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I'm definitely concerned about the large albergues. The rustling and squeaking. The whispered conversations at 3am. I read a whole thread complaining about loud inconsiderate 5am alarms. If normal people already find this annoying, I'll find it annoying+20%. Yikes.My experience with the Camino Frances is, that it offers "both worlds" from silent and remote to crowded and lively. It is also my experience that you can have more or less of one or the other, according to your liking, but you will have both of it no matter what you do.
Looking at your starting date you might be lucky enough to not have to many people on the first part of the Frances and avoid a good part of the Sarria summer crowd.
You might also give some consideration how you might react to sleeping in albergues, maybe especially the bigger ones.
Unfortunately much of that is outside your control. It is simply a fact of albergue life. You may find that private rooms are a more comfortable choice but even there you are often exposed to street noise. Street life in Spain often runs late into the night and can occasionally be quite raucous. The Camino Frances is a busy route and that brings a great deal of noise with it.I'm definitely concerned about the large albergues. The rustling and squeaking. The whispered conversations at 3am. I read a whole thread complaining about loud inconsiderate 5am alarms. If normal people already find this annoying, I'll find it annoying+20%. Yikes.
But then it also comes down to pure luck.As @Bradypus suggested, check out Gronze.com for both your daily distances and descriptions of albergues. As each albergue is described, you’ll see how many beds it offers and general room configurations. There are definitely big difference in albergues so it will be worth checking out possible places to stay. You’ll also find that a number of the private albergues have a link to Booking.com or offer their email address or phone number for you to contact them directly. Some albergues also offer private rooms which might be of interest to you.
I'm also AuADHD, and I've done several Caminos. A Camino is the perfect thing for us because it has the routine our autistic brain needs while seeing something different every day which helps the ADHD thing. I lived in Spain for ten years, before I realised this, and struggled a lot during any festival time or crowded, noisy restaurants.I have AuADHD and will be walking the Camino Frances starting Aug 21st 2024. Crowded restaurants with loud music and even louder conversation are my idea of hell. I get annoyed by the sound of traffic from the road next to my apartment. One of the reasons I'm walking is to get away from urban noise. Would love to hear about experiences and tips/ tricks to avoid overstimulation and have a better time.
Here's a metaphor for the experience of being noise sensitive. It's a normal mildly irritating ant bite but there's nothing you can do to stop it hurting unless you're a mile away from civilisation. But you have a job / friends / family etc so you just have to bear with it. Forever.
I walked earlier this year with my daughter who is in the same boat. She took Loop earplugs to take the edge off. They don't prevent her from hearing people or things, just take it down a notch. She said they were very helpful. They are light and not (from my perspective) terribly expensive).I have AuADHD and will be walking the Camino Frances starting Aug 21st 2024. Crowded restaurants with loud music and even louder conversation are my idea of hell. I get annoyed by the sound of traffic from the road next to my apartment. One of the reasons I'm walking is to get away from urban noise. Would love to hear about experiences and tips/ tricks to avoid overstimulation and have a better time.
Here's a metaphor for the experience of being noise sensitive. It's a normal mildly irritating ant bite but there's nothing you can do to stop it hurting unless you're a mile away from civilisation. But you have a job / friends / family etc so you just have to bear with it. Forever.
The Camino might not be for you.I have AuADHD and will be walking the Camino Frances starting Aug 21st 2024. Crowded restaurants with loud music and even louder conversation are my idea of hell. I get annoyed by the sound of traffic from the road next to my apartment. One of the reasons I'm walking is to get away from urban noise. Would love to hear about experiences and tips/ tricks to avoid overstimulation and have a better time.
Here's a metaphor for the experience of being noise sensitive. It's a normal mildly irritating ant bite but there's nothing you can do to stop it hurting unless you're a mile away from civilisation. But you have a job / friends / family etc so you just have to bear with it. Forever.
The Camino might not be for you.
Seriously?The Camino might not be for you.
I hear ya. I loathe loud places and crowds, and avoid them whenever I can.
Anything you really dislike, you're almost guaranteed to have a dose of it while on a pilgrimage. You will find yourself immersed in something you can't stand, but you keep going. You stand it. And after a little while, you come out the other side a bit rattled, but unharmed.
And you realize you're OK. You did it. You got this.
You get stronger.
It doesn't necessarily mean you never feel panicked or freaked-out again by that stimulus, but you have lived experience of getting past it. And that's what the camino is all about. Transformation, large and small. Facing down what you can't stand, and realizing you're standing just fine, thanks.
Really good answerI hear ya. I loathe loud places and crowds, and avoid them whenever I can.
Anything you really dislike, you're almost guaranteed to have a dose of it while on a pilgrimage. You will find yourself immersed in something you can't stand, but you keep going. You stand it. And after a little while, you come out the other side a bit rattled, but unharmed.
And you realize you're OK. You did it. You got this.
You get stronger.
It doesn't necessarily mean you never feel panicked or freaked-out again by that stimulus, but you have lived experience of getting past it. And that's what the camino is all about. Transformation, large and small. Facing down what you can't stand, and realizing you're standing just fine, thanks.
How unkind and completely unnecessary.The Camino might not be for you.
Or maybe good noise-cancelling earbuds? The advantage being that earbuds are both smaller and lighter.Was hoping to leave the Bose headphones at home but will now be bringing them along
I disagree with some of these answers, as kindly as they are. There are some people who really should put the camino on the back burner...and yes, there are many many people who will never do a camino, and many who should not.. It is totally NOT for everyone, and there is totally NO shame in that.How unkind and completely unnecessary.
I will be doing the whole CF from SJPdP to SdC. Walking for at least 31 days is going to be a stressful experience. Things will happen along the way. This is all expected and completely fine. I'm just looking to mitigate extra stressors beyond this. Really appreciate all the good suggestions on the thread. Was hoping to leave the Bose headphones at home but will now be bringing them along. Since I'm wearing them they won't count as backpack weight right?
I second this! I brought 2 pairs of loops- one for reducing noise if I got overwhelmed during the day (didn't happen often) and one for sleeping (really worked well! I kept them in a small bag tied to my sleeping bag so that I wouldn't forget them and have to get down off the top bunk to retrieve them!).I walked earlier this year with my daughter who is in the same boat. She took Loop earplugs to take the edge off. They don't prevent her from hearing people or things, just take it down a notch. She said they were very helpful. They are light and not (from my perspective) terribly expensive).
It did have have a side effect that when they were in her ears, the volume of her own speech went way down. Apparently they made her own internal perception of her voice much louder. Eventually she learned that she would have to take one out when she wanted to talk if she wanted anyone to be able to hear her.
All true. But it is possible to too far the other way. We also see people above in the same situation who had great Caminos. If there is something that is light, easily acquired, and able to make the person physically/psychologically fit for their Camino, why suggest a person should not attempt it?I disagree with some of these answers, as kindly as they are. There are some people who really should put the camino on the back burner...and yes, there are many many people who will never do a camino, and many who should not.. It is totally NOT for everyone, and there is totally NO shame in that.
Just this morning I sat with a completely broken man along the trail. His feet are shredded, his clothing costly but inadequate, his group has gone on without him. He paid thousands for this "journey of transformation," but he started out about 70kg overweight, pre-diabetic, and no one told him how HARD this is. I am amazed he has not collapsed entirely. I am tempted to denounce his tour operator for false advertising/abuse!
People are marketing this trail as something it is NOT designed to deliver. They are taking peoples' money and abandoning them to the kindness of strangers.. and we "strangers" are getting a bit fed up with picking up their slack and listening to their lame excuses.
If you are not physically/psychologically/spiritually fit, if you depend on others to navigate your daily needs, if you do not speak Spanish and have no intention of even trying to learn a few phrases? Ýes, the Camino is NOt for you, at least not right now.Please do not try this without some prior training. It is a path of austerity and self-discipline, not a "gustatory journey," as this poor guy was told, and sold.
Lord have mercy!
Thank you for such a practical suggestion. I have ordered some sleep Loops which I can now test out at home. I have also ordered the Loop Link i.e. cord to wear them around my neck. I'm hoping this will stop me loosing them if they fall out (I can toss around a LOT at night). It will also enable me to keep them handy around my neck on days I want to wear the Loops eg when travelling.I walked earlier this year with my daughter who is in the same boat. She took Loop earplugs to take the edge off. They don't prevent her from hearing people or things, just take it down a notch. She said they were very helpful. They are light and not (from my perspective) terribly expensive).
It did have have a side effect that when they were in her ears, the volume of her own speech went way down. Apparently they made her own internal perception of her voice much louder. Eventually she learned that she would have to take one out when she wanted to talk if she wanted anyone to be able to hear her.
I have only recently understood that I am on the Autistic Spectrum. Walking Caminos has enabled me to gradually become less masked in life. Now I understand and recognise that process!I have AuADHD and will be walking the Camino Frances starting Aug 21st 2024. Crowded restaurants with loud music and even louder conversation are my idea of hell. I get annoyed by the sound of traffic from the road next to my apartment. One of the reasons I'm walking is to get away from urban noise. Would love to hear about experiences and tips/ tricks to avoid overstimulation and have a better time.
Here's a metaphor for the experience of being noise sensitive. It's a normal mildly irritating ant bite but there's nothing you can do to stop it hurting unless you're a mile away from civilisation. But you have a job / friends / family etc so you just have to bear with it. Forever.
I am similar. Perhaps milder than you; who knows. I was hospitalero several times for a total of fourteen months or more in an albergue that offered communal dinner. It was usually somewhat loud with conversation (no music but ten to thirty pilgrims and staff). I generally was not greatly bothered, but there was one night where I had to close my eyes and squeeze up against the wall instead of eating. I also biked at least four hundred kilometers of Camino and never had a noise problem, even on the sections that were on or next to a highway.I have AuADHD and will be walking the Camino Frances starting Aug 21st 2024. Crowded restaurants with loud music and even louder conversation are my idea of hell.
A what? Oh, my.It is a path of austerity and self-discipline, not a "gustatory journey," as this poor guy was told, and sold.
Lord have mercy!
I have this issue as well and I bought a headband with built in flat speakers (Bluetooth) so that I can listen to podcasts or music or white noise in the dorms when I need to decompress. The flat speakers mean you can lay on your side without pain. It covers my eyes too. I when paired with foamy ear plugs, it can really block out a lot and let me sleep. I also bring noise cancelling earbuds for the day time but I found 80% of the Camino in general is quiet and not overstimulating. Even the cafe bars were pretty low key most of the time. But I totally get how that hum of conversation can be overwhelming sometimes. Especially when you are already tired.I'm definitely concerned about the large albergues. The rustling and squeaking. The whispered conversations at 3am. I read a whole thread complaining about loud inconsiderate 5am alarms. If normal people already find this annoying, I'll find it annoying+20%. Yikes.
I disagree with some of these answers, as kindly as they are. There are some people who really should put the camino on the back burner...and yes, there are many many people who will never do a camino, and many who should not.. It is totally NOT for everyone, and there is totally NO shame in that.
Just this morning I sat with a completely broken man along the trail. His feet are shredded, his clothing costly but inadequate, his group has gone on without him. He paid thousands for this "journey of transformation," but he started out about 70kg overweight, pre-diabetic, and no one told him how HARD this is. I am amazed he has not collapsed entirely. I am tempted to denounce his tour operator for false advertising/abuse!
People are marketing this trail as something it is NOT designed to deliver. They are taking peoples' money and abandoning them to the kindness of strangers.. and we "strangers" are getting a bit fed up with picking up their slack and listening to their lame excuses.
If you are not physically/psychologically/spiritually fit, if you depend on others to navigate your daily needs, if you do not speak Spanish and have no intention of even trying to learn a few phrases? Ýes, the Camino is NOt for you, at least not right now.Please do not try this without some prior training. It is a path of austerity and self-discipline, not a "gustatory journey," as this poor guy was told, and sold.
Lord have mercy!
Last year I started from SJPdP on Aug 22nd, similar to the OP's plans. Whilst busy it was ahead of the September crush. What do you mean by shoulder season? I aimed to walk 20km a day, certainly no more than 25km. It was about two months before I reached Finisterre and autumn was well underway. To wait until the end of September would have pushed my Camino into very wintry conditions by the time I finished.I would consider going on the camino on the shoulder season. September is very busy on the camino. Lots of Full albergues and lines to get coffee and use a bathroom..there can be lots of noise in establishments. If you need quiet, why not walk when it is much quieter!
Thank you for your response!!I disagree with some of these answers, as kindly as they are. There are some people who really should put the camino on the back burner...and yes, there are many many people who will never do a camino, and many who should not.. It is totally NOT for everyone, and there is totally NO shame in that.
Just this morning I sat with a completely broken man along the trail. His feet are shredded, his clothing costly but inadequate, his group has gone on without him. He paid thousands for this "journey of transformation," but he started out about 70kg overweight, pre-diabetic, and no one told him how HARD this is. I am amazed he has not collapsed entirely. I am tempted to denounce his tour operator for false advertising/abuse!
People are marketing this trail as something it is NOT designed to deliver. They are taking peoples' money and abandoning them to the kindness of strangers.. and we "strangers" are getting a bit fed up with picking up their slack and listening to their lame excuses.
If you are not physically/psychologically/spiritually fit, if you depend on others to navigate your daily needs, if you do not speak Spanish and have no intention of even trying to learn a few phrases? Ýes, the Camino is NOt for you, at least not right now.Please do not try this without some prior training. It is a path of austerity and self-discipline, not a "gustatory journey," as this poor guy was told, and sold.
Lord have mercy!
There’s an English Mass conducted by Fr. Manny Domingo, a Filipino priest who is a many-time pilgrim and who has lived and worked in Santiago de Compostela for many years. The Mass is at 10.30am each day except for Wednesdays. The number of pilgrims who attend the Mass I’ve found over the years to be generally quite small - probably around 12 or so. It’s an intimate Mass and very special.
Second both of these suggestions.After the Mass the Camino Companions who help officiate at the Mass invite pilgrims for a cup of tea/coffee, biscuits and a chat upstairs in Room 6 - again, a small group attend. This might be an opportunity for you to process and decompress from your Camino experience.
Just this morning I sat with a completely broken man along the trail. His feet are shredded, his clothing costly but inadequate, his group has gone on without him. He paid thousands for this "journey of transformation," but he started out about 70kg overweight, pre-diabetic, and no one told him how HARD this is. I am amazed he has not collapsed entirely. I am tempted to denounce his tour operator for false advertising/abuse!
The OPs situation is clearly different from the one @Rebekah Scott describes as there are some relatively simple steps which can be taken to mitigate the problems which could be expected. And it is good to see that @lsg is aware of potential problems and actively thinking of ways of resolving them. There have been some very helpful suggestions made. But I have been struck yet again by some of the "magical thinking" about the Caminos in the suggestions that of course they are for everyone with little reflection on what may be genuine severe and potentially disqualifying health problems for some. I am thinking in particular of Rebekah's severely overweight man with his other related health issues.What bothers me, is how many folks on this website, tell people to just go,…even without training, because they did and they made it! Yes, some people may be able to walk and become fitter. But how many can’t? Ultimately some pilgrims lack self-knowledge and aren’t sufficiently informed about the challenges the camino can present them.
I have AuADHD and will be walking the Camino Frances starting Aug 21st 2024. Crowded restaurants with loud music and even louder conversation are my idea of hell. I get annoyed by the sound of traffic from the road next to my apartment. One of the reasons I'm walking is to get away from urban noise. Would love to hear about experiences and tips/ tricks to avoid overstimulation and have a better time.
On the days I wanted to spend time away from the noise, I took a slow morning in the hostel, woke up later, enjoyed a nice breakfast and set off after everyone else had packed and gone. I found by doing this puts you on a bit of a different schedule to the general crowd. Id also try spend the night in the in between albergues, outside of the main towns. These were often smaller, cozier with fewer people.Here's a metaphor for the experience of being noise sensitive. It's a normal mildly irritating ant bite but there's nothing you can do to stop it hurting unless you're a mile away from civilisation. But you have a job / friends / family etc so you just have to bear with it. Forever.
Oh hey! I might end up bumping into you on the way. Where and when do you start?I'm also neurodivergent walking the Camino Frances starting in late August this year. I'm taking a pair of wired noise-canceling earbuds (wired don't drain phone battery like wireless do). Those, plus a white noise app on my phone, work for sleeping in a communal environment or in a noisy city. I will bring a large lightweight scarf to hang on the bed for some privacy if I need to go into my "cave." If feeling overstimulated/overwhelmed, I'll get a private room, even if I have to skip ahead to find a private room.
When did a pilgrimage route upheld for centuries by Benedictine Hospitality that seeks to help pilgrims find healing, recovery, and an unconditional welcome become a place exclusive for bland normality and dismissiveness?The Camino might not be for you.
It still is and still can be without being delusional.When did a pilgrimage route upheld for centuries by Benedictine Hospitality that seeks to help pilgrims find healing, recovery, and an unconditional welcome become a place exclusive for bland normality and dismissiveness?
Of course.It still is and still can be without being delusional.
I make no reference to the OP who seems to be proactive and to whom I wish a ‘buen camino’.
Heard of inclusiveness?
A Camino is like Life: the Good, the Bad & the Ugly and everything in between.
Of course @lsg the Camino is also for you! Thank you for your openness to share your thoughts.
I hope you find inspiration in the majority of constructive posts here!
Woah, easy pilgrim. your comment is a bit patronising like the previous one. In any case, as I said above, I'll ignore that part and keep the love flowing.When did a pilgrimage route upheld for centuries by Benedictine Hospitality that seeks to help pilgrims find healing, recovery, and an unconditional welcome become a place exclusive for bland normality and dismissiveness?
Whoever said that hasn't been to Greece!I’m not getting involved but apparently Spain and Japan are the nosiest countries in the world. A mix of cultural, medical issues. I won’t link anything but google if you want more!
I have walked 8 caminos. I am rather intolerant of noise myself. I wear noise cancelling headphones and find they remove the irritation of traffic and other invasive urban noise.Woah, easy pilgrim. your comment is a bit patronising like the previous one. In any case, as I said above, I'll ignore that part and keep the love flowing.
The OP describes urban and loud noise as annoying and even hell. Ssdly, the Camino is fairly urban, there is motor traffic, which you may here for long periods; our bars, restaurants and even plazas can be loud, and it's fiestas season in most villages across Spain in late August and September. Fiestas in Spain mean... noise.
By the way, and for the record, not many Benedictines are of offering hospitality along the Camino anymore. In most cases, it's the secular hospitaleros doing the welcoming.
Of course.
But that reply to the OP was sniping and exclusionist to the point of smacking of ignorance. Perhaps the person is not aware that they are everywhere surrounded by people who are autistic, who have ADHD, or a combination. There are other forms of ND as well... and the more they are welcomed and supported, the better. Things tend to go south not because the ND people are incapable, but because the nuerotypicals are demanding, normative, hostile, and have a tendency to escalate stuff. There is considerable research data on this from the realm of conversation analysis (a method often applied to clinical settings, courtrooms, classrooms, and therapy practices to figure out how people communicate power, control their positions in interactions and so on). The data say at the most fundamental level for ND-NT interactions, that it is the NTs who are the drivers of poor interactions.
I have been relieved to see the voices of people with ND experience first hand or in the company of ND beloveds on camino...
I am also grateful that I was recently on the trail and could see that on the ground, the realities of camino are far less rigid and exclusive than they can be on the forum.
On the ground:
- nobody gets bent out of shape about who is carrying a pack or staying in a private room.
- I never saw anyone berate a person using a CPAP machine.
- The elderly and the "jovenes" hung out with each other, and nobody seemed to make broad swath generlizations about generations...
- And nobody told anyone to go home, that they were not welcome, that they were fools for having come...
- Sometimes I heard a person comforted about a decision to go home, but never berated for having tried.
- I have, in 8 caminos seen a handful of confrontational behaviour... always with alcohol involved.
But the conflation of serious structural health impediments with ND lived realities I have seen at different points on the forum... and the viciousness is breathtaking. Some years back, when I was but a lurking, nonsubscriber reader, a member sought advice about walking at night and staying in private accommodation during the day, and the chorus response of "how dare you bring a person with a sleep disability to ruin my camino?" response was shocking.
But pushing a wheelchair? That gets rounds of applause and encouragement (mostly for the pusher).
I smell ableism and a desire for inspiration porn...
Thankfully, it's not part of the camino routes that I love, populated as they are by people who take up the lay ministry of keeping the path alive for *all of us*.
I agree that people should tell it like it is, but I don't think that stretches to assumptions of what others can or can't accomplish and I certainly don't think it stretches to suggesting that the Camino is not for someone else.My point was that nobody should be - or feel - excluded but still that one should still have the right to tell it as it is and the expectation that someone would do that.
"Inspiration porn" is the dehumanising use of persons with disabilities as objects that make typical people feel better about themselves and their own capacities to do ordinary things. "Look at Tiny Tim! If Tiny Tim can do it then so can I!" is what it boils down to, and it's well understood as a problem by persons with disabilities, and is perpetually dismissed as a "compliment" by ableist people who do not want to think very respectfully about what they are doing.Well beyond your first sentence I assume you were just replying generally as you go far beyond my simple point - and what the hell ‘inspiration porn’ is, I really don’t want to know.
There are many things I’m not physically, mentally or emotionally equipped to deal with. I’m OK with that but more than once in my life I’d have welcomed someone knowledgable giving me some honest feedback before I walked into something which actually harmed me.
I am also grateful that I was recently on the trail and could see that on the ground, the realities of camino are far less rigid and exclusive than they can be on the forum.
On the ground:
- nobody gets bent out of shape about who is carrying a pack or staying in a private room.
- I never saw anyone berate a person using a CPAP machine.
- The elderly and the "jovenes" hung out with each other, and nobody seemed to make broad swath generlizations about generations...
- And nobody told anyone to go home, that they were not welcome, that they were fools for having come...
- Sometimes I heard a person comforted about a decision to go home, but never berated for having tried.
- I have, in 8 caminos seen a handful of confrontational behaviour... always with alcohol involved.
There are still plenty of Benedictines along the Camino, offering hospitality to pilgrims. I am one of them!Woah, easy pilgrim. your comment is a bit patronising like the previous one. In any case, as I said above, I'll ignore that part and keep the love flowing.
The OP describes urban and loud noise as annoying and even hell. Ssdly, the Camino is fairly urban, there is motor traffic, which you may here for long periods; our bars, restaurants and even plazas can be loud, and it's fiestas season in most villages across Spain in late August and September. Fiestas in Spain mean... noise.
By the way, and for the record, not many Benedictines are of offering hospitality along the Camino anymore. In most cases, it's the secular hospitaleros doing the welcoming.
Rebekah, My experience with Benedictines is likely more extensive (both in US and abroad) than many on this forum. The rule you are quoting is not reflective of the reality of Benedictine guests in the 21st century. Participation in community prayer/mass and/or meals may be required or may be optional depending on the monastery. That is it for the most part.There are still plenty of Benedictines along the Camino, offering hospitality to pilgrims. I am one of them!
Pilgrims and the poor are singled out for special welcome. But anyone who thinks Benedictine hospitality is "unconditional" has never read St. Benedict's "Rule."
Chapter 53 is the guide for the hospitaleros. True, every guest is to be received like he is the Christ... but he's expected to pray with the community, right off the bat. A member of the community is assigned to "read to them the Divine Law for their instruction, after which every kindness is shown to them," including a hand- and feet-washing session conducted by the abbot or prioress. Only one or two monks or sisters is allowed to speak to guests. Pilgrims are kept in their own quarters, away from the rest of the community. They are made welcome, given food and shelter and invitation to worship, but not a free pass.
Benedictines from Cluny were the power behind the original boom on the Camino de Santiago. Their methods of welcoming strangers, based on the Bible's commands, still inform all manner of thinking people called to hospitality.
Oddly, I don't view that statement in the same way, although obviously context and tone are important. I might use it as an affirmation that everyone is not or does not need to be enamoured of the Camino experience and the decision not to go can indicate a simple acceptance. At some point, I expect that "the Camino will not be for me."That's why "the Camino's not for you" suggestions really rub me the wrong way.
And, even saying to someone, before, and even while walking if one really isn’t up to it, that the Camino is not for everyone, at least maybe at that time, may give someone permission not to walk who really needs to stop! You’re right, however, that tone matters.
I think there is a world of difference between "The Camino is not for everyone" (a statement I have agreed with above) and "the Camino is not for you".Oddly, I don't view that statement in the same way, although obviously context and tone are important. I might use it as an affirmation that everyone is not or does not need to be enamoured of the Camino experience and the decision not to go can indicate a simple acceptance. At some point, I expect that "the Camino will not be for me."
You do have a point, which I need to ponder. However, as the years go by, I become less interested in splitting hairs, and have less expectation of reaching clear conclusions.I think there is a world of difference between "The Camino is not for everyone" (a statement I have agreed with above) and "the Camino is not for you".
I start on August 24 in SJPdP, assuming all my trains and flights are on time.Oh hey! I might end up bumping into you on the way. Where and when do you start?
Having pondered a bit, I would say there is also a difference between "The Camino is not for you" and "The Camino might not be for you." But we are still splitting hairs about some imprecise and imperfect language.I think there is a world of difference between "The Camino is not for everyone" (a statement I have agreed with above) and "the Camino is not for you".
Yes! However, having read many posts from C Cleary and David and most members here, I am at least sure, both, most, would approach a pilgrim in crisis on the Camino with great compassion! David would tend to his feet, while C Clearly might try and and mend his heart. Both,for sure, would sit with a broken man on the trail, as Rebekah did, offering the man an understanding heart and a listening ear.Having pondered a bit, I would say there is also a difference between "The Camino is not for you" and "The Camino might not be for you." But we are still splitting hairs about some imprecise and imperfect language.
Hi @lsg, welcome to the forum and thanks for starting this thread.I have AuADHD and will be walking the Camino Frances starting Aug 21st 2024. Crowded restaurants with loud music and even louder conversation are my idea of hell. I get annoyed by the sound of traffic from the road next to my apartment. One of the reasons I'm walking is to get away from urban noise. Would love to hear about experiences and tips/ tricks to avoid overstimulation and have a better time.
Avoid the standard stages mentioned in almost every guidebook.I have AuADHD and will be walking the Camino Frances starting Aug 21st 2024. Crowded restaurants with loud music and even louder conversation are my idea of hell. I get annoyed by the sound of traffic from the road next to my apartment. One of the reasons I'm walking is to get away from urban noise. Would love to hear about experiences and tips/ tricks to avoid overstimulation and have a better time
Quick review of the Loop Quiet earplugs:Thank you for such a practical suggestion. I have ordered some sleep Loops which I can now test out at home. I have also ordered the Loop Link i.e. cord to wear them around my neck. I'm hoping this will stop me loosing them if they fall out (I can toss around a LOT at night). It will also enable me to keep them handy around my neck on days I want to wear the Loops eg when travelling.
I've seen super-fit, "mentally" well prepared people fail on the first 2-3 days of a long hike.I was one of those first-time Pilgrims who was woefully out-of-shape, even for the Sarria - SdC walk and even though I had lost some weight before starting.
Thank g-d none of the people I walked alongside of stopped to tell me that the Camino was not for me or that I was some delusional fat slob who should have been sitting at home watching tv since that was evidently all I was fit enough to do.
t is not for anyone to tell someone else that the Camino is not for them, particularly based on some bigoted notion of who they are simply by looking at them, or finding out that they are atypical in any way.
I may have missed something, but what does this tell you.First congratulations on your progressions and accomplishments!!
I seriously doubt that anyone on this forum ever told anyone directly on the Camino that the camino was not for him/her! People who would do that wouldn’t last on this site! Please go back and read the circumstances of the particular pilgrim. Like most of us, you modified your camino according to your abilities! The initial concern about the overweight pilgrim is he was “stuck” on an expensive long Camino that he really appeared to be unable to keep up with or modify. His feet were “raw” and he was “broken”. Most pilgrims regardless of age, shape, weight, color nationality, and other circumstances encourage one another! But there are circumstances where being able to give a person emotional support and permission to stop, and perhaps try again another time, is the most supportive, healing response that can be given!
No you didn’t miss anything? Did You? Do you not perceive that “Might not be for you”. is qualitatively very quite different from a declaration“it is not for you?”I may have missed something, but what does this tell you.
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Well, yeah. It has been more than a thousand years...Rebekah, My experience with Benedictines is likely more extensive (both in US and abroad) than many on this forum. The rule you are quoting is not reflective of the reality of Benedictine guests in the 21st century. Participation in community prayer/mass and/or meals may be required or may be optional depending on the monastery. That is it for the most part.
First congratulations on your progressions and accomplishments!!
I seriously doubt that anyone on this forum ever told anyone directly on the Camino that the camino was not for him/her! People who would do that wouldn’t last on this site! Please go back and read the circumstances of the particular pilgrim. Like most of us, you modified your camino according to your abilities! The initial concern about the overweight pilgrim is he was left behind on an expensive long Camino that he really appeared to be unable to keep up with or modify. His feet were “raw” and he was “broken”.
I agree the Camino is not for everyone. I agree we need to be supportive when someone decides that the Camino is not for them. I was able to demonstrate this earlier this year, when walking on Camino with my daughter and she was afraid of disappointing me when she started coming to the realization that the Camino was not for her. But, and this may be splitting hairs, I think there is a difference between supporting that conclusion in someone else and actively leading them there when they haven't expressed any movement in that direction (especially when they haven't started walking yet!) and have just looked for some advice in overcoming the challenges they acknowledge they will face. That's when "The Camino may not be for you" starts to sound like "I doubt you can manage it" or "I think it is probably not for you". That may not be perceived as being as supportive as you intend.First congratulations on your progressions and accomplishments!!
I seriously doubt that anyone on this forum ever told anyone directly on the Camino that the camino was not for him/her! People who would do that wouldn’t last on this site! Please go back and read the circumstances of the particular pilgrim. Like most of us, you modified your camino according to your abilities! The initial concern about the overweight pilgrim is he was left behind on an expensive long Camino that he really appeared to be unable to keep up with or modify. His feet were “raw” and he was “broken”. Most pilgrims regardless of age, shape, weight, color nationality, and other circumstances encourage one another! But there are circumstances where being able to give a person emotional support and permission to stop, and perhaps try again another time, is the most supportive, healing response that can be given!
This!there is a difference between supporting that conclusion in someone else and actively leading them there when they haven't expressed any movement in that direction (especially when they haven't started walking yet!) and have just looked for some advice in overcoming the challenges they acknowledge they will face. That's when "The Camino may not be for you" starts to sound like "I doubt you can manage it" or "I think it is probably not for you". That may not be perceived as being as supportive as you intend.
Borders on a Command?? Really? Why so strong?! Odious?! Why leap to then “WE” don’t belong? Again why “We”…Nowhere is anyone grouping or excluding them or anyone. I’ve gone back and read the entire thread. Maybe is Maybe =. perhaps; possibly! The end!This!
Also... "Maybe the camino isn't for you," (when that statement was not sought) is a statement in which the "maybe" functions as a rhetorical device to make the command sound more polite, slightly less aggressive. But it is a strong suggestion that borders on a command, regardless. In fact, the use of the "maybe" makes the command to some degree more odious because we do know that unless we have sought the "It's OK to decide this is not for me" reassurance, then yes, it's a judgement that we do not belong somewhere that we want to try to be.
Ugh.
This thread is not for me anymore. People are twisting words and creating adversaries where none were intended. Communication and learning are no longer possible.
No, that's not how *rhetorical devices work*:Borders on a Command?? Really? Why so strong?! Odious?! Why leap to then “WE” don’t belong? Again why “We”…Nowhere is anyone grouping or excluding them or anyone. I’ve gone back and read the entire thread. Maybe is Maybe =. perhaps; possibly! The end!
I think @C clearly MAY have been right.
Also -- you just used the device again. You think she is right, but you have declined to take full ownership of the assertion by inserting a snark "may" into the phrasing.Borders on a Command?? Really? Why so strong?! Odious?! Why leap to then “WE” don’t belong? Again why “We”…Nowhere is anyone grouping or excluding them or anyone. I’ve gone back and read the entire thread. Maybe is Maybe =. perhaps; possibly! The end!
I think @C clearly MAY have been right.
Just be sure to plan for when markets are open or not.Remember that you choose where to stop. Stay in a small village, buy something at a supermarket or tienda, so you don't need to go to the bar.
Of course, you will always encounter the noise of other pilgrims. You don't say where you live now. If you live in a city, you may find the camino a quieter experience than what you're used to.
Ok, I did not miss anything. Thank you.No you didn’t miss anything? Did You? Do you not perceive that “Might not be for you”. is qualitatively very quite different from a declaration“it is not for you?”
I've decided to not bring along my kobo reader to reduce weight. I could read books on my phone of course but. the. tiny. tiny. screen. Who knew how such a few centimeters could make all the difference. Hmmm.I'm not super noise sensitive so I cannot comment on that piece.
TLDR: If your ADHD makes you bored easily bring entertainment.
I have ADHD. I have struggled with times like right now with sheer boredom. It's 6pm. I've been here since 1:30 pm. And I'm just waiting and waiting for dinner time. I wish I had a book or someone to hang out with. I did my laundry, showered, sat in the bar with a wine. I'm so bored sitting around! And while walking too. I love nature and I like to hear the birds. But dang if most of day is "trudge trudge trudge" the sound of the gravel crunching under my feet. My brain is bored! I started talking to myself on the trail. I even yelled (out loud) at the sunflowers yesterday for being too happy. Currently the Frances route is not busy. I'm alone most of the day. I feel so guilty being in this great country and watching Game of Thrones on my phone, but I have to do something!
Yeah, very true.the. tiny. tiny. screen
Keep going. You will (hopefully) get through that mental noise and that urge to distract and entertain yourself, and eventually pass into a very peaceful place where you're just fully aware of yourself and the world around you, and how wonderful life is right here, right now, doing nothing at all.I'm not super noise sensitive so I cannot comment on that piece.
TLDR: If your ADHD makes you bored easily bring entertainment.
I have ADHD. I have struggled with times like right now with sheer boredom. It's 6pm. I've been here since 1:30 pm. And I'm just waiting and waiting for dinner time. I wish I had a book or someone to hang out with. I did my laundry, showered, sat in the bar with a wine. I'm so bored sitting around! And while walking too. I love nature and I like to hear the birds. But dang if most of day is "trudge trudge trudge" the sound of the gravel crunching under my feet. My brain is bored! I started talking to myself on the trail. I even yelled (out loud) at the sunflowers yesterday for being too happy. Currently the Frances route is not busy. I'm alone most of the day. I feel so guilty being in this great country and watching Game of Thrones on my phone, but I have to do something!
Hey mate, the things that you do at home to navigate through life will work just as well on Camino.I've decided to not bring along my kobo reader to reduce weight. I could read books on my phone of course but. the. tiny. tiny. screen. Who knew how such a few centimeters could make all the difference. Hmmm.
Outside of Logroño, I encountered a large info board titled something like “A Camino for Everyone” all about accessibility, etc. Even had a large amount of Braille on it which I didn’t bother to read. But I couldn’t help noticing that it was right before a hill that no one in a wheelchair could ascend without assistance.But I have been struck yet again by some of the "magical thinking" about the Caminos in the suggestions that of course they are for everyone with little reflection on what may be genuine severe and potentially disqualifying health problems for some
Good luck with that! Spain is a noisy place. Like most Mediterranean countries. You could look into other Camino routes, many of those are really quiet.I have AuADHD and will be walking the Camino Frances starting Aug 21st 2024. Crowded restaurants with loud music and even louder conversation are my idea of hell. I get annoyed by the sound of traffic from the road next to my apartment. One of the reasons I'm walking is to get away from urban noise. Would love to hear about experiences and tips/ tricks to avoid overstimulation and have a better time.
Here's a metaphor for the experience of being noise sensitive. It's a normal mildly irritating ant bite but there's nothing you can do to stop it hurting unless you're a mile away from civilisation. But you have a job / friends / family etc so you just have to bear with it. Forever.
That's good. Tourists can get caught out with OTC codeine based products in Greece. I assume you had to declare the meds when you flew in?Just a quick update on travel and medication for posterity. I've spent the past week in England and am now in Athens. I have brought a 40 day supply of stimulants and a 90 day supply of other prescription medication in my checked luggage and have not been stopped at customs at any point. As a precaution I've brought all medication in the original pharmacy bags printed with my name and prescribing hospital but as far as I know, this hasn't been examined.
That's good. Tourists can get caught out with OTC codeine based products in Greece. I assume you had to declare the meds when you flew in?
Buen CaminoI'm in SJPDP now! Start walking tomorrow. 1st night in the albergue was alright. Took a while to get to sleep but slept through the other pilgrims leaving at 5.30am. Bottom bunk is the best bunk. Iykyk
You shouldn't need to sleep with so many people again but at least you have headphones and earplugs. Well done.Writing this from Larrasoaña. Stayed at the albergue in Roncesvalles last night. There were so many people chatting away that I had to wear both the earplugs and the headphones to go to sleep. Would rather not do that again.
When you are arriving in Pamplona, stay in Trinidad de Arre (albergue right at the bridge). And when you continue onward, stay in the smaller villages... and not in the large private albergues (unless you can get your own room). Municipal and parochial albergues generally have stricter regulations about lights out times, and quiet hours. You won't see another really large albergue after Pamplona until Burgos (though the one in Estella can get very busy... it does have quiet hours). The Estella albergue used to have two side-by-side bunks down the middle of the dorm and that may not be great for you, so you should inform the hospitalero of your needs... perhaps get a more private corner...Writing this from Larrasoaña. Stayed at the albergue in Roncesvalles last night. There were so many people chatting away that I had to wear both the earplugs and the headphones to go to sleep. Would rather not do that again.
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