I love this time of year!

[VNwalking]

Nothing to do with holidays...
Instead it's the pregnant energy here on the Forum. Most people have returned home from this year's camino, and are beginning to plan and/or make bookings for next year.

And so there are many messages that cause gladness--and few or none that result in a wishful thinking attack.
Admittedly, I do wish I could be a Ditch Pig.
But other than that, I'm rejoicing in the trickle of decisions and booking announcements that are beginning to bubble up through the threads.
Happy planning and Buen 2017 Caminos, everyone!

(I haven't made my bookings...but plans are firming up. If I were European I would be planning a loooong meditative walk. But visas are a limitation. So for me it looks like two shorter pilgrimages in May and July (or August). The decisions made themselves, and look very different from what I had thought I would be doing.
The mystery of the Camino, and of surrender, is a wonderful thing.)

Where are you thinking of going?

 

[Bradypus]

I'm thinking of walking part of the Offa's Dyke Path, having had a beautiful taster in early summer walking to Holywell with @andy.d Much closer to home than Santiago, Rome or Trondheim!

 

[Purky]

Planning for the Pieterpad in Holland next summer, together with my wife. That should take care of three weeks walking, but I'm still very much tempted to take an extra week off and head out to Spain solo again. Both the Ingles and the Salvador look interesting and very doable in a week.
Untill Bradypus mentioned it I had never heard of the Offa's Dyke Path and what I can find on Google looks stunning. I'll put that one in the books for 2018. Thanks for the tip!

 

[wayfarer]

We are having a beautiful Autumn/Winter here at the moment, dry, cold, frosty and sometimes foggy weather, great for local walks and walking in the Burren region.
Long may it last.

 

[DurhamParish]

I've got my plane ticket already purchased. I'll be starting from SJPdP on the morning of March 25th heading all the way to Santiago this time.

 

[Marion-SantiagoInLove]

I'm thinking St Jean Pied de Port, and stay there for..............................

 

[efdoucette]

Agree, the time to dream of the next walk. We had our first snow here in eastern Canada the other day and the dreaming starts. First dream is a Feb winter getaway to a beach but the second dream is a long distant walk. Where will I go? Would like to do some more dreaming before I decide, part of the fun you know. Spain is always a draw but europe is littered with great trails.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

Hey friends!

--it could be Le Puy (a section)

--it could be Camino Frances (a section)

--it could be Porto to SdC (all)

The jury is deliberating

 

[Steve morales]

When I saw the title I expected to read something about pilgrimage and Advent but then discovered that it's already about 2017.

We have started the South Downs Way, in very enjoyable one day sections, perhaps a weekend here or there, going east to west, so Winchester Cathedral will be the destination and not the starting point.

A long time ago, I've been to Winchester but don't remember much and I am looking forward to a new visit, also in connection with pilgrimages and history. I vaguely know about St Swithun's day, I'm intrigued by the short tunnel (the Holy Hole) in the cathedral that allowed pilgrims to crawl right under the saint's shrine, to be as close as possible to his miraculous healing powers. Another interesting aspect that you don't see on your way in France or Spain: Winchester is a Gothic cathedral that is not a Catholic church. It may sound strange to some of you but it struck me one day like a revelation that, during the heydays of pilgrimage, there was no Catholic pilgrimage, there was just pilgrimage and a specific sense of (borderless) union or unity or commonality that disappeared with the Reformation(s).

So, for some of us, much to explore closer to home.

Boy we got lost a lot on the South Downs from Cantebury Cathedral to Dover. Poorly marked and not much for lodging. BUT the special pilgrim blessings at the Cathedral was worth it!

 

[VPANAMA]

Nothing to do with holidays...
Instead it's the pregnant energy here on the Forum. Most people have returned home from this year's camino, and are beginning to plan and/or make bookings for next year.

And so there are many messages that cause gladness--and few or none that result in a wishful thinking attack.
Admittedly, I do wish I could be a Ditch Pig.
But other than that, I'm rejoicing in the trickle of decisions and booking announcements that are beginning to bubble up through the threads.
Happy planning and Buen 2017 Caminos, everyone!

(I haven't made my bookings...but plans are firming up. If I were European I would be planning a loooong meditative walk. But visas are a limitation. So for me it looks like two shorter pilgrimages in May and July (or August). The decisions made themselves, and look very different from what I had thought I would be doing.
The mystery of the Camino, and of surrender, is a wonderful thing.)

Where are you thinking of going?

 

[VPANAMA]

Most timely posting, Viranani.
In September I did the Via de la Plata from Ourense (to honor my 80th birthday). Last year I did the Camino Ingles from Ferrol. The year before it was the Camino Portuguese, inland. Now I keep dreaming about where to go next September or October. I'd welcome suggestions from anyone. I prefer scenery, solitude, and safety - in that order.
Any good section for an 8-day or 9-day walk of less than 15 km per day, and not necessarily ending in Santiago - that is what I'll be wanting to plan, and NOW is as good a time as any. God willing, I want to be in Galicia every year!
Thanks to everyone in anticipation.

 

[VNwalking]

My oh my--wonderful plans are hatching out there, everyone!

I prefer scenery, solitude, and safety - in that order.

@VPANAMA, you couldn't do much better than the San Olav/Lana:
Burgos-Santo Domingo de Silos by bus. Then....:
Santo Domingo de Silos-Covarrubias 18km
Covarrubias-Mambrills de Lara about 10 hilly Kms
Mambrillas de Lara -Revilla de Campo about 16km
Revilla de Campo -Modubar de San Ciprian about 10 km
Modubar de San Ciprian to Burgos 18 km

Check out these threads:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...thic-jewel-south-of-burgos.36974/#post-352154
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...no-san-olav-to-burgos-2016.42409/#post-433418

and alexwalker has just put a guide together, it's in the resources section.
It's a little shorter than you want altogether, and a few of the stage distances are a tad longer...but it's very special, very beautiful.

 

[C clearly]

The jury is deliberating

I'm pretty sure you are guilty!

 

[VNwalking]

I'm pretty sure you are guilty!

As charged, your honor. All of us.

Hey, Deb....
Another few possibilities (Sorrrrryyyy...)
1) Soria to Burgos on the Ebro/Lana/San Olav. And then on the Frances as far as you get. It's very easy to return to Madrid from Sahagun.
I can only vouch for the part from Santo Domingo de Silos, which is stunning. But Laurie and Alan and anyone else who's been on it make the walk from Soria sound fantastic.
I will definitely go back. It was soooo wonderful.

Alan's threads:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/an-autumnal-camino-soriano.37640/
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/over-the-sierra-to-santo-domingo-de-silos.36855/
And Laurie's
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-camino-castellano-aragonés-2016.42195/
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/the-camino-san-olav-to-burgos-2016.42409/
(as well as the others I posted just above)

2) The Camino Viejo from Pamplona looks like a super alternative to the Frances...and you can start in Bayonne on the Bastanes--5 days to Pamplona that way.

3) And last but certainly not least is the Invierno.

Happy planning and buen camino!

 

[JillGat]

Just for the record, I highly recommend the walk from Finisterre to Muxia. These last few days I keep finding myself reminiscing about the foggy eucalyptus forest, the stunning view from a mountainside of flowers down to a rugged river far below, the little village that was having an annual festival involving jumping over a fire and then roasting sardines (the town was so small, they didn't have a priest, so one was called in from a larger town for their mass on this occasion, in their beautiful little 12th century church... I forced the other pilgrims to delay their walk that next day and join the few villagers for mass), the strange little town of Muxia with the eerie pagan stones perching animal like above the sea, the long solo walks I enjoyed so much.