Is Camino de Santiago from Sarria as bad as everyone thinks?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.พ. 2023
- Camino de Santiago from Sarria is the most popular part of the Way of St. James as it allows all-ages pilgrims to join this amazing adventure everyone is talking about! But there are some downsides to this popular 100km path as it becomes busy. It was also my case until I went to India to walk Guirivala in Thiruvanamalai along with other 300.000 people!
This episode is about understanding what my mistake was while I share about this amazing trip in India and Camino de Santiago Frances from Sarria.
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I am glad to see this video. The animosity about Sarria to Santiago has felt so negative. Those who walk it should be welcomed and affirmed. Thank you!
Wendy, the other day I was thinking about you and now I see your comment! thanks for the feedback. My first video about Sarria was a critique of the situation, although with a positive message, however for many it wasn't clear and positive enough. As a true believer of Camino I realized that this is the entry level to many and they should be encouraged to do it...or at least not discouraged! hugs
Interesting lesson. Thanks for sharing! On a walk across England with my wife I once became very frustrated with her slow pace and many breaks along the way. Fortunately, I looked inward and learned a lesson similar to yours. The problem wasn’t her pace, it was me. Now I celebrate the joy and shared experience of walking together as a couple, whatever the pace.
That's a beautiful lesson! ❤️
Thanks for sharing! it's a blessing to be able to stop and look inward... hugs
I had the same issue on the Portuguese last September. From Lisbon to Porto is was reasonably quiet but from Tui to Santiago, it was a mass procession of ‘pilgrims’ with no back packs. Having already walked for three weeks I felt that they were almost cheating but gradually began to accept the everyone must do what they can and that walking for a week is a big achievement too.
amen! that is the liberating spirit that helped me to cure my "caminotitis" thanks for charing Graham( btw we start this year season from Lisbon!)
You've just taught me something about myself. This really touched me. God bless you sir.
Thanks 🙏
I've walked Camino twice. First time in September/2016 beginning in Astorga and last time in May/June/2022 from Saint Jean Pied Port.
At my first time I stayed in the "main" cities of these last 100km: Sarria, Portomarin, Melide, Arzua, Pedrouso. It was a little crowded but not so much: it was ending of September and I had no problems.
But 2022 was a Holy Year and I used a better strategy: I slept in other cities, even in rural albergues, avoiding the cities where many pilgrims stayed. And it worked: I had many moments walking complitelly alone or only with few people.
In both times I could appreciate the beauty of rural Galicia, the woods, the little pueblos, the hórreos. It was wonderful.
I agree, it can be wonderful! Many of the times it also depends of the season… hugs
That's the beauty of the Camino. Some seek company, others solitude. You can walk the same route in a different season and have a totally different experience.
This is one of my favourite of your videos Ricky. We all have that same heartbreak at Sarria and it’s really hard get thoughts together to understand what is happening. I’d only got as far as considering the Frances as 2 different Caminos. You are right though, the problem lies with ourselves and once we can understand that sometimes two different flavours can make a good thing like cheese and tomato make better pizza and than just cheese or just tomato.
Really enjoyed it. I always look out for on Camino, I think we would laugh a lot. 😊
All the best.
Thanks Nick! the feedback is so valid, as the fear of the Camino from Sarria is so present! I hope we can walk and laugh one day together! hugs
Congratulations! You have found your way 🎉
yupiiii! thanks Cathy, I'm walking my way :)
Hi Ricardo 👋
Such an interesting viewpoint. After meeting you last year I went through the same thoughts on the last 100km and arrived in Santiago on Ascension day. The crowds freaked me out so much I couldn't even stand to queue for my certificate and I promptly left for Muxia.
Now that you have shown things in a different light I will go get it one day.
Good to see you here .... Y me encanta tu camisa roja.
Valerie! how great to fear from you. The "Sarria case" is a subject worth going deeper into. In the beginning I was looking at the Sarria form the "long distance pilgrim"... and then I changed my point of view, which was a revelation and cure for my struggle. big hugs
A beautiful spiritual learning about the power of mind and its conditionings. In this “maya” everything is relative, and in that relativity we can eventually learn that ultimately we are beyond“maya” 💕
omm
Well done my friend
thanks a lot! good to see you here
Thank you for the vid! It's great that you had to go to India to learn that number (many/ few) is all relative. Sure, the number walking from Sarria is great, but much less than those you saw in India! You're also right when you said that not everyone has 30+ days for holidays. Sometimes, even a week of holidays is hard to get by. Also the logistical reasons - not everyone has the funds for a trip/ pilgrimage of 30+ days.
Also health reasons - not everyone has the strength to walk 30+ days. I saw a post from a lady in which she said that she did the whole 800 km, while her mom (a senior) joined her for the last 100 km. She was grateful that they experienced it together. Everyone's experience is different & precious. Buen camino!
We totally agree with you! Any opportunity to walk a pilgrimage, any pilgrimage is a blessing!
An important video. Thank you for making it.
Thank you for watching!
Hi Ricky! This is the reason why I decided to do the camino Ingles next June instead of the last 100-120 km of the Frances and why I did the Portuguese along the coast and not the internal route because it has the same issue with the last km from Tui. My personal choice, of course, but I didn’t wanted to see too much crowd and experience a slightly unpleasant situation like “fighting” for beds or walking in “groups”. I will do the Frances one day, maybe splitted in two or three times but definitely do the last 100 km when it is less crowded than this! 😂😂😂
Hi Chiara! thanks for your comment. The magic of Camino Frances include encounters with Cruz de Ferro, meseta and also... Sarria! If I'm able to see it as a blessing, the lesson will be there waiting. Can't wait for this year Camino, hope to see you there!
I did the camino Ingles las September. Was a great experience, very few pilgrims. Only the waether was awful.
@@rolfromer3757 oh no I am sorry! I know it is a rainy camino most of the time, hopefully at the end of June it won’t be too bad! I had 13 days of rain in my Portuguese camino and it was beautiful but miserable! I said to myself that all the next caminos will definitely be better than that for sure!
When did you go on the Camino and which month? I went right after the WYD Madrid in 2011. It's summer time and not as crowded as I saw in your video.
it was on the first days of July.. Spanish holidays just started! these seem to be the "rush hours" of Camino 😂
Hi,
Thank you for your nice Channel.
I have the idea to swap in Sarria to the south and walk to monforte de lemos to continue on the camino invierno.
Do you think I will miss much on the last part of the Frances? I heard the invierno is beautiful but I don't wan't to miss o cerbreiro so maybe switch over after it might be a good decision. What do you think?
Hello Martin, thank you so much for this! Can you make it to our Q&A live session on Thursday at 7pm GMT? We will answer this question and many more you may have! Let me know 😊
I will try to join next week.
What time of year would be warm enough but not like the queue for the bar? I was thinking October, so this time next year. Any thoughts
Hey Susana we are going to answer your question in tomorrow's live: th-cam.com/users/live_8MysdJ7DoI?si=VUK9qTZhh31sYL6q
If you cannot join at that time, please watch the replay as it will be available for a week! ☺️
Thank you Sir, days ago i was a little confused. I will be my first time in Europe, instead of visit Paris, Rome or London, I´ll do The Ccamino from Sarria. Some of my relatives told me I´m crazy becouse of my age (62) amd beside, they say it isn´t important to walk withouth sense 114 kilometers. Beside your video I´ve seen others which gets to touch the spiritual part of our soul. Thank´s to your message i get strongeer in my goal: I will do the Camino. God Bless You. Greetings from Mexico.
Don't worry, my relatives were also 'confused' about the idea at first. But once they saw the change my first Camino brought about, they stopped questioning my decisions! Follow your intuition, and if you have any doubts, let us know! Gracias.
Danke!
Thanks to you
Thank you for providing this very balanced perspective! Yes, Sarria + is very crowded, but it can still he rewarding. On my first Camino I almost skipped Sarria + to avoid a the "bed race," but it turned out to be fine! It's just a different experience, with 10× more people, but also 10× more communal spirit!
A little hint: aim for albergues in between the staging points in the various guides. Most people religiously follow the guidebooks, and the villages in between are oftentimes starved for guests! I never made reservations, but have frequently slept surrounded by empty beds! I never failed to find a bed for the night. And... best of all.... I always found the people I was meant to be with, (for better or worse!)
The Camino always provides! Have faith, and develop all your common senses!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, hugs
Having walked that last section from Sarria three times in 2015, 2016, 2018 I don't think I could walk it again........ last year I walked the Invierno from Ponferrada as the last stage of a Camino from Sevilla. It was wonderful! I'm sure many people will start to switch to the Invierno or Sanabres for short Caminos......
You totally right, people will be switching for the other Caminos! This May’s stats show that 20k pilgrims started in Saria- how overwhelming!!!
When did you do the Sarria walk?
It happened in June… holiday time in Spain :)
❤️❤️❤️
thanks Amore
We did the Camino portion from Sarria to Santiago in early June and saw none of the crowds that are mentioned continually concerning this route. The trick was that the crowds are up and leaving at the break of day. Relax a bit over breakfast. Get a later start...when we did that, we would go for stretches where we could see no other walkers. Never did we run into a crowd. Those who complain that after walking for hundreds of miles that they run into crowds, the problem is not the crowds, but your unwillingness to make a change to your routine.
Wise words! Not joining the morning crowds and choosing the less frequent stops can save one a lot of head ache 🤒
I get that the last 100k is a bit of a cheat (perhaps) but like you say, who has 35 days annual leave. If I LOVE the experience of walkign the last 100k I can arrange some unpaid leave.
And that's exactly why I walked the Camino in winter.
For the ones who don't know Sarria _ Santiago is 114km.
Thanks for commenting
What time of year did you do it ??
it was beginning of june...
We walk in the same direction. No matter where we begin or end
thanks for these wise words, hugs
I am hoping to walk this section this year. I feel I need to for spiritual reasons and as I’m 60 I’m not sure I can do the entire 500 miles. I hope that I don’t cause resentment or look less grateful. I hope to get a spiritual reawaken and a new lease on life after a few years of not so great place.
the distance doesn't make you a pilgrim, the attitude does! By reading your comment We can see that you are in the good place and at the good time! When are you going??
Namaste, Faggataboutit!!!
:)
baby camino....sarria or tui??? i am in my 6th decade. not in any shape right now, though i am a critical care nurse and used to being on my feet. lol. stopped running a few years ago, but anyway, feel i could train to do a baby one. i will watch your video on the 5 best caminos for beginners. not sure of the "why" i want to do it. i am not religious, certainly do not consider myself of any one faith. but i feel drawn to do it....your videos are very helpful to me. thanks.
They are both pretty easy, Tui is less crowded than Sarria. Go for the route that calls you more ❤️
Watch this upcoming week's video ❤️ it may inspire you!
@CaminoTellers - In search of the holy Trail I will. Love your videos.
How do you do it? 😮
What?
Pray tell, when is the Camino least crowded? I wanted to do the last of June to arrive in Pamplona for the bulls!?
It can be busy… think about last 100k from Tui or Ferrol- less busy! Or go from Santiago to Finisterre and Muxia- also will get the certificate and it won’t be busy… hugs
The way is not only yours. All pilgrim are there for their purpose and abilities. It is a personal spiritual journey not a physical test for the spandex laden. I hope not all are as judgemental as you Mr Camino
Did you actually watch the whole video before writing the comment? I guess not from your answer. Watch it first 🤗 big hugs!
I did watch it all….but my comment was made to all who may feel frustrated as you did at that time. Life is not a race but a slow walk with compassion for our fellow man. I don’t need a lesson or to go to India to know that. Peace to you friend of the camino
Not the one 'everyone' walks, but a great percentage of walkers who seek to obtained the desired compostela. True pilgrims start at the point of origin, St Jean Pied de Port, which is the one I did in September 2022; whereas this year I did the Portuguese from Lisbon via the Litoral Way.
Great percentage, that’s true!
Imo,there are no mistakes on the Camino, there is no right or wrong,. there are just lessons that we learn from. 😉
Wise words!
Happy partying hormigas... I mean Pilgrims. "Sympatheia!"
thanks for being here Lence! looking forward to read your blog!
You have to walk the first 700km to understand and accept the last 100
💚💚🙏 well said
Body, mind, spirit... test.
Exactly!🙏
Maybe you should purchase your own private path, no one is allowed to walk there but you. Complete privacy.
I' m afraid that you haven't watched the video until the end as the completely opposite conclusion is shown!
With the utmost respect, as I understand many of the ones I call 'purists' of the Camino, I would like to share my experience. Having done 3 caminos, the longest one from Porto to Santiago (250 kms), and tried a 4th one (Primitivo) that I had to quit because of an injury, I always done those without backpack, just a small pack with the essentials, and then using services as the Correos de España to carry my luggage. I have tendinitis on the shoulders, with calcifications, so carrying weight is a virtual suicide, if I want to have a normal life. So, if that makes me a 'lesser' pilgrim, I frankly couldn't care less of other's opinion. I'm a devout Catholic, and the essence of the Camino is to carry what's essential, embrace the experience, and absorb what it brings. And from my experience, the biggest weight you carry is not physical, is psychological. I don't take lessons from anyone on this regards. Tourist on the Camino? There's 'tourists' on every aspect of our life. You just do your way, and let the others be. That (should) be one of the lessons of the Camino, is it not??
hello Pedro! thanks for sharing. for us "pilgrim" is the one that decides to go to the place of "worship", not necessarily religious. how you do it - as long as you respect others - is everyone decision. we aren't "purists", if someone needs to send a bag, let it be, its his/hers Camino. Pilgrim is a matter of mindset, of conscious decision and of constant growing into more "mature" version of myself... but this is how we see things. hugs
Camino Tellers: que te vaya bien tu baño en el contaminado río Ganges. Desprecias el Camino de Santiago y te pierdes los paisajes de Galicia y la puesta de sol en el "fin del mundo", Fisterra. Caminos de Santiago hay muchos: Camino del norte, Camino portugués, Camino inglés, Camino de invierno, etc. Todos ellos sin la masificación del Camino francés (saturado en verano). Un saludo desde Compostela, ciudad patrimonio de la humanidad que te encantaría.
Imagine how desolate No Spain would be without Camino Euros.
Mmm, it would make a difference I suppose! More than 11% in of PIB in Galicia region
very negative approach. A really unhappy man...
Did you watch the entire video?