Hey everyone, I just wanted to say thanks for watching this series of videos. It was a good challenge for me in many ways. If you're just discovering this series now, you can find the first video here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/lbl0fsqk3JOoXXU.html Now, onto a new adventure.

I've watched through this series and honestly, I think your mostly negative view of it was down to you and no one else. Coffee and croissant doesn't really do it for you for breakfast? This is Spain, it's what we do. If it was so bad, maybe you could have made a sandwich from the many places you find along the way and had that instead? This is not Canada, or the UK where breakfasts are bacon, egg etc. Then you talk about your stolen walking poles but they weren't, the man kindly drove however many miles to give you them back. Did he have to do that? No. Then you choose to take one bad experience and then not stay in Alburgues again? That's your loss, it really is as that's where a lot of the good stuff happens and you meet people with great stories to tell and some of these places are centuries old! Finally, talking about the traffic of people. Please remember, YOU are the traffic too and a little bit of research before hand would have opened your eyes to this. I'm not sure what time of year you walked but this is a pilgrimage, not a through hike and while parts of it are beautiful, a big chunk is also just head down and grind it out. I just think your negativity and always questioning others was what made this less of a beautiful experience for you. It doesn't have to be spiritual, or religious, but just walk and be open minded. Like the look to the camera when you found out the horses were for meat but then sit down and eat meat or fish some place else without even questioning it. For me, your videos came across as you finding ways not to enjoy it, rather than embrace the differences and the culture around you and living life to the full. I hope you get to walk one of the Caminos again with a much more open mind and less expectation.

When things don't go as I thought they would I would reflect on the following to accept my perspective and change my mindset: Obstacles do not block the path. They are the path... I hope this is helpful to you and anyone reading the post ..

There are no accidents, only appointments. Thank you for posting. Peace Out.

Thanks Jason for sharing your journey, I enjoyed it. And thanks for being honest about the experience. I can understand how one of the things you hated doing was filming the walk-bys. I subscribe to 165 youtube channels and my least favorite part of any of them is the walk-bys. For me, it’s because they are staged and again, for me, it actually takes away from the experience. There are no coincidences, things happen for a reason. Thoughts become things. When your mind lets go and shifts into more of a neutral state, that’s when the magic happens. I think of my eyes more as projectors than receivers. Our eyes show us what our mind is most focused on. And lastly, I’ll leave you with two quotes from Richard Bach’s book Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah: “Don’t be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends”. And “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof”. Be well and journey on! ☮❤😎

What a journey. One you won’t forget. I felt for you in pain and with ur tooth issue. When that happens small things become huge. Onto the next challenge. I’ve enjoyed following your journey.

We enjoyed listening to your thoughts and feel very similar. We completed the French Way in Oct 2023.

The definition of a pilgrimage: A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. So I'm hearing you when you arrived in Santiago and was assaulted by the noise and chaos. Who wouldn't be? I was actually thinking to myself each time you showed what you had for breakfast that pastries is the worst stuff to eat when doing physical activities. You needed protein like eggs to sustain you. Food is probably the most important factor in those distance walks and it's a shame that you didn't get it. But it was great joining you along your way and look forward to the next one 👍.

My wife and I did the Primitivo three years ago and loved it until w got to Melide where it seems several routes converge and also school and coach parties start the walk to Santiago. What we did was to not leave too early. That gave time for the vast majority of pilgrims to have set off, we then found the walk reasonably pleasant to Santiago. The scenery all along the Primitivo is spectacular, the towns and villages interesting. If we were to do it again, we would take an alternate route from Malide to Santiago. We did it in two weeks, it was a vigorous and sometimes challenging walk, only because of the distances on some days. Overall verdict...Loved it. There are far more people on the Camino Frances!

It was interesting to hear your final thoughts on the Camino experience...thank you for sharing and thank you for all the effort that was put into documenting this trek. Looking forward to your next adventure!

I started watching your videos in Mexico because my wife and I may try spending time there to get away from cold Canadian winters. I enjoyed the honesty of your videos and followed you to Spain. You seem somewhat lost in life's journey, not alone in that considering what has gone on the last 2 years or more, and I hope that you find what you're looking for. All the best from a Canadian searching for a warmer, less authoritarian second home.

I love your honesty about this journey. So many KZfaqrs tried to make everything sound so Rosy and beautiful. It is refreshing to have you explain how you honestly felt about your trip.

Congratulations on completing this journey.

My go to mentality is to try and hope for the best and expect the worst. Let things be what they will be without putting too much pressure on what other folks experiences of it were or what I wanted it to be, just try to take it for what it is now. I hope you still enjoyed the challenge. Perhaps this was more of a social challenge than you were prepared for. I'm introverted as well and have been very isolated for about 8 years now, I've found that interacting with people when I wasn't expecting to really throws me off. I'm still trying to figure out how to be around people again as I come out of a very ugly thing I lived through without being "that weird girl", but it's not going well so far, so I can't offer any advice or tidbits to ponder, lol. I hope your next long distance walk will be a more enjoyable experience.

Thanks for your perspective and honest review of your Camino.

I have done the Frances 2 times set off on it 3 times. Twice it was life changing due to the people I met and how they helped me reflect on issues I had going on. Third time I just wanted to be left alone. And it was no major change, or chatartic experience. So I can totally relate to the "profound spiritual experience" point.

Hi Jason. I was going to do the Frances, but was disappointed that it is so very, very crowded. So I turned to the Primitivo and found your video series. Thank you so much for doing it for us. I know that it must have been a pain to record it all, but it is very much appreciated. And the last video tied it all together for me. I still don't know what trail (pilgrimage) I will do, but you gave me a very good, honest perspective on the whole thing. It is frustrating that some people do it over and over, and only say great things about the Camino. It was very refreshing to hear an honest and objective viewpoint. Again, thank you!

Hola Jason, I'm taking my first steps on the Primativo, in about an hour, when I can drag myself out of my warm bed. It was brilliant to watch your video series & especially your honesty. But reading the comments I note you definitely divided opinion. All the best to you on your future travels 😊

Loved your Camino videos, thoughts told calmly (well mostly, apart from the sticks issue) and honestly (without the sugar coating as you called it) . And, wow, the thoughts you expressed from 21.30....that could have been me speaking, but I would never be able to express my thoughts in such an eloquent and engaging way

About the amount of people, you did it in summertime, of course there will be lots of people. About breakfast, I don’t think that Spanish people are going to change their culture for every tourist from every place around the world just because they’re doing the Camino. I don’t like having breakfast with a huge coffee and meat, so if I’m going to Canada o USA, I have to accept that it’s a cultural thing, or otherwise I won’t go, or 🤔 maybe I can take a chef with me. At least you enjoyed the scenery 👏🏻👏🏻

Great to hear you sum up your journey. As a new subscriber to your channel (prompted from Simon, Bloke in Woods) I thought your story would be much more about the boots, socks, kit you carried etc. You know, what is in your first aid kit and so on, favourite backpack and the best lightweight corkscrew……….. But I really think I enjoyed your series more for NOT having any of that in. I did wonder what exactly the “quiet guy” was doing in Europe at all. People everywhere. That said, no bears, coyotes, mountain lions wolves for the most part in Spain…. Hope your next trek is fulfilling too.

It’s nice to hear your thoughts about this journey. I especially enjoyed your inserts. Thankfully your camera wasn’t destroyed. Close one there. All experiences teach you things, even on a subconscious level. You learned about yourself and what is important, bad, good or just soaking up the energy along the way from the living earth. I’d like to believe that anyways. Maybe it was what you needed for your bucket list. Great video series and thank you for sharing it all. 😎

Nuevas aventuras. Disfrutate, amigo 🤙🙂🤘

Thanks for the update, Jason. 🙂👍

We did it in October of 2019. Not many people on the walk. Yes there was a lot when they converge but it thins out after a few hours. The food was good but I was missing fruits and vegetables a lot of the time. I am not sure where you were eating but none of the food we ate was “bar” food. If was good and plenty of it. I don’t think I ate one pizza the three weeks we were there. I drank the local wine. And ate the local food. In my opinion you have to search out the places the pilgrims don’t normally go to

Thank you for your honesty here and the face of some blatant disappointment, or disillusionment. I'm planning my first Camino (possibly on this route) for May and it seems I should abandon any expectations.

Good to hear you thoughts about your experience.

Nice hearing your thoughts. I like peace and solitude to. Cheers

I'm Spanish and I feel you bro. Food in Spain sucks, specially breakfast. The bloody spanish breakfast in bars is horrible. You can only eat massively sugary crap like industrial pastry, cookies, napolitanas and all the sh*t. No chance of proper food. If you happen to need energy for work or walk then you will have a sugar drop soon. Additionally our coffee is the worst in the world by far. Specially the one in cheap bars. Even our bread is crap. Don't listen to those spaniards saying "this is spain that's what we do". That's what third world people do. Eating awful, forcing you to eat awful.

When did you start the Camino month??

Thamks for your honest opinion. I've considered doing the Primitivo too, also beacuse it's the least populated and most 'wilderness' like. But I'm not sure it's for me. I like people, but I don't like them that much. Ideally I'd be doing a pilgrimage through Alaska with comfortable accomodation at the end of every day, but that's probably asking a bit much. For me it's about the walking and countryside, not the social aspect. I'm currently looking for alternatives. Maybe the Via de la Plata but by bike.

GRACIAS POR COMPARTIR ESTAS REFLEXIONES. PUEDO SENTIR LA SINCERIDAD DE SUS EXPERIENCIAS DEL CAMINO. USTED ES VALIENTE. MI ABUELA LOGRO EL CAMINO FRANCES EN EL 1920, MI MADRE EN EL 1949. PARTIERON DE CUBA, ABUELA EN BARCO, MI MADRE EN AVION. AMBAS MOTIVADAS POR LA RELIGION CATOLICA. EN UNA EPOCA MUY DIFERENTE... DIFICIL. MI VIDA HA ESTADO LLENA DE ANECDOTAS Y EXPERIENCIAS SOBRE EL CAMINO DE PRIMERA MANO. EN LA ACTUALIDAD TRATO DE OBTENER TODA LAS EXPERIENCIAS, VIDEOS Y RESUMEN POSIBLES SOBRE ESTE DESAFIO. EL SUYO HA SIDO ESPECIAL, POR MUCHAS RAZONES. GRACIAS OTRA VEZ.

Quizás solo buscabas una experiencia turística y gastronómica adaptada a tus propios gustos y expectativas, está claro que el camino no te aporta si tú solo buscas cosas concretas sin mente abierta

When did you start your walk?

I suggest making your own "Camino". Pilgrimages don't need to be religious. Consider Asia as a destination for one of these walks. Eastern religion is not as confrontational or conflict driven as Western religion.

siglos haciendo el camino y quieres venir tú que nadie te moleste y dedicarte a buscar donde poder quejarte anda a ver si en otra parte te va mejor majo anda tira

Mo need to apologize. Sometimes o

Brother just go move to an island by yourself and call it a day. 🤦‍♀️

I think it didnt move you much, because you did not commit to the spiritual and religious spirit because you were to busy filming the whole journey. Forgetting to absorb the experience and keep everything in your mind and not in a video memorycard.😉