Background History
In August 2013, after retiring, I set off on my Camino Long Walk from Rorschach Switzerland to Finisterre Spain over 2,600 kms and 5 Camino routes.
The walk did not quite go as planned 😳…17 days in and 1 day from Geneva I had a serious eye problem diagnosed…partially detached retina! Had to fly home on an emergency basis …received great help from family at home…had successful eye surgery. So successful that 6 weeks later I was back at Day 17 stopping point outside Geneva.
Over the next 40 days I walked 2 Camino routes from Geneva to Le Puy en Velay and from there to St Jean Pied de Port. I then happily returned home for my daughters wedding in Jamaica 🇯🇲
In spring of 2014 my brother Marc and I set off to complete the Camino Long Walk…spent an unplanned night in Paris as our backpacks did NOT make the flight! On Easter weekend we managed to get standing room tickets on the train…in the space between the rail cars (a little bumpy 🤣) and made our way to St Jean Pied de Port for the ~900 kms walking journey on the Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostela and then to Finistere (considered the end of the earth in 1500’s).
The first day we walked the Napoleon high route over the Pyrénées to the famed Roncesvalles Albergue where we bunked in a male wing of approximately 30 or so...we had quite the night!
Being introverted I wanted to find a way to meet people more easily so I had the crazy idea of handing out small Canadian plastic lapel pins to pilgrims, shop keepers, random people etc as I was walking. Overall 2000 or so pins (all donated courtesy Members of Parliament) were given…including a few large donations in hostels on the table prior to leaving.
Many great stories here…one of them in the Roncesvalles Albergue at the sink area of the men’s washroom. Next to me was this young (mid 30’s) funny looking fellow so my little schtick kicked in “Hi I’m from Canada 🇨🇦…here is a little souvenir lapel pin”. That young whippersnapper was Paulo…a high priced lawyer…married…2 young children from Recife Brazil (shark infested waters off Recife…no joke).
That night Marc and I went to a local restaurant and were waved over to the Brazilian table with Paulo, Daniel and Chico (the three Brazilians had just met)…more lapel pins given. Marc and I were in fine form and really laid it on thick for our southern neighbours as to how brutally cold 🥶 Winnipeg Canada was…11 months of snow and ice…polar bears roaming the streets, ice skating, cross country skiing and snowmobiles only way to get around etc etc. Not sure what was believed however some of it was 🤣
That night was a horror show as the World Champion Snorer (later we met Guiseppe and his wife from Italy…they got thank you lapel pins!) who essentially kept 30 others awake most of the night. Marc and I were super tired that morning however some of that was our fault as we killed ourselves laughing a good part of the night.
In the morning Paulo…who was on the top bunk over Guiseppe was a total mess as he approached Marc “I don’t want to walk with Brazilians…can I walk with you Canadians?” We said sure and over the next 26 days to Santiago de Compostela we walked together…often with other pilgrims as well.
Giuseppe carrying 2 backpacks on the trail
We then exchanged emails with Paulo (later WhatsApp) and said our goodbyes never expecting to meet again.
Over the next few years kept in touch with Paulo and late 2017 we decided (Marc was unable to join us) to walk the Camino Portuguese from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela a little over 600 kms. An aggressive plan (I had nothing to do with this plan 😇) over 3 weeks or close to 30 kms a day. But the route was flat…what could go wrong 😳😥?
Well so many things went wrong it’s laughable! Started early after landing in Lisbon airport and trying to get a local SIM card for my cell phone. Local Canadian carrier had twice confirmed that my iPhone was unlocked…WRONG…so no Internet capability as I walked out of the airport. No Google maps to guide me…and I quickly took a wrong turn and heard “Guy you are going the wrong way!”. Thankfully Paulo was coming to meet me! Phone problem was then resolved long distance with some effort that evening.
Paulo through client work in Lisbon had finagled free separate luxurious rooms at the hotel. Next morning we met downstairs to start our walk…but Paulo looked absolutely terrible! He had been up most of the night…gone to the hospital…kidney stone attack. Was told to drink a lot to help it pass…so he had 5 or 6 beers 🍻! We had a good heart to heart that health was first priority however Paulo though he would be fine so we started to walk!
Over the next 4 days it poured...often a hard driving rain…over 250mm (8 to 9 inches) of rain! Absolutely drenched…and after day 2 I had developed mega blisters on both feet…think slicing an egg lengthwise in 3…one of the outer sections.
Why blisters? Well rain, overconfidence on my part, long distances 100kms in 3+ days, poor equipment (same 3 pairs of socks worn for previous 2,600 kms)…new shoes that were wide width by mistake (did not check the box!) and the ultimate stupidity on my part…slapping on Compeed bandages on fully formed blisters. Paulo did warn me to use trusty needle draining technique but I knew better ...all I did was to trap the blisters intact under the Compeed bandages.
Walked 2 days like this and then finally…first time in my Camino walking…told Paulo I was unable to go on. That was a very very rough moment! He flagged down a bus…I went to the train station and on to that nights accommodation. Paulo walked through the day and when he rejoined me later he had had a rough day as well…I blurted out that I had a plan…he also had a plan…I went first. I would take the train to Porto…rest…get some medical help and once Paulo arrived walk the final 300kms or so to Santiago de Compostela.
Paulo had the same plan except he decided he was going to Porto with me. There I met a Camino Angel…Dr. Olga who worked close to an hour removing the bandages etc etc. When she first saw my feet she said something in Portuguese …probably something like “this man is a complete utter idiot”…I will never know as she was smiling.
Four days off my feet…then Dr Olga gave me a green light however we were under strict orders to walk 20km days…get new socks, frequent bandage changes and a promise to phone Dr. Olga with updates (which Paulo did 3/4 times). How many Drs. do you know would have made this last request? So off we went…overall a pleasant walk in the countryside however I often felt like I was walking over hot coals (never done that) and I simply hobbled and gutted it out over the final 14 days.
When I was finished I simply said "this was my last Camino". No way could I ever do this again…too painful!
WhatsApp message from Paulo Fall 2019… let’s walk a 2 week Camino in spring 2020. WHAT? Don't you remember what I did in 2018? Do you think I am any brighter now? Couple of minutes deep reflection and Why not…I am older, wiser and what happened in 2018 was just bad luck! 😊
So…we quickly move to planning 2020…Camino Primitivo in May 2020. Then “He who shall not be named” hits everyone/everywhere…in early March 2020 it’s clear this won’t be possible with the world shutting down. We cancel.
So…I hear of a Frenchman who ran a marathon on his apartment's 23 ft balcony and I have a brilliant idea. Why not walk an Alternate Camino Primitivo on the 29 ft deck in the backyard? Over the next 12 days…sometimes in pouring rain…usually starting 5am or so I walk…30,000+ lengths of deck... 310 kms.
2021…nothing possible. 2022…things are opening up quickly and Paulo and I decide we will make a Go/No Go decision May 15, 2022.
I see an Air Canada seat sale late April 2022 and simply fed up waiting decide Go on my own. 4 vaccinations, COVID exposure in Jan 2022…record numbers at the end of April 2022 of people getting their Compostela’s (walk last 100 kms to Santiago de Compostela with two pilgrim stamps each day in your credential). So far in 2022 pilgrim numbers are 5% higher than 2019 when a record 348,000 pilgrims received their Compostela’s.
Paulo agrees and he books as well…
New Plan 2022
Two parts to the plan…
Part one - Paulo has 2 weeks therefore we will walk the Camino Primitivo together. A little write up about this Camino…
History:
The Primitivo is believed to be the first camino route taken by a pilgrim to Santiago. The Spanish King Alfonso II walked from the Kingdom's then capital, Oviedo, in the 9th century after hearing that the remains of St James the Apostle had been discovered in Compostela.
The Route:
El Camino Primitivo takes a direct route from Oviedo to Lugo and then on to Melide, on the Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostela. In total approximately 310 kms usually taking 12-14 days.
It is a hard route through the mountains with a great deal of climbing and descending, but mainly on well-made paths. There are some fantastic views if the weather is kind. The way marking overall is good.
The weather can be harsh, even in summer, damp and cold. As in all high regions it can change very quickly. You can have many superb days of sunshine with magnificent views, you can also be shrouded in damp mist for the whole day and become wet through and miserable.
Preparation for a 12 day walk with planned daily stages and potential accomodation completed. So far have booked a few nights at the start to simplify things and at the end in Santiago de Compostela at Hospederia San Martin Pinero a very special place.The plan is to stick to private rooms…sometimes within an Albergue to minimize COVID exposure and a repeat Giuseppe snoring experience.
I will arrive late morning Sept 15th in Madrid…Paulo early evening…then a flight on Sketchy Airlines to Asturias airport. We then catch a bus either 10 minutes after flight arrives 🤔😳 or 1 hour after for a 45 minute ride to Oviedo. Then a 20 minute walk to Green Hostel…hoping their instructions for off hour entry work 😂…so close to midnight...if this fails find the nearest park bench!
There is an option to take a taxi from Asturias airport for a few extra Euros which may seem pretty appealing when we land!
Next morning the walk begins 😊
Part two - If I feel strong after completing the Camino Primitivo and all is good elsewhere I would like to walk the Camino Salvador from Leon to Oviedo through the mountains. It is described as being spectacular in certain areas.
A little writeup about the Camino Salvador
A route through the Cordillera mountain range linking León to Oviedo.
This is an ancient route to the Catedral del Salvador in Oviedo from the Camino Francés. After many holy relics were moved here to protect them from the Moors invading from the south, pilgrims were encouraged to visit the Cathedral of Our Saviour in Oviedo on their way to Santiago - usually continuing along the Camino Primitivo. The Camino San Salvador is a much quieter route than most and a good opportunity to avoid overcrowding in the last stages of the Camino Francés.
The route
The route is some 120 km. long, and starts from León following the east bank of the Rio Benesga. For the first 40 km as far as Buiza, the Camino follows the river valley, and is fairly flat, mainly on paths or very minor roads. There are a number of small towns. The next 25 km cross the Cordillera to Pajares village in Asturias, and has two quite substantial ascents and descents.
The way marking is generally good. Generally 5-6 days are taken…I plan on 5 days. Cumulative ascent 3,100 meters with cumulative descent 3,600 with some days over 1,000 meters for both ascent/descent so like the Camino Primitivo it will be challenging.
In past blog entries I have commented on the many Dangerous Animals that I have encountered...cows with/without horns, big dogs, a few snakes, creepy slugs, loose chickens, sheep, horses, hunters after wild boar, goats, many different birds etc etc.
One Camino Forum member commented that on his walk on the Camino Salvador he has heard there are some wild boars, seen big barking dogs and 2 types of snakes. I absolutely hate snakes...who knows what I will do if one bars my path!
Now I know wild boars are not nice and many other Forum members commented they have not seen any wild boars or snakes on this Camino. I posted a reply on the Forum and asked the member in question whether he had seen any bears (Grizzly and Polar were my stated concern) or tigers (any kind). He chose not to reply to me 🤣.
A second Camino Forum member has just commented that he has seen 2 types of snakes as well...I have just commented on the Forum that if a King Cobra snake has been seen that's it...this Camino isn't for me. So far no reply...phew! This reminds me of my preparation for the 5 day Kumano Kodo Japanese pilgrimage walk that I was fortunate to do in 2015. In preparation research the issue of snakes was there...I almost decided not to walk however I did and the experience was incredible...including the Dual Pilgrim certificate received.
Maybe early October it will be cold...or even snow a bit...that will slow them down for sure and being from Winnipeg...no problem!
So hopefully this Camino will be possible…may never get the chance to do in the future. I will contact two past Pilgrim friends Georges 2013 (Belgium) and Cyrille 2013/2014 (France) to see if they might be interested. A long shot after this length of time…however you never know!
Future 2037 Plan
A month ago our little grandson Rishi joined the family. When Rishi was about 1 week old the two of us had a heart to heart sit down chat about the future…ok he may have been pressed against my chest 😂.
I asked him if he would like to walk a Camino route with his Papi (French name for grandfather) in April 2037 when he turns 15 and a few months after I turn 80.
Rishi excitedly indicated YES…I saw his arms wave and felt a kick to the stomach! Then he actually said “Let’s do it Papi!” Well that was my interpretation of the noise he made…someone else with less imagination might have thought he had gas or even worse was doing something else however I am very sure we have a plan!
Note granddaughters Rose & Elodie may well beat out Rishi for a Camino walk with Papi…all to be seen in the future 😂🤣.
One must always have plans!
A few more Blog posts to make in near future…one to provide some incredible stats on the reach of this International blog and to give thanks to 2 System Architects…something which I thought I would NEVER do!
Another will be on preparation and changes to be implemented based on advanced age (still in shock that I have turned 65!) and a few mistakes I may have made 🤣 during the 2018 Camino Portuguese! Geez if I could only remember what those mistakes were!
Hasta pronto mi amigas
Guy
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