2nd Camino.

[corrigan]

Walked SJDPP to Finisterre last spring. Always returning to this forum such was the impression it made on me Seriously toying with a repeat trip next month will it be a such an enjoyable experience second time around? or does a ittle bit of familiarity detract from the overall trip? Serial caminoists your thoughts please.

 

[grayland]

I would say yes as the mystery and unkown are missing. I found that I actually remembered and knew what was around the bend and over the rise most of the way. The sense of expectation was muted or gone.
That said...the new friendships and conversations were still alive and well. The sense of starting and completing a very difficult task was still there. The peace of walking long hours alone and with otheres was still there.
I am off again on 28 March, so I guess the call is still there. :?

 

[scruffy1]

Greetings from Jerusalem!
Dear corrigan

Last Spring I walked the Camino from Saint Jean again, one year exactly after my first walk during the Holy Year of 2011 and it was marvelous! First of all the weather was totally different-much warmer, the wildflowers bloomed at different times in different places, there were far fewer people walking, and while I knew basically what to expect, it was a different and richer experience. The second time required more planning since, with but few exceptions, I did not wish to stop in the same villages or towns, the same albergues or lodging. The year between was spent in the library focusing on the art and architecture of churches and buildings along the way, the history of Spain and the church, and Saint James. I had a lot to learn since we Jewish pilgrims have never been exposed to such knowledge, it also meant that my second walk was much more satisfying and intellectual since I better understood what it was that I was seeing in the churches and why exactly all these people were so strangely excited! I am indeed developing into a serial pilgrim-there is room beside the two Compostelas already on the wall for several more and I do love the freedom which the Camino grants, I leave next week to walk again, this time beginning from Lisbon, Portugal. This too may help you decide, there are many many roads to Santiago, perhaps consider a different route-say Zamora or Salamanca to Astorga to Santiago, Toledo or Avilia to Zamora. This is a wonderful thing.
Buen Camino

 

[oursonpolaire]

I was going to type out a brilliant and concise discussion of the upsides and downsides of repeat Caminos (disclosure-- I've done five), but scruffy1 has done it for me. Do look at other routes, as the less populated ones bring a different experience from the Francese.

 

[Kialoa3]

I have been wrestling with this same question as I am planning my second Camino as well. What I came up with is that the familiarity with the terrain is not a detriment as navigating the Camino was not what gave me the greatest pleasure. Yes, it was a challenge and a fun part of the trip, but it was not an essential element for me. What is essential is the freedom from distraction, the quietude, time for personal reflection, new friendships, and the simple joy of walking across a country. From my perspective, I am expecting all these essential elements to be there regardless of how many times I cover the same ground.

 

[peregrina2000]

As one who's about to embark on her 11th or 12th camino in a couple of months, I think these comments really hit the nail on the head. I have walked the Camino Frances three or four times, and found the benefits just as Kialoa3 describes. I am not an introspective person normally, so it was a real gift to be alone with my thoughts on the Camino.

Another real draw of the Camino for me is the opportunity to interact with the people who live along the way, and on the Frances much of the population tends to be just plain sick of us.

It was the huge crowds and the occasional carnival feeling on the Frances that made me think I had to try alternative caminos. Since then, I have experienced so many incredible caminos that I am hooked on this approach for now. I have walked parts of the Frances, like last year when I connected the Camino de Madrid to the Camino de Invierno, and I have to say that even in spite of all the crowds, the "camino feel" on the Frances is just different, unique maybe. Last year in Hospital de Orbigo, I met a man who walked his first Camino in 2000 just like me, but has stuck with the Frances every year since then. He doesn't mind the crowds, doesn't give in to the competition for beds, and feels like he's going home every year when he starts his camino.

I will start out this year on the Liebana/Vadiniense, but will finish up on the Salvador/Primitivo. I last walked those latter routes in 2008 and its feel was the closest I've found to the Camino Frances, but with the added benefit of being able to connect with the people along the way, who were not at all jaded by the presence of pilgrims. This is one of those choices with no bad alternatives.

Buen camino, Laurie