Is the Camino a Once in a Lifetime Experience?

I remember being told by a few people that the Camino is a once in a lifetime experience and yet have been on seven different Caminos (so far – I have more planned!).

This does suggest that the Camino is something that can be done more than once but I know that I am lucky – living in England I am not far away and can get flights cheaply to be able to get to the Camino, a lot of people live much further away and flights cost a lot more, for them the journey may well only be possible once.

But each Camino is very different – different weather, different people and different places stopped at for a rest or for the night. The Camino brings with it new experiences every time that you walk upon it. No two Caminos are the same; even walking on the same stretch is different each time.

The Camino can be repeated but each time is so different that no two Caminos are the same so each one is a once in a lifetime experience.

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The Camino Primitivo

The Camino Primitivo (or the Original Way) is reportedly the very first Camino Way to Santiago in the 9 th century when most of Spain was under the control of the Moors and it runs from near the city of Ovideo in Asturias as it starts in Villavicosa (which also lies on the Camino Norte so many people follow this Way from Basque city of San Sebastian (Donosti in Basque) or in from the French border at Irun ( this route then hugs the Bay of Biscay passing through Guernica, Bilbao, Santander, Llanes before going under the Picos de Europa and then heads along the coast to Ovideo) before branching off onto the Primitivo which goes across the mountains and through the city of Lugo before joining the Frances at Melide. The route is 320km long. Image taken from https://viaalpina2013.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/camino-del-norte-camino-primitivo/

Symbols of the three main Christian Pilgrimages

The symbol of the Pilgrim to Santiago is the Scallop shell of which many can be found on the coast of Galicia and it is actually a symbol of the Pilgrimage (and has become a symbol of other Christian Pilgrimages too) partly because you could find the shell easily there and so could go back home and show it off as proof that you had done the Pilgrimage. It has also been included in carvings in some Churches.

Camino Mascot

Those who have walked the Camino will probably have seen one or more of the Camino mascots along the Way but do you know their names? http://m.elcorreogallego.es/xacobeo/ecg/xubi-jubila-pelegrin-mascota-xacobea/idEdicion-2010-06-08/idNoticia-555962/

On the Camino

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