Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

[hastings1066]

Hello everyone- I am planning to walk the Camino Ingles in September to celebrate the birth of my first grandchild-- and go on to Finisterre. Has anyone any updates to Bill Murphy's great post of two years ago--and resolved the issue of exactly how far it is from Betanzos to Hospital to Bruma? The reports are seriously conflicting! Also is the refuge at Sigueiro completed and open?
I am really looking forward to the camino .......

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi

Great route to walk. See my posting from last August:

el-camino-ingles/topic2858.html

I also walked down from A Coruna then out to Finisterre and Muxia a couple of weeks ago. As the CSJ guide recommends A Coruna is definitely worth a visit.

The route is well waymarked all the way from Ferrol and from about 12 k outside of A Coruna - if leaving from A Coruna the CSJ guide which lists the street is perfectly adequate.

There is no Albergue in Sigueiro to my knoweldge.

John

[miguel_gp]

I'm walking Camino Ingles (Coruna arm) and then on to Finisterre starting next Wednesday.

I've just roughly measured the distance between Betanzos and Bruma using Google Earth and in KMs it certainly seems to be low 20's rather than low 30s.

I also am not aware of an Albergue in Sigueiro so I've booked into the Hostal Miras. I believe they quoted 18 euros per person.

John has already stated that the route is very well waymarked. If anything else of note comes up next week I'll post back when I get home and let you know.

Regards

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola Miguel

I was thinking about you as your departure date approaches. I hope the weather is as kind to you as it was to me. I'm going to walk down from Ferrol again later this year I hope and take more notice of the distance on the Betanzos/Bruma etapa - but it certainly felt mid 20's or so.

I called into the Hostal Miras when I was there a few weeks ago. They are very friendly although I suspect they have not upgraded the accomodation - but it is cheap and the food is good.

And on the A Cornuna arm also there adequate places for food and water so not too much has to be carried.

Buen Camino

John

[Peter Robins]

I've seen no further news on the planned albergue in Sigueiro, so would assume this project has got nowhere as yet. The Xunta are planning to have albergues at 20-30km intervals on all their official routes by 2010; Sigueiro is an outstanding gap.

[Rebekah Scott]

I´ve just returned from the Ferrol-Santiago hike. It was lovely, very solitary, and frustrating, too. I started walking from Ferrol May 10, and arrived in Santiago late in the day on May 14.

The notes posted here and elsewhere on Internet sites were a great help to me. I could not have done it without them, seeing as I mislaid my CSJ guide. Walking the Ingles without a proper guide and maps was a mistake, but happily not a fatal one. This camino was NOT as tough as the Camino Aragonese, but it was plenty challenging, especially the last five or so km. every day.

I must disagree with anyone who says the Way is well waymarked. I found many marks were contradictory, faded down to nothing, hidden behind greenery, or possibly paved-over by new construction. The waymarks all the way through this camino were the worst I´ve seen, and I am lucky I didn´t run into real trouble.

Still, the countryside was all abloom, the animals all had little ones at their sides, the people were much friendlier than I´d remembered Galicians being -- probably because now I can understand what they say to me! I walked the first three days alone, and only meting another pilgrim at Hospital de Bruma...a Valencian coming down from Coruña.

I saw some great things, following the route advised here on Pilgrimage. Met a lovely man in Pontedeume who made me up a real Pakistani meal, off menu, in his Doner Kebab restaurant around the corner from the Convent Square; found a decent-enough little room in town for 12 Euro! (ask at Bar Luis.) I attended the 8 p.m. Mass and was made very welcome.

Betanzos was great too, even though a convention of Harley riders took up all the cheap rooms and I had to take a hotel. While there I discovered a weird and wonderful Victorian theme park, called the Pasatiempos. It was a gift of two local boys who went to Argentina in the 1860s and made their fortune, and came back home to become Andrew Carnegies. Among the schools and libraries etc. they endowed the place with was this fantastical park, built into a hillside, meant to show their benighted neighbors the 1880´s view of the Wide World and the wonders of capitalism... all done up in seashell mosaic, water grottos, caves, cacti, and concrete neoclassical nymphs, lions, dinosaurs, and eagles. It´s still there, free, and still very much in use! Surreality out in the wilds of Galicia.

The following day was the toughest, but Bar Julia is a midday lifesaver, located at the bottom/beginning of the big steep mountain climb. They have Johnny Walker shots, the Pilgrim Jet Fuel for conquering mountains! The climb really wasn´t THAT bad. I did it in an hour, with several stops to catch my breath and admire the views. Tougher still, to me, was the next several kilometers across relatively level ground, but peppered with fragrant piggeries!

Bruma was the only time I stayed at a pilgrim albergue. The food and hotels are a good 5 km. away, and the friendly hospitalero drove me and the only other pilg there over to the supermarket to get food. When a noisy gang of Portuguese arrived late they phoned up a feast from a restaurant, which delivered to the door. I managed to get enough to eat and drink throughout the trip, but it was slim pickings a couple of times. (I checked out the eel fiesta in Ordes. Eeugh; and had the Menu del Dia of a lifetime at Asador Santa Cruz, along the highway between Ordes and Siguero. Lamb cutlets, done to a turn over a wood fire, tortilla, green beans, rice pudding, Orense red, mint tea. 10€.)

I very much enjoyed the Camino Ingles, perhaps because it was so untraveled and unspoilt, or maybe because it really was a challenge is several ways. It is beautiful, mostly, and terribly fiddly and frustrating in parts, with long days and frequent changes of scenery and mood. I recommend it highly to people with useable Spanish, a good fitness level, a guidebook with maps, a good sense of direction, and an appetite for solitude.

[JohnnieWalker]

A great post Rebekah - thanks. I walked down from A Coruna just a few weeks ago and there are no arrows until about 12 k out of the town. But you will have seen Javier's post saying the local Amigos are going to up date the arrows soon. All good.

I think it is a lovely route and perfect for a week's walk. The albergue in Bruma is excellent and the hospitalera and husband really helpful.

I'm glad you enjoyed it

John

[ivar]

Great post Rebekah! maybe i should consider the Inglés? Hmmm...

Ivar

[JohnnieWalker]

Let's do it together Ivar! - a forum pilgrimage perhaps?

[Rebekah Scott]

Count me in! I´ll do it again, or perhaps I´ll take the Coruña arm and meet up with you all in Bruma!

Reb.

[hastings1066]

Dear Rebekah- this is really great- encouraging but slightly daunting too! Especially regarding the poor way marking since I am someone with a hopeless sense of direction. Anyway I am working on my fitness, doing the BBC Spanish Steps basics course, and intend to have with me every guide possible about the route. I have marked the Bar Julia and the Asador Santa Cruz.....

[Rebekah Scott]

Hastings:
I endeavour to be of service. I hope you enjoy your walk, and I congratulate you in advance for your grandparent-hood.

Make really really sure your boots fit you well, and you´re able to do 30 km. etapas. My pinky toes are still getting over it. And I still am craving those lamb chops!

rebekah

[JohnnieWalker]

Hastings

Relax about the waymarking. According to Javier the local Amigos are currently re-painting the arrows again. I've walked both arms of the route twice in the last year and found it generally well waymarked apart from a couple of places where I had to scout for arrows but readily found them - take the CSJ guidebook is my advice and all will be well. Whilst it needs updating here and there it helps with direction finding. The etapas are very do-able.

Buen Camino

John

[Rebekah Scott]

yeah, don´t take too much account of my whining about arrows. If I´d been sensible I would have taken a proper map and guidebook, and not been so dependent on trail markers.

And remember, when all else fails, there´s always... Johnny Walker.

[peregrina2000]

Thanks for all this great information. For those who have walked, what's the best guidebook? In English or Spanish if possible. And where do you get the credencial? Thanks, Laurie

[JohnnieWalker]

Laurie

If leaving from Ferrol, you can get a credencial, your first sello and a map of the route out of the city from the Tourist Office which is on the first floor of the building tucked in to the corner of the Plaza Espana:

Edif. Admtvo. Praza C.J. Cela
abierta con los siguientes horarios:
Julio y agosto:
De lunes a viernes: de 9:00 a 14:00 y de 17:30 a 19:30 h.
Sábados: de 10:00 a 12:30 y de 17:30 a 19:30 h.
Domingos: de 10:00 a 12:30 h.
Resto del año:
De lunes a viernes: de 9:00 a 14:00 y de 16:00 a 18:00 h.
Sábados: 10:00 a 12:30 h.

A forum member Miguel recently walked from A Coruna and had been informed that credenciales were available from the Church of Santiago but I had been there a few weeks before and the Church was completely closed for long term restoration. I don’t think the tourist office was able to help – further enquiries need to be made. Best advice if leaving from A Coruna is to take one with you.

The CSJ Guide ( plus updates ) and the postings on this Forum are all you will need but there will be more detailed updates to the CSJ guide available before you go.

The CSJ Guide is available from:
http://www.csj.org.uk/acatalog/The_CSJ_ ... in_23.html

Javier has also told us that the local Amigos are going to repaint the yellow arrows which have faded in places.

Here is a general guide to the route published by the Xunta de Glacia:

http://www.xacobeo.es/2006/adjuntos/des ... sh_Way.pdf

[Javier Martin]

Javier has also told us that the local Amigos are going to repaint the yellow arrows which have faded in places.

We were going to repaint on late may but the horrible weather made us to give up for another chance.

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.

[hastings1066]

Well I made it!-- the 65 year old grannny with arthritic knees, no Spanish and a hopeless sense of direction finally made it to Santiago from Ferrol.Johnny Walker's revised Guide just came out in time and was enormously helpful. I left Ferrol on Monday 15th September and arrived in Santiago on Tuesday 23rd September. I had planned to take it slowly ( see knees etc above) and in particular break the Betanzos to Bruma stage into two at Leiro with the help of taxis. The weather was wonderful throughout ( the whole of Spain was being washed away by floods my second week with the exception of Galicia), I met no other pilgrims but so much kindness on my way, the countryside was marvellous and the climb up the mountain ( after the obligatory shot of Johnny Walker at the Bar Julia) was a doddle.
The highspots? The views of the forested hills as I approached the top of the hill before Bruma-and the arrival in the Plaza Obradoiro. The lowspots? The dirty Hostal Miras in Sigueiro and the endless cacophony of dog barks which seemed to follow me all the way. I did get bitten though only a nip and my dog zapper was worse than useless.
A few points of detail: The sweet nun at the Church of San Francisico in the Old Town of Betanzos sadly told me that mass is now only once a week on a Sunday evening, no longer daily. The telephone number of the Hotel Canaima is 981 692 801 ( NOT 681 401). And I think JW must be sweet talking because neither the Meson Novo at Meson do Vento nor Bar Cruceiro at Calle de Paullo were prepared to provide a meal despite my efforts to arrange it in advance. In fact getting food was often quite difficult and shops selling food were few and far between and often closed.

Overall however it was a wonderful expereince and sincerest thanks to everyone on the CSJ discussion forum sites who shared their experiences so fully which I found really helpful in planning the pilgrimage.

[JohnnieWalker]

Hey - congratulations! A pilgrimage completed and I can sense that feeling of achievement as you entered the Cathedral.

Enorabuena!