularly.

No, no! That test shows that we have spectacularly good selective attention. Besides, without giving away the punch line, I think that the test was flawed by not using a real you-know-what.

 

[peregrina2000]

So why didn’t I see you in the picture then?

I assumed you were that picture’s equivalent of the you-know-what. But I do feel better knowing that I passed rather than failed the test.

And don’t knock the experiment, he’s a psychologist at Illinois. I have heard him talk several times —his work, especially the criminal justice stuff, is fascinating. But very troubling.

 

[C clearly]

I assumed you were that picture’s equivalent of the you-know-what.

Gee, thanks!