LIVE from the Camino The massacre of a dear resting place.

[alexwalker]

Between Villafranca Montes de Oca and San Juan de Ortega there was a great resting place with benches, totem poles andvarious wooden art. A place of good vibes.

It is now completely demolished: someone has used chain saws to ruin it completely. The remains are now lying to rot.

Not able to attach a photo now.

 

[Simperegrina]

Between Villafranca Montes de Oca and San Juan de Ortega there was a great resting place with benches, totem poles andvarious wooden art. A place of good vibes.

It is now completely demolished: someone has used chain saws to ruin it completely. The remains are now lying to rot.

Not able to attach a photo now.

Oh no!

 

[BROWNCOUNTYBOB]

So sad. This was a fun and quirky place to stop, eat a few trail snacks, rest and take a few pics. How destructive and mean spirited to rob pilgrims of a fun rest stop! Bob

 

[good_old_shoes]

Yep, I've seen it too...

There was still a guy with cold drinks (donation based) who also displayed some artwork a bit before the former rest stop.

I was wondering what the reasons might be behind the destruction?

Does anyone know?

 

[Glenshiro]

I remember it well - a quirky little rest stop in the woods. Who would destroy a thing like that? I hope someone restores it.

 

[alexwalker]

I remember it well - a quirky little rest stop in the woods. Who would destroy a thing like that? I hope someone restores it.

It is beyond restoration.

 

[beliperegrina]

Between Villafranca Montes de Oca and San Juan de Ortega there was a great resting place with benches, totem poles andvarious wooden art. A place of good vibes.

It is now completely demolished: someone has used chain saws to ruin it completely. The remains are now lying to rot.

Not able to attach a photo

Nearby there is a memorial for victims of the Spanish Civil War: 300 people were buried there in a mass grave. Perhaps there is a connection? Monumento la Pedraja, gps 42,3738535, -3,3409197

 

[alexwalker]

Nearby there is a memorial for victims of the Spanish Civil War: 300 people were buried there in a mass grave. Perhaps there is a connection? Monumento la Pedraja, gps 42,3738535, -3,3409197

I believe there is a different connection, according to some Spanish people I talked to: tourism pilgrims.

 

[happypilgrim]

Between Villafranca Montes de Oca and San Juan de Ortega there was a great resting place with benches, totem poles andvarious wooden art. A place of good vibes.

It is now completely demolished: someone has used chain saws to ruin it completely. The remains are now lying to rot.

Not able to attach a photo now.

oh no, that is so sad.

 

[David Tallan]

That's sad. I have strong memories of the Oasis.
Below: A short rest in the Oasis.

 

[SabsP]

We can speculate a lot but if someone wants to know the real reason they should mail or contact the ayuntamiento.
My guess: the land got a new owner and he / she decided to do something else with it.
There is no need to connect this with the memorial.

 

[CWBuff]

The memorial to the victims is probably 1/2km still climbing up the hill before you would get to the rest area (which is at the top of the hill). I am sure there's no connection...
But what a shame! The guy running the stand lifted my spirits up when I did not have a good day. I did post about the encounter probably a year ago.. he asked me where I was from and when I said Pennsylvania he called me Dracula
My friend is on Camino jow and I suggested to her to stop and take a restvthere and tell him Hola! I guess that won't happen

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I have no information on if it is connected to the memorial or not.

There is still a lot of feelings on both sides relating to what happened during the civil war. I often post reviews on Google Maps and several civil war memorials in Spain have regularly been deleted and reinstated on a number of occasions.

I do not know why people choose to do this except that they obviously feel very strongly about it.

 

[good_old_shoes]

My guess: the land got a new owner and he / she decided to do something else with it.

That was my first thought, too.

 

[Roland49]

Sad to hear.

 

[SabsP]

That was my first thought, too.

Indeed. So best to leave it to the local community to sort it out.
And again no need to connect it to the Memorial.

 

[gregrobinson]

Between Villafranca Montes de Oca and San Juan de Ortega there was a great resting place with benches, totem poles andvarious wooden art. A place of good vibes.

It is now completely demolished: someone has used chain saws to ruin it completely. The remains are now lying to rot.

Not able to attach a photo now.

It was never an official rest stop. Just one of many makeshift rest areas, like the GardZen or the rock piles you pass in the (first week?). People will build a new oasis. They can't destroy the Camino spirit.

 

[Nocheechako]

Between Villafranca Montes de Oca and San Juan de Ortega there was a great resting place with benches, totem poles andvarious wooden art. A place of good vibes.

It is now completely demolished: someone has used chain saws to ruin it completely. The remains are now lying to rot.

Not able to attach a photo now.

I do not have an answer as to the why but I do have a speculation. As a place that encourages a break it also encourages a bathroom break. I can imagine a property owner growing weary of the toilet paper and human feces that has become so common just off the trail throughout the journey. I can understand a landowner wanting people to just "move along."

 

[walkingagain]

My mom and I walked through the ‘massacre’ last month and were wondering what could have happened there. It definitely was done with malice and the perpetrators put a lot of time and energy into its destruction.

 

[simoncooper99]

I remember walking through the wood and enjoyed the peace and quiet until I came across the quirky rest stop with music. I walked straight on as it seemed quite incongruous in this setting. What may seem appealing to a pilgrim/tourist visiting once and moving on, may be viewed quite differently by the local community and other regular visitors imo.

 

[David61]

People asking why but mindless destruction has no explanation. Here in the UK there is a popular hike along Hadrian's wall. Along the way is a place called Sycamore gap which is one of the most photographed trees in the world, it featured in Prince of thieves with Kevin Costner. Last year someone decided to cut the tree down overnight just as an act of vandalism.

 

[trecile]

And then there were these yahoos destroying rock formations in a national park in Nevada:

 

[Shona]

We enjoyed a welcome sit and had a snack and drink, (from our backpacks) in early March at the Oasis. All was intact and quiet then. On the fringes of the forest there were workmen clearing overgrowth and some damaged trees following winter storms. They were friendly, helpful in telling us we didn’t need to follow the detour sign, and wished us ‘Buen Camino’.

 

[Aneleraz]

Sí, yo también lo he visto...

Todavía había un tipo con bebidas frías (basado en donaciones) que también mostró algunas obras de arte un poco antes de la antigua parada de descanso.

Me preguntaba cuáles podrían ser las razones detrás de la destrucción.

¿Alguien sabe?

Hola
la razón de por qué está destrozado lo has desvelado tu.
Un hombre con cuadros de charlatanería barata..cuenta tantos cuentos que no se los cree ni él.
Lo conocemos en la zona y ha sido él.
Es capaz de ello lo conozco muy bien estuvo en el oasis, a mi también me engaño pero cuando me di cuenta de su mal comportamiento, sus mentiras y su poco respeto por los demás que a la prueba están.
Le invite a que dejara de ir al oasis y fue cuando empezó a borrar las pinturas tirar las mesas ect.
Lo volvi a levantar todas las veces que lo tiro.
este año cuando volvi lo había hecho leña. Demostró ser lo que es muy mala persona, desagradecida.. No tiene nombre.

En fin, el oasis vamos a intentar levantarlo, pero mientras este él, no podemos, porque volverá a destrozarlo.
Espero haber aclarado este tema ya que hay toda clase de respuestas a lo ocurrido y nadie se ha puesto a pensar que el máximo interesado en reventar el oasis era él.
Él motivo esta más que claro todavía tiene la cara de ponerse delante.
Un saludo a todos mis peregrinos y muchas gracias por preocuparse por este lugar tan querido por mi, ya que fui yo quien lo monto junto con mi gran amigo él difunto "Corzo". Que en paz descanse.

 

[Goyo]

Hola
la razón de por qué está destrozado lo has desvelado tu.
Un hombre con cuadros de charlatanería barata..cuenta tantos cuentos que no se los cree ni él.
Lo conocemos en la zona y ha sido él.
Es capaz de ello lo conozco muy bien estuvo en el oasis, a mi también me engaño pero cuando me di cuenta de su mal comportamiento, sus mentiras y su poco respeto por los demás que a la prueba están.
Le invite a que dejara de ir al oasis y fue cuando empezó a borrar las pinturas tirar las mesas ect.
Lo volvi a levantar todas las veces que lo tiro.
este año cuando volvi lo había hecho leña. Demostró ser lo que es muy mala persona, desagradecida.. No tiene nombre.

En fin, el oasis vamos a intentar levantarlo, pero mientras este él, no podemos, porque volverá a destrozarlo.
Espero haber aclarado este tema ya que hay toda clase de respuestas a lo ocurrido y nadie se ha puesto a pensar que el máximo interesado en reventar el oasis era él.
Él motivo esta más que claro todavía tiene la cara de ponerse delante.
Un saludo a todos mis peregrinos y muchas gracias por preocuparse por este lugar tan querido por mi, ya que fui yo quien lo monto junto con mi gran amigo él difunto "Corzo". Que en paz descanse.

Aneleraz, buenas …entonces, por lo que Ud. dice, ese tipo sí, es un prepotente charlatán, hablador, mitotero, que destruyó ese lugar tan querido por muchos peregrinos. ¿Él es dueño de terrenos por ahí o qué show? ¿Ese güey tiene palancas con los autoridades, y es por eso que él cree que puede hacer lo que le dé la gana? Si es cierto, ¡Qué poca ma_ _ _ ! Suerte con ese asunto, y mucho cuidado

 

[Lindsay53]

From my very poor Spanish I understand from the above posts that there is a local man who does not want the oasis and has destroyed it?

 

[VNwalking]

Gracias, @Aneleraz.
For your reply here.
For making this special beloved place.
For your heart.
We are so grateful.