pilgrims of a lesser kind

[Jeffrey Crawley]

If there WERE just two tyoes of people on the Camino things would be very
boring!

This year there did seem to be an increase in the number of people who were
dong what was derisively called the Camino Americano (unfair to Americans as
I saw Brits and Germans doing the same thing) rather than the Camino Frances
where "Pilgrims" do the Camino - sometimes Pamplona to Santiago in 15 days
and sometimes walking as much as 7 miles a day!

Are they Pilgrims?

Then there was the elderly English couple ( he said he'd retired 18 years
ago so your guess at their age is as good as mine) who had walked from Arles
to Burgos in the early part of this year and resumed their walk from Burgos
to Santiago in September.  They carried their day's supplies and their
luggage went by coach.  Were they Tourists?

Although there was much fun made of the coach pilgrims I must admit I felt
more sorry for them that they did not have the time, ability or imagination
and faith  to undertake a "true" pilgrimage. Although I wonder what value
they held their multi-stamped credential in.

September was a busy month on the Camino but they did not get in the way too
much and there is still (at present) room for all.

Jeffrey
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bortolo Di, C.A. (Carli)" <CA.Di.BortoloaLELYSTAD.NL>
To: <GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU>
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 10:02 AM
Subject: Re: Xacobeo and Football and pilgrims of a lesser kind


> Dear Fr. Gerry.
>
> Indeed, there are two kinds of people on the Camino: pilgrims and tourist
as
> I refer to them. But you can't see the difference on their looks, nor on
the
> way they travel. The difference is in their hearts, in their motives to do
> the Camino. From their behaviour often you can tell.
>
> On my Camino, which I had to break off due to severe tendinitis, I met
both
> of them, pilgrims and tourists, as well pilgrims saying to be tourists and
> tourists saying to be pilgrims.
> In Huntto, 4 km after St Jean Pied de Port, I Came across some problem
with
> my left foot and decided not to climb the route Napoleon, but to walk via
> Valcarlos, the route the cyclists take. So I had to walk downhill,
> "upstream" the flow of pilgrims and tourists. In some cases the difference
> was obvious: tourist looking with some contempt, seeming to think "See, it
> is not for everybody", and pilgrims, asking if there was a problem, giving
> me some comfort and wishing me strength.
>
> The evening before at the refugio, I talked with some colleague Dutch
> people. On my motives for the Camino (6 weeks of introspection) they
> commented: "So you are a real pilgrim." When they heard of my trouble they
> offered to divide the contents of my backpack on their own. At least in
> their hearts they were pilgrims.
>
> It has been said more often: everyone does the Camino on his own way.
> Therefore, if you have the opportunity and the ability, do the Camino on
> your way. In my vision you are a pilgrim (already).
>
> Ultreya,
> Carli Di Bortolo
>
>
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