Is A Pre-Camino Recon Trip An Acceptable Plan? Bad Karma?

[Thomas Sheldon]

I am planning on walking the CF from SJPP in September-October 2015.

I regularly travel and recently took up a good overbooking bump ticket credit from a major airline. It will expire before my 2015 trip to Spain, but I am now thinking about using it to go on a two week or so CF reconnaisance trip to Spain late this September.

The trip would be into and out of Madrid, with a rental car to esentially cruise the back roads of the CF route for several days, staying in commercial hotels and B&B's.

I also can along bring a friend, who is interested in the Camino, but not planning to do it herself.

I see several advantages in this, obviously for my planning purposes, the opportunity to see some sights that are a bit off the usual walking route and spend some extra time in stopover places like Burgos and Leon.

My issue is as I am thinking about this, I have the uncomfortable feeling that it's bad karma to do this before my CF.

I would love to hear from folks who have done recon trips and what the Camino community thinks about this plan?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It never hurts to learn more! Have a good drive.

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

Great plan.
If weather is good dive up to the coast and find one one the numerous small beach towns and jump into the ocean.
Swimming is not something you will do on CF
You could even drive through Picos de Europa and see the mountains firsthand, which you will be seeing righthand from CF.

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

 

[whariwharangi]

Time spent doing recce is never wasted. You can waste a lot of time conducting a recce if you don't know what you are reconnoitering.

The question is whether there is any benefit to conducting a recce. Exactly what information do you hope to find out?

 

[Dutch]

I think doing your very first camino totally blank, without a recon trip would be nicer. Dive into the unknown and let the camino overwhelm you, instead of creating an expectation. BUT.....this is just me.....

A trip to Spain is never a bad idea though...Spain has lots more to offer then just the Camino

 

[Icacos]

.........You could even drive through Picos de Europa and see the mountains firsthand, which you will be seeing righthand from CF.

Exactly what I was thinking when I read the OP.

 

[Tincatinker]

Never felt the urge to recce the Camino. It did, and will, unfold in its own surprising ways. But two weeks in Madrid - time to do some serious clubbing, bar crawling, two or three days in the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza. Dinner at Botin or an afternoon of tapa at Cabreira. Yes please! And there is always Toledo or Segovia if Madrid's charms start to fade.

 

[Felipe]

It is a very personal thing, obviously...but I would not do it. From a practical point of view, you don't need a recon trip. We are not talking about the Himalayas, it is a way very explored, signposted, with plenty of guides and online reviews about albergues and hotels. Actually, a great part is already in Google Street View. And, besides, you can ruin your "wow" factor. That is, you walk hour after hour, discover a little village on the horizon, arrive, rest for a while in the little, picturesque square, sip a "café con leche", then walk many, many more hours, see the towers of a magnificent cathedral from afar, and slowly they become taller and taller, until you arrive to delight at the old sculptures and carvings, explore the tortuous little streets, and choose a good looking "tapas" restaurant. This is the reward for your effort, and you feel you have won it. If you arrive at an already visited place, it would not be the same.
I would suggest, in any case, limit your travels to Burgos and Leon, because usually the pilgrim does not have the time to explore the marvels of those cities.
Anyway, your own decision will be the best.

 

[LesBrass]

Last year me and my husband had a driving holiday in Northern Spain. We drove along a large part the route... and this is why I'm walking it now... I had no idea where we were and he exlpained... and I was hooked.

Have a good trip!

 

[dougfitz]

Time spent doing recce is never wasted. You can waste a lot of time conducting a recce if you don't know what you are reconnoitering.

@whariwharangi - the inherent conundrum these two statements present can be resolved by noting that time spent in planned reconnaissance is seldom wasted. Unfortunately, it lacks the punch of the original! What is clear is that exploring without a purpose isn't necessarily going to be fruitful as a reconnaissance, even though it might be a wonderful experience.

I am inclined to the view that there isn't really much need to reconnoitre a pilgrimage, and going somewhere you won't see on your camino would be a better alternative. But if you want to pre-view some of the towns, etc, that could be valuable too.

 

[Caminomary525]

I walked from Roncevalles to Logrono last October as a "toe in the water" two week Camino trial. It was a very big stretch for me: 68 years old, relatively un athletic, never been to a Europe before , no Spanish except for phrase book phrases. I was terrified as I had never traveled alone before. But, I reasoned, how terrible could two weeks be?

I am so glad I did the trial as I prepare to return to walk Logrono to Leon in September with the plan to walk Leon to Santiago next May to celebrate my 70 the birthday. A short trial can calm the nerves about what is for many of us a completely new experience.

 

[StuartM]

I flew into Santiago prior to getting a train to my start point on the CF. I promised myself I wouldn't go to the cathedral and peek at the end.

I couldn't help myself.

Someone said to me it was like reading the last page of the thriller before you start.

Personally, I wouldn't. I didn't even have a guidebook, every day was a surprise and that was just how I liked it.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Listen to your Karma-alarm. Let your lucky holiday be a holiday, and let your pilgrimage be a pilgrimage.

 

[Deleted member 22638]

I think what you would experience by car will bare no relation to what you will enjoy on foot - so as a reconoitre it would not work IMHO

I had a driving holiday in Northern Spain and it made me aware of the Camino which I walked 22 yrs after the holiday and that for me, I would enjoy the holiday ( possibly in Northern Spain -but don't drive the route too closely )

 

[OTH86]

My first Camino was last Fall, and I SO enjoyed the unexpected and challenges. This Fall I'm very much looking forward to quite a different Camino even tho' it'll be on the Frances, like last year, but I DO like returning to favorite places. One can experience wonderful and new things even the 2nd and 3rd and 4th times around! Do what FEELS best for YOU!
Buen Camino! Terry

 

[GreatDane]

Thomas - I love your avatar!! Are you in the Pacific Northwest or BC?

 

[Thomas Sheldon]

Great Dane -- I live in Washington State, along Hood Canal on the Olympic Peninsula.

I like NW native art. Such a rich, interesting culture.

 

[tploomis]

I'm always tempted to peek under the Christmas wrapping early, but if I resist, I'm happier for it.

 

[jmcarp]

Listen to your Karma-alarm. Let your lucky holiday be a holiday, and let your pilgrimage be a pilgrimage.

There is no right or wrong answer the original question, but personally I agree with Rebekah. What you experience in a car will in no way be similar to what you experience on foot. If you just want to whet your appetite, just type "Camino de Santiago" into YouTube or Vimeo -- you'll find hundreds of examples of real walking along the Camino that will present a better picture of what it will be like than trying to imagine it. Even when the road parallels the Camino path and you see pilgrims walking and wonder what it's like, you won't know until you're actually there walking yourself.

Buen Camino,
Jim

 

[MickMac]

Do not do it ! part of the joy is walking into the unknown.

Buen Camino (In September)

 

[GreatDane]

Great Dane -- I live in Washington State, along Hood Canal on the Olympic Peninsula.
I like NW native art. Such a rich, interesting culture.

Thomas, I spent my Wonderbread years in Auburn WA and have been in the Tri-Cities for the last 35 years. I've always loved the PNW native art!

 

[oursonpolaire]

I like Lettingo's idea of heading up to the north coast for a few days and also checking out the picos de Europa. There are many remarkable places to look at in the mountains between the sea and the Camino and they are off the main pilgrimage routes. Untouristy Spain is incredible and a car will help you get to these spots. Much of what the Camino brings you is due to the walking of it, and that can't be tasted from a car seat.

 

[Tia Valeria]

We drove to Santiago along the north coast - result we eventually walked the Camino on the northern routes (Norte-Primitivo and Inglés). You could explore one of these if you don't want to explore the Francés. Like on the Camino - you could do what feels right when you arrive in Madrid

 

[jayree]

I have walked the CF and the CN, both without any recon. If I had two weeks to just travel I would spend time in Madrid (Tincatinker covers this well) then take a train to San Sebastian, spend a few days, then take the train along the northern coast, stopping in major towns (Bilbao, Santander, Llanes, Ribadesella and Aviles) and taking day hikes along the CN.

 

[carolinasf]

Only you "know" what you need to do or what works best for you.

I'm walking the Camino this fall for the first time. I want to be surprised and revel in the discovery of the path.

Like a first kiss; probably awkward, probably clumsy, but it's my FIRST doorway to the new passage. I would never want to dull the luster of that present moment.

 

[hotelmedicis]

Not much to recon but if you are eager to go for a drive why not? It's a lovely area. Enjoy!

 

[robertt]

You could spoil a lot of surprises. For example, walking across the meseta near sunset in winter and wondering if Hontanas is somewhere below sight, or if you took a wrong turn, or misjudged the distance. And you just stumble in on dark, and the first thing you do is wail into a steaming bowl of garlic soup. Gotta have the odd surprise.