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I to walked alone. Surprisingly, several people told me I was "lucky". I could go at my own pace, go where I wanted to go, leave when I wanted to. I was not "tied down" to another's schedule. Like you said, I walked alone (maybe 50% of the time), but I was never alone. Almost everyone I met, it was nice to walk with, but I always had the option, to go at my pace and meet whoever, whenever. The funny thing, about half the time, I ended up running into the same people all throughout the journey. Miss those days. Buen Camino.While out walking in my neighborhood the other day, I thought about the question: “What did you bring home from the Camino?” On that day I answered the question this way: I am much more comfortable being alone now.
I walked the Camino Frances alone in Sep/Oct of 2015. My wife had no interest and actually, after 40 years of marriage, we were both looking forward to some alone time. My nature is to be introverted and I knew that the walk could be very lonely if I let be that way. Before I left, I was comfortable with that possibility. However, I also was looking forward to meeting new people from all over the world as I knew I would from everything I had read about the trail. However, I was determined to be more outgoing than usual.
While walking the Camino I took my time. I took 44 days to get from Pamplona to Santiago. I ate dinner alone only 4 of those nights and they were mostly by choice. I soon found that Peregrinos were easy to spot at dinner and I would politely ask if I could join their table. I was never turned down and got to meet some most interesting folks.
I know: no one is alone on the Camino, and I lived that, but what I found from choosing to be “alone” that much I became very comfortable walking and eating by myself. I got to think things through with few interruptions. Eating alone was something I had avoided all my life. On the trail, I found that it allowed me to concentrate on the food I was eating much more. I would still rather have a meal with someone to talk to, but I am happy to say that I no longer dread eating alone if it happens.
After 40 years of marriage, I was not sure who I was and where I stopped off and my wife began. Could I get through a day without her help, corrections, criticisms, and advice? Walking alone allowed me to rediscover who I am. I am glad to say that I am pretty happy about how I turned out. My self-confidence soared from this experience.
Before the Camino, I sometimes felt a little guilty about spending a lot of time alone. Now I admit I prefer it most of the time. This self-discovery would never have happened without walking the Camino, alone.
Agree, agree! It's so wonderful to be alone, even though you never are really alone on the camino. I walked alone for the first 400 km's and was not lonely. At Leon I walked with a friend to Santiago. We get along very well and enjoy each others company. However even though we did not necessarily walk together all day it did change the camino for me as I did not have as freedom as Flyguy stated above "walk when you want, stop when you want, stay where and when you want" . Walking alone was a wonderful "freeing" experience for me!!I loved walking alone,walk when you want to,stop when you want and stay where and when you want to. I also found it not a problem to find a bed and as some have mentioned rarely without some companionship. I liked to leave the alburgue after most had left in the morning and enjoy the open road ahead and if on occasion it got busy I would always stop and let the mob pass.
Thanks for these quotes. I loved reading The Old Ways. One of my favorite books.From my heel to my toe is a measured space of 29.7 centimetres or 11.7 inches. This is a unit of progress and it is also a unit of thought. ‘I can only meditate when I am walking,’ wrote Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the fourth book of his ‘Confessions’, ‘when I stop I cease to think; my mind only works with my legs.’
Søren Kierkegaard speculated that the mind might function optimally at the pedestrian pace of three miles per hour, and in a journal entry describes going out for a wander and finding himself 'so overwhelmed with ideas’ that he 'could scarcely walk’.
Christopher Morley wrote of Wordsworth as 'employ[ing] his legs as an instrument of philosophy’ and Wordsworth of his own 'feeling intellect’. Nietzsche was typically absolute on the subject - 'Only those thoughts which come from 'walking’ have a value’ - and Wallace Stevens typically tentative: 'Perhaps / The truth depends on a walk around the lake.’
In all of these accounts, walking is not the action by which one arrives at knowledge; it is itself the means of knowing.
- Robert Macfarlane, The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot
Another reason for continuing to walk caminos in my senior years. And the pace is about right (or should that be three kilometres per hour?).the mind might function optimally at the pedestrian pace of three miles per hour
Walked 4 caminos on my own. Just great to make decisions in the moment and just decide as and when. Also have met some wonderful people along the way.While out walking in my neighborhood the other day, I thought about the question: “What did you bring home from the Camino?” On that day I answered the question this way: I am much more comfortable being alone now.
I walked the Camino Frances alone in Sep/Oct of 2015. My wife had no interest and actually, after 40 years of marriage, we were both looking forward to some alone time. My nature is to be introverted and I knew that the walk could be very lonely if I let be that way. Before I left, I was comfortable with that possibility. However, I also was looking forward to meeting new people from all over the world as I knew I would from everything I had read about the trail. However, I was determined to be more outgoing than usual.
While walking the Camino I took my time. I took 44 days to get from Pamplona to Santiago. I ate dinner alone only 4 of those nights and they were mostly by choice. I soon found that Peregrinos were easy to spot at dinner and I would politely ask if I could join their table. I was never turned down and got to meet some most interesting folks.
I know: no one is alone on the Camino, and I lived that, but what I found from choosing to be “alone” that much I became very comfortable walking and eating by myself. I got to think things through with few interruptions. Eating alone was something I had avoided all my life. On the trail, I found that it allowed me to concentrate on the food I was eating much more. I would still rather have a meal with someone to talk to, but I am happy to say that I no longer dread eating alone if it happens.
After 40 years of marriage, I was not sure who I was and where I stopped off and my wife began. Could I get through a day without her help, corrections, criticisms, and advice? Walking alone allowed me to rediscover who I am. I am glad to say that I am pretty happy about how I turned out. My self-confidence soared from this experience.
Before the Camino, I sometimes felt a little guilty about spending a lot of time alone. Now I admit I prefer it most of the time. This self-discovery would never have happened without walking the Camino, alone.
Great thread Stevelm 1!
I've walked many treks/caminos over the years, rarely with anyone. As I have posted before (and apologize for repeating), what I believe to be my last "group" trek/camino was 2019 on the CP with two dear friends. We got along great, enjoyed the camino, but something was missing for me. I swore after that trip that whatever trips I have left will be alone. Friends are for touring, socializing, playing bridge, etc., etc. And those life events are wonderful and meaningful. But my caminos are very personal and will be done alone, with of course, those pilgrims I am lucky enough to meet along the way.
Self-love and wisdom are a powerful combination.I love walking alone and have made some pretty big life decisions during those alone times.
I left a 15 year relationship after one lone Camino and much thought.
I am pretty independent, and I like being able to stop when I want and where I want, as Flyguy expressed.
If I decide not to walk a day and just be a tourist, I don't want to have to negotiate.
Maybe I'm just old and crotchety! ::
Mine too. lol!Self-love and wisdom are a powerful combination.
But…as for being old and crotchety, my first sip of coffee really tempers that lol.
That was so deep even I could understand it!From my heel to my toe is a measured space of 29.7 centimetres or 11.7 inches. This is a unit of progress and it is also a unit of thought. ‘I can only meditate when I am walking,’ wrote Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the fourth book of his ‘Confessions’, ‘when I stop I cease to think; my mind only works with my legs.’
Søren Kierkegaard speculated that the mind might function optimally at the pedestrian pace of three miles per hour, and in a journal entry describes going out for a wander and finding himself 'so overwhelmed with ideas’ that he 'could scarcely walk’.
Christopher Morley wrote of Wordsworth as 'employ[ing] his legs as an instrument of philosophy’ and Wordsworth of his own 'feeling intellect’. Nietzsche was typically absolute on the subject - 'Only those thoughts which come from 'walking’ have a value’ - and Wallace Stevens typically tentative: 'Perhaps / The truth depends on a walk around the lake.’
In all of these accounts, walking is not the action by which one arrives at knowledge; it is itself the means of knowing.
- Robert Macfarlane, The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot
When I am walking on flat surfaces I tend to walk around 4km. I am 67.Another reason for continuing to walk caminos in my senior years. And the pace is about right (or should that be three kilometres per hour?).
We all have our motivators. What you mention though is exactly why I like walking alone.I HAD to get moving because my wife would be in the throes of getting going too!
Ah yes, one of my motivators to walk alone is that I take a lot of photos, A LOT. I took over 12000 between Porto and Santiago. I suspect no one is willing to put up with stopping every few minutes to wait for me to take a few photos (I know it drives my wife crazy when we vacation together). When I have walked with fellow perigrinos I always felt I could not stop as often to take those shots, but the conversations were worth it. When walking the CF a German man I kept running into passed me one day while I was taking some photos and said to me, "You would be in Santiago by now if you did not take so many photos." We were on the Mesata at the time, and he might have been right. I still would not change a thing!::scratching around for virtues not yet mentioned::
For me, many of the pleasures (and lessons) of a pilgrimage walk are quite subtle, and completely overwhelmed by the conversation, pace-matching, stop-matching, negotiation and compromise that necessarily accompany any travelling companion. The soul craves silence, sometimes. Otherwise one misses that still small voice.
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