I am from the U.S.

[marjm007]

With what is going on in the world how are pilgrims from the USA looked upon? Are we welcome?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Very welcome. Generally, Europeans separate their attitude toward people from their attitude toward a government.

 

[Annie Little]

Not sure the full context of this BUT my feeling is just because the world is in a mess does not mean that individuals walking the Camino cannot be brothers in arms supporting each other no matter what :
gender, nationality, religion we are
what life experiences we have had , personal opinions we carry

To me that is the true beauty of the Camino . We all arrive with our " baggage " ... not referring to a back pack ..... " Lifes Baggage " ... BUT we all walk the same steps and maybe along the way we share someone else's " baggage" .... we may change our opinion of our own "baggage" along the way ..... We may even lose some of our "baggage" .... We may open our eyes to "baggage" we didn't know we even carried ....

I know this may sound too optimistic BUT wouldn't this be a great place for world Peace to start ?

Ultreia

 

[Rick M]

You will find many of your countrymen on the Camino. For the most part, you will be looked upon as any other pilgrim, and afforded the same courtesy and respect. With one exception, all the treatment I witnessed was cordial and friendly. I did see an un-named European pilgrim have a go at one of my US walking companions about the american president, but we straightened that out pretty quickly! The Spaniards you will meet along the way are wonderful people. There is no issue here for you to worry about, you are as welcome as anyone else.

 

[whariwharangi]

With what is going on in the world how are pilgrims from the USA looked upon? Are we welcome?

 

[marjm007]

I am pleased with these responses. I walked the French a few years ago and loved it. The political climate was different. One person told me when he learned I was American he wouldn't hold it against me and laughed. We became friends.

 

[Kitsambler]

There are two issues here, which often become entangled. The first is European attitudes to the contemporaneous American administration, and the fact that reflects on Americans traveling abroad. Sometimes we get cheered, sometimes we suffer guilt by association, and sometimes we are asked how we could be so stupid. The second is reaction to the occasionally boorish behavior of American tourists: we are perceived as too loud, we tip too much, we are too direct, too much in a hurry, too complaining when things aren't exactly as we find them at home.

My usual approach is to distance myself from unpopular presidents, and try to be a quiet and respectful visitor. People will respond to you as an individual if you give them the chance.

And - oh by the way - we should return the favor.

 

[HighlandsHiker]

With what is going on in the world how are pilgrims from the USA looked upon? Are we welcome?

Marjm, I think your question is very valid. Last spring BEFORE the primaries most non-Americans I spoke with for any length of time eventually DID bring up our political situation - usually after a respectful lead-up, but very few could not be seen angling toward the eventual question: What on earth is going on with your election in the U.S.?? And there were some sideways comments that seemed very pointed to me, but which may have been translation problems with people who spoke limited English. I always try to remember wherever I go in the world that I represent my country to some, and so try to meet everything with as much equanimity as I can manage, but this year my plan is to just not engage on the topic and tell people I'm on Camino to be at peace and away from my own culture for a bit.

 

[grayland]

Partisan political posts will continue to be deleted from the forum.
The are many other internet sites and forums that welcome those comments and arguments.