Travelling with teenage daughter

[Aussie Cossie Tanya]

Hi, my daughter Grace and I are Aussies and we are planning Le Puy to SJPP starting Mid June 2014. My princess will be 14yrs old. We plan on returning later to complete our pilgrimage.. Are there other teenagers on the trip?..

Love the forum..

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Only a few, but they always seem to fit in!

 

[Kiwi-family]

Listen to falcon - he's right! I'll be further on from you with four kids (eldest will be 13) and a bit earlier.

 

[Aussie Cossie Tanya]

Thanks for the quick responses. We are researching the forum and there are so many opinions and would appreciate any advice on two things in particular..coming from inland country Australia where it gets to 43 degrees Celsius plus in summer and it is a dry, burning heat, what would be the average temps June and July Le Puy to SJPP?. Is it humid heat, dry etc?. Sleeping bags v silk liners and hiking boots v trail shoes or sandals?..

Tan and Grace :x :lol:

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I found France in June to be hot and humid with regular morning fog. I took a sleeping bag for a start in April, and threw it away within two weeks. My nylon liner was perfect, though I used a blanket a couple of times (always available when I needed one). By June the problem was staying in the liner to be "modest"; it was hot enough to sleep on top. My week in July was also very hot.

 

[reg2450]

Hi! I travelled with my 10 year old daughter from SJPP to Santiago in April this year. I met quite a few mother and daughter/ mother and son/ father and son couples - all much older (the youngest was 17), but they were all having the time of their lives and bonding beautifully.

Georgia fit in better than I did, and the whole experience is taking some time to process and put the photographs together. I actually kept a journal every day (we took 40 days) with every single account in it. The journal itself was beautiful and the entries are wonderfully memoritive. I wanted to do this with her before she entered adolescence and perhaps forgot how much we enjoyed each others' company.... the journal will be her 18th or 21st birthday present.

The only time I found it 'awkward' was when we got closer and closer to Santiago and the crowds got thicker with lots of 'unkown' people - when it came to sleeping, there were a some people who didn't take notice of the fact that there was a 10 year old girl sharing their space. But that too was just another life lesson we got to discuss while we walked. I know you will both love the experience ♥

 

[reg2450]

Sorry - didn't answer your questions: We're Aussies too - East Coast. It would have been waaay too hot for us in Summer, but if you're inland, maybe not so hot for you.

We broke in our Mongrel (Australian) boots for about 2 months before we left, and even on hot days we wore them (it's more about the socks - wool, wool, wool). If you're doing a lazy 10kms for the day and it's flat land, you can get away with some walking sandals (you will need both - don't go barefoot in the showers), but in general, the boots are your best friends. We had no blisters, no discomfort, no disasters - a shoelace was eaten by our puppy when we got home.. but that's beside the point.

The people we found who got blisters had bad boots (Mongrel Boots are amazing), they walked too far for too many days straight, and they didn't break their boots in. Our boots cost us AU$116 each and compared to some of those over-the-top hiking boots, I reckon we were on absolute winners. I have written to Mongrel and given our testimonial with pictures!! Call us when you get back and I'd love to hear your stories

 

[Kiwi-family]

We walked in September and just wore Keens sandals with socks. I'm in the camp that says you do less injury if you are not strapped into a stiff contraption (boot) - so please understand that assumption before listening to my advice;-)
As my feet appear to have grown and the Keens are now too tight and caused blisters, I have swapped to Inov8 Terroc 330s (their widest fitting shoe) for walking.
I would not discourage anyone from walking in sandals, especially in summer.

 

[Kitsambler]

A liner is quite sufficient in France, especially in summer.

Boots are great protection - the route is phenomenally stony underfoot. The flat sections are not until after Moissac.

I recommend the Oxford library book on Romanesque architecture - let your teen learn a bit, and set her off on a voyage of discovery while on the walk. And/or the Culinaria book on regional French cooking.

 

[lotti on the Camino]

I will be traveling in August or September with atleast 3 of my 8 children.
They will be 15,13,11 (boys) ...two others might join us 10, 8 (girls) .

My three oldest and I want to do Le Puy to Finesterre we might have to settle on SJPP to Finesterre if the younger two join us. I did SJPP to Finesterre and Muxia last year so really would like to add Le Puy to the trek.

I have no doubt my boys and I could Le Puy plus "Frances". I am not optimistic my girls could do this, however I do know many young ladies who could I am just not convinced my young ladies could do it.

 

[Kiwi-family]

I will be traveling in August or September with atleast 3 of my 8 children.
They will be 15,13,11 (boys) ...two others might join us 10, 8 (girls) .

My three oldest and I want to do Le Puy to Finesterre we might have to settle on SJPP to Finesterre if the younger two join us. I did SJPP to Finesterre and Muxia last year so really would like to add Le Puy to the trek.

I have no doubt my boys and I could Le Puy plus "Frances". I am not optimistic my girls could do this, however I do know many young ladies who could I am just not convinced my young ladies could do it.

I have no doubt my boys and I could Le Puy plus "Frances". I am not optimistic my girls could do this, however I do know many young ladies who could I am just not convinced my young ladies could do it.[/quote]

Hi and welcome to the forum (from another mama of eight),
Is there perhaps any way you could somehow do the Le Puy section with your boys and have the girls join you in Saint Jean? Of course I do not know where you are coming from - this might be an impossibility. I'm going up (from NZ) with my two youngest boys (will be 11 and 13 years) and we are doing a loop through the mountains from Pamplona to Bayonne to Saint Jean and then back to Pamplona....where my youngest girls (nearly 8 and 10 by then) will meet us to continue walking. We have the luxury of Daddy being able to bring them up (he'll walk with us for a couple of weeks before returning to work). Just wondering if you might manage something similar? Or would it be the end of the world if they went from Le Puy and you all had to finish before Santiago/Finisterre? Maybe they could wait at Manjarin;-) I'm sure you'll work it out.

 

[Aussie Cossie Tanya]

Thanks so much for all the great advice. We have trekked some of NZ and here in the Snowy Mountains and she loves and thrives on a challenge. She is learning French at school and has a passion for all things foreign. I so want her to meet people from all cultures and walks of life and to experience the kindness that I have experienced on all my travels. I also want and need to get as much time in with her before she ventures off on her on path.. She is reading this forum and has commented about how friendly and helpful everyone is.. Look so forward to our travels and experiences together


One foot forward....

 

[Aussie Cossie Tanya]

Thanks reg2450. I loved your idea about the journal and giving it as a gift. I brought a beautiful leather bound one today and have started writing a few things in it. Something for her to keep and hopefully pass on )


One foot forward....

 

[KatWanderlust]

Thanks so much for all the great advice. We have trekked some of NZ and here in the Snowy Mountains and she loves and thrives on a challenge. She is learning French at school and has a passion for all things foreign. I so want her to meet people from all cultures and walks of life and to experience the kindness that I have experienced on all my travels. I also want and need to get as much time in with her before she ventures off on her on path.. She is reading this forum and has commented about how friendly and helpful everyone is.. Look so forward to our travels and experiences together


One foot forward....

Tanyaandgracie I hope you and your daughter have a fantastic Camino. Walking together is a truly amazing experience and the Le Puy route is perfect to enjoy such a wonderful country, it's people, culture, language and the best food!

There's plenty of great advice on the forums and I echo the need to break in your shoes, train as much as you can together, and go in with a sense of adventure and fun.

I first started walking with my father at age 25 and have never looked back, I think it's really special sharing the Camino with a parent and it's amazing what you learn and share with each other.

I've learnt you will talk a lot together, to the people you meet (knowing some French is very handy) and sometimes you won't talk at all! It's ok to amble along in silence and take in what's around you. The key is to let the walk do "it's thing" enjoy the moment and all the little things that together make the Camino special.

Have a wonderful time, Buen Camino!

 

[Kiwi-family]

I've learnt you will talk a lot ...and sometimes you won't talk at all! It's ok to amble along in silence and take in what's around you.

When I was doing a 20+km walk with my 8yo daughter recently I noticed she was very quiet for a very long stretch. When I asked her about it she explained quite matter-of-factly, "Sometimes it's good to walk in quiet and I tell myself stories so that I don't make a noise. That was a really long story."
Her brother, two years older, on the other hand cannot walk for one minute without a running commentary. And when everyone stops listening to him he tells stories out loud to himself. Somewhere between O'Cebreiro to Triacastela I will never forget - he talked in rhyme for about half an hour nonstop.
Both sorts of walking companion bring special memories.

 

[KatWanderlust]

When I was doing a 20+km walk with my 8yo daughter recently I noticed she was very quiet for a very long stretch. When I asked her about it she explained quite matter-of-factly, "Sometimes it's good to walk in quiet and I tell myself stories so that I don't make a noise. That was a really long story."Her brother, two years older, on the other hand cannot walk for one minute without a running commentary. And when everyone stops listening to him he tells stories out loud to himself. Somewhere between O'Cebreiro to Triacastela I will never forget - he talked in rhyme for about half an hour nonstop.Both sorts of walking companion bring special memories.

Kiwi-family what a lovely experience that must have been! You are absolutely spot on that both talking and silence bring special memories. Especially walking with your children (I have followed your journey on the forum with awe, I hope to do the same with my kids one day!)