- Time of past OR future Camino
- Some in the past; more in the future!
For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
some daily musings that I threw together with a photo for each day.
Thank you! Such lovely commentsWell @jungleboy, you've outdone yourself this time! Such wonderful writing with the appreciation & gratitude you feel for where you are & what you're doing shining through.
Haha, I must admit I didn’t know about the second meaning!A few of my take-aways from it;
*'Mojone' sent me googling...only to find it has two very distinct meanings!
I didn’t know anything about it but @NadineK was there a few weeks ago and she is also a collector and was amazed by the volume too.*As an avid sea-glass collector (I mainly use it for mosaics), my heart rate noticeably quickened when I saw the colours of the individual pieces & the sheer volume in the background
I want to walk the Overland Track in your neck of the woods next March but it’s already booked out! I’m on the waiting listLong may you roam...& write, Nick!
Thank you!I’ve only read Day 1 so far but I can’t contain myself. This is some of your best writing yet, IMHO, and you have already set a pretty high bar. LOVE IT!!!!!
I originally wrote “tapped out” (on phone) but changed it to “threw together” at the last second! I had some time to write/tap each day on this camino, being solo and mostly in private rooms.If this is what you “throw together,” I cannot imagine what your highly polished prose would read like!
P.S. For @Tassie Kaz and others interested in sea glass, here’s a short video I took showing more of the beach:I have an unusual goal today and there’s not much in the fog to distract me from thinking about it. About 12km into the stage, I forego the arrows urging me inland and stay on the coast for another half an hour to reach the ‘beach of the crystals’, which I only know about because another pilgrim came this way a couple of weeks ago and wrote about it. The crystals are, in fact, small pieces of sea glass, of various colours but mostly clear and green, smoothed and frosted and scattered all over this tiny beach. It’s quite fascinating, and I stay for a while, eat a cobbled together Sunday lunch consisting of gas station snacks, and look past the crystals out into the ocean as far as the eye can see — which is not very far on a day like this.
Oh, be still my heart!...just let me at it!P.S. For @Tassie Kaz and others interested in sea glass, here’s a short video I took showing more of the beach:
View attachment 131834
1/ My comments about your writing are well deservedThank you! Such lovely comments
Haha, I must admit I didn’t know about the second meaning!
I didn’t know anything about it but @NadineK was there a few weeks ago and she is also a collector and was amazed by the volume too.
I want to walk the Overland Track in your neck of the woods next March but it’s already booked out! I’m on the waiting list
Hardly. Come back after you have finished walking.Of course carrying my bounty could be an issue
'As for the question I’ve been pondering throughout this pilgrimage — ‘Does this feel like a camino?’ — I think the answer lies inside each individual pilgrim more than anywhere else.'Day 7: It’s foggy again as I set out this morning but it isn’t nearly as thick as yesterday, and at this point the fog has become an inseparable part of this camino — and of this mystical land. By 11am, the fog clears and it’s sunny for the rest of the walk.
This is the last day of my camino, and that’s usually accompanied by a sense of excitement at approaching Santiago. But today I’m only going to Vigo, a large and unattractive city whose best feature might be its good transport connections with Lisbon. On one hand, this will be a somewhat anticlimactic end to this little camino; on the other, I can enjoy the walk without being consumed by my impending arrival, because, really, I don’t want to arrive. And I’m not the only one; at one point today, I see a pilgrim laying on the beach, propped up by her backpack, reading a book.
From A Ramallosa, I take the coastal route, as do quite a few others. It’s a nice path, passing a few local, low-key beaches and some cruzeiros to remind me where I am.
As I approach Vigo in the early afternoon, the city is fortunately hidden by coves and bays and I don’t actually see it until I’m basically in the outskirts. And then I have to walk through an urban jungle for an hour, but it’s not bad and there’s some street art to look at and before I know it, I’m at my accommodation and my camino is over.
As for the question I’ve been pondering throughout this pilgrimage — ‘Does this feel like a camino?’ — I think the answer lies inside each individual pilgrim more than anywhere else. If you take the Senda Litoral at every opportunity and stay overnight in the touristy beach towns, I suspect it doesn’t feel much like a camino. And if you’re just here for the ocean, you’d be better off on the Rota Vicentina, which is both more remote and more spectacular.
But if you look for the camino here, you’ll find it — in the monastery of Oia, where monks fired canons at pirates from the patio that also served as the pilgrim route; in the 9th-century church inscription mentioning Santiago in Castelo do Neiva; and in those quintessential and special markers of Galician culture: the cruzeiros and the shells and the hórreos and, yes, even the fog.
View attachment 131827As for the question I’ve been pondering throughout this pilgrimage — ‘Does this feel like a camino?’ — I think the answer lies inside each individual pilgrim more than anywhere else.
Thank you for sharing your experience and letting me know about some cool things to stop and see. I am leaving from Lisbon on 15 September.Day 7: It’s foggy again as I set out this morning but it isn’t nearly as thick as yesterday, and at this point the fog has become an inseparable part of this camino — and of this mystical land. By 11am, the fog clears and it’s sunny for the rest of the walk.
This is the last day of my camino, and that’s usually accompanied by a sense of excitement at approaching Santiago. But today I’m only going to Vigo, a large and unattractive city whose best feature might be its good transport connections with Lisbon. On one hand, this will be a somewhat anticlimactic end to this little camino; on the other, I can enjoy the walk without being consumed by my impending arrival, because, really, I don’t want to arrive. And I’m not the only one; at one point today, I see a pilgrim laying on the beach, propped up by her backpack, reading a book.
From A Ramallosa, I take the coastal route, as do quite a few others. It’s a nice path, passing a few local, low-key beaches and some cruzeiros to remind me where I am.
As I approach Vigo in the early afternoon, the city is fortunately hidden by coves and bays and I don’t actually see it until I’m basically in the outskirts. And then I have to walk through an urban jungle for an hour, but it’s not bad and there’s some street art to look at and before I know it, I’m at my accommodation and my camino is over.
As for the question I’ve been pondering throughout this pilgrimage — ‘Does this feel like a camino?’ — I think the answer lies inside each individual pilgrim more than anywhere else. If you take the Senda Litoral at every opportunity and stay overnight in the touristy beach towns, I suspect it doesn’t feel much like a camino. And if you’re just here for the ocean, you’d be better off on the Rota Vicentina, which is both more remote and more spectacular.
But if you look for the camino here, you’ll find it — in the monastery of Oia, where monks fired canons at pirates from the patio that also served as the pilgrim route; in the 9th-century church inscription mentioning Santiago in Castelo do Neiva; and in those quintessential and special markers of Galician culture: the cruzeiros and the shells and the hórreos and, yes, even the fog.
View attachment 131827
Thank you, that could be a good alternative. I was also looking at the South Coast Track but that might be a bit hard! I'll leave it for a couple of months and see if I have any luck on the OT waiting list, and then decide.4/ The Overland Track is hugely popular so I'm not at all surprised you're on a waiting list this far out.
You could also check out the Three Capes Track in southern Tassie;
www.threecapestrack.com.au OR
www.parks.tas.gov.au › three-capes...
It's a completely different experience to the OT & would provide a wonderful contrast.
If you'd like any info or assistance re all things Tassie, don't hesitate to sing out!
My recommendation would still be the central. If you have a few extra days and really want to spend some time by the ocean, you could walk 3-4 days of the Rota Vicentina south of Lisbon to start with. Scenery-wise, it's much more spectacular than the coastline on the CP coastal / Senda Litoral.thanks for sharing! I'm planning on doing the portugues on 2023 starting in Lisbon and I'm still debating which route from Porto. It's so nice to read about someone else's experience.
Beautiful and thank you, Nick! I'm hoping to walk Porto-Baiona next year - how do I get to this "beach of crystals"?P.S. For @Tassie Kaz and others interested in sea glass, here’s a short video I took showing more of the beach:
View attachment 131834
It's straightforward. This is the Google Maps pin for the beach: https://goo.gl/maps/pwfYujxAf2uk7V6B7Beautiful and thank you, Nick! I'm hoping to walk Porto-Baiona next year - how do I get to this "beach of crystals"?
Nick, do you have any idea what is responsible for this phenomenon? My son and his family live very close to Lake Michigan in Northern Illinois (USA), and the moment a bit of sea glass washes up on shore, there is someone with a bag to collect it. My grandsons are happy if they find a few microscopic pieces on their beach walks. Anytime we walk there we will see people with different implements combing through the sand and rocks to find a little piece.P.S. For @Tassie Kaz and others interested in sea glass, here’s a short video I took showing more of the beach:
Quick googling turned up this article, which says it's the result of a garbage dump that used to be nearby:Nick, do you have any idea what is responsible for this phenomenon?
La Playa de los cristales de Silleiro, situada exactamente a los pies del Faro Vello de Silleiro, es el resultado de la existencia de un antiguo vertedero en el que se quemaba la basura de las villas de los alrededores. La acción del mar, con el tiempo, fue modelando los numerosos restos de vidrio del basurero, hasta que dio lugar a una gran acumulación de cristales pulidos de diferentes colores. Los pequeños cristales, mezclados con la arena, forman una pequeña playa que, muy lejos de recordar su antigua función, se ha convertido en un lugar con mucha magia.
Thank you very much!It's straightforward. This is the Google Maps pin for the beach: https://goo.gl/maps/pwfYujxAf2uk7V6B7
Here is a map on Maps.me with the red indicating the camino, the orange indicating the main road and my slightly misplaced pin indicating the beach. As you can see, the camino turns inland but to reach the beach, stay on the road (there is a shoulder) until you see signs for a lookout (Miradoiro in Galego). Turn left and soon enough you will find the beach.
View attachment 131884
wow I had not clue these trails existed. You're a fountain of information. Thank you again. Maybe I can start in Lagos and walk up to Lisbon and regroup... Do you think it matters in which direction one goes -- from South to North or viceversa? It looks amazing...My recommendation would still be the central. If you have a few extra days and really want to spend some time by the ocean, you could walk 3-4 days of the Rota Vicentina south of Lisbon to start with. Scenery-wise, it's much more spectacular than the coastline on the CP coastal / Senda Litoral.
The Rota Vicentina is marked in both directions so you can start at either end. Most people walk it north-south but there’s no reason you can’t walk south-north, which has the bonus of the sun being behind you in the middle of the day.wow I had not clue these trails existed. You're a fountain of information. Thank you again. Maybe I can start in Lagos and walk up to Lisbon and regroup... Do you think it matters in which direction one goes -- from South to North or viceversa? It looks amazing...
My husband & I will be walking this route and for this Stage from Viana Do Castelo to Caminha, do you walk on sand or is it a path? We want to stay away from sand walking-my husband has a bad right leg and that would just be too difficult. If you can--please tell me any stretches that sand walking is necessary so we can avoid. Thanks for your day to day info-very helpful!Early on, the coast is wild and rough, and, while it’s not exactly beautiful, I like it. Gronze describes today’s Litoral alternative as ‘sin flechas pero con playas’, but that’s only half right for the first 10 kilometres: there are no arrows, but there aren’t any beaches either.
It’s a path and there is little to no sand walking. The sandy pine forest I referred to late in the stage is not heavy sand like on a beach but more like a dirt path.My husband & I will be walking this route and for this Stage from Viana Do Castelo to Caminha, do you walk on sand or is it a path? We want to stay away from sand walking-my husband has a bad right leg and that would just be too difficult. If you can--please tell me any stretches that sand walking is necessary so we can avoid. Thanks for your day to day info-very helpful!
Much appreciated, Jungle Boy. I walked from Porto in May (including the Spiritual Varient) and seemed to enjoy these stages even more after reading your diary - thank you!It’s a path and there is little to no sand walking. The sandy pine forest I referred to late in the stage is not heavy sand like on a beach but more like a dirt path.
Bom caminho!
I was mesmerized reading your journal. Thank you sooo much. We leave for Portugal a week from today. You have made the camino come alive.Day 7: It’s foggy again as I set out this morning but it isn’t nearly as thick as yesterday, and at this point the fog has become an inseparable part of this camino — and of this mystical land. By 11am, the fog clears and it’s sunny for the rest of the walk.
This is the last day of my camino, and that’s usually accompanied by a sense of excitement at approaching Santiago. But today I’m only going to Vigo, a large and unattractive city whose best feature might be its good transport connections with Lisbon. On one hand, this will be a somewhat anticlimactic end to this little camino; on the other, I can enjoy the walk without being consumed by my impending arrival, because, really, I don’t want to arrive. And I’m not the only one; at one point today, I see a pilgrim laying on the beach, propped up by her backpack, reading a book.
From A Ramallosa, I take the coastal route, as do quite a few others. It’s a nice path, passing a few local, low-key beaches and some cruzeiros to remind me where I am.
As I approach Vigo in the early afternoon, the city is fortunately hidden by coves and bays and I don’t actually see it until I’m basically in the outskirts. And then I have to walk through an urban jungle for an hour, but it’s not bad and there’s some street art to look at and before I know it, I’m at my accommodation and my camino is over.
As for the question I’ve been pondering throughout this pilgrimage — ‘Does this feel like a camino?’ — I think the answer lies inside each individual pilgrim more than anywhere else. If you take the Senda Litoral at every opportunity and stay overnight in the touristy beach towns, I suspect it doesn’t feel much like a camino. And if you’re just here for the ocean, you’d be better off on the Rota Vicentina, which is both more remote and more spectacular.
But if you look for the camino here, you’ll find it — in the monastery of Oia, where monks fired canons at pirates from the patio that also served as the pilgrim route; in the 9th-century church inscription mentioning Santiago in Castelo do Neiva; and in those quintessential and special markers of Galician culture: the cruzeiros and the shells and the hórreos and, yes, even the fog.
View attachment 131827
Your photos are so amazing. We can't wait to start our camino next week. As a coordinator of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino (APOC), I will be circulating these to the many members we have who still are debating whether/where to walk. I usually recommend the Frances for a first camino, but starting in Porto may in fact be just as good an introduction to the camino way of life.A couple of extra bits of content from the Portuguese coastal from me, for anyone who's interested:
Photos: Caminho Português 2022 (Album on Flickr - 30 photos from the central and 30 from the coastal)
Podcast: Spirit of the Camino Episode 3.9 - The Portuguese Coastal Route
Thank you for your kind comments!Your photos are so amazing.
I agree, and especially for people who don't have as much time or are a bit unsure about whether they want to commit to 5+ weeks walking the 'full' Francés. A two-week walk from Porto is a great alternative!I usually recommend the Frances for a first camino, but starting in Porto may in fact be just as good an introduction to the camino way of life.
Bom caminho!We can't wait to start our camino next week.
I highly recommend watching the video Ivar sent today for anyone walking in September. I found it extremely useful. I've sent it around.Thank you for your kind comments!
I agree, and especially for people who don't have as much time or are a bit unsure about whether they want to commit to 5+ weeks walking the 'full' Francés. A two-week walk from Porto is a great alternative!
Bom caminho!
Thanks @jungleboy for the beautiful photos & the podcast - excited to be starting the coastal route next week.A couple of extra bits of content from the Portuguese coastal from me, for anyone who's interested:
Photos: Caminho Português 2022 (Album on Flickr - 30 photos from the central and 30 from the coastal)
Podcast: Spirit of the Camino Episode 3.9 - The Portuguese Coastal Route
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?