how I became aware of the Camino

[Mark Lee]

Despite being a lifelong Catholic and seven years of parochial school, I didn't know about the Camino until I watched a show on public television in the US. Ha ha....

 

[shefollowsshells]

7 years ago we took our five kiddos at the time to Europe for one month...camped the whole way. My children were 8,6,4,2 and 6 months. We started to Belgium and got as far south as Rome. We did almost all of our driving at night as my goal was for the kids was to remember Europe vs the car rides. In Florence we met two young cuties from Australia and they said to me, "we just came off of the Camino". I had no idea what they were talking about and by the end of the conversation was drooling for more...
I knew that second I would walk it "one day".
Atleast four of these babes are going to be joining me in the Fall to walk (maybe five). They saw the passion ignited in me way back then, have cheered me on thru two month long Caminos since then and eagerly are so excited to walk it themselves.
Since our initial trip we took them thru Eastern Europe and Turkey for seven weeks so I am hoping they realize slightly what they are in for.

 

[Mike Savage]

Despite being a lifelong Catholic and seven years of parochial school, I didn't know about the Camino until I watched a show on public television in the US.

Sounds a lot like my story Mark.

 

[mralisn]

Hi Mark and others who may enjoy.

Like you, growing up as Catholic, I was unaware of the Camino until 10 years ago.

Hoping no one minds reading my story again. Simply a little cut and paste to share. Sorry for the ramble. It's always fun to share and creates a bit of reflection for me.....

In 2004, I was getting ready to do the Inca Trail and met a wonderful young lady at a museum in Cuzco. We made friends, and I learned she had just finished studying Spanish for uni in Santiago, Chile. I had always thought of going to Chile. She spoke very highly of the culture, people, landscape. I was there!

One cold, rainy night 6 months later, I was having some wine w/chocolate. I decided to start researching Santiago, Chile for my next adventure. I was getting frustrated because I kept coming across this "Santiago" in Spain. I had already been to Spain. Personal journals, blogs, links, kept leading me back to Sanitago de Compostela no matter how hard I tried to focus on Chile'. My thought was, "Who the hell would walk all that way?" I grew up walking all over the place and never considered such a trek. At best, I thought I might be able to do the Milford Track someday and nothing more.

A couple of weeks later on Christmas day, I wound up being on my own at my parent's house (they got called in to work), snowed in with 2 Chihuahuas. I spent the entire day reading a Dutch woman's (Anita) journal she posted about her Camino. A roast, plenty of wine, and chocolate for all day. I've been hooked ever since.

My friends call me a "Camino Junkie". I like it. A healthy addiction.

I walked the Camino Frances in '05 and the Camino Norte in '10 to Fisterra. I returned to SJPdP in '12 and walked to Muxia/Fisterra. This past summer, a combination of the Norte and Primitivo continuing to the sea fed my spirit. I walk because I've found nothing as rewarding, spiritual, humbling, fun! Both wine and chocolate (in whatever form) are part of my daily Camino "routine". Both are easy to share with other peregrinos, even without words.

After that first walk, I said out loud to my legs in front of the cathedral, "I will never do this to you ever again." ha!

It seems the Camino Portuguese will be next on the list.

Still have not made it to Santiago, Chile.

Keep a smile,
Simeon

 

[Mark Lee]

Hi Mark and others who may enjoy.

Like you, growing up as Catholic, I was unaware of the Camino until 10 years ago.

Hoping no one minds reading my story again. Simply a little cut and paste to share. Sorry for the ramble. It's always fun to share and creates a bit of reflection for me.....

In 2004, I was getting ready to do the Inca Trail and met a wonderful young lady at a museum in Cuzco. We made friends, and I learned she had just finished studying Spanish for uni in Santiago, Chile. I had always thought of going to Chile. She spoke very highly of the culture, people, landscape. I was there!

One cold, rainy night 6 months later, I was having some wine w/chocolate. I decided to start researching Santiago, Chile for my next adventure. I was getting frustrated because I kept coming across this "Santiago" in Spain. I had already been to Spain. Personal journals, blogs, links, kept leading me back to Sanitago de Compostela no matter how hard I tried to focus on Chile'. My thought was, "Who the hell would walk all that way?" I grew up walking all over the place and never considered such a trek. At best, I thought I might be able to do the Milford Track someday and nothing more.

A couple of weeks later on Christmas day, I wound up being on my own at my parent's house (they got called in to work), snowed in with 2 Chihuahuas. I spent the entire day reading a Dutch woman's (Anita) journal she posted about her Camino. A roast, plenty of wine, and chocolate for all day. I've been hooked ever since.

My friends call me a "Camino Junkie". I like it. A healthy addiction.

I walked the Camino Frances in '05 and the Camino Norte in '10 to Fisterra. I returned to SJPdP in '12 and walked to Muxia/Finisterre. This past summer, a combination of the Norte and Primitivo continuing to the sea fed my spirit. I walk because I've found nothing as rewarding, spiritual, humbling, fun! Both wine and chocolate (in whatever form) are part of my daily Camino "routine". Both are easy to share with other peregrinos, even without words.

After that first walk, I said out loud to my legs in front of the cathedral, "I will never do this to you ever again." ha!

It seems the Camino Portuguese will be next on the list.

Still have not made it to Santiago, Chile.

Keep a smile,
Simeon

Very cool story and turn of events that drew you to the Camino. Thanks for sharing.
What's odd is that I was not even a regular viewer of that PBS series. Don't even know if I had even watched one of the episodes in its entirety prior, and it was the part about Pamplona (running with the bulls) that initially interested me in watching it, not the Camino.
I was in town doing some work on my dad's house one Sunday afternoon. Came inside to take a break, and turned on the television and just like any typical male, started jumping through the channels and stopped when the show started, and it immediately caught my attention and by the time the show was over I had made up my mind to walk the Camino. Cannot explain it.

 

[Brissy]

I had known that people made pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Mecca, and also 'somewhere in Europe' where the Knights helped them - way back in history. However, I didn't know that people actually still walked!
In 2010 I was on a work trip, returning to Brisbane from Townsville on a Qantas flight when I read an article in the in-flight magazine. It was all about Camino Frances. I can't remember what was written, I can only recall that I desperately wanted to go.
Later the same year I bought a 'big Issue', which is a magazine for homeless people, and there was an article about Camino in there too! Was it a sign?
The same Christmas I told my whole family that I would be going on camino in 2014, however I couldn't wait that long and went in 2012.
I am looking forward to going again soon!

 

[scruffy1]

Trying to focus, is the subject here cognizance or motivation? There are so many things we don't know-Einstein didn't say it but "The difference between ignorance and genius is that genius has its limits". Many people have heard of the Camino but would never consider walking. Far many more have no idea that it even exists. Luis Buñuel was first of course but celebrities such as Hape Kerkling and Shirley McClain have made their peculiar contribution to spreading the word, a television series by Mikael Bertelsen brought in thousands of Danish and Swedish pilgrims of the Protestant persuation, Martin Sheen for whom I reserve opinion since I haven't seen the film, all have done their part. A quick look through the forum will reveal many and various issues which motivate the modern pilgrim; spirituality and religious feeling still up there, curiosity and historical perspective less, word of mouth narratives of the beauty, the from, the camaraderie are a big factor alongside less interesting persuasions: marathon Camino running, "bucket lists" (what an awful expression!), "been there done that" mentalities-all in their own right and legitimate. My interest would be that first decision, the first realization that one can and will walk and to follow that through its many convolutions since the driving force and our reasons often pinball wildly about before we arrive in Spain and certainly on the Camino the driving forces may change daily!
Me? We Jewish pilgrims cannot claim traditional or conventional incentives, the search for personal inspiration and spirituality alongside the glorious freedom granted by the Camino are certainly factors. I came to the Camino in search of history, art and architecture, as well as a love of Spanish culture, and today I find 4 Compostelas hanging on my wall. Curiuser and curiouser spoke Alice.

 

[wayfarer]

I read an article in a magazine, National Geographic I think, twenty odd years ago while on my lunch break at work. It covered the Camino from Le Puy to Santiago. I decided then I wanted to do, I drove the road route in 2009 from Le Puy and loved it, but after a triple bypass I had given up on ever walking it. Thankfuly I got to walk from SJPP with my brother, who travelled from Australia, in 2012. I walked with my wife from Sarria in 2013, I needed a fix, and I hope to walk again next year. Proud to be a Camino addict and bore.

 

[jeffnd]

Despite being a lifelong Catholic and seven years of parochial school, I didn't know about the Camino until I watched a show on public television in the US. Ha ha....

That's the same show I watched!

 

[Eileen W]

I've always walked practically everywhere as I don't drive, and would think nothing of going out to the shop for a pint of milk and end up ten miles away in the middle of nowhere, lol. Unfortunately, a series of disabilities has left me unable to walk as much as I used to. However, a couple of years ago I was looking for something to watch on Netflix and found the Martin Sheen film 'The Way'. I thought I'd give it a whirl and loved it. I thought how I would have loved to walk it at one time, but my health made it most unlikely, so I forgot all about it.

Fast forward to earlier this year when a back injury had been added to my disabilities and I could barely hobble with a stick, and I suddenly thought about the Camino and had this overpowering urge to go. It's difficult to describe because it wasn't wishful thinking that I'd like to do it, but a compelling urge that said I had to do it. So I googled everything I could find about it and discovered this fab forum.

I still don't know if I'll be able to, but after being on the forum my confidence has grown and my walking abilities are better than they have been for several years now. There are still things to contend with, such as the devastating exhaustion and carrying problems from CFS & Polyarthritis, but things are definitely improving from careful management and sussing out ways around it. I'm also a bit terrified!!! Which is par for the course with the vulnerable feeling from disabilities, I think. Anyway, even though I keep telling myself that I don't have to do it, that call still keeps coming back and telling me that I need to.

 

[sheddy]

I've always walked practically everywhere as I don't drive, and would think nothing of going out to the shop for a pint of milk and end up ten miles away in the middle of nowhere, lol. Unfortunately, a series of disabilities has left me unable to walk as much as I used to. However, a couple of years ago I was looking for something to watch on Netflix and found the Martin Sheen film 'The Way'. I thought I'd give it a whirl and loved it. I thought how I would have loved to walk it at one time, but my health made it most unlikely, so I forgot all about it.

Fast forward to earlier this year when a back injury had been added to my disabilities and I could barely hobble with a stick, and I suddenly thought about the Camino and had this overpowering urge to go. It's difficult to describe because it wasn't wishful thinking that I'd like to do it, but a compelling urge that said I had to do it. So I googled everything I could find about it and discovered this fab forum.

I still don't know if I'll be able to, but after being on the forum my confidence has grown and my walking abilities are better than they have been for several years now. There are still things to contend with, such as the devastating exhaustion and carrying problems from CFS & Polyarthritis, but things are definitely improving from careful management and sussing out ways around it. I'm also a bit terrified!!! Which is par for the course with the vulnerable feeling from disabilities, I think. Anyway, even though I keep telling myself that I don't have to do it, that call still keeps coming back and telling me that I need to.

I am starting march 2015 from( London UK) Leon to Santiago. I have 20 days to do the route. If you do sum up the courage than please feel free to join me.

 

[Dave2525]

A year ago I had never heard of the Camino. A co-worker suggested it, I googled it to find out what it was and then dismissed it.

It stayed in the back of my mind and I started looking into it again and this time I was hooked. I booked my flights in April and by August I was on my way. I met some great people, made friendships and learned more about myself. Overall an amazing experience, much more than I had expected

 

[Kitsambler]

In 2008, for some reason possibly related to a now-forgotten book I was reading at the time, I looked up pilgrimage on Wikipedia. From school days, I knew about pilgrimages in medieval times: literature class had covered Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and history class had covered pilgrimage in general. But I was astonished to learn that people were still doing this. Wow! I read a little more. That would be an interesting thing to do. I researched other sources, stumbling on this site. Maybe I could do this. Oh it starts at St Jean Pied de Port. Ok, I'll go there and start. Actually, it starts at Le Puy in France. All right then I'll start in Le Puy. The original thought was to walk the next year, but life happened. And so I rounded up a few friends and we walked in 2010. Actually the marked routes start much further east ...

 

[ManyMiles2Go]

Wow! What great stories!! My wife and I never heard of the Camino until the movie "The Way" came out. I know, boring Turns out, that movie changed our lives. Best experience ever. Now, several people in our church are asking us questions and some are planning to walk the Camino themselves. We both offered to be a "personal guide", just an excuse to go back

 

[jpflavin1]

I was having lunch (11/2009) with some folks at OHI, in Lemon Grove, California. We were discussing different hikes we had made. One woman talked about a walk in Spain called the Camino de Santiago. Prior to this I had never heard of this walk/Pilgrimage. Later that day I Googled the Camino. After doing some reading, I decided to walk the route. March 23 2010, I arrived in SJPdP. I have walked every year since.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[ChuckE]

I was planning to backpack through Europe in 1992. My grandmother heard about the Camino somewhere and convinced me to go. There was something really adventerous about going somewhere that no one had ever heard of and even the best travel guides maybe would have a blurb about. I was all planned to buy my ticket for summer of '92 but it was critical to my grandmother that I do it in the Holy Year. Everybody thought I was crazy, there were state department travel warnings to Basque country from January of that year.

 

[Mark Lee]

I was planning to backpack through Europe in 1992. My grandmother heard about the Camino somewhere and convinced me to go. There was something really adventerous about going somewhere that no one had ever heard of and even the best travel guides maybe would have a blurb about. I was all planned to buy my ticket for summer of '92 but it was critical to my grandmother that I do it in the Holy Year. Everybody thought I was crazy, there were state department travel warnings to Basque country from January of that year.

What was the albergue situation like back in 1992, and were there lot's of peregrinos then?

 

[ChuckE]

What was the albergue situation like back in 1992, and were there lot's of peregrinos then?

Almost all the time you were walking alone.
There were two guys from Sweden, who had some kind of guide, but I couldn't find one and traveled with a couple good Michelin maps.
There were refuges in all the major cities (you just followed the bronze shells in the street). I was harder to find them in between major cities and half the time you didn't have a clue how far away they were. Information sites used to give out lists of all available lodging when you'd check in. I think Estella had 4. I treated myself to the best for like 3000 pesetas as I had slept out on the trail the night before and walked through a serious rain all day.

 

[tominrm]

With so many videos on El Camino de Santiago available to us, I did not think I would sit half an hour to view the entire video, but I ended up doing it.
Thank you for the info.

 

[david g]

What I always find interesting in these stories of ' discovering' the Camino is the feeling of NEEDING to walk it. Not many things in life that call out to us in that way. For myself, I liked the idea of doing something that had so much history to it. Walking a path that has been walked for hundreds of years? How could you not feel a part of something more vast than you can imagine?

 

[Pat58]

My interest in the Camino began on a visit to Santiago de Chile. I found out there was another Santiago. Then later in a church in Lima, Peru I saw a statue of Santiago Matamoros. I was somewhat scandalised by the idea of a saint killing Muslims (Moros), but intrigued too. When I was in Leon, Spain in 1999 I was shown the bronze shell markers set in to the pavements. I decided to visit Santiago - partly because it is a Celtic part of Spain - and was hooked. That time I went by train - still a pilgrimage but strangely unsatisfying. I hugged Santiago, went to the pilgrim Mass - botafumeiro and all, saw the foot pilgrims and was very moved. I realised I wanted (have?) to do it on foot. Planning is underway for la Via de la Plata in spring 2016, si Dios quiere. I've had to wait a few years, but now it's becoming an obsession! I wonder if this Santiago calling now because I'm reaching a transition time in my life - hopefully all will be revealed!

 

[Diefenbaker]

I first heard of it about 7 years ago after reading the book 'Spanish Steps' by Tim Moore. He walked the Camino with a Donkey and although I've read a few people on here say they didn't particularly like the book, to me it opened up a whole new world of possibilities. I read it twice in a couple of weeks because I wanted to relive his adventure and although I've never felt the urge to take a Donkey with me (Although a tame Moose would be very tempting , soo sweet!) I knew I had to make the same journey, which I did 3 years later. I'll always be grateful to Tim for writing about something I'd never heard of before and I feel the same about the movie 'The Way'. Although I'd walked the Camino by the time I watched it, it did bring back some great memories and I'm sure it would have introduced the Camino to more potential pilgrims. The world would be a better place if there were more ex Camino pilgrims in it.

 

[fsg ken]

In 2008, ........ I looked up pilgrimage on Wikipedia. From school days, I knew about pilgrimages in medieval times: literature class had covered Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, ......... we walked in 2010. Actually the marked routes start much further east ...

I too was thinking about Pilgrimages, looked up Google which had Camino de Santiago with its 900+kms
began reading , by spet 8th i was in SJPP and Oct 14 , 2009 i was past CdS, Fisterra and in Muxia

 

[Olivares]

I learned about it growing up in Church (Roman Catholic). We had many Spaniard priests coming from Galicia and they would often shared stories of pilgrimage along the Camino. I always wanted to do it. The first time I stepped on the Camino was in May 1997; Leon to Santiago. I had to wait 14 years to go back! Once I did (May 2011) I have been back every year since. Go figure. Love the Camino, absolutely

 

[WandererJolie]

A few years ago, some random chance (I don't even remember what it was) resulted in me and my husband watching "The Way". For some reason, a blurb about this film (which was playing at our local library film theatre) caught our interest. But we couldn't get to the theatre that night (I can't remember why), so we borrowed it from the library's dvd collection and watched it at home. I thought "meh, whatever. No big deal." But I guess it planted a seed, because two years later, I thought to myself "what was that walk that dude did in that movie?" and googled it, and found all of you lovely people! I suppose my brain was saving the idea for when I needed it most.
Now I am on my own Camino, and I'm counting down months, weeks and days until I fly to Biarritz. (230 days, today!)

 

[jprogers]

Great topic. I read an article in an Australian newspaper in about 1999 about a woman who had walked the camino ..800 km across Spain and my first thought was that it sounded hard ...and why would you??? But of course it stayed in my brain working its way in and in 2005 we walked part of the Frances and we have returned every 2 years. And we just love Spain. I think this love of Spain has been so surprising.

 

[gapowell]

Ahhhh, I love this! Yes, WandererJolie, this kind of story will have a lot of resonance for many people, I suspect. It's odd how the Camino can creep up on you like that! I remember7 or 8 years ago, walking along Hadrian's Wall in northern England and sitting out a storm in a local pub with my girlfriend. We got talking to a couple who had started in England (from their front door) and had walked all the way down through France and on to Santiago... following this route called the 'Way of Saint James'. Even at the time, I thought - wow! I didn't even know people could do that kind of thing! But the seed was sown...

3 years ago, everything came together and suddenly, I wanted (and needed) to do it.

And then again the following year.

Wonderful. Life-changing. Essential.

Good luck with your countdown. I am also planning to go again next year in September!

 

[Felipe]

I knew about the Camino, and I had a mild and mostly academic interest about it. No intention to walk it, anyway. But some years ago I was traveling to see central Spain. I intended to finish in Salamanca and return to Madrid a couple of days, to visit some museums before my flight home. But when I came to the bus terminal, they were announcing a departure to Compostela, and I said to myself "Well, why not?" and bought a ticket without much thought. I visited this great city, admired the medieval quarter, wandered through the maze of alleys and finally arrived in Praza do Praterias. At the magnificent cathedral door there were many pilgrims, with exhausted looks, some of the them limping, with muddy boots and battered backpacks. Amongst them, a group of young people were jumping together chanting something in German (some variation of "We did it, we did it!", I guess); others were smiling and hugging each other; and an old gentleman was seated, quietly watching the cathedral, and I swear there was a kind of luminescence around him. This was where I said to myself: "I have to do this".

 

[tpmchugh]

Never heard of the Camino until 2012. My son was made redundant and announced he was going on the Camino, two weeks later I bumped into an old friend who had retired a few years before me and he told me how he had just returned. My daughter then told me about a movie that they had seen in school, 'The Way' and then she went and bought a copy. A year later, I had walked it, written a book and started preparations to return April 14th, 2015. I sometimes wonder if I would have set out if the learning process had been over a few years and I had time to think about it. I tend to like the comforts of life and relaxing holidays so the Camino was way outside the comfort zone of a fat, lazy 65 year old retiree who had never done anything really strenuous in all his life. Now thoroughly hooked.