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Honestly, if your gonna skip the 'ugly' parts, you better buy a buspass.Dutch, no and not the Camino Czar either. I agree, but he implies that skipping Stage 19 is a good idea. You were there in 2013. Is it ugly?
Once you opt for modern transportation the entire trip becomes a bit artificial. The option of hopping on a bus becomes part of the daily decision.
... just keep walking. ... what makes it different to everything else in our lives, is its simplicity. A huge part of that is - no decisions. ... there is no such thing as a "full camino" - it is a meaningless concept. This obsession with starting at SJPDP is silly. If you go to Geneva you will see that the Camino starts there. Same with Paris. Or Madrid.
I have to agree this statement. The first time I went out to walk the Camino I had not planned, not prebooked, and had no idea there were buses and trains to "help" you fast-forward. It was lovely. On Camino 2 I walked with a person who prebooked, wanted to skip bits to be in Santiago on a specific date. Since then I plan more and whenever my feet hurt, or I feel a bit bored, I start looking for shortcuts, for fast-forwards, and it really spoils a Camino. I hope one day I am able to go back to a more "naive" way of doing the Camino. Perhaps this spring?Once you opt for modern transportation the entire trip becomes a bit artificial. The option of hopping on a bus becomes part of the daily decision.
Well DON'T skip:Hi!
I am walking the Camino for the first time this year with my husband and another couple of friends. Unfortunately we will not have enough time to walk all the way as we need to get back to work..., but we will start it in St.Jean-Pied-de-Port and finish it Santiago de Compostela, so we will need to "skip" some places to be able do finish the walk in only 28 days! I would love your advice/expertise to help us to make the most of these days.
THE PLAN => We will start our journey in St.Jean-Pied-de-Port on the 18-April-2015 and will leave Santiago on the 15-May-2015 (so, only 28 days in total), but we would love to spend 3 days in Santiago to rest and to enjoy the place before we fly back to England, which gives us only 25 days to walk.
THE QUESTIONS => Which places should we "sacrifice"? I mean, were along the way we can catch a bus/taxi/train (?) to skip a few places and save time in the journey? Is it easy to do?
TRAVEL CONDITIONS (and health)=> We are all in early 40's, non-smokers, good health and all in good shape but far from super-fit! so I imagine that our walking pace will be average...
Thank you in advance for any tips you guys can give us!
Take the bus from Burgos to Leon,missing the meseta.
Just start in Pamplona and walk
At least sample the Meseta. It is a deceptively beautiful and intriguing region.Take the bus from Burgos to Leon,missing the meseta.
At least sample the Meseta. It is a deceptively beautiful and intriguing region.
My advice would be to play it by ear - skip ahead when you need to. Aches and pains, bad weather, tummy upsets - reasons will occur.
"King Brierley"....ha ha haHonestly, if your gonna skip the 'ugly' parts, you better buy a buspass.
King Brierley apparently told you that stage 19 is ugly enough to get his approval to skip, @newfydog says its magical. Who are you going to believe... Maybe its best to decide for yourself?
In my memory i would not skip it. I guess i did not find it ugly enough.
True.Didn't the mediaevals make use of horse / donkey / carts etc. where necessary?
I preferred to walk the whole way and am grateful that circumstances allowed me to but I'm not judging anyone who uses public transport at times when they need to or want to. If you can walk from Sarria to complete a recognised pilgrimage I can't really differentiate between that and someone who wants to start at SJPdP and use public transport at points where they need to.
Having said that, I'd rather miss the bigger cities than the meseta.
Once you opt for modern transportation the entire trip becomes a bit artificial. The option of hopping on a bus becomes part of the daily decision.
I agree with you @newfydog and @grayland.It has now become a big part of the pre-Camino decision on the forum.
We also now see thead after thread asking "what to miss?" ....and encouraging others to use pack transport and buses/transport on a regular basis...without a physical reason for simply not walking.
Times have changed and (In my opinion) not for the better.
Our fellow pilgrim newfydog has described the new attitude very simply.
We also now see thead after thread asking "what to miss?" ....and encouraging others to use pack transport and buses/transport on a regular basis...without a physical reason for simply not walking.
Times have changed and (In my opinion) not for the better.
Times will always change, and unless we want to suspend the Camino (and most other things) in time and create a museum or theme park, they always will. I, too, would agree change is not always for the best (although often it is) but if you stand there Canute-like trying to stem the tide you will just look daft when your feet are wet through.
My own preference would be to do it all in the traditional way, no excuses. But I also appreciate that not everyone is the same, and there may be many reasons why people might want to undertake a pilgrimage for their own reasons and in their own way.
Instead of getting sniffy about the subject, we should be trying to explain to well-intentioned newcomers why the traditional way is the best way and allow them to reach their own (hopefully enlightened) decision.
To be honest, the trait of elitism that occasionally rears its head on this forum can be a little nauseating, and should be above us.
Teach and inform, rather than belittle and lecture.
Traditional leaning Pilgrims are allowed to express opinions here as long as personal or demeaning remarks are not made.
The "trait of elitism" that is described is simply someone expressing an opinion that does not match one's own.
I see very little "belittle and lecture" in the posts above...except..
I keep trying to hitch a ride on any farmers tractor. Hanging from the side or just relaxing in the back of his haywagon. How idyllic haha. Unsuccesfull up to now, but one day it WILL happenTrue.
They would have jumped in the back of a pickup truck if it existed back then.
Pilgrims walked and suffered not out of choice. That's why I find it to be almost comical whenever I hear the notion that suffering or being miserable is part of a "true" Camino experience. ha ha
Oh yeah, I'd do that in a heartbeat. That would be cool.I keep trying to hitch a ride on any farmers tractor. Hanging from the side or just relaxing in the back of his haywagon. How idyllic haha. Unsuccesfull up to now, but one day it WILL happen
Hitching a ride in a normal car i would not do. Way top easy. Where's the fun in that
True.
They would have jumped in the back of a pickup truck if it existed back then.
Pilgrims walked and suffered not out of choice. That's why I find it to be almost comical whenever I hear the notion that suffering or being miserable is part of a "true" Camino experience. ha ha
Dammit....I was so hoping it would.Hangover doesn't count
Dammit....I was so hoping it would.
Nonetheless, I'm sure the Camino had its fair share of hungover pilgrims back in the day.
we do plan to experience it all.
The good days and bad days, rain, mud, snow, industrial suburbs, walking on Tarmac, cities and villages, highways, closed albergues, dirty albergues).
My suggestion would be to skip work, not the Camino. The Camino is much more important than any work.Hi!
I am walking the Camino for the first time this year with my husband and another couple of friends. Unfortunately we will not have enough time to walk all the way as we need to get back to work..., but we will start it in St.Jean-Pied-de-Port and finish it Santiago de Compostela, so we will need to "skip" some places to be able do finish the walk in only 28 days! I would love your advice/expertise to help us to make the most of these days.
THE PLAN => We will start our journey in St.Jean-Pied-de-Port on the 18-April-2015 and will leave Santiago on the 15-May-2015 (so, only 28 days in total), but we would love to spend 3 days in Santiago to rest and to enjoy the place before we fly back to England, which gives us only 25 days to walk.
THE QUESTIONS => Which places should we "sacrifice"? I mean, were along the way we can catch a bus/taxi/train (?) to skip a few places and save time in the journey? Is it easy to do?
TRAVEL CONDITIONS (and health)=> We are all in early 40's, non-smokers, good health and all in good shape but far from super-fit! so I imagine that our walking pace will be average...
Thank you in advance for any tips you guys can give us!
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