• Get your Camino Frances Guidebook here.
  • 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)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Things to do while walking the CF

pelerine

Veteran Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Another one, year after year...
Hi everybody!

I thought you might find interesting the following text from “Camino Bulletin” No 191 Juillet 2018, Editions Lepère:

« Grâce à une annonce parue dans votre bulletin je suis parti dix jours comme volontaire à Lourdes pour tenir le centre d'accueil jacquaire situé au 16 boulevard de la Grotte. Ce furent quelques journées vraiment extraordinaires ! Un personnage que je n'oublierai pas m'a confié marcher depuis pas mal de temps sur le Camino Francés dans un but très précis. À Burgos cette personne s'est procuré une pince-crabe d'un bon mètre de longueur et quelques rouleaux de sacs poubelle... « Je chemine chaque jour en ramassant les détritus plastiques et canettes qui jonchent le 'Camino'. Je vais ainsi de village à village et remplis en moyenne 2,5 sacs par jour (!) Je les dépose dans les déchetteries locales. Et je note chaque jour mes activités dans un carnet » Voilà un caminard qui sort vraiment de l'ordinaire et je le félicite pour sa détermination. En effet son activité est un combat qu'on ne peut gagner, mais qu’il faut mener. Ne rien faire mène tout droit à l'asphyxie et à une détérioration déplorable des conditions du Chemin. Il faut insister auprès des pèlerins pour emmener un sac plastique supplémentaire (5 grammes !). Il servira à stocker nos déchets jusqu’à la poubelle suivante. Mais, de grâce, ne les jetez plus n'importe comment ! Merci beaucoup !! lucdeneuter (arobase) skynet.be »

Translation : Thanks to an advertisement in your bulletin I went to work for ten days as a volunteer in Lourdes at the reception centre for Santiago pilgrims at 16 boulevard de la Grotte.Those were some quite extraordinary days! One person I will not forget told me that he spends a fair amount of time walking the Camino Frances with a specific purpose. In Burgos this person bought a litter-picker one meter long and a few rolls of rubbish bags….. “Every day I walk picking up the plastic rubbish/trash and cans along the Caminoi. Thus I go from village to village and fill on average 2.5 sacs a day(!). I leave them at the local rubbish dump. And every day I note my activities in a notebook.” Here you have a “caminard” who is really unusual and I congratualte him for his determination. In fact his activity is a battle which cannot be won, but has to be fought. Doing nothing leads straight to suffocation and a deplorable deterioration of conditions on the Camino. It is necessary to insist that the pilgrims bring along an extra plastic bag (5 grams!). This would serve to carry our rubbish to the next bin. But, for goodness sake, do not throw them any old where! Merci beaucoup!
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
It is a beautiful gesture to pick up litter, when all you really would like to do is getting rid of things. Likewise, it is very sad indeed that this action is necessary at all... because of a disrespect to our environment, and to other people who have to clean up after the litterers. I, personally, mostly haven’t got it in me to pick up litter, mainly because it then draws my focus to it and distracts from my experience. My contributions to improving the Camino experience for others generally lay elsewhere, but i’m deeply conscious and grateful of those who do engage in this saintly activity.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Hi everybody!

I thought you might find interesting the following text from “Camino Bulletin” No 191 Juillet 2018, Editions Lepère:

« Grâce à une annonce parue dans votre bulletin je suis parti dix jours comme volontaire à Lourdes pour tenir le centre d'accueil jacquaire situé au 16 boulevard de la Grotte. Ce furent quelques journées vraiment extraordinaires ! Un personnage que je n'oublierai pas m'a confié marcher depuis pas mal de temps sur le Camino Francés dans un but très précis. À Burgos cette personne s'est procuré une pince-crabe d'un bon mètre de longueur et quelques rouleaux de sacs poubelle... « Je chemine chaque jour en ramassant les détritus plastiques et canettes qui jonchent le 'Camino'. Je vais ainsi de village à village et remplis en moyenne 2,5 sacs par jour (!) Je les dépose dans les déchetteries locales. Et je note chaque jour mes activités dans un carnet » Voilà un caminard qui sort vraiment de l'ordinaire et je le félicite pour sa détermination. En effet son activité est un combat qu'on ne peut gagner, mais qu’il faut mener. Ne rien faire mène tout droit à l'asphyxie et à une détérioration déplorable des conditions du Chemin. Il faut insister auprès des pèlerins pour emmener un sac plastique supplémentaire (5 grammes !). Il servira à stocker nos déchets jusqu’à la poubelle suivante. Mais, de grâce, ne les jetez plus n'importe comment ! Merci beaucoup !! lucdeneuter (arobase) skynet.be »

Translation : Thanks to an advertisement in your bulletin I went to work for ten days as a volunteer in Lourdes at the reception centre for Santiago pilgrims at 16 boulevard de la Grotte.Those were some quite extraordinary days! One person I will not forget told me that he spends a fair amount of time walking the Camino Frances with a specific purpose. In Burgos this person bought a litter-picker one meter long and a few rolls of rubbish bags….. “Every day I walk picking up the plastic rubbish/trash and cans along the Caminoi. Thus I go from village to village and fill on average 2.5 sacs a day(!). I leave them at the local rubbish dump. And every day I note my activities in a notebook.” Here you have a “caminard” who is really unusual and I congratualte him for his determination. In fact his activity is a battle which cannot be won, but has to be fought. Doing nothing leads straight to suffocation and a deplorable deterioration of conditions on the Camino. It is necessary to insist that the pilgrims bring along an extra plastic bag (5 grams!). This would serve to carry our rubbish to the next bin. But, for goodness sake, do not throw them any old where! Merci beaucoup!


When in O'Cebreiro -where we stayed for two nights nursing achiles tendonitis, I picked up litter two separate times one day around the church. It was quite rewarding both in litter and in good feelings--not puffed up feelings, just those of great joy to bring some order and beauty to such a lovely spot on the earth.
 
I think this gentleman has done the camino umpteen times and this is now his camino experience....
I think not! I have picked up rubbish and it is not 'the great camino experience' but role modeling to the disgraceful littering walkers - as I am not sure they are pilgrims!
 
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
It is a beautiful gesture to pick up litter, when all you really would like to do is getting rid of things. Likewise, it is very sad indeed that this action is necessary at all... because of a disrespect to our environment, and to other people who have to clean up after the litterers. I, personally, mostly haven’t got it in me to pick up litter, mainly because it then draws my focus to it and distracts from my experience. My contributions to improving the Camino experience for others generally lay elsewhere, but i’m deeply conscious and grateful of those who do engage in this saintly activity.
Please do tell me of your contributions?
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I, personally, mostly haven’t got it in me to pick up litter, mainly because it then draws my focus to it and distracts from my experience.
Picking up rubbish isn't a distraction unless there is a certain idea of what the camino has to be, or what contemplation has to be. It's hardly saintly to pick up trash - rather, it's a source of happiness to leave the path cleaner than it was - it just feels good. And with an open attitude, it's no less meditative - maybe more - than 'regular' walking. It's certainly a bit slower, and the task at hand breaks the 'getting from Point A to Point B' mindset.
 
Please do tell me of your contributions?

I appreciate your question, yet it t wouldn't be appropriate here to advertise my particular expression of service - Suffice it to say that all of us have different skills with which to respond to the needs of our environment and those around us, whether physically, psychologically or spiritual;y. Furthermore, those who can benefit from what we have to offer, are drawn to us at the right times. So the most important thing, it seems to me, is to be openhearted and to remain responsive in line with our own calling, in the way rubbish picking was for this man and ISO for example. I think that, if I resent picking up the rubbish, the job is likely not for me, because, whenever I am in line with my calling, no matter how difficult the task, my effort is repaid with joy.
 
With each piece picked up I tried to hold thoughts of gratitude and thanksgiving to St James for the total experience of the Camino. Sometimes those pesky thoughts of irritation crept in but then it was back to "thank you St James". (I like to do two things at once-a hopeless bad habit- but not three things!) I spent probably about an hour of that day on trash detail - and then the "reward"?-passing by a cafe where two pilgrims that I hadn't seen since SJPP were sitting! Lots of hellos and joy. Picking up trash while walking? I didn't do that although my walking companion did do it on the first day but it was too distracting and also too heavy that day because she found wet cotton clothing!
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Am currently walking the Camino Portugues and saw a young Korean couple today collecting litter in a plastic bag as they walked. Just a shame that so many walking the last 100 kms (the rubbish has been noticably worse since crossing into Spain) seem to regard throwing away plastic bottles, crisp packets and toilet paper as acceptable.
 
Well, just to show that these posts are not wasted... even to those who are already doing much of the right thing. I ve just been reading some more litter posts, and I realised that the problem must have gotten so much worse since I walked the Frances over ten years ago... I got the message, and intend to now include picking up at least some litter daily as part of my service work.
 
I walk in my own town with a plastic bag in my pocket -- in the woods near my house, I always wonder what people who litter think -- do they think the elves will come take their litter away? I guess I am one of the local elves, but people should remember that elves are not always pretty, sweet or benign creatures!
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery

Most read last week in this forum

My name is Henrik and I will be coming down to SJPdP from Sweden on March 26 and start walking on March 27. I don't really have any experience and I'm not the best at planning and I'm a little...
When I hiked the Frances Route this happened. I was hiking in the afternoon just east of Arzua. I was reserved a bed at an albergue in Arzua, so I had already hiked all the way from San Xulien...
I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to...
First marker starting from Albergue Monasterio de la Magdalena in Sarria (113.460 km) Start: 2023.9.29 07:22 Arrival: 2023.9.30 13:18 walking time : 26 hours 47 minutes rest time : 3 hours 8...
A local Navarra website has posted a set of photos showing today's snowfall in the area around Roncesvalles. About 15cm of snow fell this morning surprising pilgrims on the way...
Hi! I’m a first time pilgrim. Is it possible to take a taxi from Astorga to Foncebadon? Thanks, Felicia

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top