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The camino did not meet your expectations?
Oh my dear!How you suffered!
You know you're a real pilgrim when.............
Interesting comments on being "judged" for what you do or don't do as a pilgrim. Some of the people commenting on whether using a bag transport, bus or taxi in addition to other behaviors that they deem "cheating" or unpilgrim-like should know that 10 years ago the same judgements were being made about people that carried a cell phone or other electronic devices. I haven't seen too many pilgrims without a cell phone or repeatedly asking if there is wifi on my recent caminos. Who knows what the pilgrims 10 years from now will think about how we walked our Camino? What judgements might they make?
I fully understand what you want to say. The term "true pilgrim" I do not like, I think it is wrong. However, I have 11 months of the year a little tired of "be open-mind to seeing the good that presumably exists...." and I wish the company of people who are closest to me on the way we experience the world
It's just hard to walk on water or for that mater find a boat, do they even have passenger ships crossing the Atlantic anymore?... you've walked from home to the Cathedral.
It's just hard to walk on water or for that mater find a boat, do they even have passenger ships crossing the Atlantic anymore?I think you pretty much nailed it. What part of this planet do you start from?
yeah, it's time! I think I'm ready now, even more so when I found a way to get without large crowds (Invierno)I am a "true pilgrim" (sorry can't help it), and it's not wrong, it's rare, but as far as I can tell from your profile, you're one of us yourself !!!
True pilgrims are not in any way "better" than other pilgrims, we're just a bit different
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Still, you really do need to get to Compostela at the end !!
What a fascinating thread full of diverse views. I took a bus out to La Virgen therefore I am a cheat. I struggled into Santiago in a bit of pain and rather bedraggled looking. Japanese tourists asked to take my picture as I was quite the hero. Two pilgrims that I got to know referred to me as a 'true pilgrim' because I was nowhere near as fit as them, (long time hikers) yet I had made the same journey even though I had a little bus trip. So what am I? A true pilgrim or a cheat. I carried my own bag while others did not so I am better than them? I think not. I walked from St Jean so I am better than those who walked from Sarria? I think not. There were pilgrims in St Jean who had walked from Le Puy or Paris. Was I lesser than they? I think not. Were they upset at the exuberance and 'lets kick these Pyrenee butts' attitude of us new guys. Not a bit of it. I walked with a guy who carried an umbrella and had tons of music on his phone. Did it bother anyone who met him that he was listening to music and singing. Not a chance. And what about those cheats who carry nothing but a staff and a water bottle. Wimps? No medieval pilgrims we called them. I met an American combat chaplain who referred to the Sarrians as FNGs. Not the usual meaning of those initials, 'friendly new guys' was his play on an old military term. If you must put a label on them, then thats about as good as any. So this cheat,hero, true pilgrim who considers himself no more than an ordinary person who has done something extra ordinary just like a quarter of a million other ordinary guys and gals per year do, will label no one but will enjoy all the experiences that the camino brings[/QUO
Hello Terry..........remember me.........well we made it too.......started in Leon on 9th Sept and walked all the way to Finisterre.......I have no complaints whatsoever, it was a wonderful experience, my mind is still somewhere on Camino even though I am back a week now and should be forgetting the paths and roads and hills of Galicia and beyond. I hope you and yours are well. xWhat a fascinating thread full of diverse views. I took a bus out to La Virgen therefore I am a cheat. I struggled into Santiago in a bit of pain and rather bedraggled looking. Japanese tourists asked to take my picture as I was quite the hero. Two pilgrims that I got to know referred to me as a 'true pilgrim' because I was nowhere near as fit as them, (long time hikers) yet I had made the same journey even though I had a little bus trip. So what am I? A true pilgrim or a cheat. I carried my own bag while others did not so I am better than them? I think not. I walked from St Jean so I am better than those who walked from Sarria? I think not. There were pilgrims in St Jean who had walked from Le Puy or Paris. Was I lesser than they? I think not. Were they upset at the exuberance and 'lets kick these Pyrenee butts' attitude of us new guys. Not a bit of it. I walked with a guy who carried an umbrella and had tons of music on his phone. Did it bother anyone who met him that he was listening to music and singing. Not a chance. And what about those cheats who carry nothing but a staff and a water bottle. Wimps? No medieval pilgrims we called them. I met an American combat chaplain who referred to the Sarrians as FNGs. Not the usual meaning of those initials, 'friendly new guys' was his play on an old military term. If you must put a label on them, then thats about as good as any. So this cheat,hero, true pilgrim who considers himself no more than an ordinary person who has done something extra ordinary just like a quarter of a million other ordinary guys and gals per year do, will label no one but will enjoy all the experiences that the camino brings
hmmm.....I am a "true pilgrim" (sorry can't help it), and it's not wrong, it's rare, but as far as I can tell from your profile, you're one of us yourself !!!
True pilgrims are not in any way "better" than other pilgrims, we're just a bit different
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Still, you really do need to get to Compostela at the end !!
hmmm.....
somehow I get the feeling you refer to yourself in the third person during a conversation.....
Hi Katie, how could I ever forget you. Made it all the way but although I kept hearing about her, I never met Sheelagh again after that day on the trail out of Carrion. Glad to hear you finished it. I tried texting the phone number you gave me when I got home, did you ever get itHello Terry..........remember me.........well we made it too.......started in Leon on 9th Sept and walked all the way to Finisterre.......I have no complaints whatsoever, it was a wonderful experience, my mind is still somewhere on Camino even though I am back a week now and should be forgetting the paths and roads and hills of Galicia and beyond. I hope you and yours are well. x
Cheats are people who break rules to gain an advantage. There are no rules about anything on the camino other than the conditions set down for the last 100. Staying in a hotel is just enjoying some creature comforts while making a long difficult pilgrimage. I stopped at the big hotel in Sarria but they had no rooms so went round the corner to a hostel and got a private room. Just needed a a bit of private comfort and a good bath instead of the usual shower. If I could have afforded it there would have been more nights like thatQuestion? My navigation skills on this site are not too good yet. Can anyone show me where to find a listing of hotels/inns along the Camino del Norte? I'm probably cheating by staying in a hotel, but I need a comfortable bed and a bath each day.
Whatever you do, DO NOT use Mundicamino.
I do agree, with you, it is just that the difficulty of walking from Montana to the east coast of the U.S is roughly 3000 miles, the first 1000 very sparse population so it would be a true carry food & shelter, before one could rely on places to get food, shelter. Not that it has not been done just a logistical challenge. I have not research what U.S ports still have passenger ships to the UK . So it would in my estimation be a good 16 month walk there & back.Once from home in Paris, once from home in Monaco, other times not from home.
I tend to advise people to get passage on a cargo freighter to Le Havre or Genova or wherever, and to walk to their home port from home.
It's what I'd have done if I'd lived further away ...
At very least, I think people should walk from whichever French airport to SJPP and onwards, though it's clear that people have time limitations <sigh>
But 3-5 days of solitary walking at the least not only make the arrival in SJPP more meaningful, but they also help provide social focus for the rest of the Way.
OK, can’t resist this, Google Maps says it will take me 2,289 hours to walk the 11,443 kms (and through I don’t know how many war zones) to get from my home to Santiago de Compostela. Um, I think I’ll give that a miss! Jill
Hi Katie, glad to hear that you had a great time. And your walk to Finisterre what did you find of it?Hello Terry..........remember me.........well we made it too.......started in Leon on 9th Sept and walked all the way to Finisterre.......I have no complaints whatsoever, it was a wonderful experience, my mind is still somewhere on Camino even though I am back a week now and should be forgetting the paths and roads and hills of Galicia and beyond. I hope you and yours are well. x
You are so wright. In my opinion everyone is a pilgrim. Who is a true pilgrim, can someone explain this to us.?Two things come to mind here.
Firstly, I have walked it twice, 2013 and this year. At no time did I experience the kind of behaviour you mention. Is it maybe a case of only in the summer time. In 2013 I walked the first part in March and the second part in September and this year the whole road April/May.
Secondly, what is cheating. I took a bus from Leon out to La Virgen. Whose business is it other than my own. Look to your own Camino and let others do as they see fit to get to Santiago. The compostela is just a piece of paper. If you earned yours in the way you see fit then be proud of what you have done and leave others to their own conscience, it is actually none of your business. I heard people complain about the high spirits and noise of the new guys after Sarria and suggest that they were not as good as us. I met an Australian lady who had flown all the way to walk the last 100. Her 90 year old mother for whom she was the only carer was in a nursing home for a couple of weeks while this lady did all she was able to, to achieve her dream of walking the camino. Who was the real pilgrim, her or me. She was doing a lot more penance than I was yet others were looking down on her for only doing the 100. Judge not lest ye be judged comes to mind
I do agree, with you, it is just that the difficulty of walking from Montana to the east coast of the U.S is roughly 3000 miles, the first 1000 very sparse population so it would be a true carry food & shelter, before one could rely on places to get food, shelter. Not that it has not been done just a logistical challenge. I have not research what U.S ports still have passenger ships to the UK . So it would in my estimation be a good 16 month walk there & back.I would be very skinny!
Keith
In my opinion everyone is a pilgrim.
Who is a true pilgrim, can someone explain this to us.?
I see what you mean -- but there's actually a Dutch freighter line that sails to Europe from Milwaukee monthly, which could probably drop you off at Le Havre or Antwerp, and that port looks about 1000 to 1500 miles away instead of 3000 ...
I'd probably follow best as possible the Missouri down to Chamberlain, South Dakota, then East through civilisation to Milwaukee.
Sorry for your experience. I started a day later and found the exact opposite - i can only recall one rude incident; hopefully your next Camino will be different.I Started at St jean on the 8th of August 2015 and finished on the 10th of September 2015, First I did not come across this so called everyone is friendly on the Camino scenario and in the Albergues and pilgrim meals gatherings, what I saw a lot of was people being rude and not caring anything for there fellow pilgrims, it was all about them and what they wanted to do ie getting up at 3.30am shining torches banging about packing there bags jumping down from top bunks instead of using ladders and if you said anything to said persons you got abuse,I found older American pilgrims the worse for this followed by young Spanish ones. A lot of people seemed to think the Camino was just for them and seemed to resent your presence and never seemed to want to chat or to be friendly. I also witnessed cheating on a big scale people taking buses taxis and cars from town to town and only walking short distances or just doing the bits that suited them the worse part for this was from Sarria to Santiago biggest culprits Spanish pilgrims who then collected there Compestella and had no shame about cheating to get it. I walked the full 760 kms to get my Compestella and had to wait 3 hours outside the pilgrim office before I got in as there were so many people there so this myth about the friendship is not all true but saying that I did meet some lovely people made friends with some very friendly Italians and a Japanese man and some younger Americans and really enjoyed my time on the Camino seeing some beautiful villages churches, Cathedrals and lovely Spanish people and countryside, the only real problem I had was blisters but got some Benzadine to cure those, anyway I am now at home reflecting on my Camino, would I do it again, yes I would but in a few years time. buen Camino to everybody just starting out on there Camino ...........Tony
It makes me sad that you're sad! Unfortunately, the world has many a negative and judgmental soul in it, however my experience is that they're also balanced out with lovely onesWow, reading this thread kind of depressed me. My first camino is next April. Due to some health concerns I expect to need to use the bus or taxi in some places. I do not consider it cheating, people differ in their health and capabilities. I would not take the bus and take someone's place in an albergue, but I am limited by my own circumstances. Yes, I am a 70 year old American. I would not ask for a compestela if I do not walk all the way from Sarria. Do people think a pilgrimage is not for me? Feeling sad reading this.
You are lucky, try end of July and all of August. Never will do it in those months . hard to find accommodations and a lot of party young people drinkingh and making noise.Just got back too. I started at St. Jean Pied de Port on Sept. 3 and finished in Santiago on Oct. 3. I had no issues finding beds in albergues and only had to sleep outside one night. By the way, municipal albergues do not accept reservations, only private ones. I had a great Camino and established a "Camino Family". A couple of times, when Pilgrims were making reservations ahead at private albergues, they asked me if I wanted to be included. And, I said yes several times. Fellow pilgrims and townspeople were exceedingly helpful and friendly. Most days, I would just wander into town and see what was available for lodging. I stayed in small hotels or secured a private room 4 times without reservations. No problem. Many times, the albergues I stayed in had empty beds remaining. The trail was not crowded after the morning throng had dispersed. I didn't see much trash, except for white tissues. After 2 pm, many times I was all by myself for as far as I could see ahead and behind me.
With regard to "cheating", I saw none, since I don't regard the Camino as a race or competition. People choose their own method of traveling The Way. One fellow I met walked with a colostomy bag. Was he "cheating"? Should he have removed the bag? Many people were walking shorter distances than me every day. Was I beating them? Many walked farther and faster than me. Was I beaten by them? Was I "cheating" by wearing boots with Vibram soles rather than basic sandals? Look back on the post by Falcon269 (Sept. 14). That defines "cheating".
I had a rich and beautiful Camino. It was a great experience.
Mike, I arrived at the Cathedral at about 1 pm on Oct. 3. But, since I had a late start that morning, I was the only "long-walker" among the people with the tiny packs. We may have met along the journey. We should exchange some information and stories.Mooncat, did we meet on the Camino? I too walked into Santiago on October 3rd.
Mike
No offense intended with the tiny pack comment. You were indeed a "long walker". I was a short walker that day and only did about 20 km. Great to get in ahead of that rain!I'd be happy to share info and stories. I too had a small pack and did 54km that day. I think I got in line at the pilgrim office at 4:45pm.
No offense intended with the tiny pack comment. You were indeed a "long walker". I was a short walker that day and only did about 20 km. Great to get in ahead of that rain!
I'd be happy to share info and stories. I too had a small pack and did 54km that day. I think I got in line at the pilgrim office at 4:45pm.
I had heard there were two other New Mexicans from Albuquerque. But, I didn't catch up with them.I have no doubt you meant no offence. None taken either! Yes, beating the rain and being there for noon mass the next day were definitely my motivation factors. I met a couple of people (husband/wife maybe) that were from New Mexico, maybe even Las Cruces and dined with them and a dozen other people in Molinaseca. I was wondering if that was you. I saw them on the way to Finisterre too.
Ah, hierbas as de orujo, so good! So good in fact I make my own now!
54km?!?! Is that a typo? If not, then perhaps you were too ambitious? I can't imagine that you actually saw or bonded with the landscape you walked through! 30km per day was my absolute max!
True enough.... I could have walked much longer days than I did.Nope, not a typo. Some days there was a lot of bonding, other days, like this one, I started praying and didn't even think about my feet or what they were doing. It was a very good day. Besides 54km is a measurement of distance not speed. We might have walked at the same speed but you may have walked less time than me.
Mike
Wow, reading this thread kind of depressed me. My first camino is next April. Due to some health concerns I expect to need to use the bus or taxi in some places. I do not consider it cheating, people differ in their health and capabilities. I would not take the bus and take someone's place in an albergue, but I am limited by my own circumstances. Yes, I am a 70 year old American. I would not ask for a compestela if I do not walk all the way from Sarria. Do people think a pilgrimage is not for me? Feeling sad reading this.
Do people think a pilgrimage is not for me?
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