LIVE from the Camino Loneliest pilgrim in Portugal

[FrozenSwims]

After the success of my Norte/Primitivo/Fisterra walk last year (I allowed myself 6 weeks to get to Santiago, finished 2 weeks early, loved it) I got cocky planning a December Portugues. I thought I would fly home 13 days later having had a wonderful life-changing walk. But it's the tricky second album.

I've injured myself. Saw a physio who was very helpful but told me to rest for a few days, and now I'm working out if l'll finish or not in time for my flight home from Porto on the 20th.

I was the only pilgrim in mass last night, empty albergues 2 nights and I'm not feeling much motivation to continue other than wanting to finish what I started.

Ponte de Lima, however, is beautiful.

Does anyone have any words of motivation? Advice? Anyone else out there?

 

[MinaKamina]

not sure this will instantly cheer you up, yet here we go: it's been a life changing walk so far, but not in the way you dreamed or expected.

take that rest. enjoy Ponte de Lima. look up a few places to visit by train or by bus. enjoy Porto.

you will do fine, even if getting used to your new situation may take a while.

 

[davejsy]

Second albums always carry too much expectation.

I do hope your situation improves though.

 

[Blister Bill]

I loved Ponte de Lima! Hard to give encouragement/advice without knowing the extent of your injury. You clearly are used to doing above average distances based on last year. You have @150km to go and 8 days. Given your plan was to do to over 240 in 13 days it still sounds doable. You could have two days rest and skip to Tui or enjoy PDL and plan on knocking out the rest in 6 days (25km per day). You know what you can do and need to listen to your body but other than a not particularly hard hill in the next leg the going is easy for the remainder. You may find after a days rest you can manage a light day before pushing on. I wouldn't be too down as I think you will manage if the prescribed rest does the trick !

 

[grdemedeiros]

From where you are, and depending on your injury, you could string together a few lovely towns by bus, exploring them gently, then resume your walk.

I loved Ponte de Lima, and Valença, Tui, and Ponte Vedra (the latter despite a hard walk in and a terrible first impression). From Ponte Vedra you could veer onto the Spiritual Variant and enjoy the quaint Combarro followed by Armenteira and the gorgeous Route of Stone and Water. (Though the hike up to Armenteira might not be possible with your injury.)

It night not meet your hopes for this Camino because you've skipped a chunk of walking, but you'd get to experience some beautiful parts of Portugal and Spain that you may have walked quickly through in your prior plan. Lemonade out of lemons!

 

[RobinK*]

Advise? Embrace the problem.

Get rid of all your expectations. And don't forget to be kind to yourself and the lovely local people.

Buen Camino

 

[Pilgrim9]

Whatever you decide, remember that the Camino has been there for countless lifetimes and will continue to be there for countless more lifetimes. Whether you resume your journey in a few days or in a few decades, it will be there.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

Lots of good advice...
FWIW:
Remember that contrary to popular sentiment, even though pilgrimage benefits from community to help cover long distances, that the point is not socialising?
Focus on something other than the idea of meeting other pilgrims and that part of the genre?
I met a man on my Portuguese who had made his way on foot from the Algrave to Lisbon, and all the way up *in the fall* on the lesser travelled path, largely in a bizarre season of rain... mostly in *denim* and with a canvas rucksack like I carried to high school school in the 80's.
In other words, he had put in several hundred KM in bad weather, mostly alone.
was he happy when a handful of other pilgrims showed up near Tui? Absolutely... but he was also joyful about the first and significantly long segment, on his own...
Maybe... come to cherish your own company and the very rare opportunity for quiet in this cacophonous world while on your way to Santiago?

 

[dougfitz]

Does anyone have any words of motivation? Advice? Anyone else out there?

I recall feeling pretty down after twisting my knee on the way into Castrojeriz on my first camino. If there had been an airport there, I would have been on my way home. There wasn't, and I told myself that night that I could do one more day. I cannot remember now how long it took, but after several 'one more days' I got to the point when I knew that I could keep going.

 

[Roland49]

Does anyone have any words of motivation? Advice? Anyone else out there?

Hope that this may motivate you a bit: what I learned on my CF and CP: trust your guts!
If your guts telling you, that you can make it, then do it.
If not: back to Porto and roam that beautiful city.

 

[bullingtonce]

After the success of my Norte/Primitivo/Fisterra walk last year (I allowed myself 6 weeks to get to Santiago, finished 2 weeks early, loved it) I got cocky planning a December Portugues. I thought I would fly home 13 days later having had a wonderful life-changing walk. But it's the tricky second album.

I've injured myself. Saw a physio who was very helpful but told me to rest for a few days, and now I'm working out if l'll finish or not in time for my flight home from Porto on the 20th.

I was the only pilgrim in mass last night, empty albergues 2 nights and I'm not feeling much motivation to continue other than wanting to finish what I started.

Ponte de Lima, however, is beautiful.

Does anyone have any words of motivation? Advice? Anyone else out there?

A person can never be or feel alone as he/she always his him/herself and God. What more could one want? Chuck

 

[William Mckenzie]

After the success of my Norte/Primitivo/Fisterra walk last year (I allowed myself 6 weeks to get to Santiago, finished 2 weeks early, loved it) I got cocky planning a December Portugues. I thought I would fly home 13 days later having had a wonderful life-changing walk. But it's the tricky second album.

I've injured myself. Saw a physio who was very helpful but told me to rest for a few days, and now I'm working out if l'll finish or not in time for my flight home from Porto on the 20th.

I was the only pilgrim in mass last night, empty albergues 2 nights and I'm not feeling much motivation to continue other than wanting to finish what I started.

Ponte de Lima, however, is beautiful.

Does anyone have any words of motivation? Advice? Anyone else out there?

Just about to start my walk today, Porto - san - Camino can get quiet at this time of the year, just means when you meet someone it's more special & they maybe have a bigger story to tell.
Your not far away from heading home doesn't matter how u get there, walk, train, taxi, it's your journey. If I bump into you walking towards Santiago, will buy you a coffee & share a story. Remember there's more to the Camino than just pilgrims, locals will be so happy to give you time. Bon Camino

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[David Tallan]

It is harder when there is not that community of supportive pilgrims. I can say that from my own November Camino when I only briefly saw one other pilgrim in 28 days walking. However, there is much to be gained in enjoying the landscapes and countryside and culture of the places you are walking through. In some ways, without the distraction of other pilgrims (however welcome and enjoyable that is) you can be even more open to that. And virtual support, through forums like this or digital connections with others, an also be real support.

 

[JoeBoston]

Maybe not exactly words of encouragement but I wish you good luck!

 

[TrvlDad1]

I recall feeling pretty down after twisting my knee on the way into Castrojeriz on my first camino. If there had been an airport there, I would have been on my way home. There wasn't, and I told myself that night that I could do one more day. I cannot remember now how long it took, but after several 'one more days' I got to the point when I knew that I could keep going.

If that one more day was out of Casrojeriz over the Alto de Mosteares to Fromista, it would certainly have tested your mental and physical fitness. Great perseverance.

 

[William Garza]

Dont regret