LIVE from the Camino Can I use the back of the credential for stamps?

[paleoirish]

Hi there, sorry mods if this is in the wrong place...
I'm currently in O'Cebreiro having started in Burgos nearly a month ago and I'm soon going to run out of space for cellos on my credential.
I'm using the credential from this forum with the lovely maps of the back of it and my question is whether it's acceptable to put stamps on the back of the credential or do I need to get a new one? I'm reluctant to have a second unless it's absolutely necessary as I have been getting good at reducing what I think I need.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Hi there, sorry mods if this is in the wrong place...
I'm currently in O'Cebreiro having started in Burgos nearly a month ago and I'm soon going to run out of space for cellos on my credential.
I'm using the credential from this forum with the lovely maps of the back of it and my question is whether it's acceptable to put stamps on the back of the credential or do I need to get a new one? I'm reluctant to have a second unless it's absolutely necessary as I have been getting good at reducing what I think I need.

You may or even just add a piece of paper to carry on collecting - they all count!

 

[lt56ny]

Get a new book if you can. You may like it better in the long run. It is sometimes fun later on to look back at the stamps for some memories of your Camino. The book holds up a lot better. It isn’t much space or weight haha.

 

[paleoirish]

You may or even just add a piece of paper to carry on collecting - they all count!

Thanks so much Jeff

 

[Icacos]

I'm reluctant to have a second unless it's absolutely necessary as I have been getting good at reducing what I think I need.

Love that! I’m with you here. I’m not sure but I think, towards the very end, I might have even skimped on the two-stamps-a-day rule after Sarria just so I could get everything on the same credential. And I got my Compostela. (And I did walk every bit of the way after O Cebreiro.)

 

[Robo]

Sadly these 'new' Credencials don't have as much space for stamps. So carry two or add a piece of paper.
For those starting in St Jean, the Credencials issued by the Pilgrim Office there are blank for stamps on both sides! At least they were 12 months ago........... I wish I could buy them online

 

[Ahhhs]

There are many places along the way where you can buy a second credencial...pilgrims offices, some churches, some tourist offices, and some Albergues have them. I just bought a second one in Leon at an Albergue. The tourist office directed me to several places in town where credentials were available.

Buen Camino

 

[Via2010]

Hi,
you can stamp on the back of your credencial, if necessary. I did that in 2007 when I continued from Santiago to Fisterra.

But it is nicer, to have a new one, especially as you are only about half-way to Santiago.

I can remember that in the Albergue of Lorca the owner had used his credencials for decorating the wall in the dinig-room. He had walked from Le Puy, I think. And he had adjusted all credentials together in a long line, so it was very impressive.

If you start stamping on the back or on different sheets of paper, you deprive yourself of this opportunity. New credentials are available on many places along the camino, usually for a very moderate fee of 2 €.

BC
Alexandra

 

[LTfit]

Indeed you can stamp the back. In April on my second to last day I turned over the credential to find that the other side was void of spaces. I just stamped along the Camino route printed on that side and had the Pilgrim's Office put theirs by the picture of the Cathedral. No problem.

 

[Caminogoat]

Hi there, sorry mods if this is in the wrong place...
I'm currently in O'Cebreiro having started in Burgos nearly a month ago and I'm soon going to run out of space for cellos on my credential.
I'm using the credential from this forum with the lovely maps of the back of it and my question is whether it's acceptable to put stamps on the back of the credential or do I need to get a new one? I'm reluctant to have a second unless it's absolutely necessary as I have been getting good at reducing what I think I need.

I did that last year and had issues at all when submitted.

 

[ELHS220]

Sadly these 'new' Credencials don't have as much space for stamps. So carry two or add a piece of paper.
For those starting in St Jean, the Credencials issued by the Pilgrim Office there are blank for stamps on both sides! At least they were 12 months ago........... I wish I could buy them online

I am a stamp addict and last year

Sadly these 'new' Credencials don't have as much space for stamps. So carry two or add a piece of paper.
For those starting in St Jean, the Credencials issued by the Pilgrim Office there are blank for stamps on both sides! At least they were 12 months ago........... I wish I could buy them online

I am a sello addict and I bought 10 last year. They are €2 each. I enclosed €20 and €10 for postage and they sent them to me.

 

[Caminogoat]

I did that last year and had issues at all when submitted.

Whoops, NO issues at all. Sorry, I walked 40 Kilometers today, but I apologize.

 

[paleoirish]

Whoops, NO issues at all. Sorry, I walked 40 Kilometers today, but I apologize.

Thais okay, I read correctly between the lines Gracias!

 

[akula415]

Why not? I did for mine, though stamping over dark text or pictures do make the sellos less visible. I ran out of spaces on my passport. Had to purchase another in Arzua. But until I had that new one, I used the flaps and rear.

 

[akula415]

I am a stamp addict and last year

I am a sello addict and I bought 10 last year. They are €2 each. I enclosed €20 and €10 for postage and they sent them to me.

OMG I am a sello addict too! My travelling friend only wanted to do the minimum number of sellos per day. I convinced her otherwise and she is NOW grateful because her passport looks more "balanced and complete" looking, instead of having a huge few flaps of blank space. I think the first day in Sarria, I got about 15 sellos. The guy at the PO was super surprised I filled two whole credenciales. I intend to do the same again. To try and get as many as I can. We aren't the only ones, I met a Spanish lady from Barce that also was a sello addict. But after a while she started saying "Meh I only want more pretty ones". I presume she was referring to the simplistic return address type stamps we sometimes see.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

 

[paleoirish]

I'm happy with my decision to put the stamps on the back of the credential, some of the most special ones are there actually, including two wax stamps. I'm fine with turning the credential around to see the rest of the stamps and it's been fun because some family are really enjoying seeing the stamps as a visual aid to realising how far I walked and then when they flip it over it's an aha moment.

I also have a very special stamp on my credential that is entirely unique. On my return home I stayed with family and was showing the stamps to my 10 year old grandson who had drawn a really beautiful card for me which contained many elements of the stories I had shared as I was walking. He saw the wax stamp which I collected at La Huella del Feregrino and he told me that his other Gran had gifted him with a wax seal set and he wasn't sure how to use it.

Of course we decided to have a go together and I taught him how to use the wax seal and shamrock tamp, then asked him to stamp my credential, as the last stamp to mark coming home. He's very proud of that stamp and so am I!