Camino Quotes, Unknown Authors

[dgassa]

On my last Camino (2023) I noticed that there were lots of tourists. It reminded me of a couple of quotes that I have read since my first Camino (2015)
“A tourist demands, a pilgrim is grateful”
“Camino is a pilgrimage, not a scenic tour. No matter the scenery, weather, or roadway, a pilgrim walks it.”
Have your own quote?

 

[J Willhaus]

"Give what you can, Take what you need" at Grañón.

 

[Robo]

Not quite quotes, but 'lessons' I learned.
I came up with a few after my first Camino...........

1. Even small steps taken slowly will help you reach your goal
2. Sometimes what you expected doesn’t eventuate, but even better things happen
3. Giving to others is much more rewarding than receiving
4. Never be afraid to ask for help when you need it
5. Don’t judge people on first impressions
6. ‘Stuff’ doesn’t matter that much, people do
7. You don’t need ‘stuff’ to be happy
8. If you are prepared to be open and receptive, cool things happen
9. Life is not meant to be a race…..
10. Slowing down to walk with a friend in need is far more satisfying than trying to keep up with a friend who is too fast for you
11. Positive things happen around you all the time….if you look out for them
12. Conversely, if you look for ‘crap’……it has a habit of finding you

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

''Pilgrims don't judge.''
- Read/seen everywhere

 

[Pafayac]

"You don't make the way
The way makes you."

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

You walk your own way, never mind what others do. If you don't want to walk a crowded "hyped" camino, choose a quieter one

 

[dick bird]

''Pilgrims don't judge.''
- Read/seen everywhere

I think there should be a comma after 'pilgrims'.
¨Life is just a bowl of All-Bran, you wake up in the morning and it's there¨.

 

[olj]

Not quite quotes, but 'lessons' I learned.
I came up with a few after my first Camino...........

1. Even small steps taken slowly will help you reach your goal
2. Sometimes what you expected doesn’t eventuate, but even better things happen
3. Giving to others is much more rewarding than receiving
4. Never be afraid to ask for help when you need it
5. Don’t judge people on first impressions
6. ‘Stuff’ doesn’t matter that much, people do
7. You don’t need ‘stuff’ to be happy
8. If you are prepared to be open and receptive, cool things happen
9. Life is not meant to be a race…..
10. Slowing down to walk with a friend in need is far more satisfying than trying to keep up with a friend who is too fast for you
11. Positive things happen around you all the time….if you look out for them
12. Conversely, if you look for ‘crap’……it has a habit of finding you

#12 is so true! Best to “always look on the bright side of life!” (If I can quote from a great movie)

 

[G_the_D]

It is solved by walking.

 

[t2andreo]

It is solved by walking.

Solvitur ambulando!

 

[andonius]

A pilgrimage is a prayer made with your feet,

 

[Telelama]

There's a lot of great ones here!

One that my wife and I follow as we prepare for our next Camino is; "ounces equal pounds and pounds equals pain" (and then we end up carrying two paperback books around for two weeks!)

Another that I use frequently with new pilgrims is that "the Camino may not go the way you hoped, but it always goes the way it's supposed to go"

 

[Bert45]

My anti-quote: "Love wins", graffiti all over the later stages of the Camino Francés.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

On the way to O Cebreiro. September 5th 2016.

 

[André Walker]

Happiness is a direction, not a point.
As in: your Camino doesn’t end in Santiago, that’s where it starts…

 

[JerryStroebele]

I saw this on a wall in a restaurant in Santiago: "If you walk alone, you walk faster. If you walk with others you walk farther."

A policewoman in our Camino Family said that was also posted in the Spanish National Police training academy. Buen Camino

 

[peregrina2000]

Here is my favorite Camino quote, well ok it’s a passage, not just a line or two. The author is frequently referred to as unknown, but it was first printed right here on the forum, by a well-loved member who hasn’t been back for years.

See this thread

Even if you’ve read this before, I bet you can’t read it without laughing.

Tantamplin, sending lots of good wishes your way, hoping all is well. Heres the text:

so youve been back home for a year now
and missing that elusive camino feeling
and thinking of walking again
.
well theres good news
you can now achieve that same feeling from the comfort of your very own lounge suite
.
heres how:
sleep in your sleeping bag
in a different room of the house
covered by a blanket the dog sleeps on
with the worst pillow you have
or better, with your fleecy stuffed with old clothes
wash your clothes by hand in the basin using the same sliver of soap you showered with
sit outside your front gate for 4 hours, waithing for somebody to unlock the house
ask your family to shine a torch in your eyes while youre sleeping
walk to the store and buy one bun, one slice of choritzo, one slice of cheese, and one banana
order the food by pointing and sign language
strike up conversations with strangers and pretend youve known them your whole life
tell them the reason youre doing it
ask them if theyre comfortable in shoes, or if theyd have preferred boots
then follow them around for 15 minutes
go to a new restuarant and order you meal while holding the menu upside down and reading in the reflection of a mirror, in poor lighting
wear all the clothing you can, then ask the neighbour to spray you soaking wet with the garden hose
irritate your family by making loud tapping sounds with a spoon on a plate to emulate the sound of trekking poles
drink 3 litres of water
"go" in the garden
pick fruit from your neighbours tree
pop 3 painkillers with your glass of wine
take many photos of ridiculous arrow-like objects
knock on the door of your neighbour 3 doors down and ask if they have baked any fresh bread
go to the post office and post some clothing back to yourself
get dressed in the dark and put on some damp clothing
go to the local pub and ask the barman to stamp your passport

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Don't
STOP
walking

(usually on an octangular sign).

 

[André Walker]

Something I heard someone say about pilgrims talking badly about other pilgrims who had their backpacks transported:
“The only time you may look down on someone is when you help them to get up.”

 

[Elle Bieling]

Another that I use frequently with new pilgrims is that "the Camino may not go the way you hoped, but it always goes the way it's supposed to go"

Along a similar line: "The Camino doesn't give you what you want, it gives you what you need."

 

[Tincatinker]

“It’s not your Camino; it’s a Camino”.

There is no such thing as a free Camino

It was a woman that drove me to Camino and I forgot to thank her

The Camino does not start in Saint Jean pied de Porte

Walk; Eat; Sleep; Repeat? Sleep; Walk; Eat; Replete

Orujo is not just for breakfast

 

[alexwalker]

Orujo is not just for breakfast

It is SO much more than just a breakfast drink!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

“It’s not your Camino; it’s a Camino”.

There is no such thing as a free Camino

It was a woman that drove me to Camino and I forgot to thank her

The Camino does not start in Saint Jean pied de Porte

Walk; Eat; Sleep; Repeat? Sleep; Walk; Eat; Replete

Orujo is not just for breakfast

A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her.

W. C. Fields

 

[Jeff Crawley]

It is SO much more than just a breakfast drink!

For medicinal purposes it's hard to beat.

 

[alexwalker]

For medicinal purposes it's hard to beat.

If I am in doubt, it will be considered a medicinal situation.

 

[dgassa]

Here's a couple more
Obstacles do not block the path, they are the path
and
Just because my path is different, doesn't mean I'm lost

 

[MrGary]

On my last Camino (2023) I noticed that there were lots of tourists. It reminded me of a couple of quotes that I have read since my first Camino (2015)
“A tourist demands, a pilgrim is grateful”
“Camino is a pilgrimage, not a scenic tour. No matter the scenery, weather, or roadway, a pilgrim walks it.”
Have your own quote?

One of my favorites- "I did not walk the Camino to find myself; rather I walked it to lose the pieces that were not me."

 

[Glenshiro]

Everyone walks their own Camino. (Once a popular saying on this site.)

 

[Sue127]

My name is Sue and I'm a çamino addict....

 

[CTLawGal]

well-loved member who hasn’t been back for years.

See this thread

Thanks so much for posting this! I went back to read some of his other posts (and the threads to which he was reacting), I am blown away. I'm going to go through them all, just the dozen or so I read through were great! I also saw some familiar names, people still posting after all these years. I doubt I would have found this on my own, there's so much great information here, this is a great way to find some of it using his posts as an organizing focus. Thanks again!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I loved a recent forum member's post that said...
"The Caminos are sort of like children. I may have different relationships with them and different preferences about them, but the bottom line is that I absolutely love them all."

 

[trecile]

I loved a recent forum member's post that said...
"The Caminos are sort of like children. I may have different relationships with them and different preferences about them, but the bottom line is that I absolutely love them all."

Here's the post by @Rita Flower that the quote was from:

I have been reflecting on my four Caminos recently. My experience as I walked them ranged from being wonderful to being challenging - from literally loving to hating. I have had the thought that I liked one better than another - preferred one more than another
However, looking back what I find is that I love them all - I’m in love with them all regardless of their different characters and experiences and learnings. They are sort of like children. I may have different relationships with them and different preferences about them, but the bottom line is that I absolutely love them all.
So I think my conclusion is that it doesn’t matter which Camino I walk I will receive the blessings.
In choosing a Camino, I don’t think you can really get it wrong.

 

[Juspassinthru]

On my last Camino (2023) I noticed that there were lots of tourists. It reminded me of a couple of quotes that I have read since my first Camino (2015)
“A tourist demands, a pilgrim is grateful”
“Camino is a pilgrimage, not a scenic tour. No matter the scenery, weather, or roadway, a pilgrim walks it.”
Have your own quote?

I think of this often.

 

[JabbaPapa]

“A tourist demands, a pilgrim is grateful”

This is one of the older ones, and somehow translates poorly into English. Probably because "tourist" has different connotations in current English compared to the Romance languages, and never mind that it's an English-origin word.

I don't know if this one originally Spanish or French -- the French has it : Le touriste exige, le pèlerin remercie. The Spanish is exactly equivalent, so either could be a translation of the other. The French dates back to at latest the 1980s unless I'm mistaken. If I am, then 1990s.

 

[ratherbefollowingflechas]

Endeavor to persevere! But that is my motto in general ...

 

[AllisonMarie]

Here is my favorite Camino quote, well ok it’s a passage, not just a line or two. The author is frequently referred to as unknown, but it was first printed right here on the forum, by a well-loved member who hasn’t been back for years.

See this thread

Even if you’ve read this before, I bet you can’t read it without laughing.

Tantamplin, sending lots of good wishes your way, hoping all is well. Heres the text:

so youve been back home for a year now
and missing that elusive camino feeling
and thinking of walking again
.
well theres good news
you can now achieve that same feeling from the comfort of your very own lounge suite
.
heres how:
sleep in your sleeping bag
in a different room of the house
covered by a blanket the dog sleeps on
with the worst pillow you have
or better, with your fleecy stuffed with old clothes
wash your clothes by hand in the basin using the same sliver of soap you showered with
sit outside your front gate for 4 hours, waithing for somebody to unlock the house
ask your family to shine a torch in your eyes while youre sleeping
walk to the store and buy one bun, one slice of choritzo, one slice of cheese, and one banana
order the food by pointing and sign language
strike up conversations with strangers and pretend youve known them your whole life
tell them the reason youre doing it
ask them if theyre comfortable in shoes, or if theyd have preferred boots
then follow them around for 15 minutes
go to a new restuarant and order you meal while holding the menu upside down and reading in the reflection of a mirror, in poor lighting
wear all the clothing you can, then ask the neighbour to spray you soaking wet with the garden hose
irritate your family by making loud tapping sounds with a spoon on a plate to emulate the sound of trekking poles
drink 3 litres of water
"go" in the garden
pick fruit from your neighbours tree
pop 3 painkillers with your glass of wine
take many photos of ridiculous arrow-like objects
knock on the door of your neighbour 3 doors down and ask if they have baked any fresh bread
go to the post office and post some clothing back to yourself
get dressed in the dark and put on some damp clothing
go to the local pub and ask the barman to stamp your passport

Thank you for that! I have seen it before, but not for some time and it made me howl at a time when I can really use a laugh.

 

[Philtration]

The Camino is like a breakfast of prunes. After you start walking, you are moved!

 

[FurnessTravellers]

I have liked this quote (source unknown) since I read it:
" a tourist moves through the land, a pilgrim allows the land to move through them".

 

[JabbaPapa]

I have liked this quote (source unknown) since I read it:
" a tourist moves through the land, a pilgrim allows the land to move through them".

I like that one, including because of its beautifully archaic use of "tourist", not just in regard to the Grand Tour but also to the late 19th & early 20th Century Thomas Cook's sense of it.

 

[LeslieC]

My anti-quote: "Love wins", graffiti all over the later stages of the Camino Francés.

'Love wine' might also work ...

 

[efdoucette]

When I returned from my first Camino in 2011 an old Bob Dylan song bounced around in my head. It reflected my pre / post Camino mindset.
"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now"
- My Back Pages ... Bob Dylan

 

[trecile]

Here's one from a forum member

My slogan after seeing what heavy packs cause? Go heavy, go fast, go for too long, go home early.

 

[JustJack]

Buen cowmino. Bovine humour along the way

 

[Camino Chrissy]

View attachment 180822Buen cowmino. Bovine humour along the way

I don't normally like this kind of graffiti, but I must admit that this one was very clever in spite of having no artistic skills, and really made me laugh!

 

[WGroleau]

Buen cowmino. Bovine humour along the way

I admit it's humor, but it's also vandalism. BOO, not moo.

 

[verose]

Solvitur ambulando!

The words of St Augustine.

 

[TrvlDad1]

“Life’s a comedy for those who think and a tragedy for those who feel.”
Works in all life situations, don’t lose your sense of humor when the going gets tough (promotes courage) or easy ( promotes humility).

 

[BillW]

"Comfort with discomfort is a super power."

"There is a big difference between an inconvenience and a problem."

"If you don’t have friends from another country, your circle is too small."

"Your Camino is what you see and do, not what you don't see and don't do."

The last one is another way of saying don't have FOMO. On you're camino, you're going to miss things. Maybe it's cloudy and you miss a great view. Maybe the botafumeiro doesn't swing when you're at mass in Santiago. Ah, no problem. It was just wasn't meant to be part of your camino.