When the "path of life" of the pilgrims becomes martyrdom for the neighbors: "Every year it is worse and we are fed up with the rude"

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The sound of the boots against the ground, the sticks marking the rhythm, a slight creak in the back when stretching after leaving the bag on the ground, the water from the fountain filling the canteen, the chirping of the birds, the "good path" when you come across other pilgrims, some distant harvester, the laughter of the locals... peace.

This is what probably comes to mind for many readers when talking about the

.

There are those who make the journey for a spiritual or religious reason, others do it for self-fulfillment or culture and there are those for whom it is simply a different vacation.

But in recent weeks this

, according to some neighbors.

The last section just before reaching the Cathedral of Santiago runs through the cobbled streets of the city and the inhabitants see every day how

through different alleys.

"For the residents of Santiago, the massive arrival of people is a disturbance, that's obvious, but

of some groups. There are many pilgrims who behave phenomenally, but there are others who are a bit feeling that they are taking over the city. They arrive here on a pilgrimage, to their destination, which is the Plaza del Obradoiro and it is already theirs," says a resident of the historic center who works in the Administration and wishes to remain anonymous.

The Camino de Santiago is one of the oldest routes in history, although, in recent years, complaints from neighbors have increased.

"The situation is not new, but every year it gets worse and we are fed up with rude pilgrims who, curiously, are

who come on excursions with their town clubs and have very bad behavior," says the administrative.

The regrets before the overcrowding of the Camino have filled the social networks these days.

The art historian and cultural promoter Miguel Ángel Cajigal Vera, known as

, has been one of those who has made the most comments denouncing the situation.

The debate on Twitter is open between those who support the pilgrims and those who claim that

.

The Santiago resident and administrator does not believe that the solution is to modify the city's tourism, since this gives it a lot of life in summer when the University students leave Santiago, but she does try to make people know the meaning of what they do.

The president of the

,

, has stated that the criticism these days is from "ideological positions" and that "depending on who they come from, their attitude is judged one way or another."

Rueda has framed the protests in the celebration of the

that has brought together more than 12,000 Catholics in Santiago de Compostela.

European Youth Pilgrimage

The Vatican has extended the

due to the situation generated by the coronavirus and that is why in 2022, despite the fact that the patron saint's day has not fallen on a Sunday, the celebrations and events continue in the city.

On the occasion of Xacobeo, the

of the

has organized the European Youth Pilgrimage, which is bringing together more than 12,000 people from all over Europe in the capital of Galicia, although most of them come from Spain.

to the pilgrims

to avoid overcrowding in the days leading up to Santiago, but once in the city they all got together to carry out activities and workshops.

Young people from Granada upon their arrival in SantiagoANTONIO GUZMÁN

There are those who think that doing the Camino de Santiago in groups causes the deep meaning of it to be lost, but the priest and instagramer from Granada

, who is participating in the PEJ, maintains that the opposite happens: "Doing it in community gives you sense because friends are a catapult to see that there is something or someone else behind them.

, it is a spiritualism that comforts the heart like an opiate that lasts for a while, but then you return to your circumstances and that intimacy does not contribute anything to face the day to day".

" and

along the entire Portuguese road

at seeing so many young people "on the road and in search".

Upon arriving in the capital, they have been able to contrast some discomfort among some middle-aged people, although they are a minority.

From the PEJ they affirm that

and the activities during the morning are carried out in churches, seminaries and remote centers.

In the afternoon, the events in the Plaza del Obradoiro start at 5:00 p.m. and end at 12:00 a.m. to respect the rest of the residents and pilgrims who have intense days.

The organization maintains that groups of drunk people and other types of environments are not part of the PEJ because all attendees go with responsible parties.

"I think that instead of complaining, it would be good to ask yourself how the commotion that exists during the day is possible, with songs and joy,

," Guzmán invites us to reflect.

consistency along the way

The Santiago neighbor who works in the Administration believes that the problem is that

because they have become fashionable.

"The Camino de Santiago is catalogued, it is historical, and groups of architects, archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, sociologists... at the request of the

have delimited, qualified, studied... they have endowed it with content.

, it is something touristy because the city welcomes them, but it is a matter of history and what is missing is that respect," says the neighbor.

For Antonio Guzmán, the pilgrimage is a "

" where you experience joy and pain: "In life there is everything, days when you wake up highly motivated and others when you can't take it anymore, but the essential thing is to discover that there is someone that allows that when life becomes a mountain one does not have to hide it or skip it, but there is the opportunity to face it".

The problem arises when, by losing the historical or spiritual sense, the arrival in Santiago becomes an excessive party and there is a "

", comments the neighbor.

The participants in the European Youth Pilgrimage comment that this lack of civility is not taking place these days and that they are careful with the garbage they generate.

"In any large bottle of 1,000 people, much more dirt is created and not collected than what 12,000 are producing these days," they say.

To avoid coexistence problems, three city associations have created and disseminated a

that those attending the PEJ claim to know and put into practice.

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