Ray J
Where exactly are we?
- Time of past OR future Camino
- CF
Rota Vicentina & Portuguese
Paris to Moulins & Le Puy
VF
Cornwall & John Muir Way
This is the first year in the last four that we didn't do a Camino due to obligations at home ... and it's driving me crazy!
A bit of history (mine): I was unaware of any of this until one day my girlfriend said she was going to do the CF and wanted to know if I wanted to come along. Being completely ignorant, I said "Sure! What is it?" and, well, we were off. I had never done long distance hiking and certainly not in sustained periods of high winds, soaking rains with mud/water over the top of my shoes, followed by days of 30'+ temperatures in the baking sun. And, TBH, I kept thinking that this was just one of those "bucket list" things I could cross off.
Funny thing, though, by the following winter, we constantly looked back at the CF, all of our adventures, the great friends we made (some for only a day) and lost, the feeling of accomplishment, etc. Portugal certainly sounded interesting, soooo, "We really should see if last year was a fluke, right?" Starting in Sagres, the Rota Vicentina was beyond compare with its high cliffs and booming ocean surf below. Leaving Lisbon, we followed GR markings, which were missing as often as they were there, reading maps, getting lost, suddenly finding a trail marker again, getting lost again, until we got to Coimbra and found our first official CP marker, after which the numerous markers felt almost like cheating. Many fewer people than the previous year, but the solitude was wonderful.
In other words, by Christmas: "We should do France, right? But, just to make it interesting, let's bike from Paris to Le Puy en Velay first." And so we did. The biking portion was great; Europeans may not appreciate the difference between their bike culture and ours, but suffice it to say it's significant and we had many enjoyable days (albeit with temperatures again at 30'+, but who cares, amirite?). And the hiking to Santiago was fantastic ... beautiful farms, lovely villages, friendly locals. And, OMG, the food! Is everyone in France a master chef? We want to go back, but ...
... "Let's do the Via Francengina this year!" Due to obligations (again!) we could only start in Siena and hike to Rome, and I swear some of the topo maps were the mirror image of what they should've been, but Italy, well, it's Italy, right? So much to see and do along the way and, again, the food! (I see I'm developing a theme here.)
Which brings me to the reason for this post. ("Finally," everyone murmured.) It's July and we haven't been anywhere yet because my girlfriend retired this Spring and there were many issues to deal with, and I feel like I've wasted a year of hiking time. Yes, we're going to hike in Cornwall in Autumn, then trek across Scotland before hitting Ireland, so I've got that going for me but, darn it, I miss doing a Camino!
A long post ("Ya think?"), but I guess if I can't be on a Camino somewhere, then the next best thing is remembering the ones I have done, eh? So, for all the new people planning their first Camino, a warning: It will get in your blood, and if one is good, well, two, three, four etc are better! Good luck to everyone out there, first timers and old hands alike!
A bit of history (mine): I was unaware of any of this until one day my girlfriend said she was going to do the CF and wanted to know if I wanted to come along. Being completely ignorant, I said "Sure! What is it?" and, well, we were off. I had never done long distance hiking and certainly not in sustained periods of high winds, soaking rains with mud/water over the top of my shoes, followed by days of 30'+ temperatures in the baking sun. And, TBH, I kept thinking that this was just one of those "bucket list" things I could cross off.
Funny thing, though, by the following winter, we constantly looked back at the CF, all of our adventures, the great friends we made (some for only a day) and lost, the feeling of accomplishment, etc. Portugal certainly sounded interesting, soooo, "We really should see if last year was a fluke, right?" Starting in Sagres, the Rota Vicentina was beyond compare with its high cliffs and booming ocean surf below. Leaving Lisbon, we followed GR markings, which were missing as often as they were there, reading maps, getting lost, suddenly finding a trail marker again, getting lost again, until we got to Coimbra and found our first official CP marker, after which the numerous markers felt almost like cheating. Many fewer people than the previous year, but the solitude was wonderful.
In other words, by Christmas: "We should do France, right? But, just to make it interesting, let's bike from Paris to Le Puy en Velay first." And so we did. The biking portion was great; Europeans may not appreciate the difference between their bike culture and ours, but suffice it to say it's significant and we had many enjoyable days (albeit with temperatures again at 30'+, but who cares, amirite?). And the hiking to Santiago was fantastic ... beautiful farms, lovely villages, friendly locals. And, OMG, the food! Is everyone in France a master chef? We want to go back, but ...
... "Let's do the Via Francengina this year!" Due to obligations (again!) we could only start in Siena and hike to Rome, and I swear some of the topo maps were the mirror image of what they should've been, but Italy, well, it's Italy, right? So much to see and do along the way and, again, the food! (I see I'm developing a theme here.)
Which brings me to the reason for this post. ("Finally," everyone murmured.) It's July and we haven't been anywhere yet because my girlfriend retired this Spring and there were many issues to deal with, and I feel like I've wasted a year of hiking time. Yes, we're going to hike in Cornwall in Autumn, then trek across Scotland before hitting Ireland, so I've got that going for me but, darn it, I miss doing a Camino!
A long post ("Ya think?"), but I guess if I can't be on a Camino somewhere, then the next best thing is remembering the ones I have done, eh? So, for all the new people planning their first Camino, a warning: It will get in your blood, and if one is good, well, two, three, four etc are better! Good luck to everyone out there, first timers and old hands alike!
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. I was thinking about my food preferences and I do love that French food but growing up in The Bronx in a Jewish/Italian neighborhood, when I would go to my friends houses and those immigrant or first generation Italian moms would have me over for dinner. I can't even begin to tell you how good it was. My friends, though, loved to eat at my house more. My mom was a Syrian Jew and cooked all the traditional Arabic foods. She learned how to cook from my grandfather who in another life would be, and I am not joking, a world famous chef. So although I may have love that French food usually you love something more when you can't have it as much. I love the seafood in Portugal too and the added bonus of the Portuguese people who I think are the kindest and most generous people I have ever met in my life. Also I am not that much of a wine drinker but I do love that French wine.
