[Gocamino] Walking alone on the English Way

[Sue Kenney]

Pat and others,

I have walked the Camino alone three times now: the French Way,  the English 
Way and the Portuguese Way. Each time I have enjoyed it more. I just came 
back from the Camino in October. I walked from Ponferrada to Santiago with a 
group of five women. They went home and I walked from Santiago to A Coruna 
and then I took a train to Ferrol. From Ferrol I walked back to Santiago. 
The only pilgrims I met the whole time I was alone were a group of 18 
sailors from the Spanish Armada. That was one of the highlights of my 
journey. The majority of time I walked through forests/mountains and in the 
rain. I found the people are very friendly and helpful even though I don't 
speak Spanish. I made sure the locals knew I was walking alone so they would 
keep an eye out for me. Whenever I slept in the refugio alone, I made sure 
to lock myself in. I didn't have any problems at all. Feel free to email me 
if you have specific questions.

And for the record, I truly loved walking the English Way. Very few 
pilgrims, lots of seaside walking, mountains and forests and fabulous food 
and wine. Met lots of locals who could speak English because they spent time 
in England.

Love and light,

Sue

www.suekenney.ca


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rush Associates" <c.c.rushassociates at verizon.net>
To: <SJFINNELL at aol.com>; <gocamino at oakapple.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2005 5:21 PM
Subject: Re: [Gocamino] Re: Gocamino Digest, Vol 13, Issue 3


Hi Judy and all--of course one is never "alone" on the Camino; I made some 
really good friends,  from Italy, Canada, Australia and France.  And I felt 
the protection of who. . .Santiago?. . . like an aura around me.  (This 
sounds weird.)  But I continued walking after my husband, who had been 
walking with me, returned home.  Even though this was part of the plan from 
the beginning, I faced being "alone" on the Camino with some trepidation. 
Yet where else in the world can a woman walking by herself not only be safe, 
but also feel safe?  And who else but my wonderful husband was supportive of 
this solitary endeavor, when my friends here in upstate NY thought I was a 
bit daft?  The question I got when I returned home was "did anything bad 
happen?"  I had to report that the only "bad" event was my mistake in eating 
large bowls of the delicious caldo callego two days running!  (There was a 
flasher in the woods before Monte Gozo, but other than pick up my pace, my 
reaction was one of pity for him. )

My question of Kathy Gower is: did you walk in France by yourself?  Is it 
safe for women walking by themselves?  I am planning to walk in France next 
September, on the Chemin de Compostelle, but I'm not sure of which route.

I miss the Camino, I miss Spain, I miss all of the people I met and talked 
with along the way.  I celebrated my 69th birthday and my 36th wedding 
anniversary on the Camino.

Pat Rush, Schenectady, NY