Second time still a charm - or looking to repeat past experiences?

[aliciag56]

so this is my camino history
- start CF Oct 2018, but as a result of bad footwear choices and an undiagnosed medical condition (early stage Parkinson's which affected my energy levels) I made it only as far as Santo Domingo
- start Santo Domingo Oct 2021, complete the CF November, this time with better footwear choices and the right meds. Like most pilgrims, the experience was transformative.
- Over the holidays, I booked a RT flight to Spain, using mostly miles. Would give me ~24 days on the ground. My goal would be to start SJPP, walk was far as I can.
As I was shovelling snow for the 3rd time in 10 days, though, I'm wondering if I'm trying to recreate that which cannot be re-created? I remember having this discussion with a friend of the camino, and she said she would only do a new route for this reason. Second timers and others, is this an issue, and how does one approach it with fresh eyes?

 

[Tincatinker]

To paraphrase: the pilgrim cannot walk the same Camino. It is always the same road but it is never the same pilgrim

 

[mspath]

Do ponder what others have wriťten in these earlier Forum posts re expectation/disappointment and multiple caminos.

Wherever/whenever you do go
Carpe diem.

 

[pasiño a pasiño]

hey there!
....absolutely, we are changing all the time, so your next Camino can't be the same and will provide other Stories to experience for you.
but, also the way changes, maybe not geographically but it changes.

once i had the illusion, I could experience a wonderful moment again and walked to a same Albergue (5years later) and I recommended the place to companions at the time....arrived and the place had changed, same owners, but it was different, 5 years ago we had dinner with the owners together, singing and All that and this time they had built a separate dining room for pilgrims and the owners didn't join us...i was just disappointed.
From this day on i stopped comparing previous Caminos and focused on the current Camino....after more than 10.000km under my belt - i can't stop walking, i love it, i confess to be a pilgrim through and through and hopefully I die as an old pilgrim under my backpack.

Dennis

 

[alexwalker]

I have done the CF several times. Always new perspective. Exciting. But it is much about one's mindset and joy of being there in the now.

...i confess to be a pilgrim through and through and hopefully I die as an old pilgrim under my backpack.

Dennis

Inded!

Buen Camino!

 

[good_old_shoes]

I walked the Francés several times and will do so again in the future. It was a completely different Camino every time. If you still feel called to the same route, maybe there's a reason.

You could try some little changes: stay in different towns than before, different albergues. Walk variations (for example into Burgos, out of Leon... Valcarlos instead of Route Napoleon...). If you mainly stayed in private albergues before, try parroquial ones - or the other way around. Always had the pilgrims menu the first time? Maybe cook together with other pilgrims sometimes this time. And so on.

Just don't expect it to be the same, accept it the way it is. If you realize it's not working for you en route, you can still take a bus/train to a different location and continue from there (Primitivo, Norte...).

 

[Anhalter]

I walked the CF 2019
I wanted to walk the CP 2020. C-19 said "No".
I wanted to walk the Primitivo 2021. Business said "No".
I will walk the CF in 2022, if nothing stops me.

I have similar fears and a few more. Having been a tourist of spain for some 30 years, i had lots of "good advice" to give out at my initial CF.
Having done the CF now, i fear i will become one of those "knows it all" persons.
And that i will try to recreate certain moment, that have been born out of spontaneity. Which will not work for obvious reasons.
But there will be other moments. Some things i want to do again, some things i want to do different.
Will the second CF be as good as the first. I can only tell after having done it.

 

[alexwalker]

I walked the Francés several times and will do so again in the future. It was a completely different Camino every time. If you still feel called to the same route, maybe there's a reason.

You could try some little changes: stay in different towns than before, different albergues. Walk variations (for example into Burgos, out of Leon... Valcarlos instead of Route Napoleon...). If you mainly stayed in private albergues before, try parroquial ones - or the other way around. Always had the pilgrims menu the first time? Maybe cook together with other pilgrims sometimes this time. And so on.

Just don't expect it to be the same, accept it the way it is. If you realize it's not working for you en route, you can still take a bus/train to a different location and continue from there (Primitivo, Norte...).

All are good arguments. Wise.

 

[David]

I have been 'doing' the Camino Frances since 2005, unless you try to recreate what you did before everything is new. It is a mindset, accept what manifests, do not try to copy or avoid, the river is always the same but is also always different.

 

[EL LECHERO]

so this is my camino history
- start CF Oct 2018, but as a result of bad footwear choices and an undiagnosed medical condition (early stage Parkinson's which affected my energy levels) I made it only as far as Santo Domingo
- start Santo Domingo Oct 2021, complete the CF November, this time with better footwear choices and the right meds. Like most pilgrims, the experience was transformative.
- Over the holidays, I booked a RT flight to Spain, using mostly miles. Would give me ~24 days on the ground. My goal would be to start SJPP, walk was far as I can.
As I was shovelling snow for the 3rd time in 10 days, though, I'm wondering if I'm trying to recreate that which cannot be re-created? I remember having this discussion with a friend of the camino, and she said she would only do a new route for this reason. Second timers and others, is this an issue, and how does one approach it with fresh eyes?

Have you ever have a memory or sensation that was so fleeting that it was there one moment then gone the next? I've experienced that frequently and try to hold on to it without success. Like the familiar scent of rose scented soap that my mother used to wash her hands.

 

[Stinky Pilgrim]

so this is my camino history
- start CF Oct 2018, but as a result of bad footwear choices and an undiagnosed medical condition (early stage Parkinson's which affected my energy levels) I made it only as far as Santo Domingo
- start Santo Domingo Oct 2021, complete the CF November, this time with better footwear choices and the right meds. Like most pilgrims, the experience was transformative.
- Over the holidays, I booked a RT flight to Spain, using mostly miles. Would give me ~24 days on the ground. My goal would be to start SJPP, walk was far as I can.
As I was shovelling snow for the 3rd time in 10 days, though, I'm wondering if I'm trying to recreate that which cannot be re-created? I remember having this discussion with a friend of the camino, and she said she would only do a new route for this reason. Second timers and others, is this an issue, and how does one approach it with fresh eyes?

The secret is to not even compare your Caminos As the great Miguel de Cervantes once said: "Toda comparación es odiosa" (All comparisons are odious.) Enjoy your trip.

 

[Oravasaari]

Having walked on 4 occasions now (multiple camino combinations), I can say that for me the experience is always different even though I’ve passed through the same places and even stayed at the same alburges. The first time passing along a new route was an adventure and possibly more magical than supsequent visits to the same place, however later walks had a different focus (slower, more observant, less heads-down). Different, but still equally enjoyable. Much less stress, time pressure and distance ambition on having gained more in experience. Best of the bunch was number 3 (Logrono-Leon-Oviedo-Santiago).

 

[David Tallan]

so this is my camino history
- start CF Oct 2018, but as a result of bad footwear choices and an undiagnosed medical condition (early stage Parkinson's which affected my energy levels) I made it only as far as Santo Domingo
- start Santo Domingo Oct 2021, complete the CF November, this time with better footwear choices and the right meds. Like most pilgrims, the experience was transformative.
- Over the holidays, I booked a RT flight to Spain, using mostly miles. Would give me ~24 days on the ground. My goal would be to start SJPP, walk was far as I can.
As I was shovelling snow for the 3rd time in 10 days, though, I'm wondering if I'm trying to recreate that which cannot be re-created? I remember having this discussion with a friend of the camino, and she said she would only do a new route for this reason. Second timers and others, is this an issue, and how does one approach it with fresh eyes?

To me, walking the same Camino again is like listening to a favourite song again or eating a favourite dish again. I can understand people who want to experience other Caminos. I don't only listen ever to one song. I sometimes like trying new music. But I have a harder time understanding people who say they will never walk the same route again. It's like listening to a song and saying "That's an excellent song! It has got to be one of my favourites. I never want to hear it again!"

That said, you can walk the same route again but it won't be a repeat of the same Camino. It's like the old saying "No one ever steps in the same river twice." The places you stop and stay may be different. The people around you will be different. At the very least, you will be a different person.

 

[Sweetbaboo]

so this is my camino history
- start CF Oct 2018, but as a result of bad footwear choices and an undiagnosed medical condition (early stage Parkinson's which affected my energy levels) I made it only as far as Santo Domingo
- start Santo Domingo Oct 2021, complete the CF November, this time with better footwear choices and the right meds. Like most pilgrims, the experience was transformative.
- Over the holidays, I booked a RT flight to Spain, using mostly miles. Would give me ~24 days on the ground. My goal would be to start SJPP, walk was far as I can.
As I was shovelling snow for the 3rd time in 10 days, though, I'm wondering if I'm trying to recreate that which cannot be re-created? I remember having this discussion with a friend of the camino, and she said she would only do a new route for this reason. Second timers and others, is this an issue, and how does one approach it with fresh eyes?

I've done the CF twice and totally different experiences. Different people,different weather, different heart. Each morning when I put on my backpack and took that first step, it was a brand new day. Enjoy your second time around.

 

[Peregrina 2013]

To paraphrase: the pilgrim cannot walk the same Camino. It is always the same road but it is never the same pilgrim

Exactly!! Could not have said it better myself!

 

[Opeenkangoeroe]

I have walked the CF and CP before and loved it. Right now I am doing Camino Norte and hating it. Cold, rain, albergues are closed, no fellow travellers, that’s just not for me. Switching to the CF now, but maybe the magic is just gone.

 

[aliciag56]

I have walked the CF and CP before and loved it. Right now I am doing Camino Norte and hating it. Cold, rain, albergues are closed, no fellow travellers, that’s just not for me. Switching to the CF now, but maybe the magic is just gone.

sorry to hear that. hopefully your change leads to a more satisfying experience. If you get a chance please update

 

[El Cascayal]

To paraphrase: the pilgrim cannot walk the same Camino. It is always the same road but it is never the same pilgrim

Si. And even when it is the same road it is never the same Camino.

 

[jsalt]

maybe the magic is just gone.

Or maybe it’s because you are walking out of season.

It happened to me too – the magic had gone.

When I analysed it after I got home I realised it was because I missed meeting the other pilgrims.

It is about the people who are on the same path as you – and they are different every time.

 

[Bradypus]

I have lost count of how many Caminos I have walked. Three times along the Camino Frances. Each of those journeys hugely different from the previous one - only to be expected with 12 and 14 years separating the journeys. I keep reading that we should embrace the changes, live in the moment, and welcome the present situation. But in the last year pre-Covid there were 70x the number of Compostelas issued than in the year of my first Camino. I find it hard to simply welcome change on that scale. I am a shy, retiring person. One of the things I most valued in my first Camino was the solitude. I try to recapture that now by walking other routes at quiet times. I am writing this post now in an albergue on the Via de la Plata whose last visitor book entry is 5 days old. Since leaving Seville nearly 300km ago I have met 6 other pilgrims - 3 of those on my first albergue night. This is how I now recapture the spirit of my early Caminos. I think you have to consider what it was about your previous experience which you valued most and which now draws you back again. Then choose the route and time you feel will do best to recover that experience for you.

 

[david g]

I’ve walked several Camino's now and this past September was back on the Frances for the third time. It’s still by far my favorite and I know now it’s because of its length and the people I meet. It had been six years since I last walked it and some beautiful memories came back but I was busy creating new memories with new people so there’s now a blend of all three in my mind. It can never be the same as the first (nothing is) but it can be different in a positive way.

 

[sharonmonty]

I have walked the CF and CP before and loved it. Right now I am doing Camino Norte and hating it. Cold, rain, albergues are closed, no fellow travellers, that’s just not for me. Switching to the CF now, but maybe the magic is just gone.

Hope it gets better. Let us know.

 

[Kathy F.]

I had a similar dilemma when I prepared for, and did, my second Camino.

Both were on the CF, but the first was from SJPdP to SdC, the second from Lourdes to SJPdP to SdC. I wanted something a little more challenging that second time, but my first was so wonderful that I wanted the CF again.

As so many have said, you can't do the same Camino twice, and I knew it in my heart. I wasn't disappointed the second time, but the excitement of newness was gone (of course!!)

Walking solo, deep in thought, I found that my mind skipped unnoticed over places that had been so special to me the first time, and I instead noticed places that I had "never" seen before. The route was known, but the points along the way were somehow, new.

I don't know if this makes sense.

I am planning my next Camino this spring, going through the Somport Pass, then, yep, linking up to the CF and walking along the same ol' trusty road.

I wonder what I'll see this time.

 

[Opeenkangoeroe]

Or maybe it’s because you are walking out of season.

It happened to me too – the magic had gone.

When I analysed it after I got home I realised it was because I missed meeting the other pilgrims.

It is about the people who are on the same path as you – and they are different every time.

Yes, I think you are right about that. The meeting other pelgrims is a must for me.

I decided to go home for now. If I ever do another Camino it will be in the summer again

 

[frbobs]

so this is my camino history
- start CF Oct 2018, but as a result of bad footwear choices and an undiagnosed medical condition (early stage Parkinson's which affected my energy levels) I made it only as far as Santo Domingo
- start Santo Domingo Oct 2021, complete the CF November, this time with better footwear choices and the right meds. Like most pilgrims, the experience was transformative.
- Over the holidays, I booked a RT flight to Spain, using mostly miles. Would give me ~24 days on the ground. My goal would be to start SJPP, walk was far as I can.
As I was shovelling snow for the 3rd time in 10 days, though, I'm wondering if I'm trying to recreate that which cannot be re-created? I remember having this discussion with a friend of the camino, and she said she would only do a new route for this reason. Second timers and others, is this an issue, and how does one approach it with fresh eyes?

Hey,
Great question. I personally think it is a legitimate challenge to let each Camino be it's own experience. It's true that we change, and each Pilgrim is different, but the Camino has its own spirit and movement. The hard part (for me) has been to find that balance between where I might be at (emotionally etc.), and what that particular Camino (at that time) is trying to reveal to me. For Example: Looking for (and expecting) comradery and fraternity on the Camino Madrid would be frustrating and disappointing. Embracing solitude, isolation with the occasional surprise Pilgrim encounter, creates a very powerful yet different experience from the Frances. So, I think the route you pick does determine some of the atmosphere and experience you may have. However, allowing whatever Camino you are on to be itself, to let the spirit of that particular Camino to guide you, is much more significant than which path it is. I believe that if/when I was to walk the Camino Frances again (or even just part of it) it would be a radically different experience for many reasons. With 24 days on the ground, maybe look into the Portugues (from Porto) to Santiago, then walk to Fisterra. Whatever you choose, Buen Camino!

 

[jsalt]

If I ever do another Camino it will be in the summer again

Ah, that doesn’t always work either . There are SO many pilgrims walking in summer, that you become part of the crowd, and aren’t big cities some of the loneliest places on earth? Shoulder season works best for me – March and October. Enough people walking to really get to know a few, but not so many to feel lost and lonely in their midst.

 

[trecile]

Walking solo, deep in thought, I found that my mind skipped unnoticed over places that had been so special to me the first time, and I instead noticed places that I had "never" seen before. The route was known, but the points along the way were somehow, new.

Not strange at all. My friend and I regularly walk the same route here at home, and we often notice things that we hadn't seen before. Just the other day we saw a pond that we hadn't realized was there. My friend isn't much of a solo walker, but the other day she walked "our" route alone, and told me that she noticed quite a few things that she hadn't seen when we were walking and talking together.

Ah, that doesn’t always work either . There are SO many pilgrims walking in summer, that you become part of the crowd

Fortunately, that hasn't been my experience with walking in the summer. I've enjoyed the opportunity to meet a wide range of people.

 

[dutchwalkagain]

I met a guy during my 1st Camino and he was walking his second. I thought "why would you want to do the same route twice ?" . That was in 2015. Now I am going for the 5th time on the CF June 22. LOVE IT ! Enough said

 

[pasiño a pasiño]

Yes, I think you are right about that. The meeting other pelgrims is a must for me.

I decided to go home for now. If I ever do another Camino it will be in the summer again

this experience was provided from the universe just for you....now look what for.

I am not a friend of phrases but here is a good one: The Camino gives you what you need, not what you want!

enjoy your next Camino my friend!


Dennis

ahh...we are stronger than the pandemic, we bring the magic back where it belongs to and the Caminos will bloom again!

 

[JTCamino]

so this is my camino history
- start CF Oct 2018, but as a result of bad footwear choices and an undiagnosed medical condition (early stage Parkinson's which affected my energy levels) I made it only as far as Santo Domingo
- start Santo Domingo Oct 2021, complete the CF November, this time with better footwear choices and the right meds. Like most pilgrims, the experience was transformative.
- Over the holidays, I booked a RT flight to Spain, using mostly miles. Would give me ~24 days on the ground. My goal would be to start SJPP, walk was far as I can.
As I was shovelling snow for the 3rd time in 10 days, though, I'm wondering if I'm trying to recreate that which cannot be re-created? I remember having this discussion with a friend of the camino, and she said she would only do a new route for this reason. Second timers and others, is this an issue, and how does one approach it with fresh eyes?

The good news for you is the 3rd time is the charm...Third time's the charm means the third attempt to do something will succeed, because the number three is considered lucky. ... Third time's the charm is a phrase that is used when a third attempt succeeds; the phrase is also used as an affirmation before one begins the third attempt at something.

 

[Karl Oz]

so this is my camino history
- start CF Oct 2018, but as a result of bad footwear choices and an undiagnosed medical condition (early stage Parkinson's which affected my energy levels) I made it only as far as Santo Domingo
- start Santo Domingo Oct 2021, complete the CF November, this time with better footwear choices and the right meds. Like most pilgrims, the experience was transformative.
- Over the holidays, I booked a RT flight to Spain, using mostly miles. Would give me ~24 days on the ground. My goal would be to start SJPP, walk was far as I can.
As I was shovelling snow for the 3rd time in 10 days, though, I'm wondering if I'm trying to recreate that which cannot be re-created? I remember having this discussion with a friend of the camino, and she said she would only do a new route for this reason. Second timers and others, is this an issue, and how does one approach it with fresh eyes?

The first one is always remembered fondest, but the ones that follow are always different.

 

[Jacobus]

so this is my camino history
- start CF Oct 2018, but as a result of bad footwear choices and an undiagnosed medical condition (early stage Parkinson's which affected my energy levels) I made it only as far as Santo Domingo
- start Santo Domingo Oct 2021, complete the CF November, this time with better footwear choices and the right meds. Like most pilgrims, the experience was transformative.
- Over the holidays, I booked a RT flight to Spain, using mostly miles. Would give me ~24 days on the ground. My goal would be to start SJPP, walk was far as I can.
As I was shovelling snow for the 3rd time in 10 days, though, I'm wondering if I'm trying to recreate that which cannot be re-created? I remember having this discussion with a friend of the camino, and she said she would only do a new route for this reason. Second timers and others, is this an issue, and how does one approach it with fresh eyes?

I have several solutions. Let me explain…

I have walked the entire CF 3 times. The first time I did the classic stages as per the guidebook by Milan Bravo Lozano. I attached myself to a “family” and for the most part stayed within that pod for the entire Camino. That was in 2008. I did not use a cell phone or any other electronics. I stayed only at albergues.

I returned to the Camino in 2009 this time determined to not duplicate. I had daily maps drawn up with all the alternativo’s and took them as they came up. I also stayed at different lodgings including pensions and tourist houses from time to time which turned out to be once a week. I also stayed extra days in Burgos and Leon and did what pilgrims do in their spare time. That is I walked about the city especially the old towns. These actions precluded staying in a group and although I saw some of the same people by design and desire I did not walk within a group.

In 2011 I did the Camino del norte the same way.

In 2014 I returned to the Francés with no pre plan at all. I just started walking and stopped when I felt like it. If I wanted to take an alternate route I did. Accommodations were varied. I stayed in all sorts from donativo’s to 5 star hotels. I was for the most part on my own but from time to time enjoyed some peoples company for a day or two then I either stopped for an extra day or increased my pace as circumstances dictated.

Things I did repeat on all of my pilgrimages is that I took lots of photos. I went to the pilgrims mass. I visited the market. I walked to Fisterre. I bought the t-shirt, the coffee cup or something from the flea market to support the locals.

I also presented myself with a 4-5 day settling period as a reward. Porto, Lisbon, Madrid, Granada and Paris. Of the 9 soloo completed Camino’s I have excellent memories and could not pick one as a favourite . The Portuguese I did once with my adult daughter in 2017. If I had to chose a favourite that would be it.
Buen Camino
Bom Caminho
Bon Chemin

 

[JTCamino]

I have several solutions. Let me explain…

I have walked the entire CF 3 times. The first time I did the classic stages as per the guidebook by Milan Bravo Lozano. I attached myself to a “family” and for the most part stayed within that pod for the entire Camino. That was in 2008. I did not use a cell phone or any other electronics. I stayed only at albergues.

I returned to the Camino in 2009 this time determined to not duplicate. I had daily maps drawn up with all the alternativo’s and took them as they came up. I also stayed at different lodgings including pensions and tourist houses from time to time which turned out to be once a week. I also stayed extra days in Burgos and Leon and did what pilgrims do in their spare time. That is I walked about the city especially the old towns. These actions precluded staying in a group and although I saw some of the same people by design and desire I did not walk within a group.

In 2011 I did the Camino del norte the same way.

In 2014 I returned to the Francés with no pre plan at all. I just started walking and stopped when I felt like it. If I wanted to take an alternate route I did. Accommodations were varied. I stayed in all sorts from donativo’s to 5 star hotels. I was for the most part on my own but from time to time enjoyed some peoples company for a day or two then I either stopped for an extra day or increased my pace as circumstances dictated.

Things I did repeat on all of my pilgrimages is that I took lots of photos. I went to the pilgrims mass. I visited the market. I walked to Fisterre. I bought the t-shirt, the coffee cup or something from the flea market to support the locals.

I also presented myself with a 4-5 day settling period as a reward. Porto, Lisbon, Madrid, Granada and Paris. Of the 9 soloo completed Camino’s I have excellent memories and could not pick one as a favourite . The Portuguese I did once with my adult daughter in 2017. If I had to chose a favourite that would be it.
Buen Camino
Bom Caminho
Bon Chemin

Excellent variation pilgrim and I love your flexibility. I too hope to walk a Camino with one of my adult children (or grandchildren) as my 3 to date have been the CF with my wife (she is one of the rare ones who didn't like it), the Portuguese Coastal solo (loved that route), and the Sanabres with buddies (good camaraderie). My guess is I'll do my next solo and let the chips fall as they may.

 

[Anna Livia Plurabelle]

“Second time still a charm” sums up very much my question.
I walked my first and only Camino together with my future husband in September/October 1990; Jaca to Santiago; the Camino Frances. During a holiday trip in 2014, I did 10 kilometers to Cebreiro and what a difference! Instead of the beauty of solitude; coach buses, souvenir shops and a lot more “authentic Celtic roundhouses” with bunk beds.
Since 1990 I dream of walking a second Camino and this time on my own (if there is something like ön your own"on the Camino). I know I have to be realistic and a lot has changed in the past 30 years, but I fear disappointment and the loss of a dream. I'm not a crowdloving-person; that was why I did the Camino the first time.

I joined this forum a few minutes ago, but have read around quite a bit. The oldest “first Caminos” I've seen yet were from around 2008, over 15 years after mine. I had already decided the Camino del Norte in spring/autumn would be a good idea. I'm hope anyone here can tell me more about how I should see this in relation to the Camino 3 decades ago.

 

[Bradypus]

Since 1990 I dream of walking a second Camino and this time on my own (if there is something like ön your own"on the Camino). I know I have to be realistic and a lot has changed in the past 30 years, but I fear disappointment and the loss of a dream. I'm not a crowdloving-person; that was why I did the Camino the first time.

I walked the Camino Frances in summer 1990. Like you I loved the solitude. For me the Camino Frances has now changed beyond recognition and I can no longer find the experiences which I so much valued there. I find much of the commercialism of the Frances these days depressing and distasteful and frankly I consider it a lost cause. I have never walked the Camino del Norte so cannot comment on it. I am walking the Via de la Plata for the second time at the moment and thoroughly enjoying it. A couple of years ago I walked the Camino Mozarabe from Malaga and found that an excellent route too. Far more to my taste these days.

 

[trecile]

@Anna Livia Plurabelle - you might be interested in this thread. There are other "early adopter" walkers on the forum, though most, like me started walking caminos with the last decade. If only I had learned about it earlier in life!

 

[DwainS]

I walked the Francés several times and will do so again in the future. It was a completely different Camino every time. If you still feel called to the same route, maybe there's a reason.

You could try some little changes: stay in different towns than before, different albergues. Walk variations (for example into Burgos, out of Leon... Valcarlos instead of Route Napoleon...). If you mainly stayed in private albergues before, try parroquial ones - or the other way around. Always had the pilgrims menu the first time? Maybe cook together with other pilgrims sometimes this time. And so on.

Just don't expect it to be the same, accept it the way it is. If you realize it's not working for you en route, you can still take a bus/train to a different location and continue from there (Primitivo, Norte...).

Just did my first camino from SJPP this year in 32 days with no rest days and want to do it again in 2024. Just researching on what people thought when they walked a second time. Reading your comments those are some of the things I want to do, like walk Valcarlos route this time and do a lot of variations like Samos. I only walked one variant last time, the river route into Burgos. Definitely would like to stay at some different towns. And above all I'll be able to take more time and some rest days that I could not the first time because I had a job to get back. Just retired in September so time is now not an issue. I had one of the best times of my life and met a lot of great people on my first camino but I don't want that to be my expectations for my next one. I will make it a new experience with new people to meet.