I really should be preparing for my September Camino. However, we are in a different place. While there are pilgrims on the different routes walking to Santiago, the numbers are well down on last year. And that is to be expected. I, however, am staying at home as much as possible and dreaming of a time when I can lace my boots, throw on my pack and wish the nearest pilgrim a Buen Camino!

Some say it won’t be long. There is great talk of a vaccine in the pipeline but others say it will be another 3-4 years before we will walk like pre-Covid times. Do many pilgrims want to wait that long?

The current restrictions here in Ireland do not recommend travel abroad unless completely essential. I hope those restrictions change by the time April come.

From Coimbra or to Santiago?

I have a healthy predicament on my mind and feel free to comment if you have a suggestion. First of all, I am assuming that the restrictions will be lifted and both myself and my brother will be okay to travel. At the moment, we plan to fly to Lisbon in April 2021 and travel to Coimbra to walk for 12 days north-bound. We won’t reach Santiago based on how many days that I and my brother have. So we may reach Baiona or Oia. Not having a Compostela is not an issue. It’s the journey that counts.

The other option is to start in Porto and walk the coastal route to Santiago. Choosing this route will give us an extra day in Santiago but we need to travel to Porto airport to fly home. I really enjoyed my time in Coimbra last September and the walk to Mealhada and Agueda is relatively easy. That said, there are few pilgrims before Porto. I will have many other opportunities to return to Coimbra.

Spring clean (in Summer)

Over the next few months, I will be updating a few of the pages on my blog to make them more relevant. I will be updating my YouTube channel with slideshows of photos from my previous Caminos so I’m sure it will be easier on the eye. If you can think of anything you would like to see, please let me know. I also have a number of ClearskiesCamino patches and if you would like one, please e-mail me.

And finally…

A few people have said to me that I should create a podcast. Initially, I was hesitant at first, mainly because I don’t know how to. Well, I have been reading up on this whole subject and it would be something that would appeal to me. I have a few people in mind already. Drop me an e-mail if you are interested.

Buen Camino!