Like the proverbial carrot dangling in front of the donkey, the scallop shell is always before you. Hanging from the many backpacks that you walk behind, embedded in the pavement of the streets that you tread, in the light standards illuminating the night or carved into the stones along the route, this may be the most potent symbol of your pilgrimage. With origins dating from at least the early Middle Ages, it has shown to be an enduring guidepost. Many of the towns and villages have lined their streets with these markers as a more lasting and elegant token of the pilgrim’s route. Look to the road as you pass through Carrion de los Condes or Naverette. The people of these towns are proud of their place in the long history of the camino and it is reflected in the roadway.
