It has been a month since I returned home from my Camino and I have reluctantly returned to the swing of things. I was very grateful to have the chance to go and I met so many good people. I felt on a high when I returned. I felt free and even though it was a week, it felt like it was much more. The only decisions I needed to make were when I needed to wake up and where I needed to stop. It felt good to be back in Spain again after so long even with the restrictions. As I mentioned in my previous post, I couldn’t help put plans together for 2022 while I was on the bus to Madrid. The truth is I am constantly thinking of future Caminos – even when walking one. So I suppose the purpose of this post is to tell you of my future Camino plans.

2022

Scottish poet Robert Burns once talked about best-laid plans going astray. Ah some of my early Caminos used to be like that. Today, there are some pilgrims who like to buy their flight. and forget about the trip until the following year. That is totally fine. For me, part of the fun of being a pilgrim is the planning – the packing and repacking, the purchase of a new item of kit and the review on this blog. For example, I need new hiking shoes and I need to check my backpack if it can last another Camino. I have been unable to locate my preferred shoe – Salomon X Ultra GTX 3. However, I have settled on the Meindl Rapide GTX shoe which provides my toes with protection and is wide enough. I have been wearing shoes for 8 years now. The last time I wore mids was in 2012 – Merrell Moab. I had a bad experience with them, let’s just say. My future Camino plans include my brother who will join me next year when we walk from Porto along the Portoguese Coastal Route. It is an enjoyable route, not challenging and one we have both walked from A Guarda in 2018. So until next May, there will be lots of walking, lots of talking about the Camino and lots of discussion about kit. Anything to distract myself from what I do on a daily basis.

2023

So what about beyond? I keep asking myself that. Before my recent Camino, I promised myself I would return to St Jean and walk over the Pyrenees again. My opinion of the Camino Francés has changed. Next year is also a holy year and with restrictions subsiding, pilgrims from the US, Australia, Canada and South Africa will return to walk this great way. And I welcome them back. However, it is time that I look at other paths. Looking at the Camino del Norte, I have doubts about my ability to walk even part of that route. So I am ruling that out for the moment. The Camino Sanabrés popped into my head this weekend. I bought the below guide today to read and get an understanding of its stages – from Ourense to Santiago. This route is 108 km long and if it is too short, one can walk from Zamora, which is on the Via de la Plata.

Gronze.com goes into the terrain of this route and you can straight off see that the first stage and the final stage are tough going . Regardless, from the photos I have seen (below), it looks like the Camino Francés from Sarria but with more climbs and descents. I am looking forward to the next few years.

Let me know of any future Camino plans for the next few years! I would love to know.

• List of All Albergues on the Camino Francés (link to caminodesantiago.me)
• Accommodation I have stayed in on the French Way
• My Favourite Albergues on the French Way
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I’ve always liked Andrew’s videos and how he tells a story. This video is part of a series of 8 and the rest of the series can be found on YouTube. This video also features 2 Irish pilgrims. I wonder what the future holds for Andrew. His Camino journey isn’t over.

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I have been very lucky to have an employer who allows me to traipse across Spain or Portugal for two or three weeks at a time. It is not a full Camino, I get that, but I am quite happy to wait for a few more years. However, given the current climate, I am happy to be in this position. In Summer, on learning I was not walking to Santiago this year, I had quite the decision to make with what to do with my annual leave. Do I find a trail in Ireland to walk? Do I visit a long lost cousin? or do I just re-watch all the episodes of Beyond the Way and Don’t stop Walking with vino and tapas?

Well, due to current restrictions, I can’t do A or B (no matter how much I would like to find a long lost cousin), so C is a pretty good start! And there are plenty of opportunities to walk close to me. But most of all, I just want the time to let the mind rest and catch up on a few things I had let slip.

Monthly updates

You can now receive monthly updates to your email by signing up to my mailing list. So if you want to keep in touch without visiting the site regularly, that might be a good option for you? An email will be sent at the end of the month.

Clearskies Camino Podcast

I have 11 episodes recorded – the last episode was recorded yesterday. I have no further interviews due to record. Now would be an ideal time to record a podcast or two, now that I am free. If you are in anyway interested in sharing your Camino story, please let me know. I will record a few solo podcasts during this time off but having guests on really adds to it. See below my last episode:

Continuing to give back…

I have renewed my membership with Camino Society Ireland. At present, we cannot meet until it is safe to do so. The Information Centre in Dublin is closed and has been since March. I look forward to return once it opens and when events are planned.

Camino Plans

My 2021 Camino is still on track as I plan to walk in Portugal in April. I fly to Lisbon on the 10th of April and leave from Porto two weeks later. Where I take my first step, is one question I will leave closer to the starting date. I had hoped to walk from Porto, along the coast to Santiago, but I’m not sure about walking in Spain. Plan B would be to start in Tomar or Coimbra (my original plan) and walk to the border (Caminha) before turning back to Porto.

I’m sure it will be easier to call closer to the date.

So, how has your weekend been?

As most of you are aware, a second wave of Covid-19 is gripping Europe and the US. It is looking a little more brighter in Asia and Australia as borders begin to open and lockdowns end. Many, if not all, provinces in Spain have closed their borders to curtail access in and out. The Galician government have decided to close the perimeters of Santiago de Compostela as of yesterday, however pilgrims who have walked prior to the 30th can enter the city.

Now is not a good time to walk in Spain. As cases begin to rise, the fear that deaths will rise too, so you can understand the Spanish government’s motive for bringing in a State of Alarm.

My own Camino, due for April, remains very unclear but I won’t make any hasty decisions until Christmas. Until then, it is all positive thoughts. I miss the Camino, I really do, however the launch of the Clearskies Camino podcast goes some way to replacing the few weeks I have not been in Portugal.

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!