New Year decisions!

[Magwood]

With the new year fast approaching I feel the need to decide upon the route for my next camino. I walked the camino Frances with my daughter in April/May 2013. I very soon realised I wanted to walk again and am planning my second camino during the same months of 2014, but this time walkng solo, which will be my big challenge.

Although I am quite independent, I have never travelled alone before, and the idea is a bit daunting. I am female and will have just celebrated my sixtieth birthday when I walk in 2014. Having never walked previously (although I took my training very seriously) I was amazed at how well I coped with the camino Frances, from SJPP to Muxia and Finisterre, both in terms of the physical effort and what I anticipated would be the emotional strain of sharing space in mixed dorms, which in the event wasn't really an issue for me.

So, I am confident that I will be able to complete another camino, and my dilemma is now to decide which one. I would actually like to walk the Portuguese route from Lisbon, but having read various threads on this forum, am a bit concerned about all the (dangerous!) road walking during the first days, and also that I won't meet many other pilgrims. I am happy to walk solo, but would like to meet up with people from time to time along the way and at the end of the day. I know there is an option to walk from Porto but I don't think that distance would feel like a 'proper' camino after my experience on the Frances.

I want to make a decision by the new year and I am torn between taking a huge step outside my comfort zone and walk a new route (Portuguese) with the prospect of not much company for the first couple of weeks, or do I take what I feel would be the easier (but not so adventurous) option of walking the Frances again where I can be sure of plenty of company and a familiar route, although I would stop in many different albergues along the way.

I will be very grateful if anyone has some words of wisdom and/or experience to share and help me make this decision.

Many thanks, and happy and peaceful new year to one and all!

 

[Camembert]

With the new year fast approaching I feel the need to decide upon the route for my next camino. I walked the camino Frances with my daughter in April/May 2013. I very soon realised I wanted to walk again and am planning my second camino during the same months of 2014, but this time walkng solo, which will be my big challenge.

Although I am quite independent, I have never travelled alone before, and the idea is a bit daunting. I am female and will have just celebrated my sixtieth birthday when I walk in 2014. Having never walked previously (although I took my training very seriously) I was amazed at how well I coped with the camino Frances, from SJPP to Muxia and Finisterre, both in terms of the physical effort and what I anticipated would be the emotional strain of sharing space in mixed dorms, which in the event wasn't really an issue for me.

So, I am confident that I will be able to complete another camino, and my dilemma is now to decide which one. I would actually like to walk the Portuguese route from Lisbon, but having read various threads on this forum, am a bit concerned about all the (dangerous!) road walking during the first days, and also that I won't meet many other pilgrims. I am happy to walk solo, but would like to meet up with people from time to time along the way and at the end of the day. I know there is an option to walk from Porto but I don't think that distance would feel like a 'proper' camino after my experience on the Frances.

I want to make a decision by the new year and I am torn between taking a huge step outside my comfort zone and walk a new route (Portuguese) with the prospect of not much company for the first couple of weeks, or do I take what I feel would be the easier (but not so adventurous) option of walking the Frances again where I can be sure of plenty of company and a familiar route, although I would stop in many different albergues along the way.

I will be very grateful if anyone has some words of wisdom and/or experience to share and help me make this decision.

Many thanks, and happy and peaceful new year to one and all!

.....Camino Frances with my daughter: http://magwood.wordpress.com

There are walking more and more people from Lisbon.the caminho Portuges is becoming more and more popular.
Skip the walk from Alverca do Ribatejo to Azambuja 30 kms..take the train and avoid the busy N10 road. No bother. We did the same and with us many others.
Another safe way leaving Porto is taking the coastal route from Matosinhos to Vila do Conde and from there to Sao Pedro de Rates. You avoid the busy and dangerous infrastructure north of Porto. Is a nice detour along the Atlantic Ocean coastline .
the Caminho Portuges is a great walk and you'll love the kindness of the people.

 

[Phillypilgrim]

Hi Magwood. I walked alone fall 2013 (turned 60) and planning my next walk for fall 2014. I too am looking at routes other than CF, and it is a new challenge all over again! I am leaning toward the Camino de Madrid, which would be very solitary for two weeks, but then joins up with the CF in Sahagun, so I would be in familiar territory again. I think we need to stretch ourselves and branch out from the CF, even with some discomfort. Let's do it!!

 

[Diogo92]

@Magwood, no matter what you decide, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful Camiño in 2014.

But talking about the Portuguese, you shouldn't be afraid of it. For what I've talked with people who have done both of the Ways, they say that they have almost the same amount of tarmac walking. Via Lusitana it's also making a very good effort to take pilgrims out of the roads, and into proper paths. Go for it, you never know it if you don't try it.

And to be very honest with you, walking on our own it's a wonderful experience

Everything good to you.

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[peregrino_tom]

I think you'd be very unlucky not to find a few others walking from Lisbon at that time.
I've moaned on earlier threads about the road safety aspects, the unfriendly dogs and the mosquitoes. But I really enjoyed it in a completely different way from previous caminos. I came to appreciate much more the role of the local people in supporting and being open and friendly to a single wandering pilgrim. People have said that the VdlP is like the Frances was 30 years ago. But I wonder if the better comparison isn't the Portugues, where there is an openness and supportiveness about all the people I met along the way that only exists before the camino thousands arrive and the nature of the relationship between pilgrim and host is changed forever. I walked late in the year when the Way was empty other than a for a few women I met, each walking by themselves - and thoroughly enjoying it.
One example (admittedly after Porto, but typical) is of the new albergue at Barcelos. As was told to me by one of the people running it: a group of friends decided their town needed an albergue. They clubbed together and raised the money to refurbish a small building and open it. They are not doing it to make money but because they want to support pilgrims.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, magwood, I walked from Lisbon in 2009, I think it was, and I never met another pilgrim. Things have changed dramatically since then, and I think you are likely to find some company.

I walked the stages out of Lisbon and never felt like I was in danger, but the route is definitely on the side of some busy highways in some spots. I found that, near Lisbon at least, I always had a pretty wide shoulder to walk on.

I have been working to update the Confraternity online guides and have updated versions of both the Lisbon-Porto and Porto-Santiago sections. I can email you them to you in word attachments if you PM me with an email address, and hopefully they will be on the CSJ website soon. I'm still waiting for comments from a couple of recent pilgrims.

I think you will see that the infrastructure south of Porto is getting better and better. And the pilgrim SOS phone number is a great back-up in case of emergency.

I think peregrino_Tom hits the mark when he describes the hospitality of the Portuguese people. Small towns in Portugal are often very lovely little places with kind and helpful people at every turn, at least that was my experience.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Magwood]

Many thanks to all who responded to my post. I really appreciate the time and consideration you have taken. My decision has always been loaded in favour of the Portuguese route but I guess because I am planning to travel solo I have not had a travel companion with whom I could bounce around my thoughts and anxieties. So thanks to your encouragement I feel more confident in planning my next camino from Lisbon to Santiago shortly after Easter 2014. This forum is such an excellent community.