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Thank you for the link, mspath. Interesting read!For more re the stones on the Cruz de Ferro and the use of cairns as markers see this earlier forum thread.
Enjoy your research and Buen camino!
Hi Paula,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?
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?
No, it's not! Wikipedia says it has initially originated in Serbia and became popular in the early 2000s in various locations for unknown reasons. In Rome this ritual can be attributed to the 2006 book I Want you by Italian author Federico Moccia.Paula, thank you for asking! This is one of my Camino pet peaves.
BTW, the padlock thing is, I believe, a Russian tradition. You would see these on bridges in Moscow and St-Petersburg in the late 80s, well before they appeared in Paris.
Well, if WIKI says that. But I remember these on bridges in Leningrad in the summer of 1989.No, it's not! Wikipedia says it has initially originated in Serbia and became popular in the early 2000s in various locations for unknown reasons. In Rome this ritual can be attributed to the 2006 book I Want you by Italian author Federico Moccia.
In fact, Moscow authorities dealt with the matter wisely. They installed several "Love Trees" near the famous Luzhkov Bridge for people to hang locks on them without overloading the bridge structure.
I'm tempted to include "The Russians did it" meme in this post, but I will abstain from doing it
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