http://www.laregion.es/noticia/1155...ello/peaje/pago/camiino/santiago/peregreinos/
A different Holy Year
This will be a different year for walkers:
Access to the cathedral carrying backpacks and bags is prohibited; posters have been enabled in the vicinity of Obradoiro and security controls are much stricter from 1 January.
This will be the first Holy Year in which the Portico of Glory will be covered by scaffolding during the rehabilitation. The metal structure does, however, enable small groups of visitors to view closely the work of Maestro Mateo. Another new feature is provided by the volunteers, who will offer the walkers linguistic advice and healthcare.
Apart from cultural and religious activities, the controllers have designed a different plan Xacobeo with volunteer to help the pilgrims on their way to Compostela. One of the main additions is the language team, composed of volunteers from different countries of the European Union, which will help foreign pilgrims walking the route.
Medical and Nursing students will also serve hikers. 'For the first time, students in these disciplines, always supervised by professionals, will ensure the health of the pilgrims and help. The training courses have already started in the disciplines that require specific knowledge, both theoretical and practical. "Students receive 90 hours of training for 15 days and face the most common ailments pilgrim podiatric emergency, sprain, fractures, animal bites or sunburn ', says Manuel Freire, professor of medicine and course coordinator.
The bulk of the program will run in the summer months, when there are a greater influx of pilgrims. For the first time volunteers will be present in all the nine ways.
And when they get to Santiago, the pilgrims will also meet with some surprise. Authorities have banned access to the cathedral with backpacks and other bags as a safety measure. Although Xoan XXIII Avenue is historically a place for pilgrims to deposit their sacks during a visit to the basilica, and can still be seen these days on the banks of the temple, backpacks and knapsacks. Security checks, according to advance the church authorities, will be tightened when approaching the summer and increase the flow of pilgrims.