Beeks
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- (2019) only 2 weeks available! St. Jean PDP - Pamplona, then Sarria - SDC with the family,
HI!
Been lurking since 2016. All sorts of awesome people and information here! I tend to ramble, so apologies.
My wife and I have wanted to walk the Camino Frances with the kids for quite some time. We had originally planned to walk the Sarria - SDC section this year.. WE'D BE WALKING RIGHT NOW! Things fell through and we weren't able to make it this year.
Our reason for walking: spiritual, historical. Compestela - yes please!
We're now planning to go around spring break time next year. Yes, we're going as a family - 54 year old dad, 40-something year old wife with a back injury, an 11 year old daughter, and sons 16 and 18 next year. The kids have traveled with us since my first born was 13 months old (England / Scotland), again when my two boys were 3 and 2 (England / Scotland / France) and various lengthy road trips in Canada and the States. I know parents who travel and leave the kids with grandma. Our kids have always traveled with us and this time will be no different. We've spoken with them extensively about the spiritual nature of walking the Camino and how this is very different from our other trips. My 11 and 16 year old are pretty excited, while my 18 year old thinks it's going to be a lot of walking... kids these days. My 18 year old tends to warm up to things once he actually gets involved. He grumbled about our 25 day Europe trip in 2016 but he had a ton of fun.
So I know a lot of people have said your first walk should be solo for the "supreme life changing experience" or "It's YOUR Camino, not theirs, do it alone" or whatever. While I respect the opinions of those who have actually walked the Camino while I have not, this raises a confusing paradox: If my wife wants to walk the Camino as much as I, do I leave her at home? Or should she leave me at home? I hear so much about the intense Camino friendships and the bond between pilgrims - are these detrimental to the "solo" Camino experience or does the shared hardship bring people closer together, strengthening their relationship? If my opinion on this changes after our Camino, I'll post it here!
So it goes with the family. I'll try to "Dad" less and "peregrino" more... I think when all is said and done, this will be a great family experience. I know many are cringing at the thought! Team Beeks is going to the Camino Frances! I plan on retiring in 3 years or so, and I do plan a solo, complete Camino Frances then. Heck, I wish my parents had taken me on Camino when I was a teen!
We have roughly 2 weeks to actually walk, with some travel days and some days in Madrid post-walk. We originally thought of flying to Madrid, taking the train to Ponferrada the next day, and start our walk day 3. Ponferrada is about the right length, plus my wife is dying to check out the Templar castle there. I really wanted the challenge and beauty of the Pyrenees with a traditional start in St Jean PDP.
Here's the tentative plan: Fly to Madrid, make our way to St. Jean. Start from St. Jean with overnight stops in Orrison, Roncesvalles, Zubiri and Pamplona. Rest day in Pamplona, then train to Sarria. Then, Sarria to SDC with overnight stops in Portomarin, Palas de Rei, Melide, Arzua, O Pedrouzo, then SDC. Rest day in SDC, possibly take the bus to Finisterre to see the lighthouse and explore. Then, train to Ponferrada, then train to Madrid.
Issues: My wife had career ending back surgery in 2009. She is limited on what she can carry and general stress on her back. Considered a bag carrying service, but I want to be flexible in case we need to stop short on any leg of our walk. My daughter is a trooper, for sure, but she will have a light backpack as well, so I'm going to carry extra weight, which I'm glad to do. As a former infantry Marine, carrying a ridiculously heavy backpack while wearing crappy boots is second nature. Of course, that was many moons ago... Conditioning walks starting this summer.
Semana Santa during our walk - should be interesting! Getting a grip on my poor Spanish, should be semi-fluent by then...
My boss thinks I'm being so productive - sorry boss! Anyways, this is my long-winded introduction. I look forward to hearing from y'all - even the flaming posts!
Thanks to Ivar and the moderators for all they do for the community!
Beeks
Been lurking since 2016. All sorts of awesome people and information here! I tend to ramble, so apologies.
My wife and I have wanted to walk the Camino Frances with the kids for quite some time. We had originally planned to walk the Sarria - SDC section this year.. WE'D BE WALKING RIGHT NOW! Things fell through and we weren't able to make it this year.
Our reason for walking: spiritual, historical. Compestela - yes please!
We're now planning to go around spring break time next year. Yes, we're going as a family - 54 year old dad, 40-something year old wife with a back injury, an 11 year old daughter, and sons 16 and 18 next year. The kids have traveled with us since my first born was 13 months old (England / Scotland), again when my two boys were 3 and 2 (England / Scotland / France) and various lengthy road trips in Canada and the States. I know parents who travel and leave the kids with grandma. Our kids have always traveled with us and this time will be no different. We've spoken with them extensively about the spiritual nature of walking the Camino and how this is very different from our other trips. My 11 and 16 year old are pretty excited, while my 18 year old thinks it's going to be a lot of walking... kids these days. My 18 year old tends to warm up to things once he actually gets involved. He grumbled about our 25 day Europe trip in 2016 but he had a ton of fun.
So I know a lot of people have said your first walk should be solo for the "supreme life changing experience" or "It's YOUR Camino, not theirs, do it alone" or whatever. While I respect the opinions of those who have actually walked the Camino while I have not, this raises a confusing paradox: If my wife wants to walk the Camino as much as I, do I leave her at home? Or should she leave me at home? I hear so much about the intense Camino friendships and the bond between pilgrims - are these detrimental to the "solo" Camino experience or does the shared hardship bring people closer together, strengthening their relationship? If my opinion on this changes after our Camino, I'll post it here!
So it goes with the family. I'll try to "Dad" less and "peregrino" more... I think when all is said and done, this will be a great family experience. I know many are cringing at the thought! Team Beeks is going to the Camino Frances! I plan on retiring in 3 years or so, and I do plan a solo, complete Camino Frances then. Heck, I wish my parents had taken me on Camino when I was a teen!
We have roughly 2 weeks to actually walk, with some travel days and some days in Madrid post-walk. We originally thought of flying to Madrid, taking the train to Ponferrada the next day, and start our walk day 3. Ponferrada is about the right length, plus my wife is dying to check out the Templar castle there. I really wanted the challenge and beauty of the Pyrenees with a traditional start in St Jean PDP.
Here's the tentative plan: Fly to Madrid, make our way to St. Jean. Start from St. Jean with overnight stops in Orrison, Roncesvalles, Zubiri and Pamplona. Rest day in Pamplona, then train to Sarria. Then, Sarria to SDC with overnight stops in Portomarin, Palas de Rei, Melide, Arzua, O Pedrouzo, then SDC. Rest day in SDC, possibly take the bus to Finisterre to see the lighthouse and explore. Then, train to Ponferrada, then train to Madrid.
Issues: My wife had career ending back surgery in 2009. She is limited on what she can carry and general stress on her back. Considered a bag carrying service, but I want to be flexible in case we need to stop short on any leg of our walk. My daughter is a trooper, for sure, but she will have a light backpack as well, so I'm going to carry extra weight, which I'm glad to do. As a former infantry Marine, carrying a ridiculously heavy backpack while wearing crappy boots is second nature. Of course, that was many moons ago... Conditioning walks starting this summer.
Semana Santa during our walk - should be interesting! Getting a grip on my poor Spanish, should be semi-fluent by then...
My boss thinks I'm being so productive - sorry boss! Anyways, this is my long-winded introduction. I look forward to hearing from y'all - even the flaming posts!
Thanks to Ivar and the moderators for all they do for the community!
Beeks