Giving directions

[Felipe]

A question....what do you do when somebody asks you for the right direction in the Camino? That happens sometimes to me...I guess that people suppose that wisdom comes with age, although as you know, this is not necessarily true.
I always study thoroughly maps and guides, even browse Google Maps, and I am familiar with Camino signposting in Spain and France (they are not the same, and the first time this is not so obvious). And I usually try to be helpful and give indications when I can, but I am sometimes worried. If I choose a wrong path, this is just me...but to take responsibility for others choices is somewhat unnerving.
My last time I adopted a kind of "caveat", as in "Well, I think this is the right way, but this is just my opinion. It is up to you to follow me or not". The result was not the best: the couple of Dutch pilgrims that had asked me for directions gave me a very odd look (or maybe it was because I was trying to say this in French, and I am not very good with tricky subjunctive verbs).
The easier solution, obviously, would be to say: “I don’t know, ask somebody else”, but this does not seem as the proper friendly Camino answer, especially when fellow walkers can see that I am walking in a (apparently) confident way, and actually there is nobody else in sight.
What do you do in these cases?

 

[Anniesantiago]

If I am not sure I just say, "I'm sorry but I don't know." With a smile.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I learned how to say 'I'm not sure, maybe' in Spanish. That plus English and a shrug/head tilt accompanying the finger point usually got across that following me might end in one spectacular story. It's good that you're so prepared, maybe other can sense it. Or they figure if you all get lost you're at least a nice person with whom to wander

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

A question....what do you do when somebody asks you for the right direction in the Camino? That happens sometimes to me...I guess that people suppose that wisdom comes with age, although as you know, this is not necessarily true.
I always study thoroughly maps and guides, even browse Google Maps, and I am familiar with Camino signposting in Spain and France (they are not the same, and the first time this is not so obvious). And I usually try to be helpful and give indications when I can, but I am sometimes worried. If I choose a wrong path, this is just me...but to take responsibility for others choices is somewhat unnerving.
My last time I adopted a kind of "caveat", as in "Well, I think this is the right way, but this is just my opinion. It is up to you to follow me or not". The result was not the best: the couple of Dutch pilgrims that had asked me for directions gave me a very odd look (or maybe it was because I was trying to say this in French, and I am not very good with tricky subjunctive verbs).
The easier solution, obviously, would be to say: “I don’t know, ask somebody else”, but this does not seem as the proper friendly Camino answer, especially when fellow walkers can see that I am walking in a (apparently) confident way, and actually there is nobody else in sight.
What do you do in these cases?

Hi Felipe, better say sorry I don’t know.
Wish you well, Peter.

 

[Pat Beals]

A question....what do you do when somebody asks you for the right direction in the Camino? That happens sometimes to me...I guess that people suppose that wisdom comes with age, although as you know, this is not necessarily true.
I always study thoroughly maps and guides, even browse Google Maps, and I am familiar with Camino signposting in Spain and France (they are not the same, and the first time this is not so obvious). And I usually try to be helpful and give indications when I can, but I am sometimes worried. If I choose a wrong path, this is just me...but to take responsibility for others choices is somewhat unnerving.
My last time I adopted a kind of "caveat", as in "Well, I think this is the right way, but this is just my opinion. It is up to you to follow me or not". The result was not the best: the couple of Dutch pilgrims that had asked me for directions gave me a very odd look (or maybe it was because I was trying to say this in French, and I am not very good with tricky subjunctive verbs).
The easier solution, obviously, would be to say: “I don’t know, ask somebody else”, but this does not seem as the proper friendly Camino answer, especially when fellow walkers can see that I am walking in a (apparently) confident way, and actually there is nobody else in sight.
What do you do in these cases?

A question....what do you do when somebody asks you for the right direction in the Camino? That happens sometimes to me...I guess that people suppose that wisdom comes with age, although as you know, this is not necessarily true.
I always study thoroughly maps and guides, even browse Google Maps, and I am familiar with Camino signposting in Spain and France (they are not the same, and the first time this is not so obvious). And I usually try to be helpful and give indications when I can, but I am sometimes worried. If I choose a wrong path, this is just me...but to take responsibility for others choices is somewhat unnerving.
My last time I adopted a kind of "caveat", as in "Well, I think this is the right way, but this is just my opinion. It is up to you to follow me or not". The result was not the best: the couple of Dutch pilgrims that had asked me for directions gave me a very odd look (or maybe it was because I was trying to say this in French, and I am not very good with tricky subjunctive verbs).
The easier solution, obviously, would be to say: “I don’t know, ask somebody else”, but this does not seem as the proper friendly Camino answer, especially when fellow walkers can see that I am walking in a (apparently) confident way, and actually there is nobody else in sight.
What do you do in these cases?

I had a wonderful experience last year. I am an early riser so I set out before dawn and was endeavoring to find "the arrows". After wandering around for many minutes, around the squre, side alleys, I eventually ended up at the hostel I had stayed at and I asked an emerging couple if they knew which way to go. They pointed to the arrow right in front of me! I burst out laughing and said"Isn't that how life is...you look everywhere for answers and if you look right in front of you, you will find what you need. Needless to say we became good friends.

A question....what do you do when somebody asks you for the right direction in the Camino? That happens sometimes to me...I guess that people suppose that wisdom comes with age, although as you know, this is not necessarily true.
I always study thoroughly maps and guides, even browse Google Maps, and I am familiar with Camino signposting in Spain and France (they are not the same, and the first time this is not so obvious). And I usually try to be helpful and give indications when I can, but I am sometimes worried. If I choose a wrong path, this is just me...but to take responsibility for others choices is somewhat unnerving.
My last time I adopted a kind of "caveat", as in "Well, I think this is the right way, but this is just my opinion. It is up to you to follow me or not". The result was not the best: the couple of Dutch pilgrims that had asked me for directions gave me a very odd look (or maybe it was because I was trying to say this in French, and I am not very good with tricky subjunctive verbs).
The easier solution, obviously, would be to say: “I don’t know, ask somebody else”, but this does not seem as the proper friendly Camino answer, especially when fellow walkers can see that I am walking in a (apparently) confident way, and actually there is nobody else in sight.
What do you do in these cases?

A question....what do you do when somebody asks you for the right direction in the Camino? That happens sometimes to me...I guess that people suppose that wisdom comes with age, although as you know, this is not necessarily true.
I always study thoroughly maps and guides, even browse Google Maps, and I am familiar with Camino signposting in Spain and France (they are not the same, and the first time this is not so obvious). And I usually try to be helpful and give indications when I can, but I am sometimes worried. If I choose a wrong path, this is just me...but to take responsibility for others choices is somewhat unnerving.
My last time I adopted a kind of "caveat", as in "Well, I think this is the right way, but this is just my opinion. It is up to you to follow me or not". The result was not the best: the couple of Dutch pilgrims that had asked me for directions gave me a very odd look (or maybe it was because I was trying to say this in French, and I am not very good with tricky subjunctive verbs).
The easier solution, obviously, would be to say: “I don’t know, ask somebody else”, but this does not seem as the proper friendly Camino answer, especially when fellow walkers can see that I am walking in a (apparently) confident way, and actually there is nobody else in sight.
What do you do in these cases?

I had such a wonderful experience trying to find my way out of two