Portuguese coastal route

[Lar]

Hi guys I have reached A Guardia as a lone pilgrimage and I am feeling like going back as I am finding this incredibly lonely. I was wondering would anybody be walking to Oia tomorrow and mind a fellow pilgrim tagging along. I don't want to give up as I will see it as a sense of failure. Don't want to sound over dramatic or negative either. Any help I would really appreciate it so so much

 

[jsalt]

Hi, the Portuguese routes are nothing like the Camino Francés .

Were there no other pilgrims at all on the ferry to A Guarda ?

There is an albergue just past Oia, at Mougás .

Maybe you will meet some like-minded pilgrims there .

Jill

 

[hel&scott]

Don't worry @Lar, you are not alone, there are plenty of us in the forum to watch over you, wishing we were on the way with you.

When my daughter and I did this route in winter we didn't see a soul between Tui and Lisbon, but them we like isolated walking and we had each other. The closer you get to Santiago, the more pilgrims you will meet.

Everyone's Camino experience is different, but if it is company you want, check out the forum live section as it will help you find if others are near by. If you are too lonely, there is also no shame in taking a bus up to Tui and restarting the Camino there, lots of people start at the cathedral there. You can use your extra time to walk on to Finisterre after Santiago as you will find plenty of Pilgrims there too. Meanwhile, enjoy your walk, the way may be hard now but rest assured, you are not alone.

 

[Former member 49149]

I do hope the first 2 responses have given you a sense of being in company. I hope that by the fact of telling it liñe it is/was you can find within you the oomph you need to step it out, onward and upward...

 

[Lar]

I wanna keep going I really really do I have my itinerary set out for tomorrow and please god things look slightly brighter come tomorrow evening when I finish up .

 

[nollaigc]

I wanna keep going I really really do I have my itinerary set out for tomorrow and please god things look slightly brighter come tomorrow evening when I finish up .

Lar,
Keep the faith.
There are only two important days on your Camino- the day you start and the day you have to travel home!
There's that other great chestnut about itineraries- Men make plans and God laughs at them.
If I was there I'd rock with hel&scott's idea of the bus to Tui and move on from there.
I'd definitely tell you walk back across the bridge- and walk around the battlements of Valencia.
All the best
NollaigC

 

[hel&scott]

One foot after the other Lar, you will get there in the end. Funny thing is, even 10 years on, you will still look back and marvel at your achievement.

 

[Mark Francis Auchincloss]

Hi guys I have reached A Guardia as a lone pilgrimage and I am feeling like going back as I am finding this incredibly lonely. I was wondering would anybody be walking to Oia tomorrow and mind a fellow pilgrim tagging along. I don't want to give up as I will see it as a sense of failure. Don't want to sound over dramatic or negative either. Any help I would really appreciate it so so much

The stages from A Guarda are to Vigo then Vigo then Redondela. When you reach the Albergue at Redondela you will never be alone from there as you hit the central route.

 

[Sheilajg]

I walked a portion of the Via Francigena this spring and found that I kind of "lost my nerve" walking alone after about 8 days. I kept walking and the feeling passed after a few days but it was definitely difficult for a few days. You might be able to "walk through it". If not, consider a bus to another location and walking from there?

 

[dfox]

Being a devil advocate, since there are close to no pilgrims, is the route safe?

 

[hel&scott]

While there may be few pilgrims, there are locals around so you can always get help if needed. Walking solo has its issues, but common sense goes a long way, let's not get too carried away or paranoid or we'd never step out of our own doors.