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My Super-Random Non-Camino Camino

Gwaihir

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2019: Nijmegen-Fisterra
2022: Trans-European Trail
Hello pilgrims - and those who don't identify as pilgrims.

I just wanted to update you on my Camino Non-Camino. Because honestly I thought I was going to do some official route - first I thought of doing the Primitivo. But I ended up in León instead (I took the train there). And then a voice in my head said: "go to the Pyrenees".

So I did a tiny bit of the Francés-Reverso, to Mansilla de las Mulas, where I started the Lebaniego. I walked through Gradefes and Cistierna, and Riaño, Fuente Dé, then Potes... up to the monastery (which is another pilgrimage site). Didn't like the monastery, as usual I couldn't find the faintest trace of true Grace there.

From Potes I started on a trail, a GR, which had been laid out before me by Dylan, a guy I once met. He'd walked from Bulgaria to Santiago over the mountain ranges and I thought that was super-cool. I was attempting to follow in his footsteps (reverse footsteps, that is). And so I did, nice break from the Camino, absolutely no stores nor supply points, I ate at restaurants. Then heatwave n1, struck me with 40Celsius. No frequency of water points on the trail, and I had to consider quitting.

I did quit (the GR) and then took a train to Reinosa (very close to Bárcena) and started walking the forgotten trail, the Olvidado, which I liked at first, "tarping" next to El Embalse del Ebro, superblue water, crossing the forest (Cabañas de Tomasuco - not on the Camino, but pilgrims who are inclined to go off-trail and way around will appreciate this way round). Then to Pedrosa de Valdeporres, amazing bridge over a river. Town very weird, there's a theme park but then nobody lives there.

It seemed like a ghost town to me, so had Arija, I disliked the desolation of it, so I guess I didn't want to be Forgotten, and I decided to go to Del Norte where a wandering soul may latch on to the surf-spots and tourists. Took the train in Robledo-Ahedo (passengers at the station: me and three boney cow-skulls), to get the train to stop, you stick out a thumb. Like hitch-hiking. From there to Reinosa (again), and to Santander.

From Santander the usual, surprised by the number of pilgrims (really quite a lot), slept on a few beaches, some bursting with horrible suicide-mosquitos (like Kamikaze), slept at the Monasterio de Zenarruza, encountered a gorgeous valley, where I saw the most beautiful rose last time, closed my eyes all through San Sebastián (I dislike cities), was stunned by Pasaia and the Ultra-Basqueness of the people there ("tourists go home") and enjoyed the view of Irun from the mountaintop.

That's half of the adventure thus far. The second half I'll write below.
 
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You’re funny. Thanks for sharing, I’ve been waiting to go back to the Camino since before Covid, the least I can do is read the blogs.. sounds like you just go with whatever your flow is and that’s awesome ! Since I live in Florida, the heatwave is not so inviting.. looks like I’ll be going next year Be safe