Walking alone; dangerous or adventurous

[cindy]

Hi everybody,

i am planning on walking the camino, or at least part of it, this septmeber on my own. I am new to the forum, so maybe i missed some info on this subject, but i didn´t see much about walking alone. Is it the ultimate adventure or just stupid and dangerous.
As a walker, i have beem told never to go out alone. Something might happen and all that. But are you ever really alone on the camino? And yes, if you go with other(s) you can share things instead of bringing everything yourself. Also the downs you can, at least partially, share with your companians.
I have heard of people being ´flashed´ on the camino, albeit shocking, not dangerous i suppose.....

Please your take on this subject. Ypur stories and advice are welcome!!!

[joe]

Having only been on this forum for a few weeks, I've learnt that going alone is more inspiring and exciting. When you're alone you will most definitely meet other pilgrims who are also alone, even couples, or groups, all of these pilgrims will let on to you, and talk to you, see how you're doing etc. So to answer your question, no, you're never really alone. There will be times when you are walking alone with no one else around for a km or more. But that to me is more peaceful than dangerous. Life isn't really living if you don't take risks.

There will always be someone to talk to about how you feel, and others will also tell you how they feel, whether it's positive or negative! The main thing is that they are strangers, and people often tend to tell strangers more about themselves than they do to the people who are closest to them. So you can be sure that everyone you meet will be honest and very open towards you, and you could do the same. By doing this you could make real friends, friends who won't judge you for anything.

I too will be walking alone, and all my family and friends think I'm crazy going to a foreign country alone and knowing absolutely no one. But that's the mystery of the Camino! You take the risk, and more often than not it is worth it, you don't know who you'll meet but you know you will meet someone.

However, there are dangers unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world and there are bad people in the world. But along the Camino you are never too far from another pilgrim or town. Whilst in busy towns just be extra cautious of your belongings and you should be fine. It is very rare (compared to the thousands of pilgrims who travel each year) for something bad to happen by going alone.

But again, even in a group, there are dangers. So it's a catch 22. Going alone will be a better experience because you can completely be yourself and hide nothing, as you usually would act a bit different to your friends because its human nature to want to fit in with our peers/friends, so you automatically adapt to change for the sake of friendship... which of course is completely normal and fine, but on the Camino you can truly find out who you really are, with no acts or masks to cover who you are. And the people you meet will be exactly the same.

Well, I haven't experienced any of this yet, but from what i've read here and other websites, that seems to be the common factor.

[HuskyNerd]

Joe, nicely put! I agree completely.

[Covey]

Cindy...............In my many trips down the Camino Frances from St Jean to Finesterre I have never heard of a lone female getting in to any problems along the way. I have never heard of flashers, but I do warn you that albergue living is not for the very prudish!! The accommodation is almost always mixed and you will sometimes end up in a bunk in close proximity to a man you have never been introduced to because the bunks are often pushed close together to provide the maximum number of beds available.

However, after three days on the trail, nobody could care less about semi dressed pilgrims doing their laundry and sorting out their blistered feet!!

Between 40 and 50% percent of Pilgrims are female and probably 80-90% of those arrive alone, but on the Camino you are never really alone, unless you want to be. Most find like minded souls who speak their own language, walk at the same pace and have a sense of humor and that ends up as your Camino Family, many of whom will be your friends for life!

The golden rule is that if you want to walk on your own for an hour, or a day just say " I want to walk on my own" Everybody understands that and no one will take offense. Although I love my Camino Family dearly, there are days when I just want to stretch my legs and walk alone, so we agree where we will end up that evening and walk alone looking forward to the company of your "family" over a meal and a glass of something warming.

There have been stories about illegal immigrants hiding in the woods to rob Pilgrims and another story about robbers attacking an albergue and robbing everybody of their valuables. The interesting thing is that these are always third hand stories and never an actual report of someone who had something bad happen to themselves, and never confirmed by newspapers in Spain or anywhere else.

If you ever feel uncomfortable about walking a section out in the hills, just ask another pilgrim if you can walk with them. Nobody will ever say no. If you sit at the side of the path having a breather, every pilgrim that passes you will ask if you are OK.

[cindy]

Thank you covey and joe for both of your explanations.... This was my first concern nad now i can just put it away and start concentrating on the way. I am looking forward to it and now that i have commited myself to doing the camino all these people are turning up that have done it or know somebody who has.... Everybody is prety much voicing what you have told me and it is good to hear it from different people. Now i am wishing i could start now instead of having to wait until Septmeber. On a positive note: i do live in Spain(not near the camino though) and there are some great walks in the mean time!
So am going to concentrate on getting myself in to shape(of some sort) and make sure i have all i need for the camino!
I am now getting advice from all sides... on what to take and what not(which varies a bit), apparently sportstape being the most valuable to make sure you get the least amount of irritation on the feet.... So bring on whatever the camino will bring me, i think i am ready...(except for the general fitness, budget, backpack, maps and other small details... ;-) ) i shall be doing a lot of reading on the forum. Thanks again, it really does help to talk about things....

[Covey]

I have walked the Camino Frances twice starting in the first week of September from St Jean and have thoroughly enjoyed it. The weather has always been good and the pace less frenetic than when I have started in July.

In September, the age profile goes up a few notches as the schools and universities have gone back and most walking the Way are in no great hurry to finish by a particular date. The weather is not as hot as July/August and the stage between Burgos and Leon (the dreaded Meseta) is much easier without the temperature being in the mid 30's which you get in July/Aug.

Finding a bed for the night is easier because the numbers walking are less and there is a much "calmer" atmosphere on the trail.

The only thing you need worry about now is footwear. Whatever you choose needs to be well broken in and comfortable, but for a September start, a good pair of walking shoes will be fine if you don't really want to wear boots.

[cindy]

I feel like such a novice(which offcourse i am ) but apart from the distance, the stage between Burgos and Leon (the dreaded Meseta) doesn´t look that difficult. I mean, yes, it is a long way (normally i would take the car) but it looks fairly flat. Nothing in comparison with the first stage from st jean port de pied, with it´s 1200m inclination.....Am i missing something??? (please remember that i just confessed being a camino virgin so what do i know).

You see, i´m not in great shape, although i walk weekly with a local walkingclub. The average age is about 30 years more than my 36years, but they are all fitter than me (luckely you can´t see the slightly jaleous look on my face while i´m writting this). Offcourse they have been walking 2 or 3 times a week. Our walks have an 400m height difference, between 10 and 15km, so i´m noway near prepared.(thank god for 4 months preparation).
And we aren´t even wearing a heavy backpack yet; i´m going to be in for a shock, i think .

The biggest problem i have now is that i want to just go instead of talking about it.... But i guess my time will come soon enough? Maybe i´ll see you out there? (i´ll be the one with the strange expression on my face(translation: why the h... am i doing this??? and why am i realy enjoying this????)

Thanks again for your explanation : apart from my personal fitness level, i am really ready to go!!!!

[Covey]

The Meseta is actually my favorite part of the Camino, but many miss out walking the Meseta and catch the bus between Burgos and Leon.

The Meseta is generally high and flat, but has very long rolling vistas. In July/August it can get very hot with temperatures in the mid 30's most of the time. The villages are further apart than between Pamplona and Burgos and in high summer it is hot dry and dusty with little shade.

Many of the guide books almost liken the Meseta to Death Valley in the USA but I enjoy being able to see for miles.

The albergue at Boadilla is well worth a stay with a very nice courtyard and swimming pool with lawns to sunbathe (there is nothing else to do in Boadilla except laundry and sunbathing!!)

A word on fitness.......... Most who walk the Camino are not that fit when they start out and by the end of week one they are a lot fitter.

Some years I do no training at all before I go, but last year I did because I was breaking in new footwear. My training ground is the Thames Pathway in London which is dead flat, but has a lot of pubs!

As for your heavy backpack.............It should not be heavy at all and when you leave home should be no more than 8kgs. When you get to Spain you will add 1.5kgs (ish) in water and food so all up your pack should not weigh more than 10kgs.

You can leave the LBD and heels behind because the Camino is not an exercise in elegance (unless of course you are French!), every day is a bad hair day, and makeup merely a long distant dream. Any female on the Camino wearing makeup is immediately regarded as Very High Maintenance!!

The funny thing about being a Pilgrim is when you return home. You tell your friends about the pain and blisters, generally poor accommodation, luke warm showers, bed bugs and indifferent food and when they ask why did you put up with all that, you have a smile a mile wide on your face and you tell them it was a fantastic experience.

Your friends will suggest you keep taking the tablets, but will wonder sometimes if they are missing something!

[joe]

Don't worry about fitness, I don't even have a weekly walk of 15km so I am no where near in shape. But for the past couple of weeks I've taken a trip to one of the National Parks here and walked about 12 miles (19km) with my backpack each time. Being fit isn't my main aim, but it is to wear in my walking shoes and deal with the blisters on my "soft" feet. Last week I got 2 blisters (wearing normal socks), I popped them, and then this week, again wearing normal socks, I got 2 blisters... exactly where the other 2 were!! I could feel them while walking after about 2 hours, and even though it was painful I just kept thinking "If I can't carry on walking, I wont be able to walk the Camino", this motivated me to carry on walking and deal with the pain... the pain isn't bad after a while, you only really feel it when you walk downhill and your feet slide the opposite direction.

The 12 mile walk took about 4 hours (walking uphill most of the way), and the temperature was only about 18c so it's nothing compared to Spain! But even in that heat I got sunburnt... and I haven't shaved for about 4 days, and only the top half of my face was red! So I think I too will be shaving along with Sandy haha (just so you know, I haven't been out in the sun for more than a year so imagine how white I am and how easily I burn). When I return from the Camino I will hopefully have nice tan, if not, I will look like a beetroot.

But seriously, don't worry about your fitness level, I leave in 3 weeks and I only started walking 2 weeks ago so there's no chance that I'll be prepared... but from reading on here, the first week is somewhat like a training course, so I'm looking forward to it!

[HuskyNerd]

Joe, it's hilarious to read your posts! Once you get one Camino under your belt you'll rival Covey for British wit and wisdom.

Sounds like you're getting lots of blisters. Have you tried sock liners? They allow your feet to slip inside your socks, reducing friction and hence blisters. If you borrow some of your mom's nylon stockings you'll get the same effect. I promise you'll eliminate your blisters if you put these on under your socks. Give 'em a try rather than fighting recurring blisters.

All the best ~
Sandy

[joe]

I have those 1000 mile socks, but I keep forgetting to wear them because they're still in the packaging! Bought 3 pairs of them, and 2 pairs of thick wool socks made by Karrimor, they have like a double layer on the sole and over the toes which is meant to prevent blisters, but again I haven't tried them out. I've only had 2 blisters so far (well, 4 but in the same places!) and that was with wearing cotton socks, so my feet were sweaty and the cotton socks retain the moisture so my feet were sweaty all day... which I assume is bad for blisters. But I think it's a good thing that I got blisters, they wont come as much of a surprise when i get them on the Camino!


I won't be able to challenge Covey for wisdom, maybe in a few years when I've done the Camino 2-3 times, then maybe. However, I will be spending 46 days on the Camino so I should get to see a lot more than the average person who completes it in 35 days. Then again, real wisdom comes with age and I'm still a kid.

[Covey]

I have bought 1000 Mile socks for the past three years, but have found that they work best when worn on ones feet and not left in the packaging!!

Normal everyday socks will end up giving you blisters, especially if they have cotton in them. As explained elsewhere on the Forum, cotton absorbs moisture but does not evaporate it easily, so your feet stay damp/wet, then rub and you get blisters

Most folk would rather not get blisters or have the pain and discomfort, so wear the 1000 Mile socks!!!!!

[joe]

I'll be taking them out of their pristine packaging tomorrow on my next walk! I've also got Camphor Spray which I haven't used either, basically you spray it on the bottom of your feet and it hardens the skin over time (with continous use for 2 weeks), and that also prevents blisters and sores. I'll be using that tomorrow too. Compeed blister plasters and compeed blister aftercare is still on my list of things to buy. So I do have the equipment, I just haven't used it yet... that will change soon enough though!

[unadara]

Hi Joe and Cindy
Joe-as your time draws near I would start wearing the socks and the boots/footwear during the day also, the places you had the blisters will take a while to heal, mine have sometimes taken weeks-please be careful of the sun, with fair skin the face and neck are most vulnerable, have you a hat with wide brim or neck protection ?
I too plan to walk in Sept and cant wait, am reading Tim Moore's Spanish Steps if you have time to get it, soo funny..all those weird people walking! and the bunks etc etc...as I say Can't wait to be one of "them".

[cindy]

Hey Unadara,
Maybe i should get that book too, as i am still waiting for my updates version guide book,, it might give me some insights the guide book doesn´t.... ;-)
Anyway, 4 months and a bit to go before my first steps on the camino and i´m ready to go now!!! I blame all of you for not wanting to wait!!!! I want to go now! So i guess this forum is doing what it is supossed to do in the coming to life of the camino and keeping it alive...
And it is educational aswell: never heard of 1000 miles socks, sockliners, albuerges and more.
camphor spray is new to me aswell, although i have been using vaseline on the heels and heavy sportstape on the soles of the feet, with great succes i might add. and if all else fails: Compeed!!!

but seriously covey, my friends are already saying i am driving them nuts with all that ´camino talk´ and have on more than one occcasion asked me if i am ´on something´(which by the way isn´t really a strange question as i was born and raised in Amsterdam) ;-)
I just can´t imagine what my lovely friends will come up with upon my return.....

Mind you, i will be one of those parttime camino walkers as i have a max of 10 days on the camino this time, so i will have to postpone my visit to the meseta untill next time.

For now though, i will be relaxing and recovering; I did a 13km walk today, nothing i haven´t done before. The difference is that i woke up with a lot of muscle ache in my left leg(don´t ask how, what and where....) but decided to go out anyway, because as Joe said aswell: The show must go on (He might have put it a bit differently, just call it writer´s freedom)! i could feel the leg on the walk, but now i can´t even get out of the chair anymore.... Work tomorrow is going to be...interesting.

[unadara]

Cindy
What date are you starting ? No need to train so hard? wouldn't advise strapping your feet ?
Read the book, it has all sorts of tips but is a non-fiction account of a camino, does go through each possible place to stay as in stages, descriptions, but you may walk further, less etc. I loved the book.
Una

[Covey]

Cindy............ Nobody is a part time Camino walker. It does not matter if you are walking 6 days or 60 days, you are walking your Camino and doing it your way. It does not matter how much time you have got, or where you started from, because every morning you will lace up your boots, hoist your pack and head off on another day's adventure, just like everyone else.

My first taste of the Camino was to join my son at Sarria and walk the last 100kms in to Santiago. James had started at Roncesvalles, skipped the Meseta, and was enjoying the adventure of a life time. I enjoyed my 4 days to Santiago so much that I went back the next year and started in St Jean and finished in Finesterre, and walked the Meseta which over the following years became my favorite section.

This year it is time for a change and I am off to Lisbon on the 1st August (my birthday!) to walk the Camino Portuguese to Santiago and then on to Finesterre and then back to Porto and then home.

[cindy]

I know you are absolutly right Covey, but in my heart i would love to be on the road from st jean to santiago de compostela or even Finesterre. The reason for that is that i want to really experience it and it is a completly different story if you are ´fresh´ on the trail, knowing in a couple of days you go home. To do the camino, on my own, is not just the walking for me, but it is the spiritual part i am interrested in aswel! And really being able to dive in, i believe will bring me some interresting experiences.... I have been working on myself a lot lately and it is time to get out of my comfortzone. Getting irritated is unfortunatly one of my not-so-great assets. Don´t worry, i won´t take it out on my fellow walkers :-) because I usually completly block and shut down(internal process). So it is something that will be very confronting as people and situations are bound to get on my nerves when i´m tired and aching. Oops, does this sound like i might be in need of a psychiatrist instead???? Or just a case of over-sharing???
Anyway, The Portugese camino sounds interesting too: so many camino´s and so little time!?!?!
I am just a bit envious of everybody who is on his/her way or going before me, but the months will go fast now that i have made the decision to go. I love going on adventures on my b-day, and am therefor almost never at home, just how are you going to carry all those b-day gifts in your rucksack though???

Una, i´m not completly sure yet when i´ll start. As i don´t need to book a flight and i am my own boss, i´m fairly flexible; just can´t stay away that long. I´m thinking of September 15th. Just need to find out how to go about it best: park the car near where i think i might end and go from there to pamplona and take a bus to st Jean Or go by train to pamplona and then the bus.... (the first will be a lot shorter in time, but the second my journey starts as soon as i´m on the train). Luckely i have time to figure things out.(maybe there is even a posting on the forum about it that i haven´t seen yet). The reason for me ´training´ is generally to get into shape and loose weight as i don´t want that with me on the camino. And i love being outside, so combining the two: PERFECT
When are you going? And are you limited to a certain amount of days?

[unadara]

Cindy
I am coming from Lourdes on the 12th and will start on the 13th Sept at StJPdeP (please God). I look forward to it so much and watch the others posting their I'm Off! with envy-not really because Sept is going to be so great and I've always found that preparation and anticipation are part of the journey. I go now to read Sandy's new post on Religion and Spirituality as I want to make this pilgrimage in the best possible spirit. Talk soon.
Una

[Covey]

Cindy, the last thing you want when you get to my age (63) is some miserable bugger reminding you its your birthday. I have just about got my son's trained to forget birthdays and just do Christmas.

The one golden rule about walking the Camino is that Window Shopping is all there is!! If you buy anything you have to carry it! and that applies to presents. No prezzies!! If you can't eat it or wear it, leave it behind!

Darling, most of us on the Camino either need a shrink, or end up behaving like one. Women tell me the most amazingly personal things which they probably would not tell their priest, and often thats before breakfast. When Covey is looking for hot chocolate and croissants the last thing I really want is a couple of hours worth of why someones relationship is falling apart, but I seem to attract those looking for a sympathetic ear. I start my Camino relatively normal, but end up in Santiago as a basket case!! and need the walk to Finesterre to clear my mind again!

It takes all sorts, and on the Camino you will find all sorts, which is what makes it so much fun.

It's probably easier not to tell your friends all about your Camino planning. I don't suppose any of them have contemplated the weight saving if they shortened the length of their toothbrush!

[Ange]

Cindy
Just to reiterate what others have said here. I've just returned from six weeks of doing the camino on my own as a woman - I never heard of a single problem that anyone had had along the way, including a woman, in terms of safety etc. It actually felt like one of ther safest, most caring, supportive enviroments I had ever been in!
It's actually quite hard sometimes to walk on your own, you get to know so many people (try not getting to know someone you're sleeping a few inches away from in a bunk bed or squashed on a bench next to eating a communal meal!!), some days it can be quite a challenge to walk on your own even if you want to. I tried the direct approach one day, 'I'd like to walk on my own today' to someone I had spent the previous couple of days walking with and got the reply, 'oh don't mind me I'll just stay quiet, just pretend I'm not here'!!
Seriously though, everyone is so lovely, it's extremely sociable and if you're like most of the people I met you'll balance a combination of solitude (which I learned to love for the first time in my life), walking in a group (a big, crazy, eclectic group from round the world who were great fun but exhausting) and walking alongside one or two close buddies that were probably made early on.
I'm so glad I didn't go with anyone else, as someone has mentioned here (sorry, can't remember who!), I found I was completely myself with barriers down and I 'take me or leave me, this is who I am' approach for the first time ever and I don't think I would have done that had I been with friends. That's not to say I wouldn't go back with someone in the future - I'm just so glad the first time was on my own.
Good luck, enjoy, relish every moment and just go with the flow, it will all work out you'll see!
I'm very envious, already mulling over whether I can do it again next year... I think I'm hooked :O)

[Covey]

Welcome back Ange, and it is nice to have your perspective on the "woman alone" issue. When us men write that you will be OK, we probably are not looking at some of the things which might concern a female, but which would never really occur to us poor uncomplicated beasts of burden!

There are a couple of points from your post which I would like to comment on. "Do I go alone, or with a Friend?"

In 2009 I met an English girl sitting outside the albergue at Larrasona looking very very unhappy. She and a friend from her office in London had started at St Jean and were walking to Leon together. They met a couple of German guys en route and all was well, until the girl sprained her ankle on the track from Zubiri. They stayed the night in Larrasona, at which point the "friend" and the two Germans said they were going on together, and left the girl at the albergue. Needless to say that was the end of that friendship! I got her in to Pamplona and then on to Cizur Menor, but the point is that if you go with a friend, you are both mutually responsible for each other, and that means you are not really free to decide what you want to do and when, because you have another person to consider.

Husbands and wives usually survive the Camino together because they know each other well, and their needs and fitness(hopefully!!) but the Camino is a very stern test of friendships!!

"I am myself" One of the almost unique features of the Camino is that nobody really cares who you are, what job you do, how much money you have, or where you come from. You are a Pilgrim, and that is all that matters. Rich or poor, in sickness or in health, every morning we pull on our boots, hoist the pack on to our backs and set forth on another days adventure.

Last year we had two women who announced to the Forum that they were lesbians and they were going to walk the Camino Frances. My reply to their post was "so what" and Sandy pointed out that they were not the first lesbians to walk the Camino and certainly would not be the last. We tried pointing out to them that nobody would be that interested, or shocked or whatever, because they would just be two women walking the Camino for whatever reason had drawn them to the Way, and that nobody was going to sit in judgment on them and they would be accepted for the people they were by everyone else. This did not cheer them up much as they appeared to want everyone to acknowledge their sexuality, and could not accept that people on the Camino leave their labels at home!

[cindy]

Reading all this, Ange and Covey, i think i will fit in nicely!!! Good tip about not bothering somebody in his early morning search for chocolate and croissants Covey! I can just see that happening...I would be really testing myself on what is most important.... Just kiddin´, I think i´ll be fine on the camino, and looking forward to meeting the colourfull people on the trail. And i think Ange might have a point with it being a good thing walking ´alone´! i think i´m going to start counting days now.......
And Covey, do we know each other; Did you see me in the supermarket today, looking at travel and mini toothbrushes????

[Anso]

Hi Covey, Just returned from a short break in France and Belgium. I was in Verdun and stopped for a spot of lunch, and noticed at the sandwich bar "Maxi Pain au Chocolat"! I've never seem them before, they were great.

Here's a lady enjoying one so you can get some idea of scale ...
Maxi | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Mouth watering much?

[Covey]

The only problem with a Pan Du Chocolate that size is that those needing to unburden their souls might assume that I am refueling for a 4 hour session and not 2hrs!

My favorite breakfast is Tortilla which in Northern Spain is a very thick potato omelette either plain or with ham. A good slice or that, either hot or cold, and a hot chocolate and I am good for the next 15kms.

[unadara]

I make Tortilla quite often and love it as breakfast/brunch. What time Covey do you aim to eat breakfast, first cafe/bar you arrive at ? do they generally make tortillas ? do you keep food over night for a light snack before setting off ? The pan du chocolate may be treats only?

[Larry]

HI Cindy
My name is Larry and I started alone but being male it is assuredly less of a concern for men than it is women. I started out in St Jean, like most pilgrims but I found walkers my own speed just out of Roncesvalles and by Zubiri we were crossing each other on the trail on a regular basis and by Pamplona we were pretty much intertwined as walkers. When I went in 2009 there were lots of people from all over the world walking at different paces; they were all just the BEST people I have ever met. The ONLY problem I cam across was walking from Villafranca Montes de Oca to San Juan de Ortega. I was told, after the fact, that several pilgrims had been way laid by bandits as they were walking through the woodlands and robbed. I did see, for myself, many Spanish Police, the Guardia Civil, patrolling the area on bicycles (they were armed and wore Guardia Civil jackets) and many pilgrims I talked to later would wait at Villafranca to meet other pilgrims so as to not walk the area alone. Be advised that many of the "old world" men have an "old world" attitude towards sex and women, but taken as it is, a good strong attitude and a strong voice really is all, to my experience (keep in mind that I am not, being male, subject to the "colloquial" attitudes of men) it takes to "put them in their place". With that said I didn't meet anyone, or heard any conversation, that led me to believe their was any "sexual harassment" of any kind. (one women who I walked with had VERY large breasts and was constantly getting proposals of marriage, but she seemed to slough it off without problem).
Mostly, the indigenous peoples were VERY supportive and friendly with many a "buen Camino", and a honk of the horn, and a wave. I think if a person is determined, self assured, purposeful, and aware of their surrounding you will have no problem. I don't think it will take you long to find someone, or several someones, that walk at your pace, that you can relate to, and you will feel more at home that you do in your own city, town, or whathaveyou. I met a lady the first day, and by the second week we were walking together and talking like we had known each other from childhood. I still call her every week and it's been over two years. Buen Camino. You're going to absolutely fall IN LOVE with the trip and the trek and the effort (nothing small, I can assure you) that it takes to complete your pilgrimage. I was 58 when I did it and I'm going back next year.
Yours in Christ and Holy Love
Larry

[j_s_b_c]

Whew! This makes me feel so much better!

The Camino has found its way into my life in the past month and Im starting it next week. I am super stoked about it but I was getting really worried about being a girl by myself. I didnt think that many people would really want to rob someone who was really carrying nothing but you never know now a days.

[unadara]

j_s_b_c
I have read a few accounts of the Camino recently, all written by men by the "way" haha, however most of the good friendships/walking "families" etc are formed with women who started on their own. It seems women are good judges of who to pal along with and need never be alone except if they choose to be.
Buen Camino
Una

[Covey]

I have often described the start of the Camino Frances as Speed Dating without the sex, and for many it starts outside the railway station at Bayonne. Pilgrims from all over the world end up there each day waiting for the train to St Jean and as they stand around trying not to look nervous they listen to the voices trying to pick out who speaks their language.

They also look at other pilgrim's packs and start panicking that theirs is twice the size of every one else's!! The train to St Jean is usually packed and 95% of the passengers are pilgrims, so you start chatting to the people around you. By the time you get to the Pilgrim Office in St Jean you are starting to suggest maybe meeting up and having a meal together, and finding out what time people are starting off in the morning.

The next morning everybody is on the road to Roncesvalles and groups shuffle members as some find their temporary companions are walking faster or slower than you are comfortable with, and by the time you get to Roncesvalles you have worked out peoples walking speeds, languages, sense of humor etc, and are ready to have the evening meal with those who fit your criteria. Mind you, at the same time, other people are looking at you as part of their selection process!!