A Day On A Path
Nearly Every establishment on the camino has a stamp (sello). Pilgrims collect dated stamps to not only prove distance walked, but the credential is also required to stay in albergues meant for pilgrims.
Here’s my 2021 credential.
My certificate states I started in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and finished in Santiago de Compostela. 779 kilometers
Accreditation of the number of km covered
In addition to the Compostela, the Pilgrim’s Reception Office offers pilgrims the Certificate of Distance, a document issued by the Chapter of the Cathedral of Santiago certifying the number of kilometres they have travelled, whatever the starting point of their pilgrimage. This new document reflects the desire that many pilgrims have expressed for several years to have an official record of more details of their pilgrimage. It indicates the day and the starting point of the pilgrimage, the kilometres covered, as well as the day of arrival and the route of the pilgrimage.
The Compostela is the document that certifies that a pilgrim has completed the Camino de Santiago. The Compostela is awarded by the Church authorities …. This accreditation was created in the 9th and 10th centuries when the pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint James the Apostle was given official status…. But these were easy to falsify, and in the 13th century the Church decided to replace them with the cartas probatorias or evidentiary letters, which are the direct predecessor of today’s Compostela.
I met Steve (from Kentucky) through my camino buddy, Simone Grosdidier. Such a nice Person! Walked with him a bit out of some village, enjoyed a number of group meals and end of day Cheers! His wife has now joined him and they are off for a Spanish vacation!
Pilgrim Ann walked into Santiago several days ago! We first met through a Facebook Camino group for women, then finally in person on our first day in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port before our September 5 Camino start.
October 16: The usual stage is Pedrouzo to Santiago (about 20km), but I made two short days out of it. It was such a short walk I almost forgot to take pictures. A few last visits with camino families who would be walking on to Santiago, a stroll around Lavacolla and a big pat on my own back for stopping the day before the afternoon rain storm.
Tomorrow is a short day, so will catch up then. Meanwhile, had a lovely dinner and visit with Mary this evening.
As a reminder, I am walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route of the Camino Frances. There are many Camino routes to Santiago de Compostela- the Frances is the most popular and has the most developed infrastructure in terms of number of villages, places to eat and sleep, medical care, and other first-world resources.
Starting in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, and ending in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, one walks 790 kilometers / 500 miles through northern Spain. The path is about 60 miles inland from the northern coast. (The Camino Norte is the northern most route close to the coast.)
Today, October 15, I’m about 40 km away from Santiago. Normally, this would be a two-day walk, however, today I will walk 20 km and then break the last 20 km stage into two, short 10 km days. I want to arrive in Santiago rested and early in the day.
From wiki: The Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of St. James, is a network of pilgrims’ ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition holds that the remains of the apostle are buried.
