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JohnnieWalker said:.
The big lesson was that I actually didn't need very much to feel secure and happy - a bed when I was tired, food when I was hungry, time alone to think and pray and fellowship with other people when I needed these things too. I have to say learning that I could live happily with few material things gave me huge confidence and hope for the future.
Has the experience changed the way I live? Yes, in many ways...but not totally. That's why I'm still walking perhaps!
John
mspath said:My Caminos have totally exceeded any prior expectations!
Fulfilling a dream held since university days, at 65 in 2004 I first set out on the Camino Frances worried about physical strength and endurance. I, too, expected to experience what so many had done across time and to see what had been built along the way while pondering the myths and ghosts of history. As most pilgrims do I discovered this endeavor to be hardly a walk in the park, but a unique mix of contemporary mundane chance and historic legend. When exhausted for courage I would remember one of the timeless adages associated with the Camino, "if a pilgrim makes it to the city of Burgos, he can make it to Santiago!" With time walking on an empty path while hearing only the distinctive crunch of my boots became a true pleasure.
Kindnesses of strangers along the way offering smiles, water, conversation, help and hospitality were a constant support. After walking two months when I first arrived at Santiago de Compostela in 2004 seeing at last the great cathedral, touching the hallowed stones, and weeping with joy as the great bells tolled were special thrills. Overwhelmed with emotion I silently gave thanks for all that had passed. Later when sorting memories and souvenirs, I slowly began to realize that my mind and heart had been deeply changed by this journey. Thus, I decided to try to return.
And so I have, six times.
Each Camino has begun with both anticipation and trepidation. As always I wonder how it all will go. My reasons include non-traditional spiritual ones giving thanks for each day lived and for my life which enables such a journey. Walking alone day after day I ponder varied aspects of the thousand-year history of this beloved route as well as recall several quotations which help define my personal creed. "But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity..." "I will walk in liberty for I seek thy precepts." Psalm 26:11 and 119:45 "No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path." Buddha
For those who ask why another Camino?
One answer is "le cœur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît pas/ the heart has its reasons, of which reason knows nothing." Pascal, Les Pensées
For those who ask why I do this at my age? My answer is why not?
"what then? shall we sit idly down and say the night has come; it is no longer day? The night hath not yet come;...For age is opportunity no less than youth itself, though in another dress, and as the evening twilight fades away the sky is filled with stars, invisible by day." Longfellow, Morituri Salutamus
Now walking the Camino and sharing the experience by participating in this amazing Forum have become essential elements of my life. Thus thankful, respectful and humble, but curious and with an ever eager heart, at 73 I hope to return once more later this year. Long may I be able to do so, but as age and time eventually take their toll hopefully my personal memories will endure. Physically I may not be there, but sentimentally I will always wear my shell. ...
Ultreia!
Margaret
tyrrek said:Utterly failed. I'm shocked by this whole Camino thing, to be honest. You keep having to go back, trying out different routes etc. I think it's a bit of a scam.
1) You rarely meet the same people each time you return which forces you to interact with different, interesting people from all over the world. How inconvenient is that?!
2) You can go back to the same place at a different time of day or year and it looks and feels completely different from the previous time, believe it or not! In spring it might be green and lush with wheat blowing in the wind, while in autumn it's all been harvested and the fields are a kind of golden colour. Don't these people understand about standardisation?!
3) I won't even try to give a third failing. There are so many. People who don't speak English (in Spain, for goodness sake!) Then you have local food and wine...
I won't be going back again for at least a couple of months, I can tell you! It's utterly ridiculous.
Keith
Tunbridge Wells
This is exactly my point Katia. I hope to see you there and we can discuss how much this whole Camino addiction has cost us over a cafe con leche. The impact it's had on our friends and family, the hobbling in our Camino-addicted state to the farmacia for Compeed, mind and eyes always looking out for our next 'fix' of yellow arrows...katiawt said:Haha... see you there
i´ve donne half the french camino once(had some expectation issues in this one) and so far nine times the portuguese camino, from Porto and Lisabon, to Santiago, to Fisterre and to Muxia...
Tyrrek, I fully agree with you. I will not return to the CF for another 3 months. :mrgreen:tyrrek said:Utterly failed. I'm shocked by this whole Camino thing, to be honest. You keep having to go back, trying out different routes etc. I think it's a bit of a scam.[...] I won't be going back again for at least a couple of months, I can tell you! It's utterly ridiculous.
evanlow said:I have walked it four times (different route each time) so I guess I do not need to answer on the expectations. Instead, this is what I expect of the Camino after the first experience, and every time since, it has delivered.
1. A simple life
Just walk, eat/drink, sleep, wash (body and clothes). These four activities will keep busy enough during the journey. And loosing track of the day of week after a week or so walking is the testament to that.
2. No responsibility
At least during the period that you walk. Also eat and drink to your heart's contend without fear as it will burn away the following day.
3. Just live
Experience the nature, the difference places every day. Keeping the life so simple, any bad experience will always have a reverse as reward..
(e.g.
A harder day's walk will make that shower even more heavenly.
Some one disturbs you with their light sabre at 4:30 am, just wake up and walk earlier. You may see and experience things you would not had you walked later.
A bad day of rain and fog might just cleared up even for 10 seconds to reveal a scenery so beautiful, you would think it is photoshop.. speaking from experience)
4. Letting go
All this can only happen by letting go and just live this life for the duration of the Camino. This may not be so easy for those walking the road because of grief.
5. Answers
The Camino does not give you answers. It may facilitate your quest for whatever you are seeking, and if it does, I envy you.
Someone once said, if it happens once it is an incident, twice a coincidence, three times and it's a habit, four or more a lifestyle.
For me, it is now a lifestyle rather than a quest or expectations of sorts.
falcon269 said:Isn't 74 a bit warm for the exertion of walking?
HDrider said:Brilliant jeffnd, I hope your Camino is just as you hope. I'm sat here chuckling away.
Buen Camino
Tony
My big fear is that this great longing in my heart, this urgent call, this gaping, bleeding NEED to go will deflate like a loose balloon complete with the raspberry sound effects!
You were in for repeating the story of Martin Sheen's son in the movie "The Way" :roll:chas999 said:... SJDPP in the evening of April 19th 2012 and having had a delightful supper at L'Esprit du Chemin [..].I went to the Pilgrim's office to register and to get advice regarding the weather for the following morning. The pilgrims office informed me NOT to go over the Route Napoleon due to expected bad weather. [...] Go for it, heed the advice and Buen Camino!
My failure was a lack of persistence. I failed myself. I thought I was a superwoman, since my training beforehand was miraculous, but I learned quite quickly that I wasn't as strong as I thought I was. I regret that I didn't last longer on the Camino, and I will keep this failure in my heart for a long time. I take pleasure, nonetheless, in the joy I found in meeting people who made me feel like a nice person, despite my failure on the Camino. There seems to be two sides to the coin...
Hey Cowan...
I spent four years planning my 2nd Camino. (I did a baby one in 2009).I was going to walk from SJPDP to Muxia. I trained. ..I read...I planned, I dreamed....
My Caminio world exploded 300km in with a ruptured calf muscle. I persevered on for another 200km on a bike. I got two punctures in two days. I had to walk 16km on my damaged leg to find help..and lug my heavy bike..and then had to bike 60km with heatstroke. (I think I was dehydrated from all the crying and pain).. I took a picture of myself at night lying on the bed and looked into my eyes....I then decided to stop.
I have never done that before. Just stop. Ive always kept going. I havent just run myself into the ground...I tunnelled.
And then....a member of this forum implied that I was a "cheat" becaused I stopped. That hurt so much. I hide in a hotel room in Leon for 24hrs too ashamed to go out.
The old me wanted to prove that person wrong and keep going and show that I am not a cheater that i have never been a quitter...a cheat.
But then....the expectations of this person...my family ...my work...my past failures left me.....and I experienced the most amazing contentment that I have ever experienced. I was finally putting me first.
I know me saying please don't think of you stopping as a failure ...may not mean anything. Because us superwoman put so much pressure on ourselves.
Instead....think of it as part of a piece of a puzzle....you dont know where this "learning" fits yet...but all will be revealed. It may not happen now...this year or next.....but the pieces will fit in due course.
There is no right or wrong way to walk, bike, limp, ride the camino.... you just do what you can.
Kia Kaha (Stay strong)
. . . when I make my Camino, it will probably be a once in a lifetime experience . . .
Expectations???? I'll do the camino just to live an experience far from expecting whatever... I leave expectations at home!Did your Camino fail to meet your expectations? If so why? The good, the bad, the ugly.
Or...Did your Camino exced your expectations? If so why? The good, the bad, the ugly.
All views are welcome but please discuss your experience not other henceforth nameless bloggers. (Please it's time to let u know who rest in peace.)
Some of us (like me) really want to prepare in all ways because when I make my Camino, it will probably be a once in a lifetime experience (unless I meet some wealthy Catholic prince or hit the lottery! :lol: )
Thanks for any and all responses. This topic is started by an American Catholic so it is protected by the right of freedom of speech and religion. Just abide by the forum rules and good taste!
Love your comments Keith. I could have said it better, that's why I will be back there in 30 days. Just in case I got it wrong last time.Utterly failed. I'm shocked by this whole Camino thing, to be honest. You keep having to go back, trying out different routes etc. I think it's a bit of a scam.
1) You rarely meet the same people each time you return which forces you to interact with different, interesting people from all over the world. How inconvenient is that?!
2) You can go back to the same place at a different time of day or year and it looks and feels completely different from the previous time, believe it or not! In spring it might be green and lush with wheat blowing in the wind, while in autumn it's all been harvested and the fields are a kind of golden colour. Don't these people understand about standardisation?!
3) I won't even try to give a third failing. There are so many. People who don't speak English (in Spain, for goodness sake!) Then you have local food and wine...
I won't be going back again for at least a couple of months, I can tell you! It's utterly ridiculous.
Keith
Tunbridge Wells
Oh my, I loved this post. So utterly true. I won't be going back either, until I can get more money.Utterly failed. I'm shocked by this whole Camino thing, to be honest. You keep having to go back, trying out different routes etc. I think it's a bit of a scam.
1) You rarely meet the same people each time you return which forces you to interact with different, interesting people from all over the world. How inconvenient is that?!
2) You can go back to the same place at a different time of day or year and it looks and feels completely different from the previous time, believe it or not! In spring it might be green and lush with wheat blowing in the wind, while in autumn it's all been harvested and the fields are a kind of golden colour. Don't these people understand about standardisation?!
3) I won't even try to give a third failing. There are so many. People who don't speak English (in Spain, for goodness sake!) Then you have local food and wine...
I won't be going back again for at least a couple of months, I can tell you! It's utterly ridiculous.
Keith
Tunbridge Wells
I just want to say that many different people speaKing many different languages is a usual thing here in europe. We dont speak eng Very well but dont tell me that is a problem ;-) be flexible! And buen camino!Utterly failed. I'm shocked by this whole Camino thing, to be honest. You keep having to go back, trying out different routes etc. I think it's a bit of a scam.
1) You rarely meet the same people each time you return which forces you to interact with different, interesting people from all over the world. How inconvenient is that?!
2) You can go back to the same place at a different time of day or year and it looks and feels completely different from the previous time, believe it or not! In spring it might be green and lush with wheat blowing in the wind, while in autumn it's all been harvested and the fields are a kind of golden colour. Don't these people understand about standardisation?!
3) I won't even try to give a third failing. There are so many. People who don't speak English (in Spain, for goodness sake!) Then you have local food and wine...
I won't be going back again for at least a couple of months, I can tell you! It's utterly ridiculous.
Keith
Tunbridge Wells
Hey Cowan...
I spent four years planning my 2nd Camino. (I did a baby one in 2009).I was going to walk from SJPDP to Muxia. I trained. ..I read...I planned, I dreamed....
My Caminio world exploded 300km in with a ruptured calf muscle. I persevered on for another 200km on a bike. I got two punctures in two days. I had to walk 16km on my damaged leg to find help..and lug my heavy bike..and then had to bike 60km with heatstroke. (I think I was dehydrated from all the crying and pain).. I took a picture of myself at night lying on the bed and looked into my eyes....I then decided to stop.
I have never done that before. Just stop. Ive always kept going. I havent just run myself into the ground...I tunnelled.
And then....a member of this forum implied that I was a "cheat" becaused I stopped. That hurt so much. I hide in a hotel room in Leon for 24hrs too ashamed to go out.
The old me wanted to prove that person wrong and keep going and show that I am not a cheater that i have never been a quitter...a cheat.
But then....the expectations of this person...my family ...my work...my past failures left me.....and I experienced the most amazing contentment that I have ever experienced. I was finally putting me first.
I know me saying please don't think of you stopping as a failure ...may not mean anything. Because us superwoman put so much pressure on ourselves.
Instead....think of it as part of a piece of a puzzle....you dont know where this "learning" fits yet...but all will be revealed. It may not happen now...this year or next.....but the pieces will fit in due course.
There is no right or wrong way to walk, bike, limp, ride the camino.... you just do what you can.
Kia Kaha (Stay strong)
Try not to feel you 'failed' and please try to set that failure free from your heart - you started with the best intentions my friend - where is the failure in that?
Perhaps you can take the same pleasure from trying that you do from the joy you found in the people you met.
Buen Camino
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