D
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September 2016 will set records, beating the last Holy Year and last year's record September numbers. The number of September compostelas will be about equal to the number of June compostelas.
September is no longer a convenient month for walking. There are enough albergue beds for the solo traveler, but private rooms have all but disappeared to advance booking. My informal tally for day walkers and backpackers has about 60% of the pilgrims using a baggage service.
The issue is not who is a real pilgrim. The athletic component of a camino has disappeared for a lot of pilgrims. Since it was always a bit of an artifice, it now is part of a self-imposed suffering, competition, or challenge shared by fewer pilgrims. The issue is how the backpacking pilgrim accommodates the changed demographics of the pilgrimage.
I suppose that we should have seen it coming. When the Correos began to compete with Jacotrans, the handwriting was on the wall. There was money in it, more money than selling a few postage stamps. The savvy analysts and planners in the government saw the opportunity -- pilgrims wanted less suffering and more convenience. Once the backpacks were just packs without the back, we should have seen that the private accommodations would find the easiest route to success, taking reservations. Virtually everyone now takes reservations except parochial and municipal albergues, and even that might change.
In the Forum the symptoms are everywhere. Questions about the easiest route, best travel agents, how to book in advance, who will transport bags on a particular route, etc. show the changed demographic. Everyone wants to experience the pilgrimage, but many are also looking for the path of least resistance. Comments lamenting not finding a camino family because of staying in private rooms are part of the schizoid expectation of not working hard, but wanting the full monty of a camino.
Pilgrims still can have whatever type of pilgrimage they want, but some walks will take more effort, inconvenience, discomfort, and risk than others. It is useless to lament the good old days or disparage others' choices. It is useful for the pilgrim trying for a more old fashioned pilgrimage to know what to expect.
It is still fun! First timers should probably avoid expectations based on tales from the past. Repeaters should not try to repeat a previous experience; it is really crowded out there.
September is no longer a prime month to go, when the number of pilgrims decreases and the weather is still quite nice.
You cannot control the weather or the number of pilgrims. The camino will not adapt to you. You need to adapt to the camino.
September is no longer a convenient month for walking. There are enough albergue beds for the solo traveler, but private rooms have all but disappeared to advance booking. My informal tally for day walkers and backpackers has about 60% of the pilgrims using a baggage service.
The issue is not who is a real pilgrim. The athletic component of a camino has disappeared for a lot of pilgrims. Since it was always a bit of an artifice, it now is part of a self-imposed suffering, competition, or challenge shared by fewer pilgrims. The issue is how the backpacking pilgrim accommodates the changed demographics of the pilgrimage.
I suppose that we should have seen it coming. When the Correos began to compete with Jacotrans, the handwriting was on the wall. There was money in it, more money than selling a few postage stamps. The savvy analysts and planners in the government saw the opportunity -- pilgrims wanted less suffering and more convenience. Once the backpacks were just packs without the back, we should have seen that the private accommodations would find the easiest route to success, taking reservations. Virtually everyone now takes reservations except parochial and municipal albergues, and even that might change.
In the Forum the symptoms are everywhere. Questions about the easiest route, best travel agents, how to book in advance, who will transport bags on a particular route, etc. show the changed demographic. Everyone wants to experience the pilgrimage, but many are also looking for the path of least resistance. Comments lamenting not finding a camino family because of staying in private rooms are part of the schizoid expectation of not working hard, but wanting the full monty of a camino.
Pilgrims still can have whatever type of pilgrimage they want, but some walks will take more effort, inconvenience, discomfort, and risk than others. It is useless to lament the good old days or disparage others' choices. It is useful for the pilgrim trying for a more old fashioned pilgrimage to know what to expect.
It is still fun! First timers should probably avoid expectations based on tales from the past. Repeaters should not try to repeat a previous experience; it is really crowded out there.
September is no longer a prime month to go, when the number of pilgrims decreases and the weather is still quite nice.
You cannot control the weather or the number of pilgrims. The camino will not adapt to you. You need to adapt to the camino.