It becomes harder to find germans on the camino

[Shinobi42]

Dear fellow pilgrims,

in the past it was very easy to figure out whether a pilgrim's origin was Germany or not. The best indicators were two yellow items. The yellow travel guide from Raimund Joos published by Outdoor and the yellow tube of hand wash gel that every german knows: "Rei in der Tube". While the travel guide is still alive and kicking not a soap opera but a soap drama takes place in my home country. Several stores have removed Rei from their stock and replaced it by other products that use different color. German exceptionalism by hand washing hiking socks and other dirty laundry in the public is soon coming to an end. The bright yellow light around the sinks fades away.

So what can you do to have cristal clear certainty of getting in touch with a german fellow pilgrim in an albergue? I guess there is no other way left (it is "alternativlos" as Angela Merkel would say) to speak to them directly. What do you think about that?

Best regards
Markus

PS: I still have a tube of Rei left in my equipment box, so I am planning to do my walk on the Camino del Norte in october clearly detectable.

 

[evanlow]

Deuter backpacks. Short sleeves shirts with full buttons (men).

These are two more things to help your profiling....

 

[Turga]

So what can you do to have cristal clear certainty of getting in touch with a german fellow pilgrim in an albuerge?

I guess you could call out in a loud voice "Are there any German pilgrims present?"

 

[sternenstrasse]

The exceptional yellow hand wash gel tube already has its monument in Palas de Rei.

 

[Pilger Franz]

I guess you could call out in a loud voice "Are there any German pilgrims present?"

My best guess to call: "Keiner da?!"

 

[SabsP]

Gehwol footcreme !

Präparate

Gerlach gilt mit ihren beiden Marken GEHWOL & GERLACH TECHNIK weltweit als einer der wichtigsten Komplettanbieter für Fußpflege-Präparate.

www.gehwol.de

Although sometimes also to be observed with Dutch or Belgian pilgrims....

 

[camino.ninja]

Dear fellow pilgrims,

in the past it was very easy to figure out whether a pilgrim's origin was Germany or not. The best indicators were two yellow items. The yellow travel guide from Raimund Joos published by Outdoor and the yellow tube of hand wash gel that every german knows: "Rei in der Tube". While the travel guide is still alive and kicking not a soap opera but a soap drama takes place in my home country. Several stores have removed Rei from their stock and replaced it by other products that use different color. German exceptionalism by hand washing hiking socks and other dirty laundry in the public is soon coming to an end. The bright yellow light around the sinks fades away.

So what can you do to have cristal clear certainty of getting in touch with a german fellow pilgrim in an albuerge? I guess there is no other way left (it is "alternativlos" as Angela Merkel would say) to speak to them directly. What do you think about that?

Best regards
Markus

PS: I still have a tube of Rei left in my equipment box, so I am planning to do my walk on the Camino del Norte in october clearly detectable.

Maybe the signs just change a little. Lowa Renegade boots, Deuter backpacks, Hirschtalg creme, the pastel colors - and also the accent - all stayed the same ;-)

Oh - and the beers are bigger (Irish people might disagree)

 

[auburnfive]

One of my humbling memories from my first Camino in 2008 - a large group of German pilgrims on a tour walking at the same time as we were. They were rather loud and obnoxious, singing songs while walking, taking over restaurants, their presence was strongly and somewhat resentfully felt by others. To our surprise one day, in a small town they had set up several picnic tables with a large spread of food for their fellow passing pilgrims to partake. I remember being served some delicious cheese by a very friendly fellow pilgrim. A lesson to look on others with more kindness.

 

[Former member 92300]

Deuter backpacks. Short sleeves shirts with full buttons (men).

These are two more things to help your profiling....

Haha... so true!

 

[Shinobi42]

Maybe the signs just change a little. Lowa Renegade boots, Deuter backpacks, Hirschtalg creme, the pastel colors - and also the accent - all stayed the same ;-)

Oh - and the beers are bigger (Irish people might disagree)

I am working on "se jermen acksent" and use Hirschtalg secretely (vegans hate it), but the other stuff does not relate to me. I have Meindl boots (I think they are more common among Germans) a Bulgarian Tashev backpack and a shiny yellow t-shirt and bandana. And the best beer I had on the camino was a fresh Guiness in a standard pint size. (Quite comparable to the irish folks).

 

[Former member 92300]

Personally I think the best way to find anyone on the Camino is just simply say "Buen Camino, my name is Jeanine and I am from Arizona/USA" and wait for a response! I travelled last summer just as Spain opened to vaccinated tourists. In the beginning almost everyone was Spanish or French... but by the time I reached Pamplona I was beginning to meet a lot more people from other countries. Germany was definitely well represented! But also, why limit yourself? I of course looked for my fellow Americans for some comradery - but I met people from Spain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Austria, Ireland, Great Britain, Iran, and a few other countries and enjoyed getting to know them all! Worth noting - due to timing and the state of COVID at the time, Europe was well represented and there were quite a few Americans - but residents of other continents had not yet returned to the Camino for the most part.

 

[camino.ninja]

I am working on "se jermen acksent" and use Hirschtalg secretely (vegans hate it), but the other stuff does not relate to me. I have Meindl boots (I think they are more common among Germans) a Bulgarian Tashev backpack and a shiny yellow t-shirt and bandana. And the best beer I had on the camino was a fresh Guiness in a standard pint size. (Quite comparable to the irish folks).

I think your gear might be considered camouflage in Germany

 

[Kathor1]

use Hirschtalg

O-ha! Hirschtalg! Made me wonder whether you are from south of the river Main. Wiesbaden ... So, so. Borderline.

 

[RJM]

Personally I think the best way to find anyone on the Camino is just simply say "Buen Camino, my name is Jeanine and I am from Arizona/USA" and wait for a response! I travelled last summer just as Spain opened to vaccinated tourists. In the beginning almost everyone was Spanish or French... but by the time I reached Pamplona I was beginning to meet a lot more people from other countries. Germany was definitely well represented! But also, why limit yourself? I of course looked for my fellow Americans for some comradery - but I met people from Spain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Austria, Ireland, Great Britain, Iran, and a few other countries and enjoyed getting to know them all! Worth noting - due to timing and the state of COVID at the time, Europe was well represented and there were quite a few Americans - but residents of other continents had not yet returned to the Camino for the most part.

I will throw out a few "buen Camino" in response everyday, but after a while I just say "good morning" or "good afternoon". Perhaps the occasional "ultreia".

 

[Caomhin O Fearghaill]

Dear fellow pilgrims,

in the past it was very easy to figure out whether a pilgrim's origin was Germany or not. The best indicators were two yellow items. The yellow travel guide from Raimund Joos published by Outdoor and the yellow tube of hand wash gel that every german knows: "Rei in der Tube". While the travel guide is still alive and kicking not a soap opera but a soap drama takes place in my home country. Several stores have removed Rei from their stock and replaced it by other products that use different color. German exceptionalism by hand washing hiking socks and other dirty laundry in the public is soon coming to an end. The bright yellow light around the sinks fades away.

So what can you do to have cristal clear certainty of getting in touch with a german fellow pilgrim in an albuerge? I guess there is no other way left (it is "alternativlos" as Angela Merkel would say) to speak to them directly. What do you think about that?

Best regards
Markus

PS: I still have a tube of Rei left in my equipment box, so I am planning to do my walk on the Camino del Norte in october clearly detectable.

I have been walking the Camino since 2008 and I never noticed a shortage of German Pilgrims.

 

[Former member 92300]

I will throw out a few "buen Camino" in response everyday, but after a while I just say "good morning" or "good afternoon". Perhaps the occasional "ultreia".

Ah yes, all are fine and will do the trick! Actually - since I walked when Spain had barely opened to tourists last year - there were only about 30 of us walking the same stages (until after Leon there were more). Everyone knew everyone pretty much. We rarely said "Buen Camino" at all haha. When we did hear it - it was usually a pilgrim on a bike flying past us or a local being friendly. For me I think I said a lot of "Hola!, Buenas Dias, Good morning, and Hellos"! I reserved the "buen Caminos" for responses to the bikers and locals.

 

[Andorinha]

If they pass by you fast, they are most likely from Germany

 

[pelerine]

Men wearing socks in sandals when walking about town....

 

[David and Theresa]

One of the greatest things about the Camino ,is meeting people from different countries and different cultures, (if you want to just hang with Germans, look around Germany)

 

[SabsP]

One of the greatest things about the Camino ,is meeting people from different countries and different cultures, (if you want to just hang with Germans, look around Germany)

Of course but I'm pretty sure the OP meant it in an ironic way...

 

[jflorez]

Deuter backpack for sure. I walked last September/October ('21) and met a couple from Germany on day 1. We would spend the next 36 days walking together. As a result I think I met every other German who was walking the same 'schedule'. I even began to pick up some of the language here and there. The one key thing I observed about those I was with, and met, was the amount of time they spent with their guide book, planning and planning, and discussing the planning. We even joked about this. So, look for the happy, loud group enjoying the day, beers all around, and more than a couple guide books open and being discussed. And Buen Camino!

 

[malingerer]

Maybe the signs just change a little. Lowa Renegade boots, Deuter backpacks, Hirschtalg creme, the pastel colors - and also the accent - all stayed the same ;-)

Oh - and the beers are bigger (Irish people might disagree)

On that point you might have to ask a certain buffoon in a certain film !

samarkand.

 

[gittiharre]

Deuter backpacks. Short sleeves shirts with full buttons (men).

These are two more things to help your profiling....

The shirts are checked!

 

[Former member 100800]

The shirts are checked!

Thoroughly.

 

[Flog]

Plenty of stereotyping here

 

[peregrina2000]

Plenty of stereotyping here

Good point. Not too long ago, we deleted some posts in which people accused Germans of improperly “saving” seats for themselves by using towels (or something like that), because we thought it could be insulting, even though it was all said in good fun. It was a thread about camino families and the post I linked to was my attempt to explain. It’s a tough balancing act— on the one hand we all need to be able to laugh at ourselves, and there is no doubt that our cultures mold our behaviors in many ways that are identifiable. But on the other hand, stereotypes lead to a lot of bad behaviors and erroneous judgments, I think that so far this thread lies on the side of laughing at ourselves with no insults intended or perceived.

 

[Flog]

Hmm, so far it's laughing at Irish as drunks and Germans as obsessive planners with poor dress sense. Perhaps we should balance it by stereotyping Americans and English and....
After all, it's only a bit of fun, huh?

 

[Kathor1]

The exceptional yellow hand wash gel tube already has its monument in Palas de Rei.

I have walked through Palas de Rei but can't think of anything that would relate to the Rei in der Tube. Can you explain?

BTW, here it is in all its glory, both the old and the new design:



PS: Duh, now I finally got it. It is the name. It's the name.

 

[Kathor1]

on the other hand, stereotypes lead to a lot of bad behaviors and erroneous judgments, I think that so far this thread lies on the side of laughing at ourselves with no insults intended or perceived.

Some of the comments so far refer to brand names and equipment, some to (real or supposed) behaviour and some are a bit too serious. If you have never tried to buy a women's shirt in size 46 in a sports shop in a major German town and not been thinking "Do they really all have to be chequered?!" you may not understand what some of the comments are about.