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Pilgrimage???

rachamim18 said:
Stanley: "Avoiding National Service.": Well, of course there are some but more than 80% of us serve so there are not that many. If you are an Israeli-Jew who does not do it then you can only hope to work in a carwash or wash dishes because jobs are tied to your military record.

ADSR: At least you made the Hajj, and got to explore your spirtuality in way most people never do. Also, at least you decided it was not for you while you were still young to vigorously pursue another path and hopefully still find fufillment.
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That was such a cool post on a pilgrimage thread.

.................

My father walked the Pilgrim's Way between London and Canterbury when he first got diagnosed & poorly cos the chemo hadn't then kicked in.

...................

Pilgrimage, there's such an appeal for walking a route that so many others have trod over centuries, no matter the motivation.
 
I've sort of made a decision on a route.

I'm going to walk, hitch, bus to San Sebastian and pick up the trail proper from there. Time all depends on luck and money.

I'll also be making a few minor diversions to visit friends. A very good friend is currently living in remote mountain wilderness with not net access. I'll probably be staying for a few weeks, so I'll not be blogging then.

Then once I've reached Santiago de Compostela, I'll be calling another good friend who may be in Catalonia close to Barcelona in a rural village squat. If she is I'll be making my way in that direction.

All may change. Forget. It's inevitable that things will change. The only real plan is travel for a year to 18 months.
 
Ha ha! All has changed already. I met someone last night who told me about this route: http://www.santiago-compostela.net/vdlp/index_cv_en.html

Makes far more sense for me to start from Seville taking in friends on the way up to Salamanca and on to Santiago. Then walk the other route 'backwards' before heading towards Barcelona. A very, very long walk indeed.

Apparently there are plenty of free beds that will save me a tenner a day. So, thank you Jesus for that.

I need to get planning things again very quickly. A friend has offered free safe storage. No more panicking on that front. I have just 10 days to sort everything out, then I'm off :)
 
I did several when I was younger. My great aunt is a Franciscan pilgrim and I used to join her.I never went abroad but Ive walked several routes. I remember derbyshire and Dorset quite well. There were probably others. We'd walk up to 10 miles a day depending on the terrain, meeting with a car for a picnic lunch ( my aunt now does this because shes too inform to manage the walking)

I think sometimes its useful to spend time reflecting on your journey with others who are there with a shared intention.Of course back then you also left behind all of the comforts of life as there werent mobile phones etc so you'd just be away from everything for a whole week or more with just a book or music or whatever for company. We also had alot of fun entertaining the group in the evening with silly songs, games etc.
Even if you arent religious, so long as you respect the others belief you probably can learn alot from each other.
 
One thing, being the customarily stick in the mud, in every holy site I have ever been to, and being Israeli you might imagine I have sen many of all faiths, there are ALWAYS requisite grifters/con artists so just keep your head about you.
 
rachamim18 said:
...there are ALWAYS requisite grifters/con artists so just keep your head about you.
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Absolutely. However, there is still a great deal more respect and honesty in Spain IME. It may also have something to do with being perceived as an artist living on the bread line. For some reason that gets respect and acknowledgment from almost all.

I will be taking very little to actually lose anyway. I'm bit concerned that my rucksack is actually a very obviously specialised digital photography backpack even though I'll only be using cheapo cameras. Usually whenever I found trouble in Spain a simple "Yo es un artista, tengo nada" is enough. But, yep - I'll be keeping my wits about me and not drinking my usual quota!
 
Camping/Hiking type people, I have questions...

I'm packing up and going with as little as possible. Someone already mentioned a cover for my rucksack which I hadn't considered. What else have I forgotten?

Any essentials people can recommend for a very, very long walk?

I have finally planned my route for definite. Setting off directly from Granada. I've found a way marked pilgrim path that meets the camino Via de la Plata at Merida. From there I'll follow the route before diverting northwards to visit friend number 1 for a week, or so, then continuing to Santiago de Compostela.

Loads of people have already contacted me via the web with offers of beds and meals, or simply a meet. That is really very nice indeed :)

And, best of all, my very lovely gorgeous friend is going to meet up with me at some point for a bit of serious hiking and hugging.

Really looking forward to this, but I'm still struggling to motivate myself on the packing front. I find it a bit depressing for some reason. Not sure why.

Anyway, I'm blabbing. Tips please people.
 
i'd love to do something like this stanley,perhaps one day i will. It seems to me that with your feelings re the packing your 'journey' may have started allready?

good luck and stay safe stanley, i will enjoy following your journey:)
 
ice-is-forming said:
i'd love to do something like this stanley,perhaps one day i will. It seems to me that with your feelings re the packing your 'journey' may have started allready?

good luck and stay safe stanley, i will enjoy following your journey:)
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Thanks :)

You can always come and join me for a few days. Lots of people who don't have the time, or have to many commitments to do the full pilgrimage are already going to join me for a short stint to get a feel of the pilgrim thing.

I just have all this crap that I haven't used, or even seen out of the box for almost Three years that I don't want to bin, but don't want to lose either. Sentimental memories mostly. Also can't believe how much crap I've collected whilst in Spain. It's not like I've had money to waste, or anything. Where the fuck does it all come from :confused:

Oh well. Another box packed. I'm getting there very slowly.
 
Cheesypoof said:
Yes, I have done the Lough Derg pilgrimage in Donegal where you go for a weekend of solitude and reflection. You arrive on the Friday and spend the weekend in your barefeet having no sleep or food, walking the penitential beds, praying. I found it hard but I did find incredible strength I didnt know I had, and it was worth it.

.
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Is this the St Patrick's Purgatory place? My ex went there... he used it as an excuse to get time out of school - it didn't sound like the best place to go for bunking school. I've got a book that talks about the history of the place. There are a few other important pilgrimages over in Ireland?
 
Ha ha! Totally sussed this blagging in the name of the lord game :D

Anyone fancy a free holiday?

If it's not free, it's exceptionally cheap. I slept in a huge church the other night. Got well stoned and very spiritual. Sort of. Once you know where and how you can actually do it all for free!

Very, very, very highly recommend this. It's beautiful. It's good for the mind and the body. Totally stress free and it could cost absolutely nothing. Way ahead of schedule and happily trotting along at 40KM a day when I'm not exploring towns and castles.

www.thelostphotographer.blogspot.com

I'm not making money for myself, or anything by promoting my own blogspot. It's all for charity. May start blitzing the net and press a bit more once I've got my mobile blogging kit sorted out.
 
Halfway to Santiago.

Yay! Halfway to destination number 1 and a huge chunk of cash for a good charity. That's another 600KM to go in the wet and cold north :(

Staying in Salamanca for a week to rest and play and make dosh. Then a weeks hike to Zamora before taking a break to visit friends.

I really can't recommend this highly enough. I am having some truly brilliant experiences (plus a couple of emotional wobbles of lonliness or, something). On the whole I am loving it. Stunningly beautiful countryside. Meeting some fab and interesting people. Lots of very interesting towns and cities. Great fun, but hard work. Very enjoyable nonetheless.
 
Blimey! I've almost finished already. 1,400KM by foot over less than Three months. Much less given the weeks I've taken off for city and mountain breaks. It's all passed much more quickly than expected. Very strange, you look at the map and think 'fuck me - that's a long way', then before you know it, you're there.

Taking a couple of days off in Lugo before making final steps to Santiago de Compostela. Then I'm going to walk all the way to Alicante (about another 1,200KM) to find some sunshine. Or, I may walk to Finisterre. Or, Bilbao. Dunno. I need a plan, or I may get stuck in Santiago.

Despite the utterly shit weather of the past couple of weeks, I still can't recommend this highly enough.

:)
 
Santiago de Compostela. Yay! Made it.


Fantastic little city from what I've seen so far. Staying for a while.

That was a very long walk. Now I want to do it all again from Alicante via Toledo and Salamanca where I picked up a mural to complete on my last visit. Met loads of great people. Loads of great places and plenty of beautiful moments of solitude :)

Most enjoyable even when the going got tough.
 
ice-is-forming said:
WOW!! :eek: well done stanley :cool::)
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Thanks :)

This Camino de Santiago lark is a very good idea for a recession beating holiday if you like walking in the countryside and exploring small cities. Cheap flights to plenty of cities en-route. The Camino Frances in Galicia has plenty of good municipal albergues at just €3/night for pilgrims. Lights out at 10PM, but you don't really care after a long days walk.

Camino Frances does get horribly busy in summer mind - rush for a bed type of busy. Possibly a spoil for me. An alternative would be a week from Merida to Caceres. That was stunningly beautiful, rich in history and not busy at all. Albergues from €10 - €15/night though. Overpriced IMO when all you want is a bed and a shower.

To get pilgrims rates you have to collect your credentials card. Just show up at town hall (last chance for Camino Frances would be Astorga) with passport. Pay a Euro and collect your stamps when you stay at each albergue, or visit a town. On Via de la Plata any town, or city from Seville to Astorga will issue credentials. No prayers, or promises to the church to made, or anything like that (it did worry me when I went to collect mine :D).

Staying in Santiago for a while yet. It's a very, very, very cool little city. Sort of better than Granada for me in many ways.
 
I'm off again :)

Alicante to Santiago de Compostela this time. I really can't understand why some people here seem to have a problem with what I'm doing, but I also know there are plenty who are interested.

The route from Alicante is hardly walked. I'm hoping my blog will raise enough interest to encourage others and help maintain the use of the network of albergues whilst eleviating the pressure on the over walked camino Frances. Next year has been declared a holy year by some high up religious bod, so it will be very, very busy in Galicia where all routes converge.

From Alicante I will walk via Albacete and Toledo then join the path I walked previously to Salamanca and Zamora before taking a different route to Santiago via Ourense.

All the time trying to raise money for charity whilst having fun.

I would bet my bottom dollar that those who have been moaning and downright malicious here would be the first to start moaning and wanting to go home as soon as the going got tough. It's not easy, but it is enjoyable. The hard times and test of your own character are an important factor in the 'journey'.

On my short journey here from Granada I have been beaten up by some private security guys at Granada bus station (they're going to get the appropriate legal come back in time - I won't be letting that one go). Met some total nutter German DJ on the run and stocking up for a long stint inside. He was expecting the police to be waiting for him in Alicante and indeed they were. On the plus side, I got a fantastic commission to do in Murcia.

Simply posting here for anyone interested in cheap hiking holidays in Spain. Currently sunny and 20 degrees, although all that will change for the worse once I start heading north across the plains. It's going to get very cold indeed.

http://www.thelostphotographer.blogspot.com
 
hp66 said:
belated happy birthday
hope you feel able to keep posting or blogging :cool:
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Thanks :)

I had a very, very nice birthday few days.

Alicante is proving to be a bit of a bitch. Not making a penny and getting plenty of hassle from cold, wet, wind, policia local... you name it, I'm getting it ATM.

A mate is coincidently flying in from the UK this evening mind. I need a drink with a mate and I'm missing good friends in Granada already. It's tough and I haven't even started walking yet. Just collected enough for a packet of cigs.

I don't like Alicante and Alicante doesn't like me! Anyone who thinks this is purely a leisure experience wants to try going through the Two days I've just gone through.

There's always tomorrow. Meeting up with some locals possibly. Things can change in an instant, but this is not a good start :D
 
hey dude nice work walking south to north camino, have you thought of the costal way as quiter than route napolien?

and at this time of year too gets cool in galicia, santigao is cool did you walk to the end of the world? finesterre? well worth it cant wait for my little one to grow a bit so i can walk again!!
 
Doing Finisterre this time around. Hopefully it will be a bit more spring like.

But, a chance meeting and opportunity and cash crisis look to be taking me to Barcelona for a while. Pilgrimage number 2 is back on pause.

The weather is shit here and it's not making things easy.
 
Bumpety bump.

I know all you lovelly people are fascinated by my pilgrim's blog: http://www.thelostphotographer.blogspot.com

I'm back in Granada preparing for route number 3. San Sebastian to Santiago along the north coast. Sand-sculpturing my way from beach to beach through the summer. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it :)

Didn't quite get to finish route 2, so it will be combined with this route. Working well within my own rules. No reason why charities won't get their dosh.

Hoping to talk someone into assisting me. May be to much work for One. Also hoping to raise €10,000 more for charities. I'll be keeping a daily tab on my bolg so people can watch financial progress. Anything over the €10K (assuming I make that) I get to keep and share with my assistant :)

Camino Frances is already far to busy for my liking. It's very socialble in some aspects, but not what pilgrimage should be about IMO.
 
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