danielle aird
La vie est belle
- Time of past OR future Camino
- May 2018; September 2018; May 2019; Sept (2019)
For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
thank you.There's no actual KNOWING the answer because it will depend on the owner of the grapes.
Some would be ok with it.
Some would not.
As a Portuguese, I wouldn't do it unless I had permission from the owner
Yes, these are not table grapes.Me and my walking companion at the time, were offered a bunch of grapes (by the people harvesting the crop) as we walked past and ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ whilst trying to take a reasonable photo.
TBH, they were full of pips and had tough skin, not the kind you get at a store. Pick a couple of grapes, but leave the bunches alone would be my vote. We ended up donating the bunches to other pilgrims at a rest stop.
I remember the delight of cherries & plums hanging over the path on the CF. A hiking pole came in very handy to reach the fruit which exceeded a pilgrim's grasp!Though I have gotten some pushback for saying this, I believe it is the case that anything that is hanging over the public right of way can be picked. Anything within the boundary lines of private property is, not surprisingly, private property.
One caution would be that I wouldn’t eat too much of anything growing cultivated in Spain without washing it. Lots of pesticides, in fact, along the Levante, many of the fields have signs with skulls and crossbones and the word VENENO (poison) written in large letters.
I wouldn't assume it either. What is okay along a road with only occasional passers by may not apply to a vineyard along a road where many thousands walk by.I have a Spanish friend who lives in an orange growing area. She informed me that it is totally acceptable for a person passing by to pick one orange and eat it. It is NOT ok for that same person to pick many oranges. I wonder (and please NOT opinions, but if someone actually KNOWS) is it ok to pick a bunch of grapes in the fall along the Camino? Or is it considered stealing? Maybe a Spaniard knows the answer. Thank you. And btw there are wild fig trees in Torres del Rio where anyone can pick the figs.
On my first Camino an elderly lady shouted to me as I passed her house. She stood on a very rickety chair to pick a bunch of grapes from the trellis above her front door then walked over to give them to me. I was terrified she would fall off the chair! A very generous gift but they could have benefitted from another month or two of sun!Maybe there are different varieties of grapes in different parts of the vineyards and the table grapes were deeper in.
I am Spaniard but I don' t know about thatMaybe a Spaniard knows the answer. Thank you. And btw there are wild fig trees in Torres del Rio where anyone can pick the figs.
It might even depend on the type of fruit or crop and not only on the region in Spain?I am Spaniard but I don' t know about that. It could be different depending on the region.
I know that in Valle del Jerte (Extremadura) you can take only a number of cherries that fits in your hand.
I would lean more towards NO, it's not acceptable.I have a Spanish friend who lives in an orange growing area. She informed me that it is totally acceptable for a person passing by to pick one orange and eat it. It is NOT ok for that same person to pick many oranges. I wonder (and please NOT opinions, but if someone actually KNOWS) is it ok to pick a bunch of grapes in the fall along the Camino? Or is it considered stealing? Maybe a Spaniard knows the answer. Thank you. And btw there are wild fig trees in Torres del Rio where anyone can pick the figs.
I have a Spanish friend who lives in an orange growing area. She informed me that it is totally acceptable for a person passing by to pick one orange and eat it. It is NOT ok for that same person to pick many oranges. I wonder (and please NOT opinions, but if someone actually KNOWS) is it ok to pick a bunch of grapes in the fall along the Camino? Or is it considered stealing? Maybe a Spaniard knows the answer. Thank you. And btw there are wild fig trees in Torres del Rio where anyone can pick the figs.
I would agree, because if everyone ate all the grapes there would be no wineI would lean more towards NO, it's not acceptable.
In the fall the grapes are ripe and sweet. As are the apples. We never picked them ourselves feeling that it was presumptuous. If they were on top of a fence post, we would eat some. We felt they were being left for us.I have a Spanish friend who lives in an orange growing area. She informed me that it is totally acceptable for a person passing by to pick one orange and eat it. It is NOT ok for that same person to pick many oranges. I wonder (and please NOT opinions, but if someone actually KNOWS) is it ok to pick a bunch of grapes in the fall along the Camino? Or is it considered stealing? Maybe a Spaniard knows the answer. Thank you. And btw there are wild fig trees in Torres del Rio where anyone can pick the figs.
And that would really be a crime!I would agree, because if everyone ate all the grapes there would be no wine
I agree. Ask yourself if you would want people picking fruit from YOUR property without permission.One person sampling the local fruit while walking on the Camino MIGHT be okay. But multiply that by the thousands of pilgrims who will walk that way during the growing season, and you likely make real dent in the farmer’s yield.
There are two issues at play here:
1. It may be a tiny theft, in isolation. But, en masse, it can be a really big deal. IMHO, I would not presume to help myself. I might consider “drops” - fruit that naturally drops from a tree. But I never “pick my own.”
2. You have no idea what fertilizer, herbicide or fungicides were used on these agricultural crops. Do you REALLY want to chance gastrointestinal illness out on the senda?
Hope this helps,
Tom
When enough people do, it becomes major...To trespass onto another's property to do so whilst still on the vine, and without invitation from the owner or their official representative is, in my opinion, theft, however minor it may be.
Ewwww!Never eat anything that hangs over the trail or is on the lower branches. You never know how it was watered.
Of course - that was my poorly implied point.When enough people do, it becomes major...
I would agree, because if everyone ate all the grapes there would be no wine
But multiply your 1-2 grapes by hundreds or thousands of pilgrims and that's a lot of bunches!I certainly wouldn’t take a bunch but taking 1-2 grapes to taste them would generally be fine.
I’m not advocating everyone take a lot but the pilgrims in the fairly narrow 6 week window are unlikely to do measurable damage given the shear number of hectares of vines one walks through on the CF.But multiply your 1-2 grapes by hundreds or thousands of pilgrims and that's a lot of bunches!
Well... that depends on the size of the vineyard and who owns it. It might not harm some large/wealthy landowners, but could be detrimental to another. And some landowners probably just assume it is happening and let it go, while it might upset another greatly for any number of reasons.I’m not advocating everyone take a lot but the pilgrims in the fairly narrow 6 week window are unlikely to do measurable damage given the shear number of hectares of vines one walks through on the CF.
If you want to be extra careful you can only take a couple grapes off of a bunch that has a few grapes. This may seem oxymoronic but small bunches are less frequently harvested as the effort isn’t worth it except in exceptional vineyards.
Or even better there are the second-set grapes that sit above the main bunches. These won’t be harvested so you’ll be doing no harm. They generally aren’t quite as ripe as they’re a bit younger but the can be really delicious.
If folks are watering the grapes hanging overhead over the trail (as I saw them on the Camino Portugues) in unconventional ways, the effects on their edibility are the least of our concerns.Never eat anything that hangs over the trail or is on the lower branches. You never know how it was watered.
Yes, a Spanish man called out a warning and mimed that for me, when I went to pick some blackberries.Never eat anything that hangs over the trail or is on the lower branches. You never know how it was watered.
Can't say i've ever been tempted by the grapes. Was tempted by large numbers of blueberries growing in and around the drainage ditches alongside the road into Sahagun. They were wild AFAIK as the fields next to them were grapevines. I didn't eat any in the end. i did eat some wild blackberries while walking from Sarria to Portomarin. Not to mention an apple tree that had dropped some apples on the road on the same leg provided me with 3 ripe apples (picked from the road, not the tree) that i rinsed down with water prior to eating. But the only grapes that I like, are the ones made into Rioja or Port.
Yes, i am Galician and those would be the only cases I picked some fruit in Galicia without permission too.. i did eat some wild blackberries while walking from Sarria to Portomarin. Not to mention an apple tree that had dropped some apples on the road on the same leg provided me with 3 ripe apples (picked from the road, not the tree)
I believe it is the case that anything that is hanging over the public right of way can be picked.
When we walked there were two ladies in the vineyard picking grapes and invited us to pick some too, we took a small bunch.Theft is theft , gift is gift
Perhaps handling stolen goods. Who knows .. I would not be helping myself like I see some do thoughWhen we walked there were two ladies in the vineyard picking grapes and invited us to pick some too, we took a small bunch.
Then the ladies left the vineyard and walked away, and we wondered ..... was that gift or not?
Don't take anything that isn't offered.I have a Spanish friend who lives in an orange growing area. She informed me that it is totally acceptable for a person passing by to pick one orange and eat it. It is NOT ok for that same person to pick many oranges. I wonder (and please NOT opinions, but if someone actually KNOWS) is it ok to pick a bunch of grapes in the fall along the Camino? Or is it considered stealing? Maybe a Spaniard knows the answer. Thank you. And btw there are wild fig trees in Torres del Rio where anyone can pick the figs.
I have picked wild blackberries somewhere between Puente la Reina and Estella and last August (2022) some young boys gave me a few blackberries on the square in downtown Najera and then between Belorado and San Juan de Ortega a young Spanish couple gave me a handful of blackberries they had just picked and also told me (in Spanish) about the nearby monument to the Civil War dead.Yes, i am Galician and those would be the only cases I picked some fruit in Galicia without permission too.
If I had a staff of 12 and they all decided to have an extra 5mins for lunch I have paid an hour of wages for nothing. If 100'000 pilgrims walk past a vineyard and each pick a bunch of grapes.....I have a Spanish friend who lives in an orange growing area. She informed me that it is totally acceptable for a person passing by to pick one orange and eat it. It is NOT ok for that same person to pick many oranges. I wonder (and please NOT opinions, but if someone actually KNOWS) is it ok to pick a bunch of grapes in the fall along the Camino? Or is it considered stealing? Maybe a Spaniard knows the answer. Thank you. And btw there are wild fig trees in Torres del Rio where anyone can pick the figs.
If a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody there, does it make a sound? If you pick a bunch of grapes and nobody sees you are you really stealing?If I had a staff of 12 and they all decided to have an extra 5mins for lunch I have paid an hour of wages for nothing. If 100'000 pilgrims walk past a vineyard and each pick a bunch of grapes.....
I didn't hear anything, but the forrest has one less tree. Not good for the owner of the forrest.If a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody there, does it make a sound? If you pick a bunch of grapes and nobody sees you are you really stealing?
No.If a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody there, does it make a sound?
If you give a dog a bone before you kick it are you really being kind? If you choose your wife’s birthday present with help from your lover are you really being unfaithful. If it says whiskey on the bottle but it’s really turpentine….If you pick a bunch of grapes and nobody sees you are you really stealing?
That’s the trouble with the internet generally: an emoji of a slapped face just doesn’t have the same impactI would BTW demonstrate one hand clapping to you in person, but it's unfeasible over these interwebs.
Mine is less violent, but that works too ...That’s the trouble with the internet generally: an emoji of a slapped face just doesn’t have the same impact
Let's see... if every pilgrim that passes by picks ONE bunch of grapes, how many would be left for harvest? PLUS, they spray the grapes with fungicide - just buy your grapes at the market and leave the farmer's income alone maybe?I have a Spanish friend who lives in an orange growing area. She informed me that it is totally acceptable for a person passing by to pick one orange and eat it. It is NOT ok for that same person to pick many oranges. I wonder (and please NOT opinions, but if someone actually KNOWS) is it ok to pick a bunch of grapes in the fall along the Camino? Or is it considered stealing? Maybe a Spaniard knows the answer. Thank you. And btw there are wild fig trees in Torres del Rio where anyone can pick the figs.
Lots of answers with opinions and not many facts so apologies for adding my own opinion to the chorus.I wonder (and please NOT opinions, but if someone actually KNOWS) is it ok to pick a bunch of grapes in the fall along the Camino? Or is it considered stealing? Maybe a Spaniard knows the answer.
I think so. You lost.It might be a crime to pick some grapes but if they are tempranillos in October, it would be a sin not taste a few.
By the way, anyone else thinking this thread has run it course? OP?
If a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody there just a tape recorder, does it make a sound? I think most would say yes, because evidence is generated and retained of the sound. If you pick a bunch of grapes from a vineyard, those grapes are not there for the farmer. That is the evidence that is retained of your action. No one may be able to successfully prove that you have been stealing, but that doesn't negate the harm to the farmer. It may be very small if it is just one pilgrim walking by. But when there are thousands....If a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody there, does it make a sound? If you pick a bunch of grapes and nobody sees you are you really stealing?
Taking property without the owner's consent is theft, any way we want to dice it. Some farmers may not have a problem with it, others would. Do the math: approx 500,000 pilgrims per year. Say 1 in 10 picks a bunch of grapes, that is 50,000 bunches (at least, it could be much more). The loss does become significant for the vineyards. I am not sure what the ratio is per bottle of wine?I would agree, because if everyone ate all the grapes there would be no wine
I picked and ate grapes on the Camino until one day I witnessed the grapes being sprayed with copious clouds of pesticides …I have a Spanish friend who lives in an orange growing area. She informed me that it is totally acceptable for a person passing by to pick one orange and eat it. It is NOT ok for that same person to pick many oranges. I wonder (and please NOT opinions, but if someone actually KNOWS) is it ok to pick a bunch of grapes in the fall along the Camino? Or is it considered stealing? Maybe a Spaniard knows the answer. Thank you. And btw there are wild fig trees in Torres del Rio where anyone can pick the figs.
Tempranillo, "the early one" harvest is late August to early September. If there are Tempranillo still on the vine in October, help yourself. They're still tough skinned, pippy and, by October heading toward a rather crunchy raisin. Most Supermercados and Fruiteria will provide you with a much more enjoyable bunch for a € or two.It might be a crime to pick some grapes but if they are tempranillos in October
Ewwww!
That’s still true where I live. Crime against property still carries harsher penalties than crime against a person. But then, who made the laws 100+ years ago …This isn’t particularly relevant but this thread reminds me of an old(e) anonymous verse;
”The law doth punish man or woman
who steals a goose from the common
but lets the greater felon loose
who steals the common from the goose.”
NOW, please.Come the revolution …
Even with wild berries, it's good to avoid the height that is convenient for canines to aim at.Yes, a Spanish man called out a warning and mimed that for me, when I went to pick some blackberries.
Now I only pick from the high branches.
So the fact that you were stealing didn't bother you, only that it might have negative health effects for you?I picked and ate grapes on the Camino until one day I witnessed the grapes being sprayed with copious clouds of pesticides …
And wild boars.Even with wild berries, it's good to avoid the height that is convenient for canines to aim at.
Thanks for that, too. Until now I wasn’t familiar with the whole verse. I’ll try to commit it to memory, though age may hamper that process.A thank you to @Tony Lenton who reminded me of this loved song:
The Goose and the Common
Authors unknown - a number of versions©1700s
The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from off the goose
The law demands that we atone
When we take things we do not own
But leaves the lords and ladies fine
Who take things that are yours and mine
The poor and wretched don't escape
If they conspire the law to break
This must be so but they endure
Those who conspire to make the law
The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common
And geese will still a common lack
Till they go and steal it back
[Seventeenth century protest against English enclosures]
The Askew Sisters rather ornamented version here:
AND...they have been sprayed with pesticides.Yes, these are not table grapes.
I had a very similar experience on the CP via Fatima in between Fatima and Caxarias.OK, not grapes, but....
A few days ago on the Invierno, an old guy called me over.
I'd come down a long steep descent and was a bit wacked..
It was one of those remote, isolated, beaten up old houses with a vegeatble patch and a few trees.
He wanted me to try the cherries from his trees. He pulled a couple of branches off the trees and we sat eating cherries, that were washed and still dripping from the morning rain.
I've never tasted better.....
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?