Do you care about continuity?

[Madrood]

Hi all

I am guessing that most people here usually try to do a Camino from start to finish, either in one go or in stages. How do you feel about jumping around between different ones e.g. first half of the CF, second half of the Norte? Have you tried it? Did it 'feel' wrong, or completely trivial? Would you recommend whatever route you stitched together?

 

[Arn]

If that's where the Camino leads you...walk on!

 

[naplesdon]

I have done that numerous times, mainly to avoid bad weather. I started the Norte from Bilbao got as far as Santander after a number of days of adverse weather, took a train to Fromista and walked the Canal de Castilla to Valladolid and then connected up with the Camino Madrid from Puenta Duero to Sahagun and onward to SdC. BTW I would recommend Oloron-Ste Marie to SdC

 

[Former member 99290]

Hi @Madrood

Usually I like to walk a Camino path from ‘start to finish’. But two years ago I walked in Spain for a month with a friend and fellow peregrina, who had walked the Frances twice. She wanted to walk on a different path, so asked me to put together a sort of ‘best of’ some of the paths I’d already walked. So I chose some of my favourites.

We started with the Aragones from Canfranc to Obanos where it joins the Frances. We walked on from Obanos to stay the night in Puenta la Reina and the next walked for a day on the Frances to Estella for old time’s sake. From there we took a bus to Irun, stayed overnight in Hondarribia and walked for 6 days on the Norte to Bilbao. From Bilbao we took a bus to Oviedo and walked the Primitivo to SdeC

For my friend these were all new paths. For me, I was revisiting paths I had already travelled. We both loved every step of our bespoke Camino. And, perhaps surprisingly, neither of us felt it was any the less for the lack of continuity. And that particular combination was wonderful. I’d do it again.

That said, when it comes to a ‘new’ Camino, I am sure I will be eager to walk from ‘start to finish’

Hope that’s helpful.

 

[evanlow]

My case is more like after the first few main Caminos, the subsequent ones never made it to SDC. Example, Camino del Madrid from Madrid to Sahagun. Camino del Interior from Irun to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, etc...

 

[Bradypus]

For me continuity is very important. I decide my starting point and final destination then I walk from one to the other. Taking in everything in between is an essential part of a pilgrimage for me. Even those parts which at first glance appear to be dull and lacking in charm. It is part of the mental and physical discipline and conscious sense of purpose which forms part of the distinction between a pilgrimage and a walking holiday. Chopping and changing routes or skipping sections once walking would undermine my whole experience.

 

[dougfitz]

Two thoughts:

1. I would prefer to walk a particular route, letting it join or deviate from other routes if that is the natural flow of the route. But I don't think I would try and cherry pick a route that required switching from one route to another with a gap filled in by bus, train or the like.
2. The Pilgrim Office probably cares about the continuity of the last 100/200 km, as evidenced by the rules around getting a compostela.

 

[VNwalking]

I prefer continuity. In 2019 because of time constraints I jumped ahead using transport on section of the Frances I had previously walked and felt a literal sense of dislocation. Suddenly I was a week ahead of where my body had last been 'grounded.' It just felt weird.

But if that's intended as a way to sample different routes, like with @jenny@zen's bespoke camino, the abrupt change might not be problematic - in fact a good way to clean the slate and start anew.

 

[wayfarer]

Continuity all the way for me as well, if your walk doesn't ultimately end up in SDC then its just a walk not a pilgrimage IMO. I agree with @dougfitz I don't mind changing routes if they flow into one another but not if it involves transport.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have walked every step of the 800k on the Frances; another time I skipped the Meseta so I could spend a week walking from Muxia to Finesterre; on the Norte I turned on to the Primitivo, ending in Lugo, then took a bus to Santiago; on the Le Puy I ended in Auvillar; on the Portuguese after starting in Porto, I took a taxi once, skipping a stage due to being ill as it kept me on my pre-booked schedule.
I have loved them all, each in their own way and have not regretted any decision I've made. Sometimes other time restraints can prevent a continuous walk, not to mention a bit of guesswork in preparation for those of us coning from other parts of the world who can not easily jump on a cheap Ryanair type of flight at the last minute to get home after finishing.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I have jumped around on occasion because I usually have 3 weeks before picking up my groups and I like trying different routes, then deciding which I want to complete. Sort of like "tasters." Sometimes life gets in the way - I've tried 4 times to complete the VDLP - COVID stopped us in 2020.

 

[Albertagirl]

This year's camino was not continuous for two reasons: the pandemic and lack of accommodation since many albergues were closed on the Levante, and a fall which required medical care and put me behind schedule. But I did finish the walk from Ourense to Santiago on foot and continuously. I still remember meeting @Bradypus on the road section of the walk to Almaden on the VdlP, where we were two of very few pilgrims who did not take a taxi to skip that 16 km section.

 

[Kitsambler]

While I prefer continuity, I'm not dogmatic about it. The first two years, I walked the Le Puy route to SJPP, breaking stages at Cahors. The next year I found myself in Prague, so started walking from there back to Le Puy, in several stages over the years. There was a gap in western Czech due to injury, and a few short train hops in Germany due to suburbia or flooding. In Switz, a train hop from Lausanne to Geneva, due to the paucity of pilgrim lodgings, and applying the theory that"original pilgrims" would have taken the boat. Frankly I'm not sure I'll ever get to Santiago at this point.

 

[peregrina2000]

I’ve done the

— “stitched together continuous camino” (Madrid - Sahagún - León - Oviedo - Santiago),

— “camino combined with transport in the middle” (Baztán (Bayonne - Pamplona)— bus from Pamplona to Irún — Norte to Santiago)

— and the “partial camino” (Almería to Salamanca).

If I had all the time in the world, all of my caminos would be stitched together continuous caminos ending in Santiago, but I just don’t anymore. I consider myself extremely lucky to have walked the Levante from Valencia, the Ebro from the Delta del Ebro, and the Catalán from Llancà, all the way to Santiago. They were glorious, unbeatable, but just not possible for me now.

So if I want to walk the Mozárabe from Málaga, the Via Serrana, etc, I have to accept the fact that I won’t make it to Santiago.

I think it’s a matter of deciding which of the following things matter more to you — walking every step from start to finish, arriving in Santiago, walking new caminos. When I had a chance to walk with four forum members on the Baztán, I found a way to add it on to my original plan to walk the Norte. For me, that meant taking a bus from the end of the Baztán in Pamplona to Irún, where I was going to start the Norte. It was either not walking the Baztán, or taking a bus to Irún, no brainer for me. But not for others.

I have learned that stopping walking before arriving in Santiago is hard and a bit depressing, but stopping walking in Santiago is also hard and a bit depressing for me, so it’s something I’ve learned to deal with.

Good luck with finding what works best for you, buen camino, Laurie

 

[FourSeasons]

I like to go from start to finish all in one walk but I'll cut and paste if needed.

We all think and have our own ideas about how a Camino, a pilgrimage, a walk will look to us, the individual.
For me it's always a pilgrimage. I say go for it and see where your feet or rather the Camino takes you.

Buen Camino!!

 

[Former member 99290]

It really does depend on your circumstances - time available is often a factor. And in the case of my 'bespoke Camino' putting something together for a friend who wanted to experience a little of a few paths other than the Frances, but also wanted to walk into SdeC.

All of my other Caminos have been 'continuous' but not necessarily arriving in SdeC - e.g. Le Puy to Pamplona, Arles / Aragones to meet the Frances, Madrid to Sahagun, Mozarabe to Merida where it joins the VdelP. And so on.

I don't like to skip sections because they may have been described by others as 'boring' - I've never found any day or stage on the way to be boring.

As to whether one's Camino is a walk or a pilgrimage - I think that's very much an internal issue.

 

[VNwalking]

I don't like to skip sections because they may have been described by others as 'boring' - I've never found any day or stage on the way to be boring.

This bears repeating. Absolutely!

 

[David Tallan]

I prefer continuity and walking it all. Even the "boring" or industrial bits. It is all part of the journey and gives me a sense of completeness. Which isn't to say that I have always done it that way. But it is certainly my preference.

 

[Richmond Gardner]

I feel like judging continuity on a Camino is implying that the choices are static. You might be on a Camino for any number or reasons and motivations and should be free to enjoy your exploration. And I would like to celebrate that

 

[Former member 99290]

I like to think the people posting above were just stating their preferences and experience - in reply to the question posed by @Madrood - rather than judging. Though that’s not to say this forum is always a judgement free space!

 

[Madrood]

I like to think the people posting above were just stating their preferences and experience - in reply to the question posed by @Madrood - rather than judging. Though that’s not to say this forum is always a judgement free space!

Yes a judgement-free zone on this thread I hope

 

[Albertagirl]

I am sad that this thread has moved in this direction. Are we talking about "Who is a true pilgrim" or "Who is the best long-distance walker?" Or is this becoming some other competition entirely? I shall never be able to walk from home, which is one traditional answer to the first question. If you are a pilgrim, you move by the spirit, however you travel. If you are a long-distance hiker, you may be personally satisfied by completing a long pilgrim walk. I have one distance certificate, for walking every step of the VdlP. I was offered a distance certificate at the Pilgrim Office after completing my most recent pilgrimage last month, starting in Valencia. I refused, because I had not been able to walk all the way. I am, as best I can be, both a true pilgrim and a successful long-distance walker. But I do not compete with anyone, and I try not to brag. Before I walked my first camino, I heard about the pilgrimage to Santiago from my work supervisor, who went there as one location on a bus tour. Only he knew what it meant to him. We are all ourselves on our pilgrim walks. For whatever personal reasons, some of us find it important/satisfying to continuously walk every step of the way.

 

[VNwalking]

If you are a pilgrim, you move by the spirit, however you travel.

Beautifully said. Absolutely.

I am sad that this thread has moved in this direction

I'm confused. Unless some posts have been deleted, I don't see any refereces to 'true pilgrims,' nor anything other than expressions of personal preference. All of which are completely and equally valid.

 

[C clearly]

I don't see any refereces to 'true pilgrims,' nor anything other than expressions of personal preference. All of which are completely and equally valid.

I agree that there was no such reference. The word "judging" was used once in an entirely acceptable way, but people got worried.

Let's get back to talking about our personal preferences with respect to continuity.

 

[dutchwalkagain]

Ok ....my personal preferences from experience. My first Frances was continuously and I only took once a bus to forward 10 km . I even called one of my kids to discus before taking the bus because I felt so guilty ha ha ha. The next 3 times on The Frances, I picked stretches that worked for me best and mostly what I wanted to show my kids most in the 3 weeks we had. So yes I skipped certain stretches by bus or train. Coming year will be the same. I only have 3 weeks to walk with my husband and he wants to experience the first AND last stage of the Frances. So we will walk 3 or 4 continuous days, then forward , then again walk 3 or 4 days, then forward etc etc. Does then lessen the experience ??? My kids (who didn't walk an entire one) didn't think so. For them the true experience came from walking 3 weeks with just a backpack.
I have never switched from one camino route to another though. But who knows what the future may bring. For me personally it's the walking in beautiful scenery and the peaceful surroundings that it provides that makes me yearning back to the Camino. Enjoy however you do it .

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Enjoy however you do it .

Amen! There are absolutely no rules/requirements unless a person is desiring a Compostela.

 

[trecile]

I'm confused. Unless some posts have been deleted, I don't see any refereces to 'true pilgrims,'

I was confused too, and thought that I must have missed something.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

May I add that for some of us it is also a question of how many times you have walked a Camino (that decides if you jump by train or bus to different branches). The first years I never jumped from one Camino to the other by bus or train. I was happy to choose different starting points and eventually end up on the Camino Francés and in Santiago (thus following the principle of continuity). But, although I am a Camino repeat offender, I finally became tired of always ending up on the same Camino Francés and entering Santiago the same way. Yes, I know there are alternative ways to reach Santiago. But most of them converge with the Francés. My point is that continuity takes away time that I could have spent on other routes in Spain.

An example: This summer I plan to walk from Valencia to Monteagudo de las Salinas. That is 8 stages on the Camino de la Requena, because my purpose is to check out the Requena route. From there the Ruta de la Lana goes on to Burgos - but I have already walked the stages from Monteagudo to Burgos twice: in 2017 and in 2019. Now, If I cared about continuity I would walk a third time from Monteagudo to Burgos, and continue from Burgos to Santiago de Compostela. This would mean 30-something stages (from Monteagudo via Burgos to Santiago for the umpteenth time); and all just because... I wanted to check out 8 stages on the Requena? I prefer to spend my time on other, less travelled caminos. So I plan to stop in Monteagudo (or in Cuenca) and take the train to Málaga to start the Mozárabe and... thereafter I don't know if to stop in Córdoba, Mérida or somewhere else.

My point is that continuity (right or wrong is not the point) would prevent me from exploring alternative Caminos while I am in Spain. (Here the time frame comes into play as well, of course.)

 

[Marbe2]

We try to balance what works: distance, accommodations, terrain, and yes, unapologetically, beauty, …as well as how we are we are feeling. If that would mean, skipping sections to work within our conception, no problem. We have one compostela and that is enough. We enjoy the solitude and silently putting one foot in front of the other, especially in the early morn’. We enjoying dawns early light and beautiful sunrises, breathing in the crisp air, petting the dogs, helping another walker in need, having a tasty meal, occasional attending a good or meaningful liturgy, and having quality time with one another. Of course not every section provides all of this, but I do plan within our time constraints to allow this to unfold as much as possible.

 

[trecile]

I have done "full" Caminos, and also a "combo" Camino.

My first two Caminos were SJPdP to Finisterre/Muxía. Both were wonderful experiences, and I loved meeting up with pilgrims in Santiago that I had met in SJPdP or along the way.

My third Camino was the Norte, and I had to abandon it in Vilalba, just 120 km from Santiago because of shin splints (note: listen to you body and stop walking before it gets too bad!!!). I ended up busing to Santiago, and spending more time there than I planned, but I also got to reunite with pilgrims that I had met back in Irun.

The following year I decided to do a combination of routes which I could walk continuously - the Francés to León, the Camino del Salvador from León to Oviedo, then I walked up to Avilés to get on the Norte to complete that Camino. I really enjoyed every step, but - I didn't feel like I had the same connection with other pilgrims as I had on my previous Caminos. It could have been due to many factors - me, the time of year, the routes I choose, etc. But I did feel like something was missing, though I can't put my finger on it.

I think that it is probably different for a solo pilgrim rather than one who is walking with a partner, family or friends. A lot of what makes a Camino special to me is the interaction and sharing of the experience with other pilgrims, whether they be strangers or friends who traveled with me.

Although I like to go on Camino alone, I think that if I chose to do another less traveled route I might enjoy the experience more if I were sharing it with someone else.

 

[C clearly]

The concept of "continuity" could be applied to time, footsteps, direction, or even companionship. I really like continuity - except when I feel a desire for variety.

 

[Former member 99290]

Reading this thread - I just remembered that I’ve taken a metro or bus to the outskirts of Porto, to the outskirts of Toulouse and to the outskirts of Bilbao. Two were to avoid long flat stretches of pavement which tend to ‘encourage’ my shin splints and one was due to a time constraint. I’d forgotten about these occasions (maybe there are more) so I guess it didn’t have a negative impact on my Caminos.

In the early days I was somewhat of a purist about ‘walking every step’ and would probably not have made those choices - but I’ve found as time has gone on that I’m less attached to that. It’s still my preference but if it’s not feasible for one reason or another …

 

[henrythedog]

I’ve got three ‘end to end’ compostellae for the Frances (bearing in mind that my definition of the start in recent years has become Pamplona) and a shoebox half full of credentiales from whenever I had 10+ days available and I could get a flight to Spain.

The only thing they have in common is that every record of my travels is in the direction of Santiago.

 

[Former member 99290]

The only thing they have in common is that every record of my travels is in the direction of Santiago.

I like that!