pilgrims of a lesser kind

[Eyskens]

I know it's possible to be both pilgrim and tourist during your journey
across the Camino, sometimes simultaneously.  I wrote a short piece for
family and friends when I came home in 2001, and titled it 'Tourist or
Pilgrim'.  The sum it up, I started as a tourist but became a pilgrim,
somewhere around Logrono, and probably became a tourist again between
Santiago and Cape Finisterre.  During my two stints as a 'Hospitalero' I
saw plenty of tourists, pilgrims, tourist-pilgrims and pilgrim-tourists
and many who had no idea what they were or why they were on the Camino.
As for the coach people I feel sorry they are missing out on the total
package, notwithstanding the large fees they paid for their
'pilgrimage'.

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: Road to Santiago Pilgrimage [mailto:GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU] On
Behalf Of Jeffrey Crawley
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 11:13 AM
To: GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU
Subject: Re: pilgrims of a lesser kind


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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