A conversation with Catherine

A conversation with Catherine

by | Apr 10, 2019 | interview

Catherine had been following this blog for a while before she decided to join my Challenge last summer. She was preparing for the Camino Portugués later in the year. As you may already know, I live on the Camino Portugués, so we thought we might actually meet in person when she passed through my town. Unfortunately, that was not possible in the end, but we still managed to have this conversation online, so you can now read the story of her Caminos.
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
CatherineI live outside Portland, Oregon in the US. I moved here two and a half years ago from Seattle after taking an early retirement and now I have plenty of time to travel! This part of the US, the Pacific Northwest, is beautiful and I love living here. Seventy miles west of us is the Pacific Ocean and 70 miles east of us is Mount Hood. We now live in a planned community where I can walk to almost everything I need. I feel very fortunate.
When did you first hear about the Camino? When/why did you decide to do it?
Both my father and my brother recommended the movie “The Way” to me several years ago but I didn’t know anything about it and it was probably about a year later that I finally watched it. Like so many others, I became captivated with the idea of doing the Camino. A year or so later, “Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago” was screened near me and after that I was fully obsessed with the idea of doing the Camino. After I retired my husband told me to stop talking about it and just go! I started out on my own from Saint Jean Pied de Port on September 20, 2017 and finished in Santiago de Compostela on November 4, 2017, the day after my 60th birthday. Even well into my journey I didn’t know why I was there – I just felt “called” to be there. Eventually I knew that my own soul had called me there. I loved everything about the journey and wished that I could have kept walking and walking.
Did you prepare either physically or mentally? How?
I was totally obsessed with preparing for my first Camino, although it would have been good to put as much energy into training as I put into gear testing! I spent hours and hours reading books and following Facebook groups. I thoroughly enjoyed the planning. The CAMIGAS Facebook group was especially helpful to me. The discussions there gave me the confidence to walk the Camino alone.
That was not your only Camino. Tell us about your other Camino.
Last September I was fortunate to walk the Camino Portugués with a friend from Porto to Santiago de Compostela. We started on the Coastal Route and then cut over to Valença along the Minho River. There were certainly some stunning places along the Camino Francés but I found the Camino Portugués to be more consistently pretty and I loved that nearly all the churches in Portugal were open. The people, in Portugal especially, were very friendly and helpful and of course the Portuguese pastries are worth the trip! Fortunately my traveling companion agreed to learn some Portuguese because I found the language very difficult. I took over once we were in Spain.
How do both experiences compare?
I still think of the Francés in 2017 as “My Camino” because, for me, walking 12 days on the Camino Portugués didn’t match the transformational experience of walking for 46 days on the Francés. I’m grateful for having had the time, health and resources to make that journey. On both the Camino Francés and the Camino Portugués I felt like I was surrounded by kindness and I have tried to bring that into my daily life at home. There is (generally) no reason not to be kind. And I now smile and say hello to everyone I pass on the sidewalk. Well, not on the busy city sidewalks!
Did you learn any Spanish prior to the Camino? Do you think this had any impact on your Camino?
Before my first Camino I learned some basic Spanish vocabulary recommended for peregrinos, but I discovered as soon as I got to Spain that it was pretty inadequate. I might have been able to read a little but I certainly didn’t understand what people were saying. It’s true that you don’t need to know Spanish to do a Camino but I wished I had been able to communicate better. I would have liked to have connected more with the Spanish people along the way.
Any difference between your first and second Camino?
So before I went back last year I made more of an effort to learn more Spanish vocabulary. Doing the Challenge with you taught me the pronunciation rules and that gave me a lot more confidence learning new words. I don’t know if I will have the opportunity to go back to Spain but I haven’t given up learning Spanish. In a couple of weeks I’ll be starting my second session of Spanish Through the Arts, a class offered at my community center where we practice Spanish through songs and dances and coloring and doing little plays. It’s great fun!
Catherine’s words
I usually ask my guests to pick a few Spanish words or phrases: the ones they think every pilgrim should know before their Camino, the ones they knew, the ones they learnt… Catherine chose
  • one she learned along the Way: Una cama baja, very useful if you prefer the lower bunk in the albergues.
  • Her personal favourite: un café con leche grande, por favor. Does this need further explanations?
  • And finally, two more she wished she knew for her first Camino: a la derecha (to the right) and a la izquierda (to the left). I know a la izquierda is not the easiest to pronounce and I also know it was also a bit of a challenge for Catherine, so I really appreciate her mustering the courage to record herself and allowing me to post it here. But I must say she did an excellent job. Her pronunciation is impeccable. Well done, Catherine!
Una cama baja, por favor Café con leche grande, por favor A la derecha A la izquierda Make sure you don’t miss any posts by subscribing for free here. That way, when a new post is out, you will get it in your inbox. And… you get access to some exclusive content too. I promise I won’t send you any spam.

¡Buen Camino!

Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos

Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos

by | Apr 5, 2019 | Camino de Santiago, Camino Inglés

Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos |

Day 3 was the last day on our Camino Inglés… for now. When we decided to take our daughters along on this adventure, we thought that maybe walking 20km from Pontedeume to Betanzos would be too much for them. We still wanted to see Betanzos and so that’s where we booked our accommodation for Monday night. We thought we could walk around 10km up to Miño and then take an autobús (bus) to Betanzos (arriva.gal). But we didn’t make any definite decisions.

Day 2, we stayed at Pensión Luis, in Pontedeume. They open their café at 9.00, but we wanted to leave earlier. One of the guys there told us of a cafetería around the corner that apparently opens at 5.00am: a place called Martiño. We certainly didn’t go there at 5.00 to check if they were open. But they were open at 8.00am when we left the pensión to start our day. So we had breakfast, bought a couple of extra things to take with us and left.

Before I started walking this Camino, I had never paid much attention to stage profiles. Whenever I was hiking, maybe I would read a general description of the route and that was it. I just showed up and walked. Profiles were not usually present in what I read and, even if they were, they felt somehow abstract.

Walking from Neda to Pontedeume they suddenly started making sense. So I wasn’t looking forward to walking out of Pontedeume when I saw the profile. And the uphill didn’t disappoint!

 

Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos
 

The climb is over… for now

After we finished climbing, we walked through a lovely forest. The weather gave us a break. It was not as warm as Day 1, but the wind had died down and, again, rain was not expected until later in the day. El sol (sun) was shining and los pájaros (birds) were singing. Quite idyllic!

 

After this, we crossed a road and found ourselves going through a golf course. I wasn’t expecting that and it felt somehow weird and out-of-place. Or maybe it was just me. What I wasn’t expecting either was the hard climb we had to tackle next, through a forest on this occasion. There was a woman on a tractor waiting at the bottom of the hill… I was very tempted to ask her for a lift up to the top!

Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos
Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos
Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos

 

We then continued on paved roads through rural areas for a while until we decided to had a short break at one of the many picnic areas we saw today, by the medieval puente (bridge) over the río (river) Baxoi. We refilled our bottles at the fuente here and ate the churros we had bought earlier in Pontedeume.

Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos
Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos

After this bridge we walked for a few minutes through a forest area under the motorway bridges before we entered Miño, a lovely coastal town with plenty of tiendas (shops) and cafeterías.

Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos
Graffiti under the motorway

We stopped for a toilet break and to drink something that was not water. After eating the churros, we were not hungry and so we didn’t order any food. But we got a pincho de callos with our drinks.

Callos is a typical Spanish stew. As is usually the case with all traditional recipes, there are almost as many versions of callos as cooks. But they all have the same 2 main ingredients in common: beef tripe and garbanzos (chickpeas), as well as a bunch of spices.

I must say the callos tasted heavenly, like pretty much everything else we ate during those 3 days. I guess that’s one of the side effects of walking for hours.

 

So, now we were in Miño and we had to decide whether to keep walking or skip the rest of the stage and take a bus. And we took a vote: it was still early, the weather was holding up and our energy levels were OK, which means we decided to continue walking up to Betanzos (guess who was the only one who voted against it? Hint: teenager).

The rest of the stage, from Miño to Betanzos, goes through tiny villages and it’s mostly (or all) on paved roads. Just like days 1 and 2, it was lonely out there, our company just the odd caballo (horse) or perro (dog).

Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos
Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos
Camino Ingles: de Pontedeume a Betanzos

Betanzos

When we finally made it to Betanzos, our first priority was to find a place to eat, because it was getting late. Restaurant kitchens usually close at around 3.30 or 4.00pm and we didn’t want to wait until la cena (dinner) for a proper meal. There are many places to eat on two narrow streets off Praza Irmáns García Naveira. We tried one of them (I think it was Mesón Sabín) and they agreed to serve us, although I’m sure they were getting ready to close. ¡Gracias!

Among other things, Betanzos is famous for its tortillas de patatas. We got to taste one of them and a few other things as well. Again, everything tasted delicious!  (http://www.expansion.com/fueradeserie/gastro/2018/08/06/5b617442ca4741f5728b45e0.html)

After food, we headed to our accommodation. Shortly after we had arrived, it started raining, although it was not as bad as the previous day in Pontedeume.

As I explained before, we had to go back home on Tuesday in order to allow the kids some time to do homework and study for exams they had right after this short break. So, we got up early and explored Betanzos a bit before taking a bus back to A Coruña. There is a lot to see in Betanzos! (click here for more info).

Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos
Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos
Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos
Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos
Camino Inglés: de Pontedeume a Betanzos

My plan is to go back at the end of this month to complete it. So you’ll have to wait a bit for the rest of the story…

 

Today’s words of Spanish for the Camino

Autobús

Sol

Pájaro

Puente

Río

Fuente

Tienda

Churros

Clara

Callos

Garbanzos

Cena

Caballo

Perro

 

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¡Buen Camino!

Camino Inglés: de Neda a Pontedeume

Camino Inglés: de Neda a Pontedeume

by | Mar 29, 2019 | Camino Inglés, routes

Welcome to Day 2 of my Camino Inglés: de Neda a Pontedeume. If you missed Day 1, you can catch up here.

On Day 2 of our Camino Inglés, we had planned to walk from Neda to Pontedeume, but the weather forecast was not good. In fact, we were on orange alert, with gales and heavy rain… or temporal, as we call it in Spanish.

 

Neda

We woke up to strong winds and grey skies. We checked our weather app again and the chances of lluvia (rain) during the morning seemed to be slim. The owner of our pensión looked quite sceptical when I commented that we might be lucky and make it to Pontedeume with no rain. But, in any case, we decided to leave and see how things went.

Neda was still asleep. We refilled our bottles at the fuente (fountain) outside the concello (town hall in Galician) and kept going.

Iglesia de Sta. María de Neda

We were in Paradise!

Refilling our bottles

The second day was the complete opposite of the first one. On the one hand, there was the issue of the weather. The rain held off until we make it to Pontedeume (phew!), but el viento (wind) was so strong that we could hardly walk at times. We would just hold on to each other so that no one fell, and we tried to keep moving.

This was not one of the windiest moments of the day

 

On the other hand, the terrain was quite different too. While Ferrol-Neda was mostly flat, Neda-Pontedeume was a bit of a rollercoaster, constantly going up and down. And I discovered that walking uphill is not one of my specialties!

My youngest daughter tends to be a fast walker. My husband is not, generally; but today he was in a hurry to make it to Pontedeume as soon as possible, before the rain started pouring. So the two of them walked in front.

Between the uphills and my tendency to stop and take pictures, I was constantly behind. My older daughter (the grumpy teenager), was kind enough to slow down and stay with her poor, slow mother. And that’s how we walked most of the time.

For me, the only good thing about the uphills is that, occasionally, you get rewarded with stunning views like these:

This stage was mostly through rural areas, either tiny aldeas (villages) or forests.

 

**Warning: rant ahead

A lot of the forest areas we crossed today were full of eucaliptos (eucalyptus). I often read other pilgrims’ posts in blogs or social media, about walking through an eucalyptus forest: it’s always about the wonderful smell, how nice it is and how much they love it.

Sorry, but I can’t agree on this one. I do like the smell of eucalyptus, but not in Galician montes (forests)! For me, eucalyptus equals economic interest, destruction of native vegetation and increased risk of fires, among other things. In short, a total disregard for the environment. So, walking through an eucalyptus forest (in Galicia) saddens me greatly **end of rant.

 

To stop or not to stop

Anyway, after going up and down a few times, we got to Fene, a larger town with cafeterías and other services. We took a vote and decided to continue.

More uphills, villages and eucalyptus. After one of these uphills through eucalyptus, we came to a couple of yellow arrows painted under a bridge, that seemed to indicate that we had to get off the path we were following. That didn’t seem right. So, after a couple of minutes’ deliberation and checking maps, we decided to stay on the path. Good decision: after a bend, we could see a stone marker a few metres ahead.

Shortly after, we came to an industrial state (Polígono Vilar do Colo) with a big Gadis supermarket and a bar-restaurante on the other side of the road. So we crossed and enjoyed a well-deserved break. Once inside we realised the place is linked to a petrol station (or gas station, depending where you are from) and small convenience store.

After the break, we went back out into the wind and continued our walk through some more villages until we came to this crossroads:

 

More decisions

Again, like in Day 1, we had to decide: continue on the “regular” Camino (right) or take the Camino complementario (left). The latter added almost 2 km to our day, the first one included a dangerous spot, according to the information panel.

Yesterday we were all in agreement: skip the Camino complementario.

Today, it was hard to decide. On the one hand, nobody wanted to add unnecessary kilometres to our day. But we didn’t want to take risks either. Or at least, the more responsible adults didn’t; teenagers didn’t really agree. So, we took the longer route, which includes plenty more uphills. Yay!

Eventually, we joined the “regular” Camino, walked through Cabanas and crossed the bridge that gives Pontedeume its name.

We had booked a couple of rooms at Pensión Luis, so that’s where we headed. All the rooms have private bathrooms and the price is €15.00 per person.

After dropping our mochilas in the rooms, we had lunch at the restaurant they have downstairs (menu for €9.00; tasty and abundant).

After lunch we went out with the intention of exploring Pontedeume, but it soon started raining and rain gear was back at the pensión, so we went to our rooms. Good excuse to go back to Pontedeume.

Anything is possible during the Carnival. While we were having lunch, a group of ancient Romans came into the restaurant. They parked their vehicles outside. Later, while the Romans were still eating, a gust of wind dragged chariots and horses all over the street.

For more info about Pontedeume, click here.

Theme of the day

On Day 1 we say at least 6 “tanque de tormentas”. I must admit I don’t remember ever seeing one of those and I had to check out what they were. Apparently, these structures generally hold water from storm water runoff and release it gradually, reducing damage from erosion and other physical changes.

On Day 2, we kept seeing a different type of construction: lavaderos. Women used to gather around them to do their laundry in the past. According to this article, Cabanas council has been repairing some of them, not just because of their historical value, but also to turn them into meeting points and rest areas for pilgrims.

Day 1: tanques de tormentas

Day 2: Lavaderos

It was again a lonely day. I think we encountered a couple of people only: a woman in Fene saw us while we were deciding whether to stop or to continue, she thought we were lost and showed us the way. And later, we saw a guy on a tractor. That was it! And we saw horses again.

Will the weather improve for Day 3? Will there be a new theme? All will be revealed in the next post.

 

Today’s words

Temporal

Lluvia

Viento

Fuente

Concello

Aldea

Camino complementario

Tanque de tormentas

Lavadero

Eucalipto

Monte

 

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¡Buen Camino!

A conversation with Julia

A conversation with Julia

by | Feb 22, 2019 | Camino de Santiago, interview

This week I’ve been chatting to Julia, a German pilgrim who walked the Camino Francés after she finished college. Read the whole conversation to find out how the Camino changed her life.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Julia, I am 35 years old and I am from Northern Germany. I’ve been living in Spain now for four years in a small town called Oliva, which is on the eastern coast, with my husband and our two children. I am a German teacher and I run an online language agency: www.milengua.com

When did you first hear about the Camino and why did you decide to do it?

I’ve always been up to traveling and especially to hiking and trekking. After finishing my university degree in German Philology I decided to go on a trip on my own and among all the different long distance trekking roads I chose the Camino de Santiago as it seemed to me physically not too difficult but very interesting. Besides, I wanted to get to know Spain, where I hadn’t been before. Also, I had a friend who did a part of the Camino and he highly recommended it.

 

Did you prepare either physically or mentally? How?

Basically, I got prepared by hiking on every possible occasion. Moreover, I was into running and biking at this time so I found myself in physically good condition. Mentally?  I don’t know. I had a book with the single legs of the way. But to be honest, I just started the journey without thinking too much about it. I was just excited about being outside everyday and walking as far as I could.

 

Tell us about your Camino. How was your experience?

It was certainly one of my best experiences ever. I met a lot of wonderful people and even though you only shared a couple of days together until each one went on at her or his speed, it felt always like a lifetime. You get to know people that deeply in an incredible short time and I remember almost all of them now 5 years later.

Another deep impression that I will bear forever is the feeling of freedom and peace of mind. You only have to walk. That’s your only mission for several weeks. Enjoying the simplicity of life and the beauty of nature made me feel really “light”.

 

How did it change your life? Is there any particular anecdote you would like to share?

My anecdote is a romantic one: I met my future husband here, to be precise, in Molinaseca near Ponferrada. From there we went the remaining way together to Santiago and later to Fisterra, where we separated. More than 2 weeks together on the Camino, that’s like 2 years in real time. We stayed in contact ever since but it took us 18 month until we met again. Soon after that I decided to move to Spain  – and I stayed.

 

Did you learn any Spanish prior to the Camino? Did that have any impact on your Camino?

Actually I didn’t know any Spanish before. I learned quickly how to order breakfast, to ask for free beds and to wish a “buen camino”. But it was actually a pity not to be able to talk to the locals. One time I met an older man walking with his dog and as we went the same way for quite a while, we started a conversation. He didn’t speak English so we communicated with gestures, by pointing at things; he showed me photos he had in his wallet and we drew in the sand with sticks we found.  I wished we really could talk as he seemed to be a very interesting person.

Without any Spanish you stay mainly with other pilgrims but you will miss the option to talk with the locals which is basically an important aspect if you want to get to know a country for real.  Another point is the medical assistance, if needed. Whether it’s at a doctors or just in the pharmacy: Some basic vocabulary to explain what’s your problem is more than helpful.

 

 

Julia’s words

I usually ask my guests to pick 5-10 Spanish words or phrases: the ones they think every pilgrim should know before their Camino, the ones they knew, the ones they learnt… Julia chose what she learnt on the Camino,  mainly food orders and one phrase that the Spanish pilgrims liked to say when they had wine for dinner: El vino te pone fino, peregrino.
 
I must confess I’d never heard this phrase before and it can be interpreted in several ways, as it plays on the meanings of the word fino, as well as a couple of expressions that contain it. It could simply mean that wine makes you drunk. But it could also mean that wines makes you wittier!
 
 
If you would like to know more about either the menú del día or menú peregrino, check this post.
 
 
The word cigüeña means stork and Julia learnt it because she was surprised at how many of these birds she saw while on the Camino. According to her, there are not many storks left in Germany.

¡Buen Camino!

¿Dónde está el albergue?

¿Dónde está la iglesia?

Un café con leche, por favor

El menú peregrino

El vino te pone fino, peregrino

Cigüeña

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¡Buen Camino!

A conversation with David

A conversation with David

by | Feb 8, 2019 | Camino de Santiago, interview

A conversation with David |

Less than ten years ago David had not heard about the Camino. Now he’s planning for his 5th. And that’s not his only connection to the Camino. If you’re curious about David’s story, read our conversation!

 

Please tell us a bit about yourself

My name is David and I’m from Dublin, Ireland. I love to write, and I have been keeping my own blog ClearskiesCamino.com for over 6 years. I also love the outdoors and have recently taken up photography. I love trying new things, and new gadgets!

 

When did you first hear about the Camino? When or why did you decide to do it?

I heard about the Camino de Santiago by pure accident! I hope your readers believe in fate. In late 2010, I was handed a leaflet with the words “Walk the Camino” framed across the top. I thought to myself, “this will be a great challenge” and I instantly registered. I raised €3000 for a mental health charity in Ireland and on the 6th of June 2011, we would start our Camino from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela on the  – the final stretch!

At the time, walking 10 kilometres was a struggle for me so walking 15 kilometres, 4 or 5 days in a row would really test me. But it was achievable. I also wanted to see another part of the world, to see the culture, to hear the language and see how people tick. All in all, it was an enjoyable week, despite the blisters.

We had a guide, a great guy from Australia who got us around. He had the Spanish even though I had a few simple phrases to get me by like Gracias, ¿Qué tal?, Buenos días and of course ¿Dónde está?

I loved Santiago and was blown away when I arrived under the archway into the Praza do Obradoiro– it’s not something you see every day. I have my Compostela framed in my apartment in Dublin and I will treasure it.

 

You’ve done several Caminos after that. What is it about the Camino that makes you want to come back?

On return to Dublin, I felt that this was my one and only Camino experience and it was time to experience something else. I would return to work the following Monday and life would go on. It wasn’t until later in the year, however, when I received an email from the Australian guide checking up on me, just to see how I was.

At this stage, the Camino was just a memory but over the course of a week, a simple hello had changed my mind. I suppose if it wasn’t for his email I wouldn’t be where I am today, who knows?

Over the last 6 years, I have walked various parts of the Camino Francés and more recently I have walked from A Guarda to Santiago with my brother on the Portuguese Coastal Route.

I find the Camino is a great way to get away from strains of modern daylife. You can experience simplicity in all its forms – get up in the morning, carry all your belongings, just walk, and rest when you are tired. It’s as simple as that.

But the people you meet make it for me, and it is so easy to meet lifelong friends here. I also like the idea that I walk in the footsteps of thousands of people before me. I am walking from A Coruña in May – a route taken by pilgrims from Ireland in medieval times (for more info on this route: Camino Inglés).

 

How have your experiences been so far?

I have had very positive experiences so far, but with all things in life you learn as you go on. On my first Camino, I was badly prepared and suffered with blisters but over the years, you learn how to treat them and buy the suitable equipment. My Camino from León to Sarria in 2012 was much more enjoyable I found.

 

Is there any particular anecdote you would like to share?

On my Camino from Logroño to León in 2013, I met a large Camino family and we still keep in touch. There is one story that strikes a chord to this day and it is from May 2015. I was walking from Belorado in La Rioja to Molinaseca, just short of Ponferrada and had met a good bunch of pilgrims, from Ireland, Belgium, Holland and England.

We had reached Sahagún and I had run out of money before checking in at the albergue. I went to the ATM to get some more. An error message appeared. My heart sank. I asked the bank teller inside: “¿Hablas inglés?” “Yes”. OK. So there was a problem with the card. Now what…?

Hmm! I walked back to the albergue where the rest of the gang were. I explained my predicament and they said not to worry. The offer was there to pay for any expenses until I got fixed up. Three evenings later in León, I had money wired to me via Western Union. The Camino provides! I have always been grateful for my peregrino friends.

 

Walking the Camino is not your only connection to the pilgrimage to Santiago. Tell us about Camino Society Ireland and Shamrocks and Shells.

That’s correct. As I mentioned above, I have been writing since 2012 at ClearskiesCamino.com about my experiences on the Camino. I love writing and giving people hints and tips about how to prepare for their Caminos. In 2015, I became a member of Camino Society Ireland as a way of giving back and more recently, I started to volunteer. I just thought it was the next step after walking my 4thCamino and planning for my 5th.

Camino Society Ireland offers an opportunity to all those interested in the Camino to meet and share practical information and experiences. We meet for monthly walks throughout Ireland as preparation for a Camino and in the past, there have been talks, films nights and Information days for those who are preparing.

Shamrocks and Shells is Camino Society Ireland’s quarterly newsletter. Its first issue was published in Spring 2018. It was designed with the intention of publishing stories from pilgrims, news from Santiago and the Camino and practical advice on equipment. The great thing is when I normally come home from a Camino, I am always talking about life on the Camino, much to the bemusement of my family. So, if it is easy to talk about it, then it should be easy to write about. We are also looking to introduce more articles en español.

Our newsletter can be found at shamrocksandshells.wordpress.com.

Did you learn any Spanish prior to the Camino? Do you think knowing (or not) Spanish had any impact on your Camino?

Yes, I tried Duolingo and several podcasts. I had some vocabulary, but it was difficult to use these in conversation. That said, I still use Duolingo today and find it useful.

My knowledge of Spanish prior to my first Camino was limited, however I found myself more switched on while in Spain. I remember routinely asking the guide what various items meant in English. I suppose I would have enjoyed it more if I was able to talk to the local Spanish people. By just saying Hola and Gracias, I felt a disconnect.

However, now that my level of vocabulary has improved through the years, I feel a lot more confident being on the Camino.

David’s words

Conversation with David

I asked David to pick a few Spanish words that she thought you should all know before you start your Camino and this is his list:

Sello: stamp (the ones on letters and on your credencial).

Credencial: Pilgrim Passport

Compostela: the certificate you can get if you walk the last 100km of any Camino

Shops and useful questions

¿Dónde está…?: where is…?

…el albergue: hostel

…la tienda: store

…el supermercado: supermarket

…la panadería: bakery

…la pastelería: cake shop

…el cajero automático: cash machine (ATM)

…la farmacia: chemist

 Lo siento, no sé: I’m sorry, I don’t know

Si, hablo un poquito de español: Yes, I speak a little bit of Spanish.

Perdón: Pardon / Excuse me

¿De dónde eres?: Where are you from? – Great way to meet people

¿Cuánto cuesta?: How much does it cost?

Comida: food

Patatas bravas:  Fried potatoes with a spicy sauce

Jamón: ham

Pescado: fish

Pulpo a la Gallega: boiled octopus (with salt, paprika and olive oil; and served with boiled potatoes)

Chorizo: cured smoked sausage

Paella: rice with seafood and/or chicken

Tortilla española: Spanish omelette (with eggs, potatoes and, in most cases, onion)

La cuenta, por favor: asking for the bill.

 

Today’s Spanish words & phrases

Sello

Credencial

Compostela

Albergue

¿Dónde está...?

Tienda

Panadería

Pastelería

Supermercado

Farmacia

Cajero automático

Lo siento

Perdón

¿De dónde eres?

¿Cuánto cuesta?

Patatas bravas

Jamón

Pescado

Pulpo a la gallega

Chorizo

Paella

Tortilla española

La cuenta, por favor

About David

David Smith

My name is David, I live in Dublin and I am a pilgrim. I started to blog way back in 2008 writing about many different things, but in 2011, I discovered the Camino de Santiago. Since then, I return to the north of Spain to walk a part of this amazing trail, to take in its culture, to meet people and of course, give my spirit some food for thought.

The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage but, in my eyes, it is also a challenge, a way of meeting people and a great way of getting away from the hustle and bustle of modern day life.

I love writing and talking about the various Caminos to Santiago and if you are one of the many people who has walked these routes, you may well feel the same. I also write and edit the Camino Society Ireland’s newsletter Shamrocks and Shells.

You can find me on Instagram @clearskiescamino also and I use this account the most while on Camino.

 

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¡Buen Camino!