Camino Snobs

[oursonpolaire]

It isn't necessary (or necessarily true) to speak for your compatriots at all!

So true, but I was avoiding speaking for all pilgrims. I happily comment on my compatriots as they are fearless but courteous in commenting back.

 

[C clearly]

I happily comment on my compatriots as they are fearless but courteous in commenting back.

Touché

 

[cecelia]

I'm not a Camino Snob. I'm so much better... (God, I thank Thee that I am not as other men are... Lk 18:11).

What I am is a Camino Bore. Friends and relatives head for the hills whenever I say "You know, on my last trip to Spain...."

And that is why we form camino groups when we get home. We tell ourselves we want to help others who are interested in the camino. And we do - but also - we really want to be able to talk about the camino to others who are interested and will listen. Ha ha

 

[Duane]

I had to co-found a chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino in order to have a fresh group of people tell my Camino stories to.

And that is why we form camino groups when we get home. We tell ourselves we want to help others who are interested in the camino. And we do - but also - we really want to be able to talk about the camino to others who are interested and will listen. Ha ha

So true.The Camino is one of those instances where: " You had to be there". Many on this forum have admitted to being a "Camino Bore". I'm guilty!

 

[longwayhome]

Love nothing better than lunch with a room full of camino bores in our local chapter every month! I am sure I am one too :0

 

[OnHellas]

I became a ‘Camino Snob’. The last few days of my Camino Frances back in 2017 I was tired and wanted to go home. I was walking not for religious reasons but for a new personal challange that happened to fall around a difficult period in my life and therefore became much more than just trying to walk 800km.

But back to snobbery. Over the last three days of my walk the paths were crowded, there were fresh looking clothes, dustless footwear and crisp backpacks. People wandering along taking everything in.....getting in my way!!! I just wanted to get to Santiago so I could stop and go home and all those drop in pilgrims were getting in my way. I even heard one North American voice comment “what’s his hurry?”

And there you have it. My Camino experience was one of the best things that I have done in my life, so far. The places, the people, the food. The hills and mountains and the Mesata. The long empty lone kilometres and the crowds that brought out the snobbery in me at the time I felt I’d earned.

I’m sure that most of those that ‘got in my way’ had an equally great time however far they walked, however many days they walked for.....and they won’t have remembered me....no harm done I reckon.

 

[David Tallan]

The Camino Snobbery I most remember wasn't so much on the Camino as in Santiago itself where my son was quite indignant that more deference wasn't paid to the pilgrims who had walked to Santiago vs. those who had come by bus, train or plane. This showed up especially at the Pilgrims' Mass, where he thought that the seating should have been reserved for those who had walked.

 

[Gerry O]

I suppose calling people a “snob” could be considered as you judging them too

 

[Mark Lampe]

There will always be Camino snobs, I reflect now that they are there to bring me back to reality a little and not let it bug me. I feel sorry for them that judgement is their thing and I learn to not make it my thing. We each walk our own Camino, we each run our own life. I like to think being kind and gentle is my thing but I am sure I am not always. So, in a way we need the Camino snobs, it makes it easier to self examine with these experiences. Have I been a Camino snob today?

 

[Michael; Camino-addicted]

Whenever people made judgments about things, but didn't know the background, my grandfather said:

"Does the oak bother when the sow rubs against it?"

 

[Louisamb]

Isn't it funny that the "camino snobbery" (which I have found to be a very real things) even extends to the far corners of the earth. I have had people suddenly not interested in talking about the camino as soon as I have said that I did the last 120 kms. And that is down here in New Zealand!!!!

 

[nathanael]

Hi everyone,
This week I was introduced to the term "Camino Snob" by a friend's colleague who has done the Camino three times. He warned me about people who may judge someone because they are not doing the whole 800km of the Camino Frances or who might be sending their bags ahead or who might take a few days along the route to rest a while and stay in a hotel etc etc. I was very surprised and a little perturbed when he mentioned this to me. Does such a thing exist?

well, I guess I am guilty of taking days rest and at times get a private room, who cares it's my Camino and love it.

 

[RegRegular]

This point of view annoys me to no end as a Canadian who has walked the Camino; or parts thereof, on five occasions, wearing a kilt. I even had a women advise me that I had better move along before her husband arrived as they had "heard" of me and as I had no right to the kilt, he was threatening to "rip it off me".

I spoke to both of them and advised that I had traced my family, from parents, back to 16th century Scotland. My question as to what was the statute of limitations on being proud of ones heritage, seemed to stump them.

As a country of immigrants, we see a variety of "national dress" at various festivals throughout the year. Yes my country's original inhabitants have traditional dress. However, their pre-colonial attire would make for an uncomfortable walk I suspect.

Also I think many areas of Europe have worn a version of the kilt. It has come to be a Scottish symbol now, but more because that is where it most recently became a “thing”. I believe that unbifurcated garments have been around since time immemorial.
i am à Canadian who really wants to walk the Camino kilted. Grandmother of Scottish decent—should someone ask—but I find the kilt a really practical piece of clothing: warm when weather is cold, and cool when weather is warm. Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated. (Cameron Hunting Weathered, 16oz...haha)
Reg

 

[NYSE]

There are so many people walking nowadays that I'm sure you will find EVERYTHING on the caminos. Including snobs - I have myself encountered a man who thought I couldn't be a real pilgrim since I didn't wear heavy boots.

Live and let live, say I.

I have to admit I felt a bit snobbish after walking from SJPP to Santiago and beyond to Finesterre and Muxia carrying the entire time. But then I recalled reading in John Brierley's book to beware of those feelings: we are not in a position as pilgrims to judge other pilgrims. The snobbish feelings faded away - and fast!

 

[Canucks]

Judge and be judged......a part of life.
As an admission, I found that the normal camino fatigue that set in at the end produced some internally kept thoughts towards the "Sarrians" as we walked the final 100 Kms.....700km in and feeling tired, dirty and wanting to see SdeC. As I passed them first thing in the morning with my normal pack, they were doing pre walk calisthenics in their bright white socks and new athletic gear, before donning their tiny packs I........secretly wished I was them.
I, and my walking compatriots, would caress our feet lovingly, knowing by this time that we smelled differently and looked differently. The Sarrians were simply like we were four weeks before.
And I was judged.......we chose to stay in non-albergue accommodations. At the beginning, the Alberguians sometimes projected their superior ability to suffer.......until many of the ones we knew started thinking a day or two per week in nicer private accommodations may be worth a try.
Suffering as an Alberguian makes one no more superior than the bright white socks of a Sarrian make one inferior on the camino.

My apologies for the Star Trekkian labels of us Caminoians. happy new year to all!

 

[Bumpa]

Also I think many areas of Europe have worn a version of the kilt. It has come to be a Scottish symbol now, but more because that is where it most recently became a “thing”. I believe that unbifurcated garments have been around since time immemorial.
i am à Canadian who really wants to walk the Camino kilted. Grandmother of Scottish decent—should someone ask—but I find the kilt a really practical piece of clothing: warm when weather is cold, and cool when weather is warm. Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated. (Cameron Hunting Weathered, 16oz...haha)
Reg

I would most definetly go ahead with wearing a kilt on the Camino. I have a full Ancient Christy kilt of 8 yards of good Scottish wool. However I would not wear it on the Camino. The care of it as well as the weight and weather variances make it impractical I feel. I wear a hiking kilt of man made material. Google "Hiking or Sport Kilt" if interested.

The material has sewn in pleats at the rear and is held in place by two bands of velcro. Great for taking in when you lose weight and letting out after a big meal. The material is washable and dries very quickly. I have worn it hiking for years as it does away with the constriction across the thighs when hill climbing. It is exceptionally comfortable and allows me to have conversations about my cultural heritage. I also meet many people, who are interested in the kilt, that I would not likely have social interaction with otherwise. Be prepared to pose for a lot of pictures.

One final word about the velcro if you need to arise and go to the bathroom during the night. The velcro bands are wide and the "ripping" sound of loosening the waist to remove the kilt has caused people to sit bolt up in bed wondering "what the...." Go for it. You'll be glad you did. Let me know if you have any further questions.

 

[Stivandrer]

I adhere to the meaning of the word snob, as to describe people of no rank, sine nobilitate, for instance in the case of students being enrolled at Oxford University. In lieu of title, it simply said s. nob...
Snobs are snobbing ´upwards´ to aspiring to smthng they are not.
Scholars doubt this origin, but it might make sense...

in other words, we could all be snobs until we are cured....

 

[MichaelNW]

What other people think is outside your control and speaks to who they are not who you are. To always question yourself is healthy - to let others control what you think of yourself is not.

 

[Ella L.]

What other people think is outside your control and speaks to who they are not who you are. To always question yourself is healthy - to let others control what you think of yourself is not.

I think that the saddest part of this is that the 'Camino' is not just one route, one way to get to Santiago de Compostela. I have heard the well-meaning pilgrim state that the real camino was the Camino Francés. How you walk, where you walk, is your journey. These days my walk may not take me to Santiago. Am I less on pilgrimage? I don't think so.

 

[Bradypus]

These days my walk may not take me to Santiago. Am I less on pilgrimage? I don't think so.

In recent years my walks have taken me to Santiago, Canterbury, Holywell, Penrhys, Nidaros, Stiklestad, Ruminghem, Reims, Rome, Koyasan and Hongu amongst many other places. And in Spain alone I have walked on multiple routes to reach Santiago. Anyone who insists on ranking those in order of spiritual significance is not worth listening to in my opinion. I believe that what defines a journey as a pilgrimage is the person's intention. You know why you are walking and why you have chosen your particular destination. Why does the approval of others matter?

 

[Ella L.]

In recent years my walks have taken me to Santiago, Canterbury, Holywell, Penrhys, Nidaros, Stiklestad, Ruminghem, Reims, Rome, Koyasan and Hongu amongst many other places. And in Spain alone I have walked on multiple routes to reach Santiago. Anyone who insists on ranking those in order of spiritual significance is not worth listening to in my opinion. I believe that what defines a walk as a pilgrimage is the walker's intention. You know why you are walking and why you have chosen your particular destination. Why does the approval of others matter?

Yes...I absolutely agree. Pilgrimage is 'intent', not ability or route. It is a journey of the heart...or spirit. Destination or distance have to take a back seat as it were.

 

[Bradypus]

Destination or distance have to take a back seat as it were.

I agree about 50%! For me the destination is important in its own right. It gives a theme and a focus to the journey which a stroll in pleasant countryside by itself would lack. To some extent I do believe in the idea of the genius loci and the significance of relics (even if I most often doubt their authenticity ). But distance is largely irrelevant, as is the mode of travel. The 100km rule has had a very destructive effect on the understanding of pilgrimage.

 

[Derrybiketours]

is the Camino a fantasy. temporal out of context hippies and yups?

Is there something between 'being' and 'becoming' and is it 'I am'. The Camino is life and life is the Camino and you take on a different set off eyes every time you immerse yourself in the Camino fantasy however temporal and despite how many hippies and inspite of yups its all just an illusion until you reach Finisterre and ask yourself 'who is your master'

 

[zenofmatthew]

I'm not a Camino Snob. I'm so much better than that... (God, I thank Thee that I am not as other men are... Lk 18:11).

What I am is a Camino Bore. Friends and relatives head for the hills whenever I say "You know, on my last trip to Spain...."

My wife says the same. I leave for my premier voyage in April.

 

[PJThomasJP]

It was a long 12.5 kms in 2.5 hrs uphill but we're in Galicia surrounded by as much Celtic tradition as you can handle atm. 🏆 | By Peter | Facebook

It was a long 12.5 kms in 2.5 hrs uphill but we're in Galicia surrounded by as much Celtic tradition as you can handle atm. 🏆

www.facebook.com

 

[Rebekah Scott]

A "pilgrim" arrived at my house the other day and asked for a stamp on his credential. I said sure, brought him into the kitchen, etc., stamped his form. Then he pulled out a dozen little booklets, and asked for stamps on those, too.
I said No. One pilgrim, one credential, one stamp.
He got very angry with me. "Those are gifts! For my friends! It's a little project!" he said.
"When they come here themselves, I'll give them each a stamp," I said.
"Selfish people like you are ruining the camino," he said.
"Hit the road," I told him.

 

[rappahannock_rev]

A "pilgrim" arrived at my house the other day

The biggest mistake I made on my 2019 walk was not doing just that....

Very much enjoyed your book, btw....

 

[VNwalking]

"Selfish people like you are ruining the camino," he said.

Oh, good.
Thank you and keep it up, @Rebekah Scott! Do this enough and maybe the word will start getting out amongst the entitled class.
(Mea culpa. I guess this just proved I'm an incurable camino snob )

 

[oursonpolaire]

A "pilgrim" arrived at my house the other day and asked for a stamp on his credential. I said sure, brought him into the kitchen, etc., stamped his form. Then he pulled out a dozen little booklets, and asked for stamps on those, too.
I said No. One pilgrim, one credential, one stamp.
He got very angry with me. "Those are gifts! For my friends! It's a little project!" he said.
"When they come here themselves, I'll give them each a stamp," I said.
"Selfish people like you are ruining the camino," he said.
"Hit the road," I told him.

You can take the girl out of Pittsburgh, but you can never take Pittsburgh out of the girl.

 

[The Kolbist]

Hi everyone,
This week I was introduced to the term "Camino Snob" by a friend's colleague who has done the Camino three times. He warned me about people who may judge someone because they are not doing the whole 800km of the Camino Frances or who might be sending their bags ahead or who might take a few days along the route to rest a while and stay in a hotel etc etc. I was very surprised and a little perturbed when he mentioned this to me. Does such a thing exist?

what whole 800km lol? My friend lives in Leon so I guess she only did the the Cami and no "no" because it has to be 800km? I believe it's not the distance, it's the heart and the spirit.

 

[oursonpolaire]

what whole 800km lol? My friend lives in Leon so I guess she only did the the Cami and no "no" because it has to be 800km? I believe it's not the distance, it's the heart and the spirit.

it's easy for 756km to become 800km if one is not carefully following the arrows, or if one is following a certain Andalusian pilgrim, or if the evening's tinto makes it hard to find the albergue on the first try.....

 

[Jenibee]

What amuses me with people who take issue with you for staying in private accommodation is the fact that albergues were originally set up to accommodate pilgrims who could not afford private accommodation, those who could were and are supposed to use hotels, hostals, casa rural's and private albergues but is has become folklore that everyone has to stay in albergues or they are not doing their Camino properly, a bit like having to walk the Napoleon Route for an authentic Camino when in fact the Valcarlos Route was the original one.

With slight apologies for resurrecting an older thread, I wanted to thank you for this comment. We are still in the "should we or shouldn't we?" phase of considering the Camino, and I was beginning to wonder if perhaps not staying in the albergues would somehow diminish our overall experience and make it "less than", in spite of the insistence of many who say it's perfectly acceptable. Neither of us has any desire to sleep dormitory-style, particularly after reading a number of things indicating that those who snore like freight trains are often vilified and I don't want my husband - the freight train - to experience that. To have it set out before me like this, to know that we would actually be following original accommodation protocol, reignites something in me that was starting to waver with uncertainty. Thank you. And I clearly need to read an excellent book or three on the history of the Camino, not merely the personal accounts which are in their own right enthralling.

 

[David Tallan]

With slight apologies for resurrecting an older thread, I wanted to thank you for this comment. We are still in the "should we or shouldn't we?" phase of considering the Camino, and I was beginning to wonder if perhaps not staying in the albergues would somehow diminish our overall experience and make it "less than", in spite of the insistence of many who say it's perfectly acceptable. Neither of us has any desire to sleep dormitory-style, particularly after reading a number of things indicating that those who snore like freight trains are often vilified and I don't want my husband - the freight train - to experience that. To have it set out before me like this, to know that we would actually be following original accommodation protocol, reignites something in me that was starting to waver with uncertainty. Thank you. And I clearly need to read an excellent book or three on the history of the Camino, not merely the personal accounts which are in their own right enthralling.

If you should want to try an albergue at some point in your camino (no pressure!) to see what it is like, but still avoid dormitories, it might be worth mentioning that a number of albergue offer private rooms in addition to dormitories.

 

[Jenibee]

If you should want to try an albergue at some point in your camino (no pressure!) to see what it is like, but still avoid dormitories, it might be worth mentioning that a number of albergue offer private rooms in addition to dormitories.

Yes - thank you, David! I believe someone had mentioned this in another thread in which I expressed our accommodation concerns, and it is a good point for us to remember that there are some albergues with private rooms.

I had begun to feel a bit sheepish thinking that we were going to be among the "Sarria strollers" - and we may yet. While I do have a generous 6-week vacation allotment, my work is such that I'd be hard pressed to take it concurrently, and that will mean starting from a point closer to Santiago in the possible 3 week span we'd have. Again, it's surely just my own doubts and trepidations working their way out, but naturally I would want our Camino experience to be meaningful and not merely a trip across the pond to walk. I know, I know … I'm still grappling with all of this (the very idea of walking the Camino is less than a few weeks old in our minds), and appreciate being able to air some of it here as I soak up the abundance of helpful advice.

 

[Albertagirl]

With slight apologies for resurrecting an older thread, I wanted to thank you for this comment. We are still in the "should we or shouldn't we?" phase of considering the Camino, and I was beginning to wonder if perhaps not staying in the albergues would somehow diminish our overall experience and make it "less than", in spite of the insistence of many who say it's perfectly acceptable. Neither of us has any desire to sleep dormitory-style, particularly after reading a number of things indicating that those who snore like freight trains are often vilified and I don't want my husband - the freight train - to experience that. To have it set out before me like this, to know that we would actually be following original accommodation protocol, reignites something in me that was starting to waver with uncertainty. Thank you. And I clearly need to read an excellent book or three on the history of the Camino, not merely the personal accounts which are in their own right enthralling.

@Jenibee
For an excellent, and classic, book on the Camino Frances, may I recommend The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: The Complete Cultural Handbook. by David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson. It is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. I have both, as I prefer to read it in paperback format and consult it on the camino in Kindle.
There is no reason why you and your husband should not make whatever sleeping arrangements suit you. But you might think about how you are to build relationships with other pilgrims, as this is a major part of going on camino for many pilgrims. I travel alone and preferably on less busy routes, but it is possible to share a table with other pilgrims at restaurant meals and this is a great way to get acquainted. Buen camino.

 

[trecile]

Yes - thank you, David! I believe someone had mentioned this in another thread in which I expressed our accommodation concerns, and it is a good point for us to remember that there are some albergues with private rooms.

I had begun to feel a bit sheepish thinking that we were going to be among the "Sarria strollers" - and we may yet. While I do have a generous 6-week vacation allotment, my work is such that I'd be hard pressed to take it concurrently, and that will mean starting from a point closer to Santiago in the possible 3 week span we'd have. Again, it's surely just my own doubts and trepidations working their way out, but naturally I would want our Camino experience to be meaningful and not merely a trip across the pond to walk. I know, I know … I'm still grappling with all of this (the very idea of walking the Camino is less than a few weeks old in our minds), and appreciate being able to air some of it here as I soak up the abundance of helpful advice.

The great thing is that you don't have to make any decisions right now! As you learn more about the Camino your thoughts about how you want to do it will change. Right now, just absorb the knowledge of this forum, books, movies, etc. Learn about the different routes, gear choices, etc. Let it all marinate in your brain, and when you are ready you will know.

 

[CWBuff]

You can take the girl out of Pittsburgh, but you can never take Pittsburgh out of the girl.

I'll take a 'snobbish' pride of a fellow Pennsylvanian!

 

[Jenibee]

@Jenibee
For an excellent, and classic, book on the Camino Frances, may I recommend The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: The Complete Cultural Handbook. by David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson. It is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. I have both, as I prefer to read it in paperback format and consult it on the camino in Kindle.
There is no reason why you and your husband should not make whatever sleeping arrangements suit you. But you might think about how you are to build relationships with other pilgrims, as this is a major part of going on camino for many pilgrims. I travel alone and preferably on less busy routes, but it is possible to share a table with other pilgrims at restaurant meals and this is a great way to get acquainted. Buen camino.

Lovely -- I've just ordered the paperback version of the book. Many thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Jenibee]

The great thing is that you don't have to make any decisions right now! As you learn more about the Camino your thoughts about how you want to do it will change. Right now, just absorb the knowledge of this forum, books, movies, etc. Learn about the different routes, gear choices, etc. Let it all marinate in your brain, and when you are ready you will know.

True. So true. I am inherently impatient with a "need to know right now" mentality (well, you know this about me already, I'm sure, based upon our other shared interests), and it is dawning heavily on me that this is a time (for all of us, perhaps) to slow waaaaaaay down and get comfortable in the "not knowing". Maybe this is the very first lesson of The Camino? Hmmmm.

 

[David Tallan]

Yes - thank you, David! I believe someone had mentioned this in another thread in which I expressed our accommodation concerns, and it is a good point for us to remember that there are some albergues with private rooms.

I had begun to feel a bit sheepish thinking that we were going to be among the "Sarria strollers" - and we may yet. While I do have a generous 6-week vacation allotment, my work is such that I'd be hard pressed to take it concurrently, and that will mean starting from a point closer to Santiago in the possible 3 week span we'd have. Again, it's surely just my own doubts and trepidations working their way out, but naturally I would want our Camino experience to be meaningful and not merely a trip across the pond to walk. I know, I know … I'm still grappling with all of this (the very idea of walking the Camino is less than a few weeks old in our minds), and appreciate being able to air some of it here as I soak up the abundance of helpful advice.

If you have three weeks to walk, I humbly suggest considering Leon as a starting point. That should still give you plenty of time, you'd get to experience wonderful Leon and its cathedral (the finest on the Camino, in my opinion), walk up to the Cruz de Ferro and deposit your stone, see the marvelous Crusader castle in Ponferrada, enjoy Villafraca del Bierzo and the village of O Cebreiro, and then Sarria and everything beyond. You will likely have time at the end which you can spend enjoying Santiago or walking on to Finisterre and/or Muxia.

I also second Albertagirl's book recommendation, which I see you have followed. I also have both versions. I got the paperback before I left but wanted the weightless Kindle version with me when I walked.

 

[Kathy F.]

A "pilgrim" arrived at my house the other day and asked for a stamp on his credential. I said sure, brought him into the kitchen, etc., stamped his form. Then he pulled out a dozen little booklets, and asked for stamps on those, too.
I said No. One pilgrim, one credential, one stamp.
He got very angry with me. "Those are gifts! For my friends! It's a little project!" he said.
"When they come here themselves, I'll give them each a stamp," I said.
"Selfish people like you are ruining the camino," he said.
"Hit the road," I told him.

Hahaha, Rebekah Scott is ruining the Camino!!!!!
Good one!!!

 

[Kanga]

@Jenibee the Gitlitz and Davidson book you have ordered is a treasure - although I could not sit and read it in one go. I tend to use it more as a resource, taking an e-version downloaded on my smartphone, so that when I see something along the route, I can look it up in the book. Fabulous for when you are standing outside a church or trying to read the meaning in a retablo. Another book that I just could not put down, sensational read, is by our own @Rebekah Scott - "A Furnace Full of God". Don't be misled, it is not religious, nor is it a Camino book as such, but a book about a year living beside the camino, in a small village on the meseta, with tales of all the people passing through, village life, natural observations, animals. Wonderful book. One of the ones I know I will come back to read and re-read.

 

[JabbaPapa]

With slight apologies for resurrecting an older thread, I wanted to thank you for this comment. We are still in the "should we or shouldn't we?" phase of considering the Camino, and I was beginning to wonder if perhaps not staying in the albergues would somehow diminish our overall experience and make it "less than", in spite of the insistence of many who say it's perfectly acceptable. Neither of us has any desire to sleep dormitory-style, particularly after reading a number of things indicating that those who snore like freight trains are often vilified and I don't want my husband - the freight train - to experience that. To have it set out before me like this, to know that we would actually be following original accommodation protocol, reignites something in me that was starting to waver with uncertainty. Thank you. And I clearly need to read an excellent book or three on the history of the Camino, not merely the personal accounts which are in their own right enthralling.

It's lovely to hear that this thread has done some good !

 

[VNwalking]

I was beginning to wonder if perhaps not staying in the albergues would somehow diminish our overall experience and make it "less than",

Not at all. It's different, that's all. And as has been said already, many albergues have private rooms, so it's possible to get the best of both worlds.

that will mean starting from a point closer to Santiago in the possible 3 week span we'd have.

Sahagun, Leon, or Astorga would fit the bill nicely - where you start depends on how much time you want to take. Sahagun is the mid-point between St Jean Pied du Port and Santiago, a nice place to begin, as it allows you to get a taste of the meseta.

Direct train connections make all of these cities good options as starting places.

 

[malingerer]

But that surely would be the ultimate in snobbery! You have to also do it on your knees and constantly flagellate with a cat o' nine tails.

Leave the cats out of it pal! They need their tails to match their lives! 9 ?

The Malingerer.

 

[Houlet]

I am proud to say that I have walked every step of my caminos with my muchila on my back, no rest days, and stayed in albergues except for the odd occasion where accommodation was not available. That is MY camino, BUT it doesn't give me the right to criticise or mock others. Although I am retired I´m lucky enough to be relatively fit and there are many others out there for whom doing it differently is a much greater achievement than mine. We are all different,

 

[Kiwi-d]

This thread reminds me of a sad story from a lovely woman I walked with for a while in 2014. She told me on her first night on the Camino she had spread the contents of her pack on her bed and was sorting through them when a rampant busy-body came over and announced she had walked the Camino many times. She then proceeded to criticise various items. "You don't need that, that's too heavy, you shouldn't have brought this item, you have too many of this, your pack is far too heavy". I don't know whether it was snobbery or just being a know it all, but the woman probably walked away with a feeling of great superiority.

Meantime my poor friend was left in tears and almost decided to cancel her walk. (Fortunately she didn't.) The heartbreaking thing was that she was walking following the death of a daughter. She was already feeling so fragile without the unkindness, if not downright cruelty from someone who thought they were such the Camino expert because they had walked several Caminos. Snobbery at its worst.

 

[Kathy F.]

@Jenibee the Gitlitz and Davidson book you have ordered is a treasure - although I could not sit and read it in one go. I tend to use it more as a resource, taking an e-version downloaded on my smartphone, so that when I see something along the route, I can look it up in the book. Fabulous for when you are standing outside a church or trying to read the meaning in a retablo. Another book that I just could not put down, sensational read, is by our own @Rebekah Scott - "A Furnace Full of God". Don't be misled, it is not religious, nor is it a Camino book as such, but a book about a year living beside the camino, in a small village on the meseta, with tales of all the people passing through, village life, natural observations, animals. Wonderful book. One of the ones I know I will come back to read and re-read.

Yes. I've read the book and loved it. Recommend it to all who are not just tourists, but pilgrims.

 

[Kanga]

Yes. I've read the book and loved it. Recommend it to all who are not just tourists, but pilgrims.

We are all pilgrims.

 

[VNwalking]

We are all pilgrims

Whether we know it or not...

 

[AJGuillaume]

@Jenibee
For an excellent, and classic, book on the Camino Frances, may I recommend The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: The Complete Cultural Handbook. by David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson. It is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. I have both, as I prefer to read it in paperback format and consult it on the camino in Kindle.

@Jenibee the Gitlitz and Davidson book you have ordered is a treasure - although I could not sit and read it in one go. I tend to use it more as a resource, taking an e-version downloaded on my smartphone, so that when I see something along the route, I can look it up in the book.

Am I correct in assuming that this book pertains only to the Camino Francés?

There is no reason why you and your husband should not make whatever sleeping arrangements suit you. But you might think about how you are to build relationships with other pilgrims, as this is a major part of going on camino for many pilgrims. I travel alone and preferably on less busy routes, but it is possible to share a table with other pilgrims at restaurant meals and this is a great way to get acquainted. Buen camino.

I agree wholeheartedly with this comment. My wife and I walked the Norte in 2018 (as part of a much longer camino from Switzerland to SdC), only had one night in an albergue (Izarbide), where we couldn't stop laughing at the performance of the "Snoring Concert in A major for Bassoon, Tuba, Trombone and Freight Train". All the other nights we slept in private accommodation, and joined other pilgrims for meals, enjoying their company, sharing life experiences, and building relationships. We might not have been part of a "camino family", but we developed friendships that we still cherish.
Buen Camino!

 

[Kanga]

Am I correct in assuming that this book pertains only to the Camino Francés?

Yes, but it does include the route over the Somport Pass, as well as the route from SJPDP.

 

[malingerer]

Whether we know it or not...

This reminds me of being in northern Spain many decades ago. I was in the campsite at San Sebastian. I use to walk into town and catch the bus back. I often saw the yellow arrows and wondered if there was road works. I never knew I was on part of the del Norte until after I became a pilgrim. So yes, I knew it not!



The malingerer.

 

[Jenibee]

Thanks again for the very helpful advice. We continue to read and learn and think and dream … all we CAN do at this time, of course, but somehow it's enough. For now. When we begin to talk pragmatically, it gets us nowhere. There are still entirely too many unknowns about what the future holds, and even our ability to align our schedules and our finances at the right time. Last night my husband reminded me that there are countless other options for spending several thousand dollars over the span of a few weeks, and while that is undoubtedly true, I haven't felt captivated by anything quite like the Camino before. We were smitten by the people and places of Iceland when we visited this past summer, and my husband longs to return there someday. I (jokingly?) told him last night that he could take his half of our travel funds and go to Iceland, while I do the Camino! Of course, that wouldn't really be ideal for either of us. We do love to travel together and we're excellent companions for one another … but this just drives home the point to me that there is MUCH to consider, while mostly just needing to be content to wait and see. I'm hoping that what I perceive to be true IS true … that if you're meant to do the Camino, you will.

 

[JabbaPapa]

This thread reminds me of a sad story from a lovely woman I walked with for a while in 2014. She told me on her first night on the Camino she had spread the contents of her pack on her bed and was sorting through them when a rampant busy-body came over and announced she had walked the Camino many times. She then proceeded to criticise various items. "You don't need that, that's too heavy, you shouldn't have brought this item, you have too many of this, your pack is far too heavy". I don't know whether it was snobbery or just being a know it all, but the woman probably walked away with a feeling of great superiority.

Well, there's no fine line between well-meant and kindly offered, respectfully given advice -- and the flaunting of some kind of fake "superiority" ...

There's a scene about such self-centred busibodies in A Walk in the Woods ...