Pooh Poohed Camino Advice

[isawtman]

First, I’d like to say that I’ve taken a break from this
forum for a little while, mainly because the advice
that I give out has been Pooh Poohed by many of the
forum members here. I realize that I come from a
different background than many of the forum members.
I have hiked the 800 miles of the North Country National
Scenic Trail in Minnesota mainly on weeklong backpacking trips.
I have also completed the 1100 mile Ice Age National Scenic
Trail mainly with day hikes and a few backpacking trips.
So my advice is a little different because I am from a
different background that includes backpacking.

For instance, on one of the most brought up topics, the last
100 km, my advice is totally different than some forum members.
I say if you started from St Jean and have been walking for something
like 25 days, well, you’re in great hiking shape by then. At that point
you should be able to just power through the last 100 km and
move onto something more scenic and perhaps inspirational by
going to Finnesterre or Muxia. I have written that the last 2 km
before the Cathedral are absolutely incredible but the 98 km before that
are pretty average. If you power through it that will give you
less exposure to the crowds, etc.

Of course that advice has been pooh poohed by several of our
forum members. Some of them say they even slow down in the
last 100 km because they don’t want their camino to end.
To me that’s just giving you more exposure to the crowds, etc.
For some people that might be good advice. But for me,
I’d rather be at the Finnesterre Lighthouse than hiking around
the airport near Lavacolla. I took a bus out to Fisterra/Finnestre
to meet up with some friends that were faster than me. I stayed
overnight with my friends and it was one of the most excellent
experiences for me on the Camino.

And, most of the people bringing up the topic of the last 100 km
want to avoid it, not go slower in that section.

Now I am happy to report that it appears that the Camino Officials
are taking my side by implementing new rules. The new rules state
that you can do most of your required 100km on whatever part of a Camino
you wish. So, basically, you could be doing Astorga to OCebriero
which is absolutely spectacular instead of hiking around the Airport
near Lavacolla.

But even if you are hiking around the Airport, the Camino treats everybody
who hikes around it with the same courtesy and respect. We are asked
as Pilgrims not to judge other pilgrims. We are to accept people from
all backgrounds. This forum should be more like that.

 

[SabsP]

Now I am happy to report that it appears that the Camino Officials
are taking my side by implementing new rules. The new rules state
that you can do most of your required 100km on whatever part of a Camino
you wish. So, basically, you could be doing Astorga to OCebriero
which is absolutely spectacular instead of hiking around the Airport
near Lavacolla.

No new rules ( yet ).
Lots of speculation but we did not hear anything official.

See this thread.

Post in thread 'Clarification on 100km'

Dec 27, 2024

The situation continues to be confusing, so, for the moment:
If you want a Compostela walk the last 100km into Santiago AND get two stamps a day on these last 100km.
BC SY

• SYates

• 
• 

Expect some more pooh pooh. Don't be too happy too quickly.

 

[isawtman]

No new rules ( yet ).
Lots of speculation but we did not hear anything official.

Expect some more pooh pooh. Don't be too happy too quickly.

This video with the Canon of the Cathedral seems to announce the new rules

 

[SabsP]

This video with the Canon of the Cathedral seems to announce the new rules

" Seems " is indeed the right word.
We discussed it here in the last couple of weeks.
Again : nothing official!
Take your time to catch up on those threads for more background.

 

[mikeatspokes]

Surely we join forums such as this to pool and share our knowledge, experiences, and to give our advice, freely and without expecting either reward or criticism? We are each of course free to disagree with advice or comment, but should respect that the author has given their of time to express it. Apply the first rule of the Camino: Everyone walks the Camino their way!

 

[SabsP]

Surely we join forums such as this to pool and share our knowledge, experiences, and to give our advice, freely and without expecting either reward or criticism? We are each of course free to disagree with advice or comment, but should respect that the author has given their of time to express it. Apply the first rule of the Camino: Everyone walks the Camino their way!

Absolutely. As far as I am concerned the OP can travel the Camino on a unicycle but I am also allowed to write that what is told in the video is not confirmed ( yet ) by the Oficina de Peregrinos.

 

[trecile]

No new rules ( yet ).
Lots of speculation but we did not hear anything official.

See this thread.

Also this thread with the video that seems to announce new rules:

Thread 'New Compostela Rules'

Dec 22, 2024

New rules for obtaining the Compostela have just been announced. It is not anymore necessary to walk/bike/ride/sail the LAST 100km into Santiago, any 100km on any Camino will do AS LONG as the last stage you do ends in Santiago. Source:

• SYates
• Replies: 99
• Camino de Santiago Forum: Santiago de Compostela – The Destination

• 
• 
• 

 

[JustJack]

Now I am happy to report that it appears that the Camino Officials
are taking my side by implementing new rules.

Your post is oddly self-congratulatory...

What exactly is "your side" that the officials have taken? Your conclusion that the last 100km are crowded and therefore not as enjoyable as other sections? Yeah well we've all noticed that.

And not sure what that great advice is that you've offered up and had rejected (poo poohed, if you will)? To "power through" the last 100km? What does that even mean? Again, I'm not sure that this viewpoint is as unique as you seem to feel it is.

 

[C clearly]

First, I’d like to say that I’ve taken a break from this
forum for a little while,

Clearly you have not caught up on the extensive recent discussions of the "new rules."

you should be able to just power through the last 100 km and move onto something more scenic and perhaps inspirational

Your statement embeds an assumption that your definition of "scenic and inspirational" is universally held. People are presenting a different opinion but you keep pushing yours and making statements with this logical fallacy!

Now I am happy to report that it appears that the Camino Officials are taking my side

This is funny! In drawing this conclusion, you reveal that you consider this to be an adversarial discussion. That is a problem.

We are asked as Pilgrims not to judge other pilgrims. We are to accept people from all backgrounds. This forum should be more like that.

Exactly. Each member is welcome to state a preference or opinion but not to keep pushing it insistently on others!

 

[Frankybaby66]

It's great to get away from all the Christmas goodwill isn't it?
I always find a good walk makes me a better person to be around . .

 

[JustJack]

On a side note, and something that has been reported extensively on this site, the crowds between Sarria and SDC can vary considerably. In June 2023 I encountered the expected crowds at Sarria, and walked with the crowds for half the day. Then I slowed down a bit and let a bubble get ahead of me, and once again the path was quiet. Fast forward a couple days and I stayed in between stages, and the next day walked for half the day before I saw another pilgrim. One of the quietest days on the CF for me, and it was between Sarria and SDC. The path is long - you just need to find and walk in a gap.

 

[CWBuff]

Well...I'm sorry that you felt you "had to take a break".... but folks do that every so often here and there, so hopefully the break just might've done you some good.

I will fess up that I was one of those who, as you said. POOH-POOHed your advice, although I am also sure that I didn't "condescendingly dismissed it with the wave of my hand". IMHO and based on my experiences knowing my body and limitations I am NOT "running/powering/etc" through anything. 20km\day is a good distance for me and if I get caught in the Mad Crowds of Sarria - so be it! (actually when I walked in 2022 I hit Sarria on June 18th, Saturday to boot, so I believe I did planted myself into this craze..... and I was FINE... just perfectly fine.... if anything more fine that the anxiety I was experiencing during my first week out of SJPdP)
I understand that it works for you and commend you for giving the suggestion. There are, no doubt, other folks who can and will do what you say but I'll take a guess that for most of us it is nothing to even consider for many various reasons. yet, as noted below

but you keep pushing yours

and thats iMHO where the problem lies.

As to these new rules - heck one does not need new rules to walk a given part of Camino. If I recall you still have to wind up to WALK into Santiago in order to get the Compostela
if one did not care for Compostela prior to these new rules then nothing truly changed for them - do your walk, collect your sellos, live La Dolce Vita.

.... I dont know... I mean its not like I disagree with you for the sake of disagreeing. But clearly (and its been noted previously and on this thread) you do measure all by your standards. again I don't mind the crowds (I'm a very social person and it takes me 3 seconds to strike u a conversation with anyone), I don't mind walking around Lavacolla (cause even if you power though you still have walk around it...just a little faster ), I don't want to take a bus to Finisterre and I don't have friends there, but I walked there with my wife after she met me in SdC when I finished my Frances and ...yeah...

it was one of the most excellent experiences for me on the Camino

So accept the fact that we are all different, with different thought, ideas and capabilities and do agree that we all have that one sacred right - to Agree to Disagree.
You've made your point; more than once. Let it rest

Happy New year with all the best wishes and Buen Camino!

P.S. It took me 7 days to walk from Sarria to SdC for better or worse. Mainly - because I chose to do so.

 

[J Willhaus]

Absolutely. As far as I am concerned the OP can travel the Camino on a unicycle but I am also allowed to write that what is told in the video is not confirmed ( yet ) by the Oficina de Peregrinos.

Off topic, but on my first Camino I did meet someone doing the Camino on a unicycle. Edited to add photo.

 

[CTLawGal]

Everyone has an opinion

Some people think their opinions must be true and don't want to hear anything contrary to their "truth" (in which case why post on a forum? for affirmation?), others post their opinions and learn to think about their "truths" a little differently after hearing what others have to say, maybe shifting their original ideas a bit or learning why others may disagree, but realizing their "truth" is more multidimensional than they originally thought it was.

Some people know how to disagree with an opinion by presenting their reasons for disagreement without resorting to snark and personal attacks, others seem to relish in it. Maybe this is just a cultural difference, but it would be nice if the kindness we experience on the Camino could be brought into more of these responses. This Forum should be more like that.... an exchange of information and ideas without attacking others (I say this having been surprised to be on the receiving end of what seemed to me to be completely unprovoked barbs intended to be insulting - best response? ignore)

But while things sometimes go off the rails a bit on this Forum and people can be ... jerks (that might be the kindest way to describe it), for the most part, with the firm hand of our moderators, this Forum is actually pretty civil for the most part and there's lots to learn, and lots of different perspectives.

A bit off topic, but my two cents anyway

 

[Damien Reynolds]

My interpretation of "powering through" the last 100km (I think it is actually like 113km) from Sarria...

I too wondered what the OP meant. First time I read it I was like, "whoa did that guy walk straight through without stopping? That would be hard core."

I did know this woman once, who decided she wasn't going to stop after leaving Palas de Rey. She arrived in SDC at like 2 am and couldn't walk for a week after that.

My recent itineraries for this stretch go like this:

Tricastela -> Portomarin (skipping Samos and stopping in Sarria for Pizza (Lunch))
Portomarin -> Palas de Rey
Palas de Rey -> Arzua
Arzua -> SDC

My priorities however have less to do with avoiding crowds, but rather finding open grocery stores and laundromats, as well as making sure I have enough days left to do other things.

In early October of 2024, however, I swear Arzua was "sold out" so I had to stay in Ribadiso. (I just walked to the grocery store(s) in Arzua and back)...

I remember sometimes thinking, years ago, that if people didn't do it or advocate "my way" it was some sort of criticism.

Nowadays I just eat up all the wonderful suggestions.

 

[HBS60]

Let’s not pile upon the OP, even when we might disagree (which is fine). I can relate to feeling “Pooh-Poohed”, not here in this forum, but in other, less civil forums and contexts. I’ve struggled with that feeling throughout my life, believing I was not being taken seriously, when, in fact, that was not the case. It’s taken me a lot of work to learn to share, listen, and process my perceptions (I’m still working on it). I also remember when I was doing my Camino, another poster (whose name I can’t remember) felt ignored because I didn’t answer his question about which app I was using. It wasn’t deliberate, I was just being overwhelmed at the time. Then I tried to find the post in question so I could respond, but it was buried with so many other posts that I gave up. Something I’ve learned is that we all perceive and react to things differently, and it takes work to distinguish the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. It can be difficult to walk the fine line between giving others the benefit of the doubt on one hand, and taking things with a grain of salt on the other hand. It can be a difficult balancing act, and I still get it wrong many times, so I keep trying to learn how to do better. In so doing, I try to also give others the grace they may need as we all walk through this journey that is called life.
Just my philosophical musings…

 

[Arctic_Alex]

First, I’d like to say that I’ve taken a break from this
forum for a little while, mainly because the advice
that I give out has been Pooh Poohed by many of the
forum members here. I realize that I come from a
different background than many of the forum members.
(...)

Coming from a similar background with a lot of expedition-style wilderness hiking where I might not meet a single person for days or even weeks, I am still not sure what you mean by you have been pooh poohed, maybe I missed the thread or I just see reactions of people more relaxed. Different people have different expectations and most importantly, totally different needs.
While I usually do it like you described, power-rush through the last 100k, then enjoy Santiago and a nice hike to the coast afterwards, I can understand that others may actually have different feelings about it and that is OK.

 

[CWBuff]

There are, no doubt, other folks who can and will do what you say

My interpretation of "powering through" the last 100km (I think it is actually like 113km) from Sarria...

Damien - I do believe it is you i as referring to fo some (not to long) time ago You said something about doing like over 40km...maybe even over 50 to which I then replied "not me"

 

[CWBuff]

Just my philosophical musings…

He's a Pilgrim, he plays the piano, he speaks multi-languages, he writes beautiful travel logs.... and now he is a PHILOSOPHER?!?!?!

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Damien - I do believe it is you i as referring to fo some (not to long) time ago You said something about doing like over 40km...maybe even over 50 to which I then replied "not me"

Sh*t. I don't remember the conversation. Was I a "d*ck?"

I never plan a 50 km, and have only had to walk one once after encountering an impassable river along a route that was supposed to be a shortcut.

 

[HBS60]

He's a Pilgrim, he plays the piano, he speaks multi-languages, he writes beautiful travel logs.... and now he is a PHILOSOPHER?!?!?!

That reddish hue you see in the horizon is me blushing…

Seriously, I’ve struggled throughout my life with an abusive background, PTSD, fear, anxiety, mistrust, which required me to pick up survival skills, trying to choose healthy ones, like my piano, my writing, my languages (just two, but I do them very well). I’m also a retired physician, the latter part of my career was devoted to the treatment of chemical dependency (thankfully I was spared that particular hell). So all of that gave me a particular outlook in life, my training and experiences have helped me be more attuned and empathetic with others, and that is reflected on how I relate to the outside world. So it’s easier for me to recognize things like not feeling heard or been taken seriously, because to this day I still struggle with these issues, so it’s easier for me to extend grace to others, probably more than to myself. We never stop growing or learning, and we are all in different stages of our life’s Caminos, both literally and figuratively.

Curiously, in the past I would think your response was mocking me, (which goes to show how my perceptions were so distorted) but today I can see lots of validation for what I’ve accomplished in life, so I think some of those old wounds are healing. So, thank you, my friend and co-pilgrim, for all your support during this journey. I’m grateful.

 

[CWBuff]

Sh*t. I don't remember the conversation. Was I a "d*ck?"

I never plan a 50 km, and have only had to walk one once after encountering an impassable river along a route that was supposed to be a shortcut.

Well like I said I thought it was you and no you were not (and esp if it WASNT you....)

 

[CWBuff]

That reddish hue you see in the horizon is me blushing…

Seriously, I’ve struggled throughout my life with an abusive background, PTSD, fear, anxiety, mistrust, which required me to pick up survival skills, trying to choose healthy ones, like my piano, my writing, my languages (just two, but I do them very well). I’m also a retired physician, the latter part of my career was devoted to the treatment of chemical dependency (thankfully I was spared that particular hell). So all of that gave me a particular outlook in life, my training and experiences have helped me be more attuned and empathetic with others, and that is reflected on how I relate to the outside world. So it’s easier for me to recognize things like not feeling heard or been taken seriously, because to this day I still struggle with these issues, so it’s easier for me to extend grace to others, probably more than to myself. We never stop growing or learning, and we are all in different stages of our life’s Caminos, both literally and figuratively.

Curiously, in the past I would think your response was mocking me, (which goes to show how my perceptions were so distorted) but today I can see lots of validation for what I’ve accomplished in life, so I think some of those old wounds are healing. So, thank you, my friend and co-pilgrim, for all your support during this journey. I’m grateful.

one of these days i would love to cross paths with you!
Keep an eye out for my next possible Frances sometime late spring of 26
HECK, HECKtor - you might be living in Spain by then!

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Well like I said I thought it was you and no you were not (and esp if it WASNT you....)

Oh thank goodness. Otherwise I'd just be a hypocrite.

 

[steve392]

I've been a member of this forum since 2014 and have only posted 100 or so times. Why?
Because I only say or ask something when I feel it's worth saying or asking, or will contribute to hopefully help others if I can.
My opinion is different to so many others, on so many topics on this forum. Whether it be footwear and clothing, pack weight or how we all approach the Camino, to name a few. If I feel I need to post a response or ask a question I will, otherwise I'll just sit back and read through the forum. If I do post and my advise isn't taken or agreed with, so what, no skin off my nose.
As everyone has said, we are all entitled to an opinion, it doesn't mean that mine has to be agreed with.

 

[CWBuff]

Oh thank goodness. Otherwise I'd just be a hypocrite.

it ws you!

Post in thread 'Transfer from Finisterre to Madrid'

Dec 7, 2024

Sorry can't do 40km. Fit or not.
It's just as important to know one's limitations as much as one's strengths

• CWBuff

• 

your post # 24
my reply # 26
yours 27 and mine 28 - just to give you a reasonable context

so.... you were POWERING THROUGH on Camino Finisterre! is that "allowed"?

 

[Damien Reynolds]

it ws you!

Post in thread 'Transfer from Finisterre to Madrid'

Dec 7, 2024

Sorry can't do 40km. Fit or not.
It's just as important to know one's limitations as much as one's strengths

• CWBuff

• 

your post # 24
my reply # 26
yours 27 and mine 28 - just to give you a reasonable context

so.... you were POWERING THROUGH on Camino Finisterre! is that "allowed"?

Ok... i power through a lot of the trail.

That was 39.7. I wasn't suggesting it for you, though I did respond to you. Thank you for the head's up on my behavior.

 

[HBS60]

one of these days i would love to cross paths with you!
Keep an eye out for my next possible Frances sometime late spring of 26
HECK, HECKtor - you might be living in Spain by then!

That would be great!
I’m actually gathering everything I need to apply for my NLV visa. Some documents take forever to be issued, so it might be a while. In the meantime, so many details and decisions, like what to do with my house, my beloved pianos, where to live? Most likely Andalucía, Granada has been strongly suggested to me and it’s great that the Mozárabe goes through there, but who knows! For now, I will probably do the SDC-Fisterra-Muxia portion since I simply didn’t have the energy or the time to do that portion. I’m looking forward for this!
But we are getting off topic in this thread. As for the 100 Km, Sarria, etc, when I got to Sarria it was mobbed but thankfully I had already booked a place there. Leaving Sarria it was very crowded and I felt a bit annoyed, but lots of the Pilgrims were very young and understandably excited. While in Sarria I tried to book a place in Portomarin, with no luck, the only place I could find was at Casa do Regó at the 100 Km mark, so that day I walked less than I wanted, but from that point on, I pre-booked all the way to SDC. How much/how fast I walked depended on albergue availability and having to catch a train, then a plane back home. So, that’s a lot of variables to juggle. I would hope that, when I move there, I’ll have a lot more flexibility. I definitely want to meet fellow pilgrims from this board in real life, but first I’m trying to appease the “paper gods” (bureaucracy) that demands total obedience to their every whim …

 

[isawtman]

I did know this woman once, who decided she wasn't going to stop after leaving Palas de Rey. She arrived in SDC at like 2 am and couldn't walk for a week after that.

My recent itineraries for this stretch go like this:

Tricastela -> Portomarin (skipping Samos and stopping in Sarria for Pizza (Lunch))
Portomarin -> Palas de Rey
Palas de Rey -> Arzua
Arzua -> SDC

No, I am not suggesting that people hike the whole way without stopping.
All I am saying is to minimize the amount of time covering this section.
I do like your itinerary which actually goes even farther back
than Sarria and started at Tricastela.

Here are some things to think about when powering through.

First of all, you are in Galicia and that province takes really
good care of the camino. The trail is really smooth there and
generally easier to hike. There are no huge rocky accents or
descents in that section like pilgrims encounter earlier in
the Camino. So, under normal circumstances you'll be able to
make really good time.

Stay at Albergues that are in the middle of the stage. When I
did the Frances I hiked past Palas del Rei to St Xulian in the afternoon
around 3 pm. While I hiked that 3.4 km stretch I saw nobody
on the camino while before Palas del Rei there were tons of people
including high school groups.

Also, I started each morning in the dark. This is in late September
when the sun doesn't rise in Spain until about 8 to 8:30. I didn't like
hiking more than an hour in the dark, so I wouldn't start really early. It seems
like the High School groups only hiked during daylight hours, therefore
I was ahead of the High School Groups for most of the day. Plus,
when I stayed off the end of the stage like when I stayed at St Xulien,
I was even further ahead of the High School kids in the morning.

It should be noted that the last two stages of the Camino Frances are really
short. Both Arzua to O Pedrouzo and O Pedrouzo to Santiago are each less than
20 km. According to Damien's Itinerary, he hiked both of those sections
in one day. For me I would think that would be a bit much but from his photo
Damien looks to be quite a bit younger than I. I actually did two days of over
28 km each. I did St Xulien to Arzua and Arzua to Lavacolla. I didn't know
whether the Albergue Lavacolla would be available because they were
sold out on Booking.com. So, I was prepared to continue on to Monto do Gozo.
But the Albergue Lavacolla did have some beds, so I stayed there. Evidently
they hold back some beds from Booking.com

One last thing about the end of my camino. I actually hiked really slow from
Lavacolla to Santiago. That's because a friend of mine was catching up to me.
He had stayed and extra day in Leon and ever since then he was slowly catching
up to me since he is about 30 years younger. So, why did I wait? Well, to me
completing the Camino Frances all by myself seemed to be a little lonely. I was
very happy to share that experience with Brody from Austraila.

I had hiked all the way from St Jean in 30 days. It just goes to show that you should
be friendly to everyone always but especially early in the Camino. Because you
won't know who's going to be important to you at the end.

 

[Jodean]

Well, I spent 47 days walking from SJPDP and then rather enjoyed that last 100+km into Santiago. Staying in smaller towns, never started in the dark nor walked more than 20km per day, stopped at many cafes to enjoy my time, took beautiful photos and got a kick out of the groups in their matching scarves, t-shirts, etc and their immense excitement at walking the Camino.
Each section has its' charm and beauty, and those who walk too fast may be missing it.
Try staying in towns like Barbedelo, Portas, Morgade, Ventos de Naron, Eirexe and see if it makes a difference. I walked many mornings for several hours before seeing many other pilgrims.
Not sure if I have pooh-poohed your posts, but have only presented a different version of walking.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Well, I spent 47 days walking from SJPDP and then rather enjoyed that last 100+km into Santiago. Staying in smaller towns, never started in the dark nor walked more than 20km per day, stopped at many cafes to enjoy my time, took beautiful photos and got a kick out of the groups in their matching scarves, t-shirts, etc and their immense excitement at walking the Camino.
Each section has its' charm and beauty, and those who walk too fast may be missing it.
Try staying in towns like Barbedelo, Portas, Morgade, Ventos de Naron, Eirexe and see if it makes a difference. I walked many mornings for several hours before seeing many other pilgrims.
Not sure if I have pooh-poohed your posts, but have only presented a different version of walking.

And still if you walk those last 100 k more than once you find out that one time it might feel rather relaxed in terms of numbers and other times it will be extremely crowded. I remember queuing at bottlenecks and being stuck in large groups of 30 to 40 people shouting and hardly moving at all. But at the same bottlenecks in other years / other days it was crowded but bearable. Hence one cannot extrapolate from personal experience to what others might have experienced.

 

[John Sikora]

When you cross the line from freely giving advice or experience to stating that your approach is absolute fact, you lose the very credability that you are searching for.

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Speaking as someone whose views are often pooh-poohed, I feel for the OP when he becomes the target of sarcasm and wilful misunderstanding. Don't stop posting amigo; you'll get used to it, but there's going to be sleepless nights and sodden pillows

That said, I'd like to contribute to this fascinating discussion of compostelas and rules. You need a piece of paper to tell you and others that you've done a Camino, and there must be rules and proofs and the other nine yards. Really? How crazy this is.

A pious person arriving in SDC to visit the tomb of the apostle doesn't get a Compostela. An atheist hiker who walks from San Jean getting fit and having a good time does. Go figure, so to speak.

As for crowds, I love them. There's a great energy among the hordes descending on SDC from Sarria, a spiritual force that touches us all, pious and profane alike. I like being alone also. The Ruta de Lana is good for that.

I like to conclude with a quote, my many fans enjoy it so much (not):

"All men are dancers and their tread
Goes to the barbarous clangour of a gong."

 

[Tandem Graham]

I'd like to think most thoughtful people with the relevant interest and experience should be able to exchange ideas, suggestions and perspectives on this forum, and to disagree without offence.
If I may offer some unsolicited suggestions to the OP and perhaps others?

Your intentions are good, and your opinions about the Camino Frances are valid, as are the opinions of anyone who has walked this route. But another contributor expressing a different opinion is not an insult to you anymore than yours is to them. It is not necessarily pooh-pooing to have a different opinion.

I note that most of your contributions to the forum are in threads which you have initiated, and sometimes with a somewhat provocative (click-bait style?) headline. I think you might attract less, of what may seem like a pile-on of disagreeing voices, if you contribute responses to existing, sometimes long running, threads. That way you are offering a perspective while clearly accepting that there are other valid perspectives.

Remember that, even in the few years since the Covid pandemic, at least a million people have walked to Santiago without the benefit of any of our advice or opinions. What any of us feel might make another person's Camino better, easier, quieter, or whatever .... only holds importance to us!

Of course, all of the above is just my opinion. Other opinions are just as valid!
Happy New Year and Buen Camino to everyone.

 

[isawtman]

When you cross the line from freely giving advice or experience to stating that your approach is absolute fact, you lose the very credability that you are searching for.

But, I didn't cross that line. I never said that my approach is the absolute fact. When did I say that? And, I have often suggested some other ideas. I have suggested that people take alternative routes such as hiking on the next street over from the camino. Damien Reynolds thought powering through meant hiking the whole 100 km with no breaks. But, I clarified that for him. It means doing the stages faster and covering more ground. It means doing the final 100km in 3.5 days instead of 5. And I freely admit that powering through is not for everyone. Jodean says she hiked the camino slower because she takes a lot of beautiful photos. That's great. And John, you may hike the Camino slower because you are filming the Camino. I have watched pretty much all your Camino Frances videos. And I suggest if people want to see what the final 100km of the Camino Frances is like, they should start by watching your video here:

. I usually speed up the John's Videos

 

[JabbaPapa]

First, I’d like to say that I’ve taken a break from this
forum for a little while, mainly because the advice
that I give out has been Pooh Poohed by many of the
forum members here. I realize that I come from a
different background than many of the forum members.
I have hiked the 800 miles of the North Country National
Scenic Trail in Minnesota mainly on weeklong backpacking trips.
I have also completed the 1100 mile Ice Age National Scenic
Trail mainly with day hikes and a few backpacking trips.
So my advice is a little different because I am from a
different background that includes backpacking.

Blimey.

I'd say, keep chill.

My last Camino was about 5,800K so about 3,600 miles.

So what ?

Your background isn't so different to ours ...

At that point you should be able to just power through the last 100 km

This is a misconception.

It is a pilgrimage, not a thru-hike.

And not even on any singular route.

And blimey, it's not even as if every single US thru-hiker "powers through" with such degree of zeal.

The Way of Saint James is neither a race nor a contest.

Just personally, I have walked between the extremes of a daily marathon ij my youth, to the barely 12 to 13 K I can manage now, on average, but sometimes zero.

Hard to see any "power" for any "last" 100K when your body is incapable of it.

And when Santiago is still 2,000K of walking from the end of your Way, and to get back home.

and
move onto something more scenic and perhaps inspirational by
going to Finnesterre or Muxia. I have written that the last 2 km
before the Cathedral are absolutely incredible but the 98 km before that
are pretty average. If you power through it that will give you
less exposure to the crowds, etc.

This is a pilgrimage, not a hike.

Those that you encounter along the Way are a feature, not a bug.

---

Sounds like you need to walk another Camino, frankly -- and a MUCH longer one.

And, most of the people bringing up the topic of the last 100 km
want to avoid it, not go slower in that section.

Sounds like a mistake to me.

We are asked
as Pilgrims not to judge other pilgrims.

This is a really weird post, frankly.

 

[JabbaPapa]

All I am saying is to minimize the amount of time covering this section.

Well, on my 2005 I walked from Home to Santiago ; and then I walked from Santiago to Ponferrada.

Glorious !!

So no, I see no benefit in minimizing one's time in those sections. Maximising one's time there, in my personal experience anyway, is far better !! YMMV

 

[Tandem Graham]

I like this, and will use it. Thanks JabbaPapa!

It is a pilgrimage, not a thru-hike.

Those that you encounter along the Way are a feature, not a bug.

 

[Gerard Griffin]

"This is a really weird post, frankly."

Just to say to the OP that I enjoyed it and I didn't think it was weird. I suspect that many of the less vocal, not so say censorious, Forum readers enjoyed it also. Keep posting amigo.

 

[SabsP]

My last say on this because I think it is important. A Camino is a pilgrimage and not a hike.
And no this has nothing to do with the tourist/ pilgrim debate.

 

[truthseeker]

One of the gifts of the Camino is that we can become more compassionate and aware of our own spiritual strengths and limitations. I gained patience from the "crowded" final 100 km. I have been tested by the lack of magnificence of some of the miles I walked. I walked from SPCC to Santiago, but took a bus through the Meseta, due to lack of time away from work. I hope to return to walk it in 2025. Some think it is flat, featureless, and boring, while others experience it as another way to be open to the spiritual gifts of the Way.

 

[grayland]

It is actually amusing to see that the OP posted that he took a sabbatical from the forum because of previous critical responses he received in the past.

There was then an immediate criticism deluge of his post from many members including moderators.

 

[JabbaPapa]

"This is a really weird post, frankly."

Just to say to the OP that I enjoyed it and I didn't think it was weird. I suspect that many of the less vocal, not so say censorious, Forum readers enjoyed it also. Keep posting amigo.

Well OK but there's a certain censoriousness to OP's post.

There are just so many different ways of walking the Way of Saint James, and of course OP's version of it is perfectly and completely fine.

Just don't see how denigrating other people's attitudes towards the 100K+ from Sarria to Santiago might be helpful. I don't anyway !!

They are Pilgrims of the Way of Saint James.

 

[lt56ny]

But, I didn't cross that line. I never said that my approach is the absolute fact. When did I say that? And, I have often suggested some other ideas. I have suggested that people take alternative routes such as hiking on the next street over from the camino. Damien Reynolds thought powering through meant hiking the whole 100 km with no breaks. But, I clarified that for him. It means doing the stages faster and covering more ground. It means doing the final 100km in 3.5 days instead of 5. And I freely admit that powering through is not for everyone. Jodean says she hiked the camino slower because she takes a lot of beautiful photos. That's great. And John, you may hike the Camino slower because you are filming the Camino. I have watched pretty much all your Camino Frances videos. And I suggest if people want to see what the final 100km of the Camino Frances is like, they should start by watching this video here:

. I usually speed up the John's Videos

You should do what you want and let others do what they want. Your ideas of camino and the way you walk is yours alone. The suggestions that you have offered make no sense to me at all and are completely foreign to my thought process and experience. It doesn't mean it is wrong just different. Just because people disagree with your ideas and your ideas don't take it so personally. I don't know what your obsessionis with powering anywhere. For me the only thing i want to power is gaining and feeling the power of the camino and its centuries of pilgrims.

We are to accept people from
all backgrounds. This forum should be more like that.

This is funny! In drawing this conclusion, you reveal that you consider this to be an adversarial discussion. That is a problem.

You should heed the messages of people like @C clearly a woman i respect and admire with her other good friend and moderator. She has put me in my place a few times and i have thought about why and learned from it.
If you are sensitive to what others are saying, and many people are then maybe you should moderate your posts or not post at all.

The only judgement i read is your judgement that people are judging you. By the way why should you care what others think.

Your statement embeds an assumption that your definition of "scenic and inspirational" is universally held. People are presenting a different opinion but you keep pushing yours and making statements with this logical fallacy!

But as the wise moderator states below and i will basically close with her words

Exactly. Each member is welcome to state a preference or opinion but not to keep pushing it insistently on others!

Let us each walk our caminos. I probably wouldn't be caught dead again on the CF for my own reasons. That doesn't mean others won't have the experience of a lifetime on the Frances.

 

[El Cascayal]

When lots is said & done, in the words of Spike Lee, “Can’t we all just get along?”
Edit Correction: Rodney King was the author.

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Cripes!! The OP was better off when he was just being pooh-poohed. But don't give up amigo. The rest of us want to hear what you say and if we disagree will do so respectfully and with courtesy. What is it about online discourse that people think frees them from the conventions and inhibitions of politeness that govern face-to-face speech? I don't believe that those who have taken such harsh objection to your ideas would have spoken so, and in such a tone, if they were talking to you in person. I hope not.

Anyway, I look forward to your next post. Refuse to be silenced. Buen Camino.

 

[isawtman]

"This is a really weird post, frankly."

Just to say to the OP that I enjoyed it and I didn't think it was weird. I suspect that many of the less vocal, not so say censorious, Forum readers enjoyed it also. Keep posting amigo.

I'm printing that out and hanging it on my wall!

 

[grayland]

You should do what you want and let others do what they want. Your ideas of camino and the way you walk is yours alone. The suggestions that you have offered make no sense to me at all and are completely foreign to my thought process and experience. It doesn't mean it is wrong just different. Just because people disagree with your ideas and your ideas don't take it so personally. I don't know what your obsessionis with powering anywhere. For me the only thing i want to power is gaining and feeling the power of the camino and its centuries of pilgrims.


You should heed the messages of people like @C clearly a woman i respect and admire with her other good friend and moderator. She has put me in my place a few times and i have thought about why and learned from it.
If you are sensitive to what others are saying, and many people are then maybe you should moderate your posts or not post at all.

The only judgement i read is your judgement that people are judging you. By the way why should you care what others think.


But as the wise moderator states below and i will basically close with her words

Let us each walk our caminos. I probably wouldn't be caught dead again on the CF for my own reasons. That doesn't mean others won't have the experience of a lifetime on the Frances.

Wow...
I wonder how the OP generated so much outrage?

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Wow...
I wonder how the OP generated so much outrage?

Now that would be a really interesting discussion. Pity we won't be exploring this topic

 

[RibbonRomanceAuthor]

I believe that everyone walks their own Camino so I pooh-pooh no one. I can think ‘that’s not for me’ or ‘oh, I want to do that!’ without dissing another.

 

[JerryStroebele]

Statistics show a lot of Spainards walk the last 100 km into Santiago. Remember, it is THEIR COUNTRY. Most I have met along here are happy, excited and friendly PILGRIMS. Many in family groups. Maybe just carrying a light day pack. All walking a long awaited and dreamed of PILGRIMAGE. I find their energy and gaiety inspiring and am happy to share it. Buen Camino

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Statistics show a lot of Spainards walk the last 100 km into Santiago. Remember, it is THEIR COUNTRY. Most I have met along here are happy, excited and friendly PILGRIMS. Many in family groups. Maybe just carrying a light day pack. All walking a long awaited and dreamed of PILGRIMAGE. I find their energy and gaiety inspiring and am happy to share it. Buen Camino

yet hundreds of people, each of whom I appreciate as an individual being and I would enjoy their presence al lot elsewhere ...when they all walk within a radius of 30 meters surrounding myself at the same time, are way more than I can handle well for longer stretches of time

 

[bullingtonce]

First, I’d like to say that I’ve taken a break from this
forum for a little while, mainly because the advice
that I give out has been Pooh Poohed by many of the
forum members here. I realize that I come from a
different background than many of the forum members.
I have hiked the 800 miles of the North Country National
Scenic Trail in Minnesota mainly on weeklong backpacking trips.
I have also completed the 1100 mile Ice Age National Scenic
Trail mainly with day hikes and a few backpacking trips.
So my advice is a little different because I am from a
different background that includes backpacking.

For instance, on one of the most brought up topics, the last
100 km, my advice is totally different than some forum members.
I say if you started from St Jean and have been walking for something
like 25 days, well, you’re in great hiking shape by then. At that point
you should be able to just power through the last 100 km and
move onto something more scenic and perhaps inspirational by
going to Finnesterre or Muxia. I have written that the last 2 km
before the Cathedral are absolutely incredible but the 98 km before that
are pretty average. If you power through it that will give you
less exposure to the crowds, etc.

Of course that advice has been pooh poohed by several of our
forum members. Some of them say they even slow down in the
last 100 km because they don’t want their camino to end.
To me that’s just giving you more exposure to the crowds, etc.
For some people that might be good advice. But for me,
I’d rather be at the Finnesterre Lighthouse than hiking around
the airport near Lavacolla. I took a bus out to Fisterra/Finnestre
to meet up with some friends that were faster than me. I stayed
overnight with my friends and it was one of the most excellent
experiences for me on the Camino.

And, most of the people bringing up the topic of the last 100 km
want to avoid it, not go slower in that section.

Now I am happy to report that it appears that the Camino Officials
are taking my side by implementing new rules. The new rules state
that you can do most of your required 100km on whatever part of a Camino
you wish. So, basically, you could be doing Astorga to OCebriero
which is absolutely spectacular instead of hiking around the Airport
near Lavacolla.

But even if you are hiking around the Airport, the Camino treats everybody
who hikes around it with the same courtesy and respect. We are asked
as Pilgrims not to judge other pilgrims. We are to accept people from
all backgrounds. This forum should be more like that.

You might ask yourself why is it you demand that your way is the only way and also ask yourself why is it you have such troublesome difficulty hearing and dealing with different perspectives. You will find out that the problem/issue is not with those who oppose or differ from your view(s); rather, it is your inability to hear and listen to opposite views. Wanting something only 'one way' is unhealthy and counterproductive. Learn to 'value' differing views. It will make your life infinitely easier, more calm, and more serene and, besides, it is the right thing to do. Wishing the best for you in your struggles. Chuck

 

[bullingtonce]

First, I’d like to say that I’ve taken a break from this
forum for a little while, mainly because the advice
that I give out has been Pooh Poohed by many of the
forum members here. I realize that I come from a
different background than many of the forum members.
I have hiked the 800 miles of the North Country National
Scenic Trail in Minnesota mainly on weeklong backpacking trips.
I have also completed the 1100 mile Ice Age National Scenic
Trail mainly with day hikes and a few backpacking trips.
So my advice is a little different because I am from a
different background that includes backpacking.

For instance, on one of the most brought up topics, the last
100 km, my advice is totally different than some forum members.
I say if you started from St Jean and have been walking for something
like 25 days, well, you’re in great hiking shape by then. At that point
you should be able to just power through the last 100 km and
move onto something more scenic and perhaps inspirational by
going to Finnesterre or Muxia. I have written that the last 2 km
before the Cathedral are absolutely incredible but the 98 km before that
are pretty average. If you power through it that will give you
less exposure to the crowds, etc.

Of course that advice has been pooh poohed by several of our
forum members. Some of them say they even slow down in the
last 100 km because they don’t want their camino to end.
To me that’s just giving you more exposure to the crowds, etc.
For some people that might be good advice. But for me,
I’d rather be at the Finnesterre Lighthouse than hiking around
the airport near Lavacolla. I took a bus out to Fisterra/Finnestre
to meet up with some friends that were faster than me. I stayed
overnight with my friends and it was one of the most excellent
experiences for me on the Camino.

And, most of the people bringing up the topic of the last 100 km
want to avoid it, not go slower in that section.

Now I am happy to report that it appears that the Camino Officials
are taking my side by implementing new rules. The new rules state
that you can do most of your required 100km on whatever part of a Camino
you wish. So, basically, you could be doing Astorga to OCebriero
which is absolutely spectacular instead of hiking around the Airport
near Lavacolla.

But even if you are hiking around the Airport, the Camino treats everybody
who hikes around it with the same courtesy and respect. We are asked
as Pilgrims not to judge other pilgrims. We are to accept people from
all backgrounds. This forum should be more like that.

Oh, and for the '98 km before that are pretty average,' this is patently false. Every blade of simple common grass is a miracle; every single budding or non-budding flower is a miracle; a single hanging or fallen leaf is a miracle; a single bird call is a miracle; a single person encountered on the Camino, greeted or not, is a miracle. Travel to any part of the known universe; till now, none of these miracles have been encountered and we are dealing with 2 trillion starts for heaven's sake. And the oddity of it all is that each of us is a walking miracle.
No, the '98 km before that are pretty average' does not apply, is not relevant. Every single second experienced on a Camino is a miracle in and of itself. This is life. Chuck

 

[Gerard Griffin]

You might ask yourself why is it you demand that your way is the only way and also ask yourself why is it you have such troublesome difficulty hearing and dealing with different perspectives. You will find out that the problem/issue is not with those who oppose or differ from your view(s); rather, it is your inability to hear and listen to opposite views. Wanting something only 'one way' is unhealthy and counterproductive. Learn to 'value' differing views. It will make your life infinitely easier, more calm, and more serene and, besides, it is the right thing to do. Wishing the best for you in your struggles. Chuck

This is an excellent post. It says all that needs to be said. But in my opinion it applies less to the OP than it does to those who have criticised him for expressing his opinion. That includes those who moderate this forum. Something about beams and motes comes to mind.

 

[gkaplan]

Clearly you have not caught up on the extensive recent discussions of the "new rules."


Your statement embeds an assumption that your definition of "scenic and inspirational" is universally held. People are presenting a different opinion but you keep pushing yours and making statements with this logical fallacy!


This is funny! In drawing this conclusion, you reveal that you consider this to be an adversarial discussion. That is a problem.


Exactly. Each member is welcome to state a preference or opinion but not to keep pushing it insistently on others!

Wow. I can't help but be surprised that someone charged with moderating posts feels these statements are consistent with the spirit of the Forum.

 

[RobinK*]

Pooh-pooh. Better all spend your energy posting a nice photo. So join me for example in the thread 'A daily dose of vitamin C'

 

[Paul-CH]

I have hiked the 800 miles of the North Country National
Scenic Trail in Minnesota mainly on weeklong backpacking trips.
I have also completed the 1100 mile Ice Age National Scenic
Trail mainly with day hikes and a few backpacking trips.

I understand it this way: You never hiked the whole of the both above mentioned trails.
Only the scenic parts. Thats fine for me.
I can also power a bit. But I am against walking in the dark with a headlamp so I do stop after a few kilometres.

 

[CWBuff]

I understand it this way: You never hiked the whole of the both above mentioned trails.
Only the scenic parts. Thats fine for me.

 

[CWBuff]

Wow. I can't help but be surprised that someone charged with moderating posts feels these statements are consistent with the spirit of the Forum.

Well... there is The Spirit of the Forum and then there is the Spirit of the Forum!
Just because one is given the GRAVE (mind you) responsibility of moderating posts does not mean that their right to express their own personal opinions are takin away. Just as with all other opinions - we can like them or dislike them but we can agree to disagree.

IMHO it is a bit "tough" if you will for new members to discern a given situation. There are posts and threads here that go back "centuries" ...and so are some members . There are folks who fondly remember an albergue or a hospitalero\a that are no longer there, sad as it may be. Those of us who cannot relate wishfully read these posts saying to ourselves "Gee I wish it was me..."

So, to put a little twist on the perspective of what happened here I will refer to the all-known tale of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf". When the boy cried "WOLF!" for the 5th time - nobody reacted (and bad things happened). Here, when the boy cried "WOLF!" for the 5th time, people DO react reminding that they've heard it before, been there, done that and some are somewhat surprised as to why "the message is not hitting home".

there were 2 "sub"-topics in the original post. One stemmed from something that was said a long time ago (and was POH POOHEd at) and the other concerning some "new rules" that looks like were misconstrued to the point that it looked to other members as to "justify" (if you will) the 1st topic. IMHO @C clearly s responses were quite right on, perhaps delivered a bit more "terse" (its OK - anyone who can walk 800+km most likely is not made of sugar and won't melt); if you take a look at the snip of them you provided - that would explain a lot, conclusing appropriately with the last one: Each member is welcome to state a preference or opinion but not to keep pushing it insistently on others!

 

[dick bird]

@isawtman has pointed out that if you begin your camino at SJPdP, by the time you reach Sarria you will probably be quite fit and able to walk the last 100km to Santiago very quickly, if that is your choice,. Either way it isn´t anything to get hot under the collar about.

So far as we are aware, the rules for issuing a Compostela have not changed, in spite of what Canon Victor Suarez has said in an off-the-cuff informal interview. There has been no official or written announcement of any such change.

 

[RJM]

Way, way too much thinking regarding the last 100 or so kilometers of the Camino Frances. Every time I've walked it; I fully expect it to have more pilgrims. Sometimes it did, sometimes it didn't. I just take it a day at a time. If it really stressed me out too much, I'd probably have prebooked the last week or so way in advance, but I never have. The time I thought it was going to be the busiest, it wasn't and another time when I thought it wouldn't be it was. Que sara, sara.

 

[gkaplan]

Well... there is The Spirit of the Forum and then there is the Spirit of the Forum!
Just because one is given the GRAVE (mind you) responsibility of moderating posts does not mean that their right to express their own personal opinions are takin away. Just as with all other opinions - we can like them or dislike them but we can agree to disagree.

IMHO it is a bit "tough" if you will for new members to discern a given situation. There are posts and threads here that go back "centuries" ...and so are some members . There are folks who fondly remember an albergue or a hospitalero\a that are no longer there, sad as it may be. Those of us who cannot relate wishfully read these posts saying to ourselves "Gee I wish it was me..."

So, to put a little twist on the perspective of what happened here I will refer to the all-known tale of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf". When the boy cried "WOLF!" for the 5th time - nobody reacted (and bad things happened). Here, when the boy cried "WOLF!" for the 5th time, people DO react reminding that they've heard it before, been there, done that and some are somewhat surprised as to why "the message is not hitting home".

there were 2 "sub"-topics in the original post. One stemmed from something that was said a long time ago (and was POH POOHEd at) and the other concerning some "new rules" that looks like were misconstrued to the point that it looked to other members as to "justify" (if you will) the 1st topic. IMHO @C clearly s responses were quite right on, perhaps delivered a bit more "terse" (its OK - anyone who can walk 800+km most likely is not made of sugar and won't melt); if you take a look at the snip of them you provided - that would explain a lot, conclusing appropriately with the last one: Each member is welcome to state a preference or opinion but not to keep pushing it insistently on others!

Thank you for edifying me, although after only a few months of reading posts it is obvious to me both that there are discussion topics that go back years and there are people who are not shy about saying they really don't like what another has to say. .
In my post I nowhere say that a moderator is not entitled to express a personal opinion. I simply said that I was surprised to read a post from a moderator that expressed such acrimony. If you are comfortable with what was written, so be it. Perhaps you are used to this sniping in posts perhaps having witnessed it for years; as a new member I am disappointed.
As far as "each member (being) welcome to state a preference or opinion but not to keep pushing it so insistently on others" is concerned, I may have an old copy of the rules; this one doesn't seem to be in there. (And how a moderator might distinguish between restating an opinion several times - or several dozen times - and "pushing... it on others" escapes me).

 

[Tincatinker]

Thank you for edifying me, although after only a few months of reading posts it is obvious to me both that there are discussion topics that go back years and there are people who are not shy about saying they really don't like what another has to say. .
In my post I nowhere say that a moderator is not entitled to express a personal opinion. I simply said that I was surprised to read a post from a moderator that expressed such acrimony. If you are comfortable with what was written, so be it. Perhaps you are used to this sniping in posts perhaps having witnessed it for years; as a new member I am disappointed.
As far as "each member (being) welcome to state a preference or opinion but not to keep pushing it so insistently on others" is concerned, I may have an old copy of the rules; this one doesn't seem to be in there. (And how a moderator might distinguish between restating an opinion several times - or several dozen times - and "pushing... it on others" escapes me).

You’ll get over it. In time

 

[grayland]

You’ll get over it. In time

Time goes by quickly when the natives are in attack mode.
The OP seems to have somehow earned the full disrespect deal from many here.

 

[Shireen Brown]

First, I’d like to say that I’ve taken a break from this
forum for a little while, mainly because the advice
that I give out has been Pooh Poohed by many of the
forum members here. I realize that I come from a
different background than many of the forum members.
I have hiked the 800 miles of the North Country National
Scenic Trail in Minnesota mainly on weeklong backpacking trips.
I have also completed the 1100 mile Ice Age National Scenic
Trail mainly with day hikes and a few backpacking trips.
So my advice is a little different because I am from a
different background that includes backpacking.

For instance, on one of the most brought up topics, the last
100 km, my advice is totally different than some forum members.
I say if you started from St Jean and have been walking for something
like 25 days, well, you’re in great hiking shape by then. At that point
you should be able to just power through the last 100 km and
move onto something more scenic and perhaps inspirational by
going to Finnesterre or Muxia. I have written that the last 2 km
before the Cathedral are absolutely incredible but the 98 km before that
are pretty average. If you power through it that will give you
less exposure to the crowds, etc.

Of course that advice has been pooh poohed by several of our
forum members. Some of them say they even slow down in the
last 100 km because they don’t want their camino to end.
To me that’s just giving you more exposure to the crowds, etc.
For some people that might be good advice. But for me,
I’d rather be at the Finnesterre Lighthouse than hiking around
the airport near Lavacolla. I took a bus out to Fisterra/Finnestre
to meet up with some friends that were faster than me. I stayed
overnight with my friends and it was one of the most excellent
experiences for me on the Camino.

And, most of the people bringing up the topic of the last 100 km
want to avoid it, not go slower in that section.

Now I am happy to report that it appears that the Camino Officials
are taking my side by implementing new rules. The new rules state
that you can do most of your required 100km on whatever part of a Camino
you wish. So, basically, you could be doing Astorga to OCebriero
which is absolutely spectacular instead of hiking around the Airport
near Lavacolla.

But even if you are hiking around the Airport, the Camino treats everybody
who hikes around it with the same courtesy and respect. We are asked
as Pilgrims not to judge other pilgrims. We are to accept people from
all backgrounds. This forum should be more like that.

I am yet to do my camino and have dipped in and out of here for information over the last few years.
I appreciate your advice , too many believe only their way is best and if you dont do it their way somehow you arent a real pilgrim.
Thank you

 

[isawtman]

if you take a look at the snip of them you provided - that would explain a lot, conclusing appropriately with the last one: Each member is welcome to state a preference or opinion but not to keep pushing it insistently on others!

You have to remember that there are new members on this forum all the time. And the subject of the Last 100 km comes up quite often. In fact I would say it comes up at least once a month. Most of the people bringing it up are new people to the forum who want to avoid the unpleasantness of last 100 km. So, I let the new people know powering through (doing that section faster) is an option for them. I would say it is totally different that pushing it insistently. But, here's the deal, if the forum moderators don't want to hear about the last 100 km, they can do something about it. They already have rules that for no discussions on Religion, Bullfighting, Sports, and Politics. Plus there are to be no arguments about who is a tourist and who is a pilgrim. Forum administrators and moderators could simply install a rule saying no discussion of the last 100 km. If you don't want to ban discussion of Last 100 km, then let experienced people tell the new people about all the options available to them. And if you don't want to hear about the Last 100 km anymore, just don't click on that thread. Because, it's pretty much going to be the same as last month.

 

[CWBuff]

there are people who are not shy about saying they really don't like what another has to say. .

Well.. with THAT said, welcome to the club! ( and I'll refrain from quoting Groucho Marx)

simply said that I was surprised to read a post from a moderator that expressed such acrimony.

And I simply tried to explain to you that there was a certain merit to what she said and the way she said it.

 

[CWBuff]

@isawtman - in response to above, just like @SabsP said: this is my last say on this:
"the unpleasantness of last 100 km" is in the eyes of the beholder. Some are so "annoyed" by it that they see no other way but to bulldoze through it faster than the locomotive (and somehow lose the focus that by constantly saying so they sow panic into those new members they benevolently think of). Others savor every minute of them embracing the crowds as the new fitting Camino experience.
Fine! We'll agree to disagree.

 

[Kiwi-d]

OP, I just don't understand why you seem offended that people don't take your advice. Advice is just that, something you give and something that people take or ignore, as they choose. The advice from participants on this forum is wonderful, yours included, it gives us the option to weigh it for or against, then make a decision one way or the other.

I personally would ignore your advice on the last 100km because I was very happy to walk it, and later to take a bus trip to Finnistere. Walking the last 100km had spiritual significance to me, and I didn't find it at all visually boring.

Racing ahead to get to a destination with no particular meaning for me other than historical I would find pointless. (Scenically Finnistere is very similar to my home, so I think may have had more impact for you than for me.)

Please don't be offended at my different point of view. It is just that, different but no more right or wrong than yours.

 

[Bronte DownUnder]

WOW ... me thinks it time to chill! Maybe in 2013 I walked a different 100+km than "isawtman" as I definitely experienced no "unpleasantness" at any stage of the Camino Frances. I was open to any experience and back then I didn't even know about this Forum, so thankfully was not swayed by anybody else's opinion. I pop into this Forum infrequently but have never read a thread like this one. Surely walking the last 100km is just part of the "experience". People embarking on your first Camino ... do it your way!!
Cheers from a very hot DownUnder where we're experiencing 41 degrees ... yes, definitely time to chill

​

 

[Kathor1]

Now I am happy to report that it appears that the Camino Officials are taking my side by implementing new rules. The new rules state that you can do most of your required 100km on whatever part of a Camino you wish. So, basically, you could be doing Astorga to OCebriero which is absolutely spectacular instead of hiking around the Airport near Lavacolla.

As @trecile and @SabsP pointed out earlier in this thread: It is far from certain that there are such new rules. It "appears" so because of a not very clear podcast conversation in English on YouTube between what I think may be a member of an American Camino association and a member of the Chapter of the Cathedral on the one hand and the subsequent declaration about "new rules for the Compostela" by the administrator of a Camino Facebook group who is a known Camino personality but is not involved in the administration of the Cathedral or the Pilgrim Office, i.e. is not their spokesperson.

As usual on social media, that declaration was immediately copied to other FB groups and also to this forum and presented as "fact".

Numerous groups and individuals have written to the Cathedral administration and the Pilgrim Office administration and asked for an official clarification of what the current or future rules for obtaining a Compostela are. No such official declaration has been forthcoming so far. I saw this morning that FICS, a widely known Spanish Camino association, repeated their request on Facebook:

Queremos una aclaración de todo esto por parte del Cabildo y de la Oficina de Acogida al Peregrino de la Catedral de Santiago.​

​

"Peregrinación a pie o a caballo: haber caminado 100 km por cualquiera de las rutas reconocidas como oficiales por la S.A.M.I. Catedral de Santiago."​

I thought I'd point this out as it was this FB post, and its multiple copies on social media, that inspired you to start this thread. It may turn out to be just yet another thread about the 100 km from Sarria that will have no noticeable impact whatsoever in practical terms.

 

[SabsP]

I was not going to post here anymore but I would like to share this older thread.

Some good insights about what pilgrimages mean in predominantly catholic countries.
On foot or by touringcar.
Alone, with parishes or schoolclasses. And yes sometimes with a groupleader in front with a microphone who will initiate the prayers.

It is always good to learn more about profound traditions and culture and it can shed a light why some people here on the forum can never consider walking a Camino as a " hike ".

Post in thread 'The Idea of Pilgrimage'

Oct 3, 2024

The interesting thing to me, as a modern day pilgrim, is that these medieval pilgrims rode on horseback. Nowadays, purists believe that you should walk every step of the way to Santiago de Compostela. In the Middle Ages, the mode of transport was not important. You just had to get there!

Most modern pilgrimages are agnostic as to the means of transportation, and when I say "most", that's actually the vast majority of them.

Without even considering the many non-Christian pilgrimage destinations in the world, most Christian pilgrims travel by coach or by train in groups...

• JabbaPapa

• 
• 

 

[VNwalking]

new people to the forum who want to avoid the unpleasantness of last 100 km.

A simple question. If they are new, how would they know it's unpleasant?

'Unpleasant' is subjective. So the only accurate assessment for someone of whether that part of the camino counts as unpleasant is to walk it themself. Then they can 'power through' if they find it to be a zoo. Suggestions to power through based on a personal opinion of pleasant or unpleasant are actually imposition of opinion.

I've walked a few caminos, and am as allergic to crowds as many here. Coming off the Primitivo late last April I wasn't looking forward to what I feared would be an ant trail on the Frances. Yes. Melide was pretty crowded. So I didn't stop there. Nor in any other 'stage ending' place to Santiago. It was a very peaceful walk.
No problem. And no need to 'power through.'

 

[Kathor1]

A simple question. If they are new, how would they know it's unpleasant?

Well, duh, they know it because they read it on social media, like on this forum or on Facebook.

Reading much about Camino pilgrimage in books and blogs, watching Camino movies and Camino YouTube videos, before you even have set foot on French or Spanish soil, is one of the worst things one can do, imo, but this ship has sailed I guess.

I've walked already from Sarria to Santiago and out of curiosity I watched the video linked in post #35 as it is suggested by the OP that if people want to see what the final 100km of the Camino Frances is like, they should start by watching this video here. I watched it at double speed but had to switch off the disco beat eventually. It may be a suitable musical accompaniment for those who wish to "power through" though .

I was struck by the OP's comment that the landscapes and environment shown in this video are not "scenic". Eye of the beholder and all that of course but still .... What I saw was this: I saw Galicia. The Galicia of the horreos - nowhere else to be seen on the CF. I on my own or together with my dearest companion, we were delighted each time we spotted one of these unique structures. The Galicia of the gnarly old trees. Of the old hollow ways. Of the old dry stone walls. Of the old stepping stones when small streams cross or share the path for a short section. I saw the green Galicia - its green landscape makes the region so attractive for the many Spanish pilgrims during summer time. I saw the poor Galicia of the past to which prosperity has finally come in recent decades, witnessed by the parked cars owned by private individuals, by the new houses and new modern utility buildings, by the high autopista bridge. The rural Galicia dominated by agriculture and pastures. The rural Galicia that looked in parts so familiar to my own rural region "back home". It is not the breathtaking, and for me so very different, wild scenic beauty of the Alps or the Himalayas, but a serene scenic beauty that I like to savour instead of powering through. I do understand that others, maybe due to their different background and where they come from, cannot see this or do not see this.

It was interesting to read in a different recent thread how a long-standing forum member who I think lives part-time in Spain commented in another context: I have met a lot of Spanish people who have walked the 'Camino'. (By that they invariably mean Sarria to Santiago).

Yes, things don't look the same and don't mean the same to every forum member and to every Camino peregrin@.

 

[mikeatspokes]

The Galicia of the horreos - nowhere else to be seen on the CF. I on my own or together with my dearest companion, we were delighted each time we spotted one of these unique structures. The Galicia of the gnarly old trees. Of the old hollow ways. Of the old dry stone walls. Of the old stepping stones when small streams cross or share the path for a short section. I saw the green Galicia - its green landscape makes the region so attractive for the many Spanish pilgrims during summer time. I saw the poor Galicia of the past to which prosperity has finally come in recent decades, witnessed by the parked cars owned by private individuals, by the new houses and new modern utility buildings, by the high autostrada bridge. The rural Galicia dominated by agriculture and pastures.

Beautifully put, one of the loveliest stretches of the CF for me also, despite the constant rain I had at the time!

 

[Rita Flower]

My thoughts - it’s often about the language we use. For example the word ‘should’ as in “you should be able to ,,,,”
My Camino earlier this year I was surprised that I was more tired in the last 100 km than any kms before - I even used bag transport .
The “should” in the OP statement automatically triggered a bit of a response in me.
When we share our own experience with words like
* I like to ….
* I prefer to …
* This is what I did / discovered / learnt ….
I can more easily embrace another’s perspective and learn from it rather than feeling criticised etc.
When someone asks for advice I only share what I do / what worked for me, and let others choose if my perspective/ experience is useful.
PS -
This forum helps me to keep tabs on my insecurities (oh no one liked my post - does that mean I am an idiot )
And I must say I do enjoy some of the more well articulated dry and acerbic comments - and at times agree with them - but am yet to be in the receiving end, so deeply empathise with those who are.

 

[Paul-CH]

My Camino earlier this year I was surprised that I was more tired in the last 100 km than any kms before

I am not sure what it is, but for me was something similar when I came closer to SdC from VdlP after more then 1'100km from Cádiz. Maybe it's the feeling that I was reaching "the End" of my pilgrimage and my body thought finally I will get some rest.

 

[VNwalking]

Well, duh, they know it because they read it on social media, like on this forum or on Facebook.

[Chuckles] I will admit that the question was rhetorical as well as 'straight.' Duh, indeed. And a great pity.

Reading much about Camino pilgrimage in books and blogs, watching Camino movies and Camino YouTube videos, before you even have set foot on French or Spanish soil, is one of the worst things one can do, imo, but this ship has sailed I guess.

Sadly yes.
It might be a fun experiment in seeing what causes more of a pile-on here: a prescriptive opinion (as in this thread), or a criticism of the small industry of blogs, movies, books, and blogs about the camino.

 

[CWBuff]

@Kathor1 - absolutely amazingly put! Thank you
I can relate... I might've already shared it before:
For 6+ months prior to our TMB hike my wife spent countless days watching the "it's so beautiful it doesn't seem real" YouTube videos of the trek. Training she did not no matter how much I pleaded with her.
She got hurt, thankfully not horribly serious, but serious enough to stop the hike....
2 years of dreaming and 9 months of preparation all came to a crushing halt.
Don't get me completely wrong- we were Blessed to see and experience however little we did... but it could have been different.
So... careful with dem social media videos..

 

[Tim-F]

To quote General Melchett...

"I knew a Major who got pooh-poohed. Made the mistake of ignoring the pooh-pooh. He pooh-poohed it! Fatal error! 'Cos it turned out all along that the soldier who pooh-poohed him had been pooh-poohing a lot of other officers who had pooh-poohed their pooh-poohs. In the end we had to disband the entire regiment. Morale totally destroyed... by pooh-pooh!"

 

[lt56ny]

Wow...
I wonder how the OP generated so much outrage?

I guess it is how different people interpret the same thing. For me it is quite obvious. For me he sounded arrogant and a know it all and then cried like a baby when he received pushback. Very judgemental I thought. But then again what I wrote to him and what I am saying now is also a judgement. Nce big circle haha

 

[Kathor1]

To quote General Melchett...

"I knew a Major who got pooh-poohed. Made the mistake of ignoring the pooh-pooh. He pooh-poohed it! Fatal error! 'Cos it turned out all along that the soldier who pooh-poohed him had been pooh-poohing a lot of other officers who had pooh-poohed their pooh-poohs. In the end we had to disband the entire regiment. Morale totally destroyed... by pooh-pooh!"

Ah, General Melchett ... this quote reminded me of the cunning plans. Perhaps even the cunning plans for Sarria to Santiago? For those in the know:

Bla.: Baldrick, I have a very, very, very cunning plan.​

​

Bal.: Is it as cunning as a fox what used to be Professor of Cunning at Oxford University but has moved on and is now working for the U.N. at the High Commission of International Cunning Planning?​

​

Bla.: Yes it is.​

​

Bla.: Hm ... that's cunning.​

​

​

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Well, duh, they know it because they read it on social media, like on this forum or on Facebook.

Reading much about Camino pilgrimage in books and blogs, watching Camino movies and Camino YouTube videos, before you even have set foot on French or Spanish soil, is one of the worst things one can do, imo, but this ship has sailed I guess.

I've walked already from Sarria to Santiago and out of curiosity I watched the video linked in post #35 as it is suggested by the OP that if people want to see what the final 100km of the Camino Frances is like, they should start by watching this video here. I watched it at double speed but had to switch off the disco beat eventually. It may be a suitable musical accompaniment for those who wish to "power through" though .

I was struck by the OP's comment that the landscapes and environment shown in this video are not "scenic". Eye of the beholder and all that of course but still .... What I saw was this: I saw Galicia. The Galicia of the horreos - nowhere else to be seen on the CF. I on my own or together with my dearest companion, we were delighted each time we spotted one of these unique structures. The Galicia of the gnarly old trees. Of the old hollow ways. Of the old dry stone walls. Of the old stepping stones when small streams cross or share the path for a short section. I saw the green Galicia - its green landscape makes the region so attractive for the many Spanish pilgrims during summer time. I saw the poor Galicia of the past to which prosperity has finally come in recent decades, witnessed by the parked cars owned by private individuals, by the new houses and new modern utility buildings, by the high autopista bridge. The rural Galicia dominated by agriculture and pastures. The rural Galicia that looked in parts so familiar to my own rural region "back home". It is not the breathtaking, and for me so very different, wild scenic beauty of the Alps or the Himalayas, but a serene scenic beauty that I like to savour instead of powering through. I do understand that others, maybe due to their different background and where they come from, cannot see this or do not see this.

It was interesting to read in a different recent thread how a long-standing forum member who I think lives part-time in Spain commented in another context: I have met a lot of Spanish people who have walked the 'Camino'. (By that they invariably mean Sarria to Santiago).

Yes, things don't look the same and don't mean the same to every forum member and to every Camino peregrin@.

Thanks for so beautiful description of Galicia, a place full of magic and charm.
Personally I prefer the Meseta, and it's quiet austerity; I find Galicia a little commercial and the people are harder in character than I would wish to find.

There is no disputing of tastes. De gustibus non est disputandum (hope I got that right or some even more awful pedant will jump down my throat). In my ideal world differences of taste would be lightly discussed for fun, gently, to enjoy the comparison and explore the differences of personality which lie behind them.

Taste is one thing, and of course it's subjective, gloriously so. Truth is another thing entirely: aesthetic truth, spiritual truth. Nothing is more objective, immutable, unitary. Shakespeare is better than Eastenders, Mozart is better than Lady Gaga. Killing is evil. God exists.

No dispute; those who think otherwise are wrong and that is that.

What I love about the Camino is that people who are so different that they would be at each other's throats if they were to meet in the "real" world, here walk together companionably and share food and bandages and life stories.
I spent a wonderful afternoon with a millionaire retired CIA operative; three days with two Italian policemen. Had we met outside the Camino . . .

No-one can tell me that every single pilgrim or hiker or cyclist or tourist who walks the Camino is not touched by the Spirit. A metaphor, but how else to explain this transformation? From the dog-eat-dog of the Real World to the gorgeous loving amity of the Way? Some gas in the atmosphere at SJP? We all see it and feel it, and that's because It's there. Its real. More real than anything in the "real" world of money and conflict.

A quote (I know, you guys hate poetry, but bear with me once again):

"Angers that are like noisy clouds
Have set our hearts abeat
But we have all bent low and low
And kissed the quiet feet
Of Kathleen, daughter of Houlihan"

 

[JabbaPapa]

As @trecile and @SabsP pointed out earlier in this thread: It is far from certain that there are such new rules. It "appears" so because of a not very clear podcast conversation in English on YouTube between what I think may be a member of an American Camino association and a member of the Chapter of the Cathedral on the one hand and the subsequent declaration about "new rules for the Compostela" by the administrator of a Camino Facebook group who is a known Camino personality but is not involved in the administration of the Cathedral or the Pilgrim Office, i.e. is not their spokesperson.

The Canon does have the Authority to establish such rules and norms under the Authority of his Bishop -- but it must be said OTOH that such changes to the rules as they have been announced so far concern some internal conditions regarding the welcome of pilgrims at the Cathedral Parish and at the Pilgrim Office.

Not sure what you mean by "known Camino personality" -- this is a matter of religious recognition by the Cathedral Parish and not of the Camino as a pilgrimage route in some limitative sense.

No such official declaration has been forthcoming so far.

That is somewhat annoying certainly -- except that in the Canon Law that defines such matters, no such public declaration is necessary, but a simple internal and even private change of policy by the Canon does suffice.

I really do wish that the Cathedral and the Pilgrim Office would clarify these matters in a properly public fashion -- but well, we are in the midwinter, so that the locals may not be considering these matters to be urgent as such.

It still occurs to me anyway that both Eastern Orthodox Christianity and the Catholic Christianity East and West are founded on primarily oral tradition centred aditionally on the Scripture as it is read -- so that oral explanations given by the Canon do have more force in that Law than some might realise.

But yes, a properly explanatory written text does seem to be needed at this point.

 

[JabbaPapa]

De gustibus non est disputandum (hope I got that right or some even more awful pedant will jump down my throat).

Well that would be me -- and it is absolutely spot on.

What I love about the Camino is that people who are so different that they would be at each other's throats if they were to meet in the "real" world, here walk together companionably and share food and bandages and life stories.
I spent a wonderful afternoon with a millionaire retired CIA operative; three days with two Italian policemen. Had we met outside the Camino . . .

Excellently well said.

 

[VNwalking]

Truth is another thing entirely: aesthetic truth, spiritual truth. Nothing is more objective, immutable, unitary. Shakespeare is better than Eastenders, Mozart is better than Lady Gaga. Killing is evil. God exists.

Every part of that except 'killing is evil' is subjective, much as I agree with most of it.

No dispute; those who think otherwise are wrong and that is that.

Has it ever crossed your mind that you might be the one who's wrong?

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Every part of that except 'killing is evil' is subjective, much as I agree with most of it.


Has it ever crossed your mind that you might be the one who's wrong?

True, all can fall into error .. hence the need to revive the Spanish Inquisition. Coming soon to an albergue near you

 

[Paul-CH]

I find Galicia a little commercial and the people are harder in character than I would wish to find.

Don't forget these people live here, the rest of us are just guests in this country.

We have a saying: The guest is king, but only if he behaves like a king.

After all, there are plenty of other St. James' Way pilgrimages than just the Frances. It can also be a different country. France or Italy, for example, also have pilgrimage routes.

 

[WGroleau]

Time goes by quickly when the natives are in attack mode.
The OP seems to have somehow earned the full disrespect deal from many here.

Perhaps we are overreacting to OP's overreaction.

 

[Tim-F]

Perhaps we are overreacting to OP's overreaction.

Are you pooh-poohing the pooh-pooh of the pooh-pooh?

 

[dougfitz]

Has it ever crossed your mind that you might be the one who's wrong?

Constantly. Together with the thought that I am not seeing the log on my shoulder when criticising the chip on someone else's.

That said, when a post such as that which started this thread is concerned, there should be a legitimate concern over what is objectively true compared to how @isawtman perceived his earlier treatment. For example, his claim earlier in this thread that

I have written that the last 2 km before the Cathedral are absolutely incredible but the 98 km before that
are pretty average.

is debatable. He might have made that statement somewhere else than this forum, but it is not something that he has written here as far as I can recall. He did make this statement somewhere in the middle of 2024:

I'd say the last 5 km going into the Cathedral are the highlight of the Camino, but other than that, the other 95 km are rather ordinary.

Why worry about this - surely this is just a little detail? Because it indicates to me that he has a fundamental disregard for the truth. If he cannot relay with accuracy something so easily verified, why would I trust him on matters where I am not able to test what he is saying.

Here is an example of why that trust is important:

Now I am happy to report that it appears that the Camino Officials are taking my side by implementing new rules.

Some who have attempted to engage with @issawtman in the past will recognize his ongoing confusion about the nature of the camino and his belief that there must be some central authority in Galicia that controls all aspects of the camino. Repeated attempts to disabuse him of this notion have clearly not succeeded.

But that is perhaps less important than the inference that there has been some ongoing conflict between different factions and that he was influential in that debate. While I don't expect to personally know what the Cathedral is considering, I expect that if there was some such conflict, as a community we might have heard about it through the various pilgrim associations or the press. But until the recent podcast, I had been hearing crickets. As a statement, I don't think he has had any role in the decision by the Cathedral to amend the current requirements for the compostela, if that is what they have done. This statement doesn't pass the pub test for me.

Those who have engaged with @isawtman in the past might quite legitimately have formed the opinion that he is a less than reliable interlocutor, and, .like me, be reluctant to engage in discussion with him. I think this is just one more example of showing scant regard for the truth in some effort to promote himself, or in this case, to present himself as a victim.

I don't buy it. I don't think anyone else should either.

 

[Wandershot]

This video with the Canon of the Cathedral seems to announce the new rules

The American Pilgrims have officially reached out to the pilgrim office to verify this. It was presented in a confusing way. Until/unless the Pilgrim office changes the advice on their own website, it would be wise for everyone to stick to the current rules.

 

[isawtman]

I guess it is how different people interpret the same thing. For me it is quite obvious. For me he sounded arrogant and a know it all and then cried like a baby when he received pushback. Very judgemental I thought. But then again what I wrote to him and what I am saying now is also a judgement. Nce big circle haha

I'm the most down to earn person here. I'm not saying my advice is for everyone. We have a hiking saying in the US: HYOH. Hike your own hike.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

I'm the most down to earn person here. I'm not saying my advice is for everyone. We have a hiking saying in the US: HYOH. Hike your own hike.

Most or best are never good things to say. edit: unless about pizza.

 

[Lozette]

To quote General Melchett...

"I knew a Major who got pooh-poohed. Made the mistake of ignoring the pooh-pooh. He pooh-poohed it! Fatal error! 'Cos it turned out all along that the soldier who pooh-poohed him had been pooh-poohing a lot of other officers who had pooh-poohed their pooh-poohs. In the end we had to disband the entire regiment. Morale totally destroyed... by pooh-pooh!"

Now say that really fast!!

 

[WonderWander]

Well, I spent 47 days walking from SJPDP and then rather enjoyed that last 100+km into Santiago. Staying in smaller towns, never started in the dark nor walked more than 20km per day, stopped at many cafes to enjoy my time, took beautiful photos and got a kick out of the groups in their matching scarves, t-shirts, etc and their immense excitement at walking the Camino.
Each section has its' charm and beauty, and those who walk too fast may be missing it.
Try staying in towns like Barbedelo, Portas, Morgade, Ventos de Naron, Eirexe and see if it makes a difference. I walked many mornings for several hours before seeing many other pilgrims.
Not sure if I have pooh-poohed your posts, but have only presented a different version of walking.

I too, enjoyed the one short section where I found myself in the midst of a huge, happy, polite, singing school group, as it was just another part of the Camino mix. Because they were altogether, it was easy to eventually pick up the pace and walk past, and generally my experience of the whole Sarria-Sdc stage was that it was overwhelmingly sparse with fellow-pilgrims - perhaps too quiet, for me! (Though I was also staying "off-stage".)
I guess it's also easy to forgot that each of us makes up part of "the crowd" for someone else!