As mentioned in a previous post, the Brierley has been instrumental in helping us make a plan. We’re pretty much following the prescribed route and pace, adding an additional night in two of the larger cities as “rest & relax” days.
Even so, nights must be booked—at least the first 3-5 prior to leaving. I discovered some websites that were helpful in various ways, but Albergues del Camino de Santiago became my “go to” for information and quick links to accommodations, not only for the end-of-stage destination, but other towns in between…just in case!
These are the sites I found most helpful—and weren’t trying to sell me a tour, although there is a huge array of others, as well as forums.
- Albergues del Camino de Santiago: As mentioned above, great for general info & links
- Camino de Santiago: Great information on points of interest, tips for preparing and staying healthy
- Camino de Santiago: Ostensibly a place to find guidebooks for the various routes, but also a resource with maps, booking links, and planning tools.
Apps
Looking through these sites (and others) I became aware of apps that are available which help track your route, and provide hints and warnings with regard to weather. The one we chose to download (android) is Buen Camino. Another useful App (in spite of studying Spanish on Duolingo) is Google translate.
We also downloaded apps to replace our guide books for Spain and Portugal, as well as those for a few other types of books which I originally wanted to take with me. (That backpack CANNOT be any heavier!)
Afterward—Continuing On
After we complete our Camino, we decided—since we’re retired and our time is now our own (YAY)—to stay on and see Portugal and Southern Spain, as well as hop over to Denmark to visit our son who lives in Roskilde. So…there was more planning. Which places to go, where to stay, how to get there. It’s all on a spreadsheet. With links. Plus, Dale has PDFs on his laptop.
I think the trickiest part may be transportation from place to place. Since we aren’t renting a car, this will be via bus, train, ride-share, or taxi. Booked a few days in advance. This is not within my “planner” comfort zone… I’m trying to learn to “live loose.” Uh…in the best possible sense.
After that…well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There’s time.
Oh–Dale weighed his backpack. 18 pounds – without the laptop. Blog posts may be short on words, but long on photos!