Post Travel Tristesse

[travelertrish]

Tristesse translates into "sadness" in English, and maybe that can sum up what I'm feeling this morning. The trip was just too short; I left my guy over there when it only makes sense for us to be together; the kitchen--having been occupied by Raf--needed an hour of rehab before I could make coffee; there is admin work that now cannot be put off

Comments

[idahoswede]

Ah I so want to do The Way myself, but had not thought about doing it in stages as you are doing. Perhaps I shall reconsider (of course my starting point would be Canterbury as well).

[travelertrish]

A fine place to start.

[pondhopper]

Heh....stages is the ONLY way to do it at our age. When you get to Spain we'll join you, of course.

[88greenthumb]

Stages, yes this time! As you probably remember, I did my Camino in 28 consecutive days, but when and if I go next, I will go in stages....I want come with you guys! Let's get a group together!

[pondhopper]

Damn the bedbugs.
:/
But I so enjoyed reading your full account and like Carolyn, and despite our bad knees and other rusty bits, we want to walk the Camino in stages. St. Jean Pied de Port is where many start if they plan on crossing over into Spain and doing the Camino Francés.

Generally though, along the Spanish Caminio, people get up very early and only walk until noon or so in order to get to the albergues and find a space. And of course, there's the heat.

And don't worry about not having great conversations along the way in Spain. It is one of the most truly international experiences in the world.

Perhaps we'll join you when you reach Spain.

Thanks for this, Trish.

[88greenthumb]

See my comment to your comment above and my comment to Trish below.

[88greenthumb]

Wonderful post, P. And welcome back!

This post brings back nice memories of my Camino some years back and my feet are itching to do another one! Although there are many similarities between your walk & mine, there are differences, as well... Maybe I will walk some parts of your route with you in 2 years or so when you're closer to St. Jean or Irun. I want to do the stages from Irun on the French border to Bilbao (where I started) on the Camino Norte. Then go from Gijon, still on the Camino Norte, to Santiago. Or something like that.

Talk with you soon!

[pondhopper]

We are more interested in the Camino Frances, G.
The Camino Primitivo is too wild for us, I fear.
;)
Or are you talking about heading south and then west from Gijon?

[travelertrish]

Donna, what does "too wild" mean to you? That's what JF wants to do, I think.

[pondhopper]

VERY rough terrain in places, not well marked...kind of the "forgotten camino" as it were. Talk to Gilda about her experiences. She was brave.

Manolo and I want to do the more traditional Camino Francés though there is also a Camino that starts from Seville, la Ruta de la Plata. That one is boring as it crosses Extremadura...kilometres and kilometres without villages and kind of desertic in parts. We once met an Australian pilgrim in Zamora who had started out from Seville and she said it was finally getting interesting way up there.
LOL

[judo100]

I want to hear more about this in person and see more photos.

Are there bathrooms (some sort of ecclesiastical porta-potty?)along the trail, or what do you use?

The food sounds great. The bed bugs sound awful.

[travelertrish]

We use the regular hiking protocol. Behind a tree, dig a shallow hole. Bury everything. But there are also villages with bars and restaurants with toilets. Sometimes, public toilets.