New Guide to Camino Portugués - volunteers needed!

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi

In about a month there will be a new guide to the Camino Portugués from Oporto ready. The CSJ are looking at how this will be made available widely to pilgrims.

It would really help if anyone is going on this route from mid October who would be willing to try the new guide and make comments on it which would be helpful to future pilgrims.

If you are planning to walk the Camino Portugués in the next few month get in touch please.

Regards

John

 

[egbert]

Hello John,
I will be walking from Valenca to Santiago commencing 9th October if I can be of ant assistance?
Regards............Egbert.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Great - I've pm'd you.

John

 

[larryflo]

I am going from Porto on MAy 21. I would be glad to help.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I´m hoping to do the Portuguese in the spring. I´m willing to offer editing help as well, if it´s needed.

reb.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Rebekah - estupendo! The Camino Ingles team in operation again

It won't be ready in draft for a month or so - I'll e mail you.

Best regards

John

 

[RuralVic]

I go Ryan air to Porto on 17/10 & then on foot to Santiago if that's any help
Best wishes,
Robert

 

[gyro]

Dear JOhm,
I am planning to walk from Porto to SdeC in April 2009. I suspect that this would be too late to assist you with the new guide, but if there is any way I can help -Beta testing or the like - please let me know.
Kind regards
Gyro

 

[viajero]

I am also thinking of walking this route from either Lisbon or Porto in Spring 2009--probably in March. I suspect this might be too late to help you as well but if not, let me know.

 

[jav]

Hi John,

I will be leaving Oporto next Saturday, 20th september.
If you already have the guide I will be glad to try it.

José Valente
j_valente@hotmail.com

 

[JohnnieWalker]

José

Alas it will not be ready. Enjoy the route!

John

 

[rosb]

I am arriving in Porto in December. I will be walking for two weeks, possibly longer.

Regards,
Ros

 

[gyro]

John,
Can you give us any update on this new guide?
I am scheduled to start the CP in April and would be grateful for any current information.
Kind regards
Gyro

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi all

The Guide is written and is being user tested by two pilgrims as I write. Like the Guide to the Camino Ingles the idea is that these guides should be owned and used by the pilgrim community - continuously updated and improved and available free of charge.

The guide to the Camino Ingles has been well user tested and edited is about to go on the CSJ website for free download (hopefully people will give a donation).

I am happy to give pilgrims walking the route working copies of the Guide to the Camino Portuguese so that I can re edit. In its current form the Guide describes the route and gives lots of information on accomodation etc. However it needs more colour and historical information + information on any detours which pilgrims might actually make rather than detours guidewriters simply recommend to pad out their guidebooks. So any input from future users will be very welcome as well as discovering where I've mixed up right and left turns

John

 

[ceridwyn]

Hello. I am starting the Camino from Tui, probably, on 2 November. Happy to help.
Ceridwyn

 

[lckgj]

Hi John
Just booked my flights to begin Camino Portuguese on 1st April 2009. I assume this is too late to help out with your new guide? If guide already completed can you let me know how I can access it? I really appreciated your revised guide to the Camino Ingles so will look forward to reaping the rewards of your latest efforts.
I fancy the Primitivo next - any plans to do the ground work to update that one for me too please?!
Muchas Gracias
Laura

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Ho, ho ho.

It is Finisterre/Muxia next!

There will have been some user feedback on the Guide by the time you go and hopefully it will be available to download free from the CSJ website by then. I'm happy to give you a copy any time if you want to plan/dream ahead.

Regards

John

 

[lckgj]

Ah well, worth a try...

I love the planning/dreaming stage, so a copy as soon as you have got it together would be great.

Thanks again,
Laura

 

[gyro]

Ah well, worth a try...

I love the planning/dreaming stage, so a copy as soon as you have got it together would be great.

Thanks again,
Laura

and here I am, another dreamer. I bought my Ryanair tickets last week.......April will come soon enough.
If you could, please, send me a copy of your guide, I for one, would be enormously grateful.

Pilgrimage kicks off on 7th April
Gyro

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Gyro - I've pm'd you about this.

 

[Keiko]

Hi John,

I'll start walking next week. If I could help to improve the guide, let me know!

Cheers,
Keiko

 

[PAUL JOHN]

Hi John,

Propose walking from Porto to Tui in January (did section in Galicia a couple of years ago) and would be glad to trial any guide going!

Paul

 

[gyro]

Gyro - I've pm'd you about this.

and I have received this.
Many, many thanks
Gyro

 

[Rebekah Scott]

My son Philip and I will start from Porto in mid-December. Are we going to freeze to death out there in the mist? Is it possible to make the trip by staying only in hotels and pensions, (I´d rather not carry a sleeping bag if it´s going to be raining all day.)

Yeah, I´m a wuss pilgrim. But it´s DECEMBER out there!
Rebekah

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi Rebekah

I can't accurately predict the weather - for me cold is fine and sometimes rain is ok but cold and rain together ...

Anyway.

Yes - totally possible to walk from Porto to Santiago staying in small hostales ( Residenciales in Portugal) There are good lists of accommodation in the Guide - all up to date!

Happy planning

John

 

[rushtoma]

Hello Johnny Walker....I am planning a Camino Portugues in March/April 2009....could you kindly forward a copy of the guide..(draft is fine) .... having walked Roncesvalles to Santiago last spring, I know the distances between village/towns and accomodations on that route....but I have read that the distances between accomodation is greater on the Portugues route, and being a slower but steady pilgrim, I need more info to help with my planning....

Thanks,
Marilyn from Canada...on the coast closest tothe UK

 

[viajero]

I'm pretty sure I will walk from Porto (or, possibly, Coimbra) this spring. If it is possible, could you forward the guide to me as well?
Thanks

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Viajero

The Guide will sortly be available for free download from the CSJ website in the New - if there is any great delay please come back to me and I'll send you a copy.

John

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I am very sorry to report the weather and family complications make it impossible for me to get to the Camino Portuguese this month. All my plans are going pear-shaped!

St. James must have something else in store for me, I guess.
Reb.

 

[hecate105]

We leave from lisbon at the start of april - would love to try the new guide tho' - we will be cycling so expect to have to be flexible! can i get a copy please? jo

 

[Javier Martin]

Viajero

The Guide will sortly be available for free download from the CSJ website in the New - if there is any great delay please come back to me and I'll send you a copy.

John

The AGACS was working for the same objective two years ago, and now it's possible to download from our website, but only in spanish and portuguese. It's GREAT to know that early will be available another one, newer and in english. Congratulations for all this work. I'm sure it ill be absolutely useful, there's less similar guides published in english than in spanish or portuguese.

Buen Camino Portugues,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain

 

[viajero]

Thank you Javier. I have already downloaded the guide in Spanish. It is very helpful. I am planning to walk the Camino Portugues in the spring along with some Pilgrims that I met on the Camino Frances last spring. We are all trying to coordinate our schedules so the guide has been useful in planning how much time we will need. Thanks again.

 

[sillydoll]

John, please can the CSJ consider including a simple WORD document to download - the same format as all their other guides - with no photographs etc. which is much easier to print out?
Perhaps they could have both files available for those who want the larger guide with pictures etc.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

I think this is a really important point. Information to help with planning and background are important parts of any guide but we don;t necessarily want/have to take it all with us. I am sure Howard the CSJ webmaster will have a look at this.

John

 

[Javier Martin]

I agree, a very good idea.

Javier.

 

[nidarosa]

Hi, we are walking from Porto or possibly Barcelos (depending on how much time we have available to us) on March the first. My walking companion has a few health issues, so I would love to have a copy before we go so I can make her trip as comfortable as possible, and will get back to you with our experiences after the walk. Would it be possible to have a text only version for now? I will pay my donativo and download the proper version just before we go in case there are more changes.

All the best,
LM

 

[Howard]

Happy to report that Johnie Wallker's new guide to the Camino Portugués is now available on-line. There are two versions:

A. If you want a fully-formatted version which prints and folds to form an A5 booklet, download the .pdf version.

B. If you want to create your own version, and format it how you like, download the .doc (i.e. Word) file.

All links and instructions are at http://www.csj.org.uk/guides-online.htm.

Please send any technical comments to me at web@csj.org.uk, and anything to do with the content of the guide to Johnnie.

Howard
CSJ Webmaster

 

[Anniesantiago]

Is there a suggested donation for this downloaded guide?

 

[Javier Martin]

Howard, Johhnie, ¡¡great work!! I hope it will be very helpful for many pilgrims in future.

Buen Camino, much better with your new guides.

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Anniesantiago - no suggested donation for three guides the CSJ have made available for free download - it is up to users to decide.

Javier - thanks. These guides are the basic architecture on which pilgrims can build their own guides as they do research or download other free materials from the internet. The Guide to the Camino Portugues hasn't been user tested in the same way as many members of this forum tested the guide to the Camino Ingles. Forum members are doing this starting in the Spring. This is a collective effort and the guides in many ways are in common ownership - they are as good as we make them by sending obersvations, information and feedback.

In particular the Guide to the Camino Portugues doesn't describe any detours - this is intended for a future edition and is an area where the experiences of pilgrims will be really helpful.

Freely available downloadable guides provided for a donation and kept constantly updated by pilgrims themselves: can't be bad!

Thanks to every one and those forum members about to test the Guide to the Portugues route!

John

 

[Arn]

John,

I was wondering...what's the snow like along the Camino Portugues? I suspect the albergue availability would be diminished in the Winter..your advise please. I really want a snow adventure.

regards
Arn

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Well who knows with the weather these days! But given that the route is coming up from the South and enters Spain at Tui I'd have thuoght one of the Northern routes would give a better chance of snow - almost guaranteed. Or come to Scotland!

 

[Javier Martin]

John,

I was wondering...what's the snow like along the Camino Portugues? I suspect the albergue availability would be diminished in the Winter..your advise please. I really want a snow adventure.

regards
Arn

Arn,

When I walked the Camino Portugues 5 years ago was in february, and all existing albergues where availables.

If any doubt ask me in advance, I have some pilgrim friends along the whole route, I can ask them

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.
Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.