[Gocamino] (no subject)

[Blaroli@aol.com]

Hello you all,
I do not think that expressing one's opinion on a Camino-related subject is 
interfering with the Galicians right to do what they think best.
When I attended the opening, and closing, ceremonies of the 2004 Holy Year I 
repeatedly heard both Manuel Fraga, the President of the Xunta and Archbishop 
Barrio emphasize many, many times that the Camino is the Pilgrims, period.
>From what I can tell, the direct communication that they receive from 
pilgrims, specially foreign ones, is rare and scant.
Msgr.  Barrio is concerned, as was  Pope John Paul  and is the new Pope 
Benedict,  with communicating with young  people.  Because (like more of us than 
you'd think) he is not proficient with computers and cyber things, and he is a 
very busy man, rather  shy and  inclined to please, I expect that he believed 
that cyber and visual enthusiasts know better about logos, signs and such.   As 
for Don Manuel, while he is savoring his reelection, he is nearly ninety 
years old and very much occupied with political fires (in Galicia it seems that 
one province or another is forever voting out its mayor or whatever)
so it would only be natural that he leave things like logos and such to 
others.
At any rate, as in the old marketing truism "s/he who doesn't show (the 
merchandise) does'nt sell,  I guess s/he who doesn't speak up won't be heard.
 I'll be spending the month of August in Santiago volunteering  (and trying 
to get the Pilgrims Office to have a sort-of-certificate, or medal, to be given 
to the many animals that have walked  the route.  (I know, I know, it is 
mostly for their keepers' satisfaction.... but, why not?, and, who really knows?). 
 At any rate, while there I'll try to learn more about how to reach the 
powers that be. 
 Meanwhile,  I do think that collecting a bunch of messages or comments, and 
sending them (accompanied by translations) in one fell swoop, under the rubric 
of an organization of pilgrims, is bound to have some impact.

Warm regards  

Rosina