Just back from my first camino... (and no blisters!!)

[SaraB]

I am just back from my first camino: portuguese, coastal way (from Porto).
Needless to say it was a real adventure, and I loved it. I am, as you can guess, already aching to go on my next camino.
It was a very successful trip also because of all the advice I got from this forum.
Normally I am the kind of person that likes to take her wardrobe with her, wherever she goes. However, I somehow managed to keep my backpack to 6.4 kg (including water - but no food). Still, a pretty impressive weight for a first-time pilgrim and inexperienced hiker I dare say!

I was quite worried I would truly struggle, or not make it at all. I did do quite a few test walks but not in bad weather, and not with such a heavy backpack (and my back has never been very strong). To add to everything, I have had knees problems in the past few years so was genuinely concerned.
And actually, I have made it in even less time than I thought in the first place! It is astonishing how our bodies react and get stronger in a way we would never imagine.

Apart from the important, deep, "boring" stuff that I've learnt, these are some trivia...

1) no blisters is possible! I walked with my loyal trainers, which did mean I got wet feet sometimes but I wasn't too bothered, as I knew I could trust them when walking for so long, so many days. Of course in a different (muddier and rainier) camino I'd need to find proper waterproof boots.
2) not all albergues have blankets. I trusted this forum, where the general advice is "just bring a silk sleeping liner". Thank God I didn't listen! Instead, I took a fleece sleeping liner. In one of the blanket-less albergues the room was really hot, so I just about managed to sleep. In the other one, thank goodness, they found an old blanket somewhere that I could use. Without that I would've been doomed. But I won't be going ever again without a proper sleeping bag.
3) merino clothes are truly unbelievable!
4) listen to your body. I managed to walk for an average of 35+ km a day for a few days, no problem, since I was going at a pace that was comfortable for me. I'd normally start walking really slowly in the morning to warm up, and then increase the pace when I felt like it. BUT: the last two days, due to a weather scare (heavy rain was predicted and I really didn't want to get drenched, see point 5 below), I decided to walk as quickly as I could to reach the next stop. A muscle was hurting a bit at the end of that first of the two days, but I thought it would pass. So the following day I decided to just walk on. Big mistake! I did make it to Santiago, but I arrived with a badly pulled muscle and an ankle that was as swollen as a melon. Luckily, a few days of rest are setting me right again.
5) rainjacket and backpack rain cover don't work. They are not enough. I had read this on the forum, but didn't know any better so decided to just go with it. On my next camino, I will either: (a) take a rain jacket, a backpack cover and put a poncho on top of everything, or (b) even better, buy one of those poncho-backpack cover (like the Packa). They are expensive, but if they really work as they claim they do, worth every penny!
6) don't worry about what others think. I was walking with leggings and a miniskirt (not for fashion, but to cover up my backside - those leggings were quite see-through), as well as carrying a relatively heavy book, and some pilgrims were giving me quizzical looks. I, however, was very happy with it (the leggings would dry incredibly quickly when wet, and are also amazingly light weight!).
7) safety pins!!!!! Best advice on this forum. I took loads and was happy to give a few to other pilgrims who needed them.
8) bed bugs. I was very unsure of what to do about this issue, in the end I decided to just go for it. I don't think I encountered them, although in two separate occasions I woke up in the middle of the night feeling very itchy (since the two nights were spread apart, and my clothes didn't seem to have been infested, I can only assume that it was some sort of allergic reaction to the shirt I was wearing in those nights, or perhaps to the fleece sleeping bag... In any case, I washed absolutely everything as soon as I got home for precaution). But next time I will take a very thin mattress cover treated with permethrin. Mostly because I really do not want to take bed bugs home with me, in case I do come across them.
9) I've used a running belt for my money, passport, phone, etc. Fantastic! It is incredibly lightweight, rests on your hips so you forget it's there, and is basically invisible under your clothes. Ideal.
10) and lastly: waterproof socks don't work. But they are still useful at the end of the day, when you've already changed but need to go out to eat and your trainers are still wet.

11) stop for a pee break whenever you can. Whether you see a cafe, or if it happens to be a deserted, private stretch of the camino... do it!!! You might have to wait for miles before you get another chance.

And now... I can't wait to begin planning my next camino!!!

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Wow...this is really fun to read! I leave for my Caminho Portugues' one month from today. Can't wait to hear more from you!

 

[anniethenurse]

Congratulations!
Tell us more!
Where did you stay?
How was the weather?

 

[Dutchwalk53]

Good for you !!!! and Yes , tell us more ! I would love to do the Portuguese one day there it only would require 2 weeks off from work.
So how safe did you feel walking as a woman alone? And did you see plenty other pilgrims constantly or sporadic? How is the supply of Hostels/albergues?

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Brilliant Sara! Such good advice as well. Thank you.

Really pleased that you researched, listened, took advice but then made your own decisions and listened to your own body in whatever circumstances you found yourself.

You're a seasoned walker now and your feedback will help other newbies here.

The Way goes ever on and on...

 

[JudiJay]

Thank you Sara. Great read. We are two older Australians who will leave from Porto on 6 May to walk the coastal route, our first Camino also. The call has come late for us. We have no real concerns (except hope that there will be enough stops for my ageing bladder ☺). Is this route well waymarked? We are both getting excited. I have started blogging and hope to be alive enough to update at the end of each day.

 

[ratyoke]

Congratulations. This is just the kind of post I needed to read since I start my first camino in a few days.

 

[Former member 22438]

Thank you Sara. Great read. We are two older Australians who will leave from Porto on 6 May to walk the coastal route, our first Camino also. The call has come late for us. We have no real concerns (except hope that there will be enough stops for my ageing bladder ☺). Is this route well waymarked? We are both getting excited. I have started blogging and hope to be alive enough to update at the end of each day.

The Portuguese caminho da Costa is very well waymarked.
Don't know what are your stages ? Look at the forum Camino Portugues here and than the subforum coastal route

Lot of information about the rivercrossing between Caminha and A Guarda.
The waymarkers around and in Vigo and the connection to the central route in Redondela.
Nice alternative is the Variante Espiritual just after Pontevedra

Bom caminho

 

[OTH86]

Thanks so much for this descriptive post @SaraB Did you walk all the way on the coastal route? How was it? I'll be on the Portuguése Coastal - hopefully - all the way in about 3+ weeks. Any things to watch out for? Or tips to share?
One thing I've learned from several Caminos - nothing is truly waterproof!! And one CAN walk in water-logged "waterproof" boots without getting blisters!! You've learned the benefits of merino wool - the key to staying warm even when wet!!
Happy planning for your next Camino !!
Terry

 

[SaraB]

I would like to add one more thing to the list (also in reply to JudyJay):

11) stop for a pee break whenever you can. Whether you see a cafe, or if it happens to be a deserted, private stretch of the camino... do it!!! You might have to wait for miles before you get another chance.

@JudyJay, I'm afraid to say that I had to stop for a "wild pee" at least once every day (and I am a teacher so my bladder is well trained ). Especially after the first few days, when the camino gets wilder and more isolated, you can have stretches of 5-10 miles (and in one particular occasion, even more than 10) without a single cafe. So be prepared.

In response to everyone else...

Weather
When I left, out of the 12 days I had planned, the forecast predicted heavy rain on 9 of them. In a way, it was for the best since I was psychologically prepared. But the good news is that actually it was really sunny for a whole week, and even the remaining days weren't too bad: heavy storms were predicted but actually it was mostly very variable, clouds, rain, sunshine, then rain again. I only got truly drenched twice! The wind was very strong by the coast, though.
Temperatures were really good, we had some warm days (up to 18°C) although some mornings were a bit chilly (one morning it was only 3°C).

Accommodation
Finding places to stay was really not a problem at all, at least with the nice weather (if you're drenched and searching desperately for a place to stay within 1 or 2 miles, well, that's a different issue). I think that the longest stretch with no places to stay is the 17 miles between Vigo and Redondela (although, after going uphill for a bit, this part is incredibly flat and easy). In fact we did Ramallosa - Vigo with the intention of stopping in Vigo, but we got there so early (1pm) and the weather was so nice that we decided to walk a bit further, thinking we could stop after 10 miles or so. Actually the trail is very much in the middle of nowhere, so despite it being quite an easy walk, only carry on from Vigo if you're absolutely certain that you can make the 17 miles to Redondela.
I had a generic plan of my stages with me, but actually ended up changing it on the way, and it was quite easy to check whether there were albergues or accommodation options either on the internet (if you find a cafe with wifi), or on the guide that I took with me (which I highly recommend - it tells you all the places with albergues on the way!!).
I actually ended up staying almost half of the nights in cheap hotels, sharing the room with a pilgrim that I met on the way. So plenty of options out there.
In terms of crowds, the coastal route at this time of year is quite deserted up to Redondela. Till then, the maximum number of pilgrims I met in an albergue was 4. But in Redondela, there were at least 20 of us! Still, finding a bed was not a problem.

Crowds and safety
As mentioned above, the coastal route up to Redondela was pleasantly quiet. In the first few days I met no pilgrims at all, after that I would bump into 1, perhaps 2, every day. After Redondela it got more and more crowded... albergues were starting to be half full, and during the day I would come across 5 to 10 pilgrims (or even more).
In terms of personal safety, I must say that for the first 2 days there were moments when I didn't feel very safe. It might also be a personal thing... I am quite tiny and I am/look quite young, so sometimes bad people think they can take advantage of me. Whilst I was walking from Porto to Matosinhos (simply following the coast) someone did open my backpack trying to steal from me (I guess). Of course I had nothing of value in there, but it did scare me a bit.
I started to feel safer from the third day, it was a mix of having met a couple of pilgrims on the way and of learning to "know" the way. Also, I did start to walk at the same pace as this other pilgrim (even if we separated for a bit we would just somehow end up in the same place at the same time) and it was really nice to have someone that is sort of "waiting" for you and checks on you, so to say. Definitely meeting other pilgrims did make me feel safer.

Directions
Yes, the way is well marked. Of course I lost the arrows a few times... this mostly happened in the first days (when I was still trying to get used to the arrows system) or trying to leave big cities. For example I lost the arrows when getting out of Viana do Castelo, or in Vila Praia de Ancora, or in A Guarda. However it was generally quite easy to find the way again, sometimes I asked some locals who were very happy to show me the right way, other times (like in A Guarda) you just follow the sea as much as you can and you inevitably end up finding the way again.
Vigo, which from this forum I thought would be relatively difficult to navigate, was actually very clearly signposted.
The worst was shortly after leaving Ramallosa (I think, I need to double-check this though). After following clear arrows from the city, you end up in a path that follows a stream and travels behind a sort of industrial area. The path then takes you to a big roundabout where there are just no arrows at all! In fact, there were actually some dodgy arrows that sent you in the wrong direction.
Luckily, the pilgrim I had met at the time was kindly waiting for me at that roundabout, and thanks to that amazing app that shows you the actual camino on a map we were able to find the arrows again. But without my friend and his app, I would have got really badly lost (probably ending up walking in the wrong direction for a few miles...).
I did, by the way, download offline maps for this eventuality and I would recommend it, although I always tried to just follow the arrows as much as I could.
When you get to Redondela, and you're back on the central camino, arrows become even more common and are even easier to follow (and if uncertain you can simply follow the stream of pilgrims...).

 

[SaraB]

Thanks so much for this descriptive post @SaraB Did you walk all the way on the coastal route? How was it? I'll be on the Portuguése Coastal - hopefully - all the way in about 3+ weeks. Any things to watch out for? Or tips to share?
One thing I've learned from several Caminos - nothing is truly waterproof!! And one CAN walk in water-logged "waterproof" boots without getting blisters!! You've learned the benefits of merino wool - the key to staying warm even when wet!!
Happy planning for your next Camino !!
Terry

I followed the coastal route all the way to Redondela - it is absolutely stunning. Gorgeous!!! I am so happy I walked it. I got so spoilt by the scenery that the last few days on the central route were, I'm afraid to say, a bit boring after that.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

 

[JenPow]

I am just back from my first camino: portuguese, coastal way (from Porto).
Needless to say it was a real adventure, and I loved it. I am, as you can guess, already aching to go on my next camino.
It was a very successful trip also because of all the advice I got from this forum.
Normally I am the kind of person that likes to take her wardrobe with her, wherever she goes. However, I somehow managed to keep my backpack to 6.4 kg (including water - but no food). Still, a pretty impressive weight for a first-time pilgrim and inexperienced hiker I dare say!

I was quite worried I would truly struggle, or not make it at all. I did do quite a few test walks but not in bad weather, and not with such a heavy backpack (and my back has never been very strong). To add to everything, I have had knees problems in the past few years so was genuinely concerned.
And actually, I have made it in even less time than I thought in the first place! It is astonishing how our bodies react and get stronger in a way we would never imagine.

Apart from the important, deep, "boring" stuff that I've learnt, these are some trivia...

1) no blisters is possible! I walked with my loyal trainers, which did mean I got wet feet sometimes but I wasn't too bothered, as I knew I could trust them when walking for so long, so many days. Of course in a different (muddier and rainier) camino I'd need to find proper waterproof boots.
2) not all albergues have blankets. I trusted this forum, where the general advice is "just bring a silk sleeping liner". Thank God I didn't listen! Instead, I took a fleece sleeping liner. In one of the blanket-less albergues the room was really hot, so I just about managed to sleep. In the other one, thank goodness, they found an old blanket somewhere that I could use. Without that I would've been doomed. But I won't be going ever again without a proper sleeping bag.
3) merino clothes are truly unbelievable!
4) listen to your body. I managed to walk for an average of 35+ km a day for a few days, no problem, since I was going at a pace that was comfortable for me. I'd normally start walking really slowly in the morning to warm up, and then increase the pace when I felt like it. BUT: the last two days, due to a weather scare (heavy rain was predicted and I really didn't want to get drenched, see point 5 below), I decided to walk as quickly as I could to reach the next stop. A muscle was hurting a bit at the end of that first of the two days, but I thought it would pass. So the following day I decided to just walk on. Big mistake! I did make it to Santiago, but I arrived with a badly pulled muscle and an ankle that was as swollen as a melon. Luckily, a few days of rest are setting me right again.
5) rainjacket and backpack rain cover don't work. They are not enough. I had read this on the forum, but didn't know any better so decided to just go with it. On my next camino, I will either: (a) take a rain jacket, a backpack cover and put a poncho on top of everything, or (b) even better, buy one of those poncho-backpack cover (like the Packa). They are expensive, but if they really work as they claim they do, worth every penny!
6) don't worry about what others think. I was walking with leggings and a miniskirt (not for fashion, but to cover up my backside - those leggings were quite see-through), as well as carrying a relatively heavy book, and some pilgrims were giving me quizzical looks. I, however, was very happy with it (the leggings would dry incredibly quickly when wet, and are also amazingly light weight!).
7) safety pins!!!!! Best advice on this forum. I took loads and was happy to give a few to other pilgrims who needed them.
8) bed bugs. I was very unsure of what to do about this issue, in the end I decided to just go for it. I don't think I encountered them, although in two separate occasions I woke up in the middle of the night feeling very itchy (since the two nights were spread apart, and my clothes didn't seem to have been infested, I can only assume that it was some sort of allergic reaction to the shirt I was wearing in those nights, or perhaps to the fleece sleeping bag... In any case, I washed absolutely everything as soon as I got home for precaution). But next time I will take a very thin mattress cover treated with permethrin. Mostly because I really do not want to take bed bugs home with me, in case I do come across them.
9) I've used a running belt for my money, passport, phone, etc. Fantastic! It is incredibly lightweight, rests on your hips so you forget it's there, and is basically invisible under your clothes. Ideal.
10) and lastly: waterproof socks don't work. But they are still useful at the end of the day, when you've already changed but need to go out to eat and your trainers are still wet.

11) stop for a pee break whenever you can. Whether you see a cafe, or if it happens to be a deserted, private stretch of the camino... do it!!! You might have to wait for miles before you get another chance.

And now... I can't wait to begin planning my next camino!!!

This was such an interesting post as so much of the forum is taken up with other routes.
We are starting in Balona at end of May and , because of medical issues, taking a very steady route - approx 10kms per day .. There is lots written about route from Redondela but would really appreciate info about route from Balona. Is it mainly boardwalk? did you meet other pilgrims? was it easy to find somewhere each evening for Mass?

 

[SaraB]

This was such an interesting post as so much of the forum is taken up with other routes.
We are starting in Balona at end of May and , because of medical issues, taking a very steady route - approx 10kms per day .. There is lots written about route from Redondela but would really appreciate info about route from Balona. Is it mainly boardwalk? did you meet other pilgrims? was it easy to find somewhere each evening for Mass?

When you say Balona do you refer to Baiona? Boardwalk is only the first couple of days after Porto, so no. It is mainly on paths in woods, tarmac or cobblestones. Not a particularly difficult camino but there are quite a few ascents and descents (usually not that steep though). I have met other pilgrims, about 1 to 3 per day between Baiona and Redondela, a lot more than that after Redondela.
I wouldn't know about mass as I didn't go every night, however main cities seemed to all have churches with masses around 7pm so I think it is doable most days.

 

[Belinda Keen]

I would like to add one more thing to the list (also in reply to JudyJay):

11) stop for a pee break whenever you can. Whether you see a cafe, or if it happens to be a deserted, private stretch of the camino... do it!!! You might have to wait for miles before you get another chance.

@JudyJay, I'm afraid to say that I had to stop for a "wild pee" at least once every day (and I am a teacher so my bladder is well trained ). Especially after the first few days, when the camino gets wilder and more isolated, you can have stretches of 5-10 miles (and in one particular occasion, even more than 10) without a single cafe. So be prepared.

In response to everyone else...

Weather
When I left, out of the 12 days I had planned, the forecast predicted heavy rain on 9 of them. In a way, it was for the best since I was psychologically prepared. But the good news is that actually it was really sunny for a whole week, and even the remaining days weren't too bad: heavy storms were predicted but actually it was mostly very variable, clouds, rain, sunshine, then rain again. I only got truly drenched twice! The wind was very strong by the coast, though.
Temperatures were really good, we had some warm days (up to 18°C) although some mornings were a bit chilly (one morning it was only 3°C).

Accommodation
Finding places to stay was really not a problem at all, at least with the nice weather (if you're drenched and searching desperately for a place to stay within 1 or 2 miles, well, that's a different issue). I think that the longest stretch with no places to stay is the 17 miles between Vigo and Redondela (although, after going uphill for a bit, this part is incredibly flat and easy). In fact we did Ramallosa - Vigo with the intention of stopping in Vigo, but we got there so early (1pm) and the weather was so nice that we decided to walk a bit further, thinking we could stop after 10 miles or so. Actually the trail is very much in the middle of nowhere, so despite it being quite an easy walk, only carry on from Vigo if you're absolutely certain that you can make the 17 miles to Redondela.
I had a generic plan of my stages with me, but actually ended up changing it on the way, and it was quite easy to check whether there were albergues or accommodation options either on the internet (if you find a cafe with wifi), or on the guide that I took with me (which I highly recommend - it tells you all the places with albergues on the way!!).
I actually ended up staying almost half of the nights in cheap hotels, sharing the room with a pilgrim that I met on the way. So plenty of options out there.
In terms of crowds, the coastal route at this time of year is quite deserted up to Redondela. Till then, the maximum number of pilgrims I met in an albergue was 4. But in Redondela, there were at least 20 of us! Still, finding a bed was not a problem.

Crowds and safety
As mentioned above, the coastal route up to Redondela was pleasantly quiet. In the first few days I met no pilgrims at all, after that I would bump into 1, perhaps 2, every day. After Redondela it got more and more crowded... albergues were starting to be half full, and during the day I would come across 5 to 10 pilgrims (or even more).
In terms of personal safety, I must say that for the first 2 days there were moments when I didn't feel very safe. It might also be a personal thing... I am quite tiny and I am/look quite young, so sometimes bad people think they can take advantage of me. Whilst I was walking from Porto to Matosinhos (simply following the coast) someone did open my backpack trying to steal from me (I guess). Of course I had nothing of value in there, but it did scare me a bit.
I started to feel safer from the third day, it was a mix of having met a couple of pilgrims on the way and of learning to "know" the way. Also, I did start to walk at the same pace as this other pilgrim (even if we separated for a bit we would just somehow end up in the same place at the same time) and it was really nice to have someone that is sort of "waiting" for you and checks on you, so to say. Definitely meeting other pilgrims did make me feel safer.

Directions
Yes, the way is well marked. Of course I lost the arrows a few times... this mostly happened in the first days (when I was still trying to get used to the arrows system) or trying to leave big cities. For example I lost the arrows when getting out of Viana do Castelo, or in Vila Praia de Ancora, or in A Guarda. However it was generally quite easy to find the way again, sometimes I asked some locals who were very happy to show me the right way, other times (like in A Guarda) you just follow the sea as much as you can and you inevitably end up finding the way again.
Vigo, which from this forum I thought would be relatively difficult to navigate, was actually very clearly signposted.
The worst was shortly after leaving Ramallosa (I think, I need to double-check this though). After following clear arrows from the city, you end up in a path that follows a stream and travels behind a sort of industrial area. The path then takes you to a big roundabout where there are just no arrows at all! In fact, there were actually some dodgy arrows that sent you in the wrong direction.
Luckily, the pilgrim I had met at the time was kindly waiting for me at that roundabout, and thanks to that amazing app that shows you the actual camino on a map we were able to find the arrows again. But without my friend and his app, I would have got really badly lost (probably ending up walking in the wrong direction for a few miles...).
I did, by the way, download offline maps for this eventuality and I would recommend it, although I always tried to just follow the arrows as much as I could.
When you get to Redondela, and you're back on the central camino, arrows become even more common and are even easier to follow (and if uncertain you can simply follow the stream of pilgrims...).

 

[Belinda Keen]

Hello SaraB

I be walking the coastal route in October so I am very interested to hear about your experiences. What is the app that you mentioned that shows you the route?

Buen Camino, Belinda

 

[Amber NZ]

I am just back from my first camino: portuguese, coastal way (from Porto).
Needless to say it was a real adventure, and I loved it. I am, as you can guess, already aching to go on my next camino.
It was a very successful trip also because of all the advice I got from this forum.
Normally I am the kind of person that likes to take her wardrobe with her, wherever she goes. However, I somehow managed to keep my backpack to 6.4 kg (including water - but no food). Still, a pretty impressive weight for a first-time pilgrim and inexperienced hiker I dare say!

I was quite worried I would truly struggle, or not make it at all. I did do quite a few test walks but not in bad weather, and not with such a heavy backpack (and my back has never been very strong). To add to everything, I have had knees problems in the past few years so was genuinely concerned.
And actually, I have made it in even less time than I thought in the first place! It is astonishing how our bodies react and get stronger in a way we would never imagine.

Apart from the important, deep, "boring" stuff that I've learnt, these are some trivia...

1) no blisters is possible! I walked with my loyal trainers, which did mean I got wet feet sometimes but I wasn't too bothered, as I knew I could trust them when walking for so long, so many days. Of course in a different (muddier and rainier) camino I'd need to find proper waterproof boots.
2) not all albergues have blankets. I trusted this forum, where the general advice is "just bring a silk sleeping liner". Thank God I didn't listen! Instead, I took a fleece sleeping liner. In one of the blanket-less albergues the room was really hot, so I just about managed to sleep. In the other one, thank goodness, they found an old blanket somewhere that I could use. Without that I would've been doomed. But I won't be going ever again without a proper sleeping bag.
3) merino clothes are truly unbelievable!
4) listen to your body. I managed to walk for an average of 35+ km a day for a few days, no problem, since I was going at a pace that was comfortable for me. I'd normally start walking really slowly in the morning to warm up, and then increase the pace when I felt like it. BUT: the last two days, due to a weather scare (heavy rain was predicted and I really didn't want to get drenched, see point 5 below), I decided to walk as quickly as I could to reach the next stop. A muscle was hurting a bit at the end of that first of the two days, but I thought it would pass. So the following day I decided to just walk on. Big mistake! I did make it to Santiago, but I arrived with a badly pulled muscle and an ankle that was as swollen as a melon. Luckily, a few days of rest are setting me right again.
5) rainjacket and backpack rain cover don't work. They are not enough. I had read this on the forum, but didn't know any better so decided to just go with it. On my next camino, I will either: (a) take a rain jacket, a backpack cover and put a poncho on top of everything, or (b) even better, buy one of those poncho-backpack cover (like the Packa). They are expensive, but if they really work as they claim they do, worth every penny!
6) don't worry about what others think. I was walking with leggings and a miniskirt (not for fashion, but to cover up my backside - those leggings were quite see-through), as well as carrying a relatively heavy book, and some pilgrims were giving me quizzical looks. I, however, was very happy with it (the leggings would dry incredibly quickly when wet, and are also amazingly light weight!).
7) safety pins!!!!! Best advice on this forum. I took loads and was happy to give a few to other pilgrims who needed them.
8) bed bugs. I was very unsure of what to do about this issue, in the end I decided to just go for it. I don't think I encountered them, although in two separate occasions I woke up in the middle of the night feeling very itchy (since the two nights were spread apart, and my clothes didn't seem to have been infested, I can only assume that it was some sort of allergic reaction to the shirt I was wearing in those nights, or perhaps to the fleece sleeping bag... In any case, I washed absolutely everything as soon as I got home for precaution). But next time I will take a very thin mattress cover treated with permethrin. Mostly because I really do not want to take bed bugs home with me, in case I do come across them.
9) I've used a running belt for my money, passport, phone, etc. Fantastic! It is incredibly lightweight, rests on your hips so you forget it's there, and is basically invisible under your clothes. Ideal.
10) and lastly: waterproof socks don't work. But they are still useful at the end of the day, when you've already changed but need to go out to eat and your trainers are still wet.

11) stop for a pee break whenever you can. Whether you see a cafe, or if it happens to be a deserted, private stretch of the camino... do it!!! You might have to wait for miles before you get another chance.

And now... I can't wait to begin planning my next camino!!!

Great advice. I am beginning my Camino tomorrow and I'm really nervous and feel unprepared. I don't have a sleeping bag, just a silk liner. But am thinking of taking a small fleece blanket to put inside. Do you think this is ok?

 

[Pato777]

Wow...this is really fun to read! I leave for my Caminho Portugues' one month from today. Can't wait to hear more from you!

Good, should be a cardinal rule, don't buy hiking boots to do Camino's, use what you have or have a well broken in pair, I have used hiking sandals and they have worked really well on two Camino's. thanks for the post. Pat