{"id":1102,"date":"2021-04-26T11:16:12","date_gmt":"2021-04-26T16:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/?p=1102"},"modified":"2021-04-26T11:16:14","modified_gmt":"2021-04-26T16:16:14","slug":"the-camino-is-actually-many-caminos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/the-camino-is-actually-many-caminos\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;THE&#8221; Camino is actually&#8230; MANY CaminoS!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>&#8220;The Camino de Santiago&#8221; is <strong>not just one trail<\/strong>, it&#8217;s actually <strong>a whole network of many Caminos<\/strong> de Santiago! Of course, Camino veterans know that very well. Some may even tell me <strong>I&#8217;m stating the obvious<\/strong> here.<br>Yes, it&#8217;s true&#8230; but let&#8217;s remember that sometimes, <strong>new pilgrims don&#8217;t know about that fact yet!<\/strong> I for one had no clue there were so many Caminos when I started to prepare my first pilgrimage. And I&#8217;m pretty sure I&#8217;m not the only one, it had to happen to many pilgrims too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this post, <strong>let&#8217;s discuss that moment when a pilgrim realizes that THE Camino is in fact MANY Caminos!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"#MANYCaminos-overview\">An overview of the Camino and its many itineraries<\/a><br><a href=\"#MANYCaminos-memories\">Memories of my discovery of the Camino network<\/a><br><a href=\"#MANYCaminos-whatnow\"> So, many Caminos&#8230; what now?!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"779\" height=\"628\" src=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Spain.jpg\" alt=\"Many Caminos! - photo: Federacion espa\u00f1ola del Camino de Santiago\" class=\"wp-image-1104\" srcset=\"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Spain.jpg 779w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Spain-300x242.jpg 300w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Spain-768x619.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 779px) 100vw, 779px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"MANYCaminos-overview\">An overview of &#8220;the&#8221; Camino and its many itineraries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So, how about a look at these many Caminos de Santiago? \ud83d\ude42 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s start with a <strong>map of Europe<\/strong>, from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.caminosantiago.org\/cpperegrino\/comun\/inicio.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spanish Federations of Jacobean Societies<\/a>:<br>It gives a pretty good idea of how important the network of Caminos de Santiago really is&#8230; even though on this map, many itineraries are missing!<br>How amazing is this?! There are enough Caminos for several lifetimes! \ud83d\ude0d<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/nco.ign.es\/CaminoSantiago\/?visibilidadCapas=Q2FtaW5vU2FudGlhZ29FdXJvcGFfOTk4IDEsQ2FtaW5vU2FudGlhZ29FdXJvcGFfOTk4XzAgMSxDYW1pbm9TYW50aWFnb0V1cm9wYV85OThfMSAxLENhbWlub1NhbnRpYWdvRXVyb3BhXzk5OF8yIDE=&amp;mapabase=*&amp;mobileBreakPoint=400\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"640px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is now an overview of the many Caminos de Santiago you can find <strong>in different European countries<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Spain.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"779\" height=\"628\" src=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Spain.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1104\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Spain.jpg\" data-link=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/?attachment_id=1104\" class=\"wp-image-1104\" srcset=\"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Spain.jpg 779w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Spain-300x242.jpg 300w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Spain-768x619.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 779px) 100vw, 779px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Caminos in Spain<br><em> <em>Photo and info: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.caminosantiago.org\/cpperegrino\/caminos\/caminos.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spanish Federation of Jacobean Societies<\/a><\/em> <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Portugal-Porto.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"521\" height=\"768\" src=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Portugal-Porto.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1112\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Portugal-Porto.png\" data-link=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/camino-portugal-porto\/\" class=\"wp-image-1112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Portugal-Porto.png 521w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Portugal-Porto-204x300.png 204w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Caminos in Portugal (from Porto)<br> <em> <em>Photo and info:<\/em><\/em>  <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.caminador.es\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Caminador<\/a><\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-France.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"635\" height=\"588\" src=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-France.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1108\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-France.png\" data-link=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/camino-france\/\" class=\"wp-image-1108\" srcset=\"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-France.png 635w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-France-300x278.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 635px) 100vw, 635px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Caminos in France<br> <em> <em>Photo and info:<\/em><\/em>  <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.compostelle-france.fr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">French Federation of Jacobean Societies<\/a><\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Netherland.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"424\" height=\"465\" src=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Netherland.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1110\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Netherland.png\" data-link=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/camino-netherland\/\" class=\"wp-image-1110\" srcset=\"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Netherland.png 424w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Netherland-274x300.png 274w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 424px) 100vw, 424px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Caminos in the Netherlands<br> <em> <em>Photo and info:<\/em><\/em>  <em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.santiago.nl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Santiago NL<\/a><\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Belgium.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"958\" height=\"782\" src=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Belgium.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1107\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Belgium.jpg\" data-link=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/camino-belgium\/\" class=\"wp-image-1107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Belgium.jpg 958w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Belgium-300x245.jpg 300w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Belgium-768x627.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 958px) 100vw, 958px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Caminos in Belgium<br> <em> <em>Photo and info:<\/em><\/em> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.st-jacques.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Santiago in Belgium<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Germany.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"520\" height=\"670\" src=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Germany.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1109\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Germany.png\" data-link=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/camino-germany\/\" class=\"wp-image-1109\" srcset=\"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Germany.png 520w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Germany-233x300.png 233w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Caminos in Germany<br> <em> <em>Photo and info:<\/em><\/em>  <em> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.deutsche-jakobswege.de\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Deutsche Jakobsweg<\/a><\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Switzerland.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"872\" height=\"520\" src=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Switzerland.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1113\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Switzerland.png\" data-link=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/camino-switzerland\/\" class=\"wp-image-1113\" srcset=\"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Switzerland.png 872w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Switzerland-300x179.png 300w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Switzerland-768x458.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 872px) 100vw, 872px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Caminos in Switzerland<br> <em> <em>Photo and info:<\/em><\/em>  <em> <a href=\"https:\/\/camino-europe.eu\/fr\/eu\/ch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Santiago in Switzerland<\/a><\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Austria.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"952\" height=\"532\" src=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Austria.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1106\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Austria.png\" data-link=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/camino-austria\/\" class=\"wp-image-1106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Austria.png 952w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Austria-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Austria-768x429.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 952px) 100vw, 952px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Caminos in Austria<br> <em> <em>Photo and info:<\/em><\/em>  <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.caminosantiago.at\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jakobswege \u00d6sterreich<\/a><\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Poland.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1015\" height=\"1024\" src=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Poland-1015x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1111\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Poland.jpg\" data-link=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/camino-poland\/\" class=\"wp-image-1111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Poland-1015x1024.jpg 1015w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Poland-297x300.jpg 297w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Poland-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Poland-768x775.jpg 768w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-Poland.jpg 1095w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1015px) 100vw, 1015px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Camino in Poland<br> <em> <em>Photo and info:<\/em><\/em>  <em><a href=\"https:\/\/mypielgrzymi.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Camino w Polsce<\/a><\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Most European countries have a <strong>national Jacobean society<\/strong> focusing on the Caminos within their borders.<br>In countries with a great number of itineraries, there usually are <strong>local societies<\/strong> as well. Regional, provincial, municipal&#8230; depending on the administrative organization of the country. They take care of the stretches of Caminos passing through their territories.<br>And <strong>in countries with no &#8220;Camino de Santiago&#8221;<\/strong>&#8230; you can still find Camino societies! Some only have a national one, others may have local chapters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For your next Camino, remember those societies are a <strong>huge help<\/strong> to make preparations easier! Check if there&#8217;s one around you! \ud83d\ude0a<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"MANYCaminos-memories\">Memories of my discovery of the Camino network <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The pilgrimage to Santiago didn&#8217;t enter my life by surprise, I always heard about it. <strong>Amazing tales and stories of a mystical journey<\/strong> always filled my head with dreams and gave me itchy feet&#8230;<br>And one morning, \ud83d\udca5 BOOM! \ud83d\udca5 M turn! The <strong>Camino called me<\/strong>. I woke up with the absolute certainty that within the year, I would have arrived in Santiago too. Starting from home, alone, on foot and doing all of it in one journey. No half measures!<br>All I had to do was to prepare my trip: Strasbourg-Santiago&#8230; with <strong>zero knowledge about the Camino<\/strong> and no hiking experience whatsoever (but that&#8217;s another story)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3>In the beginning was a One Camino&#8230;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In my mind, I was going to shut my door and <strong>make up my own path until I finally reached THE Camino<\/strong> that would then lead me straight to Santiago.<br>I don&#8217;t remember exactly what I had in mind at the time&#8230; But when I started to prepare my pilgrimage, this One Camino looked like <strong>a shapeless itinerary without stages or anything<\/strong>, floating from an approximate center of France and going towards Santiago.<br>I could have looked like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"680\" height=\"460\" src=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-APriori.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-APriori.png 680w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Camino-APriori-300x203.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><figcaption>&#8220;THE Camino&#8221; my mind pictured when I was a Camino newbie \ud83d\udc23\ud83d\ude04<br><em>Map: Marion, Santiago in Love &#8211; CC BY-SA-NC<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Then I started my preparation with some research<\/strong>. And&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3>Uh oh&#8230;! Really? So many Caminos???<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once upon a time, a time when Internet was not so common and quite empty compared to these days&#8230; I did my first researches at the library. \ud83d\ude0b Even without the 3,110,000 results in 0.70\u00a0seconds from a research-friendly Internet, <strong>I quickly realized<\/strong> (in 1min flat) <strong>than THE Camino was far from being a One Camino<\/strong>. Quite the opposite&#8230; there were <strong>MANYYY CaminoS, all over the place<\/strong>! \ud83e\udd2f<br>It <strong>blew my mind<\/strong>! There were many Caminos in Spain, many Caminos in France&#8230; But also many Caminos in Belgium and Switzerland! And for me, the icing on the cake was a complete Camino connecting Strasbourg to the main French Caminos&#8230; I didn&#8217;t even need to invent a trail of my own!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/04\/compostelle-chemins-2009.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1926\"\/><figcaption>The map I discovered in my book&#8230;. Wow!!! Can you spot any difference with the previous map?? \ud83d\ude02<br><em>Map: Partir \u00e0 Compostelle, L. Denis, Edition du Vieux Crayon 2006<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s fair to say, the One Camino from my imagination was <strong>far off the truth<\/strong>!<br>(And it looked a lot like the Le Puy route and the Camino Franc\u00e9s. Looking back, it&#8217;s not surprising: those 2 are the most famous and popular ways in France and Spain! But at the time of course, I had no clue they were \u263a\ufe0f)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyways, <strong>I was quite stunned<\/strong>, to say the least&#8230; Have you ever been to the supermarket and felt<strong> overwhelmed or fatigued by the excess of choice<\/strong> you have for a simple can of soup of a box of pasta? I had a similar feeling when I first discovered all those different trails. I was thinking, <strong>what should I do, what Camino should I choose<\/strong>??? <br><strong>Honestly, at this point I felt a bit lost!<\/strong> Information overload&#8230; For my One-Camino mind, there were suddenly <strong>too many options<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3>Ok&#8230; well, no problem!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Thankfully, the element of surprise was short-lived. Once it was gone, I simply got to work. I did <strong>a bit of research<\/strong> on the different routes. Not too detailed; just <strong>enough to have a general idea of what my options were<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I simply invented my own personal pilgrimage, based on <strong>existing routes, down-to-earth obligations and personal preferences<\/strong>. It kind of went like that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"680\" height=\"481\" src=\"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/CaminoFinal.png\" alt=\"my final caminos, map: Marion, Santiago in Love, CC BY-NC-SA\" class=\"wp-image-1114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/CaminoFinal.png 680w, https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/CaminoFinal-300x212.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><figcaption>From a One Camino to many Caminos&#8230; to my own personal Camino!<br><em>Map: Marion, Santiago in Love, CC BY-NC-SA<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I was starting from <strong>Strasbourg<\/strong>, for sure. In France, V\u00e9zelay felt like a better option than Le Puy but it would have taken me too long to complete, considering the time I had. So I chose to walk the <strong>Le Puy<\/strong> route instead, even if there would be a lot more people there. This choice also influenced my path before Le Puy as it made it go through <strong>Cluny<\/strong>. <br>In Spain, my first priority was to stay away from the overpopulated Camino Franc\u00e9s. I was happy to discover another option with the <strong>Camino del Norte<\/strong>! But I still wanted to cross the Pyr\u00e9n\u00e9es by the stage Saint Jean Pied de Port-Roncesvalles, so I decided to push until <strong>Pamplona<\/strong> first, then reach the Norte at <strong>San Sebastian<\/strong> by bus (in the end I hitchhiked it&#8230; quite an adventure by itself!).<br>I had planned to continue the Norte along the coast, to catch up with the Camino Franc\u00e9s as late as possible. It&#8217;s only sometimes along the way that I decided to take the <strong>Camino Primitivo<\/strong>. I don&#8217;t really remember when or why I changed my mind, but it was completely worth it!<br>Finally, when I discovered the <strong>Camino a Fisterra-Muxia<\/strong> and its beautiful meaning, it felt obvious to me right away that I would end my pilgrimage that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, this is how my Camino took shape&#8230; There&#8217;s quite a difference with what I first had in mind, don&#8217;t you think? \ud83d\ude09 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"MANYCaminos-whatnow\">So, many Caminos&#8230; what now?!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have been surprised one day by the number of Caminos de Santiago out there. Or maybe not&#8230;? Regardless, you certainly had to <strong>make a decision about your itinerary<\/strong> at some point! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s no headache for some pilgrims: <strong>sometimes the right choice is obvious<\/strong>. For example, because they want to start somewhere specific or because they&#8217;re attracted to one Camino in particular.<br>But <strong>more often than not, it&#8217;s not that simple<\/strong>&#8230; Many pilgrims are hesitant or have doubts. They&#8217;re afraid to make a mistake, to throw themselves into something that&#8217;s too much for them, to miss a Camino &#8220;must-do&#8221;, to mess it all up by choosing the &#8220;wrong&#8221; Camino&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are one of the second type, here are <strong>some suggestions<\/strong> to help you find your Way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>If you feel one Camino in particular calls you, trust yourself!<\/strong> You can&#8217;t explain a mysterious calling for one route over another&#8230; Especially not with logic! In my humble opinion and from my experience, such attractions always have a reason to be. Even if you only understand it a lot later, or not at all. There are things about the Camino that are really beyond our comprehension&#8230; Same for yourself, actually! There are parts of you that are way beyond logic and reason, but still have meaning. So, trust the Camino and trust <em>yourself<\/em>!<\/li><li><strong>There is no such thing as a &#8220;wrong&#8221; or &#8220;bad&#8221; Camino<\/strong>. Whatever your final choice is, you will experience something that&#8217;s really worth it. Even if you have a &#8220;bad&#8221; experience! There&#8217;s always something to gain from a journey on the Camino \ud83d\ude09 <\/li><li><strong>Any Camino can be a perfect first Camino<\/strong>. English speaking pilgrims advise each other to prefer the Camino Franc\u00e9s for a first pilgrimage. French speaking pilgrims advise the Le Puy route. Well yes, those 2 ways have advantages that can reassure first-time pilgrims. But other Caminos are just as fine for a first experience! If you feel like going on another route than those 2 for your first pilgrimage, it&#8217;s perfectly ok!<\/li><li><strong>Make an informed choice<\/strong>. Any Camino can be a good option but not all Camino can be done the same way! Each route is unique, with their own particularities. For practical purposes, it&#8217;s better to be well-informed about it <em>before<\/em> you go&#8230;<\/li><li><strong>If you have obligations<\/strong>, do your best not to let them stop you. But if you have to make compromises, it&#8217;s ok! You will have a great experience all the same!<\/li><li><strong>If you&#8217;re hesitant, see what&#8217;s going on <em>within yourself<\/em><\/strong>. Nowadays, we tend to ask others about what we should do or what we should think&#8230; It&#8217;s kind of sad! (although advice can be good and interesting!) Give yourself time, <em>take<\/em> the time to &#8220;listen&#8221; to what you tell yourself from within. Most of times, answers to the questions we seek are already there&#8230; we just don&#8217;t realize they&#8217;re there!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>And you? Did you once think that THE Camino was only just one path?<\/strong><br><strong>How and when did you realize there were in fact many Caminos de Santiago? Was it hard to choose one path over another? What helped you decide?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tell us in the comments! \ud83d\ude42<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;The Camino de Santiago&#8221; is not just one trail, it&#8217;s actually a whole network of many Caminos de Santiago! Of course, Camino veterans know that very well. Some may even tell me I&#8217;m stating the obvious here.Yes, it&#8217;s true&#8230; but let&#8217;s remember that sometimes, new pilgrims don&#8217;t know about that fact yet! I for one &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/the-camino-is-actually-many-caminos\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">&#8220;THE&#8221; Camino is actually&#8230; MANY CaminoS!<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1104,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[226],"tags":[20,389,385,382,381,383,284,387,384,390,324,12,388,386],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>&quot;THE&quot; Camino is actually... MANY CaminoS! - Santiago in Love<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One and many... 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