Missed opportunities

[Ali@59]

How many of you folks have gotten home from your camino and read about or seen fantastic places that were so close to the route but never knew at the time of walking?

 

[nycwalking]

How many of you folks have gotten home from your camino and read about or seen fantastic places that were so close to the route but never knew at the time of walking?

Yes! Yes! Yes!

There’s so much to see along the way.

I saw quite a bit: lovely churches, mini running of the bulls in Los Arcos, a few museums, et cetera.

Since I have been in the forum I learnt about so many activities and sights I missed.

However, I rejoice at what I saw and did.

 

[Tincatinker]

Not me. The prior research is part of the fun. And studying some decent maps rather than wikiloc tracks mean I am aware of what is outside the 1km wide linear city that is the Camino Frances.

Well, I suppose that’s not entirely true. I have occasionally discovered, usually via this forum, a monument or a bar that I wished I’d been aware of but missed. I guess it all depends on what you’re looking for. I’m interested in Meso and Neolithic history and quality Orujo.

 

[Bradypus]

On reading the Gitlitz/Davidson "The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago" I became very aware of having missed a great deal of interest on my early Camino walks. A few things I deliberately sought out on later walks. But I don't think you can realistically take in every place and detail of note over 800km of northern Spain. I walked my first two Caminos using a Spanish-language guidebook which I barely understood. The surprise discoveries along the way were a real pleasure. Serendipity. My concern these days is that many people seriously overdo their planning and have virtually walked every step of the way before setting foot on the path.

 

[JimG59]

On reading the Gitlitz/Davidson "The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago" I became very aware of having missed a great deal of interest on my early Camino walks. A few things I deliberately sought out on later walks. But I don't think you can realistically take in every place and detail of note over 800km of northern Spain. I walked my first two Caminos using a Spanish-language guidebook which I barely understood. The surprise discoveries along the way were a real pleasure. Serendipity. My concern these days is that many people seriously overdo their planning and have virtually walked every step of the way before setting foot on the path.

I couldn’t agree more. Where is the spontaneity that folks had in years gone by ? Little information about any aspect but just the wonder of embarking on this wonderful experience in front of us. What about the thoughts/experiences of the pilgrims of centuries ago ?

Why not just just close your door and open your minds to what will be a memorable experience ?

 

[J Willhaus]

I think living in the moment on your Camino is vital. Talk to others and to locals. Don't be so focused on mileage that you miss the local market or the pilgrim mass or the guy doing the Camino on a unicycle, etc. I like a guidebook because it can alert you to interesting points along the way. I like to walk shorter days and arrive with enough time and energy to see the town and learn from locals and from other pilgrims.

 

[trecile]

I haven't seen every place of interest in my own state or even my own county. I have no FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) about not seeing/doing every interesting thing near the Camino routes. It can make you crazy if you try to see or do everything.

 

[Flatlander]

Many years ago a good friend of mine imparted the following.....
Hope for the best,
Prepare for the worst,
And settle for what you get.

The first part is easy. To me it's get inspired.
The second part has become less important. I prepare for the worst. Not everything.
As I get older, it is the third part of that becomes more and more true. Not so much "settling" more finding the good, the joy in where I am.
I think there's a bit of skill to it and like most skills the more we practise, the better we get.

It's also something that is hard to do if we are actively looking for something that we have been told to look out for. We can miss so much by trying not to miss the "big things". In other words, it's not the destination that counts, it's the journey.

A well worn Camino path offers such security in terms of infrastructure and other people that it is a rare opportunity to really be free, to be in the moment, to please ourselves and even to discover (or rediscover) what pleases us.

My concern these days is that many people seriously overdo their planning and have virtually walked every step of the way before setting foot on the path.

Agree 100%

And it's not just the Camino, it's life too.

 

[Ali@59]

On reading the Gitlitz/Davidson "The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago" I became very aware of having missed a great deal of interest on my early Camino walks. A few things I deliberately sought out on later walks. But I don't think you can realistically take in every place and detail of note over 800km of northern Spain. I walked my first two Caminos using a Spanish-language guidebook which I barely understood. The surprise discoveries along the way were a real pleasure. Serendipity. My concern these days is that many people seriously overdo their planning and have virtually walked every step of the way before setting foot on the path.

I didn't plan, but i wish I had done, just a teensy weesny bit !!

 

[Tincatinker]

Sometime in the mid 1980’s I was hiking in the Picos de Europa and was asked if I was on “Camino”. Never heard of it. A bit of research led me to all sorts of surprises. Including an explanation for those scattered yellow arrows and bronze scallop shells I’d encountered a decade earlier heading to Fisterra along the north coast of Spain.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I often saw the swinging of the botafumeiro in the opening or closing of some travel show. I thought it would neat to see that. I didn't know until reaching León that it happened in Santiago. We did get to see it.

We wanted to hike in the Pyrenees afterward with a side trip to San Juan de la Peña. The Pyrenees didn't happen but I walked the Camino Catalan four years later and San Juan was directly on it (and it's a must side trip from the Camino Aragonese). I continued on the Aragonese and got to see the church of Santa Maria de Eunate which was just a short side trip from the Camino Francés. Do it.

mini running of the bulls in Los Arcos,

Also run in Sahagún, around their saint's day, June 12th.

 

[Bradypus]

I’m interested in Meso and Neolithic history and quality Orujo.

"quality Orujo"? Sounds like an oxymoron but I'm open to persuasion.

 

[chinacat]

In 2009 I went, with my daughter, soon after the idea first popped into my head and heart.
It never occurred to us to plan any further than a late booking in SJPdP and Orisson (I knew my limits with little physical prep under my belt) and booking the train tickets.

We got up in the morning and walked, with a vague idea of our destination, always ready to change our minds.
If we liked a town /village we stayed another day, sometimes exploring what lay around us.
We were much slower than other pilgrims.

We had intended to stop in Moratinos, to meet Reb and possibly make ourselves useful for a few days but my daughter was injured and a doctor in the hospital in Burgos said she couldn’t walk any further and she couldn’t carry her pack either. (I bought a little trolley and pulled her pack behind me … it made the stairs in train stations interesting ).

We had only got as far as Rabé …

We took a train to SdC, stayed a couple of nights, and then made our way, via a night in Pamplona, to relatives in France, where we stayed for a week or so.

We had the blue and white Confraternity pamphlet/book, the list of albergues from the pilgrims office in SJPdP, and Brierley’s maps.
I love using maps but couldn’t find large scale maps locally .. probably because I hadn’t a clue where to find them!

The church in Eunate was wonderful as was walking through the caparisoned horses on the bridge in Burgos during the Cid festival.
We had daily adventures and, often, sore feet - although our progress along the Camino was slow, we both tend to ‘march’ once we get going.

‘The Way’ was being filmed somewhere down the road, but we dawdled and only heard about it from/through the camino grapevine at the time.

 

[Dani7]

I haven't seen every place of interest in my own state or even my own county. I have no FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) about not seeing/doing every interesting thing near the Camino routes. It can make you crazy if you try to see or do everything.

Words of wisdom I will apply to my own journey. Thank you.

 

[Anamiri]

How many of you folks have gotten home from your camino and read about or seen fantastic places that were so close to the route but never knew at the time of walking?

Yes I missed out heaps, but I dont regret a thing. I started out on my first Camino with no guide book, got myself to SJPDPD and just let everything unfold. No map, no apps, just walking each day until I felt ready to stop. It was magical, I loved it, and I couldnt wait to get back to Spain.

Since then I have obtained a guide book and have seen and visited lots more of what Spain has to offer.
But I dont regret anything about my first trip - not one bit.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Like @Anamiri I found enough information to get me to SJPdP, I knew that I was going to Santiago and that this was broadly in a westerly direction. The day after I got to St. Jean I started walking and what happened after that was what happened after that.

I suspect that my approach was closely associated with my purpose for being there. My purpose was to walk to Santiago.

Other people may have alternate purposes. I am not suggesting that one purpose is better than another but differing purposes seem to be associated with different approaches.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

On my first Camino I simply did what Tom did in "The Way"; I knew no different and didn't think to research museums, etc.
I too, have learned of a number of interesting museums/places to visit while walking, but unless I have chosen to spend an extra night in a particular city, I usually am focused on my walking and prefer to keep going toward my destination for the day. I would like to see the chocolate and clock museums that have been talked about on the forum though, if I get back to the Frances. Not sure about looking for quality orujo; I'll wait to hear where @Tincatinker discovers the best after he samples a plethora.

 

[woody66]

Sitting and wishing for the things you have missed ;diminishes in your mind the things you haven't!
Woody

 

[chinacat]

A PS

It took us 3 weeks to get to Rabé.
We weren’t the only ones: we met some pilgrims in Rabé who’d started from SJPdP the day before us.
And, despite having had only 3 weeks on the camino, it had a profound effect on me. So much happened to us and I really relished the feeling of having everything I needed on my back. Child-rearing meant I hadn’t had much of that freedom for a few years.
A medical condition has prevented my return but after 3 ops in the last year, I’m hoping to get back in 2024 (DV!)

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

I haven't seen every place of interest in my own state or even my own county. I have no FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) about not seeing/doing every interesting thing near the Camino routes. It can make you crazy if you try to see or do everything.

Agree, absolutely. In my local life, I see this problem all the time with all the people raised under the "leave your options open" command. Perhaps in the NYT some years ago I read that this advice/ethos failed to allow for a person to choose something, to take this path and not that one... that it could be paralysing.
And I see ti all the time: "If I major in this, I can't major in that... "If I take the year abroad, I will miss my friends and our rituals here.... "If I accept that job offer, I can't take this one, and what if this one would have been better?" and so on.
We cannot know a world contrary to fact. We live in the one now, in which our bodies can only be in one place at a time. We will always miss something.... but we will encounter other things. And sometimes, you get to go back, see or do or explore a new thing... a new way of being in the world, etc.
Presently finding myself fussing about options ahead for a May camino... and I have a very defined plan and rationale, but I also have other concerns... I will have to decide because I still cannot perform the miracle of bilocation. What I know is that I have to pick one path, one door... and go through. Others must close (for now) to make one path possible.
I wish parents would stop telling their kids to "keep their options open". I've seen this advice with everything from avoiding committing to a person, to avoiding committing to oneself -- and all the things in between. It promotes only anxiety about the future and regret about the past.

 

[Robertb345]

How many of you folks have gotten home from your camino and read about or seen fantastic places that were so close to the route but never knew at the time of walking?

I have not been yet, but know I can not even see all the fantastic places and things on the route, because a lot of things happen at different times of year. If I go in fall I won't see all the spring flowers. If I go in spring, I'll miss some of the festivals. It is just more reason to go many times if possible. Somethings that makes walking the camino so much more fulfilling.

 

[Isabelpilgrim]

How many of you folks have gotten home from your camino and read about or seen fantastic places that were so close to the route but never knew at the time of walking?

I realized I can't do everything. I've picked things up on subsequent trips, took me 14 years since my first Camino to walk the Pyrenees section on the Frances, and 17 years to visit the castle in Ponferrada. There's always more to experience than there is time.

 

[Former member 92300]

You know... I thought I would be the person who detours to every nearby site. I thought I wanted to be the person who didn't skip out on anything. I thought I would be the person who didn't care about the extra miles/kms to whatever nearby destination. On the Frances - I researched and researched all the sites along the way making mental notes and even lists of where I wanted to go and where I wanted to stay.

I wasn't that person. First - COVID hit and my 2020 Camino turned into a 2021 Camino that was also cancelled - and another/alternate trip was started closer to home - that was cut short by my "annoying" teen/adult kids (love them - but they seriously ruined my alternate hike with their constant complaining). As a result, my alternate trip was cut short abruptly just as Spain confirmed their reopening date. We went home, I unpacked, did laundry, repacked, rested a little but not enough to recover from my previous hike... during which time my ankles became stiff and swollen. And then, within a couple days, I was on a series of planes trains buses and taxis trying to get to SJPDP. I did not have my carefully thought out plans with me. I didn't have my lists of desired accommodations with me. I knew in my head some places I knew I wanted to go - but all my carefully laid out plans remained at home. I did have my book on an app - but I never wanted to read it. It was just too much "work" to take the time to read anything.

I arrived in SJPDP with my still painful/swollen ankles and started my journey anyway. People couldn't believe I was able to cross the Pyrenees (they could see I was in pain and swollen) - but I was determined. Especially after my failed attempt at the alternate hike (again - my kids ruined it for me). I took my time and my anti-inflammatory medications and wore my ankle supports and rested/elevated anytime I could. My ankles never got worse - but I think it took me until Burgos before I was really feeling better. Because of the ankles - I didn't want to add any extra km to see anything - in the beginning it was because I hurt everywhere. Later it was because I simply didn't want to deviate from the actual path. I still toured towns I went through - but I didn't go beyond any city limit to another town off the trail.

Even the sites along the path - were kind of a "let down" because I had seen them so many times in the video blogs. There were few that truly excited me.

It is funny because you would think by my previous paragraphs that I had a miserable time. I DIDN'T! I loved every minute of my Camino. It was EXACTLY what I needed after dealing with COVID at work for the previous year. I was exhausted and nearly broken when I finished my work year. I was disappointed to say the least that my plans kept getting cancelled and that I was unable to complete my alternate hike (400 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail - through the Sierras and surrounding areas). I was sore and uncomfortable and even in pain at times. But walking the Camino gave me the peace and quiet I needed. The opportunity to shut the world beyond the Camino out (except my husband whom I called daily). Work knew that I didn't want them to call at any time for any reason (I did get 2 calls - but much better than my usual calls during vacation). It gave me the opportunity to emotionally recover from a draining year. And I met so many great people along the way. It truly was PERFECT.

I say all of this to say - don't overthink. Don't overplan. Go with the flow and enjoy the journey - whether or not you see the special sites that are nearby. And my lesson learned - I didn't overplan and over research when I did the Norte/Primitivo and almost everything I saw was unexpected and gave me joy. I still didn't venture far off the trail - but didn't feel the need to. I do my "tourism" after my Caminos and will continue to do that going forward.

 

[Gthiker]

I have a different type of missed opportunity. In 2017 while walking the Camino Frances with my wife , I know we missed some monuments, etc. , but we were on pilgrimage, not sightseeing. My missed opportunity occurred in Leon. A lovely young Polish woman who we had interacted with on and off , sat down beside me in the Cathedral at Saturday evening Mass. We were chatting before the service started and she told me she had to stay an extra two days because she had to get her hiking boots repaired and the shop would not be open until Monday. For whatever reason, it never dawned on me to think about the fact that I had the price of new boots in cash in my pocket. I had the opportunity to be someone’s Camino angel and I blew it. If. I do another Camino someday hopefully I will be a little more aware of opportunities to be helpful to fellow pilgrims.

 

[Susanc8503]

Many years ago a good friend of mine imparted the following.....
Hope for the best,
Prepare for the worst,
And settle for what you get.

The first part is easy. To me it's get inspired.
The second part has become less important. I prepare for the worst. Not everything.
As I get older, it is the third part of that becomes more and more true. Not so much "settling" more finding the good, the joy in where I am.
I think there's a bit of skill to it and like most skills the more we practise, the better we get.

It's also something that is hard to do if we are actively looking for something that we have been told to look out for. We can miss so much by trying not to miss the "big things". In other words, it's not the destination that counts, it's the journey.

A well worn Camino path offers such security in terms of infrastructure and other people that it is a rare opportunity to really be free, to be in the moment, to please ourselves and even to discover (or rediscover) what pleases us.


Agree 100%

And it's not just the Camino, it's life too.

As the saying goes " The destination is for the ego, the journey is for the soul"

 

[mattythedog]

Not me. The prior research is part of the fun. And studying some decent maps rather than wikiloc tracks mean I am aware of what is outside the 1km wide linear city that is the Camino Frances.

Well, I suppose that’s not entirely true. I have occasionally discovered, usually via this forum, a monument or a bar that I wished I’d been aware of but missed. I guess it all depends on what you’re looking for. I’m interested in Meso and Neolithic history and quality Orujo.

Great methodologies, Tincatinker. Now if you could please enlighten us as to where/what brands of orujo you recommend. I love that stuff, at least the Orujo de heirbas, which is what I believe Joost brought to Tom's room in THE WAY....made with 18 different herbs...... Over the years, I have introduced hundreds of pilgrims to it, usually after a fine peregrino dinner. Or maybe you prefer Orujo blanco?? FYI, I think my favorite was served by Maxi (his own brew) at his albergue, El Molino, several km from Hornillos del Camino and well off the CF path. This is the albergue in THE WAY where Joost helps prepare dinner; the real Maxi (older man with beard) helps serve. ....Yes, I regret I did not know about this albergue on my first couple Caminos (more to the point of this post). I think the wine, cheese, salad, vegetables and meat were also produced by Maxi. Maxi himself picked me up in Hornillos and drove me to his place. A wonderful experience!!

 

[David Tallan]

How many of you folks have gotten home from your camino and read about or seen fantastic places that were so close to the route but never knew at the time of walking?

Not so much for me, because I like to do a lot of research. More the people I just missed meeting. When I think of missed opportunities I think of the people I didn't exchange contact info with because I thought I would do it later, and then never ran across them again.

 

[Tincatinker]

Or maybe you prefer Orujo blanco??

That is indeed my go-to. Nothing against the various Hierbas concoctions. I'm fond of the version found in Asturias flavoured with just a few Yarrow stems. I used to buy my cellar stash from a distiller in the Picos de Europa but importing has become a nightmarish procedure.

The stuff you'll find in just about every bar, in the un-labelled bottle, is an industrial by-product of the wine industries and is the perfect breakfast shot, stopped with a cafe solo. Off the beaten path I'll always ask for an Aguardiente Local.

If you think your heart and liver can take it make your way to Potes in the Autumn (Fall) for the Fiesta del Orujo, usually late October / early November. That is the opportunity to sample the serious stuff.

 

[David Tallan]

I couldn’t agree more. Where is the spontaneity that folks had in years gone by ? Little information about any aspect but just the wonder of embarking on this wonderful experience in front of us. What about the thoughts/experiences of the pilgrims of centuries ago ?

Why not just just close your door and open your minds to what will be a memorable experience ?

I don't think research and preparation are incompatible with open minds.

I suspect in years gone by many pilgrims prepared a lot for long distance voyages, including pilgrimages and didn't just drop things and set off. Reading about the thoughts/experiences of the pilgrims of centuries ago is part of that preparation for me, which is why I own editions of the Codex Calixtinus (12th century) and the pilgrimage accounts of Hieronymous Munzer (1494), Giovanni Battista Confalonieri (1670), and Domenico Laffi (1670). I think it is more likely the pilgrims who are spontaneous and just leave who are likely less aware of the thoughts/experiences of the pilgrims of centuries ago.

 

[peregrina2000]

I don't think research and preparation are incompatible with open minds.

Totally agree, thanks for putting it so succinctly. On the Vdlp, I remember having read about the fact that the oldest known statue of Santiago Peregrino (from the 11th century) was on the backside of a little church in Santa Marta de Tera. I would have walked right by if I hadn’t done some research beforehand. Would I have been devastated if I later learned I had missed it? No, but I was delighted to be able to see it (as well as the interior of the church, which is 5-star). In later days, I spoke with many peregrinos who had had no idea about the statue — some were really sorry they missed it and some could have cared less.

This year I hope to be walking the Ruta de la Lana — my ahead of time planning has shown me that there are some truly amazing Roman ruins about 3 km off-route. There is a spectacular gorge just a few kms off route. There is a Benedictine monastery founded in the 900s that I can visit by re-jiggering a stage. I hope to add these little detours to my walk. For me it just adds to the sense of wonder to be able to see the places that pre-date my arrival on this planet and will long outlast me. For me, there is no better way to imagine the experience of pilgrims from centuries ago than to in some way connect with them by visiting these places.

 

[trecile]

Even the sites along the path - were kind of a "let down" because I had seen them so many times in the video blogs. There were few that truly excited me.

Which is exactly why I don't watch those blogs, and discourage others from watching them.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

Which is exactly why I don't watch those blogs, and discourage others from watching them.

This might be a case of “know thy self”? No matter how many art books I own, no matter how many studies in architecture… no matter how many videos I see of places/events etc… I am always bowled over when I get to experience them in real life. Smells, for one, add an element… but it might also be scale… or something ephemeral… walking into the Norte Dame church for the first time… I was completely overwhelmed and sobbed that I had made it to a place my dearly loved and departed aunt had told me to see, and to light a candle for my uncle who had died in the RAF but who had also managed to visit Notre Dame while on a leave…
I have wept in tiny chapels and I have been breathless in the very ”over-exposed” places too.
Individual mileage may vary.

 

[Rita Flower]

It is just more reason to go many times if possible. Somethings that makes walking the camino so much more fulfilling.

Interestingly with each Camino, I’ve walked I never planned to go again. And so far, I have walked no repeat Caminos, partly because there are so many options and I’m always happy to try something new.
And at the same time, two out of my three Caminos have such a beloved place in my heart that I would love to walk them again, not because I missed something, but because they feel like an old beloved friend who I would love to see again.

 

[Former member 92300]

Which is exactly why I don't watch those blogs, and discourage others from watching them.

Yep! Actually - watching them kept me going in the long drawn out planning process... so I was so glad to watch them. But that planning process got way too prolonged due to COVID! For the VF - I did watch Efren's videos... but he doesn't overdo showing all the sites and I learned quite a few valuable things about the VF from him and his experience. I am careful though in not watching anyone elses.

 

[J Willhaus]

I think for me knowing something about the way and places I will walk is important. For example, we went to the Monasteries at San Juan de la Peña last year on our Camino Aragones. I read about them here on the Forum first, but then did a bit more investigating. I would have been sad to have missed them and they are no longer on the recommended camino path as they were in days of old.

I also knew about some of the places I wanted to stay in advance of my first Camino such as Hospital de Peregrinos Grañón and Santa Maria at Carrion de los Condes. I spoke to friends who had walked the year before and read about these places on the Forum. Other places were a complete surprise such as the parroquial at Viana. On a later trip, we went to the Museum of Human Evolution in Burgos

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I would have been sad to have missed them [the Monasteries at San Juan de la Peña] and they are no longer on the recommended camino path as they were in days of old

Just to clarify for the folks unfamiliar with these, the Camino Aragonese passes through Jaca and there was a trail from there to the monasteries. The trail is no longer maintained and it is difficult to follow. The Camino Catalan does pass the monasteries and it continues on to end at Santa Cilia on the Camino Aragonese.

 

[KevUK]

This will be my first Camino (French Way). I was bought a guide book (Walking the Camino de Santiago) that helped me plan times etc and if gives a few facts about the route, Albergue etc.. and I’ve watched a few you tube blogs but that’s it..I’m putting on my boots and pack and just walking the route and just going to go with the flow and take as much in as possible. I hope the weathers good, but if not so what and I hope a get to meet a few interesting people along the way. See you all along the way, I hope

 

[jwcurry]

My Camino will hopefully, commence once I am retired (2-4 yrs). I am planning on spending nearly 90 days (Schengen limit) to walk from SJPP to Bayonne, Baztan to Pamplona to the Frances. Thus, I am going to have plenty of time to see off-Camino sites.

For example, I plan on attending a number of La Liga and Segunda football games in places like Eibar, Amorbieta, Lugo, Oviedo, Ponferradina, Burgos, Mirandes, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Ossasuna and Vigo.

Add to that as many cider houses (sagardotegis) in Basque country & Asturias.

-Jerry

 

[bks]

I couldn’t agree more. Where is the spontaneity that folks had in years gone by ? Little information about any aspect but just the wonder of embarking on this wonderful experience in front of us. What about the thoughts/experiences of the pilgrims of centuries ago ?

Why not just just close your door and open your minds to what will be a memorable experience ?

Agreed!!!! Once you've decide where to go throw the guide book away and start walking!!

 

[Richmond Gardner]

I haven't seen every place of interest in my own state or even my own county. I have no FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) about not seeing/doing every interesting thing near the Camino routes. It can make you crazy if you try to see or do everything.

Agreed. It is not a bucket list kind of thing. Besides, when returning to a Camino, you can focus on some aspects that were missed before. I definitely research, and then approach it with a good amount of flexibility.

 

[alexwalker]

My concern these days is that many people seriously overdo their planning and have virtually walked every step of the way before setting foot on the path.

Plans are some of the first things that break on the Camino. IMHO, the best plan is not to have a plan. On two of my Caminos, I had booked a (non-refundable) ticket home. I threw them both in the bin. Never again: I stop when I stop.

The Camino is (amongst many other things) an adventure. Be adventurous.

"Life is what happens while you are making other plans" (John Lennon).

 

[tpmchugh]

How many of you folks have gotten home from your camino and read about or seen fantastic places that were so close to the route but never knew at the time of walking?

That's why I have travelled to the Camino 5 times. There is always something you missed or want to see again.

 

[tpmchugh]

Plans are some of the first things that break on the Camino. IMHO, the best plan is not to have a plan. On two of my Caminos, I had booked a (non-refundable) ticket home. I threw them both in the bin. Never again: I stop when I stop.

The Camino is (amongst many other things) an adventure. Be adventurous.

"Life is what happens while you are making other plans" (John Lennon).

Every night I go to sleep planning my next Camino. I have done this each time I go. Unfortunately my plans are now just dreams as I cannot justify leaving my wife at home alone now that all our kids have flown the coop. Her health is not great but I still look at my Brierly and wise pilgrim and make plans. Btw, I also stop when I stop

 

[tpmchugh]

How many of you folks have gotten home from your camino and read about or seen fantastic places that were so close to the route but never knew at the time of walking

This will be my first Camino (French Way). I was bought a guide book (Walking the Camino de Santiago) that helped me plan times etc and if gives a few facts about the route, Albergue etc.. and I’ve watched a few you tube blogs but that’s it..I’m putting on my boots and pack and just walking the route and just going to go with the flow and take as much in as possible. I hope the weathers good, but if not so what and I hope a get to meet a few interesting people along the way. See you all along the way, I hope

Go for it and let each day look after itself. Don't worry about the weather. After a day or two walking in the rain, you actually start to enjoy it. Except up the Pyrenees when it turns to hail and snow and is driving into your face like little needles. If you are doing it in early April bring a pair of snow goggles just in case you get the same weather I got on route Napoleon. You can throw them away when you get down other side. Have s great time and Buen Camino

 

[peregrina2000]

I thought of this thread as i read about the beautiful capitals inside the church adjacent to the Monastery of San Juan de Ortega. Even if you can’t be there when the light magically illuminates the capitals, the interior of this church should be high on the list for those who love ancient architecture.

If you’ve just put on your shoes and started to walk the Francés, you will never know it’s there, yet you will pass within feet of it. Just one of a million treasures that are there. I know there are many for whom this is not of interest, but if you like to spend time in sacred spaces that have been used for many centuries, doing a little advance research to know where they are is a big help.

 

[Bradypus]

I used to buy my cellar stash from a distiller in the Picos de Europa but importing has become a nightmarish procedure.

In January I stopped for a very pleasant menú in a restaurant a few km east of Melide. Couldn't resist taking a photo of this beautiful thing that was sitting near the bar. Though the souvenir I would really love to bring home is a proper Iberian alquitara. Strictly for decoration of course....

 

[Former member 102963]

I haven't seen every place of interest in my own state or even my own county. I have no FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) about not seeing/doing every interesting thing near the Camino routes. It can make you crazy if you try to see or do everything.

I concur! I am at the opposite end of the spectrum in that I suffer extreme FOMO in life generally! It can be quite a thing at times (especially when you couple it up with impatience and paranoia!) so if you are lucky not to suffer it, be grateful!!!!

 

[HeidiL]

I tend to do a lot of planning ahead (that's what lunch breaks are for!), but when we actually start walking, we miss at least a third of the things we were planning to see because something else happened, we went into another church, we spent too long at lunch, the place was closed without notice, or we were too tired after an unexpected detour on the walk. And we never regret that, but are happy about all the unexpected, wonderful things we see and experience.

 

[trecile]

I concur! I am at the opposite end of the spectrum in that I suffer extreme FOMO in life generally! It can be quite a thing at times (especially when you couple it up with impatience and paranoia!) so if you are lucky not to suffer it, be grateful!!!!

I didn't say that I don't experience it at all, but I know that it's a near impossibility to see/do everything on or near a Camino path so I'm I don't have FOMO about that.

 

[Murgyman]

This year I hope to be walking the Ruta de la Lana

I hope you will post about this walk!

 

[DTCamino]

Great methodologies, Tincatinker. Now if you could please enlighten us as to where/what brands of orujo you recommend. I love that stuff, at least the Orujo de heirbas, which is what I believe Joost brought to Tom's room in THE WAY....made with 18 different herbs...... Over the years, I have introduced hundreds of pilgrims to it, usually after a fine peregrino dinner. Or maybe you prefer Orujo blanco?? FYI, I think my favorite was served by Maxi (his own brew) at his albergue, El Molino, several km from Hornillos del Camino and well off the CF path. This is the albergue in THE WAY where Joost helps prepare dinner; the real Maxi (older man with beard) helps serve. ....Yes, I regret I did not know about this albergue on my first couple Caminos (more to the point of this post). I think the wine, cheese, salad, vegetables and meat were also produced by Maxi. Maxi himself picked me up in Hornillos and drove me to his place. A wonderful experience!!

In 2019 I was walking the Meseta and couldn’t find a bed in Hornillos. I guy in town said his mom had some rooms outside town and before I knew it Maxi had fed me, served me orujo and was showing me the wedding album for his daughter and Taylor Estevez (Emilio’s son and Martin Sheens grandson). I had read something about this and in Brierley’s book and inadvertently ended up there. It was one of my best days on the Camino! Maxi and his orujo(firewater) below.

 

[Former member 102963]

I didn't say that I don't experience it at all, but I know that it's a near impossibility to see/do everything on or near a Camino path so I'm I don't have FOMO about that.

Ah sorry I misread!! Yes wise words!

 

[C clearly]

I don't think research and preparation are incompatible with open minds.

Thank you!

I do get tired of the refrain "Don't plan; be spontaneous" as if study and planning were a character flaw.

Some people are more natural students than others - they like to study and analyse, and even write about it - whether it is the planned walking route, a historical event, a GPS app and how to use it, the history of the church they'll pass, ornithology in Timbuktu, theoretical physics, linguistics, or car repair on YouTube. Some people are spontaneous walkers one day but not another. Let's hope that your airplane pilot has done the necessary preparation, but is able to enjoy spontaneous activities when appropriate. That is OK! In fact it is more than OK.

This might be a case of “know thy self”?

Very much so. I would add the suggestion: to understand that others should be responsible for knowing themselves, and that may be different from you.

 

[Ricardo Moretti]

How many of you folks have gotten home from your camino and read about or seen fantastic places that were so close to the route but never knew at the time of walking?

There are things passing you by now as I write this note. Sure, do stop and smell the roses but you can not be all places at all times so just enjoy yourself in the moment and do not live in regret. Buen Camino.

 

[WGroleau]

…But I don't think you can realistically take in every place and detail of note over 800km of northern Spain. …

I think very few countries can be fully appreciated in only ninety days. I've spent seventeen months in Spain in legal ninety-day chunks, and I've seen less than a quarter of it. But thanks to the generous visa-exempt Schengen allowance for certain countries, longer stays are difficult for us. Try to research how to stay longer and the search hits either assume I want to move there permanently, or they say "you don't need a visa."

 

[WGroleau]

Some people are more natural students than others - they like to study and analyse, and ….

…. I would add the suggestion: to understand that others should be responsible for knowing themselves, and that may be different from you.

To which I would add: but you might want to understand who you travel with (if anyone). In Italy, every time I tried to read an informational plaque, I was "encouraged" to keep moving. It almost seemed like T. had studied all the guidebooks before arriving and had to visit all fifteen hundred places in our fifteen-day trip.

 

[WayWalker]

How many of you folks have gotten home from your camino and read about or seen fantastic places that were so close to the route but never knew at the time of walking?

I found it beneficial to be flexible and open. A few sights I wanted to see were either closed or I arrived at the wrong time etc. It was all part of my particular Camino experience. I must say, I'm not a rigid person anyway, not to imply that those who differ are. The things I got to see and do spontaneously more than made up for it.

 

[OnHellas]

In all the Camino miles that I have walked I haven’t missed anything.
I saw what I saw, I have no regrets.
Some of the best parts, the most special experiences, are not in ANY guide book.
The people. The randomness of meeting people, some for a few minutes and some for much longer.
The people change every time a Camino is walked. The buildings, Roman ruins and other ‘must see’ things are there for next time and everyone who wishes to see them.

I don’t even regret my recently abandoned Via de La Plata attempt due to a leg injury, that’s what happened. That’s what I got.

 

[Jan Runkel]

I haven't seen every place of interest in my own state or even my own county. I have no FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) about not seeing/doing every interesting thing near the Camino routes. It can make you crazy if you try to see or do everything.

And part of traveling is to leave something to see the next time!

 

[AlwynWellington]

How many of you folks have gotten home from your camino and read about or seen fantastic places that were so close to the route but never knew at the time of walking?

On my camino I had only one (fantastic) place I wanted to see when on camino. It was a location and burial ground and reflected my father's interest in the troubles some year before. While I forget the exact text at the site, they were a memorial for those who fought on a particular side during those troubles.

I had an expected antidote the day before: before sun down I roamed the village I was to sleep in and encountered the parish church. Enscribed around the main entry doors were words of memorial for those who fought on a particular side during those troubles.

As for the rest, serendipity. Such as, at Obanos, seeing a church tower very reminiscent of those found beside churches in Aotearoa and England: I do not recall seeing another one like it along the camino route.

 

[Roscoe]

In 2019 I was walking the Meseta and couldn’t find a bed in Hornillos. I guy in town said his mom had some rooms outside town and before I knew it Maxi had fed me, served me orujo and was showing me the wedding album for his daughter and Taylor Estevez (Emilio’s son and Martin Sheens grandson). I had read something about this and in Brierley’s book and inadvertently ended up there. It was one of my best days on the Camino! Maxi and his orujo(firewater) below.

These are the experiences that no amount of planning will provide!

 

[alinhe]

Yes! Yes! Yes!

There’s so much to see along the way.

I saw quite a bit: lovely churches, mini running of the bulls in Los Arcos, a few museums, et cetera.

Since I have been in the forum I learnt about so many activities and sights I missed.

However, I rejoice at what I saw and did.

Could u maybe share what?

 

[Chizuru]

A bit of planning and a bit of reading will show you some things that might not be aware of such as knowing that you are walking on a section of Roman road or over a bridge built by San Juan de Ortega which will enrich your experience. I think that it is good to know about places like Eunante church, the ruins at Castromaior, the still functioning Roman fountain/cistern just meters off the path on the way to Ponferrada, the wonderful little church at Vilar de Donas which is a short detour but well worth it, and the marvelous ruined but mostly intact Pambre Castle. You can choose to see them or just walk on past, but at least you are aware that they exist. Then there is also knowing that you can get a 1/2 way certificate in Sahagun, that the cheese and honey dish at O Cebriaro is delectable, and one that you will continue to try and find with no success for the rest of your days! You will find your own serendipitous things which will keep your Camino fresh even if you walk that path dozens of times, and, of course, it is the people who you meet who become your Camino family who make the walk a special one. Take every opportunity to include the solo walker at your table for lunch or a drink, and talk to the couple next to you at dinner. Don't be afraid of meeting people from other countries, it will a marvelous opportunity to get to know people from all around the World. Have fun and be aware of what is around you and pay attention to the details.

 

[Ali@59]

Jings!! I wasn't really regretting on missing out on everything on route just saying it would have been nice to have seen more of these areas of natural beauty, scenic viewpoints etc

 

[nycwalking]

Could u maybe share what?

1. Church in Eunate.

2. Swimming pools in a few towns.

3. Museums.

However, there’s so much to see and do it’s difficult to take it all in.

Ergo, I am happy with what I saw and did.

 

[WayWalker]

1. Church in Eunate.

2. Swimming pools in a few towns.

3. Museums.

However, there’s so much to see and do it’s difficult to take it all in.

Ergo, I am happy with what I saw and did.

We missed the church in Enuate because it was closed and we were very disappointed because we had to walk extra kilometers to get there. But had we not we wouldn't have met the Catalonian couple who became our dear friends!