Camino re-do

[november_moon]

My husband and I recently returned from an aborted Camino attempt (emergency at home required us to cut our Camino short). We are starting to talk about the plan to return. We are alternately calling the aborted attempt the "Prototype" and the "Beta Version", so I guess our return will be the "Production Run"

Our plan for our original Camino was to walk from Leon to Santiago - we got to Ruitelan, just before O'Cebriero, so we walked about half our planned distance.

We have always wanted to walk from St Jean to Santiago, but just can't take the time to do it in one go, so we are now considering breaking it up into 3 sections - going every other year, walking about 10-14 days at a time until we finish.

Any input or thoughts on this approach?

 

[shubertj]

We broke our camino into 2 sections walked from St Jean to Burgos in 12 days in Sept 2002 and Burgos to Santiago in 23 days in 2003. We now what to go back and walk it again maybe St Jean to Santiago this Sept. We loved every bit of it and don't regret doing it in sections as we were able to meet great friends on both trips.

 

[wawpdx]

I think the main thing you would miss is the connection with the people you meet along the way. To me it was more important that I walk every step of the way than that I get to the end, now. That would have been my ideal but I only made it to Fromista my first year when I both ran out of time and was done in by the burning in the soles of my feet. I had family commitments the next summer so no walking, got sick on the Camino (but my most treasured Camino memories) and only walked 75 km the next year, then finished the following summer. All in all, that is a four year commitment.

Some people only make a one year commitment. Over and done -- in x window of time. I did it the way that was right for me. Just starting, 2005, when no one I knew had even heard of the Camino, was a new vision of myself. Coming back and joining the Camino wherever I left off was like meeting up with an old friend.

It's your Camino. Do it your way. I have the impression that most Spaniards do it in sections.

 

[november_moon]

Thanks guys

It does seem that a lot of Europeans do it in sections - the Spanish of course, but others as well. Its easier for them since they don't have to go as far, but while the trip over from the US west coast isn't short, it isn't terrible. We can get direct flights to Frankfurt and then it is a short flight from there to almost anywhere in Europe. It's pretty painless.

 

[madame_shepard]

My husband and i did it in two trips and it worked out great for us. We made great friends last year, and while it was sad to leave them, we rejoiced when they reached Santiago. (Thank goodness for Facebook.) This year we made new friends and last year's friends followed our journey and rejoiced when we arrived in Santiago this week. We even ran into a woman we met last year when we got to Finisterre the other day.