- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2013 - 2018 , Pilgrim Office volunteer 2014 - 2022
I have been working here as a volunteer since 13 July. My last work day is this Tuesday, 15 August. I will return home (FL) on Thursday.
Here is the current status of things at the P/O:
Daily volumes - yesterday 12 AUG, we set the daily record for 2017 (to date) with 2,722 pilgrims processed for Compostelas. There are always additional pilgrims who are "solo sello" and only want a stamp, but not the Compostela, so they are not counted.
On Friday, we had 2,695 pilgrims. Oddly, the Feast of Santiago, on 25 July, was down over prior years, likely because the Feast fell on a Tuesday this year. But the daily volume has beeen averaging about 1,700 since I arrived. This is well above last year's volume, as of this date.
Weather- it is GLORIOUS! Sunny, blue skies, relatively low humidity, temperatures in the mid-70s (f), and it stays light enough to read until 22:00. I cannot remember the last rain or cloudy day.
Credentials- the 'slick paper' credentials are long gone. Only this year's version, with more porous paper, are in circulation. That was an issue about this time last year.
Tubos - Don't ask me how, but management 'found' 15,000 "old style" tubos in storage. These were the tubos with crimped edges. Some of you may recall my effort last August to rotate stock to get rid of them first. So, I just applied the same logic here as last summer. I have rotated stock and "pushed" the old style tubos to the front of the supply queue. Sooner or later, they will be gone...sometimes activity here at the 'battle front' is most like herding cats...
Compostela confusion - a recent story by a reporter for a Tampa, FL newspaper followed the reporter's pilgrimage on the Camino Frances, all the way from St. Jean Pied de Port. The series was excellent and I read each installment with interest.
Unfortunately, the final post / article carried a photo of the reporter's 'Compostela.' Instead of a photo of her Compostela, they printed and posted the Distance Certificate. The distance certificate costs €3,00 and is strictly optional. The Compostela is and has always been free.
As a result, an INCORRECT presumption that we were now charging for Compostelas sort of went viral, for a time. I even received a shotgun e-mail from my local APOC chapter assuring me of the correct facts. However, I am unaware of a retraction or correction to the original published error.
Volunteer lodging - From September the ACC has a new flat. This replaces the odious, noisy, poorly located flats on Avenida Rua de Republica de Argentina. It will take some months to do some needed improvements, renovations and redecorating. But, the flat should be available for next season.
As an FYI, the new place occupies two floors of the old vicarage at the Convento de Santa Clara de Asis on Rua San Roque. It is further uphill from the Basilica de Santo Francesco. From the Pilgrim office it is a more or less straight line, but uphill.
Mobile phone signal strength is very good as the building is atop a hill. I also saw antenna outlets for TV... who knows?
The 'bones' of the place date to 1260 AD, seriously. You can check it out on Wikipedia. But the interior was renovated. I estimate it is now sporting 1970s stuff in the two cocinas and 3 1/2 baños... 3 with tubs and bidets. So additional updating is in order. They were installing a new washing machine when I visited.
I think there were at least five bedrooms, with beds for ten people. The only issue I saw, beyond neeeded updates and redecorating, was that one really needs a map, at the risk of getting lost.
The building literally resembles a castle or fort. There are lots of stone corridors that dead-end at the separation between the vicarage and convent proper. I DID ask for a diagram...
If you see a photo of Convento Santa Clara de Asis, the Vicarage is at the southwest corner, at the main entry to the cloister and chapel. FYI, they have daily mass at 19:00 (todas días). The intersection would be Rua San Roque and Travesa de Santa Clara.
The number 1, 5, and 6 buses stop out front. There is a Froiz supermercado 300 meters away on Rua Espititu Santo. A Caixa Bank and a Farmacia are located maybe 100 meters in the other direction, towards the Cathedral.
Hope to see you there.
Here is the current status of things at the P/O:
Daily volumes - yesterday 12 AUG, we set the daily record for 2017 (to date) with 2,722 pilgrims processed for Compostelas. There are always additional pilgrims who are "solo sello" and only want a stamp, but not the Compostela, so they are not counted.
On Friday, we had 2,695 pilgrims. Oddly, the Feast of Santiago, on 25 July, was down over prior years, likely because the Feast fell on a Tuesday this year. But the daily volume has beeen averaging about 1,700 since I arrived. This is well above last year's volume, as of this date.
Weather- it is GLORIOUS! Sunny, blue skies, relatively low humidity, temperatures in the mid-70s (f), and it stays light enough to read until 22:00. I cannot remember the last rain or cloudy day.
Credentials- the 'slick paper' credentials are long gone. Only this year's version, with more porous paper, are in circulation. That was an issue about this time last year.
Tubos - Don't ask me how, but management 'found' 15,000 "old style" tubos in storage. These were the tubos with crimped edges. Some of you may recall my effort last August to rotate stock to get rid of them first. So, I just applied the same logic here as last summer. I have rotated stock and "pushed" the old style tubos to the front of the supply queue. Sooner or later, they will be gone...sometimes activity here at the 'battle front' is most like herding cats...
Compostela confusion - a recent story by a reporter for a Tampa, FL newspaper followed the reporter's pilgrimage on the Camino Frances, all the way from St. Jean Pied de Port. The series was excellent and I read each installment with interest.
Unfortunately, the final post / article carried a photo of the reporter's 'Compostela.' Instead of a photo of her Compostela, they printed and posted the Distance Certificate. The distance certificate costs €3,00 and is strictly optional. The Compostela is and has always been free.
As a result, an INCORRECT presumption that we were now charging for Compostelas sort of went viral, for a time. I even received a shotgun e-mail from my local APOC chapter assuring me of the correct facts. However, I am unaware of a retraction or correction to the original published error.
Volunteer lodging - From September the ACC has a new flat. This replaces the odious, noisy, poorly located flats on Avenida Rua de Republica de Argentina. It will take some months to do some needed improvements, renovations and redecorating. But, the flat should be available for next season.
As an FYI, the new place occupies two floors of the old vicarage at the Convento de Santa Clara de Asis on Rua San Roque. It is further uphill from the Basilica de Santo Francesco. From the Pilgrim office it is a more or less straight line, but uphill.
Mobile phone signal strength is very good as the building is atop a hill. I also saw antenna outlets for TV... who knows?
The 'bones' of the place date to 1260 AD, seriously. You can check it out on Wikipedia. But the interior was renovated. I estimate it is now sporting 1970s stuff in the two cocinas and 3 1/2 baños... 3 with tubs and bidets. So additional updating is in order. They were installing a new washing machine when I visited.
I think there were at least five bedrooms, with beds for ten people. The only issue I saw, beyond neeeded updates and redecorating, was that one really needs a map, at the risk of getting lost.
The building literally resembles a castle or fort. There are lots of stone corridors that dead-end at the separation between the vicarage and convent proper. I DID ask for a diagram...
If you see a photo of Convento Santa Clara de Asis, the Vicarage is at the southwest corner, at the main entry to the cloister and chapel. FYI, they have daily mass at 19:00 (todas días). The intersection would be Rua San Roque and Travesa de Santa Clara.
The number 1, 5, and 6 buses stop out front. There is a Froiz supermercado 300 meters away on Rua Espititu Santo. A Caixa Bank and a Farmacia are located maybe 100 meters in the other direction, towards the Cathedral.
Hope to see you there.
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