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Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Nationality Flags/Patches

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mustbjones

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Fall 2013
Does anyone wear small flags or patches that designate their country/nationality?
 
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Not many, but some of the pilgrims take country flags mostly to their backpack. Little country flag seems more popular for me then country patches. Patches rather indicate, that you are a pilgrim and illustraded with yellow arrow, or pilgrim's shell. Patches are sewed to clothes or backpack.
 
Some do, most don't. You can often guess from the brand of backpack where someone is from. In my experience the Quebecoise and Brazilians (maybe even South Africans) are quite enthusiastic about this. :D Buen Camino!
 
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Is that because they don't want to call attention to themselves because it might cause trouble?
 
I don't do the national patch thing. Attracts envy. Think of all those kiwis and poms who wish they were AUSSIES. Not fair on them.
 
Most do not.

Especially on the Camino, we are all brothers and sisters no matter from where we start our journey.

I like it that way.
 
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Having a flag on whilst travelling calls attention to yourself.

(Hey I'm a tourist ... an easy mark ... pick my pocket please)

No point in making yourself a target.

You could consider that you want to travel the camino as light as possible so badges are extra weight and not needed for the journey.

I have seen Americans travel under false flags. This to avoid the occasional idiot that wants to rag on you about US foreign policy.
 
robertt said:
I don't do the national patch thing. Attracts envy. Think of all those kiwis and poms who wish they were AUSSIES. Not fair on them.
Ha ha... Good point.
 
Having a flag on whilst travelling calls attention to yourself.

(Hey I'm a tourist ... an easy mark ... pick my pocket please)

In a way that having a huge backpack does not?


I had a Texas, a USA, and a German flag patch sewed onto my pack. The only one I would leave off if I did it again was the German one, because lots of people (unsurprisingly) assume you speak German. I just had it on there for my German heritage.

I saw several people carrying flags/patches, but most did not.
 
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robertt said:
I don't do the national patch thing. Attracts envy. Think of all those kiwis and poms who wish they were AUSSIES. Not fair on them.
Isn't Oz that island off the coast of New Zealand? :D
 
i got a scallop shell and then painted it green white and orange my national flag. killed 2 birds with one stone and it looks great actually i painted 2 scallop shells so im gonna leave one in an albegue along the way so if you see a scallop shell painted to look like an Irish flag you'll know its mine, my contact details will be written inside.
 
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Guys we seem to have strayed from the path. I am from the US and I certainly don't want to be "abused" for something I have no personal control over. Nor do I wish to be pegged as an "easy mark" for some nefarious persons. That said, I am not ashamed of where I am from and I am thinking of sowing a small American flag on my travel vest, along side my two Camino patches. Does anyone see something drastically wrong with that? Just a simple, humble question, no hackles raised.
 
Hmm, I wouldn't put a USA patch on but I thought of putting a Colorado patch on my backpack. I guess I assumed only someone who is from Colorado or has been there would even know where it was from. I thought it would be neat if some random person noticed it...but I guess I will meet people either way.

My heritage is Mexican from my fathers side and French/Spanish from my mother's side. I don't "look" American and that's always made for interesting experiences abroad. I've been asked if I was anything from Egyptian, Persian, Brazilian, Italian (Siciliana specifically), Greek, Turkish, Mexican, Spanish, and I can't even remember what else. People either just start talking to me in various languages, aren't sure what language to strike up conversation in or will ask me where I am from. If I say I am from the US, they always follow up with saying no, they mean my family's origins.

It will be interesting to see what happens on the Camino with this. I am conversational in German and Spanish and understand/speak a bit of Italian and my traveling companion speaks 4 other languages besides English (Italian, Spanish, French, and Russian). Really excited to meet people from all over the world!

Maybe this answers my question over a patch--no patch!
 
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I had a Cdn. patch on my pack, as we stepped onto the subway in Barceleona, a young man approached us, asked if we were really from Canada ?:) He had been studying abroad and had not seen any Canadians for months...we had a nice chat before we went our separate ways.
 
I met lots of pilgrims on my Camino who wore their country flag patches and I never saw any getting a hard time over it. Wear your patch if you want.
 
Well, as I posted on another thread about this, years ago I did a lot of travelling through Europe and Asia, mostly hitching, and I did have a Union Jack sewn onto my rucsac. I got a lot of good lifts ; those who liked the English picked me up, those who didn't, drove on. Fair enough.
Nowadays I don't advertise my nationality - it seems to attract a lot more angst than in the past.
I travelled with Canadians who carried Maple Leafs writ large, for fear they would be mistaken for their southern neighbours. lol.
As tyrrek said, it's sometimes possible to ascertain nationality from the brand of rucsac/clothing.
As with many things on this forum, and on camino, it all comes down to what you feel comfortable about doing. :)
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
robertt said:
I don't do the national patch thing. Attracts envy. Think of all those kiwis and poms who wish they were AUSSIES. Not fair on them.

Haha - you wish. :D
 
One possibility of a national patch is that it will save you a lot of hostile and boring conversations with people who dislike you even before they have met you! :wink:
 
I had American, Alabama, Spain and Camino Forum patches on my Backpack. Didn't seem to offend anyone and I certainly wasn't offended by anyone else's patches. I also had a Czech patch but didn't have time to sew it on. These were places I have hiked and it usually had the positive effect of leading to conversation. To each his own.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I sewed a stylised kangaroo patch onto my day bag on the Camino Frances. Next time, I will have a forum badge as well. I see no problem with that, and have no problem with acknowledging my nationality when travelling overseas. It was an occasional conversation starter, and never a hindrance.

On the matter of whether some people are targeted because of their nationality, I think that in most cases, that is quite benign. I didn't observe anyone specifically targeting pilgrims from the US, but neither could I say that it didn't happen.

I think there is a more general explanation, and that is the very act of travelling exposes one to the curiosity of the locals whose country one is visiting. Just as much as we might wish to find out about the countries we are visiting, locals and other travellers will be curious to find out where we are from. I don't presume this interest, but if it is expressed, I respond to it.

Unfortunately, you might find yourself stereotyped in some people's minds by the real or re-told behaviour of one's predecessors, and no matter how unfair this might seem, treated accordingly. Even more unfortunate for pilgrims from the US, even though those who succumb to such stereotyping might be rare, this includes a prima facie assumption that you personally voted for the current and every previous POTUS, and are somehow responsible for every economic and social ill the US stands accused of inflicting upon the world.

While it mightn't happen often, I think one has to be prepared for this sort of stereotyping, and be able to assert a claim to being rightly judged on the merits of your own behaviour and attitudes.

Finally, I would observe that whatever nation you are from, you will meet fellow nationals whose attitudes and behaviour will make you wince. If you haven't yet, it is only a matter of time. I don't think any one country has a national advantage here.
 
mustbjones said:
Guys we seem to have strayed from the path. I am from the US and I certainly don't want to be "abused" for something I have no personal control over. Nor do I wish to be pegged as an "easy mark" for some nefarious persons. That said, I am not ashamed of where I am from and I am thinking of sowing a small American flag on my travel vest, along side my two Camino patches. Does anyone see something drastically wrong with that? Just a simple, humble question, no hackles raised.

Go ahead man if you wanna do it do it, feck what anyone thinks. Its your camino do it your way. Who gives a rats what anyone thinks your not being insulting or ignorant or insensitive. Its your camino.
 
falcon269 said:
One possibility of a national patch is that it will save you a lot of hostile and boring conversations with people who dislike you even before they have met you! :wink:

Agree. I didn't sew on a US flag so I wouldn't attract the attention of someone with an issue. I did sew on a scallop shell patch. Maybe next time I will sew on a patch of the State flag of Maryland. It is the most beautiful of all US State flags.

http://www.google.com/search?q=state+fl ... 79&bih=788
 
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one thing I found strange (and slightly annoying) was that people would always tell other people if they had met other people from where the people in question were from...

I never could muster too much enthusiasm when people kindly informed me that they had met another danish person and never quite knew how to respond to that fact...

I have spend most of my life with danes, pardon me for not going all out with excitement at the mention of someone seeing one about somewhere....

b'sides, there's 5 millions of us, it is not like we are about to be extinct or anything...
 
DurhamParish said:
I have spend most of my life with danes, pardon me for not going all out with excitement at the mention of someone seeing one about somewhere....

b'sides, there's 5 millions of us, it is not like we are about to be extinct or anything...

... and there's the nearly inevitable question 'You're from/a (insert nationality, home city, occupation). How nice, you might know (insert name)?'

Pieces said:
one thing I found strange (and slightly annoying) was that people would always tell other people if they had met other people from where the people in question were from...
I agree. And it was not only where one was from, but what one did and had done. By mid-way through, I was already 'well known' to pilgrims with whom I had barely exchanged more than an occasional 'buen camino'. It got to the stage at Hermanillos that one less than sober individual felt it necessary to disrupt my quiet reflection in the common room to 'discuss' aspects of an occupation I had last pursued nearly a decade earlier. Much as I tried to avoid him, over the next couple of days he always seemed to find me in the evening with a keen desire to resume his conversation. :)
 
Nothing strange at all really, I find the same when I'm travelling either in the camper, on the motorbike or indeed on the Camino, its an icebreaker, conversation starter, whatever. Its all just part of getting to know people. In Ireland it's the weather, lovely day, soft day, cold day and then take it from there if you have a mind to. Isn't that how we meet our Camino family. Its human nature.
 
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Sojourner47 said:
I travelled with Canadians who carried Maple Leafs writ large, for fear they would be mistaken for their southern neighbours. lol.. :)
I have met one of the southern neighbours that had a maple leaf, they were convincing, to us outsiders they sound the same :)
In the movie 'The Way' they try to disguise their nationality with a Japanese flag :) not very convincing
 
wayfarer said:
In Ireland it's the weather, lovely day, soft day, cold day and then take it from there if you have a mind to. Isn't that how we meet our Camino family. Its human nature.

What is a soft day?
 
I have a huge American flag sewn to the top of my pack. I am not worried about it. I fought for my country, and am proud to be American, even if I don't always agree with our policies. I know some people are anti-American, but when I served in Europe years ago I learned that just as many people were curious and happy to meet Americans.
I imagine it will be a conversation starter, either way, but if I don't like the conversation, I will graciously excuse myself!
 
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mustbjones said:
Guys we seem to have strayed from the path. I am from the US and I certainly don't want to be "abused" for something I have no personal control over. Nor do I wish to be pegged as an "easy mark" for some nefarious persons. That said, I am not ashamed of where I am from and I am thinking of sowing a small American flag on my travel vest, along side my two Camino patches. Does anyone see something drastically wrong with that? Just a simple, humble question, no hackles raised.

There is nothing wrong with sewing a small American flag on your travel vest.
 
siseale94 said:
I had American, Alabama, Spain and Camino Forum patches on my Backpack. Didn't seem to offend anyone and I certainly wasn't offended by anyone else's patches. I also had a Czech patch but didn't have time to sew it on. These were places I have hiked and it usually had the positive effect of leading to conversation. To each his own.
Si, your Alabama patch should have taken pride of place. We all loved your accent; especially me but I never saw another.
 
mralisn said:
wayfarer said:
In Ireland it's the weather, lovely day, soft day, cold day and then take it from there if you have a mind to. Isn't that how we meet our Camino family. Its human nature.

What is a soft day?
A soft day is a mild day with light rain normaly in Springtime when it would be good for crop growth. In the countryside you would be greeted with "soft day thank God" :D :D
 
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I plan to sew American flag and Camino Forum patches on my pack. As a military spouse of 37+ years and having lived around the world, I've never felt uncomfortable being recognized as an American. I represent my country as best I can and fondly remember the many, many conversations I've had with people for whom I was the first American they ever had a chance to talk with. Believe me, I got as much out of those conversations as they did, maybe more. 8)
Kathy
 
Spain is not the Middle East..

I have a small U.S. flag patch on my pack along with several others.
The myth of anti-American (or anyone else) is much overdone. I have never experienced any attitude in many years of traveling all over the world.....except in the Middle East.

Don't be concerned.
 
grayland said:
Spain is not the Middle East..

I have a small U.S. flag patch on my pack along with several others.
The myth of anti-American (or anyone else) is much overdone. I have never experienced any attitude in many years of traveling all over the world.....except in the Middle East.

Don't be concerned.
Spot on.
 
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I don't think many people are going to read into a little patch we put on our bags. I certainly wouldn't. I'd be more worried about my feet ;)
 
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
Buckeroo said:
siseale94 said:
I had American, Alabama, Spain and Camino Forum patches on my Backpack. Didn't seem to offend anyone and I certainly wasn't offended by anyone else's patches. I also had a Czech patch but didn't have time to sew it on. These were places I have hiked and it usually had the positive effect of leading to conversation. To each his own.
Si, your Alabama patch should have taken pride of place. We all loved your accent; especially me but I never saw another.
Iqualmente, Buckeroo. I also enjoyed yours. Did you meet Marcel from the Neatherlands? He is doing the Porto route as we speak and I would love to be there. Have you any thoughts of returning?
 
Iqualmente, Buckeroo. I also enjoyed yours. Did you meet Marcel from the Neatherlands? He is doing the Porto route as we speak and I would love to be there. Have you any thoughts of returning?[/quote]
Good day Si, I have the patch from this site sown onto my bushwalking backpack. I will proudly display it on a week-long walk starting this Sunday on the Overland Track here in Tasmania's central highlands. I then fly to Western Australia to walk the Bibbulmun Track (1000km from Perth to Albany) on Anzac Day (25th April). I used to have a small Australian badge pinned to my hat but have replaced that with a Camino badge I picked up as a souvenir. As stated by somebody else in this thread, my emphasis is now on being a pilgrim 1st and where I come from 2nd. Most people over there didn't know where Tasmania is anyway.

Yes, I would love to walk the Camino again but from further back next time; probably Le Puy. Gotta get permission from the Old Girl again though. Had enough trouble getting that last time.

No, I don't recall Marcel but I probably did meet him; so many people to remember.

Look after yourself Old Fella.
 
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Cannot understand people hiding their nationality,I'm Oz and damn proud of it. When I walk I'm lit up like Luna Park !.....Vicr
 
wayfarer said:
mralisn said:
wayfarer said:
In Ireland it's the weather, lovely day, soft day, cold day and then take it from there if you have a mind to. Isn't that how we meet our Camino family. Its human nature.

What is a soft day?
A soft day is a mild day with light rain normaly in Springtime when it would be good for crop growth. In the countryside you would be greeted with "soft day thank God" :D :D

I love this description! In fact, I quite enjoy walking for hours on "soft days". Thank you!
 
We are Americans and we are not planning to put American flags on any of our stuff - although we might put a patch with a California flag on it somewhere - or more likely a San Jose Sharks patch :) For us, the choice has nothing to do with not being proud of being American (my husband is a Desert Storm vet) or concerns about being hassled or anything. In my personal experience, it just seems that those who run around with American flags on (patches, shirts, hats, bandanas, etc.) tend to be more of the "USA, love it or leave it" types - basically closed to any way of doing things or looking at things that isn't the "American way". It goes beyond national pride and turns into a disdain for anything that isn't American. I am not saying that anyone on the Camino with an American flag patch would fit this description - and most likely no one on the Camino would fit that description at all because the Camino doesn't seem like a place that would attract those types in the first place. All the same, because of my experiences, I wouldn't choose to put an American flag on my stuff.
 
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I always display a Forum badge and a Union Jack [UK flag]. The reason is simple. I walk alone for weeks at a time, and miss hearing/speaking English [or even American!] If you see an elderly lone walker between Lisbon and Porto in May/June and can pass the time of day in English, you may see him give you a beaming smile :lol:

Buen camino!

Stephen.
http://www.calig.co.uk/camino_de_santiago.htm
 
Why do some Americans not wear or show their flag,but wear obscure team/state/county flags? Show the stars & stripes proudly ! You have a lot to BE proud of !!!!.......Vicr
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
well, seems then that all nationality should be wearing flags, doesn't it....

question still remains, does one see the point...
 
Is someone having a laugh? In the U.S. it was a campaign issue whether a candidate had a flag lapel pin! You know there is a national lunacy on the subject (among some), so you provoke us? :D :twisted:
 
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I think this is a very serious matter and not one to take lightly
Just keep looking up for the drones, and you will be fine... :|
 
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We get a personal drone with each flag we wear. I heard it on Fox News, so it must be true.
 
falcon269 said:
I think this is a very serious matter and not one to take lightly
Just keep looking up for the drones, and you will be fine... :|

am wearing my tin foil hat, so they can't get at me, I am smarter than them... :twisted:
 
vicrev said:
Why do some Americans not wear or show their flag,but wear obscure team/state/county flags? Show the stars & stripes proudly ! You have a lot to BE proud of !!!!.......Vicr
Perhaps because some Americans do not come from the US, they are not inclined to wear the stars and stripes :|
 
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Wear my flag?? Yeah!!

The first time I wore South African flag shorts was when I ran the London Marathon in 1998. I remember a person in the crowd trying to touch me and shouting out, "Well done Jamaica!!

I wear patches on the backpack, the waist belt, RSA flag shorts, RSA arm warmers, and a flag in the back of the pack!

In 2007 I was walking up that horrible gravel hill to Maneru when a guy behind me asked if I was from South Africa. (Well - how could he miss all those South African Flag shorts!)

When I said yes, he told me had a friend in South Africa called Sil.
I asked him what his name was and he said 'Javier Martin'.
"From Madrid?" I asked
'YES!" he said surprised.
"From the Forum?"
"YES - si, si!!"
"I am Sil"
Hug, hug, wonder of wonders! (No too many Sils walk the Camino with SA Flag shorts.)
We have been friends ever since. Javier got me the job serving at San Roque in Corcubion in 2009.



In 2011 I was in the Obradoiro square when a certain Scot called Johnnie Walker came hurrying across. "You must be a South African" he said. (I'm not sure if it was the badge on my waist bag or the patriotic arm warmers that gave me away!)




I am proud of our rainbow-nation flag and have no problem wearing it in many different ways.
 

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ffp13 said:
Sojourner47 said:
I travelled with Canadians who carried Maple Leafs writ large, for fear they would be mistaken for their southern neighbours. lol.. :)
I have met one of the southern neighbours that had a maple leaf, they were convincing, to us outsiders they sound the same :)
In the movie 'The Way' they try to disguise their nationality with a Japanese flag :) not very convincing

I have also run into US citizens with Canadian flag patches, although this was in George Bush days. The statement that they went to George Washington High in Kingston (one of our most Loyalist cities) gave them away. I told them that they needn't worry too much about being from the US, as the French and Spanish liked Americans and would likely start singing Elvis songs. However, I once encountered a pilgrim talking smack (as they say on US TV) about the US and Texas and found out that he was doing so to a Texan pilgrim, a former Marine-- brought up short, he was open to my suggestion that he buy a round of drinks for us.

I found the flag patches useful for language reasons but the Camino is likely the least nationalist place on the planet.
 
I will wear an American flag an Texas flag somewhere on my person, probably a patch on my bag. Once my husband served in the military, I realized how truly proud I was to be an American and I will show that :) And Texas might as well be its own country lol I love being from Texas and the accent that comes with it! ;)


{Candace}
 
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You enjoy the freedom and benefits of being an American yet mock your country. And, BTW, the First Lady and President notwithstanding the American Flag is more than just "a damn flag."

That having been said, whether or not you choose to display the flag makes you no more or less a patriot.

Some of these posts make me wonder if there are a number of people on the Camino for the wrong reasons.
 
Some of these posts make me wonder if there are a number of people on the Camino for the wrong reasons.

:roll: :roll: :roll:

There are as many reasons for walking the Camino as there are pilgrims.
How many is that?
It has been estimated that for every 1 pilgrim who earns a Compostela, there are another 5 walking parts of the Camino whose goal (for whatever reason) is not Santiago.

That means that although 192,400 pilgrims earned the Compostela last year, there were almost 1 million others walking the Camino trails.

Multiply that by the 1200 years that the Camino has been in existence and you will see that it is impossible to say that there are a number of people on the Camino for the wrong reasons!!

Every pilgrim has his or her reason - and their reason is right.

The only thing that can be wrong - is to criticise another pilgrim's reasons for being on the Camino!
 
I have no personal interest in a U.S.A flag patch, but I did get a small Basque flag patch.....more as a means of making sure I don't get my backpack confused with any others than anything else.
 
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Walked the camino last year and had a forum patch on my pack. When I return in May, I will have added an American flag patch. Not for conversation piece, not for decoration, not for a statement .....
just for my own personal pride in my Country. Frankly, regardless of where you're from, when I see signs of patriotism, it brings a smile to my face.
 
dougfitz said:
Perhaps because some Americans do not come from the US, they are not inclined to wear the stars and stripes :|

Well done sir, well done.
 
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on a more serious note (than my previous post or something)

where one is born is mainly a matter of being lucky (or unlucky all depending)

all kinds of stuff going on everywhere good stuff bad stuff, no matter which country...

so many more important thing to be concerned about than which country who happened to be born in through no fault of their own, cause really, that does not necessarily reflect on that person (or country) which ever way round you turn it...
 
november_moon said:
We are Americans and we are not planning to put American flags on any of our stuff - although we might put a patch with a California flag on it somewhere - or more likely a San Jose Sharks patch :) For us, the choice has nothing to do with not being proud of being American (my husband is a Desert Storm vet) or concerns about being hassled or anything. In my personal experience, it just seems that those who run around with American flags on (patches, shirts, hats, bandanas, etc.) tend to be more of the "USA, love it or leave it" types - basically closed to any way of doing things or looking at things that isn't the "American way". It goes beyond national pride and turns into a disdain for anything that isn't American. I am not saying that anyone on the Camino with an American flag patch would fit this description - and most likely no one on the Camino would fit that description at all because the Camino doesn't seem like a place that would attract those types in the first place. All the same, because of my experiences, I wouldn't choose to put an American flag on my stuff.
I also disagree with your discriptions, seems like sterotyping 101 to me. In spite of your qualifying statement, I believe you will find the Camino and it's pilgrims to be very different than you now seem to imagine.
 
"Sorry, but I strongly disagree with your description of people with patches.

Sounds more like you are describing a NASCAR race. "

That's fine - your experiences are different. No problem.
 
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"I also disagree with your discriptions, seems like sterotyping 101 to me. In spite of your qualifying statement, I believe you will find the Camino and it's pilgrims to be very different than you now seem to imagine."

I think you may have misunderstood what I was trying to say. I will try to clarify. I don't imagine that anybody on the Camino would be a "USA, love it or leave it type". I actually said as much in my post. I am not stereotyping or prejudging anyone based on their decision to have a flag or not. All I am saying is that in my experience, those tend to be the type of people who wear American flags on their stuff - in my experience. Your experiences are different. However, based on my experience, I choose not to put an American flag on my stuff - Camino or otherwise. That's all.
 
Uh-oh. This has become much too in-depth for my simple mind. I'm going for a long walk...
 
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The last thing in the world I want someone trying to discuss with me is politics. Therefore, no flag.

It probably would never happen but just some of the responses on this thread make me wary. :cry:
 
What does it matter if you wear or not wear a patch displaying your country, nationality, ethnicity, religion, etc.? We all know The Camino is done for many reasons, very few do it as a true Christian pilgrimage; some do it for the fun of it, for the challenge involved, for spirituality, for the camaraderie along the way (some say the patch is an ice breaker), some to seek solitude or time to recover from a heartbreaking episode in their lives, etc.
Whether you choose to tell everyone who sees you, what country you are from because you have a flag patch does not mean at all that the rest are not proud of their nation. I for one will not have a flag that says I am an American, anyone who sees me will assume my nationality is Mediterranean, when they hear me speak Spanish they'll have no clue I know English. Whenever its' necessary for me to speak English, undoubtedly they'll know I am from the United States - and yes, I am proud to be an American :!: . It is irrelevant to me where you are from until I meet you and we begin chatting :D . I am curious and inquisitive about your countries and I do love to talk and learn about others. From wherever you are, it will be my pleasure to meet you along the Camino del Norte this year.
Oh, yeah, I will have a patch on my pack, but it'll be the Vieira I just ordered:
SPCDSPP1_Red-Shell_Patch-1.jpg


Ultreia!

Mary
 
I never put an Australian flag on my backpack,as most people on the Camino would not recognise it, I did have a kangaroo, most did recognise that as representing Australia , except maybe some Americans who think they come from Austria.



PS
I Still can't PM
Thanks for your PM

Regards
 

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The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Dear all,

I think the initial question has been answered... and since this thread has been touching politics and non-camino related topics, I will Lock it for now.

Buen Camino!
Ivar
 
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