Where to place my rock?

[Clark]

I know that it is customary on the Camino Frances to place one's personal rock at the Cruz de Fiero, but since I am walking the Camino Portugues next spring, I was wondering if there is a common location that Pilgrims on this Camino place their rocks?

As it stands now, I'm thinking of placing it at the base of the James memorial on Mount Santiaguino in Padron, but am open to other ideas.

Blessings,

Clark

 

[SabsP]

I know that it is customary on the Camino Frances to place one's personal rock at the Cruz de Fiero, but since I am walking the Camino Portugues next spring, I was wondering if there is a common location that Pilgrims on this Camino place their rocks?

As it stands now, I'm thinking of placing it at the base of the James memorial on Mount Santiaguino in Padron, but am open to other ideas.

Blessings,

Clark

You will find the place when it is the right moment. Or the place will find you when it feels right.

 

[Coleen Clark]

I am dropping a stone into the river as I cross into Spain.

 

[Davie Blisters]

Here you go Coleen, but be careful of the shipping!
Bom Caminho

 

[C clearly]

I know that it is customary on the Camino Frances to place one's personal rock at the Cruz de Fiero

Too much is made of this ritual, in my mind, and you should not feel that your camino is incomplete if you don't do it. There are many good arguments for not piling rocks anywhere. With 300,000 pilgrims per year, it gets to be an esthetic and maintenance problem.

 

[SabsP]

Too much is made of this ritual, in my mind, and you should not feel that your camino is incomplete if you don't do it. There are many good arguments for not piling rocks anywhere. With 300,000 pilgrims per year, it gets to be an esthetic and maintenance problem.

My thoughts too.
I prefer to leave my " emotional sentimental rock " somewhere on the Camino. Most of the times where I least expect it to.
Although on some Caminos I seem to take home extra rocks...

 

[Deleted member 56069]

We had the same dilemma this spring as we walked the Portuguese Camino. As has been mentioned, the right spot will appear. For us this happened on our walk from Ponte de Lima to Rubiaes. Just before we reached Sao Roque, we encountered a stone cross where others had left their stones. The trail marker indicated Aqualonga. It is out in the country, so we did not feel we were cluttering things by leaving our stones at this spot.

 

[trecile]

Too much is made of this ritual, in my mind, and you should not feel that your camino is incomplete if you don't do it. There are many good arguments for not piling rocks anywhere. With 300,000 pilgrims per year, it gets to be an esthetic and maintenance problem.

Yesterday near the lighthouse in Finisterre I saw two Spanish women furiously dismantling a ring of small stone cairns. They seemed rather annoyed at this little pilgrim "monument".

 

[Bradypus]

A Spanish newspaper published an article just a few days ago about the spreading of such ritual stacking of stones in many different locations and points out some of the environmental impact the practice is having. Although I realise that for some people placing a stone at places like the Cruz de Ferro is an important personal moment I would personally rather see pilgrims move more gently through the landscape without feeling the urge to leave such visual reminders of our passing. To me it feels unnecessary and self-serving.
http://www.elperiodico.com/es/barce...torres-de-piedras-amenaza-ecosistemas-6214358

 

[Paladina]

I know that it is customary on the Camino Frances to place one's personal rock at the Cruz de Fiero, but since I am walking the Camino Portugues next spring, I was wondering if there is a common location that Pilgrims on this Camino place their rocks?

As it stands now, I'm thinking of placing it at the base of the James memorial on Mount Santiaguino in Padron, but am open to other ideas.

Blessings,

Clark

I know that it is customary on the Camino Frances to place one's personal rock at the Cruz de Fiero, but since I am walking the Camino Portugues next spring, I was wondering if there is a common location that Pilgrims on this Camino place their rocks?

As it stands now, I'm thinking of placing it at the base of the James memorial on Mount Santiaguino in Padron, but am open to other ideas.

Blessings,

Clark

The most appropriate resting place for your rock is the one where you found it.

 

[Kieran Kenneally]

Is this a Jewish custom which pilgrims adopted I wonder? I think it is a nice sentiment as stones have a permanency which flowers don't, beautiful and all as they are. I always brought small marble pebbles from home with my deceased parents names on them and left them in places I thought appropriate. Perhaps stones are now becoming the locket fastened to the bridge scourge of many cities. I think if I am lucky enough to do another camino, I may just bring a small stick from home next time, at least it will disintegrate over time.

 

[t2andreo]

I walked from Lisbon to Santiago this past April and May. I chose to leave a stone for my recently deceased father in the river between Portugal and Spain. I dropped it over the railing at the marked international boundary in the center of the bridge.

I hope this helps.

 

[Bala]

If you are religious, or even if you're not, you can always go into a church and leave the emotional meanings of your rock there.

 

[HedaP]

Is this a Jewish custom which pilgrims adopted I wonder? I think it is a nice sentiment as stones have a permanency which flowers don't, beautiful and all as they are. I always brought small marble pebbles from home with my deceased parents names on them and left them in places I thought appropriate. Perhaps stones are now becoming the locket fastened to the bridge scourge of many cities. I think if I am lucky enough to do another camino, I may just bring a small stick from home next time, at least it will disintegrate over time.

Hmmm maybe not organic material. I come from a country with strict biosecurity. We would not be allowed to import any untreated wood because of the risk of bringing in disease.

 

[mspath]

Is this a Jewish custom which pilgrims adopted I wonder? I think it is a nice sentiment as stones have a permanency which flowers don't, beautiful and all as they are. I always brought small marble pebbles from home with my deceased parents names on them and left them in places I thought appropriate. Perhaps stones are now becoming the locket fastened to the bridge scourge of many cities. I think if I am lucky enough to do another camino, I may just bring a small stick from home next time, at least it will disintegrate over time.

For more on this ancient custom
see the importance of just a simple pebble.

For many more posts re the history of the Cruz de Ferro see
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/is-this-true.26343/

 

[Kathor1]

Although I realise that for some people placing a stone at places like the Cruz de Ferro is an important personal moment I would personally rather see pilgrims move more gently through the landscape without feeling the urge to leave such visual reminders of our passing. To me it feels unnecessary and self-serving.
http://www.elperiodico.com/es/barce...torres-de-piedras-amenaza-ecosistemas-6214358

I like the idea expressed by the phrase "'fast-food' de filosofía zen" in the article. Zen on the go? Zen quickie?

I don't know how the locals in Northern Spain view the leaving of stones at crosses throughout the landscape and in and near villages, other than at the place called Cruz de Ferro which has become a contemporary tradition for non-locals and a regional tradition near San Andres de Teixido. It is certainly not a tradition that I associate in general with Christian crosses and cruzifices. I grew up in an area where there are still plenty left that were erected from the Middle Ages onwards and nobody leaves stones there and I am sure if people did they would be removed quickly. It can be seen as an act of piety or some other noble act but also as an act of disrespect and sacrilege. More often than not I guess it is just imitation of what others did.

 

[stevov]

This on the Portuguese Caminho da Costa nr Antas on the path from Esposende to Viana.

 

[MTtoCamino]

Thank you to those who responded with ideas. It is such a personal thing that ties us, in my opinion. I really like the thought of "what feels right" also thank you for asking the question.

 

[Deleted member 36903]

This is yet another thread that cries out for @Albertinho's knowledge about the CP. There was a similar thread on this subject where he reported that local people do not like pilgrims leaving stuff at the cross between Ponte de Lima and Rubiaes as this is a memorial to Portuguese war dead.

 

[Sailor]

This is a good conversation, thanks everyone for all the good inputs. We are "getting underway" in five weeks, and my plan is to place a very small rock on the ground on the first day of my camino. I will find an open space [not a rock mount] to place the very small rock. I will respect all areas considered sacred, such as church ground, La Virgen de Biacorri, Monumento a los Caidos, Cruz de Ferro, or any other religious symbol on the camino. To all caminantes, buena suerte, y que la luz de Dios alumbre su camino.