Now what?????

[MoniRose]

I made my first trip to Europe, alone, to walk the Camino from SJPP to Santiago, and returned to the States July 12. I now have a problem. I'm already itching for my next adventure, which more than likely will be sometime between May 30-Aug 1, 2013 (I'm a teacher), and don't know if there is any other adventure in the world that could beat my Camino experience on SO MANY levels.

For anyone out there who has done extensive traveling, is this normal or is there REALLY nothing that beats the Camino? I am looking at possibly hiking The Kerry Way in Ireland, but it looks like it doesn't offer the traveler nearly the same level of support the Camino did.

Am I just feeling "normal"? Or is it just too close to the Camino that it is natural that nothing else could comprare at this time? My mind is still processing Spain, but I'm ready to move forward.... Any advice from someone who may have felt the same when you began traveling?

Thanks! - Monica :arrow:

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola Monica

Join the club of camino addicts! I think there is something very special about all of the camino routes. Yes, it is the infrastructure but it is also the history of it and the feeling of walking in the footsteps of others who have gone before who were also journeying, searching and enjoying. I personally don't exclude the possibility of walking other kinds of trails in other countries - it is just that I haven't run out of camino routes yet!

The only way of dealing with the itch in my experience is to give into the craving and come back again!

Buen camino in 2013!

John

 

[dougfitz]

Monica,
there are many other paths to Santiago, and many other pilgrimage destinations around the world.

I have just finished St Olav's Way, one of the major northern European pilgrimage destinations before the Reformation. It was a different experience to the Camino Frances, with its own challenges. I arrived in Nidaros for St Olav's Wake and the start of the St Olav Festival - it was a quite moving experience.

Try http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/ for further information on European Christian pilgrimage routes.

Regards,

 

[robertt]

It's a fierce bug, Monica, and you've got a good dose of it, same as me.

Thought I'd have an easy, bug-free day, get some chores done...now Doug has sent me into Saint Olav mode.

Norway! It never ends, does it?

 

[Kitsambler]

I suggest the route from Le Puy to SJPP next ... (start brushing up your French now!). After that, you could continue to work your way "upstream" easterly (German-speaking area) or northerly (towards Amsterdam and maybe even Norway). No need to walk it all in one go ... just do a section from one year to the next.

Welcome to the Repeaters!

 

[MoniRose]

I've been thinking a lot about Le Puy. There's a lot of France I still need to see. Or perhaps finishing the route from Santiago to Finisterra/Muxia. Sounds like two more trips coming up. :-O

 

[scruffy1]

Feeling frisky are you? Try the Via Francigena, Canterbury in southern England until Rome, too much? I've walked the bit from Milano to Rome, not well marked not crowded and a different experience.


S

 

[backpack45]

Hi Monica,
We hiked the Way of St. James in 2001 and have returned to France, Portugal, and Geneva nine times to hike various routes and segments. We have also hiked in Patagonia, completed the Pacific Crest Trail, and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. So, I can attest to the fact that there are many other incredible places to hike--but they are all different.
IMHO, you don't have to worry about other hikes being as good or equal--each trip is unique. Some hikes are more beautiful than others, some more challenging, some offer more camaraderie, spirituality, or other rewards (like excellent food or wine!).
I think as long as you set out for each hike/pilgrimage/Camino trip with an openness to the experiences of that region, rather than trying to recapture or relive the same ones, you will find amazing rewards in each one.

 

[julie]

I personally don't exclude the possibility of walking other kinds of trails in other countries - it is just that I haven't run out of camino routes yet!

My feelings exactly! It doesn't matter which route I choose or whether it's in France or Spain, every time I'm called back I meet the most marvellous people.

I'm sure the Camino hasn't cornered the market in marvellous people and it's quite likely they can be found on non-Camino routes as well. However, I would stick to a pilgrim trail to tip the odds in the marvellous people stakes.

 

[sillydoll]

Volunteer as a hospitalero in one of the albergues on a different route and then walk that route. You are still a part of the Camino stream but you become a rock in the stream, where pilgrims rest for a while before moving on.
Salamanca has a lovely, small albergue and you could serve there for two weeks then walk to Santiago and on to Fistera and Muxia.
TOP TIP: Learn some Spanish before you go!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

it looks like it doesn't offer the traveler nearly the same level of support the Camino did.

I have been in several conversations on the topic of "something like the Camino in the U.S." There are numerous insurmountable obstacles. It is hard to repeat the model that has lead to the Camino Frances. Even the other routes in Spain and in France have less infrastructure. Local groups in France create gites every year to make their route a bit more amenable to pilgrims.

The key to enjoying a second, and subsequent, camino is to avoid trying to repeat your first one. I think it will inevitably lead to disappointment. That key new friend won't be there. The ambiance in an albergue that was so memorable will change with the weather, the company, and the hospitalero. If you go expecting a whole new experience, you will have a great time.

 

[MoniRose]

Thank you, everyone. I agree, Falcon, that I cannot expect it to be the same. It may be too close to my first Camino to shake that last mustard seed of hope that I could bring it back. After all, I'm still writing about it daily so I am still reliving it. When the writing is done it might be easier to let go of that expectation.

I heard a speaker recently who said, "You will love again. But each new love will be different from all others." The same with the Camino, I believe, or any adventure for that matter. I know this in my head. But when I close my eyes and remember, it's so hard to let go.........

Just another lesson from the Camino. - M :arrow:

 

[sillydoll]

My second Camino was just as magical as the first - more so, because I brought with it a lighter pack, an anticipation of visiting places I'd seen before in a different season, a joy to meet people I'd met on the first Camino and very little angst or anxiety. I felt like a pilgrim.
My third Camino was like an affirmation; Yes, I do love the Camino! I found myself in the Zen-zone very quickly, skipping the 'getting to know the ropes' stage in the first week.
My fourth Camino was on the Aragones to Pamplona (a fabulous route) on the Ingles (pretty and solitary) to Santiago and then to Fistera (lovely stage) topped off by two weeks as hospitalero. Wonderful, magical, stunning!
I've walked to Santiago twice since then and am looking forward to doing so again next year. Can't get enough!

 

[LTfit]

I just love this thread. Why? Cause we have all been there! And all of the postings hit upon an element of the Camino. As has been stated the best cure is to plan the next one. But that doesn't mean you have to let go of the first! You will carry it in your heart with every new step you make. That is the power of the Camino.

Three summers ago when I returned from the Francés I posted here "Bitten and Smitten/questions about the VdlP". And I can only tell you that the bug has still got a hold of me. Even more so now that I have also had the incredible experience of being a hospitalera.

So although I have travelled extensively and have hiked in the Alps, in the Rocky Mountains, etc. at this point I would rather be on the Camino than anywhere else. I see a yellow arrow and feel at home.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Un abrazo,
LT

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Don't forget France! There are some excellent advocates on the Forum for routes in France. It is different. The perception of crowds is different because facilities are smaller, for example four beds several place on the Vezelay route, not because 150,000 pilgrims are walking! For me, the Camino Frances is principally a walk with fellow pilgrims; the routes in France were walks with the French as hosts and fellow pilgrims.

 

[tyrrek]

I'd suggest walking exactly the same route at the opposite time of year. I think you walked late spring/early summer Monica, so walk late autumn/early winter. You'll still have albergues (though fewer) and company (though less). It will take your Camino full circle with the seasons.

I walked the Frances last spring and Ingles in autumn and although the things we talk about on this forum (temperature, rainfall etc) weren't radically different the FEEL of the Camino was. Coming summer or coming winter nature lets you know about it. Buen Camino!

 

[MoniRose]

Stop it, everyone. You're making me cry. When I told my son I wanted to go back he said, "But Mom, there are a lot of other places you can go instead of doing the same thing." I thought he was right until I listened to my heart. Thank you all for helping me see I'm not crazy. The Camino was the place I fell in love with myself. Why wouldn't I want to go back? - Monica :arrow:

 

[tyrrek]

Stop it, everyone. You're making me cry. When I told my son I wanted to go back he said, "But Mom, there are a lot of other places you can go instead of doing the same thing." I thought he was right until I listened to my heart. Thank you all for helping me see I'm not crazy. The Camino was the place I fell in love with myself. Why wouldn't I want to go back? - Monica :arrow:

Hi Monica. You'd have been disappointed in your Camino if you didn't feel like this. It's something that will stay with you for the rest of your life and one of the major achievements of it. Winston Churchill and Prince William here in the UK have (or had) scallop shells on their coats of arms, except for them the actual achievement was made by ancestors centuries before them. Be proud and plan your next Camino!

Buen Camino!

 

[mspath]

Stop it, everyone. You're making me cry. When I told my son I wanted to go back he said, "But Mom, there are a lot of other places you can go instead of doing the same thing." I thought he was right until I listened to my heart. Thank you all for helping me see I'm not crazy. The Camino was the place I fell in love with myself. Why wouldn't I want to go back? - Monica :arrow:

Hi Monica. You'd have been disappointed in your Camino if you didn't feel like this. It's something that will stay with you for the rest of your life and one of the major achievements of it. Winston Churchill and Prince William here in the UK have (or had) scallop shells on their coats of arms, except for them the actual achievement was made by ancestors centuries before them. Be proud and plan your next Camino!

Buen Camino!

Remember "The end of one journey is simply the start of another. You have to see what you missed the first time, see again what you already saw, see in springtime what you saw in summer, in daylight what you saw at night, see the sun shining where you saw the rain falling, see crops growing, the fruit ripen, the stone which has moved, the shadow that was not there before. You have to go back to the footsteps already taken, to go over them again or add fresh ones alongside them. You have to start the journey anew. Always" Jose Saramago, A Journey to Portugal


The path is never the same.

Ultreia!

Margaret

 

[LTfit]

How true Margaret. That quote sends chills down my back and brings tears to my eyes everytime I read it. So powerful.

 

[colleencamino]

Hello DougF,
It looks like you may have walked from the western tip of Switzerland across France. Do you have any information that you could point me to about that. I would love to start there and continue to the Camino from SJPP to Santiago.Thank You!

 

[Vincentayd]

I am exploring the possibility of walking the recently way marked route in Turkey, The Way of St. Paul, 500km through Anatolia. Not the support that the Camino has in terms of infrastructure, stay with villagers etc. Check out the website, google, Hiking Turkey or The Way of St. Paul. A return to the Camino Santiago is also a definite in my future.
Vincent

 

[sillydoll]

In 2004 Kate Clow sent me a Power Point slide dvd of the St Paul's trail. Exodus Travel were supposed to sponsor some of the waymarking in 2004 and they were expecting a couple of trekking companies to sponsor the rest of the 500km trail.
Its a very rocky trail with quite a lot of scrambling and I took it off my bucket list a couple of years ago!

 

[Anakasha]

I haven't done my Camino yet so I can't comment on that, but I have traveled to some places a number of times and I find I always find something new in the places I've been before.

I lived in Florence Italy and when I went back the year after I moved back to the states I discovered places that I hadn't managed to find before, but also found comfort in the places that I had been to a number of times.

I imagine that would be the same with the Camino. Maybe on your second trip you investigate the places you glossed over the first time, or you take a day off in a place you hadn't, or stay in a different albergue.

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hi Monica
firstly, if you ask 'now what?' on a camino forum, it's highly likely that caminos will feature in the responses. However I see that your original plan was for the Kerry Way, so you may be looking at other long distance routes that are supported and you might appreciate some wilderness and some hills.
My suggestion is to walk coast to coast from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic or vice versa, along the Pyrenees. The GR10 is the path that more or less sticks to the French side. The GR11, the Spanish side. And down the middle there is the high level route. I've not walked the whole thing but bits of each path. The GR10 has a good infrastructure of Gites, pensiones and cheap hotels and is well waymarked. The high level route has the most wonderful staffed (and provisioned) refuges, high up and far from any roads or habitation, but a few sections in the middle/east are remote and severe. There can be snow on the high passes until mid July, but if you are happy to switch paths this won't be a problem. You'll get some of the same camaraderie of the camino too. It can also be quite moving - I remember in particular one memorial in the western national park at a pass used by the Resistance to spirit airmen and escaped POWs over the border and out of France.
Lycian Way in Turkey is certainly worth looking into too as well.
best wishes, tom

 

[dougfitz]

Hello DougF,
It looks like you may have walked from the western tip of Switzerland across France. Do you have any information that you could point me to about that. I would love to start there and continue to the Camino from SJPP to Santiago.Thank You!

The peterrobbins site is a listing of all the christian pilgrimage routes in Europe, not my personal achievements.
I hope there is someone else that might be able to help with your query.

 

[backpack45]

To Colleen,
We started this year in Geneva, Switzerland and were planning to walk to LePuy (we have already completed LePuy to Santiago). We had to stop after about 90 miles because of a leg problem, but have a spread-sheet of miles between villages, places to stay, etc. if you want to do this part of the GR65.

 

[pablo.m]

the te araroa,
its a walk that takes starts at the top & goes alllllllll the way to the bottom of new zealand
yknow, that place where gandalf used to hang out with frodo & his mates & go steal people's jewelry
its 3000kms & its really choice
check it out
http://www.teararoa.org.nz/index.cfm

 

[lovingkindness]

...and how about The St James Walkway (NZ), too. If you're going to travel that far for spirituality and a good hike why not tack this one on as well: 5 days, 66 kms in a sub-alpine area...

http://www.doc.govt.nz/stjameswalkway

 

[Fransa]

I arrived home yesterday after completing the Via de la Plata from Seville - my first Camino. The most amazing things happen to people walking the Camino - you get access to your own inner landscape. That part that is always there, but that is so neglected because it may not conform to what society wants you to be. And suddenly you know that it is not only OK to be you, but essential to be you. An insight that I hope is never eroded after walking a Camino. Then there are all the inspiring people we meet and the freedom of the open road. I can't put my finger on it, but I loved it so much that already, instead of doing whatever I should be doing at home, I started doing research into the other Camino routes.

In any case, I HAVE to go back, as I was unable to be in Santiago - it was both too big and too small for me so I got my certificate and carried on walking;-)

Buen Camino(s)

 

[mralisn]

The most amazing things happen to people walking the Camino - you get access to your own inner landscape.

I love this! What a great description. And to you as well...Buen Camino.

 

[Al the optimist]

I love the "too big and too small for me" comment. I realise that's exactly how I felt when I arrived. I had not planned to walk the Fisterra but the day I arrived I decided to do just that! You have crystallized exactly how I felt, I have simply been telling friends that I felt the urge to walk some more.
allan

 

[Kiwi-family]

the te araroa,
its a walk that takes starts at the top & goes alllllllll the way to the bottom of new zealand
yknow, that place where gandalf used to hang out with frodo & his mates & go steal people's jewelry
its 3000kms & its really choice
check it out
http://www.teararoa.org.nz/index.cfm

But be warned it does NOT have the infrastructure of the Camino.

Side note: don't be scared of listening to yourself. If you want to do the Camino or anther Camino again, then got for it. But yes, there are lots of other walks too. As for me, I want to do both! Mainly, I just want to walk with a pack.

 

[unadara]

It is not a problem you have Moni Rose, it is a great privilege you have been given and a chance to sit and read and explore and plan and make decisions. We are the lucky ones.
I live in Ireland and would recommend the Kerry Way, I have a Guidebook and it was on my list for this year BUT 2 Caminos got in the way. I posted here about the difficulty or you might say "easiness" to change one's mind day after day. After Camino Frances it was to be ? Via de la Plata, or Aragones, or Portugues. But it became the Norte, with great success I might add (read the blog if you like)..BUT, it is this forum here that makes you see the options, points you in directions you never knew existed, has you reading blogs of other serial caminoists. I too have son, husband, daughter, family, friends who say, can you not walk in Italy, Turkey, Southern Spain...all tourist trails, very attractive in their own right. I've bought also the Pyrenees to Coast books, 100 walks to do before "I" die books. I now am going to read "Old Ways" some of older walking diaries etc. I think, however until I have run out of Camino routes I will come back again and again. This Sept/oct it was Madrid route,, isolated, beautiful, and I met up with 2 fellow walkers I had walked with on Frances route last Sep/Oct. There is a magic to be found in these places. I totally admire those of you who travel long distances to be "caminoists".

 

[Priscillian]

Consider hiking the Costa da Morte Coastal Path from (say) Carnota to (say) Malpica. The sea is never out of your sight and the trail is very well marked. You could truck a tent or arrange accommodation separately. I´ll help you in any way I can. Tracy

 

[ausmarko]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overland_Track

For anyone wanting to come to Australia, this might be a great option. No infrastructure though, just the most amazing wilderness over 6 days and you carry everything you will need including food. (Unless you do an escorted expensive guided tour!) Very changeable weather. I hope to do this within the next year until I can return to Spain or Portugal to do another Camino

 

[pilgrimstales]

Ah, I know that feeing and experienced the same after I returned from the Camino Frances in 1999. Today, there are many options, each presenting a new challenge or experience. Personally, I've walked the Via de la Plata from Seville to Santiago (in autumn), then the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome (over two summers), the St. Olav's Way from Oslo to Trondheim (a very quiet and beautiful route), and the Camino Catalon and Camino Aragones from Montserat to Puenta la Reina (last summer, very remote). Yes, I know the feeling well... My ultimate hike was from Dijon, France to Jerusalem in 2006 loosely following the route of the First Crusades. It was a Peace Walk/Pilgrimage and effort to map a route that others could walk to the Holy Land. I call it the Templar Trail in honor of those first knights who protected pilgrims. Here's more info about the route: http://www.pilgrimstales.com/whatistemplartrail.html

Hope this helps. Bon Camino!

Brandon Wilson

 

[Priscillian]

Monica wrote: "The Camino was the place I fell in love with myself."
That is it, Pilgrims and potential Pilgrims. That is IT!
What can top that?

 

[Thengel1]

Last summer, I hiked about about 75% of a hiking trail through the Dolomites in Northern Italy (called the Alta Via 1). Some pictures:

https://plus.google.com/photos/10810006 ... 4731709681

https://plus.google.com/photos/10810006 ... 0310593185

https://plus.google.com/photos/10810006 ... 8957065089

There are certainly differences (it is only 11 days for one thing, and while there were no days that have as much elevation gain as the first day of the Camino Frances, the route is substantially steeper), it does have some similarities. There are places to stay along the route, so you don't need to bring a tent or food, and just a silk liner sleeping bag.

And the mountain scenery was just breathtaking. The pictures I linked to really don't capture it. I mean, I can step out my front door at home and see mountains, but not like this.

Anyway, just an option if you are looking for something different.

Glen

 

[ronhenry2]

Well, after reading all of these posts, I feel like a rank amateur, but still feel compelled to enter the conversation. I walked about the last 200 miles of el camino last September. I kept telling myself: the destination is not the point, it is the journey, and the pilgrimage of life continues. Even so when I woke up the next morning after arriving Santiago, I found myself moving slowly with low energy. At first I said, "well, of course--you are tired." Then I realized that if I had been walking that day, I would have been filled with energy and joy like each preceding day. Rather, it was "so now what?" The camino has lived with me and in me every day since. I got clear a few weeks ago, that yes, I'm going back. This time I hope to walk from SJdPP to where I began my other pilgrimage (about 300 miles), take a bus on to Santiago, and then walk to Finisterre or Muxia. I turned 71 on pilgrimage last year and actually didn't know if I could do it. I was not a very experienced hiker or back packer. Now I'm confident I can. I asked myself, "is this a healthy passion or an unhealthy obsession?" Regardless, after reading these posts I know I have a lot of company! As you can see, I'm a verbal person. But I can't really explain the whys of this. Rather, it is deeply emotional and visceral. I thank you, Monica, for asking the question, and all the folks who responded for your encouragement.

 

[waveprof]

While part of your high is certainly the camino, and I suspect (though don't know) that no other type of traditon/walk can match it.....

Let me also add that since this sounds like your first time abroad, part (notice I'm not saying "all" before people jump on me) of that which can't be matched might simply be your first experience in a foreign culture (and an amazing one at that). Foreign travel in and of itself is exhilerating.

I wouldn't go through life trying to re-create your Camino experience. Even walking the camino again won't recreate the SAME experience. Embrace new adventures, be they simple travel to another country (you can be a tourist without being a packaged tourist with a packaged experience), be they a physical endeavor similar to the camino, or be they another "go" at the camino straight on. But embrace them for what they are, all are exciting. It isn't a competition, and even the camino will never again be the SAME camino.

I rememebr the sense of wonder and awe at 18 when I first went to England. It felt so foreign. By the time I did a study abroad and a half in college England felt comfortable and only the continent felt foreign and exciting. Two years ago my wife and I went to Eastern Europe (Czech, Slovenia, Russia, Croatia, Hungary) and I realized it was the first time in almost a decade that I'd been anywhere that felt foreign and exciting in that way.....I loved/love western europe but it was never as "foreign" as the first forays. I suspect if I were to go back to Eastern Europe I'd love it again just like I do Spain and France......but it wouldn't have the same blushing excitement.

 

[compliance51]

Best addiction in the world. We all long for the simple life of the camino where your feet are your biggest concern. It's so comfortable being with like minded people and walking through medieval towns. It's the walk, the people and the peace one finds that beckons us to return. We forget all the pain of hobbling into our albergues, the blisters, the loss of privacy and we welcome the communal relationships we accidentally found. La Puy for me next year.

 

[David]

What a great thread this is - what great posts!

Well, Moni-Rose, you have discovered that the Camino doesn't let go of you! haahaha (etc) - so what next? Every other walk is just that, a walk ... but, if you want a beautiful walk, well, in England we have the South-West coastal path - 630 miles of walking along footpaths around what has to be our most beautiful coastline, from Minehead on the north coast of the south west, right round Lands End and along the south coast - http://www.southwestcoastpath.com/ - but it isn't a pilgrimage, there are no pilgrims or refugios ... :|

or - you could walk from, say, Le Puy to St Jean - personally I loved walking in France and if I could I would move the Cathedral at Santiago to Roncesvalles!!

Or - well, you could go back but in a different way. You could train in first aid, make up a big first aid bag and go back and help pilgrims - you would be there but as a giver rather than a receiver. The experience is very different (and your feet don't hurt!). If you are a Christian there is a direct command that Jesus gives, at the end of the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25) "then go Ye, and do likewise"

MoniRose - I don't think a 'walk' will fill your heart the way yours was filled by being a pilgrim, so, the Camino has you - I guess you will just have to give in to that - and what a marvellous thing to give in to - the best addiction a human can have. Enjoy - and let us know your decision!!

Buen Camino Peregrina :wink:

 

[Annie Little]

Best addiction in the world. We all long for the simple life of the camino where your feet are your biggest concern. It's so comfortable being with like minded people and walking through medieval towns. It's the walk, the people and the peace one finds that beckons us to return. We forget all the pain of hobbling into our albergues, the blisters, the loss of privacy and we welcome the communal relationships we accidentally found. La Puy for me next year.

yes this is what I am going for !! :lol: I dont really meet a lot of Like minded people in my daily life ..sadly... the walk... the Peace... the people and the medieval villages... shared food and wine .... all beckon me

Annie

 

[Priscillian]

If you are itching it´s because you´ve caught the Camino bug. Start preparing your next one, but in your daily life in the meantime ask yourself this: what was it about the Camino which fulfilled me which my life (here) does not? Then go find it. The Camino begins when you get home.

 

[LTfit]

You definately make a good point Tracy and I asked myself exactly that same question when I returned home after my first Camino. The answers were quite apparent and it would seem, three years on, that I no longer see the Camino as separate, but rather as an extension of myself. I can't imagine it not being a part of my life.

And I can't agree with you more David, there are so many ways to be involved with the Camino. I remember before I left last year to volunteer in an albergue Sil said to me the wisest words: it is not about you. The pilgrims are the river and you are a stone (or I like to think the foundation). You are there to hear their story. Yes, I love the movement, the forever changing scenery and the people I meet while walking but being on the other side was just as valuable.

So I return. As a pilgrim and as a hospitalera. I see a yellow arrow and feel at home.