I do not know what is up with this stretch, but my first camino got me mentally at this point and my second ended here after walking from Ciraqui with a twisted knee for two days. The way was struggle all the way, yet the most amazing experience. I learned to let go of my goals with my second run. I learned to persevere during my first.
Loving your Camino, thx for sharing, you both are awsome!. I did it on 2012 (from Sarria 100 k) with one of my brothers, 2013 (from Leon 320 k) with my son (now 28), 2015 from St. Jean again with my son, 2017 from St. Jean with my oldest daughter Ale (now 30) and 2019 from St. Jean with the youngest (Daniela now 23). My wife had meet us a couple of times, it is fun, an experience of a lifetime.
Those girls were gypsies (who are more than likely to be there during school time, as well); and had you left your bags unattended, you might have found another common way for them to be "entrepreneurial"... :D For this and many other reasons, I have to disagree about the fact you think it´s "cool" to see people making money off the ever-growing number of "pilgrims", most of whom are foreigners. Quite the contrary, the shameless commercialization of the Camino is probably the n1 reason why us, Spaniards, think the Camino is no longer the humble, meaningful pilgrimage it used to be 20+ years ago, but something much, much "uglier". The prices you pay, the coins you drop, might mean nothing to you, but they do alter The Way, deeply. Which doesn´t mean you cannot find something valuable in it, of course. It means the Camino it´s now closer to downtown Manhattan than it ever was, so to speak... ;) P.S. Sorry for the downer... :D
What you say is probably correct, so please don't take this as I want you to argue with you... I would point out that until you told them that they were likely gypsies, and that there may be more cynical motives behind them, I would say that these peregrinos saw it differently and that is ok. Not all things need to be 'debunked' - in fact, sometimes we should 'bunk' them! :) The way our minds work and how we experience the unknown/new things is that there is a valence (positive-negative) in all things - we can see it as a threat or negative but we can also see it as an opportunity or positive. Certainly a charging bear is likely a negative only... while clean water when you're thirsty is certainly a positive. However, there are so many things we encounter that we can choose how we map those experiences on our brain/memory. The word origin of 'crisis' (Greek) is actually something unexpected/unknown that could have either positive or negative outcome, I thought of that when they joked about "manufacturing a crisis" to get to Logroño. Today in English we only use the negative context, which is a shame. To these Peregrinos, they didn't see the negative; instead, the saw a positive and mapped that meaning onto their brains. In their memory, encountering two young girls singing on the Way will hold a positive meaning. A positive, manufactured crisis... I think one beauty of the Camino is no matter how it changes and is commercialized, it is still possible to "see" the Way with a positive valence - not delusion but to look through/beyond those things that distract to the core of it. I suppose at the heart of it, if you're taking a month+ to walk with your own feet among others, yet in solitude - it can still serve its purpose. :)
@@aosthed I don´t find your comment confrontational at all, quite the contrary, I find it quite reasonable. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", they say. As such, it´s perfectly plausible to find "beauty" pretty much anywhere with the "right" mindset. I could even argue your "charging bear" is certainly not "a negative only", since any bear in the world is a far more endangered species than any human being, so you or me becoming an afternoon snack could me considerend an actual "positive" for the welfare of endangered animals everywhere. But I´m afraid life is far more complicated than that, and it´s tough (or simply impossible) not to compare any reality to what it used to be, years ago; it´s tough not to see the sheer filth in the midst of the romanticed idea of other people who came here chasing the dream, precisely when that dream is cheaper and more adulterated than it ever was. And yes, I know for a fact thousands of foreigners still say, every year, the Camino is the very best experience they´ve had in their entire lives, or something like that. And I´m actually happy for that, both as a Spaniard, and as human being. But I guess my "cynicism" gets the best of me, some days. In hindsight, maybe I shouldn´t have posted my original comment... I still take comfort thinking my "cynicism" is what other people would call "realism". And that´s good enough for me... ;) So thanks for your sensible opinion, and please try to enjoy the Camino if you´re so inclined, by all means. Best!
@@1650million Don't get me wrong, I wish I could have the Camino with the experience of 20 years ago... I've just thought a lot about this commercialization and popularity, and wondered if the Pros still outweighs the Cons... I think so, and I hope it continues for a long time still.
@@aosthed I do believe the pros still outweigh the cons, for most people. I just can´t stop seeing what I see, which is something that makes me wonder if I am "most people"... ;)
I ran out of water that leg of the Camino. I learned a lesson that day
I do not know what is up with this stretch, but my first camino got me mentally at this point and my second ended here after walking from Ciraqui with a twisted knee for two days.
The way was struggle all the way, yet the most amazing experience. I learned to let go of my goals with my second run. I learned to persevere during my first.
Thanks guys - made the same mistake in Viana. Ate my lunch on the early outskirts of Viana. Next time I'm hanging on for those cafes and restaurants!
Loving your Camino, thx for sharing, you both are awsome!. I did it on 2012 (from Sarria 100 k) with one of my brothers, 2013 (from Leon 320 k) with my son (now 28), 2015 from St. Jean again with my son, 2017 from St. Jean with my oldest daughter Ale (now 30) and 2019 from St. Jean with the youngest (Daniela now 23). My wife had meet us a couple of times, it is fun, an experience of a lifetime.
Wow. That’s incredible! We are hoping to take our adult children back to walk this journey someday. It was priceless!
Those girls were gypsies (who are more than likely to be there during school time, as well); and had you left your bags unattended, you might have found another common way for them to be "entrepreneurial"... :D
For this and many other reasons, I have to disagree about the fact you think it´s "cool" to see people making money off the ever-growing number of "pilgrims", most of whom are foreigners. Quite the contrary, the shameless commercialization of the Camino is probably the n1 reason why us, Spaniards, think the Camino is no longer the humble, meaningful pilgrimage it used to be 20+ years ago, but something much, much "uglier". The prices you pay, the coins you drop, might mean nothing to you, but they do alter The Way, deeply. Which doesn´t mean you cannot find something valuable in it, of course. It means the Camino it´s now closer to downtown Manhattan than it ever was, so to speak... ;)
P.S. Sorry for the downer... :D
Statically Spaniards are the majority of the people who walk the Camino. So I'm afraid you rant about Spaniards not liking the Camino is BS.
What you say is probably correct, so please don't take this as I want you to argue with you...
I would point out that until you told them that they were likely gypsies, and that there may be more cynical motives behind them, I would say that these peregrinos saw it differently and that is ok. Not all things need to be 'debunked' - in fact, sometimes we should 'bunk' them! :)
The way our minds work and how we experience the unknown/new things is that there is a valence (positive-negative) in all things - we can see it as a threat or negative but we can also see it as an opportunity or positive. Certainly a charging bear is likely a negative only... while clean water when you're thirsty is certainly a positive. However, there are so many things we encounter that we can choose how we map those experiences on our brain/memory. The word origin of 'crisis' (Greek) is actually something unexpected/unknown that could have either positive or negative outcome, I thought of that when they joked about "manufacturing a crisis" to get to Logroño. Today in English we only use the negative context, which is a shame.
To these Peregrinos, they didn't see the negative; instead, the saw a positive and mapped that meaning onto their brains. In their memory, encountering two young girls singing on the Way will hold a positive meaning. A positive, manufactured crisis... I think one beauty of the Camino is no matter how it changes and is commercialized, it is still possible to "see" the Way with a positive valence - not delusion but to look through/beyond those things that distract to the core of it. I suppose at the heart of it, if you're taking a month+ to walk with your own feet among others, yet in solitude - it can still serve its purpose. :)
@@aosthed I don´t find your comment confrontational at all, quite the contrary, I find it quite reasonable.
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", they say. As such, it´s perfectly plausible to find "beauty" pretty much anywhere with the "right" mindset. I could even argue your "charging bear" is certainly not "a negative only", since any bear in the world is a far more endangered species than any human being, so you or me becoming an afternoon snack could me considerend an actual "positive" for the welfare of endangered animals everywhere.
But I´m afraid life is far more complicated than that, and it´s tough (or simply impossible) not to compare any reality to what it used to be, years ago; it´s tough not to see the sheer filth in the midst of the romanticed idea of other people who came here chasing the dream, precisely when that dream is cheaper and more adulterated than it ever was.
And yes, I know for a fact thousands of foreigners still say, every year, the Camino is the very best experience they´ve had in their entire lives, or something like that. And I´m actually happy for that, both as a Spaniard, and as human being. But I guess my "cynicism" gets the best of me, some days. In hindsight, maybe I shouldn´t have posted my original comment... I still take comfort thinking my "cynicism" is what other people would call "realism". And that´s good enough for me... ;)
So thanks for your sensible opinion, and please try to enjoy the Camino if you´re so inclined, by all means.
Best!
@@1650million Don't get me wrong, I wish I could have the Camino with the experience of 20 years ago... I've just thought a lot about this commercialization and popularity, and wondered if the Pros still outweighs the Cons... I think so, and I hope it continues for a long time still.
@@aosthed I do believe the pros still outweigh the cons, for most people. I just can´t stop seeing what I see, which is something that makes me wonder if I am "most people"... ;)