For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
In short, enjoy what the Camino offers you, be open to what it can teach you and don't give a ... what others think about how you do your pilgrimage - as long as you are as respectfully to theirs and to the camino itself. A pilgrimage depends on the state of your heart, nor your means of transport nor where you sleep.
Saw the marker and also commentedSo, here we were on April 30, my two youngest progeny, son-in-law and I at the beginning of a six day walk from Sarria to Santiago. Yes, we booked with a tour company. Yes, we had luggage transferred and carried only day packs. Yes, we had guaranteed rooms waiting at the end of each day.
I guess it was just a few clicks out of Sarria that we came upon the way marker. Apparently the author of the announcement has inside information or perhaps had lived a prior life in biblical times.
It gave us pause to wonder since, as far as anyone knows, Jesus has not walked the Camino. Maybe he did, but incognito so as to get a feel for how people were doing not wanting to get things stirred up. You know, celebrity and all that.
I feel safe in saying that had He walked the Camino, he would not have defaced the very marker put there to guide peregrinos on their way, even those who walked the shorter route from Sarria. The lack of respect for the Camino shown by taggers, and trash littering the trail would have saddened Him, I'm sure.
The older I get and the more Caminos I walk the more I have learned not to care about:
- with how much money, or none, others walk their caminos.
- who carries their backpack or who lets it be transported.
- who walks, who rides and who flies on a seagull ;-)
In short, enjoy what the Camino offers you, be open to what it can teach you and don't give a ... what others think about how you do your pilgrimage - as long as you are as respectfully to theirs and to the camino itself. A pilgrimage depends on the state of your heart, nor your means of transport nor where you sleep.
Buen Camino, SY
In 2007, 16.61% of departures were from Sarria. From SJPdP* it was 20.18%.
In 2012, it was 21.16% and 15.94% respectively.
In 2017, it 26.48% and 13.05%.
It is clear that the 100km pilgrimage has replaced the longer one. While it was not gracious to attack touregrinos on the mojone, if the point was to emphasize the short-walk-without-a-pack nature of the modern pilgrim, you have to admit that it is accurate in part!
* SJPdP plus Roncesvalles departures
Accommodating change is one thing YOU can control. You cannot stop or control the change. If you let it irritate you, about the only thing you can do is not go back. I am glad you are ready for yours!!!it can be overwhelming for a couple days after walking however long with the same relative group of pilgrims
It is their Way however they do it.This is an unending debate. My two cents. I have walked Roncesvalles to Santiago, SJPP via Pyrennes to Fisterra, and SJPP via Valcarlos to Fisterra, two more times here to there. Only second time did I walk each and every step SJPP to Fisterra. Others grabbed a bus due to: time, or sprained ankle, or truncated bits and pieces.
Now, responsibilities of life and this and that, sans a miracle, I would be lucky to have time, funds, and strength to manage those last "turigrino" kilometers.
I would give anything to do so.
Said all that to say, we have no idea why pilgrims walk the Way their way.
Buen camino to all.
So, here we were on April 30, my two youngest progeny, son-in-law and I at the beginning of a six day walk from Sarria to Santiago. Yes, we booked with a tour company. Yes, we had luggage transferred and carried only day packs. Yes, we had guaranteed rooms waiting at the end of each day.
I guess it was just a few clicks out of Sarria that we came upon the way marker. Apparently the author of the announcement has inside information or perhaps had lived a prior life in biblical times.
It gave us pause to wonder since, as far as anyone knows, Jesus has not walked the Camino. Maybe he did, but incognito so as to get a feel for how people were doing not wanting to get things stirred up. You know, celebrity and all that.
I feel safe in saying that had He walked the Camino, he would not have defaced the very marker put there to guide peregrinos on their way, even those who walked the shorter route from Sarria. The lack of respect for the Camino shown by taggers, and trash littering the trail would have saddened Him, I'm sure.
Not exactly:So why are you walking a pilgrimage to earn a Catholic document?
I feel the very same way! The trash on the roadside when there are dumpsters everywhere was unbelievable. The graffiti wasn’t anything artistic— it was conceit and self-righteousness at best. Also the tagging decrying that God is a myth, etc. has no place. If one is an atheist, hey fine! But why cram it down the throats of others! If the wayside shrines and chapels are offensive, there are many secular trails all over the world, so why trash this one! Very mean spirited!So, here we were on April 30, my two youngest progeny, son-in-law and I at the beginning of a six day walk from Sarria to Santiago. Yes, we booked with a tour company. Yes, we had luggage transferred and carried only day packs. Yes, we had guaranteed rooms waiting at the end of each day.
I guess it was just a few clicks out of Sarria that we came upon the way marker. Apparently the author of the announcement has inside information or perhaps had lived a prior life in biblical times.
It gave us pause to wonder since, as far as anyone knows, Jesus has not walked the Camino. Maybe he did, but incognito so as to get a feel for how people were doing not wanting to get things stirred up. You know, celebrity and all that.
I feel safe in saying that had He walked the Camino, he would not have defaced the very marker put there to guide peregrinos on their way, even those who walked the shorter route from Sarria. The lack of respect for the Camino shown by taggers, and trash littering the trail would have saddened Him, I'm sure.
Work and time constraints have kept me from doing longer Caminos. Thus, I have done the Ingles twice and loved it. I would never consider the Sarria to Santiago route because of the horror stories.
I hope some day to be able to do a longer Camino. But. to this day, I fear that I woudl grab a cab once I got to Sarria.
If I do the France's again, I will skip the last 100 km. I don't regret doing it but no need to repeat. For me, the walking and the fellowship developed among pilgims up to that mark are a treasure (not to "dis" those that start there, it is just different). And I know that many can only do that last section and I don't need to add to their crowding. Buen Camino to all however and whichever approach works for each of us on the WAY.
Well said!The older I get and the more Caminos I walk the more I have learned not to care about:
- with how much money, or none, others walk their caminos.
- who carries their backpack or who lets it be transported.
- who walks, who rides and who flies on a seagull ;-)
In short, enjoy what the Camino offers you, be open to what it can teach you and don't give a ... what others think about how you do your pilgrimage - as long as you are as respectfully to theirs and to the camino itself. A pilgrimage depends on the state of your heart, nor your means of transport nor where you sleep.
Buen Camino, SY
If I could, I would love your response Sabine, and I would also ask that consideration be given somehow to the man or woman who chose to be mean spirited with their graffiti. On occasion, I have been annoyed and irritated and have said things I have regretted. I have a feeling they regret their impulsive and cruel behavior.For some of us here who had the privilege of walking longer pilgrimages we surely can remember the first day we set foot on a Camino? The joy and the fear and all emotions in between?
I know I can...
So let us be happy for that pilgrim on his/her first " last 100 k. Camino".
He might be superficial or loudmouthed but then again I met those types also on longer Caminos.
Love and light...
Almost nothing works; I have tried acetone, paint solvent, WD-40, alcohol, turpentine, mineral spirits, soap, and "universal cleaner." Nothing has had much effect.bring along a paint remover and a paint brush or cloth and try to remove at least some of these graffiti
I would like to ask the tagger:
The Bishop decided that starting a pilgrimage in Sarria was sufficient for Catholics to earn a Compostela from the Church.
You disagree so you write graffiti to protest Church policy, same as Martin Luther nailing his theses to the door.
Congratulations - you are now a Protestant.
So why are you walking a pilgrimage to earn a Catholic document?
I think I read somewhere that much of the infrastructure, albergues, etc., on the Camino Invierno (and despite its name) is closed during the winter. Worth researching.@t2andreo thank you! I'm considering walking the Invierno this winter, and your post is very timely!
Debra, I just completed the Camino starting at Sarria. I broke my foot 2 weeks before we left from Australia so glad we didn't do the full camino. My partner could only get 3 weeks off work. It was tough but I got there. It was an amazing experience. I used 2 walking poles and they were my saviour.I have about 2 weeks to walk the Camino with my 4, 5 and 10 year old grand daughters. I’m not getting younger and I really want to have this experience with them. So we planned to walk starting at Sarria. But with all the negative comments I have heard on YouTube and forums, it makes me think it won’t be the experience I am hoping for.
I want this to be a spiritual and positive event for my girls. It seems going to the movie theater may be better. Very sad.
Very wise and sage advice!The older I get and the more Caminos I walk the more I have learned not to care about:
- with how much money, or none, others walk their caminos.
- who carries their backpack or who lets it be transported.
- who walks, who rides and who flies on a seagull ;-)
In short, enjoy what the Camino offers you, be open to what it can teach you and don't give a ... what others think about how you do your pilgrimage - as long as you are as respectfully to theirs and to the camino itself. A pilgrimage depends on the state of your heart, nor your means of transport nor where you sleep.
Buen Camino, SY
I have about 2 weeks to walk the Camino with my 4, 5 and 10 year old grand daughters. I’m not getting younger and I really want to have this experience with them. So we planned to walk starting at Sarria. But with all the negative comments I have heard on YouTube and forums, it makes me think it won’t be the experience I am hoping for.
I want this to be a spiritual and positive event for my girls. It seems going to the movie theater may be better. Very sad.
While many of us Camino veterans, who walk month-long Caminos, will jest and politely mock some "Sarria strollers" we nonetheless understand and respect that some folks cannot walk longer distances, for a variety of sound reasons, including health, finances, family, or job commitments, etc.
This said, we also understand that some pilgrims choose not to walk longer distances, as they are seeking to put in the least effort to obtain a Compostela. Those are the folks that are the object of our sarcasm.
Arriving at Sarria after being on the Camino Frances from France for a month, more or less, one encounters, fresh-faced, clean, well equipped with new gear pilgrims just starting out. The 'veterans' have been walking through rain, snow, mud, hot sun, cold wind, dealing with blisters, sprains, sunstroke, etc., for most of a month, or more. The contrast is palpable. It makes for some difficult verbal exchanges. However, once everyone reaches Portomarin, these differences usually sort themselves out.
There is a huge difference between a pilgrim who is simply doing the best they can under the circumstances, and a pilgrim who chooses to expend the least possible effort.
But, all said, Camino Rule One is that: "Each pilgrim does their own Camino, in the manner to which they are called. NO ONE else has the right or standing to tell you how to accomplish YOUR Camino...PERIOD!"
You have nothing to apologize for or about. Enjoy YOUR Camino.
Hope this helps.
Ignore the negative Nellies, and enjoy your walk from Sarria to Santiago!I have about 2 weeks to walk the Camino with my 4, 5 and 10 year old grand daughters. I’m not getting younger and I really want to have this experience with them. So we planned to walk starting at Sarria. But with all the negative comments I have heard on YouTube and forums, it makes me think it won’t be the experience I am hoping for.
I want this to be a spiritual and positive event for my girls. It seems going to the movie theater may be better. Very sad.
I think that with a 4 and 5 year old it would probably be better to stick to the Frances, because it has a better infrastructure with more places to stop for the night, and during the day.walk the Camino Ingles instead. It is much quieter, walks by the coast, including along beaches for the first few days (thinking of your grandchildren), and can be broken down into manageable stages of up to 15 km if you have very young grandchildren, and so can take 8 or 9 days at a leisurely pace.
Plus, you can walk the whole 117km, qualify for a compostela, and because you have walked the whole path, it gives you a much greater sense of achievement when you arrive in Santiago than walking the last 100km of a longer Camino. Sometimes I saw only 4 or 5 other people a day on the Ingles. Even in the rain, it was a spiritual and positive experience for me. A world away from what many describe as something akin to circus from Sarria
Camino on a seagull! What a beautiful image.The older I get and the more Caminos I walk the more I have learned not to care about:
- with how much money, or none, others walk their caminos.
- who carries their backpack or who lets it be transported.
- who walks, who rides and who flies on a seagull ;-)
In short, enjoy what the Camino offers you, be open to what it can teach you and don't give a ... what others think about how you do your pilgrimage - as long as you are as respectfully to theirs and to the camino itself. A pilgrimage depends on the state of your heart, nor your means of transport nor where you sleep.
Buen Camino, SY
Still true today - your Camino starts when you leave your door (and go to the bus or airport).Thank you everyone for your comments. I will go and take my best attitude and make this a great experience for them. I suppose it will be as good as I make it for them.
I do wonder, back before planes, trains, bikes and wagons... people started walking from their doorsteps, not just at the “start”. So those complaining that starting at Sarria is not a true pilgrimage are only lying to themselves if they too did not start walking from their own homes.
I feel safe in saying that had He walked the Camino, he would not have defaced the very marker put there to guide peregrinos on their way, even those who walked the shorter route from Sarria. The lack of respect for the Camino shown by taggers, and trash littering the trail would have saddened Him, I'm sure.
While many of us Camino veterans, who walk month-long Caminos, will jest and politely mock some "Sarria strollers" we nonetheless understand and respect that some folks cannot walk longer distances, for a variety of sound reasons, including health, finances, family, or job commitments, etc.
This said, we also understand that some pilgrims choose not to walk longer distances, as they are seeking to put in the least effort to obtain a Compostela. Those are the folks that are the object of our sarcasm.
Arriving at Sarria after being on the Camino Frances from France for a month, more or less, one encounters, fresh-faced, clean, well equipped with new gear pilgrims just starting out. The 'veterans' have been walking through rain, snow, mud, hot sun, cold wind, dealing with blisters, sprains, sunstroke, etc., for most of a month, or more. The contrast is palpable. It makes for some difficult verbal exchanges. However, once everyone reaches Portomarin, these differences usually sort themselves out.
There is a huge difference between a pilgrim who is simply doing the best they can under the circumstances, and a pilgrim who chooses to expend the least possible effort.
But, all said, Camino Rule One is that: "Each pilgrim does their own Camino, in the manner to which they are called. NO ONE else has the right or standing to tell you how to accomplish YOUR Camino...PERIOD!"
You have nothing to apologize for or about. Enjoy YOUR Camino.
Hope this helps.
Jesus would forgive them but I don't. The graffiti saddened me. I have walked the Camino in April/May for 5 years now. Three years ago the new markers starting in Galacia were pristine and beautiful. Last year there was some graffiti mostly after Sarria. Also, many of the Brass distance plates had been vandalized and removed. This year new distance markers (Vandal proof) replaced the vacant spaces. But in addition to the "Black Marking Pen" graffiti that seems to increase after Sarria, someone had a can of red paint and managed to put their mark on (defacing) at least 300 markers. The cost to remove all that damage will be thousands of Euros.
I agree with most of the above comments. The distance you walk, where you start, what you carry is all a personal matter. There is nothing about it that should be judged. Hopefully, many of those who start in Sarria, will get a "taste' of the Camino and consider coming back again. As most of us realize on the Forum, this Camino is addictive. Nothing to be ashamed about. I have been home for 3 days now, and have already started mapping out my trip for next year.;
But I do judge those that bring paint, and marking pens on the Camino. I have no respect for their actions.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?