I’m a little excited. Actually, I’m not quite sure how I feel. This could be the beginning of something new or, then again, it may not be. I will know in a few weeks when I take my first steps.

It’s no secret that it has become more of a challenge to keep your audience, especially for us bloggers. I have been writing about the Camino de Santiago for nearly 9 years and I have had some highs. I have had some lows too. More and more bloggers are making the switch to podcasting or YouTube to get their message across while hoping they can increase their audience. I’m not going to throw in the towel on this blog though. Far from it.

There are so many opportunities and possibilities now. I just need to gather my thoughts and see what the best plan is. There are so many great podcasts on the Camino de Santiago. Of course, you have Dan Mullins’ own. I was a guest of his in 2017. Then there is Dave Whitson, who I talked to in 2016. Will mine be different? I’m going to talk about what is important to me and put my own mark on it. I can’t see each podcast being more than 30 minutes long and in most episodes I will have someone with me, whether they are a pilgrim or they have a connection with the Camino. I hope anyway.

I have started to gather the equipment. If anyone has any suggestions or would like to have a chat, please message me.

Buen Camino

I have mentioned before that I edit a digital magazine for Camino Society Ireland, Shamrocks and Shells. It gives me great joy giving back to the Camino and it keeps me out trouble! It is published every quarter and the whole aim is to showcase the Society’s events throughout that quarter. We also look to publish pilgrim experiences, book and film reviews and practical information. Anything that a future pilgrim might find useful.

At present, we have the start of growing list of pilgrim stories dating back to 2018 but we are always looking for more. Every pilgrim has a story to tell, no matter where you have walked. If you do plan on writing, your submission will not be published on this blog but on Shamrocks and Shells. If interested, you might send me an email here. Looking forward to hearing from you and Buen Camino!

Betanzos…a town rich in Celtic history sits on the Camino Ingles between Ferrol and Santiago. It lies beside the Mandeo river and is a place to stop and look around once you have your day’s walking over. I am due to arrive here on the 9th of May and having seen so many great photos of the town, I am eager to see what all the fuss is about. The next morning, rather than continuing on to Santiago, I pick up my pack and make way for A Coruna.

The albergue in Betanzos is fairly new, having opened in 2013, and has over 30 beds for pilgrims. There are other accommodation of course in this fine town. This morning, news broke that, due to a water leak, the albergue will limit the number of beds to 6 each night.

So if you are walking from Ferrol shortly, it is best to plan ahead if staying in Betanzos.

• My Future Camino Plans – 2022 And Beyond
• Camino Francés 2021 – Days 8 & 9 – Madrid
• Camino Francés 2021 – Day 7 – Sahagún to El Burgo Ranero
• Camino Francés 2021 – Day 6 – Ledigos to Sahagún
• Camino Francés 2021 – Day 5 – Carrion de los Condés to Ledigos

So the 7th of May can’t come quick enough. I’ve been secretly counting down since I came home from Burgos, but let’s keep that between us.

We are not yet into Camino season but already, the number receiving the Compostela in Santiago is rising. I wonder what May will be like. But this time I will walking a relatively quieter route. Just like last year.

This May will be a coast to coast Camino. I start my Camino in northern city of Ferrol on the eastern arm of the Camino Ingles. Two day of walking later, I travel to A Coruña from Betanzos. Both are known for their links to Ireland through the Camino de Santiago. From A Coruña, we (myself and my brother) walk to Finisterre via Santiago. This whole thing will probably be the hardest walk I’ve done in 3 or 4 years as I have been sticking to the well-worn ground of the Camino Frances for quite a while. So these 8 weeks are perfect to get in gear.

I hope to be in A Coruña as early as I can, which leaves me with a little time to see the city and explore. And there are a few sites that I want to see. For example:

• Torre de Hércules & the statue of Breogán
• Paseo Marítimo
• María Píta Square
• Museo Domus
• Castillo de San Antón
• Manolo Paz’s Menhirs

After all that, I should have enough time to wash my clothes, pack my bag and get ready for the next day’s walking.

Let me apologise! The intention was to keep you updated a little bit more than this but I was busy over the weekend. Here goes…

The Camino Society held their first monthly walk of 2019 in Glencullen. There are tonnes of trails there and the Dublin Mountains Way runs through it. I won’t go into it in too much detail as I wrote a piece about it on their newsletter here. Go check it out, the photos are excellent.

Anyway, the day started well with the sun shining in Donabate. I had a good feeling about the day. I brought the rain gear ‘just in case’. However the further south I went, the darker the sky got and the first drops could be felt at Johnnie Fox’s pub, our meeting point. Not to worry. We marched on regardless.

With a full pack and thirty-something other pilgrims, it was close enough to being on Camino. It was just what I needed with my May Camino quickly approaching. After the walk, we returned to base (Johnnie Fox’s) for some food and music.

The following day, Sunday, marked 100 days before my brother and I travel to Ferrol to start our Camino Ingles / Celtic Camino. From now on, it’s all double-digits and even though I have done this many times before, it feels new this time. Maybe because it is a new route? May 7th we leave for Ferrol and we hope to be in Santiago by May 14th. We have flights booked for May 19th which gives us room to decide to walk to Finisterre or stay in Santiago.