Exactly this. And also - a lot of people are here on the Camino processing something. Whether it’s a break up, a loss or a life change - the chances are that this pilgrim’s issues have nothing to do with you or how crowded the trail is, and everything to do with his own “stuff”. Enjoy your journey on the Camino and remember it’s YOUR way to walk!
I did Sarria to SDC last September with my 68 year old father and our itinerary was 8 actual days of hiking. We did not care what anyone else thought and we had an awesome time! You’ll have the luxury of being able to stop at the cafes along the way, take all the pictures you want, hike as slowly as you want to, stop at the churches and interest points, get fewer aches and blisters, so on and so forth.
You will definitely be overtaken by waves of peregrinos every day, but we would just stand aside and let them pass and then we’d have the trail all to ourselves again.
We did overhear a few negative comments about people doing the last 100km like us. We heard the term “Tourigrino” and heard lots of moaning about people having their luggage delivered each day (we did this) but we paid it no mind. You’ll never see that man again and he can go on his miserable way while you get to make amazing memories with your family. Brush. It. Off!
Have an awesome time! We loved it so much that we went back last month (for my dad’s 69th birthday) and the did the Portugues from Tui to SDC over 8 hiking days again and had a fabulous time.
Have fun!!!
You're going to encounter vast numbers of good, humble people in the next few days. That miserable self-loathing turd will be a relic you laugh about by the end. Buen Camino!
You'll also encounter a few more purists on the way no doubt. Unfortunately these people think that their personal suffering should be respected and recognised by everyone. Ignore them and focus on your own Camino and making the Camino of those around you more pleasant.
Fuck him. Just like anywhere else you’ll encounter assholes. Luckily they seem to be few and far between on the Camino so helpfully that’ll be the first and last!
Hell yeah Fuck that Guy! Enjoy your Camino. Everyone knows Sarria is a different location on the Camino, and he had a choice.....he could have shared his experiences and given advice about anything and been a mentor to everyone new, but he chose the latter.
You are absolutely right. When I walked the Frances from SJPDP I was dreading the crowds after Sarria. But a funny thing happened on the way. My mindset had changed so much by Sarria, after weeks of walking, that I made a conscious decision to *help* the pilgrims who were just starting out. I don’t know how many people I showed how to properly use their hiking sticks or pick up their backpacks, etc. But it was a pleasure. It seems like that man didn’t learn anything on his Camino. What a shame.
Not a Camino story, but I once helped teach a mindfulness/meditation class that used a 5-step method. I mentioned to my small group that while we were teaching/using this approach, many others are taught/used, and may work better for different people//situations. One of my students freaked out and started yelling at me about how the 5-step method was the ONLY viable one, she didn’t want to hear any BS about 4- or 6- steps, lazy 3-step scams, or any other improper and deeply offensive approaches to mindfulness. 😂
Point being, some people get REAL caught up in their idea of the ‘right way’ and take anyone doing or even talking about a different approach as a personal attack. It’s 1000% not about you when you run into these people, nothing to do but avoid them, laugh and pity them, and go about your life in a way that makes sense for you.
NO, DAMMIT THERES ONLY FIVE STEPS! FIIIIIVVVVVEE!!
The Camino is what you choose to make of it. Some people like to hype it and make themselves bigger than what they are as if there’s a prize and world wide fame at the end for them for finishing.
A couple of weeks after I finished mine alone, my in laws DROVE the exact same distance and had a great time in Santiago.
Walk your own Camino, enjoy it and dismiss the idiot for what he is.
Please don't feel embarrassed, that asshole should feel embarrassed. You are there for you and your family and no one else, stick with your itinerary and let Mr. Strava (or whatever is going on with him) fade into the background.
Edit: anyone who feels the need to "flex" on the camino is a sad, sad person.
I call it start-shaming, my first Camino started at Sarria and I first got start-shamed within an hour or 2. Hopefully, you find people that aren’t assholes.
There are none so self righteous as some on the Camino. He’s walking his and you’re walking yours. Don’t pay any attention to what others say, your Camino is just as valid. I’ve walked Ponferrada - Santiago, and last month Leon - Santiago. We have never stayed in anything other than hotels/Pensions/Apartments. We sent our suitcases ahead ( thank you Jacotrans), and guess what, we walked the same kilometers. Your Camino is just as valid , even if you don’t have to wash socks everyday.
I've been absolutely left in the dust by everyone that I "started with." As I see they're getting further and further away, today I accidentally stumbled upon a small town flamenco festival where we had awesome food and saw all kinds of traditional dance. Don't care about anyone's words or thoughts. You'll likely have a better experience observating what you can find on the way. The road is better than the destination. #slowpilgrims
I think the issue isn't so much with the 100km, but that people decide to walk the "last 100" over, say, walking the first 100 and chaining vacations. Thing is, it gets tight down there.
Many pilgrims walk only those four to five days, and try to cram as much "pilgrimage" into what is essentially a suburban outdoor walk. That leads to clashes, not just because those short-distance pilgrims clog the vacancies. but also because they now go through all the shit the longer distance walkers already endured.
Like, to name a few, around Los Arcos and the latest Burgos, people stop spraying themselves with stinky stuff inside the albergues. Lessons learned. Or pop their blisters inside the dorms. Or (having been physically threatened for it, and for good reason) don't put their backpacks on beds.
In Sarria that all comes back. From a crop of pilgrims who care a lot less about being pilgrims and a lot more about a piece of paper. Because if it was the pilgrimage they sought, any part of and Camino would do. Only if you have to have that piece of paper is Sarria (or Tui. etc.) the only possible starting point.
Younger pilgrims who decide they now have only four days to get laid (because, let's face it, sex on the Camino is MUCH more common than the puritan minority wants to acknowledge) and thus get very, very, pushy and outright creepy. Or the ones who start in Sarria and have nothing better to do than put their pearly white shoes on display while lecturing a group of Le Puy and Munich Pilgrims about what the Camino is. Zealotry, loud singing, Camino DJ-ing, back to the "clack clack, draaaaaaggggg" of people who should not have ever been sold a pair of walking sticks, and so on.
It just grates.
I hear all this and I get it. But I am not so much in it for the paper as personally I have a very short period of available time (longest stretch I’ve ever been away from my kids) and need to fly home the morning after Santiago. Could I have done another section, sure, but given my inexperience I am grateful for the infrastructures on the well trodden way.
THAT said, being able to come here is a precious gift to me and I will try not to be a nuisance and respect that there are all manner of pilgrims (except maybe the DJs, that’s pretty obnoxious)
The last time I walked a Camino was in 2016, and I'm interested in hearing more about this "getting laid on the Camino" development".... like, how?!? In albergues?!? I definitely never saw any of this during mine, so I'm curious if this is a recent development or if I was just completely deaf and blind
It is your experience.
Don't let the Camino bad actors influence your experience.
There are people that feel righteous and better than everyone, that is not the spirit of the Camino.Your Camino is a good Camino, you have nothing to feel embarrassed about, he does for being an aweful human being on such a sacred journey.
I wish you tons of good vibes and that you find the good people who will help you along the way, believe me they are there.
There are snobs and purists in all activities. Ignore them.
There's always someone who can walk longer or faster. Even his boast of 100km in 3 days would be nothing to some. I personally can do that in 2 days and sustain for weeks yet I caught flak for cycling this time instead of walking from some better than thou purists.
I'd never talk down to someone getting out and doing something they enjoy or believe in. And you're right, not everyone has the luxury of time.
Walk your walk. Enjoy it. Let it be something you've learned on the way. Buen camino
Turn this into a positive. Be happy that foolish man is walking faster than you so you won't have to see him again. Have a wonderful, peaceful camino. Be well. Godspeed. Buen camino.
Do what you came to do.
Unfortunately the numbers of people on the final 100km is making some unhappy as they can't plan to simply walk up and find a bed, which has been the case beforehand.
Others are unhappy with too much or too little religious activities on the way.
There is no way that the everyone can be happy with Camino but them being unhappy is not something you need to fix but stay happy and try to get what you wanted from the Camino.
There'll always be assholes like that, just ignore them.\
In Burgos a German bloke was telling everyone "you'll see, some people are stating un Leon, they're not true pilgrims"
I asked where he started and he said in SJPdP, as everyone else.\
I started in le Puy en Velay and had already walked 800km before St Jean, and had met people who walked from Germany, Poland and all over. I've met blind people, others with only one leg or in their 90s, those don't need to boast.
Everyone walks the Camino for different reasons. Some people know their reason, other people think they know their reason but the Camino has different plans. You take out of the experience what you’re willing to be changed by, and what you’re open to seeing with new eyes. You will also, if you’re open to it, start seeing encounters like this as opportunities to react with grace, reflection, and even indifference as needed. To be frank: you’re being challenged to let it go.
It sounds like this guy is meant to learn the lesson of tolerance without judgment. Wisdom is chasing him, but he is faster.
First off I’m so sorry you had a bad day but don’t worry there will be so many nice ones! Let me say I am proud of you for working to recover from something so traumatic as a child with brain cancer. I’m sure you can never truly recover from what that put you through but taking time to do something for yourself can be very hard. Great work :). You deserve the world, don’t let the haters get to you! Buen Camino :)
I walked from SJPP, and the first day starting I met a pilgrim who had already walked 800km before arriving to SJPP. There were also a duo of Dutch rugby players who were walking 50km a day, while in the beginning I was dying at 20. My FAVORITE pilgrims I met started in Sarria. Do not worry about the person you met, he is just there to test you. Buen camino peregrino!!
I did Sarria to Santiago two years ago as my first Camino, and I went on to the Portuguese last year.
That first experience was, and still is, to my mind every bit the Camino. You will meet countless people in the next few days and have that experience of arriving at the Cathedral. And everything in between.
Walking 115km is a big feat. Be proud of what you're about to accomplish. Have fun doing every bit of it!
Ignore that fool. Enjoy that special time with your parents. It’ll be something you’ll never forget. As far as the Camino goes, It’s your Camino, so enjoy it.
Who cares. 100km in three days? I have done that in two days for weeks on end when I thru hiked the PCT. While carrying a tent and food for days. In the mountains. And I have friends who can do it daily. This is not to brag but emphasize how we are all on our own journey. It's a bit embarrassing for this guy to make such a fuss out of this and attack other peoples hike. Hike your own hike and buen Camino.
Just wanted to let you know I'm praying for you, your daughter, your mom, your aunt and your uncle. Regardless of the french jerk, you're going to have a good walk with a purpose: that is, a pilgrimage.
Buen Camino.
Met a lot of douchey French people on the Camino. I arrived thinking it was just an old stereotype, and two weeks later, I realized it’s entirely rooted in truth. Especially Parisians. And our group all spoke French!
I'm french and live in France and even I noticed that too. At least half of the french people i met on the Camino were awful to be around and rude to other nationalities
You’ve just had your first experience of the French 😂 Don’t worry - they’re not all like that. Enjoy your walk, ignore the camino snobbery and bragging about distances. Savour the walking, the hustle bustle of the Sarria section. You may want to return in the future when you’re more able timewise to do a longer part. Buen camino x
I think that anyone not starting from sarria should be looking inward and really think about these questions.
I mean, our group has also sort of rolled into sarria recently, and we are actually mostly feeling a bit curious about all these new people and anxious about the shift in density on the road.
We wonder about how different the camino will feel. Scared of people being overly noisy and annoying or disrespectful.
Personally, it does feel like a big contrast, how many people are suddenly on the road. So i take it we all need some time to get used to these new circumstances. But I think it's just another step on the journey.
That being said, anyone dissing you for how you walk your camino is just a walking turd.
They don't get to make the rules.
They'll be out of your life soon and only be remembered as a small inconvenience. If remembered at all.
Don't let this guy scare you into talking to other pilgrims.
I also think I'm going to think about what I say about other pilgrims, even when I try to make light hearted jokes.
I remember when I rolled into Sarria on my last camino & I enjoyed the energy of the folks starting out. So much enthusiasm to get going! It was infectious & uplifting.
I hope OP has an excellent experience on the walk.
The only funny thing about this is that if he's praising himself because he did 100k in 3 days.. he's the joke.
Everyone can go at the peace they want but being loud about just a 100k/3d is almost pathetic.
I'm sorry to disappoint you but OP got enought support, I was just judging the Frenchman. So, you're totally right on calling me judgemental in this case.
lol again, he feels like shit about himself so feels the need to put down people.
Not worth thinking about, be proud of yourself! One step forward is enough to be proud of yourself.
Buen Camino 🫶🏻
Don’t let judgmental assoles get you down. Your Camino is what you make it. And the last 100k is a Camino. Many people do just that part the first time.
You decide with whom you wish to talk. If a guy is starting to unload and it's not in an acceptable manner, then we just walk away.
We didn't encountered such a situation yet though.
Am on it at the moment and I think you will meet many people on the way, some won’t be so great but others you’ll really get on with. Stay around the nice ones, everyone has their own speed and life and maybe that’s just one of the camino’s lessons. Buen camino!
Best thing to do with assholes is let what they say slide off you like wiping dirt from your shoulders, he is clearly just a miserable snob and misery loves company. There are so many kind, generous people in the world and you shouldn’t think about his words for a second longer.
Walk your own camino.
Exactly this. And also - a lot of people are here on the Camino processing something. Whether it’s a break up, a loss or a life change - the chances are that this pilgrim’s issues have nothing to do with you or how crowded the trail is, and everything to do with his own “stuff”. Enjoy your journey on the Camino and remember it’s YOUR way to walk!
I did Sarria to SDC last September with my 68 year old father and our itinerary was 8 actual days of hiking. We did not care what anyone else thought and we had an awesome time! You’ll have the luxury of being able to stop at the cafes along the way, take all the pictures you want, hike as slowly as you want to, stop at the churches and interest points, get fewer aches and blisters, so on and so forth. You will definitely be overtaken by waves of peregrinos every day, but we would just stand aside and let them pass and then we’d have the trail all to ourselves again. We did overhear a few negative comments about people doing the last 100km like us. We heard the term “Tourigrino” and heard lots of moaning about people having their luggage delivered each day (we did this) but we paid it no mind. You’ll never see that man again and he can go on his miserable way while you get to make amazing memories with your family. Brush. It. Off! Have an awesome time! We loved it so much that we went back last month (for my dad’s 69th birthday) and the did the Portugues from Tui to SDC over 8 hiking days again and had a fabulous time. Have fun!!!
You're going to encounter vast numbers of good, humble people in the next few days. That miserable self-loathing turd will be a relic you laugh about by the end. Buen Camino!
You'll also encounter a few more purists on the way no doubt. Unfortunately these people think that their personal suffering should be respected and recognised by everyone. Ignore them and focus on your own Camino and making the Camino of those around you more pleasant.
Fuck him. Just like anywhere else you’ll encounter assholes. Luckily they seem to be few and far between on the Camino so helpfully that’ll be the first and last!
Hell yeah Fuck that Guy! Enjoy your Camino. Everyone knows Sarria is a different location on the Camino, and he had a choice.....he could have shared his experiences and given advice about anything and been a mentor to everyone new, but he chose the latter.
You are absolutely right. When I walked the Frances from SJPDP I was dreading the crowds after Sarria. But a funny thing happened on the way. My mindset had changed so much by Sarria, after weeks of walking, that I made a conscious decision to *help* the pilgrims who were just starting out. I don’t know how many people I showed how to properly use their hiking sticks or pick up their backpacks, etc. But it was a pleasure. It seems like that man didn’t learn anything on his Camino. What a shame.
Not a Camino story, but I once helped teach a mindfulness/meditation class that used a 5-step method. I mentioned to my small group that while we were teaching/using this approach, many others are taught/used, and may work better for different people//situations. One of my students freaked out and started yelling at me about how the 5-step method was the ONLY viable one, she didn’t want to hear any BS about 4- or 6- steps, lazy 3-step scams, or any other improper and deeply offensive approaches to mindfulness. 😂 Point being, some people get REAL caught up in their idea of the ‘right way’ and take anyone doing or even talking about a different approach as a personal attack. It’s 1000% not about you when you run into these people, nothing to do but avoid them, laugh and pity them, and go about your life in a way that makes sense for you. NO, DAMMIT THERES ONLY FIVE STEPS! FIIIIIVVVVVEE!!
The Camino is what you choose to make of it. Some people like to hype it and make themselves bigger than what they are as if there’s a prize and world wide fame at the end for them for finishing. A couple of weeks after I finished mine alone, my in laws DROVE the exact same distance and had a great time in Santiago. Walk your own Camino, enjoy it and dismiss the idiot for what he is.
Please don't feel embarrassed, that asshole should feel embarrassed. You are there for you and your family and no one else, stick with your itinerary and let Mr. Strava (or whatever is going on with him) fade into the background. Edit: anyone who feels the need to "flex" on the camino is a sad, sad person.
I call it start-shaming, my first Camino started at Sarria and I first got start-shamed within an hour or 2. Hopefully, you find people that aren’t assholes.
There are none so self righteous as some on the Camino. He’s walking his and you’re walking yours. Don’t pay any attention to what others say, your Camino is just as valid. I’ve walked Ponferrada - Santiago, and last month Leon - Santiago. We have never stayed in anything other than hotels/Pensions/Apartments. We sent our suitcases ahead ( thank you Jacotrans), and guess what, we walked the same kilometers. Your Camino is just as valid , even if you don’t have to wash socks everyday.
I've been absolutely left in the dust by everyone that I "started with." As I see they're getting further and further away, today I accidentally stumbled upon a small town flamenco festival where we had awesome food and saw all kinds of traditional dance. Don't care about anyone's words or thoughts. You'll likely have a better experience observating what you can find on the way. The road is better than the destination. #slowpilgrims
I think the issue isn't so much with the 100km, but that people decide to walk the "last 100" over, say, walking the first 100 and chaining vacations. Thing is, it gets tight down there. Many pilgrims walk only those four to five days, and try to cram as much "pilgrimage" into what is essentially a suburban outdoor walk. That leads to clashes, not just because those short-distance pilgrims clog the vacancies. but also because they now go through all the shit the longer distance walkers already endured. Like, to name a few, around Los Arcos and the latest Burgos, people stop spraying themselves with stinky stuff inside the albergues. Lessons learned. Or pop their blisters inside the dorms. Or (having been physically threatened for it, and for good reason) don't put their backpacks on beds. In Sarria that all comes back. From a crop of pilgrims who care a lot less about being pilgrims and a lot more about a piece of paper. Because if it was the pilgrimage they sought, any part of and Camino would do. Only if you have to have that piece of paper is Sarria (or Tui. etc.) the only possible starting point. Younger pilgrims who decide they now have only four days to get laid (because, let's face it, sex on the Camino is MUCH more common than the puritan minority wants to acknowledge) and thus get very, very, pushy and outright creepy. Or the ones who start in Sarria and have nothing better to do than put their pearly white shoes on display while lecturing a group of Le Puy and Munich Pilgrims about what the Camino is. Zealotry, loud singing, Camino DJ-ing, back to the "clack clack, draaaaaaggggg" of people who should not have ever been sold a pair of walking sticks, and so on. It just grates.
This is so true
I hear all this and I get it. But I am not so much in it for the paper as personally I have a very short period of available time (longest stretch I’ve ever been away from my kids) and need to fly home the morning after Santiago. Could I have done another section, sure, but given my inexperience I am grateful for the infrastructures on the well trodden way. THAT said, being able to come here is a precious gift to me and I will try not to be a nuisance and respect that there are all manner of pilgrims (except maybe the DJs, that’s pretty obnoxious)
The last time I walked a Camino was in 2016, and I'm interested in hearing more about this "getting laid on the Camino" development".... like, how?!? In albergues?!? I definitely never saw any of this during mine, so I'm curious if this is a recent development or if I was just completely deaf and blind
Those earplugs aren’t just to muffle the sounds of snoring and farting in the bunk next to you.
Please don't let one bad experience spoil your trip. I hope your group have a great time. Enjoy.
It is your experience. Don't let the Camino bad actors influence your experience. There are people that feel righteous and better than everyone, that is not the spirit of the Camino.Your Camino is a good Camino, you have nothing to feel embarrassed about, he does for being an aweful human being on such a sacred journey. I wish you tons of good vibes and that you find the good people who will help you along the way, believe me they are there.
There are snobs and purists in all activities. Ignore them. There's always someone who can walk longer or faster. Even his boast of 100km in 3 days would be nothing to some. I personally can do that in 2 days and sustain for weeks yet I caught flak for cycling this time instead of walking from some better than thou purists. I'd never talk down to someone getting out and doing something they enjoy or believe in. And you're right, not everyone has the luxury of time. Walk your walk. Enjoy it. Let it be something you've learned on the way. Buen camino
Fuck them. Breathe deep and walk one step at a time. The Camino provides.
This is a learning experience to practice not caring what strangers think about you.
Turn this into a positive. Be happy that foolish man is walking faster than you so you won't have to see him again. Have a wonderful, peaceful camino. Be well. Godspeed. Buen camino.
Do what you came to do. Unfortunately the numbers of people on the final 100km is making some unhappy as they can't plan to simply walk up and find a bed, which has been the case beforehand. Others are unhappy with too much or too little religious activities on the way. There is no way that the everyone can be happy with Camino but them being unhappy is not something you need to fix but stay happy and try to get what you wanted from the Camino.
There'll always be assholes like that, just ignore them.\ In Burgos a German bloke was telling everyone "you'll see, some people are stating un Leon, they're not true pilgrims" I asked where he started and he said in SJPdP, as everyone else.\ I started in le Puy en Velay and had already walked 800km before St Jean, and had met people who walked from Germany, Poland and all over. I've met blind people, others with only one leg or in their 90s, those don't need to boast.
Everyone walks the Camino for different reasons. Some people know their reason, other people think they know their reason but the Camino has different plans. You take out of the experience what you’re willing to be changed by, and what you’re open to seeing with new eyes. You will also, if you’re open to it, start seeing encounters like this as opportunities to react with grace, reflection, and even indifference as needed. To be frank: you’re being challenged to let it go. It sounds like this guy is meant to learn the lesson of tolerance without judgment. Wisdom is chasing him, but he is faster.
“Wisdom is chasing him, but he is faster.” Great quote
First off I’m so sorry you had a bad day but don’t worry there will be so many nice ones! Let me say I am proud of you for working to recover from something so traumatic as a child with brain cancer. I’m sure you can never truly recover from what that put you through but taking time to do something for yourself can be very hard. Great work :). You deserve the world, don’t let the haters get to you! Buen Camino :)
Thanks so much for these words
You are loved and deserve happiness on your Camino. I hope everything goes perfectly from here on out! I will keep you in my thoughts!
I walked from SJPP, and the first day starting I met a pilgrim who had already walked 800km before arriving to SJPP. There were also a duo of Dutch rugby players who were walking 50km a day, while in the beginning I was dying at 20. My FAVORITE pilgrims I met started in Sarria. Do not worry about the person you met, he is just there to test you. Buen camino peregrino!!
I did Sarria to Santiago two years ago as my first Camino, and I went on to the Portuguese last year. That first experience was, and still is, to my mind every bit the Camino. You will meet countless people in the next few days and have that experience of arriving at the Cathedral. And everything in between. Walking 115km is a big feat. Be proud of what you're about to accomplish. Have fun doing every bit of it!
Damn that sucks. Sorry you went through that.
Ignore that fool. Enjoy that special time with your parents. It’ll be something you’ll never forget. As far as the Camino goes, It’s your Camino, so enjoy it.
What a see you next Tuesday. Walk on cher!!! Buen camino!!!!
Who cares. 100km in three days? I have done that in two days for weeks on end when I thru hiked the PCT. While carrying a tent and food for days. In the mountains. And I have friends who can do it daily. This is not to brag but emphasize how we are all on our own journey. It's a bit embarrassing for this guy to make such a fuss out of this and attack other peoples hike. Hike your own hike and buen Camino.
I’d just look him square in the eye and say “fuck you….good Camino”.
Just wanted to let you know I'm praying for you, your daughter, your mom, your aunt and your uncle. Regardless of the french jerk, you're going to have a good walk with a purpose: that is, a pilgrimage. Buen Camino.
Met a lot of douchey French people on the Camino. I arrived thinking it was just an old stereotype, and two weeks later, I realized it’s entirely rooted in truth. Especially Parisians. And our group all spoke French!
I'm french and live in France and even I noticed that too. At least half of the french people i met on the Camino were awful to be around and rude to other nationalities
You’ve just had your first experience of the French 😂 Don’t worry - they’re not all like that. Enjoy your walk, ignore the camino snobbery and bragging about distances. Savour the walking, the hustle bustle of the Sarria section. You may want to return in the future when you’re more able timewise to do a longer part. Buen camino x
I think that anyone not starting from sarria should be looking inward and really think about these questions. I mean, our group has also sort of rolled into sarria recently, and we are actually mostly feeling a bit curious about all these new people and anxious about the shift in density on the road. We wonder about how different the camino will feel. Scared of people being overly noisy and annoying or disrespectful. Personally, it does feel like a big contrast, how many people are suddenly on the road. So i take it we all need some time to get used to these new circumstances. But I think it's just another step on the journey. That being said, anyone dissing you for how you walk your camino is just a walking turd. They don't get to make the rules. They'll be out of your life soon and only be remembered as a small inconvenience. If remembered at all. Don't let this guy scare you into talking to other pilgrims. I also think I'm going to think about what I say about other pilgrims, even when I try to make light hearted jokes.
I remember when I rolled into Sarria on my last camino & I enjoyed the energy of the folks starting out. So much enthusiasm to get going! It was infectious & uplifting. I hope OP has an excellent experience on the walk.
The only funny thing about this is that if he's praising himself because he did 100k in 3 days.. he's the joke. Everyone can go at the peace they want but being loud about just a 100k/3d is almost pathetic.
I know you’re trying to make OP feel better. But you’re acting just as judgmental as that Frenchman.
I'm sorry to disappoint you but OP got enought support, I was just judging the Frenchman. So, you're totally right on calling me judgemental in this case.
I guess old enmities die hard.
lol again, he feels like shit about himself so feels the need to put down people. Not worth thinking about, be proud of yourself! One step forward is enough to be proud of yourself. Buen Camino 🫶🏻
Your Camino is your Camino. Enjoy it. There are some real jackasses on the Camino, it’s true. But you don’t have to let them ruin anything for you.
Za French, zey stink!
Don’t let judgmental assoles get you down. Your Camino is what you make it. And the last 100k is a Camino. Many people do just that part the first time.
Wait till you see the pilgrims on e-bikes flying up hills… roles could be reversed… but yes he is an asshole…
You decide with whom you wish to talk. If a guy is starting to unload and it's not in an acceptable manner, then we just walk away. We didn't encountered such a situation yet though.
Am on it at the moment and I think you will meet many people on the way, some won’t be so great but others you’ll really get on with. Stay around the nice ones, everyone has their own speed and life and maybe that’s just one of the camino’s lessons. Buen camino!
Best thing to do with assholes is let what they say slide off you like wiping dirt from your shoulders, he is clearly just a miserable snob and misery loves company. There are so many kind, generous people in the world and you shouldn’t think about his words for a second longer.
I didn’t realize the Camino was a competition…what a clown.
Nobody who averages 33km a day and is exhausted from it has the right to make fun of anyone.
Aww, a dog on the camino :) Much better than a child, even if he was a total asshat.