Hey, anybody else doing the Camino Frances currently?

[Ida-Lola]

So there are a lot less pilgrims walking the camino in march than I expected, which leaves lesser space to communicate with others. I would love to connect with some of you who might be sharing this (sometimes somewhat lonely) experience!

 

[Derrybiketours]

I'm currently at home but my state of bliss is always on the Camino. This forum is an extension of the walk and I'm sure you'll meet up with kindred souls when you least expect it. Value your time in solitary contemplation and maybe try to inwardly discover the Self. Maybe this is your Camino lesson and all will be revealed, plus yin-yang would suggest that the next connection you meet the impact could be more than had you've been familiar with seeing pilgrims more often. If lonely you can always reach out to any forum member on here but I suspect the universe has listened and you'll be craving your alone time by the end of your journey. Buen Camino

“Loneliness is missing the other. Aloneness is finding oneself. Out of aloneness, a totally new.”

 

[lt56ny]

So there are a lot less pilgrims walking the camino in march than I expected, which leaves lesser space to communicate with others. I would love to connect with some of you who might be sharing this (sometimes somewhat lonely) experience!

I don't know where on the camino you are and do not know where you are sleeping. I also do not know how few pilgrims there are. The only thing I would recommend that may get you connected to more people is sleeping in the municipal albergues or the donativos if they are open. I walked last November/December and I was surprised how many pilgrims there were. I am old enough to be your dad (maybe older haha!) I found so many wonderful young people on my last camino. They were almost always cooking great meals in the albergues and I always got invited. Had great meals but more importantly met lots of wonderful young people who gave me a little more hope for the future and my two beautiful adult daughters. I worry about what a mess we made of things for you all. That is about my only lame advice. Buen Camino and maybe the Camino is trying to tell you something and that is why you are more alone, but remember you are not lonely. You have you! Remember the Camino gives you what you need not what you want. I also saw some graffiti in front of the Cowboy Bar (Now closed) in EL Ganso. What was written to me was the truest and clearest meaning for me about the Camino. "Together We Walk Alone". Take care of yourself and Buen Camino.

 

[LTfit]

I don't know where you are on the Camino right now but I would be pleased to meet when your after León but before Astorga

 

[Ida-Lola]

I'm currently at home but my state of bliss is always on the Camino. This forum is an extension of the walk and I'm sure you'll meet up with kindred souls when you least expect it. Value your time in solitary contemplation and maybe try to inwardly discover the Self. Maybe this is your Camino lesson and all will be revealed, plus yin-yang would suggest that the next connection you meet the impact could be more than had you've been familiar with seeing pilgrims more often. If lonely you can always reach out to any forum member on here but I suspect the universe has listened and you'll be craving your alone time by the end of your journey. Buen Camino

“Loneliness is missing the other. Aloneness is finding oneself. Out of aloneness, a totally new.”

Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful reply! Your words helped a lot! I am craving this peaceful state of aloneness, solitude, quite often, so it came as a surprise to me that while on the camino I came to discover the negative side of aloneness. Yet, as you said, this might have been an important insight, a lesson I learned and now I am already thankful for this lesson and looking forward to more days by myself, discovering more unknown pieces and to sharing the time with fellow pilgrims whenever it feels right. Thank you again for listening and taking the time to reply so thoughtfully to my message, it was much appreciated!

 

[Derrybiketours]

Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful reply! Your words helped a lot! I am craving this peaceful state of aloneness, solitude, quite often, so it came as a surprise to me that while on the camino I came to discover the negative side of aloneness. Yet, as you said, this might have been an important insight, a lesson I learned and now I am already thankful for this lesson and looking forward to more days by myself, discovering more unknown pieces and to sharing the time with fellow pilgrims whenever it feels right. Thank you again for listening and taking the time to reply so thoughtfully to my message, it was much appreciated!

Your more than welcome and if you need to talk simply try to write a trip report as it happens and ask forum members for recommendations along the way. In philosophy it suggests that our intentions are a listening post to the universe

 

[RJM]

Yes, an occasional, short report here would be interesting. I am sure there are many who are curious what the Camino is like now in light of the current global situation.

 

[Kanga]

Just don't let this morph into another Corvona Virus thread or it will be deleted. There is one "live from the camino" on that subject here.

 

[Eve Alexandra]

I'd love to hear about your trip. I'm flying out and will start on March 15 (new virus info dependent). I have been on the camino in March before. I found it to be very quiet, overall.
Where are you right now?

 

[Ida-Lola]

I don't know where on the camino you are and do not know where you are sleeping. I also do not know how few pilgrims there are. The only thing I would recommend that may get you connected to more people is sleeping in the municipal albergues or the donativos if they are open. I walked last November/December and I was surprised how many pilgrims there were. I am old enough to be your dad (maybe older haha!) I found so many wonderful young people on my last camino. They were almost always cooking great meals in the albergues and I always got invited. Had great meals but more importantly met lots of wonderful young people who gave me a little more hope for the future and my two beautiful adult daughters. I worry about what a mess we made of things for you all. That is about my only lame advice. Buen Camino and maybe the Camino is trying to tell you something and that is why you are more alone, but remember you are not lonely. You have you! Remember the Camino gives you what you need not what you want. I also saw some graffiti in front of the Cowboy Bar (Now closed) in EL Ganso. What was written to me was the truest and clearest meaning for me about the Camino. "Together We Walk Alone". Take care of yourself and Buen Camino.

I don't know where on the camino you are and do not know where you are sleeping. I also do not know how few pilgrims there are. The only thing I would recommend that may get you connected to more people is sleeping in the municipal albergues or the donativos if they are open. I walked last November/December and I was surprised how many pilgrims there were. I am old enough to be your dad (maybe older haha!) I found so many wonderful young people on my last camino. They were almost always cooking great meals in the albergues and I always got invited. Had great meals but more importantly met lots of wonderful young people who gave me a little more hope for the future and my two beautiful adult daughters. I worry about what a mess we made of things for you all. That is about my only lame advice. Buen Camino and maybe the Camino is trying to tell you something and that is why you are more alone, but remember you are not lonely. You have you! Remember the Camino gives you what you need not what you want. I also saw some graffiti in front of the Cowboy Bar (Now closed) in EL Ganso. What was written to me was the truest and clearest meaning for me about the Camino. "Together We Walk Alone". Take care of yourself and Buen Camino.

Thank you for this great message! It put a smile on my face. During the last few days I was able to see that you were right. Sometimes it is simply one surprise encounter that turns the whole experience upside down. While sitting in an albergue that was meant for 30 people all alone the other day another pilgrim walked in, we decided to grab a drink and at a bar we met others and in the end we had a wonderful evening together. It was lovely to meet others and to exchange experiences from everyone‘s journey. I feel that especially since there are so few pilgrims, the one‘s that one meets cling to one another and cherish the moments spent together. I came to see the positive side to this: due to this I came to talk to and spent time with people from all age groups. Walking on the camino gives me more and more hope in humankind. I have met so many thoughtful and kind people now - most brief encounters, but still. Thank you for replying and for sharing this quote that just hits the spot!

 

[Ida-Lola]

I don't know where you are on the Camino right now but I would be pleased to meet when your after León but before Astorga

Oh you are much further ahead - otherwise I would have loved to meet up! How is your camino going?

 

[Ida-Lola]

Just don't let this morph into another Corvona Virus thread or it will be deleted. There is one "live from the camino" on that subject here.

I won‘t. Has rarely to never even been a topic in conversations with fellow pilgrims actually.

 

[Ida-Lola]

Yes, an occasional, short report here would be interesting. I am sure there are many who are curious what the Camino is like now in light of the current global situation.

I won‘t talk about the Coronavirus, because this has rarely to never been a topic with fellow pilgrims. I guess everyone who started the Camino just about a week ago just as me, did it despite this and was not quite as worried as people are in these sort of situations. Every pilgrim you meet is happy to chat and the people in Spain are so open, friendly and forthcoming that it truly astonishes me.

 

[Tincatinker]

Oh you are much further ahead - otherwise I would have loved to meet up! How is your camino going?

@LTfit is running her Albergue in Villares de Orbigo , see this thread https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...rgue-in-villares-de-Órbigo.66903/#post-833432 do drop in and say Hi.

 

[Ida-Lola]

I'd love to hear about your trip. I'm flying out and will start on March 15 (new virus info dependent). I have been on the camino in March before. I found it to be very quiet, overall.
Where are you right now?

Yes, is is quiet indeed. There are times when I walk for what feels like hours and hours and I only meet only one or two pilgrims; however, I say meet, because when this few people walk the camino, you don‘t only see each other and great each other with „buon camino“ while passing, but you actually stick around for a litte chat. When you find yourself (as happened to me) sitting in an albergue for two hours by yourself (a place that had 30 beds) and then another pilgrim walks in, you end up having long and wonderful conversations and might even end up staying together for a bit. What is wonderful about this time of the year, as I came to realize is, that you start to truly see every pilgrim that passes you. Locals are excited when they see you and are so forthcoming and patient when it comes to overcoming the language barrier. Also, there is no stress when it comes to the question of finding an albergue, of course. Sometimes you have the whole place to yourself, which can be quite exciting when you want to enjoy a few moments in solitude (at other times, of course, it can leave one feeling lonely). Then also what I truly enjoy is the whether. After two days of walking in the rain, I am currently enjoying those early spring days where the sun is shining, but it‘s not too hot and everything feels just perfect (besides the blisters on my feet, of course!). Where will you start from?

 

[Ida-Lola]

@LTfit is running her Albergue in Villares de Orbigo , see this thread https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/ltfit-and-her-albergue-in-villares-de-Órbigo.66903/#post-833432 do drop in and say Hi.

Thank you for the tipp!

 

[lt56ny]

Thank you for this great message! It put a smile on my face. During the last few days I was able to see that you were right. Sometimes it is simply one surprise encounter that turns the whole experience upside down. While sitting in an albergue that was meant for 30 people all alone the other day another pilgrim walked in, we decided to grab a drink and at a bar we met others and in the end we had a wonderful evening together. It was lovely to meet others and to exchange experiences from everyone‘s journey. I feel that especially since there are so few pilgrims, the one‘s that one meets cling to one another and cherish the moments spent together. I came to see the positive side to this: due to this I came to talk to and spent time with people from all age groups. Walking on the camino gives me more and more hope in humankind. I have met so many thoughtful and kind people now - most brief encounters, but still. Thank you for replying and for sharing this quote that just hits the spot!

Thanks your message made my day!

 

[Eve Alexandra]

Yes, is is quiet indeed. There are times when I walk for what feels like hours and hours and I only meet only one or two pilgrims; however, I say meet, because when this few people walk the camino, you don‘t only see each other and great each other with „buon camino“ while passing, but you actually stick around for a litte chat. When you find yourself (as happened to me) sitting in an albergue for two hours by yourself (a place that had 30 beds) and then another pilgrim walks in, you end up having long and wonderful conversations and might even end up staying together for a bit. What is wonderful about this time of the year, as I came to realize is, that you start to truly see every pilgrim that passes you. Locals are excited when they see you and are so forthcoming and patient when it comes to overcoming the language barrier. Also, there is no stress when it comes to the question of finding an albergue, of course. Sometimes you have the whole place to yourself, which can be quite exciting when you want to enjoy a few moments in solitude (at other times, of course, it can leave one feeling lonely). Then also what I truly enjoy is the whether. After two days of walking in the rain, I am currently enjoying those early spring days where the sun is shining, but it‘s not too hot and everything feels just perfect (besides the blisters on my feet, of course!). Where will you start from?

SJPP. I stayed in a lot of albergues alone or with one or two people, in '17. And like you have walked almost all day with seeing no one. I kind of like it. I'm a solitary sort. But there were maybe a dozen of us that were basically staying on stage (more common outside the season I think) so we'd run into each other over and over and it became a fun little group.

 

[fransw]

I had the same experience as Ida-Lola when I walked the the via Tolosana and then the Aragones in 2018.
I had choosen these Caminos because the Frances seemed to me already overcrowded. But this was a really experience in loneliness, I met some days 1 or 2 pilgrims , other days none. At night I was glad that I could go to a local bar when open. I had indeed time to reflect, I expienced even a sort of epyphany moment but overall it filled me with emptiness. At the end I missed the cosiness of the Frances, strange experince, no?

 

[LTfit]

Oh you are much further ahead - otherwise I would have loved to meet up! How is your camino going?

I'm not walking, I have an albergue in Villares de Órbigo

 

[Ida-Lola]

I'm not walking, I have an albergue in Villares de Órbigo

So I heard from Tincatinker! If I happen to stop there, I will certainly try to spend the night at your albergue!