I’m going to start this with a ‘kudos’ – The Spanish government (I’m assuming) has done an amazing job overall of codifying, marking, and maintaining the Camino trail. Yes, there are some gnarly sections (I’m looking at you, descent into Zubiri,) and some unbelievably ugly sections (approach to Burgos if you miss the ‘river’ route. Ugh.) But I’ve passed multiple crews tending to grass and undergrowth to ensure that the path is clear. I’ve passed what must be 1000+ markers to ensure that even the most directionally challenged are able to find their way. And I’ve seen incredible lengths of trail that have been groomed and improved to ease some of the journey. Muchas gracias!
However… The directionality of that signage leaves a lot to be desired. They’ve created a lovely story about the scallop shell and how it signifies all of the Caminos meeting up in Santiago. This, in my tiny brain, indicates a directionality to the scallop shell markers. In other words, the pointy end, where all of the lines of the shell meet should be Santiago. Hence, the pointy end of the scallop should point the way, right? Nope. Here is a sample of a few of the lovely, but confusing shells I saw along the way –
Again, grateful for every single one of these, it’s just with a tiny tweak they could be so much more informative!
The next gripe is with my fellow perigrinos. I get that this is sort of an urban walk and attacts people with no previous back country experience. I will also stipulate that it’s possible that if you haven’t been coached about it, ‘Leave no trace’ principles may not be self evident. However, I would have hoped that the concept of not using peoples’ gardens as your personal toilet would have been self-evident. I was wrong. I felt shame at being part of this experience while walking thru an amazing village of 5 homes one day and seeing the following sign at every possible corner.
Add to this the overwhelming volume of discarded plastic bottles, face masks, toilet paper, food wrappers, clothing, bandages, etc. First and foremost, it’s gross. You are rarely more than 2 or 3 kilometers from a bar or restaurant and there are trash cans all over the place. Next, most of us are guests in this country and we are stewards of the experience for the people who come after us. Disrespecting our hosts and making their lives demonstrably worse is just awful. Do better!
Lastly, but on a similar note – Guys, I get it. You have more options for voiding than ladies do. The number of guys I’ve seen standing on the edge of the road, voiding in plain view is astounding though. Shy bladder syndrome is apparently not a thing. Was I jealous of this ability at a couple of points on the meseta where it’s flat as flat can be and there’s no ‘cover’ as far as the eye can see? Yup. Is it still gross? Yup.
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