It is impossible not to compare the Via Augusta that I have just completed with the Camino Frances that I completed five years ago, both after all are recognised 'Caminos', long walks through Spain with a pilgrim history that lead to Santiago de Compostela.
As I noted previously, if the Via Augusta is not in an urban area it seems to be on the way to one and there is no way that this will compare favourably with a route of small villages and isolation. But the magic of the Camino Francés is not just in its beauty, it is in the way there is total engagement with all those involved. Walkers are greeted with a ‘Buen Camino' from other walkers and locals alike, a simple phrase but it forms a bond not only between the walkers but also between the walkers and the communities they pass through; it creates something special.
That something special is missing here. Hunter, my American host in Alcala, told me that many people there were not even aware of the Camino that passed through their town. My sense is that this holds true all along the route. But why should they be? For the villages of the Camino Frances walkers are the lifeblood of their existence; here though they are an occasional and unnoticeable element in a town's existence. However, the fact most people did not even respond to a (hopefully) cheerful ‘Buen Dia', to me meant it could be any other long walk. And that is how I viewed it in the end, a long walk to get to the start of a hopefully better one.
I'm getting that impression from your posts. Almost makes me want do the Frances again before it's too late. I wonder how the Coastal Camino Portuguese compares?
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