alternative routes

[Kiwi-family]

I'm intrigued that people keep coming back to the Camino...six, seven, eight times. Is there anyone who says "I've done that, now for the Great Wall of China or Alaska to Patagonia"??????
(BTW I understand about doing it in different seasons or doing different routes - but is there something else?)

 

[Abbeydore]

Yes, although we only did two weeks worth, we feel we got a lot from our Camino, we do not need to 'go' again, however we feel we want to do our own local 'caminos'.
Travelling the world is not necessary, however we may go one last/first time to NZ to show my partner, however Hereford/Welsh borders is 'NZish', so who knows.......

 

[Deleted member 3000]

When the Great Wall of China has 5 Euro accommodations every 5 km, I will be on it. Ditto Patagonia, Great Britain, and India.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Our Camino was amazing and cannot be 'repeated', we do not expect to walk into Santiago again. HoweverW we love Spain, so the Picos de Europa, as a walking holiday, but taking the car to reach walking routes, with Covadonga included. We might walk part of the Camino del Norte...., but whether as pilgrims or tourists we do not know.
Also here in UK we have many beautiful areas to walk. The Brecon Beacons and the Peak District, with the caravan, are two examples.

 

[mspath]

I'm intrigued that people keep coming back to the Camino...six, seven, eight times. Is there anyone who says "I've done that, now for the Great Wall of China or Alaska to Patagonia"??????
(BTW I understand about doing it in different seasons or doing different routes - but is there something else?)

Of course the world is filled with wonderful treasures many of which I have had the professional privilege and personal pleasure to visit. However, for me the Camino is incomparable. The 'something else' which always makes it so special is the extraordinary flourishing of human spirit along the way. Each pilgrimage has evolved into a rich mix of old friends and new composed of fellow pilgrims and those along the way who offered hope and help, smiles and hugs, conversation and hospitality. Such shared serendipity is a continual precious gift.

Margaret

 

[vagabondette]

I'm intrigued that people keep coming back to the Camino...six, seven, eight times. Is there anyone who says "I've done that, now for the Great Wall of China or Alaska to Patagonia"??????
(BTW I understand about doing it in different seasons or doing different routes - but is there something else?)

The major reason I'm doing the camino is because I want to do a long distance walk which does not require me to carry full gear. There are very few of them. I'd love to do either of the walks you mentioned but I would *not* love the extra 15 lbs of gear I'd have to carry (at minimum).

I'm very tempted to spend a summer just walking from mountain cabin to mountain cabin in Switzerland one year. Maybe 2014 depending on how things shake out. The distances tend to be longer and much more rugged (since you're hiking in the Alps) but you still only need a day pack.

 

[Tincatinker]

An interesting question. I'm 4 weeks home from my first Camino (the Frances) though I've walked a chunk of the Norte in a non-pilgrim state of mind. I've also "hiked" many LD routes in many countries.

The Camino was different, for me, and, if I could, I would start again tomorrow. I've never, not even for a moment, contemplated doing the Pennine Way again, or the SW Peninsula path nor most other of my hikes. But, the Camino was different and I got to Fistera and knew there was more to see and more to experience and more to gain. I knew that the experience had taught me more than I had managed to learn.

The postings of so many veterans on this forum suggest that, for some, perhaps for me some of us, becomes part of life rather than something that we did with part of our life.

Tia, the Picos de Europa are beyond beautiful but, check out Rebekah Scott's website moratinoslife.blogspot.com. Reb was about to publish a Camino through the Picos to Leon. Any Camino is a good Camino.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Thanks for the suggestion, we follow Reb's blog. However for next year the Picos and Covadonga are calling.

 

[fraluchi]

Is there anyone who says "I've done that, now for the Great Wall of China or Alaska to Patagonia"?

I got lost on the Great Wall without Mandarin, from Panama there is no walking into Columbia, I loved many walks along the Swiss Alps, but the Camino Francés has a special pull which is difficult to describe and justifies my next walk for the fifth time.
This Forum is about the Caminos a Santiago.

 

[sillydoll]

Some people own a beach cottage, or a cabin the mountains, or time-share in the country that they visit year after year.
Others walk the Camino!
I've walked the Wainwright's Coast to Coast. Lovely, beautiful, pretty walk but I won't be doing it again.
I've walked parts of the Via Francigena from Switzerland to Rome. Great scenery, no albergues, no pilgrims, beautiful villages, lots of history; won't do it again.
I've walked the via Turonensis from Paris to Spain. Nice scenery, pretty little towns and villages (no albergues to speak of) but I won't do it again except maybe by car.
I've walked from Lourdes to Pamplona on the Aragones. Stunning route - majestic. I'd like to drive the route to visit Leyre.
I've walked the Camino Ingles - nice one; similar to Sarria to Santiago, but I won't do it again.
Walked the Camino Frances, and parts of it, 5 times and will do it again next year (and for as long as I have time, health and money!)
I could walk to Finisterre every year too - love that route.
I've invested so much time and money in the Camino that it has become my time-share!!

 

[Kiwi-family]

Well I sure am excited to see if it has that *something special* for us - of course, coming from NZ, it's not a cheap option, but I'm intrigued.
(Oh, and please don't think I was in any way saying it's a bad thing to do this or trying to distract people to other parts of the world - I was genuinely wondering aloud if there was a x-factor that people could put their finger on)

 

[Tia Valeria]

Thanks for the suggestion, we follow Reb's blog. However for next year the Picos and Covadonga are calling.

Covadonga was a shrine when the Camino was in the hands of the Moors, and before the Camino Primitivo was inaugurated in 827AD. It is still a place of pilgrimage and accessed off the Camino from Villaviciosa.

 

[sillydoll]

In Catholic Christianity there are five Holy Cities that celebrate a Jubilee or Holy Year – three of these are in Spain. The Holy Cities are Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago de Compostela, Liebana, and the youngest, Caravaca de la Cruz (Town of the Cross).
Two of the Spanish Holy cities are on Camino routes - Liebana being in the Picos de Europa.