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I know that's not your question but I just can't help it. Not necessarily. First of all, I very much doubt that he walked. Secondly, medieval kings had to travel around a lot, with holding court in various places throughout their kingdom, so he may have well been on some kind of (business) tour before, during and/or afterwards. I'm not even sure what is actually known about this trip or whether it's a "tradition has it".He must have walked back home at at some point, right?
I know that's not your question but I just can't help it. Not necessarily. First of all, I very much doubt that he walked. Secondly, medieval kings had to travel around a lot, with holding court in various places throughout their kingdom, so he may have well been on some kind of (business) tour before, during and/or afterwards. I'm not even sure what is actually known about this trip or whether it's a "tradition has it".
In general, I share your idea, ie a pilgrimage is "there and back".
Having walked the route recently....yeah I don't think he walked!! But yes, I've often thought about a return walk. The family might have other thoughts!
walked. I picture more of an 874 AD version of a line of black limos with flags flying from the fenders!.
All I can think of is other pilgrims coming through on the Primitivo waving at me and yelling "You're going the wrong way!" as I go back to Oviedo.
October 2015 while walking towards El Acebo slowly from the distant horizon appeared a figure walking towards me; tall, tanned, wearing a beret and bearing packs on both his chest and back he strode smoothly along. When I said "Hola" he graciously greeted me in several languages and explained that early in summer he had walked from his home in Germany down to Saint Jean Pied de Port and on to Santiago. Now he was walking back towards southern France, Italy and eventually Rome. What an itinerary! What determination!
After a short pause sitting on a rock while sharing a few cookies as well as several camino confidences we shook hands and sincerely wished each other Ultreia and Adieu. Each of us moved towards our different horizons but strangers no more. ...He to continue his long distance way and I to go only a short distance further.
It certainly is “a thing”. I met a few walking back from Santiago on the CF.
I never know whether to stop and start a conversation or just smile and say "buen camino" or similar. I figure that they've heard "Wrong way!" or "Are you on the way back?" more than enough times.It certainly is “a thing”. I met a few walking back from Santiago on the CF.
Glad to hear I'm not completely bonkers! Now to figure out if it's something I'd like to do......
Jerry
...
- the waywarking won’t be as good as it’s designed to be noticed coming from the other side
- it must get a little lonelier as you won’t keep bumping into the same people (thus making connections) like you do when going towards Santiago
- as you say I’m sure it can get somewhat tedious to hear “you’re going the wrong way” 10,000 times a day
That's hilarious! I'm going to give it serious consideration. Just changing my mind from the CF to the Norte made me feel like a contrarian, but I'm getting over that.I walked in April and in 7 days I met fewer than 40 peregrinos and not one asked me if I was going the wrong way,in fact one asked me if he was going the wrong way!
Yes, people do it, and I assume it was the norm before modern times.
@JabbaPapa has done it and is planning another one - see this thread.
I never know whether to stop and start a conversation or just smile and say "buen camino" or similar. I figure that they've heard "Wrong way!" or "Are you on the way back?" more than enough times.
The proper greeting is "buen Camino" -- the a revès is still the Camino
I have seen that a great number of people that you meet on the "other" way, from my previous experience of shorter walks backwards, seem to be a bit shy about how to engage with you ...
Reply would be fenomenal,Perhaps the greeting should be "como les fue?" How did it go?
Glad to hear I'm not completely bonkers! Now to figure out if it's something I'd like to do......
Jerry
- it must get a little lonelier as you won’t keep bumping into the same people (thus making connections) like you do when going towards Santiago
Has anyone ever considered reversing their path as part of the same pilgrimage?
I think it sounds like a wonderful thing to do - I’d be really tempted if I had the time. The cons I can think of are:
- the waywarking won’t be as good as it’s designed to be noticed coming from the other side
- it must get a little lonelier as you won’t keep bumping into the same people (thus making connections) like you do when going towards Santiago
- as you say I’m sure it can get somewhat tedious to hear “you’re going the wrong way” 10,000 times a day
In 2014, we met a couple inI'm planning to do the Norte/Primitivo next April, so I've been doing some historical reading about King Alfonso II who walked the first pilgrimage from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela. And it struck me...
He must have walked back home at at some point, right?
The Oxford dictionary defines "pilgrimage" as "A journey to a place of particular interest or significance." No definition I could find talks about the journey back home.
Has anyone ever considered reversing their path as part of the same pilgrimage? Maybe not the CF or the Norte, but as I think about the Primitivo, it's reasonable to consider the walk from Oviedo to Santiago and back, right? 25-30 days?
Has anyone ever thought about this? Or did I just wake up strange this morning??
Jerry
Intersting! It seem a small number of people do return-trips. In 2014 (I was still on Camino L Plate) we met a French couple who had walked over 5000 k. They had started from their home (I can recall where), had walked to Santiago via del Norde and were walking back home via Camino Frances. I was mesmerised. I would have sat up all night listening to their stories - except that my French is non-existent and their English was only a little better.I'm planning to do the Norte/Primitivo next April, so I've been doing some historical reading about King Alfonso II who walked the first pilgrimage from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela. And it struck me...
He must have walked back home at at some point, right?
The Oxford dictionary defines "pilgrimage" as "A journey to a place of particular interest or significance." No definition I could find talks about the journey back home.
Has anyone ever considered reversing their path as part of the same pilgrimage? Maybe not the CF or the Norte, but as I think about the Primitivo, it's reasonable to consider the walk from Oviedo to Santiago and back, right? 25-30 days?
Has anyone ever thought about this? Or did I just wake up strange this morning??
Jerry
Personally no but in 2016 when I walked the the CF I met two Swiss girls and their dog going East. They said they had walked from Switzerland to Santiago and were now walking home!!I'm planning to do the Norte/Primitivo next April, so I've been doing some historical reading about King Alfonso II who walked the first pilgrimage from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela. And it struck me...
He must have walked back home at at some point, right?
The Oxford dictionary defines "pilgrimage" as "A journey to a place of particular interest or significance." No definition I could find talks about the journey back home.
Has anyone ever considered reversing their path as part of the same pilgrimage? Maybe not the CF or the Norte, but as I think about the Primitivo, it's reasonable to consider the walk from Oviedo to Santiago and back, right? 25-30 days?
Has anyone ever thought about this? Or did I just wake up strange this morning??
Jerry
What a story!! I love it!October 2015 while walking towards El Acebo slowly from the distant horizon appeared a figure walking towards me; tall, tanned, wearing a beret and bearing packs on both his chest and back he strode smoothly along. When I said "Hola" he graciously greeted me in several languages and explained that early in summer he had walked from his home in Germany down to Saint Jean Pied de Port and on to Santiago. Now he was walking back towards southern France, Italy and eventually Rome. What an itinerary! What determination!
After a short pause sitting on a rock while sharing a few cookies as well as several camino confidences we shook hands and sincerely wished each other Ultreia and Adieu. Each of us moved towards our different horizons but strangers no more. ...He to continue his long distance way and I to go only a short distance further.
Didn't Bilbo Baggins write a book "There and Back Again"?
"Pelgrim zonder God"is a book by Dutch author Herman Vuijsje who walked fron Santiago de Compostela to Amsterdam in 1989.
Certainly one point for @pgsilva to consider.
See this thread:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/are-you-lonely-going-backwards.55585/
Jill
As a LOTR fan, I LOVE the reference!
I'm going to look for that one. Thanks!
Thanks! I'm on it!
I have absolute respect and admiration for those that trek 1K+ Kms on their pilgrimages. I'm only considering a round trip Camino Primitivo that would "only" add up to 650 km or so! Great to see that it seems to be a normal thing to do, particularly for pilgrims originating in Europe. I'm going to run it by my daughter/Camino companion and see what she says.
Thanks for the great feedback all!
Jerry
Not totally relevant but a short memory I want to share. I walked the Norte from Santander this June. 3 weeks of the best times with the best people. I walked alone and met so many wonderful friends. I walk faster than some, usually 35km a day so I left a few behind. I had 1 day in SdC then walked back to the airport on the Camino route. And met nearly everyone that I had left behind. Every meeting was a happy surprise and a blessing. Hugs and smiles all round. This one day was the cherry on top of this Camino. A wonderful wonderful experience. Buen camino all.
When I was doing the CF Sep/Oct I was at a table with an Irish journalist who was on his 4th lap! It is doneI'm planning to do the Norte/Primitivo next April, so I've been doing some historical reading about King Alfonso II who walked the first pilgrimage from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela. And it struck me...
He must have walked back home at at some point, right?
The Oxford dictionary defines "pilgrimage" as "A journey to a place of particular interest or significance." No definition I could find talks about the journey back home.
Has anyone ever considered reversing their path as part of the same pilgrimage? Maybe not the CF or the Norte, but as I think about the Primitivo, it's reasonable to consider the walk from Oviedo to Santiago and back, right? 25-30 days?
Has anyone ever thought about this? Or did I just wake up strange this morning??
Jerry
I'm planning to do the Norte/Primitivo next April, so I've been doing some historical reading about King Alfonso II who walked the first pilgrimage from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela. And it struck me...
He must have walked back home at at some point, right?
The Oxford dictionary defines "pilgrimage" as "A journey to a place of particular interest or significance." No definition I could find talks about the journey back home.
Has anyone ever considered reversing their path as part of the same pilgrimage? Maybe not the CF or the Norte, but as I think about the Primitivo, it's reasonable to consider the walk from Oviedo to Santiago and back, right? 25-30 days?
Has anyone ever thought about this? Or did I just wake up strange this morning??
Jerry
NO, what would drive me on, was the thought that James was waiting for me to get there. Nobody was waiting for me back home to rush for.
On my CF this last summer I encountered 4 people returning to their homes.I'm planning to do the Norte/Primitivo next April, so I've been doing some historical reading about King Alfonso II who walked the first pilgrimage from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela. And it struck me...
He must have walked back home at at some point, right?
The Oxford dictionary defines "pilgrimage" as "A journey to a place of particular interest or significance." No definition I could find talks about the journey back home.
Has anyone ever considered reversing their path as part of the same pilgrimage? Maybe not the CF or the Norte, but as I think about the Primitivo, it's reasonable to consider the walk from Oviedo to Santiago and back, right? 25-30 days?
Has anyone ever thought about this? Or did I just wake up strange this morning??
Jerry
Are returning pilgrims still entitled/allowed to stay in Albergue on production of a Compostela?
Hi @michaelAre returning pilgrims still entitled/allowed to stay in Albergue on production of a Compostela?
I did the return route from Muxía to Oloron Saint Marie in France on the CF in the Summer. It’s (un)officially called ‘The Camino Retorno’ and you can get a specially designed credencial for the journey. I never had problems staying in albergues (most Hospitaleros were intrigued by the credencial, which they hadn’t seen before); people coming the other way were very friendly and many were keen to stop and chat about the experience; it was easy to connect with people in cafes and albergues each day (regardless of which way they were going); and I even met up (purely by chance) with a Spanish ‘bicigrino’ who I met on the Norte last year...and he was also ‘going retorno’.Are returning pilgrims still entitled/allowed to stay in Albergue on production of a Compostela?
Are returning pilgrims still entitled/allowed to stay in Albergue on production of a Compostela?
Many do.I'm planning to do the Norte/Primitivo next April, so I've been doing some historical reading about King Alfonso II who walked the first pilgrimage from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela. And it struck me...
He must have walked back home at at some point, right?
The Oxford dictionary defines "pilgrimage" as "A journey to a place of particular interest or significance." No definition I could find talks about the journey back home.
Has anyone ever considered reversing their path as part of the same pilgrimage? Maybe not the CF or the Norte, but as I think about the Primitivo, it's reasonable to consider the walk from Oviedo to Santiago and back, right? 25-30 days?
Has anyone ever thought about this? Or did I just wake up strange this morning??
Jerry
I'm planning to do the Norte/Primitivo next April, so I've been doing some historical reading about King Alfonso II who walked the first pilgrimage from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela. And it struck me...
He must have walked back home at at some point, right?
The Oxford dictionary defines "pilgrimage" as "A journey to a place of particular interest or significance." No definition I could find talks about the journey back home.
Has anyone ever considered reversing their path as part of the same pilgrimage? Maybe not the CF or the Norte, but as I think about the Primitivo, it's reasonable to consider the walk from Oviedo to Santiago and back, right? 25-30 days?
Has anyone ever thought about this? Or did I just wake up strange this morning??
Jerry
I'm planning to do the Norte/Primitivo next April, so I've been doing some historical reading about King Alfonso II who walked the first pilgrimage from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela. And it struck me...
He must have walked back home at at some point, right?
The Oxford dictionary defines "pilgrimage" as "A journey to a place of particular interest or significance." No definition I could find talks about the journey back home.
Has anyone ever considered reversing their path as part of the same pilgrimage? Maybe not the CF or the Norte, but as I think about the Primitivo, it's reasonable to consider the walk from Oviedo to Santiago and back, right? 25-30 days?
Has anyone ever thought about this? Or did I just wake up strange this morning??
Jerry
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