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The last 100 km

I fully expect to be looked down upon and shunned
That is likely to be an unmet expectation!;) One quarter of the pilgrims start in Sarria, twice the percentage starting in SJPdP, so it would take a lot of self-loathing for there to be much shunning from fellow pilgrims. In the Forum? Maybe not so much...:(

Have a great walk. Buen camino, and many thanks for giving back through being a hospitalero.
 
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I know I am on dodgy ground here, but here I go.
If the last 100km of the camino is being done for purely physical reasons, well hey that is a long way for people who have not prepared- therefore respect
If the last 100km of the camino is being done for religious grounds, well hey that is still along way for people who have not prepared-therefore respect
if I have walked fron St Jean for religious grounds, and that religion is Christian then I must be a follower of Christ's teaching I must remember that He tells a story about the workers in a vineyard who start work at different times of the day, but at the end of the day they are all paid the same wages, they all get the same reward,- therefore respect-or else!
 
Well, this thread certainly gives us food for thought. After some initial consideration--the route, our resources (budgetary and otherwise), and physical conditions, we thought Sarria to Santiago in just over a week was do-able entirely on foot. Still true, perhaps, but stopping at any points recommended by any guidebooks might not be so wise.
 
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[....] the primary reason why I've switched to the less travelled caminos.[...]The distance we walk has absolutely nothing to do with anything else, most especially with the holiness of the purpose you have for walking a pilgrimage.
Ergo, check the experiences/purposes of other members/walkers when they walked a Camino during various times of the year(s) and plan your pilgrimage according to your conclusions.o_O
 
I haven't been on this forum site for a while......sure do get a lot of "opinions"!

I' ll bet the Camino Santiago would exist EVEN without all these incredibly worthless (mine too) postings.

Wouldn't the world be a better place if we just minded our own business....did our own thing and let others do theirs ???

Does anyone really care about "long walkers" or "short walkers" or about "The last 100 Km".

I don't know about any of you guys but I did my Camino for me......took life as it came....and returned home. Hell of an experience!!!!
 
Be it on a forum or around a table in any setting you will get as many opinions as there are people involved. Whether those opinions are worthless is a matter of opinion to the person who reads/hears them. Take what you think is good from it and leave the rest. In my own case the forum has been an incredible source of information for my first Camino and without that information I would have made many unnecessary mistakes.
Nobody should care about the length of any Camino, I for one don't.
 
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Like many others, I've had to make an effort sometimes to think charitable thoughts about the masses of humanity that flood the Camino from Sarria onwards. In fact, that is the primary reason why I've switched to the less travelled caminos. But my weeks as a volunteer in the pilgrims' office this past May showed me another side of that equation and humbled me.

I heard so many stories, and many came from people starting in Sarria. There was the mother of the 6 month old baby, whose doctor had prepared them for the infant's death soon after his birth. She vowed that if he lived till 6 months she would walk from Sarria. There she was, with husband and infant driving along to meet up so that she could nurse the child. Or the 92 year who had had the dream of walking the Camino for years and years, walking with his 60-something daughter. And then there were the friends of Juanito. On a Sunday morning at the very beginning of May, we heard the commotion of a loud boisterous group of teenagers outside the office. Bracing ourselves for another rude group of youngsters, in they came all wearing the same shirt, arriving in Santiago on the same day that their close friend Juanito had died one year earlier. His parents were with them, and as you might imagine, there were not too many dry eyes in the pilgrims' office. The distance we walk has absolutely nothing to do with anything else, most especially with the holiness of the purpose you have for walking a pilgrimage.

Laurie:

As usual your post brings us back to the point of the Camino.

Personally I have never found the last 100 km's or any other connection point (Santa Domingo de Calzada, Burgos, Sahagun, Leon, Sarria, Arzua or any others) particularly troublesome. There is a bit of a shock after being alone and then being with forty people in an Albergue. At the same time, the communal atmosphere is inviting. I feel there are many interesting Pilgrims to engage with no matter where they started.

Ultreya,
Joe
 
This thread--about walking the last 100 km from Sarria to Santiago--arouses mixed emotions in me. I'm a high school teacher. When I finally committed to walking The Camino, I recruited a dozen students to join me. We will be arriving in Spain, from Panama, during Easter Week of 2015. The reason I chose Sarria as our starting point was so that we can all earn a Compostela.

But then, as I started to research The Camino in earnest to prepare the group for the experience, I found myself becoming obsessed with starting The Camino at SJPDP. So now, I'm committed to walk The Camino twice. I will be walking the Camino Frances in the spring of 2016. As a result, I now consider my Sarria pilgrimage as "inauthentic." I won't feel like a "true" pilgrim until I walk all the way from SJPDP.

My first pilgrimage, with the students, will be a rehearsal for me, of sorts. But I suspect it will be a rehearsal for several of them. It would not surprise me to learn that sometime down the line a few also return to experience "The Long Walk."

In any event, the first time around I'll be with the noisy group starting in Sarria on March 27, 2015. The second time around, as a seasoned pilgrim, I hope not to be annoyed by the crowds joining me for the last 100 km. ;)
 
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How do your students feel about that, dragging them off to an inauthentic camino?;)
Regarding my students, I'm taking my point of view about starting in Sarria as an inauthentic pilgrimage to the grave with me. :rolleyes:
 
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This thread--about walking the last 100 km from Sarria to Santiago--arouses mixed emotions in me. I'm a high school teacher. When I finally committed to walking The Camino, I recruited a dozen students to join me. We will be arriving in Spain, from Panama, during Easter Week of 2015. The reason I chose Sarria as our starting point was so that we can all earn a Compostela.

But then, as I started to research The Camino in earnest to prepare the group for the experience, I found myself becoming obsessed with starting The Camino at SJPDP. So now, I'm committed to walk The Camino twice. I will be walking the Camino Frances in the spring of 2016. As a result, I now consider my Sarria pilgrimage as "inauthentic." I won't feel like a "true" pilgrim until I walk all the way from SJPDP.

My first pilgrimage, with the students, will be a rehearsal for me, of sorts. But I suspect it will be a rehearsal for several of them. It would not surprise me to learn that sometime down the line a few also return to experience "The Long Walk."

In any event, the first time around I'll be with the noisy group starting in Sarria on March 27, 2015. The second time around, as a seasoned pilgrim, I hope not to be annoyed by the crowds joining me for the last 100 km. ;)

I'm sure many of them will remember their Camino as an exciting fun filled time and I love seeing all of the excitement and energy in these young folk. I'm sure it will be a wonderful pilgrimage for many of them too!
 
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Regarding my students, I'm taking my point of view about starting in Sarria as an inauthentic pilgrimage to the grave with me. :rolleyes:


Silvio:

Should this be your true feeling, I hope you have not shared access to this forum then with your class^^. By the way, Sarria to Santiago is an authentic Camino. It is probably the right size Camino for a group of students. Short enough so they will not become distracted (too much) and long enough to get the flavor of the Camino. This will be a memorable adventure for many of them.

Ultreya,
Joe
 
From my experience, if I were to walk just the last 100km, I wouldn't even bother buying a full pack and fancy gear, just a small daypack to carry food, water, and rain gear.
Have you luggage transported for €3 a day, it usually takes anywhere from 5-8 days to walk, so at most, you'll spend €24 for 8 days of bag transport. (Two persons could even combine their stuff in one suitcase) This is way less than you would spend on an expensive backpack that some will never use again.
 
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.
We flirted with the idea of a hotel night in Sarria until we were told the price, the Alfonso was 200 euros a night, the same chain in Burgos was just 65 euros. Oh well, we were happy with an albergue in the old part of town at 20 euros. The biggest difference from then on in was the number of local pilgrims who had joined us and were hitting the vino hard and disrupting the routines and the sleep of those around them. We were bemused at the strategic pick up and drop off points for the new pilgrims, they often missed walking the nicer parts of the old towns. At the last intersection before the Cathedral in Santiago we waited to cross with a pilgrim group following a guide, we had come from SJPP, they had "walked" from Sarria in the last 4 days. I greeted one lady who looked down her nose at my bedraggled self, I could not help noticing she was wearing mascara... :)
 
If it were not for the Compostela you would not have a quarter of the pilgrims starting at Sarria, you would have almost none. I for one was disappointed with the amount of cheating that I saw so as to obtain this Compostela. Who are they cheating? Themselves and their God. Not everybody was cheating but enough to make a mockery of the Compostela. If ever I walk the Camino Frances again, I will not be waiting in line in the rain for this document.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I just finished posting something about "Walking the Camino" and how everyone was excited about it. This thread comes far closer to the reality that every one is different. That is what the Camino represents.
 
One of my favorite Camino memories happened on the last 100km. Walking and talking with a German pilgrim, a young Spanish pilgrim wearing a Dunkin' Donuts t shirt recognized my American accent and he and his friend joined our conversation.

It turned out that the shirt was a gift from the friend. A few years earlier the American student had been a high school exchange student "brother"'. He was now back in Spain for a visit and the entire family was walking the Camino from Sarria together. The next time we met up with them was at a lunch stop. We were swept into the family and met the mother, the father, the younger sister, the aunts and uncles and even a few cousins. What a gift it was to see the Camino as something significant for an entire family. It felt like a glimpse beyond the tip of the iceberg of a culture.

I have said so many times that I can not even imagine the Camino existing in my own country.
 
I'm in Castañeda now - a little more than halfway between Sarria and Santiago. I started in SJPP on 5 Sept - so have been walking almost two months. Am quite anxious to be in Santiago and then on my way home - it's been long-ish, but worth every moment!!

There are so few walkers right now, it's sort of hard to believe everything said about the hoards in this section. Can someone enlighten me as to why it appears that there are primarily long-term walkers right now. When I walked last year - in this section, at this very time - there were a whole lot more people, and a lot of students - haven't seen any this year. It feels a little strange - but is certainly nice and quiet....
Buen Camino to all you still walking!
Terry
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Can someone enlighten me as to why it appears that there are primarily long-term walkers right now.
Short term walkers start from Sarria on Saturday or Sunday, so arrive in Santiago on Friday and Saturday. You are out of cycle with that phase, so peak traffic is behind you. Yesterday had the fewest Friday arrivals since April, so crowds have dissipated except for the weekend Sarria "hump."

Buen camino.
 
Than
Short term walkers start from Sarria on Saturday or Sunday, so arrive in Santiago on Friday and Saturday. You are out of cycle with that phase, so peak traffic is behind you. Yesterday had the fewest Friday arrivals since April, so crowds have dissipated except for the weekend Sarria "hump."

Buen camino.
Thanks, falcon. I wondered what effect, if any, this holiday weekend might have...
 
.............. we had come from SJPP, they had "walked" from Sarria in the last 4 days. I greeted one lady who looked down her nose at my bedraggled self, I could not help noticing she was wearing mascara... :)
:D:D:D If I recall correctly, Margaret Meredith (mspath), a much valued Forum member currently on her tenth Camino, relates in one of her blogs a similarly amusing tale.
 
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.
This thread--about walking the last 100 km from Sarria to Santiago--arouses mixed emotions in me. I'm a high school teacher. When I finally committed to walking The Camino, I recruited a dozen students to join me. We will be arriving in Spain, from Panama, during Easter Week of 2015. The reason I chose Sarria as our starting point was so that we can all earn a Compostela.

But then, as I started to research The Camino in earnest to prepare the group for the experience, I found myself becoming obsessed with starting The Camino at SJPDP. So now, I'm committed to walk The Camino twice. I will be walking the Camino Frances in the spring of 2016. As a result, I now consider my Sarria pilgrimage as "inauthentic." I won't feel like a "true" pilgrim until I walk all the way from SJPDP.

My first pilgrimage, with the students, will be a rehearsal for me, of sorts. But I suspect it will be a rehearsal for several of them. It would not surprise me to learn that sometime down the line a few also return to experience "The Long Walk."

In any event, the first time around I'll be with the noisy group starting in Sarria on March 27, 2015. The second time around, as a seasoned pilgrim, I hope not to be annoyed by the crowds joining me for the last 100 km. ;)

Silvio, you may be deciding Saria is not authentic, and that SJPP port is. But then others will tell you that is only half of the Camino, that it starts in Puy en Velay, 750km behind. What will you do then? And then those who start in Israel, Denmark may also argue you are not a true pilgrim. Afterall, you are supposed to start walking from the moment you leave your home. Many of us would be swiming across oceans!

For kids in Spain, walking the last 100km is part of their curiculum, but furthermore, a tie to the country's history, to its geography, its religious tradition. What is wrong with that.

Many of the people on this forum want and walk longer distances to maximise the cost of a plain ticket from across the world. Does that make them worthier?

I have " gone out there" 4 times, only intending to reach Santiago once. Does that make me any less of a pilgrim? If you are a purist, and you believe the goal is to pray on Santiago's toomb then perhaps, but perhaps those who walk to walk and get many more blisters than I do are even lesser pilgrims.

The truth is that the 'rule', at the moment, is walk 100km. If you start playing the game of 'what is a true pilgrim", you might as well start making your way across the Altantic swiming. Now, if it's about your experience, your feet connecting to the ground, and making it count, start where life allows to start, and simply make that count.

And BTW, there is no need to "train'" for the Camino. Just put a foot in front of the other, and repete - tells you a person who is probably one of the heaviest to walk the Camino I have encountered.

Enjoy both journeys, they will each bring you much joy, for different reasons.
 
In 2015 I'll be walking the Camino Frances twice, in two completely different ways. In June I will be finishing the second 400km (from Sahagun) with my 18 year old great-nephew/God-Son for his first trip out of the US. Also in May, I will walk from Sarria to Santiago with 5 other people (all between 60 and 70) who want to experience a bit of the Camino, with a pre-packaged tour that includes hotel rooms, transportation of luggage, breakfasts and dinners, a day-pack, cell-phones, and even a sag-wagon for those who can't make it all the way each day.

I'm looking forward to experiencing a first camino (and trip to Europe) through my nephew's eyes. He is so excited. He is a wonderful young man and will be very accepted and loved by the pilgrims he meets.

I am also looking forward to experiencing the first camino of the 5 people who will be accompanying me from Sarria. Many of them do not have the time and/or the health to start from a farther point. I think it will be an eye-opening and exhilirating experience for them, even though I think some of them will not be up to it physically and will take full advantage sag-wagon some days. I hope that the long-distance pilgrims will be accepting of them and try to enhance their experience. If they can't accept them, then it is their loss, they are amazing people, even if they can't walk from SJPdP. I used to joke and tell people I would wear dark glasses so none of my pilgrim friends would recognize me, but now I intend to walk proudly with them.
 
Walk proudly; it is well deserved.
 
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I'm a high school teacher. When I finally committed to walking The Camino, I recruited a dozen students to join me. We will be arriving in Spain, from Panama, during Easter Week of 2015. The reason I chose Sarria as our starting point was so that we can all earn a Compostela.[...]
In any event, the first time around I'll be with the noisy group starting in Sarria on March 27, 2015.
It'll be a fantastic experience! There will be crowds, as usual during the Easter holiday period, but students are adaptable and that will be part of the fun.
Buen Camino!;)
 
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I am planning my first Camino from the USA. It cost $1,400 in travel to get there and only 15 days available for walking with another 3 ½ for travel. Decisions, decisions on where to start and how to do it. But my primary plan is to go from SJPDP to where ever I get. Hopefully near Sahagun for a train back to Madrid.

I hope to buy my airline tickets by tomorrow morning. After hours of research the decision came down to Madrid in and out. It is because, I found out that I may be totally scrapping my plans of doing the Camino from SJPDP that took me weeks to decide on the first place.

The reason is that one of the most important people in my life is consider doing the trip with me. He is a relative, godfather, mentor, religious support, best friend and more. I am as close to him as I could be with my own father.

At the age of 75 with double shoulder surgeries and a current battle with cancer, we will know if he can make it in more than ways than one next year in September. I have 15 days budgeted and the start of our walk will be based upon what can be handled together.

I would goes nose to nose in an instant with anyone that would say he is anything less than worthy or undeserving because the distance is shorter or that he does not carry a bundle on his back.

This forum is the great when it comes to support and energy and it is usually the choir’s ears that this falls on. I just wanted to share my story, if it helps in how others are judged on the Camino.

Walking the last 100 the right way is better than the ‘whole’ way, the wrong way.
 
I am planning my first Camino from the USA. It cost $1,400 in travel to get there and only 15 days available for walking with another 3 ½ for travel. Decisions, decisions on where to start and how to do it. But my primary plan is to go from SJPDP to where ever I get. Hopefully near Sahagun for a train back to Madrid.

I hope to buy my airline tickets by tomorrow morning. After hours of research the decision came down to Madrid in and out. It is because, I found out that I may be totally scrapping my plans of doing the Camino from SJPDP that took me weeks to decide on the first place.

The reason is that one of the most important people in my life is consider doing the trip with me. He is a relative, godfather, mentor, religious support, best friend and more. I am as close to him as I could be with my own father.

At the age of 75 with double shoulder surgeries and a current battle with cancer, we will know if he can make it in more than ways than one next year in September. I have 15 days budgeted and the start of our walk will be based upon what can be handled together.

I would goes nose to nose in an instant with anyone that would say he is anything less than worthy or undeserving because the distance is shorter or that he does not carry a bundle on his back.

This forum is the great when it comes to support and energy and it is usually the choir’s ears that this falls on. I just wanted to share my story, if it helps in how others are judged on the Camino.

Walking the last 100 the right way is better than the ‘whole’ way, the wrong way.

Bless you for doing this and "scrapping your plans" will only make this experience more meaningful because of who you will be making these changes for and walking with. You are on the right path! This being said, unless you are flying out of fairly rural US areas there must be a MUCH cheaper flight to Madrid.
 
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The $1,400 is actually round trip. I live in Northeastern Wisconsin. The cost is part of the challenge of deciding what to walk. It was tempting to do the Northern route, shorten the route, choose a different route or bike it. To start at SJPDP and get to where I get in the end seem the best with hopes of returning to finish. But who knows where I will start now? That is why I chose Madrid. It keeps options open.
 
While not everyone destroys their feet on the climb out of SJPdP, it is a common occurrence. That means that you have a fairly miserable two weeks. There is nothing wrong with that, but keep it in mind as a possible outcome, particularly for someone 75 on a first camino.

Starting in Leon allows for several days of moderate conditioning before hitting the mountains. The terrain is not flat; it provides enough hill climbing to work a lot of muscles. Leon is 14 days to Santiago for almost everyone. It includes Astorga, the Iron Cross and O Cebreiro. Bus routes are on, or parallel to, the entire stretch for those who need them. Madrid to Leon is a few hours compared to nearly a day to get to SJPdP. I admit that there is a mystery to SJPdP that I do not get. I have four Pyrenees crossings, two at Somport and two at Roncesvalles, and they really do not stand out in my mind as superior to many other parts of the various caminos. It is clueless of me, I admit, and you should do what you want to do.

Whatever you decide, it will be memorable. Buen camino!
 
Thanks Falcon. Currently I am walking solo. Walking the Camino with this person would truly be worthy.
 
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Thanks Falcon. Currently I am walking solo. Walking the Camino with this person would truly be worthy.

WldWil:

I believe this will be a great experience for both of you. That said, I think Falcons suggesting of starting in Leon is a great idea. The first day out of SJPdP is the toughest day on the Camino versus starting in Leon and dealing with gentler up and downs as your bodies adjust to walking everyday. You will also have an opportunity to walk all the way to Santiago. Reaching Santiago allows you to get a Compostela (if that is important) and to celebrate with the Camino family you will have made along the way.

Whatever decision you end up making will be the right one for you.

Ultreia,
Joe
 
Silvio, you may be deciding Saria is not authentic, and that SJPP port is. But then others will tell you that is only half of the Camino, that it starts in Puy en Velay, 750km behind. What will you do then? And then those who start in Israel, Denmark may also argue you are not a true pilgrim. Afterall, you are supposed to start walking from the moment you leave your home. Many of us would be swiming across oceans!

For kids in Spain, walking the last 100km is part of their curiculum, but furthermore, a tie to the country's history, to its geography, its religious tradition. What is wrong with that.

Many of the people on this forum want and walk longer distances to maximise the cost of a plain ticket from across the world. Does that make them worthier?

I have " gone out there" 4 times, only intending to reach Santiago once. Does that make me any less of a pilgrim? If you are a purist, and you believe the goal is to pray on Santiago's toomb then perhaps, but perhaps those who walk to walk and get many more blisters than I do are even lesser pilgrims.

The truth is that the 'rule', at the moment, is walk 100km. If you start playing the game of 'what is a true pilgrim", you might as well start making your way across the Altantic swiming. Now, if it's about your experience, your feet connecting to the ground, and making it count, start where life allows to start, and simply make that count.

And BTW, there is no need to "train'" for the Camino. Just put a foot in front of the other, and repete - tells you a person who is probably one of the heaviest to walk the Camino I have encountered.

Enjoy both journeys, they will each bring you much joy, for different reasons.
Beautifully and completely said!
 
I haven't been on this forum site for a while......sure do get a lot of "opinions"!

I' ll bet the Camino Santiago would exist EVEN without all these incredibly worthless (mine too) postings.

Wouldn't the world be a better place if we just minded our own business....did our own thing and let others do theirs ???

Does anyone really care about "long walkers" or "short walkers" or about "The last 100 Km".

I don't know about any of you guys but I did my Camino for me......took life as it came....and returned home. Hell of an experience!!!!
Just re- read my own comments, along with all others and two words jump out at me..... One is mine "worthless". The other "inauthentic".
Both miss the point......everyone's "opinion" has value (even, if only to them).....My Bad !
As has been beautifully stated by others......."Authenticity" (like beauty) is in the eye of the beholder.....and there, it should remain!
Buen Camino, All !
 
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.
There are a few times that I experienced a reality shock. The first time was after the weariness of the first few days of walking amassed and I understood the physicality of what I was doing.

The second time was at Puente la Reina when I joined the Camino Frances from the Camino Aragones. We went from seeing one or two pilgrims a day to having 100 roommates in an instant.

And the recurring one is the massive increase in the number of pilgrims at Sarria, pilgrims walking just the last 100 km in order to qualify for a compostela. Even though I expected it every time after the first camino, it always is an abrupt event.

Several threads have explored the attitude control it takes when suddenly confronted with a large number of pilgrims, many carrying only water, and all fresh as a daisy! It is useful for first time pilgrims to be aware of the last 100 km, because it will test your mental state in a way that it has not been tested since the beginning of your walk. If you suddenly find yourself frustrated and irritated, remember that the one thing that you can control is your attitude. Deal with any negative thoughts by challenging them with reality. Remind yourself of the elation you felt at the start, and remember that all the new pilgrims are feeling that same elation; remind yourself that your clothes were once clean!!

That last 100 km is different from any other 100 km, and takes some preparation. Don't let that last part diminish the first 650 km.

A lovely post... the journey for each is personal, and I do envy those who can walk the entire Camino........I will be starting my 1st Camino doing only the last 100km......purely because I struggle with the MS and I am not sure what I can manage. If my 1st walk is a lot easier than I anticipate then I would go back and walk it all with enough time to rest anywhere up to 3 days in a town if need be. I will be very proud of myself if my body can walk the last 100kms as anybody who has walked 650kms extra would be of their achievement/journey :)
 
Welcome Teigh an Buen Camino!

Have you picked a date yet?
 
I am planning my first Camino from the USA. It cost $1,400 in travel to get there and only 15 days available for walking with another 3 ½ for travel. Decisions, decisions on where to start and how to do it. But my primary plan is to go from SJPDP to where ever I get. Hopefully near Sahagun for a train back to Madrid.

I hope to buy my airline tickets by tomorrow morning. After hours of research the decision came down to Madrid in and out. It is because, I found out that I may be totally scrapping my plans of doing the Camino from SJPDP that took me weeks to decide on the first place.

The reason is that one of the most important people in my life is consider doing the trip with me. He is a relative, godfather, mentor, religious support, best friend and more. I am as close to him as I could be with my own father.

At the age of 75 with double shoulder surgeries and a current battle with cancer, we will know if he can make it in more than ways than one next year in September. I have 15 days budgeted and the start of our walk will be based upon what can be handled together.

I would goes nose to nose in an instant with anyone that would say he is anything less than worthy or undeserving because the distance is shorter or that he does not carry a bundle on his back.

This forum is the great when it comes to support and energy and it is usually the choir’s ears that this falls on. I just wanted to share my story, if it helps in how others are judged on the Camino.

Walking the last 100 the right way is better than the ‘whole’ way, the wrong way.
Hy , what you say is so True. Wish you both a Fantastic trip and a Buen Camino, Peter.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
There are a few times that I experienced a reality shock. The first time was after the weariness of the first few days of walking amassed and I understood the physicality of what I was doing.

The second time was at Puente la Reina when I joined the Camino Frances from the Camino Aragones. We went from seeing one or two pilgrims a day to having 100 roommates in an instant.

And the recurring one is the massive increase in the number of pilgrims at Sarria, pilgrims walking just the last 100 km in order to qualify for a compostela. Even though I expected it every time after the first camino, it always is an abrupt event.

Several threads have explored the attitude control it takes when suddenly confronted with a large number of pilgrims, many carrying only water, and all fresh as a daisy! It is useful for first time pilgrims to be aware of the last 100 km, because it will test your mental state in a way that it has not been tested since the beginning of your walk. If you suddenly find yourself frustrated and irritated, remember that the one thing that you can control is your attitude. Deal with any negative thoughts by challenging them with reality. Remind yourself of the elation you felt at the start, and remember that all the new pilgrims are feeling that same elation; remind yourself that your clothes were once clean!!

That last 100 km is different from any other 100 km, and takes some preparation. Don't let that last part diminish the first 650 km.
Very true, but it can be hard to be positive when you are having a bad day. I was lucky to have found a great walking companion who would give me a hard look and say 'now now Terry, behave yourself' when my frustrations would overflow. The only time he allowed himself to use the term 'touregrino' was at monte del gozo at the monument for Pope John Paul II. He stood there waiting for me to catch up and said 'look at this, the greatest touregrino of them all' :)
 
I remember bracing myself for the Sarria experience in 2012. I had started from St Jean in late May and knew to expect a massive influx from Sarria. It was something everyone I met along the way was aware of, and something which was spoken about more and more as we drew closer. I remember a friend and I wanted to 'short-circuit' the shock of it all somewhat by walking through Sarria itself and stopping for the night about 5kms on at Barbadelo. This way, we figured, we would be spared the trauma (!) of the mass flow of bodies from Sarria itself in the morning. It was a good plan as far as it went, but there is nowhere to hide once you pass Sarria. I still remember vividly the anxiety I felt the following morning at Barbadelo. It was early, before 7. Again, we thought we would stay ahead of what we expected to be a rolling wave of people. I stood outside the albergue for about 5 minutes, waiting for my friend to finish packing, and as I waited, I saw about 50 people go by in small groups. By the time my friend emerged and we began walking, a part of me felt that the Camino was over. And it was, in a sense. There's no doubting that the atmosphere and nature of the experience changes after Sarria, but it is what it is.

As you say, it is important not to be hostile towards people starting from Sarria, but there was a definitely a mild sense of 'us' and 'them' about it. Over the last few days of walking, new phrases crept into conversations, like "long walker" and "short walker" and "plastic pilgrim". Not always very flattering stuff, but it can be difficult to watch vans being loaded up with rucksacks and people walking with little or nothing on their back. I fully accept that many people have physical problems that legislate against carrying a heavy rucksack on their back and neither can you necessarily 'see' these problems as people stroll by, but it rankled with me a little bit when I would see people who appeared to be physically healthy walking with only the lightest of day-packs on their back.

Hmm... This is threatening to descend into a rant, which is not my intention!

Suffice it to say, for me and many I spoke to, there were two distinct parts to the Camino - pre-Sarria and post-Sarria, with the former regarded as far more enjoyable than the latter. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the walk from Sarria, more that it felt very different from that point on.
 
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Planning to walk the last 100km next week so decided to read this thread. OMG. How petty! Surly everyone has their own agenda for choosing to walk the Camino. There are some walkers who are getting a little bit self important....and it seems to be the longer walkers ha ha.
 
Planning to walk the last 100km next week so decided to read this thread. OMG. How petty! Surly everyone has their own agenda for choosing to walk the Camino. There are some walkers who are getting a little bit self important....and it seems to be the longer walkers ha ha.

Buen camino Claire.
 
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Planning to walk the last 100km next week so decided to read this thread. OMG. How petty! Surly everyone has their own agenda for choosing to walk the Camino. There are some walkers who are getting a little bit self important....and it seems to be the longer walkers ha ha.
Hi Claire,you will have a great time.

Wish you a wonderful time and a Buen Camino,Peter.
 

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