Grateful Shout Out to all the Hardworking, Hospitable Locals of the Camino Francés and Fisterra y Muxía

[Rold Gold]

Greeting Fellow Pilgrims!
I just finished walking (late May to late June) the length of Spain from Roncesvalles to Finisterre on both the Camino Francés and the Camino Fisterra y Muxía and want to express my admiration and gratitude to all the hardworking and hospital people along the way who make the experience possible and enjoyable for us pilgrims.

From albergue owners, staff, and volunteers who work tirelessly and patiently checking in, cleaning, cooking, and supporting pilgrims from dawn to dusk, café owners and their employees who open up establishments outside normal Spanish working hours to give pilgrims breakfasts at sunrise and dinners at 5 PM, Guardia Civil officers who watch the route and take pilgrim safety seriously, pharmacists who help us with aches and pains, members of the community who show tolerance, kindness, and generosity to the mass of humanity streaming past their homes every day, and many others, the welcome is almost always genuine and warm, and the goal is to be of service. I've not been on other Caminos but hope it's the same.

Of course, there are mediocre and even bad players in the mix, too, and, of course, even with the good players I realize it's also (and rightfully) about making money, but I am still astounded at how incredibly hard and consistently cheerfully the people of the local communities of the Camino work during the main walking season. I also want to point out in particular that the TOILETS in bars, restaurants and most albergues (and I stayed in many of the huge municipal ones) are uniformly very clean. I've both lived and traveled a lot around the world and don't think I've ever been as impressed with public bathrooms anywhere.

So please take a moment to feel gratitude for and express gratitude to the wonderful people who DON'T walk the Camino, as well as the wonderful people who DO.

Mil gracias a todos!

 

[Pafayac]

You are right.
A pilgrim should thank.

 

[Amachant]

Greeting Fellow Pilgrims!
I just finished walking (late May to late June) the length of Spain from Roncesvalles to Finisterre on both the Camino Francés and the Camino Fisterra y Muxía and want to express my admiration and gratitude to all the hardworking and hospital people along the way who make the experience possible and enjoyable for us pilgrims.

From albergue owners, staff, and volunteers who work tirelessly and patiently checking in, cleaning, cooking, and supporting pilgrims from dawn to dusk, café owners and their employees who open up establishments outside normal Spanish working hours to give pilgrims breakfasts at sunrise and dinners at 5 PM, Guardia Civil officers who watch the route and take pilgrim safety seriously, pharmacists who help us with aches and pains, members of the community who show tolerance, kindness, and generosity to the mass of humanity streaming past their homes every day, and many others, the welcome is almost always genuine and warm, and the goal is to be of service. I've not been on other Caminos but hope it's the same.

Of course, there are mediocre and even bad players in the mix, too, and, of course, even with the good players I realize it's also (and rightfully) about making money, but I am still astounded at how incredibly hard and consistently cheerfully the people of the local communities of the Camino work during the main walking season. I also want to point out in particular that the TOILETS in bars, restaurants and most albergues (and I stayed in many of the huge municipal ones) are uniformly very clean. I've both lived and traveled a lot around the world and don't think I've ever been as impressed with public bathrooms anywhere.

So please take a moment to feel gratitude for and express gratitude to the wonderful people who DON'T walk the Camino, as well as the wonderful people who DO.

Mil gracias a todos!

Well said!

 

[DreamWeaver]

Greeting Fellow Pilgrims!
I just finished walking (late May to late June) the length of Spain from Roncesvalles to Finisterre on both the Camino Francés and the Camino Fisterra y Muxía and want to express my admiration and gratitude to all the hardworking and hospital people along the way who make the experience possible and enjoyable for us pilgrims.

From albergue owners, staff, and volunteers who work tirelessly and patiently checking in, cleaning, cooking, and supporting pilgrims from dawn to dusk, café owners and their employees who open up establishments outside normal Spanish working hours to give pilgrims breakfasts at sunrise and dinners at 5 PM, Guardia Civil officers who watch the route and take pilgrim safety seriously, pharmacists who help us with aches and pains, members of the community who show tolerance, kindness, and generosity to the mass of humanity streaming past their homes every day, and many others, the welcome is almost always genuine and warm, and the goal is to be of service. I've not been on other Caminos but hope it's the same.

Of course, there are mediocre and even bad players in the mix, too, and, of course, even with the good players I realize it's also (and rightfully) about making money, but I am still astounded at how incredibly hard and consistently cheerfully the people of the local communities of the Camino work during the main walking season. I also want to point out in particular that the TOILETS in bars, restaurants and most albergues (and I stayed in many of the huge municipal ones) are uniformly very clean. I've both lived and traveled a lot around the world and don't think I've ever been as impressed with public bathrooms anywhere.

So please take a moment to feel gratitude for and express gratitude to the wonderful people who DON'T walk the Camino, as well as the wonderful people who DO.

Mil gracias a todos!

Hear! hear!