Sept-Oct 2003 Hotels

[David Hough]

I think what Pieter means here is that
"Most DUTCH do speak all languages perfectly" =
a fact observed every day on the camino - but it is
definitely not the case that all Europeans know all
European languages.    Even on the Camino Frances it's
very common to run into people that only speak
Castellano and their local dialect.   On the other
routes, this is even more true.

It is true that most young people all over the world
have studied English.    They may not be willing to
speak it with foreigners.    In contrast, some people
you try ineptly
talking to in their language will switch to
English to speed things up.    Many commercial people
who cater to pilgrims on the Camino Frances do have
working knowledge of English, French, and German.

Oddly enough, when I was on the camino this spring
at the height of the Iraq war when nobody was
expecting
any Americans, in France I was usually presumed to be
Dutch, and in Spain, French.   On my way to Muxia I
stopped at a mercado and the young man who insisted
on helping me by speaking French though I only spoke
to him in my rudimentary broken Castellano.   We both
needed our practice.   But when I could speak French
in
Spain with Spaniards we were at an equal level and
communicated better than if I tried to speak
castellano.

However I think the main point is that the more you
know of the local language, the more nuanced a
conversation you can have with the local people,
which heightens the experience enormously.
One of my learnings from the Camino is that both
France and Spain do some things better and some things
worse than the US and everybody can learn from
everybody else.



--- pieter pannevis <p.pannevisaCHELLO.NL> wrote:
> Dear all
> Most Europeans do speak French, German, English and
> Spanish and there mother
> tongue ( for me Dutch)
> If the " greatest' nation on earth thinks that
> English will do; they are in
> an error
>
> Ultreya and good health to you all !
> pieter and Trigo from Holland
> pieterpannevisagmx.net


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