September will see me on the Camino Frances for the seventh time. Eek! If you told me back in 2011 I would return to Spain for the following six years, I would look at you with wild disbelief! But yet, here I am and my mind is set on a return; this time walking from the Gaudi town of Astorga to Compostela.

With every year and every upcoming Camino, I spend a little time thinking of how I’d like to approach this trip and how I can make it a little different or unique to the last. Sometimes, these ideas just fade away once I find the first yellow arrow (and cerveza!), but other times I end up sticking to what I had planned. Each of my times on the Camino have been different in some shape or form, which is a good thing I suppose.

So, for September, here’s how I hope my time will go:

• Sarria – There are many books written about the number of pilgrims on the trail on reaching Sarria, which is the last point where you can start your Camino in order to obtain a Compostela. Due to the increased numbers, there is always a strain on accommodation. So, I have decided to pre-book albergues in a number of towns before Santiago. I have never been one to pre-book and if I was walking from, let’s say, St. Jean to Burgos, I wouldn’t do so. But I feel that if I am to enjoy my walk this time around, I may as well reserve. I now will have a little bit of weight taken off my shoulders and I can take my time. Booking.com is a great website to make these reservations. I haven’t made any bookings from Astorga to Sarria as there is no need!
• Less is more – In September 2016, while walking to Finistere, my pack weighed 7 kg. I reckon I can bring that down a little more. I have bought an Osprey 30 litre pack and am pretty happy with it. The less I bring, the less I have to worry about and my back won’t have any niggling pains! Now if only I could leave the smartphone at home!
• Brierley’s end stages – So many people religiously follow Brierley’s guidebook, thereby missing the great towns in between. Towns like Cacabelos, El Acebo, Las Herrerias, and Ribadiso are all passed daily by legions of pilgrims. I aim to stay in these towns. It will be a welcome change as I haven’t stayed there before, save for stopping for a cerveza. Oh, and I’m leaving a guidebook at home 🙂 The arrows can guide me.
• Pacerpoles – For the last few years I’ve walked with either a wooden stick bought before I start or with a single carbon pole. I’ve always found them a hindrance however as I like to have my hands free to take photos and reach for water etc. However, this year I will be making the climb to O Cebreiro so I’ve decided to bring along a set of pacerpoles that I bought before Christmas. It will make things a little easier and I won’t have those niggling back pains that I usually have (I hope!).  I have tried them a few times here in Ireland and they are pretty easy to get used to. I reckon they will be a help. Plus, I have been recommended them by a number of camigos! That said, I am usually the one who complains about the click-clacking of poles!
• Take my time – In years gone by, I have been told by a number of people that I am a “speedster”..whatever that is!? My typical day starts at 6 am and I like to check into an albergue before 1pm. That leaves me with the majority of the day to wash, rest, have some food in the evening and get to meet my fellow pilgrims! Sometimes, I don’t realise how fast I walk. In September, I hope to stretch the day out, slow down, start a little later, stop a little more, have numerous coffee breaks. Who knows, this may be the last time I walk the Camino Frances for some time! I’m in no hurry.
• Visit local churches – It’s very easy to forget that the Camino is a pilgrimage. I’m not particularly religious but I’ve always wanted to set aside 20 minutes a day while on the Camino to drop into a church and say a quick prayer. However, after walking 25kms each day, it is difficult to find the time.
• Use my knowledge of Spanish a little more – Creo que tengo buen español. Me gustaría hablar más a la gente local, sólo un poco! I guess this comes with confidence. Ordering a cafe con leche is second nature; speaking to someone from Spain is a challenge, but I’m up for it.

So, there is my wish-list for my September Camino. I may stick with the above, but then again, I may choose to do what I have done all along….let the Camino tell me what to do!

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!

With Spain set to welcome EU pilgrims from June 21st, non-EU pilgrims from July 1st and Portugal not far behind, there has been lots of discussion among pilgrims as to whether it is feasible to travel this year of not. Well, I can’t answer that question but if you were to travel after July 1st, you would need to wear a mask in crowded areas and practice social distancing. I have written before how albergues have changed their sleeping quarters, halved their numbers of beds and that food is no longer served. There is a new-normal in Spain and on the Camino de Santiago and there is a lot to get used to. The first pilgrim to arrive in Santiago after the lockdown was Lorenzo. He arrived into Santiago from Lugo on the 11th of June and did not meet one pilgrim. He has been joined by other Spanish pilgrims in recent days. These are unprecedented times. For that reason, I am going to hold on for another few months.

So what about next year?

Over the last number of months I have had plenty of time to think about the Camino. It is impossible not to when you are at home for so long. I feel so lucky to be able to travel each year to Spain or Portugal and I do it for the headspace. I don’t do it for the sense of achievement. There is nothing better than being among other pilgrims and fresh air, away from the stress for 2 weeks or so. It frees the mind. But I need to be with other pilgrims. Ok, enough rambling.

So next year… I still feel that my time on the Camino Portugués is unfinished, and I have lots more to see. The Camino Francés, while I will be back there eventually, can wait for another year. Last September, I finished my Camino in a town called Águeda, about 90 kms short of Porto. It is home of the famous Umbrella Sky Project and I would love to see it again. The people in Albergue de peregrinos Santo António were the best and I look forward to seeing them again. Instead of marching on with my pilgrim friends, I caught the train to Porto and flew home the next day.

So where to start? The nearest large town to Águeda is Coimbra. It is a university town and can be accessed via Porto or Lisbon by train. The great thing about walking prior to Porto is I don’t need to worry about accommodation, however I will learn from lessons past and walk no more than 25 km per day.

I will have two weeks walking which will leave me in Spain, just short of Santiago. I will be in Santiago again no doubt.

More to come soon.

It’s the weekend again and I am home from another great walk with Camino Society Ireland. I love meeting with other pilgrims.

You can read how we got on here on the Camino Society Ireland magazine. Before I shuffle on to bed, I was sent this video by Linda and it made me think. We all have our reasons to walk the Camino. Some pilgrims like to give those reasons if you ask them, some choose to keep their reasons to themselves. I usually say I am just going for a long walk in search of something. I usually don’t find that certain “something” until my 5th or 6th Camino. Talk later!

So..the future..that space in front of us that no one can predict. Unless you can read people’s minds, that is. I can’t anyway and I don’t plan on starting!

The last few weeks I have been asking myself in what direction do I want to take ClearskiesCamino, if any. I have been plugging away, doing the same thing here since I started walking the Camino many years ago. I just want to take an extra step up the ladder.

So, I have set myself a number of well achievable goals for the next 6 to 9 months in order to make that next step. I’m a little excited to say the least but excitement is good. I’m not quite sure how it’s going to pan out but I’ll take each day as it comes.

1. Self hosted website – I have reached the end of the line with wordpress.com and I’ve done as much as I can with the resources they offer. The last 7 years have been great but now is the time to push on and locate a site to host my blog and take it from there. I have located a hosting site and it’s just a case of transfering the site across. Many thanks for all the tips I have received regarding this. I will get to keep the ClearskiesCamino name too. I hope to make the switch when my current plan expires in October.

2. I have two Caminos planned for 2019 – the Camino Ingles / Camino Finisterre in May and Camino Portuguese from Lisbon in September. Rather than posting from this blog, I will write my stories in the form of an ebook and publish them free. It’s another avenue I want to go down. And if that doesn’t work, I will keep plugging away at what I am good at. Of course I will continue to post snippets on Facebook and pictures on Instagram. I just want to promote my writing a bit more.

Anyway that’s the plan. Plans sometimes change, my hope is these work out. I will let you know how things go.

• 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