What is the most intimidating aspect of walking the Camino Frances on your own? I'm a man so it might be a different answer compared to a woman's perspective.
Remove ads on the forum by becoming a donating member. More here. |
---|
What is the most intimidating aspect of walking teh Camino Frances on your own? I'm a man so it might be a different answer compared to a woman's perspective.
@brownowlWhat is the most intimidating aspect of walking the Camino Frances on your own? I'm a man so it might be a different answer compared to a woman's perspective.
What is the most intimidating aspect of walking the Camino Frances on your own? I'm a man so it might be a different answer compared to a woman's perspective.
As an American the coed dorms caught me off guard.
After a bit, I acculturated.
I am sure one could ask her a lot of what-ifs in return regarding her life she is so used to. And I guess she would not have an answer ;-)I was just telling a newbie pilgrim friend today who was asking me a lot of "what if?"
It is easier to say this after the fact than before! Before my first camino or two, I would have found this statement to be extremely intimidating! It just doesn't suit me. However, now that I am more experienced with pilgrims and pilgrimage, I understand better what you mean, and I am more accepting of this sentiment.The challenge is to step into the dark, move into the unknown, and grasp it with all we have. With every moment squeeze it until the Camino saturates our being because we have let go and finally submitted to the Way.
You are welcome then to a mixed German or Swedish sauna to acculture even more ... no, in a proper sauna no one wears anything ;-)
That sometimes catches people a bit off guard too I ca tell you...
When are you Camino bound, this Ontario girl heading out May 15 to Ireland first aND then Spain late June.So I have not walked since 2017 and I just booked my flight to Spain this evening. In doing so, I realized that I have my own concerns (fears) which were leading to my putting off making the booking. Mostly, I guess, trying to get the walk planned so that I would know for sure that I can complete the routes which I chose in the time that I am giving myself. I have to accept that anything can happen and I may have difficulties finishing my walk and getting my flight home. If there are problems, I shall work them out. That is what pilgrims do.
Helemaal mee eens!Making friendly people understand I like to walk alone. I'm social later but I miss too much around me when I walk with other people.
@IngridFWhen are you Camino bound, this Ontario girl heading out May 15 to Ireland first aND then Spain late June.
My biggest challenge as well as anxiety is how I will able to deal with the daily walks. My physical condition is not the best despite training. It's a bit contradictory, but at the same time that's exactly one of the reasons to walk the Camino. I need and want the time to change, at the same time I'm afraid that it's going to be (too) demanding.
The only way to find out how I'll cope is to get going ...
... and to assure myself over and over again that I do not have to prove anything to anyone, especially not to myself. If it's only 5 or 10 km a day at the beginning, it's o.k.
Step by step, sounds easy but not to me, I'm used to do everything else the fast way, usually quite successfully ...
Eating on your own in the evening! If you’re only staying in albergues this doesn’t really apply but, especially in the bigger cities where you can’t necessarily recognise fellow pilgrims, eating on your own in a restaurant can feel a little intimidating. However, almost always you start talking to someone. The CF is very friendly and the whole experience wonderfully worthwhile. Buen camino!What is the most intimidating aspect of walking the Camino Frances on your own? I'm a man so it might be a different answer compared to a woman's perspective.
For me its catching the eye of that grizzled veteran, hunched in the corner of the bar, swigging a Copa de Ciento Tres, exuding "been there & done it..", not even checking their Brierley.What is the most intimidating aspect of walking the Camino Frances on your own?
Trying not to appear being a complete klutz doing a long range pour of cidre natural from the bottle into my glass.What is the most intimidating aspect of walking the Camino Frances
Without a doubt having to deal with yourself. You will understand quickly why others think you are annoying. You should walk a really isolated route like Le Puy or The Norte especially after you head south of the coast. You are alone all day!!! All fears are in our heads. Just walk and you will clear all the crap out!
Absolutely! Nothing about the Camino intimidates, only getting your loved ones to understand your devotion to itTelling my wife I want to go back again!
When I am walking alone for long stretches I try to clear my head of all thoughts. I try to get my mind to feel like a blank canvass would look. To do this I have relearn on each camino the ability to let thoughts go and not allow one thought to stay with me too long. The way I can achieve this is two fold. First I need to walk longer camino. I try to do at least 800 to 1000K if possible. One year when I walked just the Portuguese it wasn't until the day I got to Santiago that I was able to achieve this. I walked the last 20K or so without stopping and didn't really notice where I was until I saw the twin towers of our Cathedral in the distance. I was pretty sad because I finally got to that place and now I am at that place and it is over and I have to go home. But I digress. The method that works best for me is to clear the stuffed attic of my brain is to just listen to the sounds when I walk. I don't mean all the sounds around me but one specific sound, like my breathing or especially when I am walking on gravel, the sounds of my feet on the gravel. It really helps my body and soul rhythm and I am able to have stillness in my brain. That is when the good stuff happens, like hearing my father's voice in my head and heart reminding me he is still with me. Buen Camino! Oh yea, it is great that you can walk so well with your husband. Not every couple can do that.Yeah, that's my intimidation factor too - basically spending so much uninterrupted time in my own head and getting on my own nerves. I travel a lot by myself, so I am pretty used to being in my own company, but there are usually things to do, see, read, etc. in my travels - and a lot of my solo travels are for work, so that means there is ALWAYS something occupying my brain. Walking for days and weeks with my brain unencumbered is a different story entirely. I walked the Camino with my husband, which worked well because we could spend all the quiet time we wanted, but had each other to talk to when being in our own heads wasn't satisfying.
And I thought you are Kärntner MädchenWhen are you Camino bound, this Ontario girl heading out May 15 to Ireland first aND then Spain late June.
What is the most intimidating aspect of walking the Camino Frances on your own? I'm a man so it might be a different answer compared to a woman's perspective.
For me, the most intimidating part of going alone was he fear of the unknown and the mind spinning about what could go wrong. The hardest part? GWhat is the most intimidating aspect of walking the Camino Frances on your own? I'm a man so it might be a different answer compared to a woman's perspective.
Your post reminds of an incident which occurred when I was walking the VdlP. On a dusty country road in the middle of the day, I had an urgent need to relieve myself and retired to a ditch to do so discretely. At the same time, a farmer on a large tractor roared up, drove into the field immediately across from my ditch, turned his tractor so he was facing me just across the country road, and parked there. Then he got out his phone and started to talk on it, all the while keeping an eye on me (or so I thought). So I had to give up on my intention and go on. I cannot remember how long or far it was before I found an opportunity to do the necessary. This was on the VdlP, not on the Frances, which has facilities of all sorts much closer together.For me - as a single woman - being alone somewhere isolated when the only other person who turns up is a single man (eg in the country lanes when a farmer turns up in a car or tractor, or in a large dorm when they decide to take the bed right next to you).
Loss of privacy For me the standout was the 4 bed pod in the albergue at Roncesvalles. I was the only female amongst 3 noisy snoring men and it was the worst, most sleepless night of my camino. Fortunately I gained a better perspective &was able to laugh about it laterWhat is the most intimidating aspect of walking the Camino Frances on your own? I'm a man so it might be a different answer compared to a woman's perspective.
Yes, what about bathroom breaks? When I was in the Himalayas we had no choice but to go slightly off the trail and try to be discreet, which was pretty much impossible.Your post reminds of an incident which occurred when I was walking the VdlP. On a dusty country road in the middle of the day, I had an urgent need to relieve myself and retired to a ditch to do so discretely. At the same time, a farmer on a large tractor roared up, drove into the field immediately across from my ditch, turned his tractor so he was facing me just across the country road, and parked there. Then he got out his phone and started to talk on it, all the while keeping an eye on me (or so I thought). So I had to give up on my intention and go on. I cannot remember how long or far it was before I found an opportunity to do the necessary. This was on the VdlP, not on the Frances, which has facilities of all sorts much closer together.
On the Camino Frances, there are generally villages with bars that you will pass through several times on a day's walk. I think the longest distance between toilets is between Carrión de los Condes and Calzadilla de la Cueza at 17 km. I found that by going before I left in the morning and being aware of how much and when I was eating and drinking, I was generally able to hold it in until I got to proper facilities. There was one time that I will never forget that was pretty close, but I did manage until we got to the albergue and its washroom.Yes, what about bathroom breaks? When I was in the Himalayas we had no choice but to go slightly off the trail and try to be discreet, which was pretty much impossible.