Sticker Mania?

[Elle Bieling]

I am not a fan of the Camino Francés, I have never walked it and most probabaly never will. (Please don't discuss the pros/cons of this route on this thread). However, despite my strong opinions about the route, I chose to walk from Melide to SdC on the Francés (yes - I know about the Camino Verde from Lugo), in order to complete the Camino Primitivo, about a week ago. While I had walked this section before, I was very surprised at a phenomenon that is new - at least to me. Stickers!! I have not seen this on any other Caminos I have walked. Is this phenomenon only on the final 100 km of the Camino Francés or is this on the rest of the route? Is it on other Caminos? The stickers cropped up in so many places after Melide, even obscurring the name of the town "Salceda," in the second photo, and a stop sign also obscurred in the 3rd photo. The worst, in my opinion was the stickers on the Santiago city sign, in the last photo.

I saw stickers from Taiwan (!), tour agencies, Camino-related stickers, restaurants, etc, and some that made no sense to me whatsoever. Is this some new fad or what is the purpose of this? Do you believe this is a wonderful way to leave your mark on the Camino, or is it yet another form of Camino pollution?

 

[Tincatinker]

It’s pollution. It’s no different to the local foxes that leave their scat on my patios and steps “I was here and it’s mine”.

“I looked up from my‘phone and there wasn’t any noise so I made some.”

And no it’s not just the Francés, though that’s where you’ll find the highest density. On the Cuckmere Pilgrim Path last month every marker had a sticker “Polly and Pete [date] ”. Unfortunately no contact details because I would really have liked the opportunity to meet “Polly and Pete” and to have had the opportunity to shake them warmly by the throat…

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Elle, this is absolutely nuts! I haven't walked that stretch for quite a few years, but have never seen such a thing and no idea where people are getting access to so many different stickers. The only positive thing I can think of is that apparently they are not on the mojones...yet!

2015 and then 2017.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I've seen a few taxi stickers and unbelievably a few with QR codes advertising a very popular camino YouTuber (who should know better) on the Primitivo, but nothing like the quantity you're showing.

Just like graffiti, I think of it as vandalism.
Truly horrible.

 

[trecile]

The worst, in my opinion was the stickers on the Santiago city sign, in the last photo.

I like the stickers on the Santiago sign. It makes the sign much more interesting than how it originally was, and to me symbolizes all those who have walked this path before me.

I have seen stickers on all of the Caminos that I've walked, but of course there are a lot more on the Sarria to Santiago stretch of the Francés because of the sheer numbers of pilgrims on this section.

I saw quite a few of these stickers on the Camino Portuguese south of Porto. This photo was taken near Azinhaga.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

We took our kids to Wall Drugs on our way to Mt. Rushmore many years ago. That sticker is totally misplaced.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

I like the stickers on the Santiago sign. It makes the sign much more interesting than how it originally was, and to me symbolizes all those who have walked this path before me.

I have seen stickers on all of the Caminos that I've walked, but of course there are a lot more on the Sarria to Santiago stretch of the Francés because of the sheer numbers of pilgrims on this section.

I saw quite a few of these stickers on the Camino Portuguese south of Porto. This photo was taken near Azinhaga.

View attachment 179695

I also like them on the entry sign into SdC... and I have a fridge magnet from SdC that embraces the stickers...
I do think they are dangerous on road signs and I just don't know what people are thinking when they seek to obscure a village sign, speed limit sign, etc etc.
I do like street art, and I don't object to the graffiti in bridge tunnels -- some of it, long ago, was my first entry into the complex politics of "Spain" (and that it wasn't *just* a Basque thing or a Catalan thing). I *like* being brought into confrontation with my own ignorance at street level that way...
But some of this does amount to cluttering up information that it important; it also strikes me as rather ironic that in a world in which people are constantly worried about waste, and excess... that people will engage in the wasteful excess of sticker manufacture and sticker use... It is so *without reasonable purpose*... I am stymied...

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I only remember seeing one sticker on my 2019 Camino Catalan but I saw it in many albergues slapped onto walls and refrigerators. I only looked it up now. I was surprised finding that it was advertising the book that @Rebekah Scott translated into English.

F

Thread 'El Gran Caminante /The Great Westward Walk'

Sep 6, 2017

If this is not in the correct section, let it be re-routed.

www.feadulta.com/es/buscadoravanzado/item/2024-antxon-el-gran-caminante.html
The above is a link to a review in Spanish of the book which has been translated by Rebekah. I am going to get both of them, as I would love to read the original, but I am also keen to see how Rebekah has dealt with the translation. I know a very little about translating and appreciate that it is a talent, a skill honed by a search for the translation of the meaning, not always the words. Rebekah's account of being persuaded to translate the book...

• Former member 49149
• Replies: 20
• Camino de Santiago Forum: 📚 Books about the Camino

• 

 

[woody66]

For me they are the same as covid masks, boots hanging in trees, burning clothes and any other nonsense! Leaving your mark only satisfies you;;;no one else cares it's another form of toilet paper.
You wouldn't want it in your street outside your home so why is it OK to do it in someone else's backyard.
Don't condone it!

 

[J Willhaus]

I didn't really notice that many stickers last year in June 2024 or again in January 2025. There were some of course, but not as excessive as the photos you posted. I guess I didn't pay attention to the Santiago sign and thought it was just supposed to be variegated. I thought it was supposed to look like that. The graffiti I remember was more with sharpie markers. The stickers I remember were mostly about taxis.

There was a news article last year I think from Santiago warning people not to follow the QR codes due to downloading some software or something.

 

[Elle Bieling]

Elle, this is absolutely nuts! I haven't walked that stretch for quite a few years, but have never seen such a thing and no idea where people are getting access to so many different stickers. The only positive thing I can think of is that apparently they are not on the mojones...yet!

2015 and then 2017.
View attachment 179692View attachment 179693

This change from then to my photo is quite dramatic!

 

[Anamiri]

I am not a fan of the Camino Francés, I have never walked it and most probabaly never will. (Please don't discuss the pros/cons of this route on this thread). However, despite my strong opinions about the route, I chose to walk from Melide to SdC on the Francés (yes - I know about the Camino Verde from Lugo), in order to complete the Camino Primitivo, about a week ago. While I had walked this section before, I was very surprised at a phenomenon that is new - at least to me. Stickers!! I have not seen this on any other Caminos I have walked. Is this phenomenon only on the final 100 km of the Camino Francés or is this on the rest of the route? Is it on other Caminos? The stickers cropped up in so many places after Melide, even obscurring the name of the town "Salceda," in the second photo, and a stop sign also obscurred in the 3rd photo. The worst, in my opinion was the stickers on the Santiago city sign, in the last photo.

I saw stickers from Taiwan (!), tour agencies, Camino-related stickers, restaurants, etc, and some that made no sense to me whatsoever. Is this some new fad or what is the purpose of this? Do you believe this is a wonderful way to leave your mark on the Camino, or is it yet another form of Camino pollution?


View attachment 179688 View attachment 179689 View attachment 179690 View attachment 179691

I have a photo of that same bridge covered in stickers from May this year , I'm sure there weren't stickers on it the last time I walked.
The Santiago sign though has looked like trash every time I've passed it. much worse than your recent photo. It usually has stuff hanging off all over it to the point its barely readable. Must be like the Cruz de Ferro, they clean it up but it builds up again.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

This change from then to my photo is quite dramatic!

Yes, it is, and possibly your photo even has layers and layers of stickers built up.

 

[bestfootforward]

Like @trecile, I think the Santaigo sign looks a bit more 'lively' without compromising it. But the abundance of it elsewhere is just unsightly grafitti, just not via a spray can. And well, defacing vital signs like road/directional signs is not only unsightly but dangerous. It's every level of wrong.com

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

No to stickers; yes to googly eyes.

 

[ShoshTrvls]

For me they are the same as covid masks, boots hanging in trees, burning clothes and any other nonsense! Leaving your mark only satisfies you;;;no one else cares it's another form of toilet paper.
You wouldn't want it in your street outside your home so why is it OK to do it in someone else's backyard.
Don't condone it!

There are stickers on a telephone pole in front of my house and I love it. They change all the time, many are political, some are advertising, most are humorous. I agree that stickers shouldn’t obscure safety or directional signs, but I’m a street art fan and don’t mind them on “the street outside [my] home.”

 

[Bothydave]

It is all over Italian routes as well. This year on the VDD any barriers and some street signs were covered in them. So many that any actual information such as taxi numbers is lost in the morass.
We met 2 Italian guys and a few hundred meters further found a sticker, clearly with pictures and avatars of them just freshly on a barrier.
As someone said hardly minimalist and litter conscious.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

We met 2 Italian guys and a few hundred meters further found a sticker, clearly with pictures and avatars of them just freshly on a barrier.
As someone said hardly minimalist and litter conscious.

Interestingly, one of my sons and his wife are in Italy right now after spending two months in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He said the trash he is seeing in Italy on beaches and even in high tourist areas is appalling, and completely opposite to those other countries.
It is sad to hear this is escalating as I love Italy.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I'm reminded of a graffitied red wall I saw on my first camino. Someone found a loophole in the "Post no bills" directive.

 

[Bothydave]

I do a lot of work with the Mountain Bothies Association in Scotland.
We have discovered that the ‘festival mentality’ of I will just abandon my cheap tent/ clothing, sleeping bag etc. and someone else will magically appear and pick it up along with the decaying food that I thought I would leave, along with the tin of gas with enough puff to half heat a kettle of water or my food wrappers. We have allowed this to happen in society.
Alas it has now percolated into the great outdoors too.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Alas it has now percolated into the great outdoors too.

In the US, we have a well known hiking slogan, "pack it in, pack it out" for quite a few years. Not sure if it is helping or not, but I hope it has drawn attention to the problem and making people aware.

 

[Felice]

I thought this was fairly excessive this summer.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Presumably, like the debris that piles up at the cruz de ferro, a few moments of hard work every so often will bring the signs back to their original state?
The ephemeral vandalism annoys me but the more permanent - think spray painting rock faces, carving initials on the Colosseum - appals.
I have a boxful of stickers left over from a now defunct ukulele club, I wonder if the Sticker Movement of the Camino would mind me plastering the windows of their dwellings?

 

[KYBirdman]

In 2018 I came upon a man with a permanent marker drawing on the signpost and the bench area. I asked him why and he said he liked it. I then told him I thought it was wrong to deface areas that so many people enjoy. I wanted so badly to tell him that I would happily go to his home and draw on his walls. In my mind, there is no reason for the graffiti or stickers.

 

[Dov of the Galilee]

I noticed stickers too,some were interesting others made no sense to the uninitiated . What really got me was the graffiti on the CF. Much of it in English, stupid things such as 'It's only walking Ryan'. If I saw the person doing that I'd Crack them a good one with my stick. Who carry with them a giant marker to do that?A person who has forethought to vandalize before even embarking on the walk, such people should not be on the Camino at all.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Presumably, like the debris that piles up at the cruz de ferro, a few moments of hard work every so often will bring the signs back to their original state?

I think this new sticker vandalism would take more than a few moments, Jeff. It would need some strong arms, and a whole lot of elbow grease. Volunteers could be called "Sticker pigs", and they would need to use one of these...

 

[BrooksBe]

Stickers appear to be a worldwide phenomenon. This was taken in Namibia last month.

 

[Helen2006]

I am not a fan of the Camino Francés, I have never walked it and most probabaly never will. (Please don't discuss the pros/cons of this route on this thread). However, despite my strong opinions about the route, I chose to walk from Melide to SdC on the Francés (yes - I know about the Camino Verde from Lugo), in order to complete the Camino Primitivo, about a week ago. While I had walked this section before, I was very surprised at a phenomenon that is new - at least to me. Stickers!! I have not seen this on any other Caminos I have walked. Is this phenomenon only on the final 100 km of the Camino Francés or is this on the rest of the route? Is it on other Caminos? The stickers cropped up in so many places after Melide, even obscurring the name of the town "Salceda," in the second photo, and a stop sign also obscurred in the 3rd photo. The worst, in my opinion was the stickers on the Santiago city sign, in the last photo.

I saw stickers from Taiwan (!), tour agencies, Camino-related stickers, restaurants, etc, and some that made no sense to me whatsoever. Is this some new fad or what is the purpose of this? Do you believe this is a wonderful way to leave your mark on the Camino, or is it yet another form of Camino pollution?


View attachment 179688 View attachment 179689 View attachment 179690 View attachment 179691

I am not a fan of the Camino Francés, I have never walked it and most probabaly never will. (Please don't discuss the pros/cons of this route on this thread). However, despite my strong opinions about the route, I chose to walk from Melide to SdC on the Francés (yes - I know about the Camino Verde from Lugo), in order to complete the Camino Primitivo, about a week ago. While I had walked this section before, I was very surprised at a phenomenon that is new - at least to me. Stickers!! I have not seen this on any other Caminos I have walked. Is this phenomenon only on the final 100 km of the Camino Francés or is this on the rest of the route? Is it on other Caminos? The stickers cropped up in so many places after Melide, even obscurring the name of the town "Salceda," in the second photo, and a stop sign also obscurred in the 3rd photo. The worst, in my opinion was the stickers on the Santiago city sign, in the last photo.

I saw stickers from Taiwan (!), tour agencies, Camino-related stickers, restaurants, etc, and some that made no sense to me whatsoever. Is this some new fad or what is the purpose of this? Do you believe this is a wonderful way to leave your mark on the Camino, or is it yet another form of Camino pollution?


View attachment 179688 View attachment 179689 View attachment 179690 View attachment 179691

In my personal view the stickers are a very great pity. They spoil the appearance of the things they deface, and, as you point out, they obliterate signs. It seems to me to be selfish behaviour to plaster the route with stickers. I guess that some people just like to leave their mark; ‘I was here’. I prefer to leave only my footprints. I presume that, from time to time, some poor person has to go out and attempt to clean the stickers off…

 

[el-pe]

I finished the Primitivo a few weeks ago and to be honest did not notice all the stickers. I link it with all the graffiti, seems as if any clean wall is really a canvas…

 

[Pilgrim Patricia]

The so-called "love locks" that are hung on fences and bridges are another example of vandalism that I've seen, both in Europe and Canada. The individuals attaching them have no idea of the damage they can cause because of their combined weight. "Just" one lock, "just" one sticker . . . ! I've often thought that if I caught one of the people who persist in spraying graffiti in my neighbourhood, I would take them to a tattoo parlour and have their "tag" permanently inked across their face. Then I take a deep breath, and do my best to scrub the "art" from my private property.
That said, the stickers are a disgrace and show a lack of respect to the local people, and the lovely trails to which we are granted free access in places where we are guests.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

That said, the stickers are a disgrace and show a lack of respect to the local people, and the lovely trails to which we are granted free access in places where we are guests.

Well said.

 

[bullingtonce]

I am not a fan of the Camino Francés, I have never walked it and most probabaly never will. (Please don't discuss the pros/cons of this route on this thread). However, despite my strong opinions about the route, I chose to walk from Melide to SdC on the Francés (yes - I know about the Camino Verde from Lugo), in order to complete the Camino Primitivo, about a week ago. While I had walked this section before, I was very surprised at a phenomenon that is new - at least to me. Stickers!! I have not seen this on any other Caminos I have walked. Is this phenomenon only on the final 100 km of the Camino Francés or is this on the rest of the route? Is it on other Caminos? The stickers cropped up in so many places after Melide, even obscurring the name of the town "Salceda," in the second photo, and a stop sign also obscurred in the 3rd photo. The worst, in my opinion was the stickers on the Santiago city sign, in the last photo.

I saw stickers from Taiwan (!), tour agencies, Camino-related stickers, restaurants, etc, and some that made no sense to me whatsoever. Is this some new fad or what is the purpose of this? Do you believe this is a wonderful way to leave your mark on the Camino, or is it yet another form of Camino pollution?


View attachment 179688 View attachment 179689 View attachment 179690 View attachment 179691

From one perspective, it makes no difference whether a person likes the stickers or not. They are what they are and it appears that a significant number of people have their reasons for putting stickers up and I can't believe that all of these people are bad, wrong, disgusting, etc.

Perhaps the problem is twofold: one is that you 'react' to this situation and are unable to control your emotions and two, taking a 'I am against the Camino Francis' even though you have not walked it and clearly refuse to listen to anyone else who has walked it and who has a favorable opinion reflects a closed and opinionated mind.

Recommend you spend lest time 'reacting' and more them reflecting inwardly as it appears you have a lot to work on. Remember, life is as it is, regardless of your single, biased opinion.

 

[SabsP]

From one perspective, it makes no difference whether a person likes the stickers or not. They are what they are and it appears that a significant number of people have their reasons for putting stickers up and I can't believe that all of these people are bad, wrong, disgusting, etc.

Perhaps the problem is twofold: one is that you 'react' to this situation and are unable to control your emotions and two, taking a 'I am against the Camino Francis' even though you have not walked it and clearly refuse to listen to anyone else who has walked it and who has a favorable opinion reflects a closed and opinionated mind.

Recommend you spend lest time 'reacting' and more them reflecting inwardly as it appears you have a lot to work on. Remember, life is as it is, regardless of your single, biased opinion.

Of course we should react to littering, unorganised graffiti and useless stupid stickers. On the Camino Francés, other Caminos and on the daily paths we walk.
There is no inwardly reacting needed in this case but acting and cleaning up!

 

[Dov of the Galilee]

From one perspective, it makes no difference whether a person likes the stickers or not. They are what they are and it appears that a significant number of people have their reasons for putting stickers up and I can't believe that all of these people are bad, wrong, disgusting, etc.

Perhaps the problem is twofold: one is that you 'react' to this situation and are unable to control your emotions and two, taking a 'I am against the Camino Francis' even though you have not walked it and clearly refuse to listen to anyone else who has walked it and who has a favorable opinion reflects a closed and opinionated mind.

Recommend you spend lest time 'reacting' and more them reflecting inwardly as it appears you have a lot to work on. Remember, life is as it is, regardless of your single, biased opinion.

Can we have your physical address so that those interested in defacing your property can pop by and put up some meaningful messages? I'm sure you wouldn't mind.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Then I take a deep breath, and do my best to scrub the "art" from my private property.

You may want to look into this:

Anti-graffiti coating - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This company filmed a demonstration:
YouTube video id: U21W0an-2hI

 

[Blister Bill]

Recommend you spend lest time 'reacting' and more them reflecting inwardly as it appears you have a lot to work on. Remember, life is as it is, regardless of your single, biased opinion.

I reflected inwardly a lot as to how to react to this sanctimonious post and ended up confused. If "life is as it is" then why bother reflecting at all and trying to effect change ? Clearly I too need a lot more work.

 

[Pilgrim Patricia]

You may want to look into this:

Anti-graffiti coating - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This company filmed a demonstration:
YouTube video id: U21W0an-2hI

Thank you sooo much for the video and link!

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

I like the stickers on the Santiago sign.

Seriously, they don't belong there.

 

[Blister Bill]

As someone who has spent a lot of time and money removing tags, Banksy wannabes and scribble from my heritage listed brick building I have often dreamed of the day I catch one of these vandals and return the favour. Here is the photo of "art" on a rest area on the Ucles. Take only photos, leave only footprints.

 

[backpack45]

No to stickers; yes to googly eyes.
View attachment 179740

Unfortunately that just opens the flood gate--normalizing the self-serving behavior.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Take only photos, leave only footprints.

A bit off topic, but this little phrase reminds me of what my husband told Canadian border patrol on a family vacation many years ago. The officer asked what we were bringing into Canada with us. Hubby replied "Just some pictures and a few memories".

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I think this new sticker vandalism would take more than a few moments, Jeff. It would need some strong arms, and a whole lot of elbow grease. Volunteers could be called "Sticker pigs", and they would need to use one of these...
View attachment 179768

When I worked at Dover town engineers our street cleaning crews used to use a steam cleaner to remove gum from the pavement - there was a period when promoters used to put stickers on the pavements and street furniture and it would clear those too.

 

[Elle Bieling]

Perhaps the problem is twofold: one is that you 'react' to this situation and are unable to control your emotions and two, taking a 'I am against the Camino Francis' even though you have not walked it and clearly refuse to listen to anyone else who has walked it and who has a favorable opinion reflects a closed and opinionated mind.

Recommend you spend lest time 'reacting' and more them reflecting inwardly as it appears you have a lot to work on. Remember, life is as it is, regardless of your single, biased opinion.

To clarify, I absolutely never stated that I am against the Camino Francés. It is a wonderful walk for those who choose it. I simply do not choose it.

And, my friend, methinks you are "reacting" to my post...

 

[Rebekah Scott]

From one perspective, it makes no difference whether a person likes the stickers or not. They are what they are and it appears that a significant number of people have their reasons for putting stickers up and I can't believe that all of these people are bad, wrong, disgusting, etc.

Perhaps the problem is twofold: one is that you 'react' to this situation and are unable to control your emotions and two, taking a 'I am against the Camino Francis' even though you have not walked it and clearly refuse to listen to anyone else who has walked it and who has a favorable opinion reflects a closed and opinionated mind.

Recommend you spend lest time 'reacting' and more them reflecting inwardly as it appears you have a lot to work on. Remember, life is as it is, regardless of your single, biased opinion.

Life is what it is. Do we just stand by while others abuse our shared environment, and examine our feelings?
Get off your zafu and pick up some trash, sensei.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

The so-called "love locks" that are hung on fences and bridges are another example of vandalism that I've seen, both in Europe and Canada. The individuals attaching them have no idea of the damage they can cause because of their combined weight. "Just" one lock, "just" one sticker . . . ! I've often thought that if I caught one of the people who persist in spraying graffiti in my neighbourhood, I would take them to a tattoo parlour and have their "tag" permanently inked across their face. Then I take a deep breath, and do my best to scrub the "art" from my private property.
That said, the stickers are a disgrace and show a lack of respect to the local people, and the lovely trails to which we are granted free access in places where we are guests.

In 2015 the Mayor of Paris had the "love locks" removed from the Pont des Arts after they started to cause structural damage. They took down an estimated ONE MILLION padlocks weighing 45 tonnes. As somebody said at the time an additional dead load equivalent to the weight of 20 elephants was not included in the design calculations in 1800!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

From one perspective, it makes no difference whether a person likes the stickers or not. They are what they are and it appears that a significant number of people have their reasons for putting stickers up and I can't believe that all of these people are bad, wrong, disgusting, etc.

Perhaps the problem is twofold: one is that you 'react' to this situation and are unable to control your emotions and two, taking a 'I am against the Camino Francis' even though you have not walked it and clearly refuse to listen to anyone else who has walked it and who has a favorable opinion reflects a closed and opinionated mind.

Recommend you spend lest time 'reacting' and more them reflecting inwardly as it appears you have a lot to work on. Remember, life is as it is, regardless of your single, biased opinion.

Did you manage to walk the Ruta de la Lana back in 2021 like you were hoping? See many stickers?
Just asking.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Can we have your physical address so that those interested in defacing your property can pop by and put up some meaningful messages? I'm sure you wouldn't mind.

What's guffaw in Hebrew, Dov?

 

[Camino Chrissy]

In 2015 the Mayor of Paris had the "love locks" removed from the Pont des Arts after they started to cause structural damage. They took down an estimated ONE MILLION padlocks weighing 45 tonnes. As

My first time in Paris was in 2014, so I probably saw nearly the million. At the time I'd never seen anything like that before, and I thought they were cute and unique, not like graffiti. I never looked at them from an engineering perspective. I wonder if they were later thrown in the river or hauled away, and if there is now a fine implemented if you are caught.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

My first time in Paris was in 2014, so I probably saw nearly the million. At the time I'd never seen anything like that before, and I thought they were cute and unique, not like graffiti. I never looked at them from an engineering perspective. I wonder if they were later thrown in the river or hauled away, and if there is now a fine implemented if you are caught.

They took down the individual panels and removed the thousands of locks off site. Apparently the original owners threw the keys into the river. Yes, they were indeed "in Seine"!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

In 2015 the Mayor of Paris had the "love locks" removed from the Pont des Arts after they started to cause structural damage. They took down an estimated ONE MILLION padlocks weighing 45 tonnes. As somebody said at the time an additional dead load equivalent to the weight of 20 elephants was not included in the design calculations in 1800!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Rick, this was so interesting! I never even realized the keys were always tossed into the river signifying "forever" love. It made the symbol of a lock even more romantic.
P.S. This video was only 3 minutes long.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Oh it was worse than I remembered! I remembered the 20 elephants because I was working on a highway project in England at the time and one of the structural engineers was trying to explain something to one of our environmentalist team . . . "Imagine 20 elephants standing on the bridge - like in Paris" and we all thought she was talking about a travelling circus!

 

[Roland49]

I had a good laugh as I landed on Mallorca @ PMI. They had two big white billboards on the walk up to the luggage-claim for stickers only. They both were loaded!

As I strolled around the island I noticed stickers from my local and rivalling football-clubs. Many of them few years old.

Your pix reminded me of many roadsigns and posts on Mallorca.
I walked the CF in 2019 and never had handrails or roadsigns as packed with stickers as you show.
Yes, there were few, almost all related to the Camino.

I don't know what happened!
Sometimes I think that is part of a culture that the tourist-office of Baden-Württemberg in Germany has started with it's well known oval yellow sticker: "Schön hier! Aber waren Sie schon mal in Baden-Württemberg?" as incentive to post this sticker on the most remote (i.e. Macchu-Picchu or the Gizah Pyramids) or well known foreign countries and touristical attractions (translation for non German speaker: "Nice view! But have you ever been to Baden-Württemberg?).

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I had a good laugh as I landed on Mallorca @ PMI. They had two big white billboards on the walk up to the luggage-claim for stickers only. They both were loaded!

As I strolled around the island I noticed stickers from my local and rivalling football-clubs. Many of them few years old.

Your pix reminded me of many roadsigns and posts on Mallorca.
I walked the CF in 2019 and never had handrails or roadsigns as packed with stickers as you show.
Yes, there were few, almost all related to the Camino.

I don't know what happened!
Sometimes I think that is part of a culture that the tourist-office of Baden-Württemberg in Germany has started with it's well known oval yellow sticker: "Schön hier! Aber waren Sie schon mal in Baden-Württemberg?" as incentive to post this sticker on the most remote (i.e. Macchu-Picchu or the Gizah Pyramids) or well known foreign countries and touristical attractions (translation for non German speaker: "Nice view! But have you ever been to Baden-Württemberg?).

But is it as pretty as Bielefeld?

 

[EWhite]

Pilgrims were scratching graffiti on stone buildings a thousand years ago I don’t know why we should be surprised about the modern version of the practice. I’m not saying it’s great but it’s certainly nothing new.

 

[RJM]

I dislike the stickers, but not as much as I dislike the graffiti. At least the stickers will disintegrate in the weather or can just be scraped off. The graffiti can cause permanent damage.
Both lump in with other dumb things pilgrims do such as the ridiculous and possibly dangerous and destructive practice of burning clothes, footwear etc. in Finisterre and or Muxia. I thought it had been universally accepted as a dumb but I saw on an Instagram account some pilgrims doing it in August.

 

[RJM]

From one perspective, it makes no difference whether a person likes the stickers or not. They are what they are and it appears that a significant number of people have their reasons for putting stickers up and I can't believe that all of these people are bad, wrong, disgusting, etc.

Perhaps the problem is twofold: one is that you 'react' to this situation and are unable to control your emotions and two, taking a 'I am against the Camino Francis' even though you have not walked it and clearly refuse to listen to anyone else who has walked it and who has a favorable opinion reflects a closed and opinionated mind.

Recommend you spend lest time 'reacting' and more them reflecting inwardly as it appears you have a lot to work on. Remember, life is as it is, regardless of your single, biased opinion.

Wow, sanctimonious much?

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Pilgrims were scratching graffiti on stone buildings a thousand years ago I don’t know why we should be surprised about the modern version of the practice. I’m not saying it’s great but it’s certainly nothing new.

I don't think scratching on stone is the same as defacing by the spray painting of colors or using permanent markers of graffiti on stone, concrete, metal or wood.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

I don't think scratching on stone is the same as defacing by the spray painting of colors or using permanent markers of graffiti on stone, concrete, metal or wood.

There is, of course, an argument to be made that it is more destructive... carving into something... think of reasons why we are no longer permitted to molest the Saint in the cathedral...
As a climber, I do not climb outside -- the resin we use on our hands is too destructive to the rick faces... What of the stone roads, stairs and paths worn down by hundreds of billions of steps... humans do erode the surface of the planet... and have been telling stories on walls at least since Lascaux...
I do not know how to draw a clear line around any of it -- except where it impairs safety.
But to say that humans should not leave a mark is sort of to deny what defines human activity.
No answers.... and not a free pass on destruction... merely saying, I do not know that we can defend one thing as less a problem than another, or one form of marking as worse than the rest (so long as its not disease spreading or unsafe). (Stickers obscuring traffic signs, maps, etc....humans "relieving themselves" against walls, cars, in doorways, and of course,*on* the trail).

 

[Camino Chrissy]

But to say that humans should not leave a mark is sort of to deny what defines human activity.
No answers.... and not a free pass on destruction... merely saying, I do not know that we can defend one thing as less a problem than another, or one form of marking as worse than the rest

I don't think scratching on stone is the same as defacing by the spray painting of colors or using permanent markers of graffiti on stone, concrete, metal or wood.

The majority of ancient scratching on stone was for the purpose of marking a mason's work on various building projects, such as cathedrals and churches and used to identify each craftsman for payment of his work.(Examples.)

I see this as totally different than the graffiti and defacing that is disrespectfully being done to property today. I will choose to not "leave my mark" in this manner with a can of paint announcing "I was here".
In a city near me, three teenagers were arrested and brought to trial for spray painting and defacing a local government building. They were sentenced to many hours of community service; I say good.

 

[EWhite]

The majority of ancient scratching on stone was for the purpose of marking a mason's work on various building projects, such as cathedrals and churches and used to identify each craftsman for payment of his work.(Examples.)
View attachment 179808
I see this as totally different than the graffiti and defacing that is disrespectfully being done to property today. I will choose to not "leave my mark" in this manner with a can of paint announcing "I was here".
In a city near me, three teenagers were arrested and brought to trial for spray painting and defacing a local government building. They were sentenced to many hours of community service; I say good.

Mason marks were part of the building process for sure but graffiti made by pilgrims who left crude scratched drawings when and where they shouldn’t have on stone they didn’t own or build has gone on for a long time.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Well, @EWhite, I'll take your example to this one any day.

 

[J Willhaus]

I don't care for graffiti, but I was just thinking about ancient cave paintings and petroglyphs. I'd hate to think in future archeological digs that today's graffiti and stickers could be used to investigate the Camino.

 

[EWhite]

Well, @EWhite, I'll take your example to this one any day.
View attachment 179826

Yeah I can’t say that one is better than the other (and I’m not condoning any of it) but I guess I expect it. It’s a part of what humans do, we mark things and places we’ve been. It has happened is happening and will happen. Modern plastics, hydrocarbons, industrialization and mass manufacturing have made it very easy. It takes almost no time and less effort to slap a self adhesive decal on just about anything. Even better for those who do it, decals weights almost nothing and are highly transportable. I’m not a participant in it but I do expect that it will persist in some form or other long into the future.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

I don't care for graffiti, but I was just thinking about ancient cave paintings and petroglyphs. I'd hate to think in future archeological digs that today's graffiti and stickers could be used to investigate the Camino.

Well, the job of the archeologists is to reveal and understand things as they were, not things as they were idealised to have been.
I wish people did not own personal vehicles.
I *really* wish that families did not aim to have one car per person for everyone of driving age. I wish that North America in particular did not build stupid suburbs without public transit service, effectively assuming and requiring a highly polluting family structure in which one person plays chauffeur to all the activities, to the school many KM away from the home (my California HS was a 25 minute drive from where I lived, and the bus home in the afternoon was over an hour for me, longer for those who still had further to go!)....
And while I see asinine littering from out of the windows of cars, I'd hazard a guess that the majority of the world's carbon spewing drivers are morally constipated about "litter".
Perhaps it's just the difference between the visible and the easy dissipation of the fumes from the death machines...
But I will go on to say that when it comes to reconstructing histories for daily life in such heritage sites as Pompei, graffiti has been indispensable. And at every single archeological site, it is what people leave behind to say "I was here" that gives us the arc of the human story. And when the aliens come to figure out how we kills ourselves, the wrecking yards of cars and collapsed oil rigs and tailing ponds will tell the story, not of who we idealised ourselves to be, but who we were.
As a non-driver, I'll take the graffiti as the lesser evil. It might be an "eyesore" to some, but with eyes more open, it can be an education. Who gets to proclaim love? Why do some suggest that SdC is Disney for Catholics? HOW MANY KM did Jojo Do? I'm hopeful that Maria made it... The Spanish don't care if you take a taxi (please take a taxi)... oh, that bold reminder: "This is not Spain!" ... "The land belongs to the people, not the king!"
And my most recent, personal favourite, because human humour is part of our story...

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

Yeah I can’t say that one is better than the other (and I’m not condoning any of it) but I guess I expect it. It’s a part of what humans do, we mark things and places we’ve been. It has happened is happening and will happen. Modern plastics, hydrocarbons, industrialization and mass manufacturing have made it very easy. It takes almost no time and less effort to slap a self adhesive decal on just about anything. Even better for those who do it, decals weights almost nothing and are highly transportable. I’m not a participant in it but I do expect that it will persist in some form or other long into the future.

Yeah... in addition to the safety issue of obscuring road signs, I dislike the participation in the consumption of modern plastics, hydrocarbons, industrialization and mass manufacturing... it rankles right along with the AI slop of "harmless" images (kitties, interior design, saccharine nostalgia...) that is burning up fossil fuel for the purpose of creating distraction...

 

[Scoutbuff]

I do a lot of work with the Mountain Bothies Association in Scotland.
We have discovered that the ‘festival mentality’ of I will just abandon my cheap tent/ clothing, sleeping bag etc. and someone else will magically appear and pick it up along with the decaying food that I thought I would leave, along with the tin of gas with enough puff to half heat a kettle of water or my food wrappers. We have allowed this to happen in society.
Alas it has now percolated into the great outdoors too.

I had the opportunity to climb Ben Nevis last year. It was a beautiful, uncharacteristic day which drew crowds of people. Unfortunately, far too many dropped their trash on the trail and even tucked trash into/under rocks on the summit! We're loving our beautiful places to death...

 

[Bothydave]

I had the opportunity to climb Ben Nevis last year. It was a beautiful, uncharacteristic day which drew crowds of people. Unfortunately, far too many dropped their trash on the trail and even tucked trash into/under rocks on the summit! We're loving our beautiful places to death...

Absolutely. Let’s go it is lovely and someone else will deal with my self pollution, food waste, plastic waste and graffiti

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I don't think scratching on stone is the same as defacing by the spray painting of colors or using permanent markers of graffiti on stone, concrete, metal or wood.

5000 year old monument defaced by British tourist. Man named by police as "Christopher Wren" sought in connection to graffiti I WREN carved into ancient stone.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

5000 year old monument defaced by British tourist. Man named by police as "Christopher Wren" sought in connection to graffiti I WREN carved into ancient stone.

View attachment 179845

It's still not as hard on the eyes.

It seems some forum members don't really mind the graffiti tagging on the Camino mojones, but past threads show otherwise.
I'll pass on making any more comments on this thread.

 

[isawtman]

To clarify, I absolutely never stated that I am against the Camino Francés. It is a wonderful walk for those who choose it. I simply do not choose it.

You said you was not a fan of the Camino Frances and would never walk it. So, to me it sounds like you are not for it, and thereby are against it. But that's okay. It's perfectly alright to dislike it. I bet there are plenty of people who dislike it. Especially, people who only did Sarria to Santiago. I once heard a story of a young lady who did the whole Camino Frances. She hated it. It was very hard and arduous for her. But later on in life it gave her strength. Whenever she faces a difficult task she thought she made it through the Camino Frances, she can make it through this.

 

[David Tallan]

I don't care for graffiti, but I was just thinking about ancient cave paintings and petroglyphs. I'd hate to think in future archeological digs that today's graffiti and stickers could be used to investigate the Camino.

Who knows maybe contemporaries were complaining about cave paintings and petroglyphs as we complain about graffiti. "We had a perfectly nice, clean wall and you had to fill it up with your puerile boastful drawings of your pretend hunting success!"

I wouldn't want future archeological digs of Camino routes to ignore graffiti.

 

[trecile]

It's still not as hard on the eyes.

But it's much more damaging.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

Who knows maybe contemporaries were complaining about cave paintings and petroglyphs as we complain about graffiti. "We had a perfectly nice, clean wall and you had to fill it up with your puerile boastful drawings of your pretend hunting success!"

I wouldn't want future archeological digs of Camino routes to ignore graffiti.

LOL -- I have always cautioned my students to understand that cave paintings maybe about wishes for successful hunts, and not records of amazing feats. After all, Atapuerca shows us that a lot of access to meat was about fortunate accidental delivery of large animals that fell into naturally occurring pits.

I wonder if there is a Far Side cartoon that captures the idea.

 

[RJM]

C'mon now, nice try for a counterpoint but there really is no comparison between ancient cave drawings and modern illegal graffiti. Really quite the stretch to do so.

 

[Roland49]

But is it as pretty as Bielefeld?

Been there! It really exists! (for non Europeans / Germans: there's a long time memed rumor, that the city of Bielefeld is a hoax and don't exist. As a start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bielefeld_conspiracy)

And it is not as ugly as often mentioned.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

LOL -- I have always cautioned my students to understand that cave paintings maybe about wishes for successful hunts, and not records of amazing feats. After all, Atapuerca shows us that a lot of access to meat was about fortunate accidental delivery of large animals that fell into naturally occurring pits.

I wonder if there is a Far Side cartoon that captures the idea.

My favourite Far Side was the three cavemen sitting out on a rock playing "rock, paper, scissors" and complaining the game always ends up a tie.

 

[peregrino_tom]

I think all of this has been going on for a very long time. As if the recumbent and prayerful Ralph of Shrewsbury hasn't suffered enough indignities already, I imagine the staff at Wells Cathedral have to come round every evening to dislodge the QR stickers left by the TikTok and Instagram influencers..
https://sanhs.org/wp-content/uploads/Scrase.pdf
If you can't see my pics I've loaded here, there are plenty online

 

[Stephan the Painter]

Is this some new fad or what is the purpose of this?

I think the reason there are so many stickers recently is because inthe last few years, it's become very easy and inexpensive to get and make customized stickers.

Some people are just like dogs marking with their scent. It just got much easier and cheaper to do.

 

[bwolsch]

I am not a fan of the Camino Francés, I have never walked it and most probabaly never will. (Please don't discuss the pros/cons of this route on this thread). However, despite my strong opinions about the route, I chose to walk from Melide to SdC on the Francés (yes - I know about the Camino Verde from Lugo), in order to complete the Camino Primitivo, about a week ago. While I had walked this section before, I was very surprised at a phenomenon that is new - at least to me. Stickers!! I have not seen this on any other Caminos I have walked. Is this phenomenon only on the final 100 km of the Camino Francés or is this on the rest of the route? Is it on other Caminos? The stickers cropped up in so many places after Melide, even obscurring the name of the town "Salceda," in the second photo, and a stop sign also obscurred in the 3rd photo. The worst, in my opinion was the stickers on the Santiago city sign, in the last photo.

I saw stickers from Taiwan (!), tour agencies, Camino-related stickers, restaurants, etc, and some that made no sense to me whatsoever. Is this some new fad or what is the purpose of this? Do you believe this is a wonderful way to leave your mark on the Camino, or is it yet another form of Camino pollution?


View attachment 179688 View attachment 179689 View attachment 179690 View attachment 179691

The Boy Scouts have a saying “ leave only footprints “ There were quite a few stickers observed on my past Caminos, most notably the 790 sign in roncesvalles. Graffiti on the km markers, and littering. All the same thing. It seems very selfish and self indulgent. What message is being sent and who reads it? I did see some very creative little artists had painted positive messages on rocks and put them in a neat little pile. I am a fan of street art and graffiti has its place. It’s been happening for centuries. Volunteers and special paint seem to be the solutions for now. Should I pack a sticker scraper next time?

 

[Albertagirl]

From my personal perspective, I have experienced only one type of graffiti which I was grateful to find along the camino routes in Spain. These were small paper stickers attached to trees along pilgrim trails with the telephone numbers of taxis in the vicinity. I never called one of these taxis, but as a solitary pilgrim struggling over rough trails at times, I felt vulnerable to falls and happy to see that there were local taxis whose drivers knew the trails and were willing to rescue pilgrims walking them.

 

[David Tallan]

I didn't notice any stickers today on the Torres. I didn't notice any other pilgrims today, either.

 

[Canche]

I am not a fan of the Camino Francés, I have never walked it and most probabaly never will. (Please don't discuss the pros/cons of this route on this thread). However, despite my strong opinions about the route, I chose to walk from Melide to SdC on the Francés (yes - I know about the Camino Verde from Lugo), in order to complete the Camino Primitivo, about a week ago. While I had walked this section before, I was very surprised at a phenomenon that is new - at least to me. Stickers!! I have not seen this on any other Caminos I have walked. Is this phenomenon only on the final 100 km of the Camino Francés or is this on the rest of the route? Is it on other Caminos? The stickers cropped up in so many places after Melide, even obscurring the name of the town "Salceda," in the second photo, and a stop sign also obscurred in the 3rd photo. The worst, in my opinion was the stickers on the Santiago city sign, in the last photo.

I saw stickers from Taiwan (!), tour agencies, Camino-related stickers, restaurants, etc, and some that made no sense to me whatsoever. Is this some new fad or what is the purpose of this? Do you believe this is a wonderful way to leave your mark on the Camino, or is it yet another form of Camino pollution?


View attachment 179688 View attachment 179689 View attachment 179690 View attachment 179691

Another reason to avoid the Frances.

 

[Camo]

2015 and then 2017.

If you are doing a Virtual Tour you can do some "cleaning up" and no this is not AI or photoshopping but simply a human using an Image Editor.

 

[WGroleau]

Of course we should react to littering, unorganised graffiti and useless stupid stickers. On the Camino Francés, other Caminos and on the daily paths we walk.
There is no inwardly reacting needed in this case but acting and cleaning up!

I could be wrong, but I think the people that do it for advertising have made other thoughtless people think it's OK. I was last on the Frances in 2018, and then there were stickers on at least half of the signs, but not many and most were advertising. Maybe I should have called the numbers or visited the websites and told them that their vandalism GUARANTEES they'll never get my business.

 

[Camo]

I could be wrong, but I think the people that do it for advertising have made other thoughtless people think it's OK.

You are not wrong - advertising has taken over every facet of the lives of those that allow it to do so, and they number about 95% of the "people" on this planet. And the "people" behind it all are very very smart and fully understand the equations that make the money flow.

 

[Flog]

Changing faces of the Santiago sign at San Lázaro.. Fresh, as it was in 2014, and just like the Cruz de Ferro, it comes and goes.. when it gets too trashy, it gets tidied up a bit..











Images, courtesy of Google maps


Edit:
Unless it's a personal memorial or something, I feel that leaving anything on the path to mark our own presence, is graffiti.. and only serves our own egos. Stickers, permanent markers, spray paint, padlocks, piles of stones, boots, ribbons, burnt clothes etc..

 

[Roland49]

I didn't notice any stickers today on the Torres. I didn't notice any other pilgrims today, either.

Could be somehow related?

 

[Blister Bill]

Hi Ellie, since your post I've done a couple of caminos and made a point of noticing the stickers as I was somewhat intrigued. The English camino was plastered. Some locals advertising here and there but by far the worst offender enclosed. It was literally on every sign etc. I then did the camino to Caravaca. Nothing. Again not an issue on the Ucles where graffiti, unfortunately, was. So the deduction I came up with is it is very much the "guests" doing it.

 

[Tincatinker]

Are stickers for people who can’t actually use a pencil without sticking their tongue out?

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Been there! It really exists!

I've been to Hell. It really exists!
Actually it is Hell, Grand Cayman island in the Caribbean...I don't want to go to the "other one".

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Speaking of "Sticker Mania" I was recently in a not far away state park with a tourist souvenir shop and what did I see?...sticker mania. They were expensive and I was surprised as I didn't know they were so popular (and expensive). This display spun around and had four sides.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

I personally enjoy the stickers and the graffiti. My favorite sticker is the one of that older Spanish guy (prolly my age) with long flowing hair, his shirt unbuttoned, wearing tight jeans, a day pack, and something written like Fabio Santiago or something like that.

The norte has the best graffiti though. Its graffiti is less about some half wit second language philosophy, and more like real art. I mean some of these people have talent.

I have never stuck a sticker or penned any graffiti myself.

 

[JustOneGuy]

I've seen a few taxi stickers and unbelievably a few with QR codes advertising a very popular camino YouTuber (who should know better) on the Primitivo, but nothing like the quantity you're showing.

Just like graffiti, I think of it as vandalism.
Truly horrible.

Advice: Be extremely wary of random QR codes. There is an increasing number of them leading to bogus websites that download computer viruses. In one case, an electric vehicle charging station real one to download an app to access the charger, was covered with a fake one.

 

[Bradypus]

I've been to Hell. It really exists!

There is one on the pilgrim route from Sundsvall to Trondheim. Much colder than it is usually thought to be....