Not what I expected!

[Pathfinder075]

vasoline is great on the Camino for your feet

Yeah it is good for lubrication, but doesn't moisturise, it tends to sit on the top of the skin. Some years back someone posted about using it while walking but had ended up with blisters under the hardened callous layer of their feet, which required an hour at a podiatrist and removal of the callous by scalpel.

I tend to use Scholl Cracked Heel Repair Cream when I walk, as my go to foot cream. Never had a blister yet (but also have good shoes, high quality gel inner soles and proper trekking socks) and tend to walk up to 25 mile days with a heavy pack.

I once watched a young female doctor working on her feet at the municipal albergue at Gonzar (up the road from Portomarin). She had some decent blisters, injected what i guess was anaesthetic into her feet and then cleaned them up and dressed them. I could never work out how, as a doctor, she let them get that bad in the first place. She was walking in trainers.

 

[pjacobi]

Sometimes you get Hippies, sometimes you get Nuns. Perhaps something can be learned from both! It's all a part of the Camino experience.


-Paul

 

[Ricardo Moretti]

I’ll be starting my first Camino in just over a month. Like many of you, I’ve read the guidebooks, travel literature, perused this site quite thoroughly, followed blogs, have watched vlogs and YouTube Camino videos. I think I have a good idea of what to expect.

But how about you non-first timers? What was it on the CF that was unexpected for you? What surprises were there that were not mentioned in the various media?

Positive or negative - anything’s ok.

The first time that I walked the Camino Frances, I took it easy with no rigid schedule. Nothing written in stone. I took days off when I wanted. I took a day off was in Roncesvalles (hotel) because I was stiff and sore and there was a snow storm outside. I took a day off was in Pamplona because I had some personal issues to deal with. I took a day off was in Leon to see a doctor about my infected foot from the blisters. But I did walk around 59 kilometers on my last day. I had not planned that but that is how the day evolved. Remember you are walking for you and not for anyone else. By that I mean you must walk at your pace, you must enjoy what you enjoy and limit what you don't.

 

[E V Waight]

I’ll be starting my first Camino in just over a month. Like many of you, I’ve read the guidebooks, travel literature, perused this site quite thoroughly, followed blogs, have watched vlogs and YouTube Camino videos. I think I have a good idea of what to expect.

But how about you non-first timers? What was it on the CF that was unexpected for you? What surprises were there that were not mentioned in the various media?

Positive or negative - anything’s ok.

A few things stand out, but I will only mention two. First, the friendliness of not only our hosts, the Spanish people along the countryside, but I guess more importantly our fellow perigrinos. The Camino does draw people together, the magic of the Camino. Even the most reserved introvert "opens up" on the Camino. It just happens. The friendliness of all, just being "family" becomes very heart warming. Pilgrims (total strangers) sharing their most inner moments and life's experiences with all confidence. Something unheard of in our comfort zone at home.

The other was the healing process of recovery. Amazing, after walking long days in excess of 20 or 24 km, with often blistered feet burning, how quick the body recovers. A few minutes rest, laundry and shower (not necessarily in that order), and the body feels fresh as if your walk for the day was just a memory. You are good to go again and actually do have energy day to day to walk around town exploring the sites with the limited time we have. Simply amazing and satisfying.

I said two, but I cannot leave without adding (and this may be an extension of the first) the willingness of pilgrims to come to your assistance in times of need. Yes, I know, "the Camino provides". Such a true saying.
Thanks to all peregrinos and BUEN CAMINO!

PS One thing is for sure: it is an experience that you will NEVER, EVER FORGET!

 

[Joe C]

I was surprised at how friendly and helpful the Spanish people were. Especially in the earlier sections. Later after Sarria maybe a little less so….probably due to tourist fatigue. Also, I was surprised at how friendly and helpful other pilgrims were….again more so in the earlier sections. I hope your experience is as positive as mine was. I am going back for my second Camino this fall and hoping to find the same wonderful magic. Good Luck!

I noticed the same change after Sarria.

 

[PilgrimPillar]

I’ll be starting my first Camino in just over a month. Like many of you, I’ve read the guidebooks, travel literature, perused this site quite thoroughly, followed blogs, have watched vlogs and YouTube Camino videos. I think I have a good idea of what to expect.

But how about you non-first timers? What was it on the CF that was unexpected for you? What surprises were there that were not mentioned in the various media?

Positive or negative - anything’s ok.

Detachment from expectations and experiences is a big one….shared and personal….

Open mind and a free spirit we all have…
… if choosing to set it all free….

Ultreia

 

[alexwalker]

...No real thought of it being a spiritual adventure. By the time I reached Santiago, it was much more a spiritual experience! So many conversations, experiences where “The Camino Provides “, and coincidences that happened so often, they could not be called coincidences! ...

Well said. I'm with you.

"Coincidences are God's way of staying anonymous" (Mahatma Gandhi)

 

[mickcope]

What surprised me was the friendliness of the general population of Spain . Of course I had heard of and read of it , though nothing is quite so charming and delightful as finding out that for the most part , it's absolutely true .

Totally agree with this. Mick

 

[Zoran K.]

I’ll be starting my first Camino in just over a month. Like many of you, I’ve read the guidebooks, travel literature, perused this site quite thoroughly, followed blogs, have watched vlogs and YouTube Camino videos. I think I have a good idea of what to expect.

But how about you non-first timers? What was it on the CF that was unexpected for you? What surprises were there that were not mentioned in the various media?

Positive or negative - anything’s ok.

I was surprised of the fact taht Camino called me back a year later in 2019 and again in 2023.
Also I was (negativly) surprised of the walk to Finisterre,it felt like a waste of time compared to the rest of the CF. Maybe because I was mentaly finished in SdC. Another (good) surprise was how very well CF is organised compared to VF which I walked twice. Bravo Spain, great job!! And thank you.
This forum was the biggest help before my first Camino. Wasted money on books. All the knowledge is here

 

[AnneMarie1]

OP here. I’m surprised at how many responded with comments to the effect that they arrived on the Camino with no expectations or pre-planning. And, further, that this is preferable and more liberating.

Really? You didn‘t have any expectations regarding climate, terrain, distance, language, history, geography, food, or culture? You didn’t pre-plan clothing, equipment, or footwear?

Anyway, all responses are appreciated.

I did it in 2001 and am planning a return this coming spring, but taking a couple of the variant routes, so there actually won't be too much overlap. The first time, I did do SOME research (this was in books, mostly -- there weren't a zillion YouTube videos and blogs) to decide which sections I wanted to do, since I was somewhat limited in time. I chose them based on the pictures in the books -- picked the sections with the most beautiful landscape. Somehow it didn't occur to me that that was mostly because there were mountains involved and it would be tough going in those parts! I was living in Spain for research purposes that year and already spoke Spanish and knew a lot about the history (I'm a historian of Spain), food, culture, etc. Other that deciding on the parts to do, I didn't do much research. Went to an info session at the Madrid office of the Friends of the Camino, and that was it. I was a grad student at the time and had no money, so I didn't shop for or buy any certain clothing, equipment, footwear, etc. I posted an ad somewhere asking if anyone had a backpack I could borrow, and someone actually loaned me the backpack I used. I wore my regular walking/running shoes and regular old clothes (sometimes in 2 layers of it when it was chilly, but basic sweats and things, not high-tech). I had really no expectations except that it would be different from any other travel I'd ever done. I went mostly because I was curious about what it would be like to walk that far.

THIS time I have been doing much more planning, however. For one thing, I really want to avoid Covid, so that means planning to stay in hostales and pensiones as much as possible and favoring the albergues that have smaller rooms over the ones with dozens in the same room. Since I also want to do some of the off-the-beaten track variants, I do think it's important to have an idea of that because some of those don't have as much lodging or food. It takes more planning. And some towns have much better budget options than others, too. I'm not reserving them all ahead of time, but would like to start off with an idea of the places to aim for as stopping points. I have also invested in a backpack with a hip strap (not one of the uber expensive ones, though) and some gear that I think will be helpful, including some toe socks that I read about, and some hiking poles. And last time I had not even a flip phone with me. Now there's the smart phone issue and apps and things like data plans and wifi to look into. I want to avoid being online unnecessarily and thought about just not bringing the phone (or ditching it in a friend's apartment in Madrid beforehand), but I do think it'll be useful, and without it I'd be unable to transfer any money, etc. in my bank at home. So that's another frickin' thing to research.

And I admit that I've done a pretty serious amount of reading and blog watching about blister prevention. I was doing fine with everything the last time until slipping on some loose rocks and twisting an ankle and then hobbling on it, which made me develop blisters. That happened pretty late in the game, but I was truly in miserable pain by the time I walked into Santiago, and I would really like to avoid that happening again. I'm optimistic on that front and this time will be much more deliberate about blister prevention. I have a plan for that! Another change I'm making is that last time I had to be back in Madrid by a certain date because a friend was coming, and this time I am going to avoid having a tight deadline and will take my time. And I'm going to allow some quiet processing time at the end, too. Not sure where that will be, but I'm not rushing back home or into normal responsibilities for a little while afterwards.

Other than that, I'm trying NOT to do the kind of research that would give me a mental picture of all the places I'll be walking through, other than the mental picture I already have from knowing the medieval history and some of the major monuments and styles.

 

[MST]

I’ll be starting my first Camino in just over a month. Like many of you, I’ve read the guidebooks, travel literature, perused this site quite thoroughly, followed blogs, have watched vlogs and YouTube Camino videos. I think I have a good idea of what to expect.

But how about you non-first timers? What was it on the CF that was unexpected for you? What surprises were there that were not mentioned in the various media?

Positive or negative - anything’s ok.

Looking back, it was that what came up defied all my expectations. Wonder while wandering, accepting & surrendering to the what is mentally, physically & spiritually.

 

[mgshanks]

Maybe taking this in a different direction, I was surprised how challenging I found finishing the Camino. As everyone else has said Camino life was easy to adjust to, I loved the new family I made along the way and my body adjusted to it's new routine incredibly well. But when I got to Santiago, I was very surprised how disappointed I felt rather than elated. Disappointed it was over. Disappointed I was going to have to return to a different kind of rhythm to my day. For several weeks after I still felt quite down, despite excitedly telling friends and family of my adventure. I think few people prepare for being finished because there is so much challenge in getting to that stage, but it's worth taking time to sit back and reflect on it all.

 

[alexwalker]

This forum was the biggest help before my first Camino. Wasted money on books. All the knowledge is here

Yes, we are here.
On a serious note, This forum is a formidable knowledge bank.

 

[Gwen265]

I’ll be starting my first Camino in just over a month. Like many of you, I’ve read the guidebooks, travel literature, perused this site quite thoroughly, followed blogs, have watched vlogs and YouTube Camino videos. I think I have a good idea of what to expect.

But how about you non-first timers? What was it on the CF that was unexpected for you? What surprises were there that were not mentioned in the various media?

Positive or negative - anything’s ok.

having completed all but the leon to sarria stage I can honestly say it is the most amazing experience of my life. some blisters. cold showers. sleepless nights but absolutely no regrets. now after a 4yr break hoping to complete the camino frances in april. a bit nervous that I am too old now but that tug to be on the trail is hard to resist. so go for it and beun camino!

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Flies and mosquitoes are clever and selective, preferring untainted blood and drawn to those physically pure ... If you walk with a hangover they'll leave you alone. They never bother me at all

 

[trecile]

This forum was the biggest help before my first Camino. Wasted money on books. All the knowledge is here

Thankfully, I was ignorant of the many Facebook groups and YouTube videos out there about the Camino and relied on the forum to learn what I needed as far as gear, how to get to SJPdP, etc. before stepping foot on the Camino for the first time.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

It seems that few of us expected the kind of "communitas" (Turner and Turner, 2005 [1983]) that pilgrimages provide, but those who have looked at it systematically have observed that pilgrimage stands apart from quotidian life for a number of reasons and two seem particularly salient here. These are outlined in pithy fashion in the following:

"[there is] an implied structure on which the chaos of daily life can fumble about secure... Bands of travellers find much of their essential cammeraderies in the assurance that they agree on fundamental principles and beliefs, and moral convergence that produces an unaccustomed tranquility and trust among individuals who are otherwise strangers.
The group moreover seeks to create memories through its travel. There an active will to build a memory hoard of real endurance, and not just of places and meals and companions, but of having participated in rites that recover, enact and propel intuitions of the transcendent into future time. ...Prilgrims absent themselves from historical time and opt to live, temporarily, beyond time and its near-horizon perspectives." (Harman, L.D. 2014. "A Sociology of Pilgrimage". Ursula Press: London ON. p 19.)

And here I take "pilgrim" to mean "anyone walking on a pilgrimage route"...

These passages explain for me the structuring structure that produces so much of what people at first do not expect, and then find themselves going back to recreate, and perhaps even berate themselves for not being able to maintain "in real life". But real life lacks the moral concordances, the "out of time-ness" and the massive accomplishment that comes from those walking pilgrimages that require endurance (as opposed to those pilgrimages that we can take by bus or plane etc. Not all pilgrimage sites are premised on walking to get to them as a historical/pragmatic structure. But those that do require ground-level effort do produce the phenomena described above.

 

[DJwalKing]

I was surprised (and so very pleased!) when one night I stayed alone in an albergue in a small village, no other pilgrims arrived. And when the hospitaliera left for the night I was completely alone. I had no TV, no internet, no book. Made no phone calls or texts to friends. There was nothing to distract me. And yet I didn't feel lonely or afraid. I was completely at peace. This was about 2/3 of the way to Santiago. Not sure I would have felt the same in the first 1/3. The miracle of the Camino!

Oh, another thing that surprised me: How many people were on their phones during meals, etc. A friend who had walked the Camino in 2000 told me "no one" would be on phones. That it just wasn't done. What a difference 16 years made!!

 

[MesaWalker]

Life in the slow lane on the Camino is wonderful. Time to think, time to absorb the world around you, time to pray, time for silence, time for gratitude, and time for deep conversation. What surprised me most was how much I had missed by always being stressed and in a hurry. The Camino can help you change that, if you let it. It is life stripped to its essentials.

 

[AnneMarie1]

I was surprised (and so very pleased!) when one night I stayed alone in an albergue in a small village, no other pilgrims arrived. And when the hospitaliera left for the night I was completely alone. I had no TV, no internet, no book. Made no phone calls or texts to friends. There was nothing to distract me. And yet I didn't feel lonely or afraid. I was completely at peace. This was about 2/3 of the way to Santiago. Not sure I would have felt the same in the first 1/3. The miracle of the Camino!

Oh, another thing that surprised me: How many people were on their phones during meals, etc. A friend who had walked the Camino in 2000 told me "no one" would be on phones. That it just wasn't done. What a difference 16 years made!!

Yeah, I did it in 2001 and no one was ever on a phone. I've been shocked by the accounts I'm seeing of that now. Glad I'll be starting forewarned in the spring because that would have really thrown me for a loop. I've seen pictures of people sitting outside in a patio area of an albergue, all on their phones and not interacting. They leave me aghast. So sad.

 

[trecile]

. I've seen pictures of people sitting outside in a patio area of an albergue, all on their phones and not interacting. They leave me aghast. So sad.

Would you feel the same way if they were all reading books?

 

[AnneMarie1]

Would you feel the same way if they were all reading books?

Yes!

 

[Leaderene]

I have to say that I prefer to read very little and to go with an open mind. I expect good, I expect to meet lovely people. I expect to have a great experience.
I find reading too much builds expectations.

 

[C clearly]

They leave me aghast. So sad.

Don't be aghast or sad when you see introverts relaxing.

 

[SabsP]

Yes!

If I am not interacting/ talking to you or other pilgrims at the alberguepatio then this has nothing to do with feelings or ideas about you but just me wanting time for myself.
I read books to relax. Books that can be on paper but recently also on my E-reader or phone.
In my professional life I have enough human interaction as it is.
So when on Camino or a regular holiday I love to have some quiet time. Do not get me wrong , I love to interact with others but in a measured way.My fondest memories are of the small albergues were pilgrims were left to their own. No groupsessions or singing with ' a Camino family' for me.

 

[C clearly]

I love to interact with others

And especially on the Camino Frances, those people may have spent the entire day walking/ talking/ interacting with other pilgrims. (Not that we should need to account for how many hours we smile and talk to others.)

 

[Former member 104756]

And especially on the Camino Frances, those people may have spent the entire day walking/ talking/ interacting with other pilgrims.

So true. On the other hand, on some routes we've walked in recent years, chosen partly for their smaller numbers of people walking, it's a lovely surprise to see and have a chat with another pilgrim, sometimes the first in days.

 

[mkeating]

I’ll be starting my first Camino in just over a month. Like many of you, I’ve read the guidebooks, travel literature, perused this site quite thoroughly, followed blogs, have watched vlogs and YouTube Camino videos. I think I have a good idea of what to expect.

But how about you non-first timers? What was it on the CF that was unexpected for you? What surprises were there that were not mentioned in the various media?

Positive or negative - anything’s ok.

The best advice I could possibly give you is to listen to your body and take a break when you need to. My first Camino felt a bit like a daily race to get where I wanted to be, but on subsequent trips, I decided what my body would give me each day. Good luck!!

 

[Vancouver Rose]

the final scene of a play I have written, "Stepping on My Shadow" which is going to be performed in England in May. I think that it answers your question, and I sincerely hope that you have the same experience;

(Takes boots off) Farewell, my faithful footwear friends. You’ve served me well. But now it’s time to say goodbye. You’ve supported me for one million steps, over mountain ranges and ancient bridges. Across arid plains, through towns, cities, fields and vineyards. On my first day on the Camino, I raised my right foot and stepped on my shadow. And then my left repeated the action and made the same connection with the earth. I did that 40,000 times that day, and then the next day. And the day after that, and again the day after that. I started this with fear of failure. But now I know I needn't have. I had high expectations, all of which have been greatly exceeded. I'm ten times physically stronger, more resilient and more determined than I ever thought I could be. But ten times closer to my emotions. Pause I’m very quick to cry….. lowers head Pause. Slowly raises head ……but mostly for happy reasons One day passed seamlessly into another. Each day, another 40,000 steps. Another 20 miles of progress, a little wiser, a little calmer, a little stronger, a little lighter, a little more in awe of the magic of the world. With strangers who became good friends. I've made some wonderful friendships, which I hope will last for ever. Something about the Camino makes people share their deepest thoughts with complete strangers. We were just thinking out loud. All of us. We didn’t need to look at each other, because we were always looking ahead. We shared the weather, we shared the joy and we shared the pain. We shared the same path, and now we have shared the destination. This is what made us a Camino Family. At no point on the way have I ever wished for it to stop, and I genuinely wish I could just keep going. I don’t know exactly what my path is yet. I’m just walking on it. Moving forward. Others may choose to walk with me, but no one can walk it for me. I know now that it is my road, and mine alone.

This beautiful passage could have been written by me … but it wasn’t. Nonetheless, it captures my thoughts and emotions brilliantly. When your play makes it’s way to beautiful Vancouver, Canada, I’ll be there to cheer for you, and shed a tear for what we experienced, years apart, but oh-so-much the same, in our Camino journeys and beyond. I wish you all the success in the world, with the play, and the rest of your journey.

 

[ess1113]

I was surprised at the difficulty the first day out of SJPdP. I just wasn’t ready but I adapted.
I was, and have been amazed, every Camino, at the generosity and fellowship offered by the others walking. I don’t ask reasons to walk and I don’t pry but I have been thankful for every person I have met on the Camino.

 

[Aysen Mustafa]

The walk to Orrison was much steeper than I had imagined.

Absolutely. It was a horror and the hardest day for me and I didn't expect it.

 

[Aysen Mustafa]

What to not expect, lots of blisters and bed bugs. Yes, I didn't realise that food and drink and accommodation (stayed in albergues or municipals) would be so cheap, I walked in 2018. I liked walking the meseta. Also, you many not find your camino family, one of the expectations that My Way gives people but is not necessarily something that will happen.

 

[gml]

I was surprised by the extraordinary beauty of the CF. Before leaving, I had been on the forum and had read all about socks and shoes and blisters and bedbugs, but nobody had mentioned the sheer beauty of the landscape and the villages. I was just blown away by it, from SJPP all the way to Santiago.

 

[Anamiri]

OP here. I’m surprised at how many responded with comments to the effect that they arrived on the Camino with no expectations or pre-planning. And, further, that this is preferable and more liberating.

Really? You didn‘t have any expectations regarding climate, terrain, distance, language, history, geography, food, or culture? You didn’t pre-plan clothing, equipment, or footwear?

Anyway, all responses are appreciated.

I planned what I wore. I walk a lot anyway, so I knew what was comfortable. I was particular about a light pack, so weighed everything to pick the lightest options.
But as far as other expectations I didnt even take a guide book, just found my way to St Jean, and let it unfold from there.
And I was hooked.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Forewarned is forearmed.

You can go out there with no real planning and expect to walk 600 miles and for it to be easily do-able. It's your journey after all. But your chances of success are much less and mainly depend on how mentally strong you are and how much ibuprofen/co-codamol you are happy to abuse when you destroy your feet. When I first walked I was shocked at how much people were using, especially on the last 100km. People were dropping 3-4 max strength caps a day because their feet were covered in blisters and generally not in a good way, just to remove (as someone said to me) 50% of the pain they were experiencing. Taking painkillers to cover the fact your feet are in a bad way isn't a good thing.

There have been a number of threads over the years from pilgrims that walked without any preparation and within 200 miles had wrecked their feet and bodies and had to end their journey.

If you do decide to do it blind, at least make sure to instill a decent foot care regimen into your daily routine. Get your feet out of your shoes/boots, wash them and moisturise them (with proper foot cream) at least every night and ideally a couple of times per day. Wear proper walking socks with cushioning and use decent inner soles on your shoes/boots (gel or decent cushioning foam type ideally). Oh and break your shoes/boots in prior to starting. If you do that and manage to avoid blisters, you at least have some hope of making it.

While this post contains some useful information there is no correlation between walking without prior reservations and damaged feet or abusing over the counter pain medication.

 

[JohnLloyd]

I expected them, but never encountered them.
What time of year were your Caminos?
Mine are generally April/May/June.

August into September for my CF, May for my CP and April for the CI. The flies were only an issue for parts of the CF.

 

[JohnLloyd]

I'm a magnet for mosquitoes. Are they active on CF?

On my CF in 2018, I can report bites from mosquitoes, bed bugs and flies.

But not that often and not that many.

 

[AlwynWellington]

I think I have a good idea of what to expect.

But how about you non-first timers? What was it on the CF that was unexpected for you? What surprises were there that were not mentioned in the various media?

Prelude

I first walked from Sarria in 2010

In 2012, family conference following some bad health news, it was decided that I should walk again.
As it happened I had five years to get ready.
Like you, @Burton Axxe, I did a lot of reading, a lot of gathering my gear and a lot of walking with that stuff.
I had spreadsheets of the route from Le Puy to Compostela, and indications of the weather, etc, etc
I had a tablet with WiFi, GPS and maps. I followed many parts of the route using aerial and street level imagery. I saw the various route markers. I was prepared should I lose the way.
When you travel half way around the world, failing was not an option.

Walking again (a non first-timer)

Getting underway was easy. The fitness from my training (especially the hill work) kicked in straight away.
Within an hour I was meeting others going my way. And one I walked with for a few hours that first day.

The unexpected for me included:

• how relatively easy it was to find the way
• how others would chat, point directions, give of their knowledge, ...
• how helpful my very limited farming experience was in helping me understand the new countryside

Surprises not mentioned in my reading etc
I have travelled well at home and abroad. So finding things were different was expected. Things like the high voltage electricity pylons on the first day were very different, and seemed take fewer cables for the same size - pondered, as I walked, why that might be. And the very, very large number of airplane trails in the sky on many days. And so on.

So, @Burton Axxe, I say to you on this big adventure you will be undertaking soon, kia kaha, kia māia, kia mana'wa'nui (take care, be strong, confident and patient).

 

[HeidiL]

I was surprised at how addicted I would become...

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I was surprised at how addicted I would become...

I am not at all surprised you became addicted.

 

[Ian61]

I didn’t expect to feel so at home on Camino, how can you feel so at home on a journey? With people you’ve never met before? I’ve been on Camino 3 times and each time feels like this. I get a sense of belonging that I don’t get elsewhere.

 

[trecile]

I didn’t expect to feel so at home on Camino, how can you feel so at home on a journey?

Before my first Camino everything about it was outside of my comfort zone - partway through my 2nd Camino I realized that it IS my comfort zone.

 

[Jermann75]

I hadn't heard of "Camino Angels" but once I was on the Camino I met so many of them. So many who helped me in so many different ways.

I remember one night when I had a kidney stone, I needed to go to the hospital. A woman I had met about 15min before, ordered a taxi for me in Spanish to take me to the hospital. She came with me to the hospital. She talked to the people at the hospital because I didn't speak English, we got back into a taxi she hailed, and then to the pharmacy to help me get pain meds. This amazing angel spent hours with me helping me and we had barely said more than 2 sentences to each other before she became my translator and support system.

I couldn't have asked for more and these people showed up everywhere. It was the BEST thing about the camino for me. <3

 

[Rita Flower]

OP here. I’m surprised at how many responded with comments to the effect that they arrived on the Camino with no expectations or pre-planning. And, further, that this is preferable and more liberating.

Really? You didn‘t have any expectations regarding climate, terrain, distance, language, history, geography, food, or culture? You didn’t pre-plan clothing, equipment, or footwear?

Anyway, all responses are appreciated.

In 2007 - Knew I had to get to St Jean and climb the Pyrenees. Read one blog and met one person who had just returned from Spain.
Pre planned boots and clothes and pack - thanks to my friend Kelle who told me about Icebreaker merino. Left some stuff behind in Ronscesvales and posted half back to my daughter from Pamplona.
Had photocopied a few pages from the Lonely Planet Great Walks. Got the distance and albergue one-pager in St Jean. Followed the arrows and listened to Camino veterans.
A most wonderful experience.

 

[DJwalKing]

I've seen pictures of people sitting outside in a patio area of an albergue, all on their phones and not interacting. They leave me aghast. So sad.

Ah, if only it were confined to the patio area of albergues @AnneMarie1! I'm afraid they are going to be fairly ubiquitious on your next Camino. Just like in the States, you're just as likely to see a table full of people each on their own smart device rather than sharing each others' company. It is sad, but fortunately, you needn't partake! There will be plenty of pilgrims for you to bond with.

 

[suze.ross]

This might be too long, but these are the words I wrote when I finished my first Camino in 2017 (I've now walked 8!). It's become the final scene of a play I have written, "Stepping on My Shadow" which is going to be performed in England in May. I think that it answers your question, and I sincerely hope that you have the same experience;

(Takes boots off) Farewell, my faithful footwear friends. You’ve served me well. But now it’s time to say goodbye. You’ve supported me for one million steps, over mountain ranges and ancient bridges. Across arid plains, through towns, cities, fields and vineyards. On my first day on the Camino, I raised my right foot and stepped on my shadow. And then my left repeated the action and made the same connection with the earth. I did that 40,000 times that day, and then the next day. And the day after that, and again the day after that. I started this with fear of failure. But now I know I needn't have. I had high expectations, all of which have been greatly exceeded. I'm ten times physically stronger, more resilient and more determined than I ever thought I could be. But ten times closer to my emotions. Pause I’m very quick to cry….. lowers head Pause. Slowly raises head ……but mostly for happy reasons One day passed seamlessly into another. Each day, another 40,000 steps. Another 20 miles of progress, a little wiser, a little calmer, a little stronger, a little lighter, a little more in awe of the magic of the world. With strangers who became good friends. I've made some wonderful friendships, which I hope will last for ever. Something about the Camino makes people share their deepest thoughts with complete strangers. We were just thinking out loud. All of us. We didn’t need to look at each other, because we were always looking ahead. We shared the weather, we shared the joy and we shared the pain. We shared the same path, and now we have shared the destination. This is what made us a Camino Family. At no point on the way have I ever wished for it to stop, and I genuinely wish I could just keep going. I don’t know exactly what my path is yet. I’m just walking on it. Moving forward. Others may choose to walk with me, but no one can walk it for me. I know now that it is my road, and mine alone. So, for me, and my new friends my first Camino is over. View attachment 140734I'd start it all again tomorrow, if I could. Buen Camino!

I would love to see your play

 

[AK2112]

I did not read or watch much before I walked. All the surprises happened inside my mind. And the fact that I felt sadness when I was getting close to Santiago.

 

[CalamityJayne]

I’ll be starting my first Camino in just over a month. Like many of you, I’ve read the guidebooks, travel literature, perused this site quite thoroughly, followed blogs, have watched vlogs and YouTube Camino videos. I think I have a good idea of what to expect.

But how about you non-first timers? What was it on the CF that was unexpected for you? What surprises were there that were not mentioned in the various media?

Positive or negative - anything’s ok.

Go as prepared as you can. Make sure you have worn in your boots or footgear. Walk as much as you can. You really get walk fit on the way over the first 2 weeks but help yourself. Have something else (footwear) to put on at the end of the day that might be a size larger than you usually wear. Don't carry too much. We really don't need it. make sure you have a head light or a cap with lights ( I was given one and took it as a joke and now wouldn't walk with out it) You need far less food than you think. Every stop and many non stops have water for your water bottle 750ml is enough. The people, the stories, the friends who are here and also those who walked and have passed are immortal from you remembering them. Enjoy every minute and know you may have a minute that you think 'What the crap am I doing' Its OK we did as well. Take a break, know its OK have a sip of water and keep going. Most times I wish I could keep going and not return. Then when I get home I am astounded at the stuff we keep and don't need. This may not be your reaction but it was mine and those I have walked with. I warn you now, ways are addictive. Buen camino & Bon Courage. Hope to see you on a way one day

I’ll be starting my first Camino in just over a month. Like many of you, I’ve read the guidebooks, travel literature, perused this site quite thoroughly, followed blogs, have watched vlogs and YouTube Camino videos. I think I have a good idea of what to expect.

But how about you non-first timers? What was it on the CF that was unexpected for you? What surprises were there that were not mentioned in the various media?

Positive or negative - anything’s ok.