[Gocamino] The new symbol and derivative

[Blaroli@aol.com]

Hello you all, again
While the "feet" piece is meant to be the logo for the 2010 Xacobean year 
there is a derivative from it which it is planned to be used to, in fact, replace 
the yellow arrows.
You may have noticed in Burgos and, if you have been lucky enough to have 
been there, in Salamanca, - (since my first visit there I've believed earnestly 
that no one should die without having been in Salamanca)- bronze scallop shells 
imbedded in the streets indicating the route of the Camino.  These symbols 
are, of course, expensive and difficult to have throughout the hundreds of 
kilometers of the various Camino routes.  You may have also seen the stone markers 
that signal the kilometers traversed, and to be traversed, throughout the 
French Route (except, for some strange reason, on the last 12 kilometers).
The question of marking the Camino has been as problematic as it is old, 
particularly since the compass did not become known in the Western World until the 
end of the 12th century, and, even then, few, if any, pilgrims had access to 
it. Attempts to have effective signals, it appears, have been continuos 
throughout the centuries; for instance, after making her own Santiago pilgrimage in 
the XV century Queen Isabel the Catholic exempted the inhabitants of the Acebo 
region  (the environs of  Foncebadon and the Cruz de Ferro) from taxation in 
exchange for their obligation to maintain 400 wooden markers indicating the 
Camino and to augment their visibility during the snowy winter with fires.
The simply initiative of Father Valinha's in the 1980s to paint yellow arrows 
showing the way to go was, and is, as practical, inexpensive and efficient as 
anyone could hope.
Nevertheless,  there is a plan to replace the yellow arrows inasmuch as can 
be done with a more "dignified" and  "representative" figure which is derived 
from the Feet logo: it consists of an quasi-oblong circle containing throughout 
 a bunch of  small yellow circles inside and a larger blue circle towards one 
side which presumably will "arrow" the way to go. This will be placed all 
over the place on the road, side walls, etc. At least, such is the plan.
You can see it by going to:
www.lavozdegalicia.es/hemeroteca/noticia.jsp?CAT=102&TEXTO=4806580&txtDia=27&
txtMes=5&txtAnho=2006
As you will see, the thing is already painted on the floor and those admiring 
it are the Committee in charge of the whole thing.
Well.... committees may propose, but pilgrims will dispose, methinks.
Regards,
Rosina