Why walk the same Camino again?

[tomnorth]

Next Spring I plan to walk my second Camino Frances. Today I got the question of “why would you walk the same exact route and have the same exact experience a second time?” My off the cuff answer was that it won’t be the same exact experience as I had the first time. I’m curious how others have handled this question. As an aside, I’m interested to hear how you would compare subsequent Caminos on the same route with your first.

 

[LesBrass]

Tom I have asked myself this question so many time

I walked the entire CF in 2014 and went back in 2015 but just for ten days... in 2016 I walked the VdlP/Sanabres and then in 2017 I did another week on the CF. I've loved every walk... every time I return to the CF I've loved it and I've seen different things... different people, different experiences... it feels like coming home... and so far I don't see the desire to go back waning.

Next week I am leaving for Spain again and I have mulled over and over which route to take... the weather, transport problems and a few health niggles have all pointed me back to the CF... this time I'm going to start around Burgos (I've not walked that section since 2014).

I'm worried that it will be busy... that maybe in some way it just wont be the same without the majestic mountains at the start... I've pondered so many different scenarios but then I watch the BBC programmes and it reminded me of how beautiful the CF is... I revisited my blog and the emotion of that first walk still brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye... I've watched The Way about 3 times in the last week... packed and unpacked my bag... tried about 17 different options for getting to Santiago via Gronze and Godesalco and I'm ready. I'm returning because it's there... and it's calling me... and I need to go walk.

I've decided to stop asking why... because I always try to answer myself and my worries make me second guess everything.

I'm not sure my answer here has helped you much... but I'll let you know more in about 4 weeks time when I come home.

 

[mspath]

Check out this earlier thread to read how some pilgrims feel or felt about wallking the same path twice or more.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/stepping-into-the-stream-again.34174/

For myself and many others "the heart has its reasons".

 

[trecile]

Why do the same hike at home? Why listen to the same song again and again? Why go to the same restaurant you have been to before?

 

[tomnorth]

Tom I have asked myself this question so many time

I walked the entire CF in 2014 and went back in 2015 but just for ten days... in 2016 I walked the VdlP/Sanabres and then in 2017 I did another week on the CF. I've loved every walk... every time I return to the CF I've loved it and I've seen different things... different people, different experiences... it feels like coming home... and so far I don't see the desire to go back waning.

Next week I am leaving for Spain again and I have mulled over and over which route to take... the weather, transport problems and a few health niggles have all pointed me back to the CF... this time I'm going to start around Burgos (I've not walked that section since 2014).

I'm worried that it will be busy... that maybe in some way it just wont be the same without the majestic mountains at the start... I've pondered so many different scenarios but then I watch the BBC programmes and it reminded me of how beautiful the CF is... I revisited my blog and the emotion of that first walk still brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye... I've watched The Way about 3 times in the last week... packed and unpacked my bag... tried about 17 different options for getting to Santiago via Gronze and Godesalco and I'm ready. I'm returning because it's there... and it's calling me... and I need to go walk.

I've decided to stop asking why... because I always try to answer myself and my worries make me second guess everything.

I'm not sure my answer here has helped you much... but I'll let you know more in about 4 weeks time when I come home.

“I'm returning because it's there... and it's calling me... and I need to go walk.“

Beautifully put!

 

[Anamiri]

Yes my yearn to be on the Camino, is very different from wanting/not wanting to go back to a holiday spot.
For me the Camino is not a holiday, but an experience.
I have been to places on holiday before and been quite happy never to return, others I quite liked and would maybe return - but I am not emotionally invested in them.
A Camino is a whole lot of different things for me, all wrapped up together. But what makes it not a holiday is that it is also a test of myself, my thoughts and my beliefs.
I like the Me that I am when I'm on the Camino.

 

[nycwalking]

Why do the same hike at home? Why listen to the same song again and again? Why go to the same restaurant you have been to before?

Amen.

And, I'll add: because you can!

Buen camino.

 

[Kiwi-family]

So far I’ve done different Caminos every time with the exception of the part from Melide which we had to cover twice (once on Frances, once after Primitivo).
I prefer routes I’ve not done before, but, that said, I’m about to repeat the San Salvador and Primitivo in October. Why? Because the kids loved those routes and Daddy hasn’t done those ones so we’ll do them together (and hopefully remind the kids how much they do actually like walking - they’ve gone off it at home and it’s become a chore they suffer through)
My forays on the Frances have been haphazard (first trip just from Astorga, next from Pamplona to St Jean backwards, then Pamplona to Leon before heading north - so I think one day i’d Like to do St Jean to Santiago and i’m Sure it would still have the novelty factor.
After that I think there are too many other routes i’d Like to do so will probably not be tempted back to the Frances.

 

[C clearly]

I’m curious how others have handled this question.

Just ask them if they have ever voluntarily done something more than once. It really is a silly question. The only possible reason would be that you are doing it simply as a bucket list item, and once it is checked off there is no other reason to go.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

“I'm returning because it's there... and it's calling me... and I need to go walk.“

Beautifully put!

That’s why I take the next step , beeing a volunteer starting at the end of next week .
Wish you a wonderfull time and a Buen Camino , Peter .

 

[peregrina2000]

@mspath introduced me to a beautiful answer to this question, written by Portuguese Nobel Laureate José Saramago:

"The end of one journey is simply the start of another. You have to see what you missed the first time, see again what you already saw, see in springtime what you saw in summer, in daylight what you saw at night, see the sun shining where you saw the rain falling, see crops growing, the fruit ripen, the stone which has moved, the shadow that was not there before. You have to go back to the footsteps already taken, to go over them again or add fresh ones alongside them. You have to start the journey anew. Always."

And if you walk from Lisbon, you can see Saramago's birthplace and home in the town of Azinhaga.

 

[ratherbefollowingflechas]

We decided to re-walk the last 250k due to horrendous weather throughout Galicia and upon our arrival in Santiago. When I expressed my sadness to my husband that the Camino wouldn't be the same without our friends from our first Camino, he wisely replied, "they will all be there, they will just have new faces and names". He was right!

Buen Camino!

 

[scruffy1]

Stop at different villages, towns, and albergues and it won't be the same at all. But truly WHY? There are so many different ways to arrive in Santiago-different provinces, different countries, different languages, different distances, not all finishing on the CF. Go for something unexpected and far less crowded-Le Puy, Lisboa, Sevilla all come easily to mind. Not enough time? Do half and come back to finish, the Camino will still be there.

 

[Bradypus]

I have walked the Camino Frances 3 times - with gaps of 12 and 14 years between my journeys. The physical landscape of Spain had changed very little each time but in almost all other respects the three journeys were completely different experiences. I have walked many other routes since I first walked the Camino Frances. I love discovering new places. But that does not mean that I cannot find something new and fresh if I choose to walk a familiar path again some day.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Even if walking the same route a second (or more) Camino will never be the same as the first, it will be different in many ways. You have already recognised that so I think a good answer to 'Why?' could be 'Why not!'

 

[t2andreo]

When I repeat a route, I see, hear and smell things I missed the first time around. I experience things differently as there is typically less pressure to move along. There is less of an imperative to get to the next village, albergue, whatever, as you have been there already.

The first time you are usually focused on accomplishment. The second and subsequent times, you concentrate on content and quality. Doubt this? Ask MSPATH. She has done the Frances too many times to count. The hospitaleros all along this route know her. She knows the bar owner, taxi drivers, etc. You know you are a regular when these proprietors recognize you when you walk through the door.

There are many Forum members who do this. Some, like the folks living in Europe, can opt to do a segment at a time, as the logistics are favorable (absent a French train strike).

Hope this helps.

 

[OTH86]

I love new experiences, and I love the repeat experience. We are constantly changing as humans, and are never the same when we repeat something - including re-reading books.
Thank you @peregrina2000 for repeating the quote by José Saramago! It is such a wonderful way of looking at life!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I went back to the Frances for a second time, but only after walking the Norte/Primitivo inbetween. Although I still loved walking the Frances (and was with 2 family members on their first camino), as the final week approached I thought "Ok, this is enough of this. I want to see new things and experience new terrain and adventures".... I leave for the Le Puy on May 30th and can't wait!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I love everyones' answers on this thread! All are good to me, even with the varying opinions. I find some of my own reasons in each of the replies.

 

[easygoing]

Next Spring I plan to walk my second Camino Frances. Today I got the question of “why would you walk the same exact route and have the same exact experience a second time?” My off the cuff answer was that it won’t be the same exact experience as I had the first time. I’m curious how others have handled this question. As an aside, I’m interested to hear how you would compare subsequent Caminos on the same route with your first.

I get asked that question even on the Camino. I've walked the Camino Francis five times and leave in a month to walk it again alone. My answer is " I'm not tired of it. When I get tired of it I'll try something else." To those people who say why go back and have the same experience again you can answer why bother living there's a chance each day may be the same and often it is. I like the Comfort the familiarity and seeing some of the same people again. I'm the happiest on the Camino and part of that is it feels like home something I never had as a child.
And maybe the best answer is ----because I want to.

 

[Tincatinker]

"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man" Heraclitus circa 544bce

I've re-rendered that as: Κανένας προσκυνητής δεν περπατά στον ίδιο δρόμο δύο φορές γιατί δεν είναι ποτέ ο ίδιος δρόμος και δεν είναι ο ίδιος προσκυνητής

Don't ya just love those wrinkly old Greeks. A bit of gender consciousness would have come in handy but hey...

 

[JamesGeier]

"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man" Heraclitus circa 544bce

Exactly. I walked the Camino Frances from SJPdP to Santiago de Compostella., first in the spring of 2016 and then in the autumn of 2017. What I posted earlier on a different thread was:

Knowing much about what each day will bring, perhaps I can immerse myself even more in the beauty of spring in northern Spain, and have an even deeper meditative/spiritual experience.

The second Camino was all that and a far, far deeper experience. I did not remember all the details, but knowing what the day would bring allowed me to immerse myself in the beauty, the sounds, the smells, all so beautiful. The meditative, spiritual, and religious experience was far deeper. I seemed to have more time, and was able to learn more of the history, visit more museums, churches, make more side trips (like to Samos and to Vilar de Donas outside Palas de Rei). I ate better and attended more pilgrim's masses.

My first Camino will always be special; the second a far deeper and very moving experience. I enjoyed every moment. I am so very grateful.

Buen Camino,
--jim geier--

 

[tomnorth]

Exactly. I walked the Camino Frances from SJPdP to Santiago de Compostella., first in the spring of 2016 and then in the autumn of 2017. What I posted earlier on a different thread was:

Knowing much about what each day will bring, perhaps I can immerse myself even more in the beauty of spring in northern Spain, and have an even deeper meditative/spiritual experience.

The second Camino was all that and a far, far deeper experience. I did not remember all the details, but knowing what the day would bring allowed me to immerse myself in the beauty, the sounds, the smells, all so beautiful. The meditative, spiritual, and religious experience was far deeper. I seemed to have more time, and was able to learn more of the history, visit more museums, churches, make more side trips (like to Samos and to Vilar de Donas outside Palas de Rei). I ate better and attended more pilgrim's masses.

My first Camino will always be special; the second a far deeper and very moving experience. I enjoyed every moment. I am so very grateful.

Buen Camino,
--jim geier--

There is something to be said for knowing the drill, leaving your head with more space for the important things.

 

[owms2323]

Next Spring I plan to walk my second Camino Frances. Today I got the question of “why would you walk the same exact route and have the same exact experience a second time?” My off the cuff answer was that it won’t be the same exact experience as I had the first time. I’m curious how others have handled this question. As an aside, I’m interested to hear how you would compare subsequent Caminos on the same route with your first.

I walked it in Sept/Oct 2014 and again in April/May 2016. It looks different in Spring than it does in Fall and you meet different people, and you yourself are a different person. Also, you have less anxiety and different expectations. It is a very different experience and every bit as wonderful. I would love to do it at least a 3rd time!

 

[Dave2525]

Never say never but right now I'm in the mindset that there are so many other places that I've never seen.

I read the comments that it won't be the exact same experience, you are different, the time of year is different, blah, blah, blah. I'm just not feeling it but who knows if that may change with the passage of time.

 

[Ali Hurley]

Next Spring I plan to walk my second Camino Frances. Today I got the question of “why would you walk the same exact route and have the same exact experience a second time?” My off the cuff answer was that it won’t be the same exact experience as I had the first time. I’m curious how others have handled this question. As an aside, I’m interested to hear how you would compare subsequent Caminos on the same route with your first.

I get the same question all the time. I am due at the end of April to begin Camino Frances for the third time .I explain different experiences and people I meet. Even the weather can be a game changer. I am just so looking forward to whatever happens Buen Camino

 

[Plataman]

Next Spring I plan to walk my second Camino Frances. Today I got the question of “why would you walk the same exact route and have the same exact experience a second time?” My off the cuff answer was that it won’t be the same exact experience as I had the first time. I’m curious how others have handled this question. As an aside, I’m interested to hear how you would compare subsequent Caminos on the same route with your first.

Hi! I did the Frances twice, on 09 and 13. They were very different experiences. The novelty of the first is unforgettable. The second gives you the opportunity to experience the walk in a deeper way, since you already have an idea what is coming next. You will enjoy your second walk, but in some different ways from your first Camino. I was also amazed at what I remembered in terms of little details of the route. In that respect, remembered details ( a town, a cafe, a bridge or hill) triggers memories of your first walk, and you walk that walk again.
I did the VLDP in spring of 2016, and plan to do it again this fall.
Buen Caminos!

 

[Tvsteve]

I’ve done the Frances three times: 1999 by bike, 2001-2005 in stages with my wife and 2017 alone from SJPP. All three different experiences. I plan on doing it again in 2022, when I’m 80, if I can wait that long.

I asked a pilgrim in 2001 why he was doing it a second time. His answer was, “not a day goes by when I don’t think about the Camino”

Amen

 

[Plataman]

I’ve done the Frances three times: 1999 by bike, 2001-2005 in stages with my wife and 2017 alone from SJPP. All three different experiences. I plan on doing it again in 2022, when I’m 80, if I can wait that long.

I asked a pilgrim in 2001 why he was doing it a second time. His answer was, “not a day goes by when I don’t think about the Camino”

Amen

I could not agree more. I am 69, will celebrate my 70 th this fall on the VLDP. Your determination to do another walk at 80 is an inspiration.

 

[Herndon]

So I truly can't answer your question because I haven't done the same Camino yet....but I had much the same thought when I did my first Camino in 2016(starting as a solo hiker)....the second night on the Way there was an older Canadian couple who were on the 7th or 8th time...then I didn't get it...they admitted they weren't purists, they would take taxis through some of the boring or paved paths into the cities, but they really enjoyed it....at that point I thought if was fun, but still thought of it as a once in a lifetime experience, there wasn't an expectation or desire to do this again, let alone seven or eight times...as I began to form friendships and formed a tight Camino "Family" I still thought of this as a one time thing...It wasn't till I returned home after making it to Santiago and to the end of the world, did it occur to me that I may want to try this again...last year I ended up meeting with a French Way friend in Porto and we completed the Portuguese and Inglis together....it wasn't the same, because as others have pointed out, we weren't the same, but it was still good...It will never be the same because the companionship will be different as well as the weather....Next year I would like to do a week or more on the French Way again but this time with my wife...part of the same route that I will have walked before but this time a new and totally different experience...

 

[Kathryn1966]

I walked my first Camino in 2017and that will always be special and I said I would never do it again but things change and now I know I will be walking it again and I know when the time is right. The Camino is an experience and I do agree I like the me when I am on the Camino

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Because you hope you'll get it "right" next time. Otherwise I'd agree with whoever* said that the definition of insanity was "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

* attributed to Einstein but I'm sure he was brighter than that.

 

[Anne Measures]

Yes my yearn to be on the Camino, is very different from wanting/not wanting to go back to a holiday spot.
For me the Camino is not a holiday, but an experience.
I have been to places on holiday before and been quite happy never to return, others I quite liked and would maybe return - but I am not emotionally invested in them.
A Camino is a whole lot of different things for me, all wrapped up together. But what makes it not a holiday is that it is also a test of myself, my thoughts and my beliefs.
I like the Me that I am when I'm on the Camino.

I love that “I like the ME that I am when on the Camino” resonates with me. Thank you for reflections. Gentle memories

 

[Pink Girl]

@Anamiri I also love who I am on the Camino. I felt like I was more myself there than anywhere else.

I did my first Camino September-October 2017 and am already feeling pulled to do another. I don’t think the Camino is done with me yet. I feel like it’s calling me back. Whenever I try to explain this feeling to non-Camino people though, I think they see me as a little wacko...

 

[Ballari]

I get asked that question even on the Camino. I've walked the Camino Francis five times and leave in a month to walk it again alone. My answer is " I'm not tired of it. When I get tired of it I'll try something else." To those people who say why go back and have the same experience again you can answer why bother living there's a chance each day may be the same and often it is. I like the Comfort the familiarity and seeing some of the same people again. I'm the happiest on the Camino and part of that is it feels like home something I never had as a child.
And maybe the best answer is ----because I want to.

Oh... You said it exactly! I love the Frances and have walked it 4 times. I've just returned and I'm already planning my next Camino. Next time someone asks me why, you have given me the perfect answer, as that is how I feel too! Thank you @easygoing You have made my day. See you on the trail one day! Buen Camino

 

[efdoucette]

Camino #8 next month. I have been on the Frances twice, Portugal, France, Italy, other areas of Spain. This year thanks to Kitsampler (hope I have that name right) I will walk in Switzerland before I meet old Camino friends to walk some of the Camino Catalan (thanks to Perigrina2000). I'm reminded of something I read on this forum years ago "Every Camino I walk I get closer to my real self". I find walking the Camino liberating, you never know what you will see or who you will meet. It enhances your life ... forever.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I walked my first Camino in 2015, thinking it was a "bucket list" item to check off. It was only a couple of weeks after I returned home that I was surprised how much I missed the daydreaming, planning and adventure of it all. I'm sure that being newly retired with more free time enhanced my thoughts and propelled them into high gear.
So, like so many others here, the Camino started calling me back and I was compelled to go again. I leave in 6 more weeks for my 4th Camino, the Le Puy route this time...and am so very excited!

 

[Phoenix]

I've been watching this thread since its origination but, until now, wasn't quite able to put my thoughts into a reply. When I decided (late summer 2017) to do another Camino, I desired to do something different, which led me to plan for the del Norte. Once the planning was completed, I found that I had a strong calling/desire to go back to the CF for the 3rd time; I couldn't quite pinpoint why I was having a change of heart. This thread spurred some serious thought on my part and I believe I have finally reached the root cause of my decision.

The first time I went was to help a friend. The second time I went was to help my son transition from military to civilian life. This time I am going solo. I want to take my time and be in the moment. I want to give God tribute for restoring my ability to walk, and I want to serve other pilgrims along the way in any way I am able. Thus, I suppose the longing for the CF is to go where the larger # of people are.

 

[tomnorth]

I've been watching this thread since its origination but, until now, wasn't quite able to put my thoughts into a reply. When I decided (late summer 2017) to do another Camino, I desired to do something different, which led me to plan for the del Norte. Once the planning was completed, I found that I had a strong calling/desire to go back to the CF for the 3rd time; I couldn't quite pinpoint why I was having a change of heart. This thread spurred some serious thought on my part and I believe I have finally reached the root cause of my decision.

The first time I went was to help a friend. The second time I went was to help my son transition from military to civilian life. This time I am going solo. I want to take my time and be in the moment. I want to give God tribute for restoring my ability to walk, and I want to serve other pilgrims along the way in any way I am able. Thus, I suppose the longing for the CF is to go where the larger # of people are.

This is beautiful. We go where we are called.

 

[Baba John]

Exactly. I walked the Camino Frances from SJPdP to Santiago de Compostella., first in the spring of 2016 and then in the autumn of 2017. What I posted earlier on a different thread was:

Knowing much about what each day will bring, perhaps I can immerse myself even more in the beauty of spring in northern Spain, and have an even deeper meditative/spiritual experience.

The second Camino was all that and a far, far deeper experience. I did not remember all the details, but knowing what the day would bring allowed me to immerse myself in the beauty, the sounds, the smells, all so beautiful. The meditative, spiritual, and religious experience was far deeper. I seemed to have more time, and was able to learn more of the history, visit more museums, churches, make more side trips (like to Samos and to Vilar de Donas outside Palas de Rei). I ate better and attended more pilgrim's masses.

My first Camino will always be special; the second a far deeper and very moving experience. I enjoyed every moment. I am so very grateful.

Buen Camino,
--jim geier--

Amen, Amen, Amen

 

[Baba John]

If you haven't seen the documentary, and have walked the Camino, Six Ways to Santiago, I hope you will go online and avail yourselves of the opportunity. If you have not walked the Camino and have been watching youtube videos hoping to gain some knowledge (other than how many pairs of socks to bring) I would not suggest wasting your time because without the experience of the walk these videos of the experience are not worthy of your time.

Harsh judgement?

Perhaps, but after watching videos in the summer of 2015 before I left for my first Camino, and then watching them again after walking it was the difference between "night and day". I was in Armenia in a hotel watching pilgrims wrestling with blisters, self doubt, and the vulnerability of feeling all alone in a sea of fellow pilgrims and tears would (and still do) come to my eyes.

That said... why walk the Camino more than once?

Going back to the aforementioned Doc. (Six Ways...). There is a young pilgrim (three years old) when asked why he's walking the Camino replied (en francais)

"Because...because I have no choice." st. cyrian

Remember...one foot in front of the other. Do not be attached to the outcome. Be happy and accept,you really have... "no choice"

Buen Camino...wherever you walk.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I saw "Six Ways" at an albergue last spring on my 3rd camino and I remember that little boy saying that...wise words for a three year old!

 

[Bal-Toi]

Next Spring I plan to walk my second Camino Frances. Today I got the question of “why would you walk the same exact route and have the same exact experience a second time?” My off the cuff answer was that it won’t be the same exact experience as I had the first time. I’m curious how others have handled this question. As an aside, I’m interested to hear how you would compare subsequent Caminos on the same route with your first.

Do people go on holiday to the same resort? Do people return to the same restaurant or eat the same food? If we find something we love, why are we required to give it up because we "did it once before"?

 

[Rj7797]

After the past couple of years I wouldn’t question why anyone would do it again if given the chance. I will be five years removed from my Camino soon and I honestly would have thought I would have returned by now. It just hasn’t been “in the cards” between work and pandemic. I am simply waiting for the Camino door to open again and I will gladly do the Frances again

 

[Plataman]

Having done the Frances twice and the VLDP twice, I can add that in both cases the second time was illuminating...I saw and experienced a different Camino each time... What is missing is some of the novelty of exploring and experiencing the unknown, but I found that was more than offset by the ability to be better aware of, and appreciate, my surroundings. Kind of like revisiting an old haunt, or an old friend. Doing the same Camino twice ( or more) is probably as much about an individuals' personality than anything else. ( I am hoping to do the VLDP for the third time this year).

 

[Albertagirl]

I find that I do parts of familiar caminos numerous times, simply because I always walk to Santiago. However I approach it, there are only so many ways to stay on marked caminos that end in Santiago. For example, my first two camino walks were the Frances from St Jean pied de Port and the Aragones from Oloron Ste Marie, joining the Frances at Puenta la Reina. For my next camino, I walked the VdlP to the Sanabres, and for my walk in 2021 I began on the Levante in Valencia but finished from Zamora to the Sanabres again, to Santiago. Other routes, many of which which I have not yet walked, begin in various places, but to get to Santiago I usually have to join a familiar route. That can be quite reassuring when walking in a time of pandemic.