To mark the end of a working life I'm going on a little bit of a cycle.
In spring 2015 I plan to cycle from home in Athlone, Ireland to Santiago de Compostello and home again. I plan on getting accommodation in Auberges and with warmshowers and couchsurfing hosts, with the occasional hotel or guesthouse when things get desperate!
This is a nice gentle spin, it should take me about two months!
As a nonbeliever why do I want to do a catholic pilgrimage?
I want to do a tour of of what I call "an atheist's sacred spaces". These are the holy wells and cillins, the industrial schools, the Magdelene laundries and the refugee direct provision sites, the odd little memorials that are carefully written out of official history. I'll see if I can write a short book about the trip.
Just now the plans are:
From home in Athlone cycle up the midlands to Derry. Then down the west coast, through Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Clare and Limerick to Cork. Take the ferry to Roscoff, then down the west coast of France to the Spanish border. Across the Pyrenees and across north Spain on Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostella. Continue to Finnestere, back on the Camino del Norte to Santander. Take the ferry to Plymouth and come home via Bristol, Cardiff and Fishguard.
I've been cycling for a lifetime so the actual distance, I guess 3000km in total, is the least of my concerns.
Does anyone have information on doing a similar trip? I've only found one report, Michelle and Alan's cycle from Ashbourne, http://www.yourforum.ie/ashbourne/r...1-couples-cycle-pilgrimage-adventure#comments
Many thanks
Gerry
Might you be looking for company to join you for this trip?
If anyone wants to join me for a few days or a week then they are very welcome. I don't want to get involved in making travel arrangements for other people though. My own are quite complicated enough!
OK, I understand. Thanks for replying though.
We arrived in Spain 2 days ago and are currently following the Camino although we will turn off at Oviedo to follow Ruta de plata south. Earlier this year we cycled from Roscoff to Basle - you need to follow Breast Nantes canal part of Eurovelo 1.(which incidently continues down through France and connects to the Camino) Read about our trip and previous trips on www.grandparentsonabike.com happy to answer any questions.
I walked for a week west from Santander and took the train to Ferrol for another week to Santiago a couple of months ago (September 2014),
I'd love to ride the North coast more, the train ride is stunningly beautiful.
Oh, one more thing I'd read and can attest to, "The camino will provide"
Buen Camino
An excellent resource is www.caminodesantiago.net a web forum operated by Ivar Rekve in Santiago who among other things will accept and store items you choose to mail there and retrieve upon arrival.