What can I expect to find in a grocery store?

[Pattii]

I am wondering about the food stores along the Camino. I have been doing some google walking and I found 3 of my favourite fruits from Jamaica when I lived there are actually in Spain...although under different names. I was so excited I squeaked! lol
I am wondering what I can expect to find in the grocery stores along the route. Is there any variety ...can I get beautiful fruits and veg like I saw in the pictures of the Barcelona fruit stands? Can I get nuts ...what about eggs? Are the markets separate? Olives...cheeses and meets I gather are not hard to find? Oh and can one buy things like rice or lentils dry there in smaller quantities?

I will be starting Sept 1 2014 God willing!

I'm anxiously awaiting replies on this thread!

Thanks folks

 

[mspath]

Patti,

There is no single answer to your question regarding food shops on or near the camino; there is a wide variety! Like the villages that you pass through some shops are small and others large. Of course you can get fruit, nuts and great cheese, etc., etc. ! However, every place does NOT have a shop nor is everything available in every shop or in every season. Hence BE PREPARED!

Walking in late autumn/winter when the only shop or bar in town may NOT be open I always carry these basics; tea bags, packets which make a cup of soup (even including croutons), firm cheese, small sausage, simple cookies and some chocolate. Often these same ingredients serve as a predawn breakfast hours before any Spanish bar would dream of opening!

For pilgrims' commentary regarding where and what to eat check out this earlier Forum subtopic >> http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/food-on-the-camino-de-santiago.85/

Margaret Meredith

The following places on the CF have NO food shops as such; Roncevalles, Larrasoana (none in winter), Villamayor de Monjardin, Viloria di Rioja, San Juan de Ortega, Hornillos del Camino (none in winter), Hontanas, Calzadilla de la Cueza, Santa Catalina de Somoza, Foncebadon (good selection in albergue Monte Irago), Ruitelan, Alto de Poio, Barbadelo, Ferreios, and Gonzar,

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Well, Margaret has said it all! The villages in Spain and like villages everywhere. Even here in England I can walk 15 kms and not find a single shop or bar [pub]. You'll have no problem with food, but, as Margaret said, take 'emergency' rations to sustain you on some longer stretches.
Buen camino!

 

[dougfitz]

Patti, in addition to Margaret's snack bag list, I carried a packet of plain digestive style biscuits and some bread. In smaller villages, I regularly found that bread would not be available if I arrived later in the day. I presume small shop owners are cautious about being left with surplus at the end of the day. When I realised that, I would try an buy some in the middle of the day.

One of the more touching moments on the CF was at Hermanillos, where the shopkeeper initially indicated that he had no bread, but then ducked away into his house, and returned with half a loaf and asked if that would be enough. I was so grateful, and even more so when it dawned on me that it had probably come from the family table.

Regards

 

[naplesdon]

Dougfitz, I had a similar experience in Portugal this year. My first day out of Porto I stopped in a small tienda to find a mid morning snack, the shelves were nearly bare but the owner had a couple of bananas on the counter. I tried to buy one from her but she refused my money and wished me a "bom caminho!"

 

[stevenjarvis]

Pattii your question made me smile, but not as much as your phrase "google walking" ! I've just completed the Camino Frances in FIVE MINUTES using your method ! I wonder if the pilgrims office allow me a Compostela. Happy Camino Planning, 2014 is almost here ........

 

[t2andreo]

Mspath, et al. - there IS a small tienda in Larrasoana. It opened earlier this year. When I passed through at the end of April we shopped there for boccadillos, supplies, and were able to have a coffee and light breakfast the following morning.

As you walk into Larrasoana on the traditional off-road path, once you hit the main street, turn right. It is a block or two down on the right on the ground floor of a white building. I think there are flats above the tienda.

If you walked the road from Zubiri, past the factory on the left, as you walk off the main highway into Larrasoiana, the tienda would be located on your left, about half a block off the main street, but before you get to the intersection where the off-road path meets the street - at the church I think.

Buen Camino!

Tom (from Virginia)

 

[mspath]

Tom,

Larrasoana's tienda is CLOSED from October to spring. I have edit my original comment to reflect this.

Margaret Mereditrh

 

[Pattii]

Wow this is so cool. Huge smiles. I am touched by your stories...how generous people can be to strangers. I just want to make sure I can get some wholesome foods along the way cause as much as I like "chips' (we call them fries) I can't eat them ...hardly ever eat them...I am wondering now about things like milk or eggs or yogurt... Also when a place says breakfast included...does it usually include a protein or is it mostly carbs? Also when they say a pilgrim meal...what does that include. And dried goods...impossible to find?...ie rice or lentils? I know these seem like trivial questions...but I am bit of a planner...well a huge planner!

And google walking is awesome. Actually so is Youtube walking. I found a great youtube blog with a young couple and their infant son walking the Camino in January of this year. Watching those was amazing. They spend 15 mins on average talking about and showing their walk daily. It has given me a feel for the countryside...but their food issues were much different. They are vegan and it was January ...this is what prompted my questions. I know most people don't worry about things like that but I am very specific in my food choices only because I need to be. Trust me if I could live on chips everyday I would definitely not have an issue with it. Eating right on a pilgrimage is much different than eating right on a holiday...the constant exertion needs to be fed properly.

 

[mspath]

"...I am wondering now about things like milk or eggs or yogurt... Also when a place says breakfast included...does it usually include a protein or is it mostly carbs? Also when they say a pilgrim meal...what does that include. And dried goods...impossible to find?...ie rice or lentils? "

There are no consistent answers to these questions; life is not logical! Of course you can get eggs, milk and yogurt, lentils, rice and pasta but NOT in every shop in EACH village along the way!! If you plan on cooking be aware that every albergue kitchen does NOT have pots either.

Breakfast in Spain, as here in France, is usually bread, butter, jam and coffee with milk. For a delicious pick-up try freshly squeezed zumo naranja or orange juice. No champagne has ever tasted better! In Léon the hot chocolate is so thick that the spoon almost stands in the cup. Served with freshly made crullers it is a delicious, caloric treat and fuel for trekking!

Some hospitaleros provide delicious dinners; communal meals at Eunate and Granon have always been memorable feasts. Generally for lunch or dinner many places along the way offer a standard three course Peregrino Menu (Pilgrim Menu). Although edible these often are only basic courses. A better alternative is the Menu de Dia (Daily Menu) which costs a bit more but provides much better quality and choice. Read what other pilgrims say about these alternatives in this earlier Forum thread.

Happy eating!

Margaret Meredith

 

[Anniesantiago]

You can read my blog at this link, (and others like it) to see what you can buy for lunch on the Camino:
http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2011/08/lunch-on-camino-santiago.html

 

[Anne100]

That was very helpful Anniesantiago, thanks!

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

There was a tienda in Villamayor Monjardín when I was there a couple of weeks ago. Have no idea if it is open in autumn/winter. A really nice tienda that had most of the basic stuff you need.

 

[StuartM]

One thing I loved about Spanish shops was that you often got local, freshly cooked stuff (rather than prepacked, processed versions in plastic packs): slabs of empanadas, buckets of empanadillas, tortillas, quiches, that kind of stuff. Fresh empanada particularly was something I really loved and usually have one in the fridge now.

I got to really resent bread. First off, Spanish bread beats most of the rubbish sold as bread in the UK into a cocked hat. If I could get bread that cheap and that good I'd buy tons of the stuff. However, it takes up a hell of a lot of space for a pretty poor return, there isn't a huge amount of energy for the volume. I much preferred taking the cereal bars that most supermarkets sold, much denser energy and a lot more satisfying. Good bread is past its best the minute it leaves the baking tray too and I really didn't think it travelled well. To me, bread without cheese is a criminal act apart from anything else

I lived off of salted almonds particularly but nuts in general. Bananas... nature's energy bars, wonderful invention.

One find in the supermarket that I discovered this year really kept me going: chocolate a la taza. It's huge bars of chocolate that are sold in supermarkets for making hot chocolate with. They are high in cocoa powder (and sugar I guess) but fairly low in cocoa fat so it doesn't melt as readily as normal chocolate does. It's also got a bit of rice flour in it to thicken the hot chocolate. Lots of dense energy that survives well in a hot rucksack. Big advantage, it is dirt cheap for a massive chunk and very satisfying to eat.

 

[Pattii]

You can read my blog at this link, (and others like it) to see what you can buy for lunch on the Camino:
http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2011/08/lunch-on-camino-santiago.html

thats an awesome blog thank so much!

 

[whariwharangi]

The grocery stores are well stocked. You can get anything you want (except peanut butter). The problem is that you don't often pass grocery stores; usually they are located in major centers and even then not along the road you are following.

Most (but not all) of the villages have a Mom and Pop store where the variety is much less than you will find in a grocery store; these are the stores you will be relying on for most of your food purchases. On the plus side you can buy one serving of yoghurt where in the grocery store you must buy the four pack. On the minus side you must check the best before date ...

Rice and lentils? Perhaps. The greater problem is in preparing them as most of the albergues have quite a limited stock of cooking utensils.

 

[Pattii]

I got the cooking utensils covered including a little tiny stove should I need it. Titanium...very light weight. That is one thing I did notice about the albergues...it seems to be common for there not to be utensils of any sort.

 

[Bajaracer]

I got the cooking utensils covered including a little tiny stove should I need it. Titanium...very light weight. That is one thing I did notice about the albergues...it seems to be common for there not to be utensils of any sort.

Only the Xunta Municipal Albergues in Galicia (in the last 100km) that don't have any utensils along with a few other Municipal Albergues, There really isn't a need to carry a stove that you'll use for the last 100km.

 

[Pattii]

I am getting so excited and I still have 344 days to wait. AGONY!

 

[Pattii]

Only the Xunta Albergues in Galicia (in the last 100km) that don't have any utensils. There really isn't a need to carry a stove that you'll use for the last 100km.

Will be going the whole way and probably after...in fact I have been researching Caminos in other parts of Spain. I will walk and bus these. I have time. I am not sure what road I will take after so I like the idea of being prepared.

 

[StuartM]

I got the cooking utensils covered including a little tiny stove should I need it. Titanium...very light weight. That is one thing I did notice about the albergues...it seems to be common for there not to be utensils of any sort.

Check that you can get whatever fuel the stove runs off easily as I've found different types are more common in different parts of Europe. If it runs off gas cannisters then by far the most common type available in France & Spain I've found to be the kind that the stove punctures the top of and clips on to the whole unit. The screw on type cannisters like the ones Coleman stoves use always seem to be a lot harder to come by, in fact once I struggled so badly that I ended up having to buy a new stove. Alcohol stoves like Trangias are good because 100% alcohol is easy to come across in bigger supermarkets. I don't think I've ever seen Coleman fuel for sale even in outdoor/camping shops and unleaded really is a pain to vend in small enough quantities if you aren't filling a 4 or 5 litre can to decant from (most petrol stations won't even let you try). They won't let you take hexamine on planes and I'd doubt you'd find anywhere to buy some easily.

 

[Bajaracer]

Will be going the whole way and probably after...in fact I have been researching Caminos in other parts of Spain. I will walk and bus these. I have time. I am not sure what road I will take after so I like the idea of being prepared.

You have to draw the line on how "prepared" you have be, if you are bound on the "I have to stay in the Donativo/Municipal albergue" then you'll find the places that have the kitchens with no equipment. I stayed mostly at the private Albergues which most had good kitchens, there will be some places you'll stay at that have no kitchen, so prepare as needed.
All I carried was a sharp peasant knife and ditched my camping utensils by Burgos.

 

[Anne100]

I got the cooking utensils covered including a little tiny stove should I need it. Titanium...very light weight. That is one thing I did notice about the albergues...it seems to be common for there not to be utensils of any sort.

I'm carrying a little ultralight stove, too. I bought solid fuel tablets (more lightweight than liquids) via Amazon.es and had them delivered to my hotel. Easy peasy.

The grocery stores are well stocked. You can get anything you want (except peanut butter).

Why can't you get peanut butter?

 

[Pattii]

I love you Anne!!! lol. My little stove takes alcohol wood and tablets...im gonna use the alcohol probably because it takes so very little and can be poured out when done with little or no damage to the environment. How much did that tablets cost by the way...fairly inexpensive? We are doing the same Camino Anne...giggles We are gonna have to compare notes as we go!

 

[fraluchi]

I will be starting Sept 1 2014 God willing!

It depends upon from where you start. As time goes by walking the Camino, shops in small villages are closing down because there are less pilgrims to cater for. Locals are used to salesmen in vans which visit villages once or twice a week. Locals will tell on which days, although waiting may not be practicable to you. You will find most items which you fancy in the larger towns, if you bother to shop around. One thing is sure: you will not starve on the Camino

 

[Anne100]

I love you Anne!!! lol. My little stove takes alcohol wood and tablets...im gonna use the alcohol probably because it takes so very little and can be poured out when done with little or no damage to the environment. How much did that tablets cost by the way...fairly inexpensive? We are doing the same Camino Anne...giggles We are gonna have to compare notes as we go!

The Esbit tabs are a little more expensive than in the U.S. but not outrageously so:

http://www.amazon.es/dp/B0000WR6W8/

I am doing the Norte and starting in a few days (!!!) so it's a bit different from yours but I will definitely share my camping experiences!

 

[Pattii]

Im buying a knife when I get there but Im gonna buy a good one and then when I leave I will give it to someone who can use it. Also my little cooking set has a cool silicon lid that works for a cutting board and a hot pad so I can really actually cook. And I can actually cook...and have some great camping recipes...There is a guy Jamie something or other and he has a good show. Once he did an entire episode of camping recipes. They were so easy and amazing. AND I'm gonna do that chocolate thing I heard about and do the hot chocolate...omg what a great idea.

 

[Pattii]

Oh I am too resoursful to starve but I want to eat healthy...I chose to eat healthy. I am sure I will find what I need by the looks of it and I honestly don't mind carrying a bit of food. I figure as the day goes the food will get lighter...and as the weeks go buy I will get lighter and thereby lightening my load anyway...lmao. I insist on not worrying while I am there. No one can starve by not eating for a day or two. Maybe a bit uncomfortable but I'm not gonna die.

I think much of what people see when I ask these questions is a worry from me about the situation...but planning can be as exciting as going. I like to know ...like to be informed and for me its exciting. I have never worried about my safety or my tummy anywhere except in Jamaica....and even there it was a safety issue not an eating issue. GOD PROVIDES!!!

 

[Pattii]

The Esbit tabs are a little more expensive than in the U.S. but not outrageously so:

http://www.amazon.es/dp/B0000WR6W8/

I am doing the Norte and starting in a few days (!!!) so it's a bit different from yours but I will definitely share my camping experiences!

Yes but at the same time of year so Im excited to hear. Im going to walk it vicariously through you. I do hope you will post occasionally. I will send my email to you and if you need ANYTHING...grins...you just email and Im on it. OMG Anne I am so excited for you! ( I have actually considered walking back through the Norte)

 

[Bajaracer]

I'm carrying a little ultralight stove, too. I bought solid fuel tablets (more lightweight than liquids) via Amazon.es and had them delivered to my hotel. Easy peasy.



Why can't you get peanut butter?

I've only seen peanut butter in Rota in Andalusia at Super Sol Supermercado, (there is a US Navy base 1km away) and it was Spanish branded but imported from the US.
I left a jar of Skippy natural on the picnic table at Orisson on my second day to ditch weight, luckily a Canadian couple took it (she hadn't seen peanut butter in 10 months because she was living in Paris) and carried it for the next 3 days.

 

[robertt]

I'm a sheep milk cheese fanatic. Australia is full of sheep but our sheep cheese industry is tiny and boutiquey. (In Oz, even if you make sheep milk cheese in the most modern and hygienic way, they make you pasteurise. Gawd.) However, in Spain, as in France and Italy, you have lots of the stuff. Just perfect for people exerting themselves, sweet enough, fatty enough, proteiny enough, salty enough. A somewhat cured sheep cheese will likely be scrumptious and hold together well without refrigeration. A viejo or fully curado even more so, but I go for a bit of softness on the track. It can never be all that cheap, but I always shell out for it. I also like to travel with a slab of quince paste, freely available, for eating with my sheep cheese and bread. With some sausage to go with and some fruit after, you've got a meal right there.

I'll shut up before I start rhapsodising about pecorino, manchego, basque, roquefort etc etc...Just eat more sheep cheese, okay?

 

[Pattii]

I can hardly wait for the cheese sausage olives and bread and the fruit and the nuts and the fish and the and the and the...lol

 

[Bajaracer]

Oh I am too resoursful to starve but I want to eat healthy...I chose to eat healthy. I am sure I will find what I need by the looks of it and I honestly don't mind carrying a bit of food. I figure as the day goes the food will get lighter...and as the weeks go buy I will get lighter and thereby lightening my load anyway...lmao. I insist on not worrying while I am there. No one can starve by not eating for a day or two. Maybe a bit uncomfortable but I'm not gonna die.

I think much of what people see when I ask these questions is a worry from me about the situation...but planning can be as exciting as going. I like to know ...like to be informed and for me its exciting. I have never worried about my safety or my tummy anywhere except in Jamaica....and even there it was a safety issue not an eating issue. GOD PROVIDES!!!

I'll be honest, You're creating your own fear of not finding a kitchen with utensils, I brought an Opinel No. 7 knife and a mini sharpener. There will be times when the wave of people you are walking with will have a memorable communal meal together. There really is no need to carry all this cooking equipment, the Camino really does provide, just research which towns have limited services and the Albergues as well.

 

[Anne100]

I love people who carry whatever they want in order to be self-sufficient. I love that kind of walking, myself. It's so nice to be able to do your own thing and to provide for others as well when your fellow peregrino could use a cooking pot or a knife or something similar.

 

[Thornley]

I avoid carrying any food except the sultanas/nut mix , a banana and chocolate .
Do not put the chocolate in the top of your pack.it will melt.
I shop in the village if using the albergue's kitchen or
In towns like Pamplona/Logrono/Burgos and Leon i visit the best cafes/tapas bars i can find.

I cannot understand how people can visit this wonderful diverse food mad country and avoid like the plague these great cities and their food bars......whether on the camino or not.

 

[Pattii]

simple. I cannot nor do I want to "eat out" every night. I will be in Europe a long time...and in Spain itself for at least two months. It adds up. And sometimes all I want is a really good apple and some excellent cheese and a nice glass of wine.
Consider...if one is to eat out each day it would be min 15 to 20 euro...easy...and if you do the math...??? I honestly would rather cut that by half and spend the rest to buy a ticket to Rome and stay there a couple days in a hostel rather than spend it on my appetite. There is a time and place for everything. I do think I will indulge in the cities...I am looking forward mostly to the seafood...and the lamb...lol.

 

[Pattii]

I'll be honest, You're creating your own fear of not finding a kitchen with utensils, I brought an Opinel No. 7 knife and a mini sharpener. There will be times when the wave of people you are walking with will have a memorable communal meal together. There really is no need to carry all this cooking equipment, the Camino really does provide, just research which towns have limited services and the Albergues as well.

its not fear...it makes me happy to research these things. I don't do it out of a sense of fear...I do it to put myself there already...I am curious george and I love knowing ahead...some people are bent differently than others thats all.

 

[whariwharangi]

Why can't you get peanut butter?

Most of the stores do not sell peanut butter. I did not find any during my camino last fall. On previous visits to Spain I have only found it sold in Corte Inglis where there is a specialty foods section.

Its hard to find in Argentina, Chile, and Mexico too.

 

[whariwharangi]

simple. I cannot nor do I want to "eat out" every night. I will be in Europe a long time...and in Spain itself for at least two months. It adds up. And sometimes all I want is a really good apple and some excellent cheese and a nice glass of wine.
Consider...if one is to eat out each day it would be min 15 to 20 euro...easy...and if you do the math...??? I honestly would rather cut that by half and spend the rest to buy a ticket to Rome and stay there a couple days in a hostel rather than spend it on my appetite. There is a time and place for everything. I do think I will indulge in the cities...I am looking forward mostly to the seafood...and the lamb...lol.

The menu Perigrino was typically around 10 euro and included wine. Its not possible to cook a three course meal with wine for yourself for that price.

Further, after 20 km of walking I was quite happy to let someone else do the cooking.

 

[Bajaracer]

simple. I cannot nor do I want to "eat out" every night. I will be in Europe a long time...and in Spain itself for at least two months. It adds up. And sometimes all I want is a really good apple and some excellent cheese and a nice glass of wine.
Consider...if one is to eat out each day it would be min 15 to 20 euro...easy...and if you do the math...??? I honestly would rather cut that by half and spend the rest to buy a ticket to Rome and stay there a couple days in a hostel rather than spend it on my appetite. There is a time and place for everything. I do think I will indulge in the cities...I am looking forward mostly to the seafood...and the lamb...lol.

The Camino is the cheapest long vacation you'll ever go on.
Walking the Camino is cheaper than being home, you're not paying for gas to get around, along with other daily expenses. Staying in an albergue is cheaper than paying rent for the month, your daily expenses on the Camino are a bed and food, food being the most important, food in Spain is surprisingly cheap compared to the rest of europe, an apple and some cheese and a glass of wine is not enough fuel to keep you going, believe me, food is more important than most realize, walking 20+ km's every day hammers your body, you will burn off every calorie that you take in and then some. Unless you can get a few people to chip in for dinner, you'll spend just as much if not more than going out. Skimping out on food during the Camino is not a wise choice, being well fed and hydrated during your Camino is most important to your well being and health.

The seafood? You really don't see much until you get into Galicia. Roast Lamb? Burgos and Sahagun was serving it, but not many places in between serve it.

 

[stevenjarvis]

I live a sheltered life remote from civilization, so imagine my delight upon seeing a self service orange juice machine in a green grocery in the wonderful town of Pontevedra on the Camino Portugese. I know I sound like someone pointing at cars but I was delighted to grab myself a litre bottle, press the button and shazam !, frezhly squeezed juice. Talking of Pontevedra, I would return there just to visit the fresh produce market again. EVERY variety of fruit, vegetable , fish, fowl, meat, cheese and MORE !

 

[robertt]

I live a sheltered life remote from civilization, so imagine my delight upon seeing a self service orange juice machine in a green grocery in the wonderful town of Pontevedra on the Camino Portugese. I know I sound like someone pointing at cars but I was delighted to grab myself a litre bottle, press the button and shazam !, frezhly squeezed juice. Talking of Pontevedra, I would return there just to visit the fresh produce market again. EVERY variety of fruit, vegetable , fish, fowl, meat, cheese and MORE !

Pontevedra. Along with Segovia, my fave town in Spain, so far. I'm told the nearby seaside towns are full of good fish cafes. Not that I just think eats all the time. I also...well, actually, I do just think eats all the time.

 

[stevenjarvis]

robertt, thank you for that, I've added Segovia to THE LIST.....
Pontevedra old town has a wonderful nut/seed/dried fruit merchant and a fantastic cured meat vendor both on the Camino route, the latter almost certainly in contravention of every food hygiene regulation in existence - HURRAH ! Also nice to find an ironmonger with an extensive line in Body Part Candles, or at least Body Part Wax Effigies. Naturally I stocked up while I could and only regret not forwarding the fetching stomach and ears from the display case. If ever evidence of pre Christian belief systems is needed, it is right there, in that Pontevedra Ironmongers. The gentlemen of the establishment were resplendent in those traditional brown coats. Class.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

a couple days in a hostel rather than spend it on my appetite

On the other hand, I view the day as a failure if I don't spend more on food than lodging! When I stay in a Parador, therefore, I have to eat quite well to make it a successful day. Casa Marcelo in Santiago will do that...

http://www.casamarcelo.net/#!slideshow/c1v0v

 

[stevenjarvis]

falcon269 Delicious looking food brilliantly photographed. Cruel of you really. Thank you , on the list for next trip !

 

[Anne100]

an apple and some cheese and a glass of wine is not enough fuel to keep you going, believe me, food is more important than most realize, walking 20+ km's every day hammers your body, you will burn off every calorie that you take in and then some. Unless you can get a few people to chip in for dinner, you'll spend just as much if not more than going out. Skimping out on food during the Camino is not a wise choice, being well fed and hydrated during your Camino is most important to your well being and health.

I don't think Patti meant that is all she'd eat in a single day, lol. Cooking for yourself doesn't mean skimping out - quite the opposite. Hikers who do long distance or wilderness hiking have to carry and prepare all of their own food nearly every day so it's a matter of routine for us.

One of the reasons I will be cooking for myself is that vegetarian options are somewhat limited in Spain, especially compared with what I'm used to here in California. I certainly don't expect Spain to conform to my dietary needs - it's solely my responsibility to make sure I'm getting adequate caloric and nutritional intake. The pilgrim's menu ain't gonna do that for me. I'll take care of it by carrying vitamins and other supplements, and by preparing my own food in addition to eating in the restaurants and bars and buying food in markets. It'll be a nice mix of a variety of resources for a variety of food.

 

[Pattii]

The one thing I find odd here in this forum regarding the Camino is the insistence of people who have walked it that it be done their way. I understand about it being a cheap holiday but its not a holiday for me. I understand that I can do it inexpensively but based on who's budget? I understand wanting to taste the food...I do want to taste all the food but my stomach does not rule me. I understand about not being able to find everything each time in each village and I am ok with variety and am not fussy... I do want to experience the camaraderie of the hostels but I like my alone time...I am aware that I will need to fuel my body and I am aware of the idea that it is sometimes easier and cheaper to join with others to make a meal...but I am a big girl now and I am sure I can make really good decisions about these thing when the time comes. For the record: I LIKE COOKING FOR MYSELF. I LIKE STAYING ALONE SOMETIMES. I LOVE CAMPING AND FENDING FOR MY SELF. I ENJOY SHOPPING AT MARKETS AND COOKING THE FOOD...OUTDOORS WHEN I CAN. I ENJOY FINDING INFORMATION OUT AND MAKING PLANS. I am not walking the Camino for social reasons. I am walking it because I have been led to walk it and know that there are huge things I need to learn and know but this is my journey. I really want to personalize this to get the most out of it for ME
If no one understands this but me its ok but I really wish that it wouldn't seem so offensive to people that I'm not going to do it their way. It is my camino. I will do what I am led to do or not to. I love the input regarding the questions but the insistence and the feeling that I am offending people if I don't take their information and do it exactly to the T is not sitting right with me.

The idea is to share your experiences ...not judge me for my decisions and sometimes thats how these responses read...with camping with food with routes...So...just for the record...THANK YOU ALL FOR THE GUIDANCE AND I RESPECT ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND I AM GLAD I AM ABLE TO USE THIS FORUM AS A RESOURCE. But at the end of the day it has to be a resource. It will be me walking it. I may find this information invaluable when I am there and maybe I will come back saying ...oh yes you were right...but I still have to make the decisions. That is part of it for me. Independence. Trusting my own judgement and listening to God for ME.

I don't think this belongs in this particular thread but I felt a need to say it so here it is.

In love and respect

Pattii


p.s. and thanks Anne!

 

[jmcorrigan]

And to think I was too afraid to say that I was going to bring a WHOLE bar of soap with me

 

[Bajaracer]

And to think I was too afraid to say that I was going to bring a WHOLE bar of soap with me

Wait till you get to Spain for the bar of soap, a huge bar of Lagarto soap (which is great for washing clothes too) costs € .70 cents, I had cut it in half and left the other half at the laundry sink.

 

[jmcorrigan]

Yes, I've heard that I should buy Lagarto soap and cut it in half and leave half for someone else. Lagarto soap is made from rendered animal fat and palm oil, two things I will never use myself.

 

[mohawkgrl]

I don't think this belongs in this particular thread but I felt a need to say it so here it is.





From what I understand, the Camino can only be walked your way anyway, Pattii. All the 'ways' are different and no two people walk it the same. Take the advice given here as you see fit and leave what you don't need. Prepare as you wish and all will be well.

Blessings

PS I'm really excited for you, for Sept.2014!

 

[Thornley]

Don't wear yourself out Patti before you go .
Over 200,000 walk the camino each year so your thoughts/ideas will always be yours and the others will always have theirs.

You cannot prepare for what you will go through , please believe me [ blogs etc never show the aches , pains etc]

**Let it all happen out there on the path and PLEASE do not try or even consider walking the Norte backwards as you mentioned to Anne.

Its bad enough from Muxia / Finasterre back to Santiago [ missing the signs]. The Norte backwards would be very , very, very hard and in some sections very dangerous.
Eat as many veggies as you can before you leave , they are rare.
You will have ensalada mixta on every menu the whole way.
Fish , mussells and scallops are very common in the good restr. in the larger towns NOT in the smaller villages.

 

[Anne100]

The Norte backwards would be very , very, very hard and in some sections very dangerous.

You mean walking from Arzua towards Irun is dangerous? Can you explain some more, please?

 

[Bajaracer]

Don't wear yourself out Patti before you go .
Over 200,000 walk the camino each year so your thoughts/ideas will always be yours and the others will always have theirs.

You cannot prepare for what you will go through , please believe me [ blogs etc never show the aches , pains etc]

Thank you for quoting this, this is what I was trying to convey.

 

[Pattii]

EXACLY...its all moot till I get there anyway...But I love to learn and listen and store information in my brain so when I need it I can recall it. I have very good recall; if I have read it I can recall it almost word for word...so this is why I ask and read. The information that I read here will be used if and when it is needed and I appreciate every single bit of it!! Just as long as I get to walk it the way God asks me to. And I know...when I get there I will know!

 

[Ingrid Elaine Eaker]

Why can't you get peanut butter?[/quote]
The vast majority of Europeans don't eat it. They eat Nutella.

 

[wawpdx]

Patti,
As much as you want to be fully prepared, in the end, the questions you worry most about now may (I say, may) fade into the background when you are actually walking. For example, the real questions might be "Will I always recognize a food store when I see one?" -- in a small village a portable ice cream bar sign out front is a significant clue; in a city the entrance to a large store may be as small as your doorway at home -- and the big one: "When are the stores actually open?"

 

[Thornley]

Hi Anne,
If you are walking the Norte backwards YOU will be the ONLY pilgrim on the way/path/camino going EAST.
In the early morning you will see no one , thus assistance on the correct path is zilch until you come across people heading to Santiago, this could be a few hours each morning .
The beauty of the Norte is the lack of pilgrims.
[ We have all over the years followed someone on the road going the wrong way........ for more than a few minutes]
The signs are very hard to see when not going west [ they are in spots for people going the other way Anne]
The E9 is a beautiful part of this walk, it follows the coast and most pilgrims follow this and rejoin the camino path.
Because of its proximity to the edge in some places i would not walk this near around dawn or dusk.

 

[stevenjarvis]

Pattii
Are you trying to tell me you are not hanging on my every syllable and may NOT dedicate all your energy to follow my example, replicate MY camino and generally DO WHAT I SAY ?
Phew, that's a relief !

 

[Pattii]

Yep....welllll I do hang on your every word! hahaha...

 

[Pattii]

Patti,
As much as you want to be fully prepared, in the end, the questions you worry most about now may (I say, may) fade into the background when you are actually walking. For example, the real questions might be "Will I always recognize a food store when I see one?" -- in a small village a portable ice cream bar sign out front is a significant clue; in a city the entrance to a large store may be as small as your doorway at home -- and the big one: "When are the stores actually open?"

Weeelll....lol...yes if i see an ice cream bar sign would be a huge clue no? And I do have a mouth...I am sure I can ask where I can find something. LOL I wonder how you all made it through...My GOD you where sure to get lost and die of starvation or dehydration but wow you survived.

Bottom line. My God is Greater than all of these issues I might have.

A few years ago I was in Jamaica. Not at the resorts. I lived in rural Jamaica for 6 months. It is a 3rd world country. Food was not always around...I lived in a little town out in the boondocks in the middle of the cockpit mountains. I was shot at...I was robbed and I went hungry a few days. But I survived.

Fear is not an option. I don't have one ounce of fear regarding this trip. I trust God COMPLETELY with these things. I am pretty sure I am ok really...lol.

 

[Terrri]

I haven't read thru this whole post but just wanted to add a few things anyways at the risk of being repetitive.

Eggs are found on the shelves, in cartons, and not in the refrigerated sections.

If you see something you are considering trying, don't wait until another time because you might not find it again.

When we were in a big market in Logrono in the evening the shelves were almost empty. The next morning, on the other side of town, we entered the same chain store and could hardly move due to all the workers restocking the shelves. If at first you don't succeed, try again!

One phrase we found very useful was asking for food to go from restaurants. They were very accommodating, usually wrapping the food in tinfoil so it also travelled well. This was especially useful when leaving a small village with no stores and only restaurants when you aren't sure what lies ahead. The phrase is "comida para llevar" replacing the comida as necessary with what ever food you want to go. In Barcelona my daughter got coffee to go but asked only for coffee with no milk so got these cute pink cups with a pink carrying tray but the cups only contained about 1.5" of coffee. She got some funny looks she said. First and only time we saw carrying trays for coffee.

 

[Bajaracer]

http://www.caminodesantiago.me/comm...e-van-in-the-smaller-towns.19865/#post-148727

The fruit and vegetable vans that pass through the smaller towns with no stores.

 

[caminoforme86]

Fasting is good for the soul, I do 48 hour water fasts every so often and feel fantastic after them, I have also carried out my fasts while I have been training for the Camino walking about 17km. I shall not be fasting during my Camino but if I don't come upon any food when I feel I should be eating I shall not be in a state of panic.

 

[Pattii]

Fasting is good for the soul, I do 48 hour water fasts every so often and feel fantastic after them, I have also carried out my fasts while I have been training for the Camino walking about 17km. I shall not be fasting during my Camino but if I don't come upon any food when I feel I should be eating I shall not be in a state of panic.

Can I "like" this several more times..lol ...One by proxy for Anne too for sure!

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

simple. I cannot nor do I want to "eat out" every night. I will be in Europe a long time...and in Spain itself for at least two months. It adds up. And sometimes all I want is a really good apple and some excellent cheese and a nice glass of wine.
Consider...if one is to eat out each day it would be min 15 to 20 euro...easy...and if you do the math...??? I honestly would rather cut that by half and spend the rest to buy a ticket to Rome and stay there a couple days in a hostel rather than spend it on my appetite. There is a time and place for everything. I do think I will indulge in the cities...I am looking forward mostly to the seafood...and the lamb...lol.

All Caminos are different I am told. Enjoy tour Camino Patti and dont let me or anyone change it....(Stick to yer Guns Annie).

Ed

 

[Pattii]

Hugs Ed
Thanks!

Pattii

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

Hugs Ed
Thanks!

Pattii

Aw Shucks...Hugged by a Canadian......

 

[Pattii]

ewww girl cooties...worse yet canadian girl cooties!!!

 

[NicoZ]

I'd wager Spainards eat food.

Unless you have allergies or are very adverse to trying new foods you won't starve.

If you don't like new foods but are willing and able to cook you can work around anything.

You could even make peanut butter if you really wanted to. But the food processor might put you over the 10% rule

 

[Al the optimist]

At the one in Ages - Jazz playing! Well it is a bar as well, and a nice one at that.