Xacobeo and Football and pilgrims of a lesser kind

[pieter pannevis]

Dear James
..Dear all,
Thank you for your nice comment.
Well, you shed another light on the matter and speaking from experience when
I did my Camino's I hardly met pilgrims staying in hotels.
It might have become necessary over the years to adapt to this system as the
daily amount of pilgrims outcount the possibilities of beds available in
Refugio's.

However I did make the point that apart from pilgrim's there ARE a lot of
tourists coming in with busses and are not really pilgrims (well those that
walk, bike or be on horseback - as you both observed).

Of course it's necessary for a pilgrim to have good equipment and that may
cost a dime, but when I walked form Holland to Santiago in 95 and had a
group (that stayed I hotels) in 96 I did have my friends on the Camino and I
hardly ever encountered one who stayed other than in an alberque or room in
a bar.
Well I did from time to time to have a good bed and a good lay in a bath,
but apart from that, we were really very down to earth.
It might have escaped me, but from the entire lists I'm on I never got the
impression we're a "spending lot".

I'd like to say the same for Lourdes France. The real pilgrims are not that
wealthy, but those who come to see the show (I know it's cynical) come with
hordes and occupy the hotels.

On your question to go to Compostella on horses, the only answer I can give
you that it's allowed officially and you can get a Compostella with it (well
they are sold, as I heard, for "non-pilgrims" too, not in Santiago that is).
But if you come by car or other there is no Compostella for you as it is
stated in the Compostella that you did the Camino out of faith and in "the
tradition of the Camino"

Wealthy people and their escort (here you go again) did the Camino in
ancient time and did it on horseback (as there were no buses, trains or
planes)

Think this will not settle the argument, but I'm very interested in this
matter and like to see what the list thinks of it

Take care you both and indeed you must have enjoyed it and I'm glad you have
Staying in hotels or not !!

Pieter and Don Trigo

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.522 / Virus Database: 320 - Release Date: 9/29/2003