[Gocamino] Urgent Warnings

[Rosina]

Hello you all,

Acacio Paz, the esteemed hospitalero from Brasil who with his wife owns and runs an albergue in the French Camino has asked that the following notice (roughly translated from Spanish, and in part) be passed on:

"WARNING TO ALL; NOT EVERY CAMINO-WALKER IS A PILGRIM.
If someone registers  in an albergue as Alberto Ferreira de Silva, Portugues, 41-years old ,a cook by profession and extremely likeable, the Civil Guard should be notified as once. This individual, who carries a pilgrim's credential with several stamps on it, has "struck" several albergues and institutions in the Camino and will continue to do so if not stopped. He just stole 500 Euros from the Fundacion Vivir (Foundation "To live") that had given him shelter and invited him to dinner. Because of his winning ways, and his eagerness to help out and be of use in the albergues, he becomes acquiainted with where and how items of value may be kept, and proceeds to take them. 
- there have been other, similar robberies in albergues recently....."

In the heels of this message Katja,  a member of these lists-serv who recently began the pilgrimage at SJPP sent the following message yesterday:



-----Original Message-----
From: Katia Wolk
Sent: Fri, Dec 4, 2009 7:37 pm
Subject: Re: [Iago] Pase adelante amigos por favor URGENTE ¡¡¡ (Pass this on, friends, it is urgent)


As coisas são mesmo complicadas...


Em Zubiri, chegamos do jantar e enquanto fomos escovar os dentes nossos casacos foram roubados de cima de nossas camas no albergue...
Infelizmente...
Beijos
Katia

which says,translated from Portuguese:
"Things are thus complicated......
In Zubiri, we returned (to the albegue) after having dinner, and as we went to brush our teeth our jackets were stolen from the top of the bunks in the albergue
Unfortunately..... "
----

If it is any consolation, this sort of thing has been going on forever. There is a book called "Picardias en el Camino en la Edad Media" (Chicaneries in the Camino in the Middle Ages) which recounts extraordinary, sometimes funny and sometimes hair-raising,
instances of this sort of thing, and worse, in the Middle Ages.
Because of the possibility that these types of activities will multiply next year (a Holy Year), the Archdiocese, the Xunta, the authorities in the various municipalities which the various routes of the Camino traverse and the Guardia Civil will tighten and more than double the security measures throughout the Camino, as well as the means of communication.
In fact, the augmented and expanded security measures in the city of Santiago will go into effect in two weeks because of the huge crowds expected there for the opening of the Holy Door.

Hugs!

Rosina






-----Original Message-----
From: Katia Wolk
Sent: Fri, Dec 4, 2009 7:37 pm
Subject: Re: [Iago] Pase adelante amigos por favor URGENTE ¡¡¡ (Pass this on, friends, it is urgent)


As coisas são mesmo complicadas...


Em Zubiri, chegamos do jantar e enquanto fomos escovar os dentes nossos casacos foram roubados de cima de nossas camas no albergue...
Infelizmente...
Beijos
Katia

which says,translated from Portuguese:
"Things are thus complicated......
In Zubiri, we returned (to the albegue) after having dinner, and as we went to brush our teeth our jackets were stolen from the top of the bunks in the albergue
Unfortunately..... "
----

If it is any consolation, this sort of thing has been going on forever. There is a book called "Picardias en el Camino en la Edad Media" (Chicaneries in the Camino in the Middle Ages) which recounts extraordinary, sometimes funny and sometimes hair-raising,
instances of this sort of thing, and worse, in the Middle Ages.
Because of the possibility that these types of activities will multiply next year (a Holy Year), the Archdiocese, the Xunta, the authorities in the various municipalities which the various routes of the Camino traverse and the Guardia Civil will tighten and more than double the security measures throughout the Camino, as well as the means of communication.
In fact, the augmented and expanded security measures in the city of Santiago will go into effect in two weeks because of the huge crowds expected there for the opening of the Holy Door.

Hugs!

Rosina