A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago: St. Jean • Roncesvalles • Santiago (Camino Guides) Paperback – March 10, 2015
Author: Visit ‘s John Brierley Page ID: 1844096491
About the Author
Series: Camino GuidesPaperback: 288 pagesPublisher: Camino Guides; 2015 Edition edition (March 10, 2015)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 1844096491ISBN-13: 978-1844096497 Product Dimensions: 4.8 x 0.5 x 7.8 inches Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #5,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Books > Travel > Europe > Spain > General #3 in Books > Travel > Specialty Travel > Literary & Religious #8 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Hiking & Camping > Excursion Guides
See my review at .co.uk, or read it below:
John Brierley’s guides to the Camino are by far the best I have encountered. I tested about six other guides when I first ventured on the Camino Frances in 2010, and found no rival for Mr. Brierley’s book. Since then I have used his "Camino Portugues" guide in 2011, the "Camino Finesterre" guide in 2012, and again the "Camino Frances" in 2013. By then the 2010 edition had proved quite outdated, particularly with respect to lodgings information, and I welcome the new updated 2015 edition, which I am going to use in my planned 2015 or 2016 trip. The slightly more compact size and the additional individual town maps will surely make it even handier.
I have only one reservation to make with respect to Mr. Brierley’s recommendations:
His placing the " Route de Napoleon" as the recommended route for crossing the Pyrenees on the first day from St. Jean Pied de Port. The authentic pilgrims route had always been the Valcarlos/Arneguy route with its connections with the Charlemagne saga and its numerous villages are well equipped to cater to the needs of pilgrims. The "Route de Napoleon", on the other hand, has only one 18 bed albergue, and what is worse – is extremely steep and dangerous, particularly in poor weather. While I was walking the Valcarlos route in September of 2013, a woman fell to her death from a precipice on the Napoleon Route, and two other ladies almost did the same. So beware!
Otherwise, as I have stated above, Brierley’s guide is the best Camino guide a pilgrim could wish for.
I hiked just over half of the Camino Francés in 2014, and this is the book that almost all of the English speakers on the Camino were carrying. It describes each suggested stage in detail and includes maps, elevation charts, a description of most hostels along the way, and brief descriptions of the cultural background and history of places of interest along the way. I think there is a general agreement among pilgrims on the Camino that his is the book to carry.
There is no need to stick to Brierley’s suggested stages to use the book. I found many of the smaller villages along the way to be interesting places to stay, and I only occasionally finished a day’s stage at the town or city that Brierley suggested, but even so, I relied on the book to help me find alternative lodging.
Why am I only giving it four stars if it’s such a great book? Because on the Camino, when one is hiking day after day and week after week, every extra ounce in the backpack begins to add up. Many people hiking the Camino start looking for objects in their backpacks that they can leave behind or ship ahead to lighten their packs sometime during the second week. This book has a bit of heft despite its small format. I would give the book five stars if it were offered in Kindle format.
I’ll be back on the Camino this summer (2015), and this will be the only real book I will carry. However, I will have dozens of books loaded on my Kindle to read in the evenings while sipping a beer and resting after a hard day’s hiking. Well, that will come after uploading the day’s stage description to my blog. (By the way, if you’re interested in reading last summer’s blog, or following me on this summer’s blog beginning in mid-July, I’m sure you can find both blogs by Googling my name along with "Santiago de Compostela.)
I am planning a trip and heard this book was the must have guide to the Camino. I can see why. Filled with lots of great advice and all kinds of information on each town, where to stay, how much stuff costs, maps… Well actually almost everything you need. It not only talks about the external stuff needed for the trip, but takes some time to talk about the internal part of the journey as well.
Download A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago: St. Jean • Roncesvalles • Santiago – March 10, 2015 PDF
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