Advice on best time and route.

[melmoth]

Hi,
I'm planning to walk the complete route next year finishing (hopefully !) on my 60th birthday in November. I'm not sure what route yet but I think I'll be starting in France. I'm very keen to have a quiet meditative walk as possible (I do not seek company), if I began at the start of October would I encounter many pilgrims?
I am confused about which route to take. I want to take the route that is most challenging, that will take me about two months to walk and one on which I will be most alone. For me (and of course for many) I intend this journey to be an intensely internal one.
Any advice or thoughts would be most welcome.
Melmoth

 

[MichaelB10398]

You may want to consider going from Le Puy to Santiago de Compostela. Your ability to cover the entire route is dependent upon being a strong walker. Next year is a Holy Year and all of the routes going to Santiago will have high number of pilgrims; however, I think you will find fewer pilgrims from Le Puy to Saint Jean. From Saint Jean onward you have a few different routes you can take, but all will have other pilgrims, the Frances route the most.

When walking you will be provided as much time alone as you choose; other pilgrims will respect your desire to not talk. Some will carry a rosary, others keep their eyes averted when passing other pilgrims, and others just speed up or slow down when others begin to walk close. Alternatively, one can kindly say that you need to be alone and allow them to move on.

A deeply personal, reflective, or even penitent pilgrimage is dependent up where our own head and heart are rather than on those around us. Know that you will see other pilgrims and none of these routes to Santiago next year will be without meeting others. Greet them and quietly move on and you will find what you are seeking.

Bon Chemin,

Michael

 

[Bridget and Peter]

Would walking from Seville on the Via de la Plata in October and November meet Melmoth's requirements? What do others think?

Melmoth, look at the CSJ site:
http://www.csj.org.uk/route-via-de-la-plata.htm
for helpful descriptions of this and other routes.

Enjoy choosing !

 

[MichaelB10398]

Now that might be just the thing! I don't think he would need the 60 days to finish, but it would certainly provide a much better opportunity for private reflection given the fewer numbers of pilgrims.

This should be strongly considered for your walk. You will find some great comments and counsel form others. Given that you have the time to prepare, providing more information will increase the usefulness of their evaluation.

Michael

 

[TerryB]

Hi Melmoth,
There is always the possibility of a northern route. You may get some spectacular surf in october and you can always go over the mountains from Oviedo if you are really fit and keen!
Have a look here;- http://www.csj.org.uk/route-voiedesoulac.htm

Blessings on your preparation and walking
Tio Tel

 

[JohnnieWalker]

The Via de la Plata can be walked comfortably in under 40 days - however with days spent in the major cities - Cacares, Merida, Salamanca and perhaps a few days on retreat in the Monastery at Oseira that could work out. Another option would be to add Finisterre/Muxia.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

There is always the 88 temples on Shikoku:

http://www.mandala.ne.jp/echoes/jhguide.html

 

[Deleted member 397]

Walking from Granada last year I met Marion Fox (author of some of the CSJ guides) for about 5 minutes in a hotel. Other than her I didn't meet anyone else for the 400 kms from Granada to Merida.....bliss!

 

[Debinq]

hola melmoth
dunno if there is such a thing as the ''best route" as far as ''the'' camino is concerned; I have done the c aragones and the c sanabria myself so far - both very rewarding and challenging here and there; at the time (Sept/Oct 06) I would have liked to have started in Arles and ''do'' the route from there to Somport (pass in the Pyrenees) where I started the c aragones, but I didn't have the time up my sleeve- maybe I will next year during april/may. I guess one should avoid the high summer months (june-august) - not just because of the hot weather.... there's a saying that the road least travelled is the road best travelled; the laPlata andDelNorte routes are recommended I hear...

buen camino quand meme

P

 

[sillydoll]

When making your choice, please take the weather into consideration. I spent this weekend at Umfolozi (not too far from Melmoth!) and it was 32oC in the shade.
But, on the camino, by the middle of October and into November there is a real possibility of freezing temperatures, heavy rain, snow and blizzards in the high places.

This is a link to a pilrim's blog on the Via de la Plata in late October last year:
http://haloranch.blogspot.com/2008/10/r ... -hail.html

And November at O Cebreiro:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJgi62ZO ... re=related

You can check my blog post on Winter Walking for other pilgrims' tips on walking in winter.
http://amawalker.blogspot.com/2008/10/w ... amino.html

Good luck!

 

[dutchpilgrim]

And as far as I know, the route from le Puy is the "busiest" chemin in France, every day a few pilgrims

Less travelled are the roads from Vezelay, Tours and Arles.

Ultreya,
Carli Di Bortolo.