I have walked the Camino of St. Francis (the most popular route). I haven't seen anything as described in these articles. The Camino is popular in June/July - maybe it happens then - I don't know.
Most pilgrims are very respectful of the environment in which they walk. Most - if they need to go urgently - take ziplock bags which are disposed of later at an appropriate place.
All this shrill nonsense by Sandralist and so on is a reaction to hyperbolic media reports and not verified by actually *being* there and walking - so why contribute to a forum post if you know nothing at all about the truth.

My wife and sister-in-law did the 500 mile Camino a few years. And while they are not guilty of such crimes, it can be a long distance between facilities especially if one is lost.

All this shrill nonsense by Sandralist and so on is a reaction to hyperbolic media reports and not verified by actually *being* there and walking - so why contribute to a forum post if you know nothing at all about the truth.>>

sadly that has never stopped her; the irony is that on matters concerning Italy she is a mine of information, albeit a somewhat opinionated one.

In her defense, she was not reacting to hyperbolic media reports but to comments by other posters.

My local town closed all its public loos after 6pm in evening to save money and wondered why they now need to get alleyway walls sprayed down every morning.

German motorway service stations now charge for using the loo and the result is an enormous increase in the pong from the surrounding bushes.

It ain't rocket science, if you are going to have loads of people walking along the same path in the middle of nowhere you are going to find people caught short.

In Spain inmates cannot be punished by doing social works. The aim of the prisons is to re-educate through educative methods, work in prison and other measures, and not to punish. At least that´s what our laws say...reality may not be exactly like that, I don´t know, never been in a prison.

bilbo - the same has happened in Cornwall, leading [literally] to a lot of unhappy campers. quite a few villages have taken over their local loos in order to keep them open - for the very reasons you have given. it's much more expensive to employ someone to clear up the mess than it is to provide a few toilets.

"In Spain inmates cannot be punished by doing social works."

Work crews in Arizona are not to punish, but to reward prisoners. If they apply and qualify, they leave the prison confines for the work details and are paid, money to use that they might not otherwise have. They aren't required to work but they prefer being out all day while they do it.

I worked in a library about 25 miles from a prison and most days of the week we had a prisoner as a handyman and they were glad to be there, almost without exception. And we liked having them. I doubt being out & about picking up trash on the Camino would be considered a hardship either, when you consider the alternative.

This hippo has been banned from ever again walking the Camino:
http://i.imgur.com/wmlCPQn.gifv

Do not be concerned the hippos only take the French route.

Thank you, Dave and IMDonehere for that laugh. Nay, guffaw. Perhaps it's a good thing that SL wasn't here to see that - she'd probably have had another fit of the vapours. OTOH....