Day 50 - Back home in Melbourne. Ive prepared some Camino highlights and reflections to share with you all to mark the milestone of completing my 1000km Camino through Southern France and across Northern Spain. My fundraising will continue however and if you have in some way been positively impacted by my journey please donate directly to beyondblue to support their ongoing work to reduce mental illness stigma, to encourage others to reach out for help and to prevent suicide by clicking here... makingadifference.gofundraise.au/page/Carlo1000kms However before I share my highlights and reflections, I want to mention the importance of the Camino as a truly independent journey of self discovery which is unique to you. This is the case even if you hike the Camino with a partner or a friend. If you are considering hiking a Camino in the future, remember it is your Camino and youre doing it for you. That means you can decide where and when to start and finish. You choose which Camino or Caminos you wish to hike and also if you want to hike it in a single trip or to do it over a number of years in stages. The choice is yours. I chose the hardest of all the Caminos as that is the physical and mental challenge I wanted to set for myself as well as to enjoy the most stunning of views of beaches, mountains and forrests all the Caminos in Spain. But just because I chose this Way doesnt mean that its the right Way for you. There are many advantages and disadvantages of choosing any Way. And I suggest you do some research, find good guide books (which vary in quality depending on which way you choose) and speak to someone who has done it before. I am happy to offer help for anyone considering doing a Camino in the future. To do any Camino you need your credencials or passport to get cheap accomodation in the Public and Private Albergues, and when you reach Santiago de Compostela you use your credencials to receive your certificate/compostela. However you are not obliged to receive your certificate/compostela if you dont want too. And if you do decide to receive it there are three options that you can select as to the reasons behind your pilgrimage: (1) religious (2) religious and spiritual or (3) for tourism. So again the choice is entirely yours. If you want to receive your certificate the only requirement is to hike for the last 100km and this is also quite a popular choice for many pilgrims but is also the most crowded section of all the Caminos. If you do decide to do a longer pilgrimage I highly recommend training, doing many practice hikes with your backpack and getting fit. If you dont there is risk of injury and damage to your legs and feet, especially if you are not an active person and spend most of your work week sitting down. So please remember this was my unique Camino and a path that I hadnt met anyone else doing. Mainly due to the first 4 days in France. You can make your Camino start and finish wherever you like. There are Camino paths all over Europe and the ancient tradition was to walk from your front door all the way. There are also many options to choose from within the same Camino, for example on one Day their may be a choice to hike the traditional inland route following the official waymarkings or a beautiful coastal variant hiking directly on the beach. Once again you choose. One thing is for sure though, you will meet many great people with unique stories and experiences from all over the world. However, if you want to hike solo for one day or your entire journey this is also your choice and you simply make your intentions known to your fellow pilgrims. Many people also have a belief that all their sins will be forgiven if they reach Santiago de Compostela. Im sorry say however that you may be disappointed if thats your objective. I and others have seen many pilgrims rushing each day, hiking ridiculous kilometers, competing to get to Albergues before they get full and all in the hope to reach Santiago asap so that their sins or problems will be forgiven or solved upon reaching Santiago. The downside with this approach is that you may miss the essence of the Camino. The Camino is really about your self-discovery along the way and not the destination or goal. There are many pilgrims who go home disappointed as they were expecting this amazing feeling upon reaching Santiago de Compostela. They hadnt realised that the end is really just the beginning and an opportunity to start new beginnings and learn more about themselves, others and life in general. Having said all of that, just about everyone who I have met who has hiked a reasonable section of the Camino has talked about its uniqueness, its transformative power and the amazing synchronistic experiences that occur along this ancient path. I could write a book about my synchronistic experiences. I do recommend hiking to Finisterre via Muxia from Santiago de Compostella to reach the ancient End of the World. A truly magical end on the beach where the symbol of the Scallop shell that markes the Way of all of the Caminos through Spain. For me this is the true end of the Camino back in nature and along the coast under the stars of the Milky Way. So, there are many paths to choose from outside of Spain and also within Spain. The challenge of starting outside of Spain is that the infrastructure is not as well established and it will cost you more for food and accomodation. Here is a list of the more well known Caminos in Spain (and Portugal) > Camino Francés > Camino Aragonés > Camino del Norte > Camino Primitivo > Camino Vasco > Vía de la Plata > Camino Sanabrés > Camino Portugués > Camino Catalán por San Juan de la Peña > Camino Baztanés > Camino Inglés > Camino Fisterra y Muxia So now here are some highlights and reflections from my 1000km Camino. I hope youve enjoyed my journey. Ill still be posting information and articles that I find helpful and inspiring in the future on my 1000k Inspiration Facebook page as well as longer Blogs from time to time. Click here to read Blog #19 My Camino Snapshots, Highlights & Reflections carlo1000kcamino.blogspot/2014/10/19-my-camino-snapshots-highlights.html And I hope you enjoy a short video of my Camino. I hope to make a longer one in the future. Buen Camino #carlo1000kcamino #2xu
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 01:12:55 +0000
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