Ok What is this thing called Camino

[Former member 60103]

2015 and I retired. Someone said "go and do the Camino de Santiago". So after a lifetime of travel and backpacking I had to look up what was "Camino" ( yeah ok my mistake). So set off from Saint John and embarked on the Frances. Just over a month later on the coast I thought this is done. But it was not and the Norte/Primivito followed. This was not enough and the Via de la Plata /Sanabre followed .I will go back and walk the Camino Levante . Now it would be true to say that I am floundering as to what to do with my retirement but equally true to say that I miss the daily fix of new village/town. New objective and new challenge. Not that I need a new compestella (I do not) but more of a return of a lifestyle that is more familiar than merely a monthly accounting of the bills and the this and that of daily life in the UK ( high taxes and political bullshit) .
Am I alone in thinking that life can begin and end with the weight of the pack you carry on your shoulder.
And as an afterthought has anyone got ideas short of living in Alaska that I can utilise, because short of this I am stumped , please let me know.
Buen Camino,
Don

 

[Tincatinker]

@Don Camillo my friend, welcome to the Way. Life? We arrive naked; there are no pockets in a shroud - all the rest in-between: Oh wow, isn't it all just fun.

I can fully appreciate that you might be looking for some sympathy (no chance - you get to walk as many caminos as you like); empathy (oh friend, do you fancy a beer?); or even sage advice (here?).

But all I can offer is "get with the program Pilgrim", 'solvitur ambulando'. You have at least the Lana and the Portugueses to cover before you even start starting in France (or Trondheim).

What is this thing called Camino? Its just a path that leads somewhere and when you get there you'll recognize it as the place where you were always going to be.

Buen caminos amigo (and if that backpack is a weight on your shoulders you need to adjust the hip-belt )

 

[cher99840]

@Don Camillo Nothing wrong with moving to Alaska. You might want to keep it in mind.

 

[jo webber]

You could build a camper van and travel all of Europe, visiting in new places. The van is your hostel on wheels. Lakes, mountains, trails, towns, history, new people.

 

[nycwalking]

Um, uh. Thank God for time and money and health to travel. That's all me gots to say.

 

[Shakespearshakes]

Excellent reply Tincatinker. Exactly my sentiments!

Don Camillo - Try to lighten that pack as you grow older!

 

[Lance Chambers]

2015 and I retired. Someone said "go and do the Camino de Santiago".
Buen Camino,
Don

Maybe have a look at London to Rome or a part of it The Way of St Francis - Assisi to Rome?

 

[Northern Laurie]

A few years ago, I was doing a motorcycle trip in my home province of BC Canada. I stayed in a variety of hostels, and enjoyed the combination of time alone traveling many different roads, with stories of other peoples' adventures.

One very memorable evening, I stayed in a hostel made from train cabooses, on the banks of a river. We had a campfire, and the group of us included a couple from Sweden, in Canada to complete an Iron Man; a trio of gap-year backpackers from Australia, England and Germany; a 35 year old motorcyclist (me); a French dude cycling around BC; and two gentlemen in their late 60's that decided to do something different and were traveling to all the rustic hostels in BC as a road trip. We had a fabulous night talking, drinking, watching the stars, and even saw the northern lights.

Our journeys were all very different, but we were entirely able to share an enjoy the experience of traveling light. Some of us were "locals" but still seeing the region with new eyes.

What I take from this: we don't need to travel far away from home, or take months of time, to see and experience something new. We just need a different perspective to see new things in places we thought we already knew. And hostels are not just for pilgrimages or 20 year olds - they are a place where people from many walks of life can bond over their adventures.

 

[DLJ]

Just live the "Spirit," of the Camino, regardless of the place you are in.

 

[camino-david]

Just think of other countries/continents. In Japan there is a 'Camino' from temple to temple (sorry I have forgotten the name), or Myanmar (Burma) a fascinating and beautiful country, Nepal, Ladakh (north India). The opportunities are endless