Firstly, I hope that my question isn't controversial, and it's something I've been thinking about as I have watched many YouTube videos on the Camino, documentaries, etc.
Is leaving a stone at the Cruz de Ferro an ancient sort of thing, or is it more recent? Is it something that locals are fine with? How about the tying of homemade crosses on various fences along the way?
The reason I ask is this. Over the past decade, we have travelled to Paris many times. When we first started going, there were no locks on the Pont des Arts. Then some sort of crazy fad happened, and tourists began affixing locks to the bridge and tossing their keys in the Seine. And the sides of the bridge began collapsing under their weight, and the whole thing became an eyesore. Most locals hated them. And guidebooks and tour guides, even the commentary on the cruise boats along the Seine, began talking about the "romantic French tradition" of affixing locks to symbolize one's love. Which of course was not true...it was just a tourist thing that took over and created a mess. A costly mess for the city, as it turned out.
So for people who live there, is there any issue about the leaving of stones, or crosses? I haven't yet been on the Camino, but already from videos, I've seen a fair bit of graffiti, and random leaving of boots and other detritus along the way. Just wondering how folks feel about this...is it taken in stride?
Is leaving a stone at the Cruz de Ferro an ancient sort of thing, or is it more recent? Is it something that locals are fine with? How about the tying of homemade crosses on various fences along the way?
The reason I ask is this. Over the past decade, we have travelled to Paris many times. When we first started going, there were no locks on the Pont des Arts. Then some sort of crazy fad happened, and tourists began affixing locks to the bridge and tossing their keys in the Seine. And the sides of the bridge began collapsing under their weight, and the whole thing became an eyesore. Most locals hated them. And guidebooks and tour guides, even the commentary on the cruise boats along the Seine, began talking about the "romantic French tradition" of affixing locks to symbolize one's love. Which of course was not true...it was just a tourist thing that took over and created a mess. A costly mess for the city, as it turned out.
So for people who live there, is there any issue about the leaving of stones, or crosses? I haven't yet been on the Camino, but already from videos, I've seen a fair bit of graffiti, and random leaving of boots and other detritus along the way. Just wondering how folks feel about this...is it taken in stride?