Soon to be 4 years since my last Camino

[Jamie Y. Mo]

Hello all.

It'll be soon 4 years since I walked my last Camino (the 2nd one).
It is just hard to believe that it's been that long which I never intended to be like this.
It's always there in the corner of my mind like a phased out nostalgic note when I think of my walk on Camino.
It's just never the same or not even close when you've been back, feeling almost as if you've never walked in that country and read someone walking the Camino.

I'm aware that there are people going now but timing in life plays funny oftentimes. I don't even know how I would feel about having all that covid restrictions, not to mention the air travel arrangements along with that, if I do go.

My chance, all planned and ready to leave for a few months, for the 3rd one went into the thin air at the beginning of 2020 when the pandemic hit hard and blew our mind.
I guess I'm still stuck in that place even though I've moved on and being busy with life matters.

Any Canadians walking out there now? (any Albertan?)

 

[malingerer]

Hello all.

It'll be soon 4 years since I walked my last Camino (the 2nd one).
It is just hard to believe that it's been that long which I never intended to be like this.
It's always there in the corner of my mind like a phased out nostalgic note when I think of my walk on Camino.
It's just never the same or not even closer when you've been back, feeling almost as if you've never walked in that country and read someone walking the Camino.

I'm aware that there are people going now but timing in life plays funny oftentimes. I don't even know how I would feel about having all that covid restrictions, not to mention the air travel arrangements along with that, if I do go.

My chance for 3rd one went into the air at the beginning of 2020 when the pandemic hit hard and blew our mind.
I guess I'm still stuck in that place even though I've moved on and being busy with life matters.

Any Canadians walking out there now? (specifically from AB)

keep the faith amigo! Its been 4 years since I too went a-camino and I'M booked to fly to Bordeaux 19th April I've been doing camino since 2003 off and on and never feel I have left it ! If it calls you, you go! Resistance is futile! Ask any DALEK

Buen Camino

Samarkand.

 

[Jamie Y. Mo]

keep the faith amigo! Its been 4 years since I too went a-camino and I'M booked to fly to Bordeaux 19th April I've been doing camino since 2003 off and on and never feel I have left it ! If it calls you, you go! Resistance is futile! Ask any DALEK

Buen Camino

Samarkand.

Thank you. I will try
Buen Camino!

 

[Isca-camigo]

I'm not Canadian but I am waiting, I left Santiago on the 2/1/2020 after a December Camino and expected to be back with 4 months. I wasn't keen on walking in the 1st year of it but I have friends who have and one in particular who spent more days walking routes in Spain in 2020 than not walking, I thought he was crazy and admired him at the same time. Last year was going to be my 1st Camino but i had recurring knee problems for both knees which got worse last year as it progressed , I did spend a week in Villajoyoisa Nr Alicante on holiday and spent a day walking the route out of there and would have done the whole variant but that day just highlighted the mess my knees are in.
I have a friend who started in Gibraltar in mid Jan and he is just after Transoco on the Torres route, he is going to Santiago then walking from there to Canterbury and onto Rome Via Santander/ Portsmouth, he will be on the Pilgrims way / North downs from early April and I am working hard to be able to walk with him, that is my motivation at the moment just a few days in the UK.

 

[Walkerooni]

Absolutely! Former Albertan, now in BC, also went last in 2018. Was all booked for spring of 2020, when all hell broke loose. I still plan and dream of my next Camino, constantly.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Hello all.

It'll be soon 4 years since I walked my last Camino (the 2nd one).
It is just hard to believe that it's been that long which I never intended to be like this.
It's always there in the corner of my mind like a phased out nostalgic note when I think of my walk on Camino.
It's just never the same or not even close when you've been back, feeling almost as if you've never walked in that country and read someone walking the Camino.

I'm aware that there are people going now but timing in life plays funny oftentimes. I don't even know how I would feel about having all that covid restrictions, not to mention the air travel arrangements along with that, if I do go.

My chance, all planned and ready to leave for a few months, for the 3rd one went into the thin air at the beginning of 2020 when the pandemic hit hard and blew our mind.
I guess I'm still stuck in that place even though I've moved on and being busy with life matters.

Any Canadians walking out there now? (any Albertan?)

Are you a friend of St Jimmy? Sorry, no sobriety coins issued until you've gone 5 years since your last Camino.

(It's been 3 years, 8 months, 3 weeks and 6 days since my last Camino.)

​

 

[Annabellesjourney]

Hello all.

It'll be soon 4 years since I walked my last Camino (the 2nd one).
It is just hard to believe that it's been that long which I never intended to be like this.
It's always there in the corner of my mind like a phased out nostalgic note when I think of my walk on Camino.
It's just never the same or not even close when you've been back, feeling almost as if you've never walked in that country and read someone walking the Camino.

I'm aware that there are people going now but timing in life plays funny oftentimes. I don't even know how I would feel about having all that covid restrictions, not to mention the air travel arrangements along with that, if I do go.

My chance, all planned and ready to leave for a few months, for the 3rd one went into the thin air at the beginning of 2020 when the pandemic hit hard and blew our mind.
I guess I'm still stuck in that place even though I've moved on and being busy with life matters.

Any Canadians walking out there now? (any Albertan?)

I plan to go again this year…..late May or September I’m in NS

 

[Bodi]

It’s coming up on 4 years since my last Camino also. I had been planning to return in 2020 but we all know why that didn’t happen. Somehow travelling with all the restrictions doesn’t seem all that appealing to me right now so I will wait awhile longer. In the meantime though, some issues with my back have resurfaced, which makes me wonder if I will be able to go at all. For the time being I’m working on strength training and daily Spanish practice because I keep hoping the Camino will happen for me again. Buen Camino @Jamie Y. Mo You’ll know when the time is right. From a fellow Albertan.

 

[Meggins]

I was so lucky to gave gone Sept/Oct 2019 before all hell broke loose. Now I must wait till Fall 2023 to go again - miss it so much! However I am having fun planning. I have a back & a knee issue but did 600km 2019 and so have planned out a basic 25km a day and also a 20km a day route. But of course will play it by ear! I have done the whole CF and always plan to do a different camino. Somehow though I always end up going to CF. I have been back 5 or 6 times to do a few hundred kms and each time it is a new experience. My next step is to re-read my journals and see what matches up with my plans. Buen Camino to all who are out there now!

 

[Former member 91017]

Hello all.

It'll be soon 4 years since I walked my last Camino (the 2nd one).
It is just hard to believe that it's been that long which I never intended to be like this.
It's always there in the corner of my mind like a phased out nostalgic note when I think of my walk on Camino.
It's just never the same or not even close when you've been back, feeling almost as if you've never walked in that country and read someone walking the Camino.

I'm aware that there are people going now but timing in life plays funny oftentimes. I don't even know how I would feel about having all that covid restrictions, not to mention the air travel arrangements along with that, if I do go.

My chance, all planned and ready to leave for a few months, for the 3rd one went into the thin air at the beginning of 2020 when the pandemic hit hard and blew our mind.
I guess I'm still stuck in that place even though I've moved on and being busy with life matters.

Any Canadians walking out there now? (any Albertan?)

I’m not out there yet, but have plans to be there April 1.
I’m travelling from Canada, but have an EU PP and EU digital COV pass, so some things are less complicated for me (and I am grateful, cognizant of that fact). However, Canada has lifted its travel advisory, and Portugal, France, Spain… all open to arrivals. I actually land in Germany on a lay-over and that looks like a non-issue at this point for those coming from Canada on Canadian PP too. Whatever you plan, keep a close eye on things and make sure you get the good insurance for cancellations/re-bookings etc.
Different regions in Spain and Portugal seem to shift around rules about having the vaccination pass, but you can be prepared for any eventuality if you carry your paperwork as paper and as a QR code on your phone (those are recognized as valid, but not everyone has the QR reader, so take paper copies as well). Having the digital copy with you will mean that if you lose your paper copy you can go print a new one.
I bought the 2-pack SWITCH health RT-LAMP test kits from Air Canada — live verification from telehealth that your results are accurate. Right now we don’t even need those tests, but I learned from a friend who got stuck at Heathrow Dec 2nd (!) without the results of her very expensive PCR test Arriving on time to board her plane. So she ran around LHR to find an RT-LAMP test, bought a whole new ticket on a different airline…. Taking the kit will protect against “eventualities”.
I am also taking 5 pre-loaded RATs — because a single test in a boosted person like myself is not likely to yield accurate information, but one taken every 48 hours over several days — if I feel crummy — can help me to know if I’m safe to keep moving (ie: not infectious to others).
As to the rest, well, I’ve booked accommodation during the Holy Week and I have in the back of my head that if I get to albergues that are too crowded for my comfort level, I’ll just find a bench or a doorway and throw myself there for the night.
Others may have different levels of tolerance for close company with strangers. I have a lung condition, so I’m more cautious.
What else? After a few lost plans for earlier in the year — blending work and camino — I found out that I had a pile of air miles that I hadn’t known about. So: I used them to get myself into prime seating. If you have any air Miles you can take advantage of, that might help you to feel better about the travel part. Honestly, it’s not the planes that worry me as much as the crowded airport lines and waiting areas, so having the shorter lines and the lounge access is a big deal for my own emotional response to this journey.
I am also taking 5 3M N95 masks with me. Each one should last me about a week (they can be cleaned — instructions are available on Health Canada sites). I’ll only use them when I’m with people, not when I’m actually out walking.
The 5 tests, 5 masks and RT-LAMP kit add some bulk, but very little weight and lots of reassurance, so into my pack they go! Compensating for the bulk and weight by taking my lightest pack: Lumina 40L. The Lumina does not have a hip pocket so I’ve sewn a Gossamer Gear bottle holder to the hip belt as a place to keep things for quick access: phone, inhaler, lip-balm, mask...
If you haven’t had a third shot yet, you will need that soon as the Canadian schedule for our first 2 doses will put that series out of date by the time you make your journey.
If you do happen to have an EU PP, contact your country of citizenship home office about getting an EU digital vaccine pass.
We have delayed Spouse’s coming camino for 2 years… was supposed to be in May of 2020…
Whatever you decide, I hope you are at peace with it.
I do think that we are now at a stage of COV reality in which we are being asked to take all the risks for the sake of work if we work not not with data but with real people…. So, there’s no strong reason to avoid seeing people for the sake of pleasure. A camino is a very low risk activity once you get out of the crowded airports. I’ve never seen a crowded train station between Bordeaux, Lisbon, Porto, Madrid and Santiago. Last crowded train station I saw in Spain was Barcelona… *years* ago now.
Buen Camino

 

[Camino Canuck]

So much can happen in the next few months. I put my second Camino off because of Covid last year. This year I'm determined to go May 13 - June 25 and optimistic. I'm from Alberta and taking on WestJet to Barcelona, train to Pamplona, bus to Ronncesvalles to avoid multiple country covid restrictions if they still exist by then. Think positive and happy planning. Buen Camino

 

[PilgrimJames]

Hello all.

It'll be soon 4 years since I walked my last Camino (the 2nd one).
It is just hard to believe that it's been that long which I never intended to be like this.
It's always there in the corner of my mind like a phased out nostalgic note when I think of my walk on Camino.
It's just never the same or not even close when you've been back, feeling almost as if you've never walked in that country and read someone walking the Camino.

I'm aware that there are people going now but timing in life plays funny oftentimes. I don't even know how I would feel about having all that covid restrictions, not to mention the air travel arrangements along with that, if I do go.

My chance, all planned and ready to leave for a few months, for the 3rd one went into the thin air at the beginning of 2020 when the pandemic hit hard and blew our mind.
I guess I'm still stuck in that place even though I've moved on and being busy with life matters.

Any Canadians walking out there now? (any Albertan?)

For me also. 4 years has gone by and so much has happened. I'm praying that I can return this year.
Buen Camino to all fellow pilgrims waiting patiently to return

 

[Jamie Y. Mo]

Thank you all for your kindness and understanding. It's just hard not to be able to just go without caring anything in the world like I did the first two Caminos and such long time has passed. I do believe there will be time coming soon for me to pack and go. I'm sure you all feel that after experiencing Camino, your idea of communicating with the world has become different somewhat and the longer your break in between Caminos, you feel more like the whole thing becomes less significant, which I would hate to see that in myself.
Whoever that leaves soon for Camino, I wish you a safe and buen Camino!

 

[Ian Campbell]

From Edmonton, heading to Spain for Holy Week and then to Camino Frances around April 25th or so. Hope you will have the opportunity soon. This is a good year for it. But so are all the others. Bon Chemin/Buen Camino!

 

[Somersky]

Wow I can’t believe it’s been almost 4 years! I went September/October 2019 and it was the most amazing time of year and only rained one day… the day I reached Santiago
Unfortunately construction was going on so we couldn’t go in but it was still pretty amazing to be apart of the energy. The Iron Cross held a special journey for me as I had a mission in honour of my father and son and although it was snowing in the AM by afternoon everyone was in tank tops and shorts… wild! The journey taught me perseverance and not to give up … K Tape for ky blisters were my best friend The people you meet along the “way” along with their stories leave a permanent imprint in your heart and you think about those friends all the time. It is a very special journey where you see a different value system within families … different culture… priorities are family and friends …. Laughter and love! I cried when I had to leave to go back home … I was drawn to stay there but sadly I had to go home but think about when I can go back EVERY DAY…

 

[Anthony Rocco]

Hello all.

It'll be soon 4 years since I walked my last Camino (the 2nd one).
It is just hard to believe that it's been that long which I never intended to be like this.
It's always there in the corner of my mind like a phased out nostalgic note when I think of my walk on Camino.
It's just never the same or not even close when you've been back, feeling almost as if you've never walked in that country and read someone walking the Camino.

I'm aware that there are people going now but timing in life plays funny oftentimes. I don't even know how I would feel about having all that covid restrictions, not to mention the air travel arrangements along with that, if I do go.

My chance, all planned and ready to leave for a few months, for the 3rd one went into the thin air at the beginning of 2020 when the pandemic hit hard and blew our mind.
I guess I'm still stuck in that place even though I've moved on and being busy with life matters.

Any Canadians walking out there now? (any Albertan?)

We felt camino (Spain or France) deprived during Covid, but found pilgrimage routes in the U.S. to walk, some of which we invented ourselves (like the Camino de Jamestown). There is also the Camino de Wisconsin and a number of others. We finally got back to caminos last September, walking from Porto. We are heading to Navarra next week for another walk and later this year starting from Le Puy.

Please schedule another camino. You won't regret it. You will be a "born again" peregrino, so to speak.

 

[Jamie Y. Mo]

We felt camino (Spain or France) deprived during Covid, but found pilgrimage routes in the U.S. to walk, some of which we invented ourselves (like the Camino de Jamestown). There is also the Camino de Wisconsin and a number of others. We finally got back to caminos last September, walking from Porto. We are heading to Navarra next week for another walk and later this year starting from Le Puy.

Please schedule another camino. You won't regret it. You will be a "born again" peregrino, so to speak.

Thank you Anthony. I am thinking of this Fall. Perhaps Sept or Oct. Not as long as I did my past Caminos as I'm fully back to work but I am considering to go over there to walk the way before it becomes too long that I cannot even know whether it was a dream or it actually happened.

 

[Anthony Rocco]

Thank you Anthony. I am thinking of this Fall. Perhaps Sept or Oct. Not as long as I did my past Caminos as I'm fully back to work but I am considering to go over there to walk the way before it becomes too long that I cannot even know whether it was a dream or it actually happened.

If you have limited time and have already walked the Frances, here are some suggestions:

1. Primitivo from Oviedo to Melide. Gorgeous.
2. Ebro from Leida to Montserrat. That's going backwards, but it's also the right way if one is walking the Camino Ignaziano, which we did. You are rewarded at the end with Montserrat, and can go from there to Barcelona. A two-fer.
3. Aragones from Oleron-Ste. Marie to Puenta Le Reina.

And there is the walk from Porto, which we just did last September. Porto, of course, is a reward at the beginning with Santiago at the end.