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Yes. It's a special time for you but it's just their normal day to dayCould it have something to do with the fact that half a million people pass by their front doors every year? Lol.
Probably. Remember, these people are just normal people living their lives, they are not characters in a fairytale to make us all fell warm and fuzzy insideMaybe my expectations were too high. but I was a little surprised and disappointed by that.
That may be a lot to do with it. When I walked my first Camino in 1990 there were less than 5,000 that year. I was frequently stopped in the street by local people who wanted to chat, shake my hand and wish me "Buen Camino!". Quite a few times I was invited to join a group of friends or a family in a bar or restaurant rather than sit alone. My food and drink was occasionally "on the house!" or paid for anonymously by another customer. When only a handful of pilgrims pass through your village in a day they are an interesting novelty. If there are upwards of 1,500 passing through daily - which can happen these days on the final stages of the Frances in peak season - then I'm sure that novelty quickly wears off.Could it have something to do with the fact that half a million people pass by their front doors every year? Lol.
Unfortunately, some pilgrims are more demanding than others, and the locals, watching a stream of 100s/1000s of them on a daily basis for months get tired, especially at the end of a season.we had a great time on the Camino Frances. We met some lovely people. But I was surprised at how many locals we met either completely ignored us or were outright rude despite the fact that I speak good Spanish and we were very polite. Does anyone else experience this on the Camino? A few others I’ve met here in Santiago said the same. Could it have something to do with the fact that half a million people pass by their front doors every year? Lol. Or maybe it’s the holidays and they expect to be left alone this time of year. Maybe my expectations were too high. but I was a little surprised and disappointed by that.
Where?. In Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla- Leon, Galicia ?we had a great time on the Camino Frances. We met some lovely people. But I was surprised at how many locals we met either completely ignored us or were outright rude despite the fact that I speak good Spanish and we were very polite. Does anyone else experience this on the Camino? A few others I’ve met here in Santiago said the same. Could it have something to do with the fact that half a million people pass by their front doors every year? Lol. Or maybe it’s the holidays and they expect to be left alone this time of year. Maybe my expectations were too high. but I was a little surprised and disappointed by that.
How much time do you spend interacting cheerfully with your 17.9 million overseas visitors to California? I’ve been welcomed like an angel and ignored like a flea-bite in Spain. And yes, if half a million strangers stomped through my town every year with their own ideas of how I ought to treat them, I might get a bit rude now and again.
We always welcome pilgrims. But, as applies to dead fish, that welcome has its limits.
Grouchy people everywhere. Man, you’ll spot me at 200m when the windsurfers go ploughing through the rafts of yearling swans. When the DFL’s ( down from London) light their portable barbecues amongst our vegetated shingle banks. When the “burp” bikers confuse a bridle-way with a highway. When some Jeremy walks into The Star and asks what Lagers they’ve got…There's always the occasional mean/grouchy lady or man. I wonder if it is sometimes because of the way I present myself or act. Nah, nevermind. There are just grouchy people everywhere.
I dig it. I usually see them on the beach or pier. One time I met the spanish national surfing team at an olympic qualifier in HB. They were like, "who is this guy, go away", until I asked them where they were from. I told them I like the Basque country and Asturias. Then they smiled.How much time do you spend interacting cheerfully with your 17.9 million overseas visitors to California?
same here.I dig it. I usually see them on the beach or pier. One time I met the spanish national surfing team at an olympic qualifier in HB. They were like, "who is this guy, go away", until I asked them where they were from. I told them I like the Basque country and Asturias. Then they smiled.
We used to do that in Somerset in the 1960’s. The price of a pint of cider was entirely dependent on where you “wus frum”. An’ if you weren’t frum round’ere then you paid the price. “Ave a nice day…” “D’you want sumfin with that?”PS, in hindsight I remember two occasions when shops / cafés took more money from me than from the locals
Come to Cumbria, tourist hotspot of the UK, and expect to be ignored or actively disliked by many who are not directly providing paid services. I think it’s similar along the main Camino routes.we had a great time on the Camino Frances. We met some lovely people. But I was surprised at how many locals we met either completely ignored us or were outright rude despite the fact that I speak good Spanish and we were very polite. Does anyone else experience this on the Camino? A few others I’ve met here in Santiago said the same. Could it have something to do with the fact that half a million people pass by their front doors every year? Lol. Or maybe it’s the holidays and they expect to be left alone this time of year. Maybe my expectations were too high. but I was a little surprised and disappointed by that.
I have never considered walking a pilgrimage by contract. Who arranged it for you? Did you use an agent. Is it any different to offering to take others' prayers for forgiveness to the cathedral? Were you well recompensed?By contract on my last Camino I walked the Invierno.
TypoI have never considered walking a pilgrimage by contract. Who arranged it for you? Did you use an agent. Is it any different to offering to take others' prayers for forgiveness to the cathedral? Were you well recompensed?
On the substance, I don't recall rude locals on any of my pilgrimage walks. I do seem to remember that there were many busy locals, particularly after Sarria on the CF, who were less inclined to chat. It might be hyperbole, but all the rudeness has been from other pilgrims, but even that has been remarkably rare.
I like what you say, and it leads me to add: yes, accentuate the positive.The odd rude local , same as some posters here on this forum... more rude Pilgrims though
but I just don't think about any of them long enough to be bothered. We're not all the same, we all react differently to different things at different times.
Easier to try and focus on the positive, the 99% of the others who are / were happy and friendly
@Pelegrin, sorry to see that you did not get a reply to your question. Maybe the OP had overlooked it. From earlier posts I see that the first post in this thread must refer to the last 100 km from Sarria to Santiago during the period 28 December to 6 January - at least that was an initial plan.On a previous post I asked for the " Comunidad Autonoma" of the local as a curiousty to know if the behaviour is the same. In my case, on the Frances, I did SJPP - Logroño and Sarria- Santiago and found that Navarros were rather cold, more than Galicians, but that's normal because I speak Galician. So I liked to know others opinion.
There is a lot of rose-tinted commentary about the Caminos online. Much has indeed changed over the years since the revival in the 1980s. The character of the Caminos is constantly evolving. But there remains much which is fascinating and appealing - or why would I return to walk the Caminos so often? Worth experiencing warts and all. Airbrushing over the realities of the Camino experience in the present day and presenting only a sanitised and outdated fiction does no real service to anyone.although many of today's standard Camino narratives want us to believe that nothing has changed since the 1980s and 1990s.
While I wasn't walking yet in 1990, I have very similar experiences. When I walked in Belgium and Northern France back in 2011/2012, people indeed stopped their cars, waved at me, asking me to pray for them in Santiago, calling me brave, and so on.That may be a lot to do with it. When I walked my first Camino in 1990 there were less than 5,000 that year. I was frequently stopped in the street by local people who wanted to chat, shake my hand and wish me "Buen Camino!". Quite a few times I was invited to join a group of friends or a family in a bar or restaurant rather than sit alone. My food and drink was occasionally "on the house!" or paid for anonymously by another customer. When only a handful of pilgrims pass through your village in a day they are an interesting novelty. If there are upwards of 1,500 passing through daily - which can happen these days on the final stages of the Frances in peak season - then I'm sure that novelty quickly wears off.
drove at a snails pace taking in the views, holding up traffic on our tiny roads.
I have visited quaint Beaufort; looking for Forrest Gump.And then I moved south to Beaufort, South Carolina,
If cafes are busy I notice that often the bartender serves and chats with the locals before giving eye contact to me to place an order. In America it is usually "first come, first served". It seemed a bit rude when it has happened, and assume it is because they don't really like pilgrims. It helps now to understand it is possibly a cultural thing, or maybe they are just tired of throngs of pilgrims in general.Also if I was being served in a Cafe and a local walked in I expect them to get priority over me . When you live in small Spanish communities these connections are very important . So sometimes it isn't rudeness it is just cultural differences.
Funny, but hard to understand, what an accent! LolThispostthread is interesting. Locals only. It set me on a quest. I found one comedy show of two that battered my memory. Here is a link to it. I warn you in advance: subtitles are useless, they are auto generated. Not a good idea with the Scots register... in the first half hour there is a sketch that shows how Scottish people - some Scottish people - approach inculturation. In a farmacia. In Mallorca.
Locals only. Expectations. At the beginning of a new year, it is no harm to be offered the chance to examine expectations, and sit light to reality.
While it is a humorous response to the startling experience of the op, my response is to say this, basically: walk two weeks in my moccasins and you will know. I have paraphrased this saying.
I hope @Mary Doll is paying attention. She will know why.
Yup, that happens everywhere here in Spain, also in the supermarket. And as a (kind of) local myself now it is actually quite nice. You feel part of a community. Apart from that, it also makes sense that owners of bars and restaurants 'invest' more time in people coming back for years than in passersby.If cafes are busy I notice that often the bartender serves and chats with the locals before giving eye contact to me to place an order. In America it is usually "first come, first served". It seemed a bit rude when it has happened, and assume it is because they don't really like pilgrims. It helps now to understand it is possibly a cultural thing, or maybe they are just tired of throngs of pilgrims in general.
I wondered if you live near me (East Kent Coast) given your description of intrusions, DFLs and invasion of pubs and consumption of lager and craft beers (or updated Watney’s Red, as it obviously is), parking over your drop down and discarding waste food packaging where they stand. I suspect these are the perennial gripes of any community in a “destination” location. My own experience of Spanish people from all regions is their hospitality, good nature and good will whenever you seek their help. Your post produced a wry smile of recognition.Grouchy people everywhere. Man, you’ll spot me at 200m when the windsurfers go ploughing through the rafts of yearling swans. When the DFL’s ( down from London) light their portable barbecues amongst our vegetated shingle banks. When the “burp” bikers confuse a bridle-way with a highway. When some Jeremy walks into The Star and asks what Lagers they’ve got…
But, as all members know, I never express any form of grouch in these hallowed pages
I think Pilgrims are just passing through! Many just looking to fill their immediate need and many are just focussed on that. You won’t see them again and they won’t see you! I always think of a Camino as ‘Spain light’… you are just passing through a different location each day as part of an international roadshow, you don’t really embrace them and they don’t embrace you. I think it’s fine to accept that.Besides, I find the behaviour of pilgrims in bars and restaurants sometimes a bit embarassing. Expecting to get meals when the kitchen is closed, coming inside to get a stamp, use the toilet and/or filling bottles, but hardly spending anything, rearranging tables and chairs but not putting them back afterwards. And bar owners won't distinguish. You might never do these kind of things, but for them you are just a member of that big pilgrim tribe.
This is so true! I was often pointed in the right direction by the Spanish people; they are more than happy to help a pilgrim in need. My prior comment was only relating to some of my experiences in the busier bars/cafes.My limited experience Valenca to SDC in 2022 was of very warm and helpful people. Men on the dustcarts getting off to show the right way out of the town at daybreak, a women getting out her car to point to the correct path to stay on the Camino and lots of Buen Camino.
I think our expectations, myself included, are that we are special and feel that we should be acknowledged. I don't mean this in a pejorative way. As many have pointed out, what we experience is amazing, but to the locals, it's just life. I lived in a town where scads of tourists flock to the beach. I couldn't imagine driving for hours to go to this beach.we had a great time on the Camino Frances. We met some lovely people. But I was surprised at how many locals we met either completely ignored us or were outright rude despite the fact that I speak good Spanish and we were very polite. Does anyone else experience this on the Camino? A few others I’ve met here in Santiago said the same. Could it have something to do with the fact that half a million people pass by their front doors every year? Lol. Or maybe it’s the holidays and they expect to be left alone this time of year. Maybe my expectations were too high. but I was a little surprised and disappointed by that.
I agree. While reading this thread I am wondering how many of us walk Caminos expecting to BE TREATED nicely. How we treat others is also important. I have witnessed several pilgrims being quite demanding to the locals or in albergues. I am curious what our motivations are in walking. I myself walk, not expecting anything from others. I walk with and for something deeper in myself and if someone is kind to me then I am grateful, it is that simple....I think our expectations, myself included, are that we are special and feel that we should be acknowledged. I don't mean this in a pejorative way. As many have pointed out, what we experience is amazing, but to the locals, it's just life. I lived in a town where scads of tourists flock to the beach. I couldn't imagine driving for hours to go to this beach.
I found myself a bit put out on occasion, then realized that's it's their town, their bar and that I should realize that I am a transient. They should give their friends and neighbors priority because they live together.
I got really grumpy after the conga line from Sarria. After a couple of days I realized that most of the pilgrims were Spanish, and resolved to appreciate their enthusiasm at embracing their heritage. This is probably my greatest lesson from my pilgrimage.
(As translated by Google)I must say that I have a completely different experience. Have walked several times a year on the camino since 2015. It has amazed me how nice and helpful the locals are, even though the number of pilgrims has increased year by year.
maybe because I'm an old woman who walks alone
I heartily agree. My epiphany moment was years ago, when I was in the stereotypical mindset that French are rude. Then I learned that it was I who was being rude when I walked into a store and simply placed an order or asked for an item. My failure to say good day and engage on a human level with the person behind the counter or the cash register was received as extreme rudeness and responded to in kind. It has made all the difference, just another unintended cultural faux pas that is so easy to fix.
While reading this thread I am wondering how many of us walk Caminos expecting to BE TREATED nicely. How we treat others is also important. I have witnessed several pilgrims being quite demanding to the locals or in albergues.
i love this and have read before. it’s just disappointing when u follow all the rules - “buenas tardes” or “buenas” or even “feliz año” and you’re met with silent scowls. But such is life. it’s the same in the US. it doesn’t stop me from putting out good vibes on the camino. just makes me want to come back and try another time, another route with different expectations. i travel a lot in latin america, for example, and find it un poco mas amable. totally different worlds i know. just comparing travel experiences.This post from another thread is in reference to France, but the same could be applied to Spain.
This post from another thread is in reference to France, but the same could be applied to Spain.
I remember in 2011 when I stopped in Azofra how a very loud pilgrim bought some groceries for a total worth of six € and he was angry because the lady of the shop did not accept a Diner's Card. He kept ranting about customer service blabla ( before being served he had to wait some minutes because the owner was helping an elderly local lady packing her grocery bag ).
A fellow pilgrim and I were so horrified with the obnoxious behaviour of this particular pilgrim that we intervened. We told him to stop yelling in his loud voice in a language the shoplady did not understand.
Fellow pilgrim and I paid for his groceries by cash. Told him it was our donativo for the community of Azofra! We got a pat on the shoulder from the shoplady and a " mil gracias ".
Luckily the muni albergue in Azofra is the one with the cubicles with two beds each so we did not see him anymore.
You are surely intrepid, trying out that recording!Funny, but hard to understand, what an accent! Lol
Made perfect sense to me....You are surely intrepid, trying out that recording!
I can imagine that by the end of the season, locals along the Frances are ready for a break from all the Pilgrims.
I’ve done the Camino Francis twice and yes, the people are very rude. Not only along the Camino, but Barcelona Madrid. I’ve had friendly response from Girona, Malaga, Sevilla,Toledo, Rondawe had a great time on the Camino Frances. We met some lovely people. But I was surprised at how many locals we met either completely ignored us or were outright rude despite the fact that I speak good Spanish and we were very polite. Does anyone else experience this on the Camino? A few others I’ve met here in Santiago said the same. Could it have something to do with the fact that half a million people pass by their front doors every year? Lol. Or maybe it’s the holidays and they expect to be left alone this time of year. Maybe my expectations were too high. but I was a little surprised and disappointed by that.
I’ve done the Camino Francis twice and yes, the people are very rude. Not only along the Camino, but Barcelona Madrid. I’ve had friendly response from Girona, Malaga, Sevilla,Toledo, Ronda
I’ve done the Camino Francis twice and yes, the people are very rude
That is the best and so helpful. As well as a look in the eye from a local who randomly says "buen camino". It's like warm and fuzzies.a women getting out her car to point to the correct path
Thispostthread is interesting. Locals only. It set me on a quest. I found one comedy show of two that battered my memory. Here is a link to it. I warn you in advance: subtitles are useless, they are auto generated. Not a good idea with the Scots register... in the first half hour there is a sketch that shows how Scottish people - some Scottish people - approach inculturation. In a farmacia. In Mallorca.
Locals only. Expectations. At the beginning of a new year, it is no harm to be offered the chance to examine expectations, and sit light to reality.
While it is a humorous response to the startling experience of the op, my response is to say this, basically: walk two weeks in my moccasins and you will know. I have paraphrased this saying.
I hope @Mary Doll is paying attention. She will know why.
I've been pointed in the right direction by locals a number of times; definitely a warm and fuzzy moment for me. Usually they are older and sitting in their open window on the second floor, watching the world go by.That is the best and so helpful. As well as a look in the eye from a local who randomly says "been camino". It's like warm and fuzzies.
I'm pretty sure that's true of most people, not just Spaniards!It took me a little longer to grasp that Spanish folk don't like to be rushed, or to be made alter their behaviour to suit outsiders
And perhaps because you are polite and not demanding?måske fordi jeg er eg gammel kvinde, der går alene
Just because we choose to spend a lot of money getting to Spatn and walking a Camino doesn't make us special.that we are special and feel that we should be acknowledged
No it hasn't. Some people, perhaps, but that's a mighty broad brush.Three years of pandemic shut downs has damaged us all.
that sounds really unusual. I was blown away by the incredible kindness and friendly attitude and helpfulness of all of the locals i came across, bar none. (cf 2022). of course it's all individual and I don't want to set up false expectations, but that was my experience! truly incredible and inspiring!we had a great time on the Camino Frances. We met some lovely people. But I was surprised at how many locals we met either completely ignored us or were outright rude despite the fact that I speak good Spanish and we were very polite. Does anyone else experience this on the Camino? A few others I’ve met here in Santiago said the same. Could it have something to do with the fact that half a million people pass by their front doors every year? Lol. Or maybe it’s the holidays and they expect to be left alone this time of year. Maybe my expectations were too high. but I was a little surprised and disappointed by that.
I would not say that the pandemic has damaged me. However, I agree with your last statement that some can handle such issues better than others.Three years of pandemic shut downs has damaged us all. Other world events have not helped, such as wars and other conflicts as well as human migration.
Some can handle these issues like this better than others.
Sort of, but not entirely. The formality may include some extended greetings. I understand that in Spain, it is very much expected that people start with some unhurried greetings, before starting the business transaction in a store. It is considered rude to walk into the store and get right to the point of what you want to buy.Europeans are more formal and less likely to make "small talk" vs. the always chatty, loud and informal Americans.
or on a street corner just hanging out, smiling.I've been pointed in the right direction by locals a number of times; definitely a warm and fuzzy moment for me. Usually they are older and sitting in their open window on the second floor, watching the world go by.
I absolutely love this! I'd nearly forgotten some of the kind gestures afforded me by locals, until you posted these wonderful little "treasures" you experienced on the Camino.I have to admit to being quite touched (in the emotional sense) by the local folk especially in the smaller towns by their random acts of kindness. I don't speak Spanish and was not expecting much but the old woman who had picked a bunch of flowers and randomly insisted of giving them to a peregrino I was walking with, the random guy who stopped his car to point out we were off trail, the guy who unloaded groceries from his car and insisted I take a packet of potato chips while having a break, the typical diminutive old man who insisted on measuring our respective feet while joking with us and his friends, the old bar owner who I helped unloaded his stock who came back 15 minutes later with a silver tray with a round of aperitifs, the farmer giving me an enormous bloody marrow to carry from his field, the old woman giving a bag of persimmon. The constant Buen Caminos and toots and waves from cars.
Yes. They love it. Never been offered a job myself tho.Just a thought, what I do when I enter a cafe is clear all the plates and cups for the staff ( these places sometimes have only one person serving) when I have finished clearing I then order .I have the time and it makes their life easier for them . I do it because I am lucky enough to be able to do Caminos . Got offered a job once LOL .
Absolutely brilliant @Kirkie.Thispostthread is interesting. Locals only. It set me on a quest. I found one comedy show of two that battered my memory. Here is a link to it. I warn you in advance: subtitles are useless, they are auto generated. Not a good idea with the Scots register... in the first half hour there is a sketch that shows how Scottish people - some Scottish people - approach inculturation. In a farmacia. In Mallorca.
Locals only. Expectations. At the beginning of a new year, it is no harm to be offered the chance to examine expectations, and sit light to reality.
While it is a humorous response to the startling experience of the op, my response is to say this, basically: walk two weeks in my moccasins and you will know. I have paraphrased this saying.
I hope @Mary Doll is paying attention. She will know why.
As a non Spaniard , who has spent a fair bit of time in Andalusia, I would 100% agree with that! It really stands out.As a Spaniard, visiting a bar in Spain the most friendly by far is Andalucía. The most reserved is Castiila y León.
Absolutely. Anything else we are offered is a bonus - not ours by right. And it still surprises me now and again just how much generosity there is to be found.None of us owes anyone else anything beyond basic dignity.
I have had the great privilege of walking the 88 temple pilgrimage circuit on the Japanese island of Shikoku. There is a very strong tradition there of offering gifts to pilgrims either in material goods or in generous acts of service. Such gifts are known as ossetai and are a way for the giver to share in the pilgrim's journey. Something I have been very fortunate to have received many times on my Spanish journeys long before I had ever heard the Japanese word. But it is somehow very pleasing to be able to put a specific word to the idea!Those folks must see so many pilgrims that those random acts of kindness are true gifts.
Really??? I've never come across any rudenessI’ve done the Camino Francis twice and yes, the people are very rude. Not only along the Camino, but Barcelona Madrid. I’ve had friendly response from Girona, Malaga, Sevilla,Toledo, Ronda
Please visit again. Let me know beforehand and I'll give you a personal walking tour of the many movie sites for quite a few movies. We loved having Tom Hanks in town, and we've loved the movie since it was released. Our downtown used to have regular stores where real people living here shopped; now we have expensive shops for visitors. But the views of the water are still beautiful (as in Prince of Tides).I have visited quaint Beaufort; looking for Forrest Gump.
I was going to mention this too. The concept of what is polite or not varies from one place to another. English speakers (possibly other nationalities too, but I'm more familiar with the English-speaking countries) put a lot of emphasis on saying "please" and "thank you". Adding a lot of pleases and thank yous does not make you sound more polite. If you don't start with a greeting, it doesn't matter how many times you say please or thank you. You've been rude already.This post from another thread is in reference to France, but the same could be applied to Spain.
Or were outright rude.we had a great time on the Camino Frances. We met some lovely people. But I was surprised at how many locals we met either completely ignored us or were outright rude despite the fact that I speak good Spanish and we were very polite. Does anyone else experience this on the Camino? A few others I’ve met here in Santiago said the same. Could it have something to do with the fact that half a million people pass by their front doors every year? Lol. Or maybe it’s the holidays and they expect to be left alone this time of year. Maybe my expectations were too high. but I was a little surprised and disappointed by that.
I have been a "local" in a camino village since 2006. I see many many pilgrims passing through.
I often say hello or good morning or Buen Camino to them, and often as not I am ignored, or looked-at like I'm a weirdo! Sometimes I don't say hello. Sometimes my thoughts are elsewhere, or maybe I am in a bad mood, or I am distracted. Like the other people who live in this village, I have a life going on that is not always Pilgrim-focused.
Pilgrims are utterly pilgrim-focused. Your pilgrimage experience is yours. But the Camino de Santiago is a real place on Planet Earth, and it belongs to all of us. This is not a show, and you are not the star. We all are here together, being humans, living our adventures and our ordinariness.
None of us owes anyone else anything beyond basic dignity. The locals along the Way shouldn't have to be friendly to the thousands of pilgrims who pass through. But remarkably, we often are.
You wanna know the funny thing? This might be totally anecdotal and borderline inappropriate, but I've had some candid conversations with hospitaleras/os... like native ones... they told me that pilgrims can be a PITA, and Spanish ones are the worst! Like even worse than Americans!
Absolutely. A simple nod, a smile, a friendly hello goes a very long way nearly everywhere in the world.Just be where you are, be who you know you would like to be remembered as being, a friendly, cheerful, grateful pilgrim
Who didn't know this? Maybe most first-time pilgrims, and many of us who are repeat offenders. Thank you, @MariaSP. Now we cannot plead ignorance.Adding a lot of pleases and thank yous does not make you sound more polite. If you don't start with a greeting, it doesn't matter how many times you say please or thank you. You've been rude already.
Funny to read that you found this extreme. In the Netherlands it is exactly like this. People cueing don't talk to each other. And no, you don't do small talk with the cashier either. You do your thing and leave, so you don't keep the people behind you waiting longer than necessary.¡I've witnessed Germans waiting in a check-out line as silent as a church with only the absolute minimum of conversation at the cash registers.
Ponferrada, albergue with a kind of totem pole in the garden? Separation of males/females for bunks... the first time since Roncesvalles that our breakfast was 'taken by mistake' from the fridge. A lesson learned and not forgotten!Another interesting thread with people recalling far more positive experiences than negative. There are many excellent posts above, excuse me if I just pick two.
This from Rebekah Scott just absolutely nails it.
I have been that local. I have been that privileged person that the baker serves first (because he knows my time is limited and I have my own customers to see to. And because he knows he will see me again tomorrow, and the day after, and the one after that).
And as a local you see dozens, even hundreds of new people every day - a percentage of whom are going to be: 1/ normal (forgettable ) 2/ pleasant 3/respectful 4/wonderful 5/ annoying 6/ completely obnoxious. And sadly human nature is such that we tend to concentrate on/remember the negative far more than the positive. (It's why the news always concentrates on the former not the latter.)
So it's even more remarkable than after seven or eight months that the Spanish generally remain not only friendly but extremely helpful in times of need. Or even perceived need.(redirecting me back to the camino even though I was deliberately seeking something else!).
Yes, tourists from your own country are generally the worst. Why should pilgrims be any different?!!
During my traveling years I spent a couple of seasons working in the Greek islands. International backpackers were welcomed, Italians were warmly welcomed, and the Mainland Greeks? - they were given the cold shoulder!
Why? They think they should be treated like locals. The percentage of demanding, rude, even obnoxious behaviour is far higher.
By halfway through my first season I knew what they meant. By the end of my second it was an ingrained prejudice on my part too. Sad, but there it is.
As a hostel manager back home in New Zealand years later I sadly learnt that the same was true of my fellow countrymen. Not only that but incidences of Petty theft jumped markedly every time I had fellow kiwis in the hostel. ( Milk, bread etc from the fridge; cutlery and crockery going missing and so forth).
Which brings me back full circle. I think the Spanish are a wonderful, warm, welcoming people by nature, who, especially on the main camino routes, have to put up with an awful lot - and yet still are predominantly true to their nature.
And I for one am very grateful.
Yes, I agree but Spain is diverse on this. Even Castilla y Leon that I mentioned as " "reserved" it is not the same in its nine provinces.After living in Spain for 6 years, I now prefer the Spanish way though. It is much more relaxed and social.
Spain is very diverse in many ways. But if you are from the Netherlands, you'll find about any Spaniard less reserved than Dutchies...Yes, I agree but Spain is diverse on this. Even Castilla y Leon that I mentioned as " "reserved" it is not the same in its nine provinces.
I never visited the Netherlands. Frisia has differences with the rest I've heard.Spain is very diverse in many ways. But if you are from the Netherlands, you'll find about any Spaniard less reserved than Dutchies...
I would rather say there is a difference between the north and the south (in the Netherlands we say 'below and above the rivers'). The south being a bit less reserved than the north. But in such a tiny country the difference is not huge (and probably bigger between cities and villages).I never visited the Netherlands. Frisia has differences with the rest I've heard.
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