New monument-sculpture to pilgrims in Sariegos (Camino del Salvador)

[Felipe]

The president of the Diputación de León has inaugurated last 9/9 a 'Monument to pilgrims', described as a "monolith sculpture", in the stage of Carbajal de la Legua - Cabanillas, not far from León. See an image here. The artist is Carlos Cuenllas. It is as...well, I honestly can't describe it.
What do you think about this last addition to Camino's artistic patrimony?

 

[mikevasey]

It was there at the beggining of July, the big metal box underneath had us puzzled at first. I had forgot about it until I saw the picture. On the way there we passed so many unfinished and probably never will be housing complexes and the area felt it was in a bigger than normal slump, it is nice that they think about promoting the Camino but they could have used the money better elsewhere.

 

[Felipe]

And now, the nerdy comment : as it is not (apparently) out of stone , it is not a monolith.

 

[peregrina2000]

... but they could have used the money better elsewhere.

A little off topic, but I think that many camino-related expenditures would have been made very differently if pilgrims had been involved in deciding how to spend the money. For me the most blatant example is the new bridge on the Camino between Finisterre and Muxia right before Lires. Until about a few years ago, this was the crossing. Picture available at post #8. Ok, that was dangerous, the stones were much more than a comfortable stride apart, and I did it with water up to my knees. You would think the response would have been a nice wooden bridge that fits in with the surroundings and allows for easy crossing on foot. BUT NO!!! The government spent 250,000€ to pave a long ugly imposing granite path and build a bridge that could carry a garbage truck across it. Why oh why do they do these things?

Sorry, Felipe, my rant is over.

 

[Felipe]

A little off topic, but I think that many camino-related expenditures would have been made very differently if pilgrims had been involved in deciding how to spend the money. For me the most blatant example is the new bridge on the Camino between Finisterre and Muxia right before Lires. Until about a few years ago, this was the crossing. Picture available at post #8. Ok, that was dangerous, the stones were much more than a comfortable stride apart, and I did it with water up to my knees. You would think the response would have been a nice wooden bridge that fits in with the surroundings and allows for easy crossing on foot. BUT NO!!! The government spent 250,000€ to pave a long ugly imposing granite path and build a bridge that could carry a garbage truck across it. Why oh why do they do these things?
Sorry, Felipe, my rant is over.

I guess this kind of decisions are due to engineers thinking about strong, durable solutions (and without the supervision of patrimony experts and heritage bodies) or, maybe, because besides pilgrims, paths and roads are needed by locals to travel to big cities, transporting farmer’s food for sale, and riding children to school. And yes, garbage trucks. Anyway, I understand and share your feelings. I did not like the paving of the lovely path descent toward Hornillos (everybody takes a pic there, apparently)... but I guess the near little villages needed and all-season road, regardless its scenic (and subjective) qualities.

 

[peregrina2000]

I guess this kind of decisions are due to engineers thinking about strong, durable solutions (and without the supervision of patrimony experts and heritage bodies) or, maybe, because besides pilgrims, paths and roads are needed by locals to travel to big cities, transporting farmer’s food for sale, and riding children to school. And yes, garbage trucks. Anyway, I understand and share your feelings. I did not like the paving of the lovely path descent toward Hornillos (everybody takes a pic there, apparently)... but I guess the near little villages needed and all-season road, regardless its scenic (and subjective) qualities.

Well, not to beat this to death, but the irony of this whole thing is that this monument to granite over the river is clearly closed to any traffic other than bikes and feet. There will be no vehicular traffic of any kind. I think it's more a reflection of the ego of the politician who ordered its construction. But maybe I'm a cynic.

 

[enderjace]

Hola a todos.

Ese monumento al peregrino es la cosa más fea y sin sentido que se puede hacer en el Camino del Salvador, pero lo que importa no es si es bonito o si es útil, lo que importa es que lo diseño un escultor famoso y su precio es muy muy alto con lo que el alcalde se puede llevar una bonita comisión y poner una placa con su nombre en la escultura.

También han "arreglado" el camino haciendo una pista de piedra y ensanchando el camino con la excusa de los peregrinos, la realidad es que se han gastado un dineral en hacer una pista para que los coches puedan circular hasta las fincas y ahora nos encontramos con vehículos por el camino, eso no es para los peregrinos, es para uso del alcalde y sus amigos y para justificar otro gasto innecesario de dinero.

Lo que importa de todas estas obras ridículas es la foto en la prensa de los alcaldes y la presidenta del Camino del Salvador, ninguno de los que salen en esa foto incluida la presidenta han hecho el camino, es más, no saben ni por donde pasa y tienen la desfachatez de ser las personas que se encargan en dilapidar el poco dinero que hay en tonterías, mientras tanto los albergues están quedándose pequeños en verano y el de Poladura sigue sin tener ningún tipo de ayuda para mejorar.

El camino está marcado gracias a que yo me encargo de marcarlo, de construir puentes, de hacer escaleras y promocionarlo un poco a través de foros y del Facebook.

Pero no son mejores los políticos de Asturias, falta la primera actuación de estos para mejorar el camino, para poner una flecha o para desbrozarlo.

De todas maneras el Camino del Salvador existía antes que todos nosotros y seguirá existiendo cuando nosotros faltemos, espero que mientras tanto podamos disfrutarlo.

Un abrazo a todos y os espero en mis montañas.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hola a todos.

Ese monumento al peregrino es la cosa más fea y sin sentido que se puede hacer en el Camino del Salvador, pero lo que importa no es si es bonito o si es útil, lo que importa es que lo diseño un escultor famoso y su precio es muy muy alto con lo que el alcalde se puede llevar una bonita comisión y poner una placa con su nombre en la escultura.

También han "arreglado" el camino haciendo una pista de piedra y ensanchando el camino con la excusa de los peregrinos, la realidad es que se han gastado un dineral en hacer una pista para que los coches puedan circular hasta las fincas y ahora nos encontramos con vehículos por el camino, eso no es para los peregrinos, es para uso del alcalde y sus amigos y para justificar otro gasto innecesario de dinero.

Lo que importa de todas estas obras ridículas es la foto en la prensa de los alcaldes y la presidenta del Camino del Salvador, ninguno de los que salen en esa foto incluida la presidenta han hecho el camino, es más, no saben ni por donde pasa y tienen la desfachatez de ser las personas que se encargan en dilapidar el poco dinero que hay en tonterías, mientras tanto los albergues están quedándose pequeños en verano y el de Poladura sigue sin tener ningún tipo de ayuda para mejorar.

El camino está marcado gracias a que yo me encargo de marcarlo, de construir puentes, de hacer escaleras y promocionarlo un poco a través de foros y del Facebook.

Pero no son mejores los políticos de Asturias, falta la primera actuación de estos para mejorar el camino, para poner una flecha o para desbrozarlo.

De todas maneras el Camino del Salvador existía antes que todos nosotros y seguirá existiendo cuando nosotros faltemos, espero que mientras tanto podamos disfrutarlo.

Un abrazo a todos y os espero en mis montañas.

Translation of Ender's very frank comments: This monument to the peregrino is the ugliest and stupidest thing that you can imagine on the Camino del Salvador, but what is important is not whether it is pretty or useful, what is important is that a famous sculptor designed it. So the mayor gets a commission and is able to put up a plaque with his name on the sculpture.

They have also "fixed" the Camino making a stone path and widening it with the excuse of doing it to help the pilgrims. In reality, though, they have just spent a huge amount of money on a path so that cars can get out to private ranches. So now we find vehicles on the Camino, this isn't for the pilgrims, this is for the mayor and his/her friends to justify another unnecessary expenditure.

What matters about all of these stupid works is the picture in the newspaper of the mayors and the President of the Camino del Salvador. None of these people in the picture, including the president, have walked the camino. In fact, they don't even know where it goes and they have the gall to spend what little money there is for the camino on stupid things, while albergues are overcrowded in summertime, and the albergue in Poladura is left in its unimproved state.

But the politicians in Asturias aren't any better [all of the above comments are about politicians in the province of Leon], they haven't done anything to improve the camino, not even put up an arrow.

But the bottom line is that the Camino del Salvador existed before us and will exist after us, and I hope that in the meantime we can enjoy it.

 

[tutinegra_pt]

Hello
I just made the Portugues path and Santiago de Compostela to Finisterre and Muxía.
In the Portuguese Path, there are 3 monuments to Pilgrim so beautiful.

I am enclosing photos taken by me:
1-at the door of the hostel of Valga
2-at the door of the hostel of Pontevedra
3-inPadrón