TravellingMan22
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Portuguese/Frances 2020/Norte 2021
So I thought I would give this ‘live from the Camino’ lark a go. I don’t normally record much and it is only relatively recently I have even started taking photos. It may not interest many! I am not from the ‘religious / spiritual’ world, ‘the Camino provides’ mantra, I am not looking to learn any lessons, or for it to be a catalyst to change my life… I am just looking to enjoy a walk and reflect I guess (I am quite a deep thinker especially when I walk). But let see what emerges! There will definitely be some practical tips based on the last few mins (more to come on that).
So some preamble.
I have done 3 Caminos before, the Portuguese (starting at Porto and turning into the Central), the Frances, and the Norte. The first two were in the summer of 2020 and the third was in the summer of 2021.
So back in June 2020 when Covid was in full swing, I think we were in lockdown in UK. I was furloughed from work and spent my time walking close to home. Portugal was trying to encourage folks to visit and up popped an airline with a flight and off I flew to Porto. No real plan, just be nice to get my hair cut, and have a few glasses of wine. I didn’t know it then but I would never return to work, and have only returned to the UK a few times as I have lived nomadically for the last four years. Just before that I had divorced, sold my house, the children had grown up so opportunity knocked!
I worked in travel my whole life and was good at it, and am quite open and outgoing. So being nomadic comes easy to me and the Camino environment came very easy to me too. Very similar but the hostels were nicer and calmer, the people largely quieter and more respectful. Walking too. I have never owned a car and average 18k steps a day.
I had been to Porto a lot of times and love it but got a bit restless so I vaguely remember someone mentioning a Camino from Porto. A quick google and some downloads and I was on my way next morning.
I was planning to do the coastal route from Porto to SDC. Borders between EU countries were closed and were due to reopen but Portugal and Spain delayed their opening by a week. So I walked slowly, spent 2 or 3 nights in some places, and ultimately decided to go inland and join the central to do more walking and less hanging around.
Now, I am walking from Caminha to Santiago. Why? Well about a month ago I had no caminos planned. My (on-off - it’s complex) partner and I booked three weeks in Coruna on vacation. When we were looking at our journey back I was itching to do a Camino so decided to walk the Ingles from Ferrol and fly back from SDC. Camino fever struck and finally decided to walk the VDLP in October. Been itching to do this for years but every time it got close I did something else. So that’s two Caminos. A couple of weeks back my partner got the chance to do something special next week. It scuppered our flight plans to Coruna so we needed to change things and I decided to go a few days earlier to walk to Santiago. It had to be the coastal as that was my initial direction a years back and as I am trying to be less nomadic and more ‘fixed’ from pretty much now it feels like a closing of a chapter!
More to follow shortly!
So some preamble.
I have done 3 Caminos before, the Portuguese (starting at Porto and turning into the Central), the Frances, and the Norte. The first two were in the summer of 2020 and the third was in the summer of 2021.
So back in June 2020 when Covid was in full swing, I think we were in lockdown in UK. I was furloughed from work and spent my time walking close to home. Portugal was trying to encourage folks to visit and up popped an airline with a flight and off I flew to Porto. No real plan, just be nice to get my hair cut, and have a few glasses of wine. I didn’t know it then but I would never return to work, and have only returned to the UK a few times as I have lived nomadically for the last four years. Just before that I had divorced, sold my house, the children had grown up so opportunity knocked!
I worked in travel my whole life and was good at it, and am quite open and outgoing. So being nomadic comes easy to me and the Camino environment came very easy to me too. Very similar but the hostels were nicer and calmer, the people largely quieter and more respectful. Walking too. I have never owned a car and average 18k steps a day.
I had been to Porto a lot of times and love it but got a bit restless so I vaguely remember someone mentioning a Camino from Porto. A quick google and some downloads and I was on my way next morning.
I was planning to do the coastal route from Porto to SDC. Borders between EU countries were closed and were due to reopen but Portugal and Spain delayed their opening by a week. So I walked slowly, spent 2 or 3 nights in some places, and ultimately decided to go inland and join the central to do more walking and less hanging around.
Now, I am walking from Caminha to Santiago. Why? Well about a month ago I had no caminos planned. My (on-off - it’s complex) partner and I booked three weeks in Coruna on vacation. When we were looking at our journey back I was itching to do a Camino so decided to walk the Ingles from Ferrol and fly back from SDC. Camino fever struck and finally decided to walk the VDLP in October. Been itching to do this for years but every time it got close I did something else. So that’s two Caminos. A couple of weeks back my partner got the chance to do something special next week. It scuppered our flight plans to Coruna so we needed to change things and I decided to go a few days earlier to walk to Santiago. It had to be the coastal as that was my initial direction a years back and as I am trying to be less nomadic and more ‘fixed’ from pretty much now it feels like a closing of a chapter!
More to follow shortly!
