Walking Nature World
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino del Norte (2018)
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I find video to be such an inefficient way to exchange views or have a dialogue.
This is why I haven't bothered even watching this video post or any of @Walking Nature World other video posts. Sorry. This is a text based forum. (as are forums in general) Perhaps you are trying to increase your YouTube audience?I agree with @Raggy that it is hard to have a forum conversation with a video
Why the Camino is not for us? Is Camino de Santiago worth it? | Our final thoughts, tips and advice
Watch the full video here:
In this video we want to share with you our final thoughts, tips and advice on Camino de Santiago del Norte that we started in Biarritz and finished in Ribadeo.
What was your experience with the Camino? Was it somehow similar? Let us know in the comments.
Why the Camino is not for us? Is Camino de Santiago worth it? | Our final thoughts, tips and advice
Watch the full video here:
In this video we want to share with you our final thoughts, tips and advice on Camino de Santiago del Norte that we started in Biarritz and finished in Ribadeo.
What was your experience with the Camino? Was it somehow similar? Let us know in the comments.
No offense, but I think there’s a general sense of one-sidedness on this forum that is mostly optimistic. I’m not saying it’s bad. But it’s only giving one side mostly. I think it’s fair to welcome criticism just as much as praise regarding the Camino. This would give everyone a clearer picture of what they’re actually facing when they come here. For example, I stayed in an alburgue last night near Burgos and a lady tried to cover her enormous flatulence with coughing all night. It was a very small room and it smelled so horrible. But on the bright side, no one in this place was waking up super early to start walking. So overall it was a pretty good night.@Walking Nature World , your experience will be your experience but there are plenty of people here who will disagree with your assessment of it. What puzzles me is why you felt the need to keep going if it was so bad, and then to Vlog your experience of it.
If you ever come back to the Camino, walk at a comfortable pace, take what others tell you with a ton of salt, and find your own meaningful camino. Oh...and consider just walking, rather than trying to walk while at the same time recording the walking for an audience. Leaving our constructed personas is the most liberating aspect of the camino - and in filming yourself as you go, you lose out on that.
I couldn’t agree more, Fleur. I am an optimistic person. But I’m also practical. And I don’t like to look at things with rose-colored glasses to the point that I’m hiding real truths from myself and others. This is my first Camino and there were days I wanted to quit because my feet hurt so badly, or because half the people I passed and spoke to on a 20K hike totally ignored me, or because of many other reasons. But if I balance the good with the bad, the good wins out and that is why I have kept going. Overall, I love the Camino and I will always remember the good with the bad in a positive and honest way. I think it’s every pilgrim’s responsibility to “tell it like it is” and not “sugarcoat” everything. The Camino is hard, bad, good, and wonderful all at the same time, and this is unique beauty of it, in my opinion.Always look on the bright side of life!
I'm on holiday and the Norte Camino is all around where we are staying. Driving around by car we see lots of pilgrims trudging along roadside paths. One could ask why they find enjoyment doing that, but those of us Camino walkers understand it well.
I met and chatted to a lovely English pilgrim yesterday on the Somo to Santander ferry. He said you can't really explain the Camino walking experience to those who have never walked a Camino. So true.
Some walk and wish to visit all the sights en route others want to walk the old pilgrim paths to Santiago and just absorb the experience.
Hi Maxwell,Another very real experience I’m having right now: in the bar where I’m having breakfast, a person’s backpack right next to mine reeks of the worst body odor you’ve ever smelled. But the food here is very good.
No offense, but I think there’s a general sense of one-sidedness on this forum that is mostly optimistic. I’m not saying it’s bad. But it’s only giving one side mostly. I think it’s fair to welcome criticism just as much as praise regarding the Camino. This would give everyone a clearer picture of what they’re actually facing when they come here. For example, I stayed in an alburgue last night near Burgos and a lady tried to cover her enormous flatulence with coughing all night. It was a very small room and it smelled so horrible. But on the bright side, no one in this place was waking up super early to start walking. So overall it was a pretty good night.
Oh...and consider just walking, rather than trying to walk while at the same time recording the walking for an audience. Leaving our constructed personas is the most liberating aspect of the camino - and in filming yourself as you go, you lose out on that.
When I first googled the camino after seeing the movie "The Way", I read that guy's list of why the camino sucks as it popped up first. I was excited because all of his reasons were exactly the very reasons I thought "I can do this" and it gave me some confidence!At one time typing "Camino Santiago" into Google brought up an article by Francis Tapon titled "10 Reasons Why El Camino Santiago Sucks" in the first 5 results. It has now dropped down a few places in the list. His
argument was basically (1) I like wilderness trails and (2) the Camino is not a wilderness trail and therefore (3) the Camino sucks. I have no problem with people reaching the conclusion that the Camino is not for them. But I think that a great deal of disappointment can be saved by some fairly basic research and considering what exactly you hope to find in your travels. For example to object to overtly religious elements on a pilgrimage route seems a tad unreasonable.
You can explain it clearly and concisely, but understanding is up to them. When eyes glaze over, it is time to stop talking about it.He said you can't really explain the Camino walking experience to those who have never walked a Camino.
I chuckled too, Annette, but for those with a life partner, a friend of mine once called the marriage bed "the fart sack"...now that really made me laugh!Hi Maxwell,
I'm afraid your post re the body odour made me chuckle...as did as the post above re the flatulance.....
Really no different to being off the Camino
Ever been in a crowded space with no escape...bus ,train,plane when these real experiences occur....straight faces all around!!
Glad you are enjoying the food though
Best wishes
Annette
What I don’t understand is: How on earth did you get to start the Camino without realising that it was fundamentally a religious pilgrimage? Nor do I understand why it was such an issue for you. I am, depending on the day or the season, either an atheist or an agnostic and dislike most intensely all organised religions. None of which got in the way of my absolutely loving the camino and the people I met along the way - some of them religious, many of them not.Why the Camino is not for us? Is Camino de Santiago worth it? | Our final thoughts, tips and advice
Watch the full video here:
In this video we want to share with you our final thoughts, tips and advice on Camino de Santiago del Norte that we started in Biarritz and finished in Ribadeo.
What was your experience with the Camino? Was it somehow similar? Let us know in the comments.
You are correct, there are many challenges including who you may be sharing a room with each night. But in the end, we remember the glorious part of the journey and tend to laugh off the negatives. Like the flatulence and the snoring which may have occasionally left us sleepless, we all got a good chuckle over it later.No offense, but I think there’s a general sense of one-sidedness on this forum that is mostly optimistic. I’m not saying it’s bad. But it’s only giving one side mostly. I think it’s fair to welcome criticism just as much as praise regarding the Camino. This would give everyone a clearer picture of what they’re actually facing when they come here. For example, I stayed in an alburgue last night near Burgos and a lady tried to cover her enormous flatulence with coughing all night. It was a very small room and it smelled so horrible. But on the bright side, no one in this place was waking up super early to start walking. So overall it was a pretty good night.
I think you really summed it up just about perfectly. For me I haven't yet found the meaning of life or my purpose except to take one step at a time. I hope I never doVery true!
Those of us who enjoyed the experience, often over multiple Caminos come here to 'engage' with others about something that was and remains a very important element in our lives.
If I had hated the experience, would I be on this Forum? I doubt it.
But whilst opinions will often appear overly positive and perhaps one-sided, they are usually expressed in a way that is attempting to be helpful, that so that those who have not had a great experience, or are perhaps currently undergoing a bad experience on the Camino can gain some support and another perspective.
Of course there are the occasional 'plonkers' who are just abrupt, too opinionated, and some times rather insensitive! But every community has those
Reflecting on my own Caminos........
Did I enjoy every moment or even every day? No
Did I meet some people I did not like? Yes.
Did I hurt? Yes. most of the time.
Did I feel like giving up? Yes, frequently.
Was I lonely. Yes, frequently.
Did I become down heartened and miserable? Yes. And I admit I cried a couple of times.
But......
Did the wonderful outweigh the bad? Yes a hundredfold.
Did I meet some great people? Yes, 95% were great.
Did I enjoy myself? Yes immensely.
Did I feel a sense of achievement? Yes, every day.
Do I think I am a better person as a result? Yes. I know I am.
Did I find my true self, my purpose, God, the meaning of life? Yes and much more.
The Camino is like life. Some of it sucks.
Some of it really sucks!
But I think like in life.........we find what we truly seek......
We just need to ignore that curtain of superficiality we sometimes live in, and dig a bit deeper......
I am sorry you had the ideas or impressions about what you must do or what you should do or what the meaning of the Camino is. I also believe, based on what you said that the most important thing about the Camino was what you captured in your camera. If you are on a pilgrimage that should be at the very bottom of your list. I don't know if you spoke to many pilgrims regarding the reasons why they walk. I am sure you would have gotten a much different impression about the Camino and the power it has for so many of us. I walked the Norte and you are correct it can be difficult and there can be road walking and that can be a drag. But every time I walked up a steep hill in the morning and cursed it or walked along a road that sucked as soon as I got to the top of that hill or found myself on a tranquil path those memories disappeared instantaneously. As Trecile pointed out it maybe you posted here for a reaction or to get more followers. I hope it is not true. Buen Camino.Why the Camino is not for us? Is Camino de Santiago worth it? | Our final thoughts, tips and advice
Watch the full video here:
In this video we want to share with you our final thoughts, tips and advice on Camino de Santiago del Norte that we started in Biarritz and finished in Ribadeo.
What was your experience with the Camino? Was it somehow similar? Let us know in the comments.
I think there could be quite a bit of truth about their YouTube audience. I hope we are both wrong though.This is why I haven't bothered even watching this video post or any of @Walking Nature World other video posts. Sorry. This is a text based forum. (as are forums in general) Perhaps you are trying to increase your YouTube audience?
Yep, I tried watching it, too, but stopped after just one minute due to the bad audio.If they are trying to increase their audience, they’d best learn how to capture decent audio. I tried watching the video but could hardly make out a word they were saying due to the awful audio. Anyone who knows video will tell your that the best video will be ruined by bad audio.
I couldn’t hear your voices clearly because of background sound.Why the Camino is not for us? Is Camino de Santiago worth it? | Our final thoughts, tips and advice
Watch the full video here:
In this video we want to share with you our final thoughts, tips and advice on Camino de Santiago del Norte that we started in Biarritz and finished in Ribadeo.
What was your experience with the Camino? Was it somehow similar? Let us know in the comments.
Agreed. I consider their posts to be a form of advertising for their YouTube channel.They pose questions in their OPs that strike me as contrived to get people to watch their videos
lol....I always thought the use of “pilgrim” was a bit of a tip off that there may be a religious component to the walk...
They ask for comments, presumably on their channel. They have not looked back at the forum since they posted this. We are talking to each other! Buen camino, pilgrims.
Thanks, Turga, for my new learning for today. Here is a link.Exactly -which suggests that this is but a case of 'trolling by proxy'.
and no one knows better than my pal Tom.If they are trying to increase their audience, they’d best learn how to capture decent audio. I tried watching the video but could hardly make out a word they were saying due to the awful audio. Anyone who knows video will tell your that the best video will be ruined by bad audio.
I went toThey ask for comments, presumably on their channel. They have not looked back at the forum since they posted this. We are talking to each other! Buen camino, pilgrims.
i wrote my thoughts here and went to their site and wrote this: ( Very similar of course)They ask for comments, presumably on their channel. They have not looked back at the forum since they posted this. We are talking to each other! Buen camino, pilgrims.
Thanks for your reply, @Walking Nature World - you didn't have to do that. There's obviously a passion for visual media and sharing your experience through it. All good.And it's so hard to talk about other people not knowing them close enough so we just stick with our own conclusions.
Love what you wrote. Can I post to my Facebook?Very true!
Those of us who enjoyed the experience, often over multiple Caminos come here to 'engage' with others about something that was and remains a very important element in our lives.
If I had hated the experience, would I be on this Forum? I doubt it.
But whilst opinions will often appear overly positive and perhaps one-sided, they are usually expressed in a way that is attempting to be helpful, that so that those who have not had a great experience, or are perhaps currently undergoing a bad experience on the Camino can gain some support and another perspective.
Of course there are the occasional 'plonkers' who are just abrupt, too opinionated, and some times rather insensitive! But every community has those
Reflecting on my own Caminos........
Did I enjoy every moment or even every day? No
Did I meet some people I did not like? Yes.
Did I hurt? Yes. most of the time.
Did I feel like giving up? Yes, frequently.
Was I lonely. Yes, frequently.
Did I become down heartened and miserable? Yes. And I admit I cried a couple of times.
But......
Did the wonderful outweigh the bad? Yes a hundredfold.
Did I meet some great people? Yes, 95% were great.
Did I enjoy myself? Yes immensely.
Did I feel a sense of achievement? Yes, every day.
Do I think I am a better person as a result? Yes. I know I am.
Did I find my true self, my purpose, God, the meaning of life? Yes and much more.
The Camino is like life. Some of it sucks.
Some of it really sucks!
But I think like in life.........we find what we truly seek......
We just need to ignore that curtain of superficiality we sometimes live in, and dig a bit deeper......
Love what you wrote. Can I post to my Facebook?
I don’t understand why this couple feel that they should be bound by official stages. You don’t have to walk a set path or a set distance and if you want to “detour” to view a place of interest then there are no rules to stop you doing that!Why the Camino is not for us? Is Camino de Santiago worth it? | Our final thoughts, tips and advice
Watch the full video here:
In this video we want to share with you our final thoughts, tips and advice on Camino de Santiago del Norte that we started in Biarritz and finished in Ribadeo.
What was your experience with the Camino? Was it somehow similar? Let us know in the comments.
It is surprising how many people do think that way though. I met an English woman out on the meseta on my last Camino Frances who expressed real surprise and a little shock that I wasn't following Brierley's stages and instead choosing my own daily distances. She actually asked me "Are you allowed to do that?"I don’t understand why this couple feel that they should be bound by official stages. You don’t have to walk a set path or a set distance and if you want to “detour” to view a place of interest then there are no rules to stop you doing that!
We just need to ignore that curtain of superficiality we sometimes live in, and dig a bit deeper......
Funny example.
I flew back overnight from Bangkok last night.
Economy (no air miles upgrade this time)
9 hours, arriving at 6 am.
I had a full day of work to do today and desperately wanted to get at least 3-4 hours sleep.
I was right at the back of the plane, in a middle row of three.
As we settled in the middle seat was empty.
I remarked to the passenger across the empty seat, on the other aisle seat.......
We might be lucky and have an empty seat here!
Fat chance he said.........
One of the last passengers to arrive was 'Frank'
He was huge, in a t shirt and shorts.
He slumped down in the middle seat, 'spilling over the arm rests'
G Day mate, says Frank.
My first time out of F ing Australia.
F ing hate these planes!
Can't sleep on them.
I'll just watch movies and drink F ing beer all night!
I'll just need to get out every couple of hours for a Pee.........
Great............
By the time we had taken off Frank and I were buddies, and I knew all about his trip, his job, his car, his football team.
Whilst I was desperate for sleep, there was no point in being upset about the situation.
I would just 'nap' when I could.
Of course Frank was so big, every time he moved to get his beer, grab some snacks, change the channel scratch his nose........I was woken up with a dig in the ribs.
It wasn't Frank's fault. He was a big guy, not used to long flights, and drinking beer and watching Movies was his way of coping with it.
After each trip to the galley for a Pee and more Beer, Frank would dump some snacks on my tray table.
Here you go 'Bro'
I think I got 2-3 hours napping.
And an extra hour when I got home.
And I got my work done.
And hey..........I got to meet my new 'bro' Frank too..........
Seems we have a similar taste in movies
Truth be known, I would 'not' have reacted to the situation like that prior to my first Camino.......
No offense, but I think there’s a general sense of one-sidedness on this forum that is mostly optimistic. I’m not saying it’s bad. But it’s only giving one side mostly. I think it’s fair to welcome criticism just as much as praise regarding the Camino. This would give everyone a clearer picture of what they’re actually facing when they come here. For example, I stayed in an alburgue last night near Burgos and a lady tried to cover her enormous flatulence with coughing all night. It was a very small room and it smelled so horrible. But on the bright side, no one in this place was waking up super early to start walking. So overall it was a pretty good night.
I couldn’t believe how foul mine smelled as well!Another very real experience I’m having right now: in the bar where I’m having breakfast, a person’s backpack right next to mine reeks of the worst body odor you’ve ever smelled. But the food here is very good.
You have been both misunderstood the stages and the purpose of the Camino Santiago.Why the Camino is not for us? Is Camino de Santiago worth it? | Our final thoughts, tips and advice
Watch the full video here:
In this video we want to share with you our final thoughts, tips and advice on Camino de Santiago del Norte that we started in Biarritz and finished in Ribadeo.
What was your experience with the Camino? Was it somehow similar? Let us know in the comments.
I just have to ask if you watched their video before you posted?You have been both misunderstood the stages and the purpose of the Camino Santiago.
It is not just a religious walk. People of all faiths or even people who are agnostic like myself do this walk. This is a personal journey not a competition to rush from one stage to another. You can take all the photographs you want and explore and spend time at any of the towns or in between towns or the scenes you want to enjoy and immerse yourself in.
our main motivation to do it was to explote this North part of Spain at the oceancoast.
Of course. Otherwise how would I know what you said about being religious and the rush like a competition. And could not take the time to enjoy your experience on the stages.I just have to ask if you watched their video before you posted?
I liked your video! I support your expression of your views. If this "tone" you received here is any indication of the "tone" other pilgrims gave you along your walk - well . . . I would not leave it feeling great either ! But I hope you help others to think about the reality of the walking experience <3Thank you everybody for the feedback.
As we already answered to the member "It56ny" on youtube - we have never claimed to be pilgrims and probably didn't have a clear idea about pilgrimage in general before we start - we admit that. And our main motivation to do it was to explote this North part of Spain at the oceancoast.
And of course because filming is one of our passions we had to mention it in the video. We realize that Camino could be quite different if we didn't do it but for us it wasn't really an option. We feel like to us it's the best way to communicate with people is through video and we do it as best as we can. For the same reason we are not so active on the forum as our main focus is on video. But we still try to put our thoughts into words whenever we can.
We are really sorry for poor sound quality in this particular video. Only after while editing we realized that it's really bad and we unfortunately could do little about it. The mistake was to film too close to the ocean rush. In the future we'll try to avoid it as best as we can.
In the end we do support the thought that Camino is always different for everybody and everybody takes it for plenty of different reasons. And it's so hard to talk about other people not knowing them close enough so we just stick with our own conclusions.
As we said in the video we didn't mean to offend anybody and just shared our thought and feelings at that point of time. A lot of people may disagree with us and that is fine, we all can learn a lot from the discussions and arguments.
Nothing would stop us from doing another Camino in the future even the bad road parts because this is one of the best ways to know the country. And who knows maybe we'll have some different views and opinions after that.
May everyone be at peace with themselves and know his own right way. Buen camino and hope to continue talking.
their youtube counter had not changed - so I just wonderedOf course. Otherwise how would I know what you said about being religious and the rush like a competition. And could not take the time to enjoy your experience on the stages.
Your counter may be inaccurate.their youtube counter had not changed - so I just wondered
It wasn’t my understanding or experience that the goal is to get to Santiago as quickly as possible. Just as well as I am a bit slow. I can understand wanting to go ‘off piste’ and not miss some of the places not on the path. I think it is not uncommon to go further afield. As an older woman walking on my own, I found the infrastructure and signposting along the Camino routes quite helpful. No shortage of beautiful places and interesting people. Perhaps not always many people on the Norte. I have walked a bit on the Norte, the Le Puy route and have walked the Camino Frances. Any 500 mile journey on foot will have challenges. It sounds like the journey had a silver lining for you as you discovered the area with your own approach.Why the Camino is not for us? Is Camino de Santiago worth it? | Our final thoughts, tips and advice
Watch the full video here:
In this video we want to share with you our final thoughts, tips and advice on Camino de Santiago del Norte that we started in Biarritz and finished in Ribadeo.
What was your experience with the Camino? Was it somehow similar? Let us know in the comments.
I'm not sure where you got the idea that you were supposed to walk the Camino as fast as possible. This is not the way we walk it. In fact going at your own pace is what we recommend to everyone who asks us. And if you can't take the time to walk a whole route, then walk part of a route at your pace. I wish you well with future travel.Why the Camino is not for us? Is Camino de Santiago worth it? | Our final thoughts, tips and advice
Watch the full video here:
In this video we want to share with you our final thoughts, tips and advice on Camino de Santiago del Norte that we started in Biarritz and finished in Ribadeo.
What was your experience with the Camino? Was it somehow similar? Let us know in the comments.
I needed to read this to remind me to focus on the good bits too. Am almost in Santiago and the hard painful days seem to stick in my mind more than the good stuff....Very true!
Those of us who enjoyed the experience, often over multiple Caminos come here to 'engage' with others about something that was and remains a very important element in our lives.
If I had hated the experience, would I be on this Forum? I doubt it.
But whilst opinions will often appear overly positive and perhaps one-sided, they are usually expressed in a way that is attempting to be helpful, that so that those who have not had a great experience, or are perhaps currently undergoing a bad experience on the Camino can gain some support and another perspective.
Of course there are the occasional 'plonkers' who are just abrupt, too opinionated, and some times rather insensitive! But every community has those
Reflecting on my own Caminos........
Did I enjoy every moment or even every day? No
Did I meet some people I did not like? Yes.
Did I hurt? Yes. most of the time.
Did I feel like giving up? Yes, frequently.
Was I lonely. Yes, frequently.
Did I become down heartened and miserable? Yes. And I admit I cried a couple of times.
But......
Did the wonderful outweigh the bad? Yes a hundredfold.
Did I meet some great people? Yes, 95% were great.
Did I enjoy myself? Yes immensely.
Did I feel a sense of achievement? Yes, every day.
Do I think I am a better person as a result? Yes. I know I am.
Did I find my true self, my purpose, God, the meaning of life? Yes and much more.
The Camino is like life. Some of it sucks.
Some of it really sucks!
But I think like in life.........we find what we truly seek......
We just need to ignore that curtain of superficiality we sometimes live in, and dig a bit deeper......
Robo, very true and very elegantly stated! El Camino is indeed “Camino de Vida”! A positive mind gives us purpose, equanimity, and energy to move forward and enjoy life of “ true Christianity “ of kindness, love and respect for others. No need to look for negative things, I prefer to use the energy to dig deep to see the beauty around us!Very true!
Those of us who enjoyed the experience, often over multiple Caminos come here to 'engage' with others about something that was and remains a very important element in our lives.
If I had hated the experience, would I be on this Forum? I doubt it.
But whilst opinions will often appear overly positive and perhaps one-sided, they are usually expressed in a way that is attempting to be helpful, that so that those who have not had a great experience, or are perhaps currently undergoing a bad experience on the Camino can gain some support and another perspective.
Of course there are the occasional 'plonkers' who are just abrupt, too opinionated, and some times rather insensitive! But every community has those
Reflecting on my own Caminos........
Did I enjoy every moment or even every day? No
Did I meet some people I did not like? Yes.
Did I hurt? Yes. most of the time.
Did I feel like giving up? Yes, frequently.
Was I lonely. Yes, frequently.
Did I become down heartened and miserable? Yes. And I admit I cried a couple of times.
But......
Did the wonderful outweigh the bad? Yes a hundredfold.
Did I meet some great people? Yes, 95% were great.
Did I enjoy myself? Yes immensely.
Did I feel a sense of achievement? Yes, every day.
Do I think I am a better person as a result? Yes. I know I am.
Did I find my true self, my purpose, God, the meaning of life? Yes and much more.
The Camino is like life. Some of it sucks.
Some of it really sucks!
But I think like in life.........we find what we truly seek......
We just need to ignore that curtain of superficiality we sometimes live in, and dig a bit deeper......
That is the key to happiness: limit your expectations of others and recognize one's own limitations. Everything else will fall into a beautiful place, if only one allows it.I haven’t yet walked the Norte. But I am grateful that I have learned to walk with a minimum of expectations and can find some joy in almost anything that happens by limiting my judging.
I needed to read this to remind me to focus on the good bits too. Am almost in Santiago and the hard painful days seem to stick in my mind more than the good stuff....
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