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Sometimes life requires a thick skin. She shouldn't worry.I am sooooo worried she will be made aware of negative comments
A wonderful and heartfelt reminder that we should focus our energies on our own Camino and make a concerted effort not to judge others on theirs. Thank you for this postA friend of mine is walking part of the Camino starting this Sunday.
Now, it’s an organised trip, for a cancer charity, they’re having their luggage transported and all accommodation booked.
It is a BIG adventure.
This lady has raised a large family, never been away on her own like this and has been training all this year walking with our Ramblers group. She’s also a practising Catholic.
The reason I am writing this you may ask?
I am sooooo worried she will be made aware of negative comments, such as I have just today - again - read on FB forums. ‘Sarria pilgrims’? Pfuitt!
Unfair, hurtful etc... It really upset me. No-one deserves this.
I am one of the privileged ones who can take more than a week off to walk more than 100 km. I am also one of the privileged ones who can afford longer pilgrimages.
Really, this was just to remind us all (including me) that we all have different circumstances.
I’ll get off my soapbox now, sorryBut thank you for listening
But I also think that sometimes people are a little too quick to take personal offence when someone complains of the overcrowding and frantic atmosphere of that final 100km.
Me too. On my last Camino Frances I passed through Sarria in a rage at what the place has now become. But I would not put the blame for that on the individual pilgrims I met that day.I’ve been one of them, @Bradypus. I mean, the ones complaining ....
Maybe it is better if she is aware of the fact that these discussions do take place. As in any interesting endeavour, there will be naive newbies, semi-professional purists, elite veterans, and simple oddballs - most of whom have opinions! I would encourage her to put these things in perspective of 300,000 people per year enjoying the Camino.I am sooooo worried she will be made aware of negative comments
A friend of mine is walking part of the Camino starting this Sunday.
Now, it’s an organised trip, for a cancer charity, they’re having their luggage transported and all accommodation booked.
It is a BIG adventure.
This lady has raised a large family, never been away on her own like this and has been training all this year walking with our Ramblers group. She’s also a practising Catholic.
The reason I am writing this you may ask?
I am sooooo worried she will be made aware of negative comments, such as I have just today - again - read on FB forums. ‘Sarria pilgrims’? Pfuitt!
Unfair, hurtful etc... It really upset me. No-one deserves this.
I am one of the privileged ones who can take more than a week off to walk more than 100 km. I am also one of the privileged ones who can afford longer pilgrimages.
Really, this was just to remind us all (including me) that we all have different circumstances.
I’ll get off my soapbox now, sorryBut thank you for listening
Reread your post again. This lady may be stronger than you or she thinks (I may be wrong since I don’t know either of you). She raised a family, is raising funds for cancer research and believes in turning the other cheek. She is as worthy as anyone walking any km on any route. She sounds solid. All we need to stay strong in any adventure is to remember why we are doing it. Everything else is a sidebar. I have a gut feeling she’ll be fine.A friend of mine is walking part of the Camino starting this Sunday.
Now, it’s an organised trip, for a cancer charity, they’re having their luggage transported and all accommodation booked.
It is a BIG adventure.
This lady has raised a large family, never been away on her own like this and has been training all this year walking with our Ramblers group. She’s also a practising Catholic.
The reason I am writing this you may ask?
I am sooooo worried she will be made aware of negative comments, such as I have just today - again - read on FB forums. ‘Sarria pilgrims’? Pfuitt!
Unfair, hurtful etc... It really upset me. No-one deserves this.
I am one of the privileged ones who can take more than a week off to walk more than 100 km. I am also one of the privileged ones who can afford longer pilgrimages.
Really, this was just to remind us all (including me) that we all have different circumstances.
I’ll get off my soapbox now, sorryBut thank you for listening
I must admit that I may have been one of those people who was a tad annoyed at some of the pilgrims after Sarria. My annoyance was not that they were starting from there or that the way was more crowded. That did not bother me at all. What bothered me was that some of them were downright rude (pushing and shoving in the establishments to get the stamps) without so much as an "excuse me" or "sorry". I did not, however, voice nor display my annoyance outwardly (tried to exhibit the patience I was praying for along the way). I politely picked up my belongings and went on my way. I think the consideration that those starting in Sarria are asking for goes both ways. I actually got a chuckle out of all of the busses with the tourists hopping on and off.There is a lot of unpleasant and unjustified criticism of those who "only" walk from Sarria or the other 100km-ish starting points. A deplorable situation. But I also think that sometimes people are a little too quick to take personal offence when someone complains of the overcrowding and frantic atmosphere of that final 100km. I think it is possible for a pilgrim to express frustration and disappointment and even anger at the overall situation without disparaging the motivations of the individual pilgrims involved or holding them personally culpable.
As a person walking for charity (and - reading between the lines - with a religious motivation), I would expect her to get nothing but respect from everyone she meets on the camino. Distance Schmistance.for a cancer charity
Bad behaviour is unacceptable anywhere. And it may well be that with so many more people in that final section we see and hear more of it there. But it is not exclusive to the final 100km. I have personally witnessed some very obnoxious behaviour on the Caminos over the years - some of it while several hundred km short of Santiago. I have even added 10 or 15km to my day on occasion to leave a particularly vile specimen of it well behind me. It would be a nonsense to try to divide the Camino world into "Saint Jean saints" and "Sarria sinners".My annoyance was not that they were starting from there or that the way was more crowded. That did not bother me at all. What bothered me was that some of them were downright rude (pushing and shoving in the establishments to get the stamps) without so much as an "excuse me" or "sorry".
A friend of mine is walking part of the Camino starting this Sunday.
Now, it’s an organised trip, for a cancer charity, they’re having their luggage transported and all accommodation booked.
It is a BIG adventure.
This lady has raised a large family, never been away on her own like this and has been training all this year walking with our Ramblers group. She’s also a practising Catholic.
The reason I am writing this you may ask?
I am sooooo worried she will be made aware of negative comments, such as I have just today - again - read on FB forums. ‘Sarria pilgrims’? Pfuitt!
Unfair, hurtful etc... It really upset me. No-one deserves this.
I am one of the privileged ones who can take more than a week off to walk more than 100 km. I am also one of the privileged ones who can afford longer pilgrimages.
Really, this was just to remind us all (including me) that we all have different circumstances.
I’ll get off my soapbox now, sorryBut thank you for listening
The Compostela does not state distance for a reason
Relative. Walk the Camino Aragones and turn the corner at Eunate!! The shock is worse than Sarria.On my first Camino in 2015, the crowds after Sarria came as quite a shock even though we had been expecting them
A friend of mine is walking part of the Camino starting this Sunday.
Now, it’s an organised trip, for a cancer charity, they’re having their luggage transported and all accommodation booked.
It is a BIG adventure.
This lady has raised a large family, never been away on her own like this and has been training all this year walking with our Ramblers group. She’s also a practising Catholic.
The reason I am writing this you may ask?
I am sooooo worried she will be made aware of negative comments, such as I have just today - again - read on FB forums. ‘Sarria pilgrims’? Pfuitt!
Unfair, hurtful etc... It really upset me. No-one deserves this.
I am one of the privileged ones who can take more than a week off to walk more than 100 km. I am also one of the privileged ones who can afford longer pilgrimages.
Really, this was just to remind us all (including me) that we all have different circumstances.
I’ll get off my soapbox now, sorryBut thank you for listening
i am in total agreement with you.A friend of mine is walking part of the Camino starting this Sunday.
Now, it’s an organised trip, for a cancer charity, they’re having their luggage transported and all accommodation booked.
It is a BIG adventure.
This lady has raised a large family, never been away on her own like this and has been training all this year walking with our Ramblers group. She’s also a practising Catholic.
The reason I am writing this you may ask?
I am sooooo worried she will be made aware of negative comments, such as I have just today - again - read on FB forums. ‘Sarria pilgrims’? Pfuitt!
Unfair, hurtful etc... It really upset me. No-one deserves this.
I am one of the privileged ones who can take more than a week off to walk more than 100 km. I am also one of the privileged ones who can afford longer pilgrimages.
Really, this was just to remind us all (including me) that we all have different circumstances.
I’ll get off my soapbox now, sorryBut thank you for listening
AMEN!!! It's quite hurtful to think that so-called pilgrims can be so discriminatory! To each his/her own Camino!A friend of mine is walking part of the Camino starting this Sunday.
Now, it’s an organised trip, for a cancer charity, they’re having their luggage transported and all accommodation booked.
It is a BIG adventure.
This lady has raised a large family, never been away on her own like this and has been training all this year walking with our Ramblers group. She’s also a practising Catholic.
The reason I am writing this you may ask?
I am sooooo worried she will be made aware of negative comments, such as I have just today - again - read on FB forums. ‘Sarria pilgrims’? Pfuitt!
Unfair, hurtful etc... It really upset me. No-one deserves this.
I am one of the privileged ones who can take more than a week off to walk more than 100 km. I am also one of the privileged ones who can afford longer pilgrimages.
Really, this was just to remind us all (including me) that we all have different circumstances.
I’ll get off my soapbox now, sorryBut thank you for listening
Ik ben ook een overlevende van kanker en heb me enorm geërgerd aan de lawaai papagaaien op de camino zeker de laatste 100 km en dan heb ik het nog niet over de graffiti gehad en het toiletpapier. Maar verder was het een mooie camino frances!Thanks for your post. It's a good reminder for all to keep trail mutterings to yourself. I get a little grumpy when several perfectly groomed women walk by me with a day pack or less as I trudge up the hill. I am not sure why this bothers me but I think it's a personal problem (as most judgement is).
My best self thinks it's behavior that matters more than distance walked. I have met excited Sarria high schoolers with the joy of the Camino in their eyes and St. Jean pilgrims that just are anxious to finish as fast as possible.
And although one woman I saw wasn't even carrying a day pack later I saw her treating big blisters and I realized that sacrifice is not always visible. It's making the effort to walk every day despite wanting to quit or hurting is what makes a true pilgrim.
Plus, of course, arriving at the tomb of Santiago to give thanks.
I am also a cancer survivor
It was not my intent to "divide" anything or anyone. My experience on the Camino was mostly positive. As I mentioned, I POLITELY picked up my things and moved on with comment or untoward gesture. I was merely recounting my experience on that part of the Camino as many were doing on this thread. I did not experience it earlier on nor would I condone it had it happened. That is not to say that it did not happen nor was I trying to imply that it didn't. I just didn't experience it.Bad behaviour is unacceptable anywhere. And it may well be that with so many more people in that final section we see and hear more of it there. But it is not exclusive to the final 100km. I have personally witnessed some very obnoxious behaviour on the Caminos over the years - some of it while several hundred km short of Santiago. I have even added 10 or 15km to my day on occasion to leave a particularly vile specimen of it well behind me. It would be a nonsense to try to divide the Camino world into "Saint Jean saints" and "Sarria sinners".
The current version does however include a statement about the minimum distance by foot or bike. A relatively recent addition that the pilgrim office has not bothered to include in its translation of the Compostela text on its website. No mention of that rule in the version I received after my first two Caminos.
I feel very strongly that the decision made back in 1993 to introduce a 100km minimum distance for receiving a Compostela was badly misjudged. It has distorted peoples' perceptions of what "pilgrimage" actually means. And ultimately leads to the sort of narcissistic competitive oneupmanship which sees someone who walks a shorter distance than oneself as a less worthy being. Or that those who choose to visit a shrine by car or bus or airplane are not pilgrims at all. The most recent addition to the cathedral's rules for receiving a Compostela - that you must now walk/ride the final 100km of your journey on one of a limited number of approved routes - simply reinforces this perception that it is the amount of physical effort and adherence to some specific but apparently arbitrary rules which define an individual as a pilgrim rather than their religious or spiritual intent which is what the Compostela actually claims to be testifying to. In the not-so-distant past there was no minimum distance specified for receiving a Compostela. But pilgrims who wanted to receive one were expected to give some personal account of their reasons for walking and their experience along the way. For me it is the mental and spiritual attitude of a person which defines them as a pilgrim. Something that bears little or no relation to the number of stamps in their credencial.
Have you read the second paragraph of the current version of the Compostela?: "perfecto itinere sive pedibus sive equitando post postrema centum milia metrorum, birota vero post ducenta". My Latin is extremely rusty but I think that means something like 'completed the last 100,000 metres (ie 100km) by foot or on horse, or by bike the last 200km.'without wanting to get into a pointless debate... I am pretty sure the Compostela does not state any refrence to distances. The credential does, as well as (obviously) the Distance Certificate. Buen Camino
Have a closer look. The distances for pilgrims on foot, horse or bicycle have been on the Compostela for several years already. The first three words underlined in purple say 100 km and the last underlined word says 200. The words for feet, riding and bicycle are underlined in green.without wanting to get into a pointless debate... I am pretty sure the Compostela does not state any refrence to distances.
Some of these ’tour pilgrims’ (if you’ll pardon the expression) may exhibit unpleasant behavior because they have been given unrealistic expectations. I passed some road junction after Sarria just as a bus full of people was unloaded. It took me some time to walk past the group and all the while, I heard one particular woman in a very loud nasal voice constantly complaining. One of the things she said was ‘They told us this would be a spiritual experience; I don’t feel anything spiritual about it – it’s just hot!’ and I thought to myself ‘Surprise, surprise!’ I got ahead of them and stopped at a bar with a lot of tables outside. Shortly after the whole group from the bus came pouring into the bar and filled all the tables and yes, you guessed it, a loud nasal voice asked me ‘Is it all right that we sit here at your table?’ Long story short, we got to talk and she turned out to be a very nice and sweet lady that was just disappointed and frustrated because the ‘Camino Adventure’ didn’t meet all the expectations that she had been fed with. Another little Camino lesson learned.
A friend of mine is walking part of the Camino starting this Sunday.
Now, it’s an organised trip, for a cancer charity, they’re having their luggage transported and all accommodation booked.
It is a BIG adventure.
It's not a matter of time, but a matter of attitudeYou can have your Camino... “good, fast or cheap...pick two....” Walking only from Sarria is, in general evidence of choosing the fast and cheap selections.
Rarely, IMHO, is it good. Good, per se, usually requires more time and distance, again in my experience and opinion.
I hope when I'm 81 I can 'just' walk from Sarria, and finish with a 30km day, too.Ive done the whole of the. French way followed by the Portuguese, in june i took my 81 year old Mother back to the Camino to walk “just from Sarria”
Perhaps there should be a penalty for such discriminatory remarks. I suggest the person responsible walk another Camino, or two........AMEN!!! It's quite hurtful to think that so-called pilgrims can be so discriminatory! To each his/her own Camino!
Ive done the whole of the. French way followed by the Portuguese, in june i took my 81 year old Mother back to the Camino to walk “just from Sarria” it was the most wonderful experience and for her a real test of endurance .
Whoever walks the Camino whether it be from Le Puy St Jean or from Sarria is a pilgrim and deserves our respect .
The call to the Camino needs to be fulfilled whatever our personal circumstances allow ,whether that be a week or a month at a time . The smile on my Mothers face as she walked into Santiago after doing a final 30km day will live with me forever .
Ah, Steve, you are just awesome to take your mother on the camino. What memories you have given her!Ive done the whole of the. French way followed by the Portuguese, in june i took my 81 year old Mother back to the Camino to walk “just from Sarria” it was the most wonderful experience and for her a real test of endurance .
Whoever walks the Camino whether it be from Le Puy St Jean or from Sarria is a pilgrim and deserves our respect .
The call to the Camino needs to be fulfilled whatever our personal circumstances allow ,whether that be a week or a month at a time . The smile on my Mothers face as she walked into Santiago after doing a final 30km day will live with me forever .
Ah, Steve, you are awesome for taking your 81 year old mom on the camino. What memories you've given her!Ive done the whole of the. French way followed by the Portuguese, in june i took my 81 year old Mother back to the Camino to walk “just from Sarria” it was the most wonderful experience and for her a real test of endurance .
Whoever walks the Camino whether it be from Le Puy St Jean or from Sarria is a pilgrim and deserves our respect .
The call to the Camino needs to be fulfilled whatever our personal circumstances allow ,whether that be a week or a month at a time . The smile on my Mothers face as she walked into Santiago after doing a final 30km day will live with me forever .
I suppose my observation is that you can only expect a spiritual or experiential result, commensurate with effort and time invested.
Hi Turga, I think both you and t2andreo make valid points, well to my understanding at least. It seems to me that sometimes posts somehow cause a chain reaction of comments (of which I am also adding to here) that don't directly respond to the person posting the original post. Maybe it's the nature of these "anonymous communications" via the forum, in the sense we don't actually know or see the person making the comments (except those who have met face-to-face at some point), that it reminds me of email culture in the workplace. Depending on our interpretations of meaning, a trigger to respond defensively or critically can come about all too often. Without seeing or knowing the person who writes the email, there can be a tendency to judge intent and read meaning into words, phrases etc. where perhaps the originator didn't intend such meaning.That’s fine, as long as by ’you’ you mean yourself. Don’t impose the results of your personal experiences on everybody else.
Have a closer look. The distances for pilgrims on foot, horse or bicycle have been on the Compostela for several years already. The first three words underlined in purple say 100 km and the last underlined word says 200. The words for feet, riding and bicycle are underlined in green.
View attachment 65455
That’s fine, as long as by ’you’ you mean yourself. Don’t impose the results of your personal experiences on everybody else.
I have just tuned in to this thread, and reading your post I have to agree strongly with : " I feel very strongly that the decision made back in 1993 to introduce a 100km minimum distance for receiving a Compostela was badly misjudged. It has distorted peoples' perceptions of what "pilgrimage" actually means. "The current version does however include a statement about the minimum distance by foot or bike. A relatively recent addition that the pilgrim office has not bothered to include in its translation of the Compostela text on its website. No mention of that rule in the version I received after my first two Caminos.
I feel very strongly that the decision made back in 1993 to introduce a 100km minimum distance for receiving a Compostela was badly misjudged. It has distorted peoples' perceptions of what "pilgrimage" actually means. And ultimately leads to the sort of narcissistic competitive oneupmanship which sees someone who walks a shorter distance than oneself as a less worthy being. Or that those who choose to visit a shrine by car or bus or airplane are not pilgrims at all. The most recent addition to the cathedral's rules for receiving a Compostela - that you must now walk/ride the final 100km of your journey on one of a limited number of approved routes - simply reinforces this perception that it is the amount of physical effort and adherence to some specific but apparently arbitrary rules which define an individual as a pilgrim rather than their religious or spiritual intent which is what the Compostela actually claims to be testifying to. In the not-so-distant past there was no minimum distance specified for receiving a Compostela. But pilgrims who wanted to receive one were expected to give some personal account of their reasons for walking and their experience along the way. For me it is the mental and spiritual attitude of a person which defines them as a pilgrim. Something that bears little or no relation to the number of stamps in their credencial.
We can agree to disagree, and hopefully still remain friendly.
A friend of mine is walking part of the Camino starting this Sunday.
Now, it’s an organised trip, for a cancer charity, they’re having their luggage transported and all accommodation booked.
It is a BIG adventure.
This lady has raised a large family, never been away on her own like this and has been training all this year walking with our Ramblers group. She’s also a practising Catholic.
The reason I am writing this you may ask?
I am sooooo worried she will be made aware of negative comments, such as I have just today - again - read on FB forums. ‘Sarria pilgrims’? Pfuitt!
Unfair, hurtful etc... It really upset me. No-one deserves this.
I am one of the privileged ones who can take more than a week off to walk more than 100 km. I am also one of the privileged ones who can afford longer pilgrimages.
Really, this was just to remind us all (including me) that we all have different circumstances.
I’ll get off my soapbox now, sorryBut thank you for listening
I walked in 1990 and I never heard of a 150km minimum distance or any other fixed minimum distance prior to the 1993 100km rule. That does not mean that it didn't exist but it was not mentioned in my guidebooks or by anyone I met. The Camino Frances was effectively the only Camino in use then and that would have made a point a little beyond O Cebreiro the last acceptable starting point for the Compostela. I have never heard of that being the case. @David Tallan walked a year before I did and might know more about it.In a fit of nostalgia, I am re-reading Hoinacki (one of my favorite reads before my first camino.
He walked in 1993 and I got the idea somewhere in his book, that the cathedral had dropped the requirement from 150km to 100km for that holy year..
Inquiring minds want to know:
Anybody know if this is true?
And if so, what were the earlier requirements-before the 150km and 100km.
A friend of mine is walking part of the Camino starting this Sunday.
Now, it’s an organised trip, for a cancer charity, they’re having their luggage transported and all accommodation booked.
It is a BIG adventure.
This lady has raised a large family, never been away on her own like this and has been training all this year walking with our Ramblers group. She’s also a practising Catholic.
The reason I am writing this you may ask?
I am sooooo worried she will be made aware of negative comments, such as I have just today - again - read on FB forums. ‘Sarria pilgrims’? Pfuitt!
Unfair, hurtful etc... It really upset me. No-one deserves this.
I am one of the privileged ones who can take more than a week off to walk more than 100 km. I am also one of the privileged ones who can afford longer pilgrimages.
Really, this was just to remind us all (including me) that we all have different circumstances.
I’ll get off my soapbox now, sorryBut thank you for listening
awesome, i stand correctedHave a closer look. The distances for pilgrims on foot, horse or bicycle have been on the Compostela for several years already. The first three words underlined in purple say 100 km and the last underlined word says 200. The words for feet, riding and bicycle are underlined in green.
View attachment 65455
I have just had a quick look at Hoinacki's book again and found a mention of the 150km requirement at the point where he receives his Compostela. Still rings no bells for me though. Interestingly even back then you can read an author sourly expressing some unhappiness at the idea that a Compostela can be received for as little as walking 150km.In a fit of nostalgia, I am re-reading Hoinacki (one of my favorite reads before my first camino.
He walked in 1993 and I got the idea somewhere in his book, that the cathedral had dropped the requirement from 150km to 100km for that holy year..
Fernando Lalanda wrote a booklet about the history of the credencial. According to this, the 100 km rule was introduced in the middle of a Holy Year, namely in July 1999. He even includes a copy of the letter that the Oficina de Peregrinaciones S.A.M.I Catedral sent out to a number of institutions, among them the parishes of the Caminos de Santiago, those responsible for the albergues and the Amigos del Camino. The author of this official letter starts by saying that to obtain a Compostela, the pilgrimage has to be made in principle from the front door to the tomb of the Apostle Saint James. As this place can be very different in distance (from Holland, France, Roncesvalles ...), the pilgrimage may be shortened to a minimum of 100 km on foot or horseback and 200 km on bicycle. Then there's a bit that I don't quite understand about those who do parts of the Camino because of a lack of time or other reasons but I think it means they'll get a Compostela only for the last 100 km and not for every 100 km section. He asks that this is explained to people because a lack of proper information can lead to tensions. ☺100km rule
Interesting. Sometime ago @Rebekah Scott posted a statement from FICS written by Anton Pombo in which he presented their case for increasing the minimum distance to 300km. That statement links the introduction of the 100km rule to the 1993 Holy Year. As my first Camino was in 1990 and my second in 2002 all I can personally say is that it happened sometime between those two datesFernando Lalando wrote a booklet about the history of the credencial. According to this, the 100 km rule was introduced in the middle of a Holy Year, namely in July 1999.
He would not have to be very accurate to be a more reliable source than those twoI am not sure how much of an accurate source Hoinacki is. I like his diary and insights much more than Coehlo (1986 walk) or MacLaine (1994 walk) which I read in preparation for my first camino.
Who would dare to doubt the words of such eminence? An article in La Voz de Galicia does indeed say that it all dates back to 1992 when the Oficina had only one person as staff and the dean proposed the 100 km requirement to the Xunta who agreed. The carta I posted earlier was perhaps a cry for help in 1999 to remind everyone of the already established rule?Interesting. Sometime ago @Rebekah Scott posted a statement from FICS written by Anton Pombo in which he presented their case for increasing the minimum distance to 300km. That statement links the introduction of the 100km rule to the 1993 Holy Year.
The effect of the Xunta's decision to use the 1993 Holy Year as a major promotional exercise was profound. Prior to that there were very few albergues in the current style. Instead there were much smaller and more basic refugios mostly provided by churches, Amigos groups, confraternities and town councils. Very little official involvement in the promotion of the caminos at any higher level of government than the local ayuntamiento. Very much a small-scale, local and ad-hoc volunteer-led infrastructure. The first systematic network of albergues - including the Monte do Gozo gulag - stems from that very deliberate decision to coopt the Camino as a promotional tool. And it was an astonishing success: in 1992 9,764 Compostelas were issued but for the 1993 Holy Year that figure multiplied more than 10x to 99,436. I doubt that the 2021 Holy Year will see a spike on that scale!1993 Xacobeo. "The "All the Way" and 100 km idea, despite Galicia’s good-faith construction of a public network of free shelters, immediately created tensions with the plan developed by Valiña and the worldwide Jacobean associations.
When I judge others it hurts me more than them. I know this, because I have judged. It is unkind. It doesn't make me better than someone. It reduces me.A friend of mine is walking part of the Camino starting this Sunday.
Now, it’s an organised trip, for a cancer charity, they’re having their luggage transported and all accommodation booked.
It is a BIG adventure.
This lady has raised a large family, never been away on her own like this and has been training all this year walking with our Ramblers group. She’s also a practising Catholic.
The reason I am writing this you may ask?
I am sooooo worried she will be made aware of negative comments, such as I have just today - again - read on FB forums. ‘Sarria pilgrims’? Pfuitt!
Unfair, hurtful etc... It really upset me. No-one deserves this.
I am one of the privileged ones who can take more than a week off to walk more than 100 km. I am also one of the privileged ones who can afford longer pilgrimages.
Really, this was just to remind us all (including me) that we all have different circumstances.
I’ll get off my soapbox now, sorryBut thank you for listening
Yet none of these 99,000+ are here to tell us whether or not they walked the 4,4 km from Monte do Gozo and got a Compostela that year or not ☺. I love reading in old camino newsletters but it’s really difficult to find something about an official 100 km rule in those issued before the year 2000. It seems, however, that this distance was always popular, rule or no rule: 1 day to travel there, 1 day to travel home, 1 day in Santiago and 4 days walking - makes 1 week.The first systematic network of albergues - including the Monte do Gozo gulag - stems from that very deliberate decision to coopt the Camino as a promotional tool. And it was an astonishing success: in 1992 9,764 Compostelas were issued but for the 1993 Holy Year that figure multiplied more than 10x to 99,436.
Depending on which one of the Spanish "Camino figures" you read who were there at the time, it's either the Xunta, the Cathedral, or Commerce (which is always a greedy Commerce), or all three of them who are to blame. In an old forum thread from 2013, another well known figure is quoted and he puts the blame squarely on the Canon (priest) responsible for the Peregrination Office at the time and on the aims the Cathedral is supposedly pursuing with their statistics.And after reading Rebekah's 2016 post, I finally realize that the big kahuna among the various stakeholders is the Junta, not the church.
Nor me. I doubt that there is any effective "redress" for the current situation in any case. And trying to pin the blame for the way the Camino has evolved on a single institution or especially a named individual seems very simplistic. Many factors have been involved - not the least of which is that most of those who walk now want the sort of experience which they find: affordable, straightforward, physically undemanding and without any overt specific religious or spiritual prerequisites. So they continue overwhelmingly to choose the busiest and most "commercial" of routes - often multiple times. Those aspects of the modern Camino which draw most scorn from some old-timers and more recent purists such as luggage transport services and commercial tour groups did not appear spontaneously. They have been a response to changing demands and expectations and interpretations of "pilgrimage". Trying to stuff toothpaste like that back in the tube seems a task doomed to failure.I have much sympathy for those who know long-distance pilgrimage to Santiago from earlier years and who deplore the current state of affairs. I'm just not sure how to redress it.
Love the instruction to ensure there's parchment in the printerOooh, some of you might like this, I just found it again. No need to walk from Sarria to get a Compostela from the Cathedral. They offered their very own webCompostela at one point in time and you can still get it, provided your browser allows it. Chrome on MacOS worked.
Go to https://archive.org/web/Enter http://www.catedraldesantiago.es/ and browse historyClick on 2006Scroll to the month of November in the calendarClick on 15Click on the Spanish flagWhen the drawing is finished, click on EntrarClick on e-compostelaEnter your name and click on LatínClick on Imprimir but don't forget to put some parchment into your printer tray first.Notice the computer mouse next to the shell, the staff and the pumpkin gourd.
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Those who want an experience closer to the Camino of the 1980s or 1990s will find it more profitable to look at other routes less-travelled rather than simply mourn the loss of the Camino Frances of the past. But as one who probably counts as an "old-timer" I would make a plea for some sympathy or at least a modicum of understanding. I have occasionally been told that I should welcome the ever-increasing numbers on the Caminos without complaint: the more people who experience them the merrier. Most often from people whose only Camino experience has been in the past two or three years when numbers have been around 300,000 per year. I would ask them to try this little exercise in imagination. Think back to your first Camino. Try to remember scenes with fellow pilgrims in a bar or albergue or just walking together along a road. Now imagine that each and every one of those you met on that first journey had been accompanied by 65 friends. Would you honestly welcome change on that scale wholeheartedly and with no regrets?
On the other hand, I have met people who found the 100 km pilgrimage to be life changing and people who seemed much less changed by the 800 km trek. It is hard to say what is needed for the "complete experience". I don't think it is necessarily commensurate with effort and time. Elements of readiness and openness also enter into the equation.You can have your Camino... “good, fast or cheap...pick two....” Walking only from Sarria is, in general evidence of choosing the fast and cheap selections.
Rarely, IMHO, is it good. Good, per se, usually requires more time and distance, again in my experience and opinion.
When I do this, it takes me the better part of seven days walking just to get in the Camino groove. Doing the very short stretch from Sarria or Tui only, may qualify a pilgrim for a Compostela, but I suggest it will not provide enough “contact time” to get the really complete experience.
I am NOT passing judgment on those who choose to do only this much. Everyone is entitled to their Camino. I suppose my observation is that you can only expect a spiritual or experiential result, commensurate with effort and time invested.
hope this helps.
Which they intend to do next year for the Camino Invierno (the promotion, I mean) Uh-oh.The first systematic network of albergues - including the Monte do Gozo gulag - stems from that very deliberate decision to coopt the Camino as a promotional tool.
OMG, @Kathar1na - you may have found an easter egg!Oooh, some of you might like this,
Sometimes not even the water bottle! But plenty of makeup, though.where I have actually experienced the "bucket list" tick pilgrims, running along with nothing but a water bottle and a walking stick.
Oooh, some of you might like this, I just found it again. No need to walk from Sarria to get a Compostela from the Cathedral. They offered their very own webCompostela at one point in time and you can still get it, provided your browser allows it. Chrome on MacOS worked.
Go to https://archive.org/web/Enter http://www.catedraldesantiago.es/ and browse historyClick on 2006Scroll to the month of November in the calendarClick on 15Click on the Spanish flagWhen the drawing is finished, click on EntrarClick on e-compostelaEnter your name and click on LatínClick on Imprimir but don't forget to put some parchment into your printer tray first.Notice the computer mouse next to the shell, the staff and the pumpkin gourd.
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Maybe he had an experience of humility somewhere down the road?Clearly someone who was trying to win some sort of satisfaction by cheating his way through the Camino.
Sometimes disabilities are invisible. Another reason why we can’t judge.He then explained how his daughter had spent her High school years suffering depression and anxiety and getting to Santiago via feet, bus or taxi was something he’d never expected of her.
HMMM I'm pleased you stated 'IMHO' as that makes things clearer, but, I'd just like to say this. Due to time constraints, I could only spend a short time to walk my Camino, and chose to do so from Sarria. I had an amazing time! I have made lifelong friends, I certainly did feel somethng spiritual, which meant a huge amount to me, and I won't go into further details on that. Suffice to say I came home ever so slightly different to the person who left! I did'nt find it to be fast either, it was just right, with time for stops and coffee, chats, taking off of shoes and socks etc, and then continuing. Plenty of time at the end of a walking day to get to know others where we stayed, and to explore the towns we stayed in, Contact time? Well, my contact with others along the route was awesome, met some wonderful interesting and joyful people, made friends with plenty, had to ignore a few, that is true. The forests were just amazing and the connection with nature was something that really really made my Camino for me, I wouldn't have missed it for the world. The whole experience was absolutely wonderful, and I am walking again September 2020, and yes, again a shorter timescale, some of us do not have the luxury of being able to take several weeks. I do feel I had a complete experience, but maybe you define complete in a different way after all, we ARE all different, and we all walk our own Camino don't we?You can have your Camino... “good, fast or cheap...pick two....” Walking only from Sarria is, in general evidence of choosing the fast and cheap selections.
Rarely, IMHO, is it good. Good, per se, usually requires more time and distance, again in my experience and opinion.
When I do this, it takes me the better part of seven days walking just to get in the Camino groove. Doing the very short stretch from Sarria or Tui only, may qualify a pilgrim for a Compostela, but I suggest it will not provide enough “contact time” to get the really complete experience.
I am NOT passing judgment on those who choose to do only this much. Everyone is entitled to their Camino. I suppose my observation is that you can only expect a spiritual or experiential result, commensurate with effort and time invested.
hope this helps.
Met Tony yesterday. Amazing.And here are some of those Sarria pilgrims!
The trick is waiting for it to get very cold. It works quite well for ponds around here. Not as well for rivers.But I do wish I could walk on water to make my way home across the pond.
I think you still need to walk (or bicycle, or ride a horse, etc.) to Santiago de Compostela to get a Compostela. Pretty as it is, an e-Compostela isn't quite the same thing, as the wording indicates. You get a Compostela for visiting the Cathedral (more or less) and an e-Compostela for visiting the Cathedral's web page. That makes complete sense. All you need is an Internet connection and a computer/browser that can deal with Flash. At least you no longer need to listen to the modem squeal.Oooh, some of you might like this, I just found it again. No need to walk from Sarria to get a Compostela from the Cathedral. They offered their very own webCompostela at one point in time and you can still get it, provided your browser allows it. Chrome on MacOS worked.
Go to https://archive.org/web/Enter http://www.catedraldesantiago.es/ and browse historyClick on 2006Scroll to the month of November in the calendarClick on 15Click on the Spanish flagWhen the drawing is finished, click on EntrarClick on e-compostelaEnter your name and click on LatínClick on Imprimir but don't forget to put some parchment into your printer tray first.Notice the computer mouse next to the shell, the staff and the pumpkin gourd.
View attachment 65553
I had to turn on Flash specially in Google Chrome to view the site. And Chrome then warned me that they will be ending support for Flash in 2020All you need is an Internet connection and a computer/browser that can deal with Flash. At least you no longer need to listen to the modem squeal.
OH ... "the pond" = the Atlantic ocean.The trick is waiting for it to get very cold. It works quite well for ponds around here. Not as well for rivers.
Me too. On my last Camino Frances I passed through Sarria in a rage at what the place has now become. But I would not put the blame for that on the individual pilgrims I met that day.
In Puente la Reina we were waiting to check into an Albergue. When a well dressed- sweat free man in his 60’s pushed to the front of the queue and pulled 2 Compostela a from his pocket. Our host simply stamped and signed them. The man shook his hand and walked away. While standing in line I quizzed him as to whether he was a genuine pilgrim? He just shrugged his shoulders, smiled and quickly left. Clearly someone who was trying to win some sort of satisfaction by cheating his way through the Camino.
In that case, even if you could walk on water it would be a very very long walk. Sure, there are no mountain ranges to cross, but there aren't bars and albergues every few km either.OH ... "the pond" = the Atlantic ocean.
And for that I hold the tour companies responsible. The truth of the matter is for them to organise a junket for more than 100 k would be a logistical nightmare, so most follow the path of least resistance and focus on starting from Sarria, with the promise of a Compostela at the end.I just do not like walking among chattering crowds of people during a Camino.
The trick is waiting for it to get very cold. It works quite well for ponds around here. Not as well for rivers.
In that case, even if you could walk on water it would be a very very long walk. Sure, there are no mountain ranges to cross, but there aren't bars and albergues every few km either.
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