Martin 888
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances ‘19 and ‘22, Camino Portuguese ‘23
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I so agree with you, I was aghast at how much senseless graffiti and trash there was on the Camino. I unfortunately saw so many memorials people left for loved ones, I know it was heartfelt and probably looked meaningful when it was left behind but unfortunately so many times by the time I saw them they were a soggy wind blow pile of trash.Hello from Santiago. I just walked the last stage of the Camino Portuguese today from Padron up to SdC…..quite wonderful. This is a classic Camino stage at 26kms and full of variety, culture, history and beautiful countryside. In my opinion, a way nicer final walk into the city than the Camino Frances.
However, I feel compelled to raise something on this platform which was so unexpected and so sad.
About 4kms out from the Cathedral, the trail passes through a beautiful area of natural woodland, so close to the city. At the start of this stretch, some idiots had decided to hang a few used face masks in the trees…..an awful sight. This was then copied hundreds of times in the next kilometre or so by ‘sheep’ wanting to emulate the stupid idea.
OK….the very first rule of pilgrimage is ‘leave no trace’…..even compared to the masses of tissue left behind on the Camino Frances, this was worse. Don’t people realize that this material can take years to break down and decompose.
As if we haven’t all had enough of the pandemic, for locals and pilgrims alike, why would we possibly want to be reminded of it here. In fact, there could be pilgrims walking the trail who have lost a loved one during the pandemic.
We should not forget that we from overseas are guests in this wonderful country and generally welcomed by the amazing Spanish people who look after us so well. If I lived here and witnessed this, I would be far less likely to feel positive about the pilgrim community.
Please, please…..leave only footsteps along the way!
the very first rule of pilgrimage is ‘leave no trace’
Thank you. Great response.An eyesore, a wildlife hazard. Nobody should follow this lead. It’s not good.
But if I were to play devil’s advocate…it does strike me that there’s never been a collective mourning ceremony over COVID-19. Assuming the best in people, perhaps they hang these masks as one such attempt? To say that they remember...?
On a small scale, I know that when we’ve suggested small rituals to mark “return to office,” with an idea of letting people process and share what lockdowns were like for them, the response was discomfort. The idea was nixed. People just wanted to be back to normal and obliterate that awful experience. The end result was moving ahead without much emotional processing.
I’ve no idea though. It's most likely just terrible litter, or people trying to make a silly statement divorced from real thought or emotion. But assuming the best, it might come from the desire to have some type of shared closure which never came to fruition? Best not to hang a mask there in any case.
The elastic loops are essentially traps, just like the plastic rings that come on many 6-packs of beer or soda in the US.
Hello from Santiago. I just walked the last stage of the Camino Portuguese today from Padron up to SdC…..quite wonderful. This is a classic Camino stage at 26kms and full of variety, culture, history and beautiful countryside. In my opinion, a way nicer final walk into the city than the Camino Frances.
However, I feel compelled to raise something on this platform which was so unexpected and so sad.
About 4kms out from the Cathedral, the trail passes through a beautiful area of natural woodland, so close to the city. At the start of this stretch, some idiots had decided to hang a few used face masks in the trees…..an awful sight. This was then copied hundreds of times in the next kilometre or so by ‘sheep’ wanting to emulate the stupid idea.
OK….the very first rule of pilgrimage is ‘leave no trace’…..even compared to the masses of tissue left behind on the Camino Frances, this was worse. Don’t people realize that this material can take years to break down and decompose.
As if we haven’t all had enough of the pandemic, for locals and pilgrims alike, why would we possibly want to be reminded of it here. In fact, there could be pilgrims walking the trail who have lost a loved one during the pandemic.
We should not forget that we from overseas are guests in this wonderful country and generally welcomed by the amazing Spanish people who look after us so well. If I lived here and witnessed this, I would be far less likely to feel positive about the pilgrim community.
Please, please…..leave only footsteps along the way!
When walking by there in early November, I was truly horrified at the sight of these hanging masks in the trees. They seem to have proliferated compared to early November.About 4kms out from the Cathedral, the trail passes through a beautiful area of natural woodland, so close to the city. At the start of this stretch, some idiots had decided to hang a few used face masks in the trees…..an awful sight. This was then copied hundreds of times in the next kilometre or so by ‘sheep’ wanting to emulate the stupid idea.
Acknowledge your advice.Hello from Santiago. I just walked the last stage of the Camino Portuguese today from Padron up to SdC…..quite wonderful. This is a classic Camino stage at 26kms and full of variety, culture, history and beautiful countryside. In my opinion, a way nicer final walk into the city than the Camino Frances.
However, I feel compelled to raise something on this platform which was so unexpected and so sad.
About 4kms out from the Cathedral, the trail passes through a beautiful area of natural woodland, so close to the city. At the start of this stretch, some idiots had decided to hang a few used face masks in the trees…..an awful sight. This was then copied hundreds of times in the next kilometre or so by ‘sheep’ wanting to emulate the stupid idea.
OK….the very first rule of pilgrimage is ‘leave no trace’…..even compared to the masses of tissue left behind on the Camino Frances, this was worse. Don’t people realize that this material can take years to break down and decompose.
As if we haven’t all had enough of the pandemic, for locals and pilgrims alike, why would we possibly want to be reminded of it here. In fact, there could be pilgrims walking the trail who have lost a loved one during the pandemic.
We should not forget that we from overseas are guests in this wonderful country and generally welcomed by the amazing Spanish people who look after us so well. If I lived here and witnessed this, I would be far less likely to feel positive about the pilgrim community.
Please, please…..leave only footsteps along the way!
Any attempt to try and rationalize or romanticize this is ridiculous. You can't glean anything positive from this or spin it as some grand gesture.An eyesore, a wildlife hazard. Nobody should follow this lead. It’s not good.
But if I were to play devil’s advocate…it does strike me that there’s never been a collective mourning ceremony over COVID-19. Assuming the best in people, perhaps they hang these masks as one such attempt? To say that they remember...?
On a small scale, I know that when we’ve suggested small rituals to mark “return to office,” with an idea of letting people process and share what lockdowns were like for them, the response was discomfort. The idea was nixed. People just wanted to be back to normal and obliterate that awful experience. The end result was moving ahead without much emotional processing.
I’ve no idea though. It's most likely just terrible litter, or people trying to make a silly statement divorced from real thought or emotion. But assuming the best, it might come from the desire to have some type of shared closure which never came to fruition? Best not to hang a mask there in any case.
I never meant to imply that YOU were endorsing the behavior and apologize if it seemed that way...I assure you that I did not intend to romanticize or defend a truly jarring sight or maladaptive practice. It is disturbing, whatever its possible meaning or lack thereof, whether it stems from unassimilated grief or not. I fully concur that it should be discouraged.
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