Xacobeo and Football and pilgrims of a lesser kind

[pieter pannevis]

Dear Rosina, good friend
And all,

Not so long ago you gave us some insight in the new “rules” to be applied to
in and around the church of Santiago.
I shared these thoughts with some friends on another list and unfortunately
we came to the conclusion that despite the fact pilgrims (the race this
lists and other lists are made off) there seems to be a commercialization of
the Camino – and it will of course survive that as it survived for 1300
years - , but it is not in the interest of pilgrims.

The only thing it seems today pilgrims are good for – is to uphold (and
that’s a worthy course and do not let you frighten away for not doing it)
the pilgrimage and all things around it.

Let’s be fair. Pilgrims – as we are foot pilgrims (or by bike or horse) do
not burden the till with so much money. We’re a simple kind and even if we
spent more at home than on the Camino, this scaled material life does very
much good to us. To me the sharing and the comradeship do count to that too.

But let’s not forget that apart from the pilgrims that “make” (in more than
one sense) the Camino there are thousands and thousands coming with buses
every year to see us (geeh a real pilgrim!) and to visit the shrine. Do you
really think we pilgrims stay in the grand hotels; it’s for the tourist’s
and; the main industry on Santiago is called: tourism (not pilgrimages)

If there was no money in it; the add along the football field (I’ve seen it
earlier) has to be paid for and when someone pays, that one expects revenues
and so does the local authority of Galicia does.

Pilgrims don’t bring in that money!

The extension of the Monte Gozo thing in essence and appearance ( the person
who thought that up might do in the life her after some hard footwork on
pilgrimages me thinks) is only proof that pilgrims are good for the idea,
but have to be stowed away as soon as possible  from the crowds in Santiago.

So there is some circumstantial evidence that we pilgrims are not that
welcome and that money is beginning to rule in these days.

Not the Camino itself as it will survive

Good friend, with that I rest my case

Greetings to you also from Don Trigo

Pieter- the Netherlands



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