[Gocamino] Camino clutter

[eileen.hamer at insightbb.com]

Hi folks,

Is it just me or is this listserve coming down to a few old hands who are done with talking about the Camino itself and are exchanging chat about what I think of as Camino peripherals?  Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I've had some emails recently from a couple of folks planning their first Caminos who want to talk about socks and boots and just how scarey is that last downhill into Zubiri anyway? 

I'm glad to tell anyone of my experiences on the Camino Frances, but as some of you know, I've only actually hoofed it for about a third of the way, covering the rest by van or bus or taxi when my knees were shot.  So could some of you old hands get back to the nuts and bolts for those who join thinking this is a place to find help for the newcomers?  

By the way, I've recently found a couple of Spanish language sites that rate the albergues, and they are much, much more caustic than any of us.  The word "sucio" is frequent, for example.  Good for a few chuckles anyhow, and interesting to see that sense of entitlement many Spaniards seem to have when it comes to albergue services to pilgrims.  One of the sites had a discussion of "real" pilgrimage, with several of the writers claiming that a real pilgrim never sends his/her pack on by taxi, and so on, but no mention of spirituality or religious purpose.   I got the image of their "real" pilgrims as under thirty, sports-oriented jocks, racking up  those 30k days and sneering at the less physically able. Interesting.