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I feel this Blog is turning into a hopefully ‘useful’ noticeboard, I am not even going on this trip but the Camino bug (not bed bug) has bitten me, I am constantly searching for information to share.. which may or may not be of any help..

This article is about food and really should be written by the celebrity chef travelling with the group, Richard of Come dine with me fame.

Breakfast is an important meal when you are walking 25 to 35 kilometers a day. Many pilgrims skip breakfast, but they usually suffer as a result.

A lot of hostels provide breakfast, but it is often over priced for what you get. One recommended is the hostel in Estella, where it is provided for free.

The best thing to do is buy something small and calorific the night before (all but the smallest towns have a suitable shop but they will never be open early for when you leave). A lot of pilgrims would stop for a coffee break after a couple of hours. Most cafeterias will be able to make you something small to eat.

These are some typical things you can order for breakfast from a cafeteria on the Camino de Santiago:

·         A croissant or sweet pastry. (They'll be on the bar for you to point at).

·         A slice of Spanish omlet (tortilla). Again, likely to be on the bar. Note that the earlier you are, the less likely it is fresh. Still, one-day-old tortilla isn't too bad.

·         A freshly made 'normal' omlet (tortilla francesa). You can often get ham (jamon) or chorizo added.

Freshly squeezed orange juice (zumo de naranja natural) is common, though usually quite expensive

 

Lunch in Spain is typically served between 1pm and 3pm. Unfortunately, most pilgrims will still be walking at this time. Many stop for a large lunch, determined to walk another couple of hours afterwards, but then found themselves too bloated to walk any further (lunch in Spain tends to be big).

Another solution is to eat a little picnic on your way. Most towns and villages have somewhere to buy bread, but your choices of filling are limited. Cheese doesn't last long in the heat, but some sliced chorizo (spicy sausage) or ham will do fine. Alternatively, buy a jar of chocolate spread or peanut butter (crema de cacahuetes). You might want to bring the latter with you, as peanut butter is hard to find in Spain.

However, if you can finish your day's walking in time for lunch, do so (get up early). Your body recovers better from exercise when you are properly nourished - waiting until the evening for your main meal of the day is not the best option for your body.

Lunch on the Camino Blog also a really good blog with lots of info click the link

http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/lunch-on-camino-santiago.html

Dinner Most pilgrims wait until the evening to get their main meal of the day on the Camino de Santiago. Usually at least one restaurant in town will do a 'menu del peregrino' (pilgrim's menu), with two courses, a dessert and a drink for under 10 euros. These can sometimes be quite basic, at others they are excellent meals at any price, let alone this cheap.

However, night time is not the best time to have your main meal of the day if you've been walking all morning. You should really try to have a bigger meal at lunchtime and just have something small in the evening.

The water is safe everywhere except the few places where is specifically labelled as "non potabile."

 Useful Spanish ~

If you say "hay comida?" (do you have food?) they will soon let you know. Pronounce "hay" as "high" and all will be well.

Please - complacer

Thank you - igracias