- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2023 Vasco, Meseta, Portugues Coastal
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I know also that the Camino gives us all what we need, not what we want, and I know that there are some remarkable people walking who will be there to lend active listening and love to a soul that has suffered the greatest injury possible.
Hello fellow Peregrinos, I would like to get advise for an important question I have. Let me first say I am an experienced Peregrino with 2 caminos walked, the first from SJPP to Finisterre and from about the second about 1/2 of the Le Puy Camino to Santiago. I will be walkign with a very good friend from college. We have been friends for 45 years.
A few years ago, he tragically lost his beautiful 29-year-old daughter. Details are not necessary. His family has been torn apart and on the verge of destruction. I have been talking to him about walking and now it looks like we will walk together in September. I told him that this is his Camino and I will be with him and walk with him as much as he desires. Whenever he wants to be alone or walk with others, I am completely fine with that and for as long as he wants. I know each Camino is different and each experience cannot not be predicted. I have been nagged by one thing that maybe I am making too much of and overthinking and so I ask for your advice. My friend wants to walk the Portuguese Camino. We will start in Lisbon about September 12 and (I believe it is near Porto) we will cut across and walk on the coast. I know that my friend will need time alone but he is also a very social person. I know also that the Camino gives us all what we need, not what we want, and I know that there are some remarkable people walking who will be there to lend active listening and love to a soul that has suffered the greatest injury possible. I was originally thinking of us walking the Frances or Norte. The last time I walked the Frances it was a little jarring after spending so much time on the Le Puy Camino and really enjoying the solitude of that walk. I started the Frances at the beginning of October but it was still very crowded and I often found it difficult to find solitude. I thought of the Camino Norte, I know that was is far less crowded but there is a richness to meeting and befriending the fantastic Peregrinos from around the world. Therefore, when he suggested Portugal I thought maybe this is right one. I have heard it can be very beautiful and even though it is the second busiest Camino, there is plenty of room for solitude. I don’t want to overthink this. I just love my friend very much and well I am sure you get the idea. So should I just not worry and do the Portuguese, and just relax and put one foot in front of the other? Any advice would be great even if it were just chill out! In another 2 years hopefully he and I and 5 other of our best friends will all walk together as a renewal of our friendship vows and direction for the next and most important life chapter.
Dear OP,Although I have not yet walked my Camino, I have lost a child.
If your friend wishes to walk the Portuguese, walk there. This is a walk for his heart, the land he walks matters not.
Please do not expect his Camino to heal his heart. It may, but the loss of a child never fully heals. Often families are torn apart, each grieving alone and unable to comfort the others. You can walk with him and love him as a friend, you can not lighten his burdens.
And just put one foot in front of the other.
So should I just not worry and do the Portuguese, and just relax and put one foot in front of the other? Any advice would be great even if it were just chill out! In another 2 years hopefully he and I and 5 other of our best friends will all walk together as a renewal of our friendship vows and direction for the next and most important life chapter.
Although I have not yet walked my Camino, I have lost a child.
If your friend wishes to walk the Portuguese, walk there. This is a walk for his heart, the land he walks matters not.
Please do not expect his Camino to heal his heart. It may, but the loss of a child never fully heals. Often families are torn apart, each grieving alone and unable to comfort the others. You can walk with him and love him as a friend, you can not lighten his burdens.
And just put one foot in front of the other.
My wife and I walked the Portuguese coastal route (Porto to Santiago) last year at the end of September. First, though Lisbon is in southern Portugal, and Porto is in the north; they are not close together. We met very few Pilgrims from Porto to the Spanish border, but at Tui (Spanish town at the border) is got much busier. Tui is the closest starting point to qualify for a Church credential, so this is a starting point for many tour groups and others, it is the equivalent to Sarria on the Camino Frances. That said it still provided at least half the time alone, the groups walk in little clusters. The long boardwalk along the Portuguese coast can be very contemplative; we only met one German couple along that whole portion. Brierly's guide was of no help on the coastal route; I asked about a better guide book at an info office, and was told I didn't need a guide, just keep the water (the ocean) on your left. The Portuguese coastal route should fulfill your needs - the Camino provides.Hello fellow Peregrinos, I would like to get advise for an important question I have. Let me first say I am an experienced Peregrino with 2 caminos walked, the first from SJPP to Finisterre and from about the second about 1/2 of the Le Puy Camino to Santiago. I will be walkign with a very good friend from college. We have been friends for 45 years.
A few years ago, he tragically lost his beautiful 29-year-old daughter. Details are not necessary. His family has been torn apart and on the verge of destruction. I have been talking to him about walking and now it looks like we will walk together in September. I told him that this is his Camino and I will be with him and walk with him as much as he desires. Whenever he wants to be alone or walk with others, I am completely fine with that and for as long as he wants. I know each Camino is different and each experience cannot not be predicted. I have been nagged by one thing that maybe I am making too much of and overthinking and so I ask for your advice. My friend wants to walk the Portuguese Camino. We will start in Lisbon about September 12 and (I believe it is near Porto) we will cut across and walk on the coast. I know that my friend will need time alone but he is also a very social person. I know also that the Camino gives us all what we need, not what we want, and I know that there are some remarkable people walking who will be there to lend active listening and love to a soul that has suffered the greatest injury possible. I was originally thinking of us walking the Frances or Norte. The last time I walked the Frances it was a little jarring after spending so much time on the Le Puy Camino and really enjoying the solitude of that walk. I started the Frances at the beginning of October but it was still very crowded and I often found it difficult to find solitude. I thought of the Camino Norte, I know that was is far less crowded but there is a richness to meeting and befriending the fantastic Peregrinos from around the world. Therefore, when he suggested Portugal I thought maybe this is right one. I have heard it can be very beautiful and even though it is the second busiest Camino, there is plenty of room for solitude. I don’t want to overthink this. I just love my friend very much and well I am sure you get the idea. So should I just not worry and do the Portuguese, and just relax and put one foot in front of the other? Any advice would be great even if it were just chill out! In another 2 years hopefully he and I and 5 other of our best friends will all walk together as a renewal of our friendship vows and direction for the next and most important life chapter.
I know the concerns that arise when planning vacation for another person. Things you wouldn't think about for your self become looming questions. I work with Make-A-Wish as a wish grantor, the children I hang out with are dealing with a lot. But they don't need me to manage their experience, just to facilitate it.
I think this may be similar. Give your camino knowledge generously, when asked, and have a wonderful time. Let your friend's internal journey worry about itself.
You can be alone in a crowd, or crowded by only 1 other person - do your best, the best you know how. It is all you can do!
Buen Camino
It is a beautiful route and plenty of space - even if after Porto it may get more crowded - i think before Porto you will have more solitude. A mixture may be good...
If you are leaving from Lisbon and want to cut across to the coast - how about starting at Sintra? It is a stunning place to visit and has oodles of history and beautiful gardens.(Quinta da Regaleira!) We started our Camino here (at the curious pillar in the square...) and worked our way over to Ericeira on the coast. There is a history of a coastal route ( a Portuguese Queen travelled this way) but it is not signed. Nazare is fantastic with its Black Madonna up on the cliff and there is mile after mile of white beaches, quite often with cobbled lanes behind. The scenery is stunning, fresh sardines at every turn and delicious vinho verde wine.
The terrain is varied with some big hills, but plenty of level walking too (or cycling as we did)
Not being on a signed route means you can't really go wrong and it is satisfying to hunt down clues to the Camino en route.
I have walked the Portuguese, twice starting in Porto both times, in 2013 taking the metro to Vila do Conde on the coast before turning inland and proceeding along the central route (through Valenca/Tui) to Santiago, and and last year I took the metro a bit further, to the end of the line at Povoa de Varzim and then following the coastal route.Hello fellow Peregrinos, I would like to get advise for an important question I have. Let me first say I am an experienced Peregrino with 2 caminos walked, the first from SJPP to Finisterre and from about the second about 1/2 of the Le Puy Camino to Santiago. I will be walkign with a very good friend from college. We have been friends for 45 years.
A few years ago, he tragically lost his beautiful 29-year-old daughter. Details are not necessary. His family has been torn apart and on the verge of destruction. I have been talking to him about walking and now it looks like we will walk together in September. I told him that this is his Camino and I will be with him and walk with him as much as he desires. Whenever he wants to be alone or walk with others, I am completely fine with that and for as long as he wants. I know each Camino is different and each experience cannot not be predicted. I have been nagged by one thing that maybe I am making too much of and overthinking and so I ask for your advice. My friend wants to walk the Portuguese Camino. We will start in Lisbon about September 12 and (I believe it is near Porto) we will cut across and walk on the coast. I know that my friend will need time alone but he is also a very social person. I know also that the Camino gives us all what we need, not what we want, and I know that there are some remarkable people walking who will be there to lend active listening and love to a soul that has suffered the greatest injury possible. I was originally thinking of us walking the Frances or Norte. The last time I walked the Frances it was a little jarring after spending so much time on the Le Puy Camino and really enjoying the solitude of that walk. I started the Frances at the beginning of October but it was still very crowded and I often found it difficult to find solitude. I thought of the Camino Norte, I know that was is far less crowded but there is a richness to meeting and befriending the fantastic Peregrinos from around the world. Therefore, when he suggested Portugal I thought maybe this is right one. I have heard it can be very beautiful and even though it is the second busiest Camino, there is plenty of room for solitude. I don’t want to overthink this. I just love my friend very much and well I am sure you get the idea. So should I just not worry and do the Portuguese, and just relax and put one foot in front of the other? Any advice would be great even if it were just chill out! In another 2 years hopefully he and I and 5 other of our best friends will all walk together as a renewal of our friendship vows and direction for the next and most important life chapter.
Hello fellow Peregrinos, I would like to get advise for an important question I have. Let me first say I am an experienced Peregrino with 2 caminos walked, the first from SJPP to Finisterre and from about the second about 1/2 of the Le Puy Camino to Santiago. I will be walkign with a very good friend from college. We have been friends for 45 years.
A few years ago, he tragically lost his beautiful 29-year-old daughter. Details are not necessary. His family has been torn apart and on the verge of destruction. I have been talking to him about walking and now it looks like we will walk together in September. I told him that this is his Camino and I will be with him and walk with him as much as he desires. Whenever he wants to be alone or walk with others, I am completely fine with that and for as long as he wants. I know each Camino is different and each experience cannot not be predicted. I have been nagged by one thing that maybe I am making too much of and overthinking and so I ask for your advice. My friend wants to walk the Portuguese Camino. We will start in Lisbon about September 12 and (I believe it is near Porto) we will cut across and walk on the coast. I know that my friend will need time alone but he is also a very social person. I know also that the Camino gives us all what we need, not what we want, and I know that there are some remarkable people walking who will be there to lend active listening and love to a soul that has suffered the greatest injury possible. I was originally thinking of us walking the Frances or Norte. The last time I walked the Frances it was a little jarring after spending so much time on the Le Puy Camino and really enjoying the solitude of that walk. I started the Frances at the beginning of October but it was still very crowded and I often found it difficult to find solitude. I thought of the Camino Norte, I know that was is far less crowded but there is a richness to meeting and befriending the fantastic Peregrinos from around the world. Therefore, when he suggested Portugal I thought maybe this is right one. I have heard it can be very beautiful and even though it is the second busiest Camino, there is plenty of room for solitude. I don’t want to overthink this. I just love my friend very much and well I am sure you get the idea. So should I just not worry and do the Portuguese, and just relax and put one foot in front of the other? Any advice would be great even if it were just chill out! In another 2 years hopefully he and I and 5 other of our best friends will all walk together as a renewal of our friendship vows and direction for the next and most important life chapter.
Hello fellow Peregrinos, I would like to get advise for an important question I have. Let me first say I am an experienced Peregrino with 2 caminos walked, the first from SJPP to Finisterre and from about the second about 1/2 of the Le Puy Camino to Santiago. I will be walkign with a very good friend from college. We have been friends for 45 years.
A few years ago, he tragically lost his beautiful 29-year-old daughter. Details are not necessary. His family has been torn apart and on the verge of destruction. I have been talking to him about walking and now it looks like we will walk together in September. I told him that this is his Camino and I will be with him and walk with him as much as he desires. Whenever he wants to be alone or walk with others, I am completely fine with that and for as long as he wants. I know each Camino is different and each experience cannot not be predicted. I have been nagged by one thing that maybe I am making too much of and overthinking and so I ask for your advice. My friend wants to walk the Portuguese Camino. We will start in Lisbon about September 12 and (I believe it is near Porto) we will cut across and walk on the coast. I know that my friend will need time alone but he is also a very social person. I know also that the Camino gives us all what we need, not what we want, and I know that there are some remarkable people walking who will be there to lend active listening and love to a soul that has suffered the greatest injury possible. I was originally thinking of us walking the Frances or Norte. The last time I walked the Frances it was a little jarring after spending so much time on the Le Puy Camino and really enjoying the solitude of that walk. I started the Frances at the beginning of October but it was still very crowded and I often found it difficult to find solitude. I thought of the Camino Norte, I know that was is far less crowded but there is a richness to meeting and befriending the fantastic Peregrinos from around the world. Therefore, when he suggested Portugal I thought maybe this is right one. I have heard it can be very beautiful and even though it is the second busiest Camino, there is plenty of room for solitude. I don’t want to overthink this. I just love my friend very much and well I am sure you get the idea. So should I just not worry and do the Portuguese, and just relax and put one foot in front of the other? Any advice would be great even if it were just chill out! In another 2 years hopefully he and I and 5 other of our best friends will all walk together as a renewal of our friendship vows and direction for the next and most important life chapter.
Not being on a signed route means you can't really go wrong and it is satisfying to hunt down clues to the Camino en route.
I walked the Portuguese Camino from Porto in 2013, crossing from Valena in Portugal to Tui in Spain, which is the closest starting point on the 'inland' route as you say. John Brierley's 2016 Guidebook on the Camino Portuguese (ISBN 978-1-84409-681-7) is the first one that I have seen that has details of the coastal route from Porto, where one crosses from Caminha in Portugal to A Guarda in Spain while still on the coast and a distance of about 160 kms from Santiago. So the closest starting point to qualify for a credential on this route is at Vigo. 100 kms from Santiago and the coastal route rejoins the inland route at Redondela. There are seven maps (15a to 21a) at the back of the 2016 guidebook that give details of the coastal route from Vila do Conde to Redondela. Having walked the coastal route in May 2016,starting at Povoa Varzin, on the coast north of Porto, (not without problems, I had limited time and left the coastal route after Viana do Costelo, crossed into Spain at Tui, before going back to Baiona by bus and to Soremna, on the section between Mougas to Baioina, on foot along the coastal road, but this is another story). There is, however, one piece of advice I wish to offer, regarding the section Mougas to Baiona:- After a night at the Soremna hotel I started walking back towards Baiona (and Santiago) and this time took the Camino path. The camino runs along the coastal road for some while before deviating up the mountain to the right, to cross a saddle and proceed down into the outlying suburbs of Baiona. There had been a lot of rain and pilgrims were apparently avoiding walking on the way- marked route across the mountain saddle, because of reported muddy conditions. As I was approaching the top (and a very deep muddy section of the route) I met a friendly goatherd, with his flock of sheep and goats, and he directed me to a path going of at an angle over a rocky patch to the left of the camino along a track which was muddy but not impassable. If you are going to walk this route and have Brierley's guidebook (2016 or later) turn to diagram 19a and, where alto 170m is shown mark a wet-weather deviation to the left (about 1/2 cm in length at map scale).My wife and I walked the Portuguese coastal route (Porto to Santiago) last year at the end of September. First, though Lisbon is in southern Portugal, and Porto is in the north; they are not close together. We met very few Pilgrims from Porto to the Spanish border, but at Tui (Spanish town at the border) is got much busier. Tui is the closest starting point to qualify for a Church credential, so this is a starting point for many tour groups and others, it is the equivalent to Sarria on the Camino Frances. That said it still provided at least half the time alone, the groups walk in little clusters. The long boardwalk along the Portuguese coast can be very contemplative; we only met one German couple along that whole portion. Brierly's guide was of no help on the coastal route; I asked about a better guide book at an info office, and was told I didn't need a guide, just keep the water (the ocean) on your left. The Portuguese coastal route should fulfill your needs - the Camino provides.View attachment 32098 View attachment 32099 View attachment 32100
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