Additional funds for the Pyrenees area of the route.

[Isca-camigo]

Hi all I saw this article today about adding additional facilities to the Canfranc area and possible cooperation between the French and Spanish on making the route more walking pilgrim friendly in some area. I'm not sure what the improvement s will mean, I joined the Aragones after going up the Ossau valley way.
https://www.noticiasde.es/aragon/importante-impulso-al-camino-de-santiago-camino-frances-por-aragon/

 

[domigee]

Oh dear, I’d better walk the Aragonés asap, before they turn it into yet another ‘pilgrim autopista’

 

[peregrina2000]

They are going to invest more than 3 million euros! Here´s the list of improvements the article describes:

— a Welcome center at the station in Canfranc
— an albergue in Canfranc
— development of programs and education promoting the route
—marketing the route
— getting unified signage
— help maintaining the part of this route that´s in France (not sure I get that)
— improving safety by building pedestrian bridges between Pont de Cebers and Gare de Urdos

This is related to the plan mspath alerted us to a while ago, the rehabilitation of the old station into a fancy hotel. Seems like there is someone in this part of Spain with a lot of money and grandiose visions. I absolutely loved the Aragonés and am at a loss to understand why the numbers are declining, but I’m not sure this is the antidote. But then, as I am nothing but an armchair critic, you shouldn’t pay much attention to me.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/canfranc-may-rise-again.51029/#post-558575

 

[JabbaPapa]

This is probably mostly good news -- and it's true that Canfranc is sorely in need of an albergue ; but the section that they're talking about investing in is principally used by weekend and holiday walkers, whereas the section immediately north of Jaca remains quite seriously deprived.

Furthermore this quote "El objetivo general de este proyecto es desarrollar una oferta turística común" quite clearly suggests that tourism, not pilgrimage, is the focus (though we'll still benefit by default), though of course running the pilgrim infrastructures as businesses for purposes of profit has been a common theme on the Aragonès for I believe quite some time (pacem the few genuinely amazing albergues on that Way).

But if they can provide a bit less tarmac on the Spanish side and a bit more trail, that'll be good.

And it would be fantastic if they could do the same on the French side, in that final section which is a Spanish GR on French soil, as some quite lengthy stretches of that route can sometimes be pretty dangerous to walk beside in that heavy traffic.

 

[alhartman]

Albergue Monte de Gozo was a 1993 grand vision!! When I stopped there in 2016 it looked mostly abandoned. Prince played there in August 1993.

 

[Isca-camigo]

Albergue Monte de Gozo was a 1993 grand vision!! When I stopped there in 2016 it looked mostly abandoned. Prince played there in August 1993.

Not sure what it's got to do with this thread, but it was looking abandoned 2 years ago when I passed through. 2021 may see it back to full or semi full occupancy, it was rammed when I passed through in 2010, it will need a bit of money spent on it.

 

[alhartman]

Sorry to be obtuse!; trying to draw a parallel between the 1993 grand vision of Monte de Gozo and the new Canfranc 3 million euro grand vision. IMO neither did/will work well.