Dazed, Amazed, Confused......& ‘HOME’

[SoLive]

Hi my fellow pilgrims!!! I MADE IT! I am finally in SJPDP after wonderful flights from the US to CDG, to Biarritz & cab to Bayonne, train to SJPDP! But after all of my researching on the forum, now that I’m here I don’t remember the basics!!! Lol! Am I supposed to get my passport stamped twice in SJPDP before I start tomorrow & twice a day as I walk?! Sorry but I drew a blank & left my glasses so can’t really see my guide book/app info! This is tickling me to NO end!! It’s just sheer JOY & EXCITEMENT of finally getting here!! I feel like I can BREATHE AGAIN! In FULL, deep breaths!!!

Another question: I know we’ve read several times to heed the warnings,when given, concerning which route to walk to Roncesvalles but today in the pilgrims office I was warned not to ecause of personal preference & not weather concerns!! I have been looking forward to the Napoleón route but I thought all I had to worry about with regards to
making a choice was weather conditions & they are great right now! I must add the once the wonderful man in the office heard my entire Camino itinerary he was a bit surprised & asked if I was aware that the Primitivo is challenging too!! Sooooo........I guess I just want to ask (yet again) am I being stubborn to want to go forward or is the Napoleón route too troublesome for 1st timers?! I have been training & have had 3 weekends of 15 miles, 3 day hikes with my pack & I feel ready!! But I will take heed, if necessary!!!

OMG! I’M HOME!!! Thank you everybody for helping to make this dream a reality!!! Buen Camino & Ultreia!

 

[Anamiri]

No just one stamp a day is sufficient initially. You'll need 2 a day from Sarria onward f you want a Compostela.
I like going over the mountain and down into Roncesvalles, so thats my choice. I was 57 first time.

 

[nycwalking]

Go with your gut.

Most do Napolean in one day.

Vaya con Dios

Buen camino.

 

[grayland]

1. The only requirement for two stamps is from the last 100km which is Sarria on the CF.
2. Hundreds of people (most unprepared) walk from SJPP to Roncesvalles every day. Some stop at Orisson..but they have very limited beds and the great majority simply walk to Roncesvalles.
3. The Napolean (and Valcarlos route) are difficult mostly because they are usually the first day and most people are carrying much more than they should or need. There has been a great deal of myth developed over the past years regarding the difficulty. It is not mountain climbing. It is a long walk up a hill with a few steep areas. The most difficult part is the first 7km to Orission. After that it is much more gradual.

 

[SoLive]

No just one stamp a day is sufficient initially. You'll need 2 a day from Sarria onward f you want a Compostela.
I like going over the mountain and down into Roncesvalles, so thats my choice. I was 57 first time.

Thank you Anamiri!!! That is what I was looking forward to & I am 54, btw!

 

[SoLive]

Go with your gut.

Most do Napolean in one day.

Vaya con Dios

Buen camino.

My gut has never steered me wrong, so I will continue to listen to it closely!!!Thank you so much!

 

[SoLive]

1. The only requirement for two stamps is from the last 100km which is Sarria on the CF.
2. Hundreds of people (most unprepared) walk from SJPP to Roncesvalles every day. Some stop at Orisson..but they have very limited beds and the great majority simply walk to Roncesvalles.
3. The Napolean (and Valcarlos route) are difficult mostly because they are usually the first day and most people are carrying much more than they should or need. The has been a great deal of myth developed over the past years regarding the difficulty. It is not mountain climbing. It is a long walk up a hill with a few steep areas. The most difficult part is the first 7km to Orission. After that it is much more gradual.

Thank you so much!!! I will head out & up into those glorious hills/mountains tomorrow morning!!

 

[grayland]

I feel much of the difficulty, stress and "hardship" some people experience on the Napolean route is caused by the anxiety that is built up by reading all of the stories about the horrors of "crossing the Pyrenees".

 

[SoLive]

I feel much of the difficulty, stress and "hardship" some people experience on the Napolean route is caused by the anxiety that is built up by reading all of the stories about the horrors of "crossing the Pyrenees".

That’s what I gathered from all of the various posts I’d read. Thank you!

 

[tomnorth]

By the way, the two stamps a day over the last 100k only applies to those who have only walked the last 100k.

 

[SoLive]

By the way, the two stamps a day over the last 100k only applies to those who have only walked the last 100k.

Oh! Thank you for that tomnorth

 

[KinkyOne]

By the way, the two stamps a day over the last 100k only applies to those who have only walked the last 100k.

Not true, Tom!
Or better not entirely true

Same rules apply to all equally BUT it's a matter of SdC PO staff discretion if they see the long string of stamps in credencial that they don't force in the rule completely.

@SoLive I think you should be on the safe side if you start in SJPdP and you intend to walk the "whole" way.

Buen Camino!

 

[tomnorth]

Not true, Tom!
Or better not entirely true

Same rules apply to all equally BUT it's a matter of SdC PO staff discretion if they saw the long string of stamps in credencial that they don't force in the rule completely.

@SoLive I think you should be on the safe side if you start in SJPdP and you intend to walk the "whole" way.

Buen Camino!

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[KinkyOne]

Thanks for clarifying.

Happened to me twice and was also confirmed by @t2andreo which happens to be our forum expert on such matters

 

[VNwalking]

Buen Camino, @SoLive !!!

 

[Former member 49149]

Hi my fellow pilgrims!!! I MADE IT! I am finally in SJPDP after wonderful flights from the US to CDG, to Biarritz & cab to Bayonne, train to SJPDP! But after all of my researching on the forum, now that I’m here I don’t remember the basics!!! Lol! Am I supposed to get my passport stamped twice in SJPDP before I start tomorrow & twice a day as I walk?! Sorry but I drew a blank & left my glasses so can’t really see my guide book/app info! This is tickling me to NO end!! It’s just sheer JOY & EXCITEMENT of finally getting here!! I feel like I can BREATHE AGAIN! In FULL, deep breaths!!!

Another question: I know we’ve read several times to heed the warnings,when given, concerning which route to walk to Roncesvalles but today in the pilgrims office I was warned not to ecause of personal preference & not weather concerns!! I have been looking forward to the Napoleón route but I thought all I had to worry about with regards to
making a choice was weather conditions & they are great right now! I must add the once the wonderful man in the office heard my entire Camino itinerary he was a bit surprised & asked if I was aware that the Primitivo is challenging too!! Sooooo........I guess I just want to ask (yet again) am I being stubborn to want to go forward or is the Napoleón route too troublesome for 1st timers?! I have been training & have had 3 weekends of 15 miles, 3 day hikes with my pack & I feel ready!! But I will take heed, if necessary!!!

OMG! I’M HOME!!! Thank you everybody for helping to make this dream a reality!!! Buen Camino & Ultreia!

If you have an iphone,triple tap the home button and you have a magnifying glass. Better than off the shelf specs that are not prescription. When you really need to read, magnifying glass does the job. Have a google to see if your particular phone offers such a trick. And yes, keep up the enthusiasm! Buen camino. Try not to miss Zabaldika, church of San Esteban. Quite humbling, and astonishing, to reach the garden patch at the top of the really short but fairly steep ascent. There is an albergue there but it may not fit your walking plan.

 

[Dorpie]

So excited for you. By the time you read this I guess you'll Roncesvalles, congratulations!!

 

[t2andreo]

Two sellos a day on ANY ROUTE on the FINAL 100 Km into Santiago is the OFFICIAL RULE. It is printed on most credencials, including those distributed by the Pilgrim Office, in Spanish of course...but it is there.

HOWEVER, and this is a big IF, you walked a LONG way and prove it with a progression of chronologically ordered sellos in your credencial, the Pilgrim Office staff generally discount that rule.

It is OK if you miss a second stamp on a day or two. But DO TRY to get them. Most of us forget from day to day...I do. But this (gaps in 2x sello per day) is still the exception, not the rule. Try to collect the sellos during the last 100 km.

If you walk from Saint Jean Pied de Port, Madrid, Lisbon, Irun, Sevilla, etc., or from any far away starting point, and show this line of march, you should be okay.

In the unlikely event you are challenged when seeking a Compostela, and you were taking photos with a smartphone, offer to support your claim with the date, time and location-stamped photos on your smartphone. This DOES work.

Hope this helps...

 

[gloria lowe]

By the way, the two stamps a day over the last 100k only applies to those who have only walked the last 100k.

Not the 2 stamps a day for the last 100km applies to everyone even if you walked across the ocean

 

[Glamgrrl]

Oh! Thank you for that tomnorth

I walked the whole route and got two stamps the last 100 km. This was checked when getting my Compestela. It also states that on the stamp sheets.

 

[Donnatravelling]

If you have an iphone,triple tap the home button and you have a magnifying glass. Better than off the shelf specs that are not prescription. When you really need to read, magnifying glass does the job. Have a google to see if your particular phone offers such a trick. And yes, keep up the enthusiasm! Buen camino. Try not to miss Zabaldika, church of San Esteban. Quite humbling, and astonishing, to reach the garden patch at the top of the really short but fairly steep ascent. There is an albergue there but it may not fit your walking plan.

Thanks for the iPhone magnifying tip. Did not know that and sure can use it.

 

[Aunt Pitty Pat]

Hi my fellow pilgrims!!! I MADE IT! I am finally in SJPDP after wonderful flights from the US to CDG, to Biarritz & cab to Bayonne, train to SJPDP! But after all of my researching on the forum, now that I’m here I don’t remember the basics!!! Lol! Am I supposed to get my passport stamped twice in SJPDP before I start tomorrow & twice a day as I walk?! Sorry but I drew a blank & left my glasses so can’t really see my guide book/app info! This is tickling me to NO end!! It’s just sheer JOY & EXCITEMENT of finally getting here!! I feel like I can BREATHE AGAIN! In FULL, deep breaths!!!

Another question: I know we’ve read several times to heed the warnings,when given, concerning which route to walk to Roncesvalles but today in the pilgrims office I was warned not to ecause of personal preference & not weather concerns!! I have been looking forward to the Napoleón route but I thought all I had to worry about with regards to
making a choice was weather conditions & they are great right now! I must add the once the wonderful man in the office heard my entire Camino itinerary he was a bit surprised & asked if I was aware that the Primitivo is challenging too!! Sooooo........I guess I just want to ask (yet again) am I being stubborn to want to go forward or is the Napoleón route too troublesome for 1st timers?! I have been training & have had 3 weekends of 15 miles, 3 day hikes with my pack & I feel ready!! But I will take heed, if necessary!!!

OMG! I’M HOME!!! Thank you everybody for helping to make this dream a reality!!! Buen Camino & Ultreia!

I don’t know what answers you will receive as my trip will be in April of 2020, but your joy and exuberance has brightened my day today! Thank you and Buen Camino (whichever way you choose)!

 

[John Crawford Howell]

Hi my fellow pilgrims!!! I MADE IT! I am finally in SJPDP after wonderful flights from the US to CDG, to Biarritz & cab to Bayonne, train to SJPDP! But after all of my researching on the forum, now that I’m here I don’t remember the basics!!! Lol! Am I supposed to get my passport stamped twice in SJPDP before I start tomorrow & twice a day as I walk?! Sorry but I drew a blank & left my glasses so can’t really see my guide book/app info! This is tickling me to NO end!! It’s just sheer JOY & EXCITEMENT of finally getting here!! I feel like I can BREATHE AGAIN! In FULL, deep breaths!!!

Another question: I know we’ve read several times to heed the warnings,when given, concerning which route to walk to Roncesvalles but today in the pilgrims office I was warned not to ecause of personal preference & not weather concerns!! I have been looking forward to the Napoleón route but I thought all I had to worry about with regards to
making a choice was weather conditions & they are great right now! I must add the once the wonderful man in the office heard my entire Camino itinerary he was a bit surprised & asked if I was aware that the Primitivo is challenging too!! Sooooo........I guess I just want to ask (yet again) am I being stubborn to want to go forward or is the Napoleón route too troublesome for 1st timers?! I have been training & have had 3 weekends of 15 miles, 3 day hikes with my pack & I feel ready!! But I will take heed, if necessary!!!

OMG! I’M HOME!!! Thank you everybody for helping to make this dream a reality!!! Buen Camino & Ultreia!

So Live: take a deep breath. You are going to be fine. Your "work out" regimen is sound. You are ready. I encourage you to take the Napoleon Route—especially if the weather is behaving—as you will be rewarded mightily by the vistas. When I did the Camino last year, I was 75. Try to get an early start and slow your pace as you ascend the steep grade to Orisson. Pause often and listen for the cuckoo. A buen Camino to you!

 

[Anne Measures]

Hi my fellow pilgrims!!! I MADE IT! I am finally in SJPDP after wonderful flights from the US to CDG, to Biarritz & cab to Bayonne, train to SJPDP! But after all of my researching on the forum, now that I’m here I don’t remember the basics!!! Lol! Am I supposed to get my passport stamped twice in SJPDP before I start tomorrow & twice a day as I walk?! Sorry but I drew a blank & left my glasses so can’t really see my guide book/app info! This is tickling me to NO end!! It’s just sheer JOY & EXCITEMENT of finally getting here!! I feel like I can BREATHE AGAIN! In FULL, deep breaths!!!

Another question: I know we’ve read several times to heed the warnings,when given, concerning which route to walk to Roncesvalles but today in the pilgrims office I was warned not to ecause of personal preference & not weather concerns!! I have been looking forward to the Napoleón route but I thought all I had to worry about with regards to
making a choice was weather conditions & they are great right now! I must add the once the wonderful man in the office heard my entire Camino itinerary he was a bit surprised & asked if I was aware that the Primitivo is challenging too!! Sooooo........I guess I just want to ask (yet again) am I being stubborn to want to go forward or is the Napoleón route too troublesome for 1st timers?! I have been training & have had 3 weekends of 15 miles, 3 day hikes with my pack & I feel ready!! But I will take heed, if necessary!!!

OMG! I’M HOME!!! Thank you everybody for helping to make this dream a reality!!! Buen Camino & Ultreia!

Just walk,as long as there are no adverse weather conditions over the top is fine. I have done both with no prep. If Orisson have beds stop there if not they are incredibly well organised and will bus you back to beds and then back to Orisson in the morning. Trust God and your Camino. Pray, listen and be wise. Buen Camino you are about to start a most exciting adventure.

 

[kdespot]

LOVE your energy! Your message brought a tear to my eyes and a smile to my heart. ¡Buen Camino!

 

[JamesGeier]

OMG! I’M HOME!!! Thank you everybody for helping to make this dream a reality!!! Buen Camino & Ultreia!

I LOVE your energy, excitement, ambition. Your Camino will be magical!

On the subject of the sellos - I love the sellos. On my last Camino Frances, I averaged 4 per day from SJPdP to Sarria, and then 8 per day from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela. I got a sello at accommodations, bars, restaurants, churches, places i stopped to stay, have a meal, pray, etc. My three credentials are the best reminder of my pilgrimage, and the compostela is the "icing on the cake."

Buen Camino!
--jim--

 

[Azelia]

1. The only requirement for two stamps is from the last 100km which is Sarria on the CF.
2. Hundreds of people (most unprepared) walk from SJPP to Roncesvalles every day. Some stop at Orisson..but they have very limited beds and the great majority simply walk to Roncesvalles.
3. The Napolean (and Valcarlos route) are difficult mostly because they are usually the first day and most people are carrying much more than they should or need. There has been a great deal of myth developed over the past years regarding the difficulty. It is not mountain climbing. It is a long walk up a hill with a few steep areas. The most difficult part is the first 7km to Orission. After that it is much more gradual.

I thought the 2 stamps per day if one started in Sarria. If one started from further distance, only 1 stamp even in the last 100km. Is it not true?

 

[C clearly]

I thought the 2 stamps per day if one started in Sarria. If one started from further distance, only 1 stamp even in the last 100km. Is it not true?

Not true, as far as "rules" go. The Pilgrim office website states "You have to stamp the Credencial twice a day at least on the last 100 km (for pilgrims on foot or on horseback) or on the last 200 km (for cyclists pilgrims)."

It does not refer to where you start.

In practice, the people at the Pilgrim office might be more lenient in applying the rule if they see evidence that you have walked from afar. However, the rule is as stated.

 

[Rellrog]

Don't know where these ideas got started. We walked from south of Coimbra to Santiago (on the Portugues) and only got one stamp a day. We also walked from St. Jean to Santiago and only got one stamp per day. Never had any difficulty getting my compostela. The frantic search for extra stamps during the last 100 kms is very disconcerting and destroys the mood of the Camino. Now I am hearing people say its necessary from St. Jean...oh my!

 

[C clearly]

Don't know where these ideas got started.

Where? From the Pilgrim office website.

Now I am hearing people say its necessary from St. Jean

Where did you hear that? It is not necessary to get ANY stamps until 100 km out from Santiago.

frantic search

Yes, that frantic search is a bummer!

 

[KinkyOne]

Don't know where these ideas got started. We walked from south of Coimbra to Santiago (on the Portugues) and only got one stamp a day. We also walked from St. Jean to Santiago and only got one stamp per day. Never had any difficulty getting my compostela. The frantic search for extra stamps during the last 100 kms is very disconcerting and destroys the mood of the Camino. Now I am hearing people say its necessary from St. Jean...oh my!

Hi, @Rellrog ,

maybe you want to read whole thread (and not just this one) thoroughly. What people is saying is just that, people saying. Same as Camino myths most of them actually just littering the Camino.

But just to add to @C clearly 's post. For Compostela you definitely don't need ANY sellos until last 100km, but without them you can only stay at private not-only-pilgrim-orientated albergues.

Buen Camino!

 

[Azelia]

Not true, as far as "rules" go. The Pilgrim office website states "You have to stamp the Credencial twice a day at least on the last 100 km (for pilgrims on foot or on horseback) or on the last 200 km (for cyclists pilgrims)."

It does not refer to where you start.

In practice, the people at the Pilgrim office might be more lenient in applying the rule if they see evidence that you have walked from afar. However, the rule is as stated.

Thanks for the reply. Does this rule apply for via de la Plata? We are in Puebla de Sanabria. I only have one slot per day left to stamp until we reache SdC. 16 days left to go. Would you say I should pick up a new credential in Ourense? Thanks again for the advice.

 

[Kanga]

@Azelia you do need 2 stamps a day for the last 100km (from Ourense, basically). So yes, I would get another credential. You could get lucky - as said above, the volunteers in the pilgrim office tend to be a bit more lenient if they see that someone has walked a long distance - but if getting the Compostela is important to you, why take the risk? The official requirement is 2 stamps a day for the last 100km. On the Via you will have to make an effort to get two stamps a day - as distances between facilities are further apart than on the CF. Fill up with stamps from cafes and bars, even if only a few minutes apart!

As you have walked the Via de la Plata, which is a very decent 1000km, you may also want to ask for a distance certificate, in addition to the Compostela.

 

[Azelia]

Thank you! By the time I finish, we will only walk about 550km as we took buses 3x in the beginning. I must say I kind of wished we walked the entire stretch. We took the buses as we have 25 days only. Thank you again for the advice.