Walking with my boys.

[SAGALOUTS SON]

Hi All,

My dad was @Sagalouts . I last posted after his funeral/wake in 2015. Thanks for all of the kind thoughts/memories.

I am bringing my 2 boys aged 15 and 13 to walk some of The Camino in July. Looking for advice on everything! We are probably going to start in Sarria.

Kind regards and hello again

Sagalouts son.

 

[C clearly]

Welcome back to the forum, in happier times. The Sarria-Santiago section will be very busy in July, but full of young people, which will be nice for your sons.

 

[alexwalker]

Hello, and welcome back here! What a great idea to take your sons on the Camino!

Buen Camino to you all!

 

[stevepjq]

I don't believe that you need any advice - you have already decided to share a wonderful experience with your sons. Enjoy and remember with great fondness!

 

[Kirkie]

Hi All,

My dad was @Sagalouts . I last posted after his funeral/wake in 2015. Thanks for all of the kind thoughts/memories.

I am bringing my 2 boys aged 15 and 13 to walk some of The Camino in July. Looking for advice on everything! We are probably going to start in Sarria.

Kind regards and hello again

Sagalouts son.

I was too late to know your dad, but it is a gift to find you taking up his torch. And with your boys. I need to pin this thread, I will learn how to do it now!

 

[peregrina2000]

I was one of many who always enjoyed hearing from @Sagalouts. He was direct, funny, raw, and a real lover of life. I remembered that he had a very snappy description of himself and I had to hunt to find it but here it is — semi-retired publican not going gentle into that goodnight

Wishing you an absolutely wonderful camino with your sons, I’m sure it would make your dad so very happy. And for advice, you could start by reading some of your dad’s posts, if you haven’t already.

There are some real gems in there.

 

[kelleymac]

I walked with my 13 yo from Leon in 2015, and then again (at 14yo) from SJPP in 2016. Walking from Leon took us about 13 days. --- Walking with Ciaran changed our relationship, brought us closer and gave us stories to share. He is now 22 and finishing university, and I am incredibly glad he walked-- and honored that he walked with me.

When my son was about 18, he said to me "I learned on the camino that you can complain as much as you want, but the hill is still there, and you still have to walk up it."

We walked the second time upon my son's request. When he first asked me to go back to the camino, I was dismissive. I'd have to pull him out of school, it was expensive, etc. Then I caught myself-- My 14yo son was asking me to go on pilgrimage with him. This was a once in a life time opportunity for a journey together.

I encourage you to consider a longer walk than from Sarria.


I can think of a few tidbits of practice advice:

• My 13 year old had more energy than I did, he wanted to leave early and walk as far as possible in one day. He was frustrated at my wanting to stop for coffee or look at a museum. So, it would be good to talk this out a bit before hand.
• My son was hungrier than I was. It took me a few days to realize that his grumpiness in the early afternoons arose from lack of calories. He was walking and growing at the same time. We increased time allowed for lunch and also increased the size of lunch. Chocolate with nuts became a staple.
• My son did not hurt like I did. I had blisters and aching feet- and on the first walk, my knee bothered me. He was ready to move out and keep moving. He did not get blisters. He did not ache. He would go for walks after we reached out destination. I increased my amount of motrin, and that (along with the chocolate) decreased my grumpiness.
• We often separated (he walked ahead).
• The three of you might want to go on some practice walks and see how you can pace yourselves. (Though, that will happen on the camino anyway, if you don't get around to it.)

 

[SAGALOUTS SON]

I walked with my 13 yo from Leon in 2015, and then again (at 14yo) from SJPP in 2016. Walking from Leon took us about 13 days. --- Walking with Ciaran changed our relationship, brought us closer and gave us stories to share. He is now 22 and finishing university, and I am incredibly glad he walked-- and honored that he walked with me.

When my son was about 18, he said to me "I learned on the camino that you can complain as much as you want, but the hill is still there, and you still have to walk up it."

We walked the second time upon my son's request. When he first asked me to go back to the camino, I was dismissive. I'd have to pull him out of school, it was expensive, etc. Then I caught myself-- My 14yo son was asking me to go on pilgrimage with him. This was a once in a life time opportunity for a journey together.

I encourage you to consider a longer walk than from Sarria.


I can think of a few tidbits of practice advice:

• My 13 year old had more energy than I did, he wanted to leave early and walk as far as possible in one day. He was frustrated at my wanting to stop for coffee or look at a museum. So, it would be good to talk this out a bit before hand.
• My son was hungrier than I was. It took me a few days to realize that his grumpiness in the early afternoons arose from lack of calories. He was walking and growing at the same time. We increased time allowed for lunch and also increased the size of lunch. Chocolate with nuts became a staple.
• My son did not hurt like I did. I had blisters and aching feet- and on the first walk, my knee bothered me. He was ready to move out and keep moving. He did not get blisters. He did not ache. He would go for walks after we reached out destination. I increased my amount of motrin, and that (along with the chocolate) decreased my grumpiness.
• We often separated (he walked ahead).
• The three of you might want to go on some practice walks and see how you can pace yourselves. (Though, that will happen on the camino anyway, if you don't get around to it.)

Great tips. I am thinking about the distance that we could do. Looking st about 10 days and the wife is a worrier, hence the shorter initial plan.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

And for advice, you could start by reading some of your dad’s posts, if you haven’t already.

Wonderful idea Laurie. I think I have a better link to @Sagalouts' posts though. I don't know how long the temporary URL will be good for.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/search/3262769/

@SAGALOUTS SON and grandsons, have a grand time.

Take a look at this current thread in a bit when more ideas have been added.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/two-extra-days-before-sarria.79331/

 

[Tincatinker]

@SAGALOUTS SON welcome back to this forum. Sarria to Santiago? You and your boys will have a ball. But have a look and see if maybe you can start from Ponferrada. A little taste of the “wilder” Camino. Though whatever miles you walk you can tell your boys, with pride, “your grandad came this way”. (and made a lot of people smile when he did)

 

[chinacat]

Hello @SAGALOUTS SON

My advice would be to read all your dad’s old posts … he was great at giving out very useful advice, right down to flight/bus/train times (and fares!) and he always did it in a friendly way, with a touch of humour.

Buen Camino!

 

[chinacat]

Oh dear!
There was nothing on my feed after @Kirkie ’s post!

Still … great minds, etc.

 

[wayfarer]

Lovely to see you back. Wishing you and your boys a safe road and fair weather.
Buen Camino.

 

[kelleymac]

Great tips. I am thinking about the distance that we could do. Looking st about 10 days and the wife is a worrier, hence the shorter initial plan.

Another thought and a response:

I had buy in from my younger son, Ciaran. My older son, Aidan, was 16 yo when Ciaran and I walked together. I had talked about walking the camino for over ten years-- I had hoped to do it as a family. But then, my husband was not interested in it, and then he became ill. And it was hard to find a month free... So the years rushed by. Then in June 2014, my mother died of cancer and that jarred me into seeing the passing years. So finally, although I still couldn't find the time to walk the whole thing, I decided I was walking come hell or high water.

I asked my teenage boys if they wanted to walk with me. My older son asked me why I didn't "just rent a car". I thought, "Right, you're not coming." Ciaran thought for a minute and then asked if we could get roast lamb along the way. I nodded and he said "Sure, I'll go." And we did.


Response about concerned, worrying family members:

My husband was concerned that something might happen as well. We could become ill, I could turn my ankle, there could be a flood.... My response was "we'll call a taxi." It wasn't as though I was going to be hiking the Pacific Rim Trail, or the Appalachian Trail. And I had a credit card with me, and hospitals and hotels exist in Spain just like here in NYS. I promised to check in with him via text and to keep my cell phone on so he could track me as we walked. (He later said that tracking us was very boring as we moved so slowly.)

In fact, we did run into problems the second time. Ciaran became ill and we ended up stopping just before Burgos. We caught a bus into Burgos, where he rested and recovered (and we had a roast lamb dinner). Then, as were completely behind in our schedule, we took the train to Santiago. -- In 2018, we returned to the Camino, found our our 2016 stopping point and walked again. (Three times is the charm.)

 

[peregrina2000]

I hope no one will mind if I derail the thread with memories of @Sagalouts. I have been scrolling through some of his posts this afternoon, and found some particularly wonderful (and poignant) ones:

January 10, 2013
whenever I walk the camino I am always taken by the crosses the memorials of those that have died on the camino,including one village that erected a statue of a bike in remembrance of a cyclist killed in there village,I always take time for a quite contemplation and think that when my time comes I could think of worse places to go
Ian


Oct.22, 2012
each to their own,but for me staying in hotels is like going to a party and sitting next door,a concert and sitting at the back,its a low fat diet, caffeine free Camino-no give me the down and dirty everytime-booking in by 2pm doing your washing then laying on the grass taking in the sun-talking and heaven forbid mingling and connecting with your fellow pilgrims maybe even the odd guitar,how can you not get enough of Bob Marley songs,"its all I've ever heard" the shared cooked meal eaten by the table that would put the United Nations to shame,the clink of glasses-I have learned to say cheers in 15 or more different language's-up nice and early sharing that coffee 5k down the road after being lulled to sleep by the snoring-farting and dare I say copulating couples and always the enduring smell of your fellow Pilgrims drifting in the air-keeping it real while you sit billy no mates on your pristine sheets-charging up your i-pods,kindels,gps? whatever, while writing god knows what in your journals contemplating the answer to it all "boots or running shoes"? safe in the knowledge you are solving Spains economic problems :roll:
no my place is with the great unwashed-but hey as I said each to their own after all we all walk our own Camino right.
no children or animals were harmed while writing this post but a glass of wine may have been consumed
Ian


March 13, 2012
(Thread title — most significant moment of the day)
for me its that point when you hit your stride,you've had that first coffee,the sun has risen,your body has warmed up and working,your feet and legs have stopped hurting,your talking to the birds ( and they are talking back ) that first butterfly zigzagging in front of you,that feeling of being part of your surroundings of belonging,knowing that first cold beer is just 5km down the road

 

[David Tallan]

I walked in July with my 15 year old son (15 when we started, 16 by the time we finished). Teenagers can get hangry so I tended to carry what I called "insurance food" (baguette, cheese, chorizo, a bit of fruit) especially on days with long distances between villages with bars or shops. My son felt the distance from his friends and was really trying, when not walking, to stay connected with them. He afterwards said he regretted that and wished he had spent more time connecting with the people on the Camino when not walking and less time connecting with friends at home. But I don't regret letting him make his own decisions. Teenagers can have more energy and walk faster/further. In our case, that led to him getting pretty bad blisters until we learned we needed to moderate.

 

[falcon269]

Minimize the advice and the "dad" stuff. Teenagers get more than enough of that at home, and I have seen a lot of parent-child discord on caminos. It ruined the experience for all of them. If they can view you as a fellow pilgrim, you will be blessed.

And vice versa.

 

[chinacat]

@falcon269

Is that you back?

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I walked the full Camino Frances with my adult sons and they both seemed to enjoy the experience, although they marveled that mom had no injuries, while one suffered shin splints for nearly a week, and the other aggravated an old chipped bone in his foot.
The kicker for me was when we finished in Santiago while eating a nice meal, my oldest son commented, "You know, mom, I noticed you could drive a car on the whole Camino."