Latest celebrity in the Camino

[Felipe]

The sport newspaper Marca reports today that the coach of Real Valladolid, Ronaldo Nazario, is doing the Camino de Invierno, after he vowed to do it if his club gained the promotion to first division. Ronaldo is well known by football fans, an awesome and very feared striker, former player of Real Madrid, world champion with Brazil in 2002, considered one of the greatest of all time.

He is planning 120 km in the Camino, from the doors of Valladolid stadium, with an electric bike. Apparently, he is looking for a Compostela (so, he is not well informed, you see...)
If you meet him, I hope you can try your dribbling skills with him in the albergue yard and tell this story to your incredulous grandchildren.

The newspaper does not report if rival coaches and players did the same vows. That could have been a serious dilemma for the good Apostle.

 

[peregrina2000]

Ooooooohhhhhhh, I guess I will display my ignorance by admitting that I was thinking it was a different Ronaldo. Based on the little I know about him, it did seem a little out of character, but the article cleared up the confusion.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

The sport newspaper Marca reports today that the coach of Real Valladolid, Ronaldo Nazario, is doing the Camino de Invierno, after he vowed to do it if his club gained the promotion to first division. Ronaldo is well known by football fans, an awesome and very feared striker, former player of Real Madrid, world champion with Brazil in 2002, considered one of the greatest of all time.

He is planning 120 km in the Camino, from the doors of Valladolid stadium, with an electric bike. Apparently, he is looking for a Compostela (so, he is not well informed, you see...)
If you meet him, I hope you can try your dribbling skills with him in the albergue yard and tell this story to your incredulous grandchildren.

The newspaper does not report if rival coaches and players did the same vows. That could have been a serious dilemma for the good Apostle.

Great story Felipe. I imagine there’ll be a contingent of the press following along. But actually, I’m quite impressed.

 

[Felipe]

Great story Felipe. I imagine there’ll be a contingent of the press following along. But actually, I’m quite impressed.

Great story Felipe. I imagine there’ll be a contingent of the press following along. But actually, I’m quite impressed.

There is more to the story. He sustained many injuries along his career, and suffers from the consequences of hypotyroidism,. He is going with his wife and a physiotherapist. It will not be easy to him, even with an electric bike.
Hope he has a buen camino,

 

[chinacat]

Buen Camino to him!

 

[Peregrinopaul]

There is more to the story. He sustained many injuries along his career, and suffers from the consequences of hypotyroidism,. He is going with his wife and a physiotherapist. It will not be easy to him, even with an electric bike.
Hope he has a buen camino,

Perhaps his story reflects the true essence of the Camino to the Spanish people.

 

[DBC]

The sport newspaper Marca reports today that the coach of Real Valladolid, Ronaldo Nazario, is doing the Camino de Invierno, after he vowed to do it if his club gained the promotion to first division. Ronaldo is well known by football fans, an awesome and very feared striker, former player of Real Madrid, world champion with Brazil in 2002, considered one of the greatest of all time.

He is planning 120 km in the Camino, from the doors of Valladolid stadium, with an electric bike. Apparently, he is looking for a Compostela (so, he is not well informed, you see...)
If you meet him, I hope you can try your dribbling skills with him in the albergue yard and tell this story to your incredulous grandchildren.

The newspaper does not report if rival coaches and players did the same vows. That could have been a serious dilemma for the good Apostle.

Celebrity announcing they are doing the Camino almost negates/invalidates doing the Camino. We had a former highly placed EU official (just retired) doing the Camino Frances route in the last few weeks by bike. Just got on with it in his own way for his own reasons. Just another pilgrim like the many others on bike. Respect to him.

 

[Kathor1]

The newspaper does not report if rival coaches and players did the same vows. That could have been a serious dilemma for the good Apostle.

.

I don't think that vows work like this, at least not all of them. It's often more like: If this happens, then I will do something that's unusual for me.

Thanks for posting. I love to read this kind of news from Spain. So this is the Ronaldo I remember from the World Cup years years ago, and he lives in Valladolid in Spain and has even become a Spanish national by now. And he is different from the Ronaldo about whom we usually read in the news these days. And they are both different from the one who is called Ronaldinho who is also a football (soccer) player, have I got this right?

I wish him suerte!

 

[Ronald Boivin]

The sport newspaper Marca reports today that the coach of Real Valladolid, Ronaldo Nazario, is doing the Camino de Invierno, after he vowed to do it if his club gained the promotion to first division. Ronaldo is well known by football fans, an awesome and very feared striker, former player of Real Madrid, world champion with Brazil in 2002, considered one of the greatest of all time.

He is planning 120 km in the Camino, from the doors of Valladolid stadium, with an electric bike. Apparently, he is looking for a Compostela (so, he is not well informed, you see...)
If you meet him, I hope you can try your dribbling skills with him in the albergue yard and tell this story to your incredulous grandchildren.

The newspaper does not report if rival coaches and players did the same vows. That could have been a serious dilemma for the good Apostle.

Sounds like an easy three hours! Rooting for you Ronaldo!

 

[Felipe]

.

I don't think that vows work like this, at least not all of them. It's often more like: If this happens, then I will do something that's unusual for me.

Thanks for posting. I love to read this kind of news from Spain. So this is the Ronaldo I remember from the World Cup years years ago, and he lives in Valladolid in Spain and has even become a Spanish national by now. And he is different from the Ronaldo about whom we usually read in the news these days. And they are both different from the one who is called Ronaldinho who is also a football (soccer) player, have I got this right?

I wish him suerte!

Yes. there is a Ronaldo (Nazario), a Ronaldinho and a Cristiano Ronaldo, all of them very accomplished strikers. I wonder what's in this name...
More seriously, I translated "voto" or "promesa" as "vow". They are typical of popular Catholicism in Latin America (I don´t know about Spain). Formally is an act of gratitude to God, a Virgin or a saint. Some churches where there is a particularly miraculous image show lots of "exvotos" or votive offferings and sometimes messages. I have seen messages thanking the saint for saving the person from a terrible accident or a serious disease, but also for more mundane things, as a son who (finally!) got his degree (or a football club that got a promotion, against all the odds). Vows could be simple (lightning a candle, a donative) or complex, as a pilgrimage. Believers take vows very seriously; sometimes they are called "mandas" (the same root of "mandatory"). So, some pilgrims who you see in the Camino probably are fulfilling a “promesa”.

 

[Felice]

The article says that Ronaldo will go from the stadium in Valladolid, and pass through Leon, Orense, Lugo and La Coruna. I assume they are referring to the districts, not the actual cities.

According to google maps, Valladolid is over 400km from Santiago, yet the article says that he is doing the journey over 4 days, covering 50 to 60 km per day. So is he going to miss out sections? Is he just going to leave the stadium by bike, then get taken to the start of the invierno as it also mentions that he will be doing more than the required 120km for a compostela for a bike.

All in all, a bit confusing. I suspect that whoever wrote the article was not totally aware of the what the plan is!

 

[Kathor1]

suspect that whoever wrote the article was not totally aware of the what the plan is!

Of course the writer of the article is not totally aware of the plan, what did you expect? And that will not stop other writers from copying the article. Or ad-libbing further.

So far, all these articles are based on one sole source, easy to find on the internet but too much bother for most article producers: Ronaldo's TV chat channel. He showed the plan and chatted about it:

 

[Felice]

Of course the writer of the article is not totally aware of the plan, what did you expect? And that will not stop other writers from copying the article. Or ad-libbing further.

So far, all these articles are based on one sole source, easy to find on the internet but too much bother for most article producers: Ronaldo's TV chat channel. He showed the plan and chatted about it:

View attachment 126983

Yet another depressing example of poor journalism.

I get the feeling that many journalists are now both innumerate and lacking in any common sense. It took me less time to type my post above than it did to work out that something did not stack up.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

you meet him, I hope you can try your dribbling skills with him in the albergue yard and tell this story to your incredulous grandchildren.

I used to dribble a long time ago and I expect that one day I may start again.

 

[peregrino_tom]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/jun/05/brazil-ronaldo-cycle-valladolid
Ronaldo - one of the most incredible strikers of all time. Also involved in possibly the game's greatest mystery, when he failed to join the team 40 minutes before the World Cup Final in 1998 in France. The internet is full of possible explanations and conspiracy theories about this episode.
Fortunately for him, he was able to overwrite this disaster from his career by appearing in the final 4 years later, scoring the only two goals of the game and being named Man of the Match. Now that's what I call a comeback!
Buen Camino Ronaldo!

 

[Kathor1]

He showed the plan and chatted about it:

As I understand it now, the plan is to pedal 50-60 km on the bike over 4 days. There are many ways for going to the Apostle James in Santiago, and they are all valid.

 

[Former member 22438]

The article says that Ronaldo will go from the stadium in Valladolid, and pass through Leon, Orense, Lugo and La Coruna. I assume they are referring to the districts, not the actual cities.

According to google maps, Valladolid is over 400km from Santiago, yet the article says that he is doing the journey over 4 days, covering 50 to 60 km per day. So is he going to miss out sections? Is he just going to leave the stadium by bike, then get taken to the start of the invierno as it also mentions that he will be doing more than the required 120km for a compostela for a bike.

All in all, a bit confusing. I suspect that whoever wrote the article was not totally aware of the what the plan is!

To require a compostela with a bike you have to ride the last 200 kms to Santiago and collect two stamps a day.
probably he does his camino by Porsche or Ferrari or other exotic vehicle . these kind of celebrities do not travel in an ordinairy car like most of us do (I speak on myself now )

Btw I read in the regulations of the Pelgrims Office that you can do the camino by foot, bike, on horseback of by ship (anyone knows how to do that except for taking the ferryboat from the UK or Ireland to Santander ?

 

[SabsP]

probably he does his camino by Porsche or Ferrari or other exotic vehicle . these kind of celebrities do not travel in an ordinairy car like most of us do (I speak on myself now )

I don't see what his preference for carbrands has to do with cycling this Camino?

He certainly does not have to prove anything anymore so good on him to keep a promise and undertake this pilgrimage.

Ronaldo fietst 450km naar Compostela na promotie van zijn club Valladolid | sporza

Bij Ronaldo denken we niet meteen aan een wielertenue en een koersfiets, maar de Braziliaan zet op dit eigenste moment koers naar Santiago de Compostela. Hij beloofde dat te doen als zijn club, Real Valladolid, zou promoveren naar de Primera Division.

sporza.be

 

[Kathor1]

I read in the regulations of the Pelgrims Office that you can do the camino by foot, bike, on horseback of by ship (anyone knows how to do that except for taking the ferryboat from the UK or Ireland to Santander ?

It is nothing new. Last year the Santiago Pilgrims Office issued 165 Compostelas for pilgrims who journeyed by vela to Santiago and in 2019, before Covid-19, it was 243 Compostelas for sailing pilgrims. That's why the credencial issued by the Cathedral has the icon of a sailing boat next to the icon of a horse and why it says in the credencial's text "o 100 millas y terminando los últimos kilómetres a pie" - or 100 nautical miles and the last few km on foot. Have you never seen such a credencial?

probably he does his camino by Porsche or Ferrari or other exotic vehicle . these kind of celebrities do not travel in an ordinairy car like most of us do (I speak on myself now )

No. He does what he had announced, or at least that's what he did on his first day and that's what he set out to do on his second day: He pedals 50-60 km on each day He can't walk due to injuries and he is physically not very fit. He has a physio with him. And other support. He made a vow and he follows it up now. Spanish people recognise him in the streets and shake hands with him or pat his shoulder, and of course there is some interest, why shouldn't it be so? He is someone who makes a journey to Santiago. He does his Camino. Not anyone else's or what others think that everybody's 'Camino' must be like.

 

[Former member 49149]

To require a compostela with a bike you have to ride the last 200 kms to Santiago and collect two stamps a day.
probably he does his camino by Porsche or Ferrari or other exotic vehicle . these kind of celebrities do not travel in an ordinairy car like most of us do (I speak on myself now )

Btw I read in the regulations of the Pelgrims Office that you can do the camino by foot, bike, on horseback of by ship (anyone knows how to do that except for taking the ferryboat from the UK or Ireland to Santander ?

Have you seen the beautiful film recording the voyage from Ireland? http://www.anupictures.com/project/camino/

 

[Kathor1]

Yet another depressing example of poor journalism. I get the feeling that many journalists are now both innumerate and lacking in any common sense. It took me less time to type my post above than it did to work out that something did not stack up.

Yes and no to "poor journalism". It is both the 'fault' of those who produce news and those who consume it which is most of us. We are used to getting near real-time news from all corners of the world and we rarely check the actual source - especially cumbersome when it is in a foreign language. In this case, it was on a video chat channel in spoken Brazilian Portuguese which is not easy to follow for me at least and most of those who commented/did a write-up about this topic in news media or on social media since then won't even know of its existence.

This journey to Santiago is probably physically tough for this 45-years old untrained bike rider but it is not the epic gruelling 400-500 km saga that numerous inattentive media describe, with epic and gruelling being standard vocabulary in this context.

I somehow doubt that getting a Compostela is something that he or his crew mentioned or are even envisaging. Perhaps we will learn about it tomorrow ... or not. He stayed in Villafranca del Bierzo yesterday. Local mayors and local business owners apparently welcome the odd occasion to get a minor mention and a photo into their local newspapers. All in all, it appears to be a far cry from any "celebrity circus" that one could envisage ....

 

[donalomahony]

The sport newspaper Marca reports today that the coach of Real Valladolid, Ronaldo Nazario, is doing the Camino de Invierno, after he vowed to do it if his club gained the promotion to first division. Ronaldo is well known by football fans, an awesome and very feared striker, former player of Real Madrid, world champion with Brazil in 2002, considered one of the greatest of all time.

He is planning 120 km in the Camino, from the doors of Valladolid stadium, with an electric bike. Apparently, he is looking for a Compostela (so, he is not well informed, you see...)
If you meet him, I hope you can try your dribbling skills with him in the albergue yard and tell this story to your incredulous grandchildren.

The newspaper does not report if rival coaches and players did the same vows. That could have been a serious dilemma for the good Apostle.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1534527785598853126

 

[Kathor1]

I somehow doubt that getting a Compostela is something that he or his crew mentioned or are even envisaging. Perhaps we will learn about it tomorrow ...

Worries about the rules and the Compostela may have been in vain.

Look what he and his crew got! Presumably from the Galician Tourism authority because the person on the right on the photo is the director, Nava Castro. They got him a certificate that says Peregrino/Pilgrim 106.011, and the others have certificates with the numbers 106.012, 106.013, and 106.014.

 

[AidaYYC]

Hmmm - Completing a small stretch of the Camino and on e-bikes(?) Ok I get it - they received an acknowledgement of completion from the tourist office. Good for them.

 

[AidaYYC]

I wonder if there is a list of celebrities or famous people that have actually done a Camino(?) I know that Shirley MacLaine walked the Camino Frances back in 2000 and even wrote a book about it, but I would be interested of others ...

 

[Kathor1]

I wonder if there is a list of celebrities or famous people that have actually done a Camino(?)

Of course you may find such a list. Probably more than one list because such lists may be different from country to country. Your country's celebrities may not be my country's celebrities so don't expect global interest .

But how many of them have been to Santiago before their Camino endeavour and did something amazing in Santiago that is still remembered by the good people of Santiago, even after more than a quarter of a century?

Here's what Ronaldo was asked about today on the Praza do Obradoiro and what the Voz de Galicia newspaper wrote about today: his goal of 12 October 1996! On that day, he scored one of the greatest goals in the history of the Spanish league at the Santiago San Lázaro stadium. He played for Barcelona against Santiago and dribbled past all the Compostela players who came his way and hit a hard shot just inside the right-hand post past the goalkeeper. It took him ten seconds and almost 50 metres to score one of the most beautiful goals of the king of Spanish sports (= football aka soccer).

I just love the local flavour of such stories. I even went on YouTube to watch him score that goal.

 

[Scarlet Fez]

I wonder if there is a list of celebrities or famous people that have actually done a Camino(?) I know that Shirley MacLaine walked the Camino Frances back in 2000 and even wrote a book about it, but I would be interested of others ...

In October 2017 in the Irish Pub in Santiago I bumped into and spoke to Jasper Carrot (British Comedian) and his wife. They had completed the Camino from Sarria and was intrigued by the number that walked as as far from SJPP. He lived in Spain but his work commitments restricted how much time he could walk. He was a lovely Fella.

 

[peregrino_tom]

I even went on YouTube to watch him score that goal.

It's a wonder they let him back into the city after what he did to their defence..
I love that pic above in front of the cathedral - there's something about everyone's happiness that captures the feelgood factor we (nearly) all experience at that point. And it's very nice to feel it again, thousands of miles and many years away!

 

[David Tallan]

He is planning 120 km in the Camino, from the doors of Valladolid stadium, with an electric bike. Apparently, he is looking for a Compostela (so, he is not well informed, you see...)

There are e-bikes and e-bikes. Some do all the work for you, and some are "pedal assist" and you still do some pedaling, assisted by the bike. According to reports in this forum by Pilgrim Office volunteers, you still qualify for a Compostela if you use a pedal-assist e-bike. So depending on the type of electric bike he is using, he may not be so misinformed as you believe.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

A word from an old journalist: Try working a job where everybody in the world thinks they know how to do your work better than you do.
Admittedly, journalism in Spain is very different than the journalism I knew and practiced in the USA.
But lay off the writers, OK? Any idea how many other stories they had to get out that day?

 

[AidaYYC]

Of course you may find such a list. Probably more than one list because such lists may be different from country to country. Your country's celebrities may not be my country's celebrities so don't expect global interest .

I get this, but I am referring to a celebrity list as deemed so by the office in Santiago, not according to your or my criteria ...

 

[Former member 95219]

In October 2017 in the Irish Pub in Santiago I bumped into and spoke to Jasper Carrot (British Comedian) and his wife. They had completed the Camino from Sarria and was intrigued by the number that walked as as far from SJPP. He lived in Spain but his work commitments restricted how much time he ould walk. He was a lovely Fella.

Sadly many on here (understandably as they are not from Uk) will not understand how the thought of Jasper Carrott on the Camino feels such a wonderful thing! I’ve not met him but no surprise that he was lovely. I can imagine him writing a lovely sketch of walking the Camino with self deprecating humour!

 

[Kathor1]

I get this, but I am referring to a celebrity list as deemed so by the office in Santiago, not according to your or my criteria ...

I doubt that the Pilgrim Office in Santiago maintains a list of celebrities or has criteria for what constitutes a celebrity. You could write to them and ask …

 

[Kathor1]

So depending on the type of electric bike he is using, he may not be so misinformed as you believe.

He was not misinformed. He did not get a Compostela and there were no plans to get one. His promise did not include getting a Compostela.

He did not bike the last 200 km and so it does not matter what kind of bike he rode. It is the EFE (news agency) article that misinforms the reader. Quote in translation: will cover the more than 120 kilometers that are required for those who have cycled - those who do the Camino by bicycle -, in order to receive the 'Compostela', according to sources close to the former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan player. The sports newspaper Marca mentioned in the first post took this over from EFE without any corrections although it is obvious from the context - start in Valladolid which is 450-500 km away, 4 days of cycling with 50-60 km daily - what the plan was. One can only guess what the unnamed “sources” had been thinking if they existed at all. Perhaps 2 days x 60 km = 120 km?

 

[pepi]

The sport newspaper Marca reports today that the coach of Real Valladolid, Ronaldo Nazario, is doing the Camino de Invierno, after he vowed to do it if his club gained the promotion to first division. Ronaldo is well known by football fans, an awesome and very feared striker, former player of Real Madrid, world champion with Brazil in 2002, considered one of the greatest of all time.

He is planning 120 km in the Camino, from the doors of Valladolid stadium, with an electric bike. Apparently, he is looking for a Compostela (so, he is not well informed, you see...)
If you meet him, I hope you can try your dribbling skills with him in the albergue yard and tell this story to your incredulous grandchildren.

The newspaper does not report if rival coaches and players did the same vows. That could have been a serious dilemma for the good Apostle.

There are no celebrities on the Camino, just pilgrims

 

[Anna Sar]

We saw him and the whole circus around him on Praza Obradoiro when he wanted to get to albergue Parador.
No clue who he was then.
On the same day when some got a special certificate some others were not allowed to get Compostella because appatently the credential was not "official"... (not me, some Portuguese at the next counter)

 

[Kathor1]

On the same day when some got a special certificate some others were not allowed to get Compostella because appatently the credential was not "official"... (not me, some Portuguese at the next counter)

Again, two things that have nothing to do with each other but apparently get mixed up: one person fulfils his vow or promesa while another person voluntarily submits himself/herself to the set of rules for awards from the Oficina del Peregrino.

 

[Anna Sar]

Again, two things that have nothing to do with each other but apparently get mixed up: one person fulfils his vow or promesa while another person voluntarily submits himself/herself to the set of rules for awards from the Oficina del Peregrino

Not quite get what you mean.

Still the same Camino though, never mind the personal motivation.
Vow or not vow it has nothing to do with the certificate or how you are treated. Pilgrim = pilgrim.

And how would you know if that "simple" pilgrim didn't make his vow as well. And on the other hand Ronaldo made himself subject to the office rules claiming Compostela.

After several Caminos this is the first time I see something personalised with the number on it.

Therefore my philosophic remark. On the same day one pilgrim is special and another one treated like his Camino didn't exist in the eyes of the authorities. It is what it is.

(I sincerely doubt if Ronaldo would be denied his Compostela because he collected his stamps on the wrong piece of paper.)

 

[Kathor1]

On the same day one pilgrim is special and another one treated like his Camino didn't exist in the eyes of the authorities.

The authorities??? Which ones???

Ronaldo is a widely known person in Spain as the current president of the Valladolid football club who made it into the 1st league again this season and as a former outstanding world class player and a former member of two of the most famous top football clubs in Spain: Real Madrid and Barcelona. He is an unsuitable target for criticising the Pilgrims Office and their criteria and methods for awarding their Compostelas. Here's why:

The Portuguese pilgrim that you referred to wanted a Compostela from the Pilgrims Office which is part of the administration of the Cathedral of Santiago while Ronaldo was given a no-name piece of paper by the director of Turismo de Galicia on behalf of the Galician government (called Xunta). Check the Xunta website: https://www.xunta.gal/notas-de-pren...recibe-ronaldo-nazario-sua-chegada-obradoiro#. Whether we like it or not, Galicia has promoted their region since at least the 1960s as a destination for Spaniards and foreigners alike and does so in particular during Holy Years with their Xacobeo programs as now in 2021-2022 and again in 2027 which will be the next Jacobean Holy Year and they are already gearing up for it.

Here is a close-up: the header says Xunta de Galicia - Xacobeo 21-22 - galicia. It has nothing to do with the Pilgrim Office or with their Compostelas or with their Credentials.