Camino shells

[anamcara]

We live in a small coastal village north of Sydney. In our local general store this morning I noticed a stand of Christmas decorations including some with a coastal theme. I thought these would do us very nicely for our next Camino (fingers cross VdelP in April). I have many shells from our various caminos in Spain, France, Portugal and Japan, but none of them from 'home'.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

We live in a small coastal village north of Sydney. I have many shells from our various caminos in Spain, France, Portugal and Japan, but none of them from 'home'.

How wonderful...it helps you feel connected to home even while on the other side of the planet.

My parents live in a small fishing town on the Far South Coast of NSW. Before setting out on my first Camino (CF) in 2012, I duly sent Dad out along the beaches in search of 'the' scallop shell to carry with me. He found it & it still accompanies me on all my long distance walks, Camino or otherwise, to this day.
In return, I strolled the beaches of Stanley in North West Tassie & St Helens on Tassie's East Coast (ahh...such hardship... ) finding a smaller scallop shell at each which I then carried all the way to SdC. I presented both to Dad & Mum on my safe arrival home; they still tear up to this day over it. Little gestures can mean so much.

 

[anamcara]

How wonderful...it helps you feel connected to home even while on the other side of the planet.

My parents live in a small fishing town on the Far South Coast of NSW. Before setting out on my first Camino (CF) in 2012, I duly sent Dad out along the beaches in search of 'the' scallop shell to carry with me. He found it & it still accompanies me on all my long distance walks, Camino or otherwise, to this day.
In return, I strolled the beaches of Stanley in North West Tassie & St Helens on Tassie's East Coast (ahh...such hardship... ) finding a smaller scallop shell at each which I then carried all the way to SdC. I presented both to Dad & Mum on my safe arrival home; they still tear up to this day over it. Little gestures can mean so much.

What wonderful stories @Tassie Kaz. It's often the little things that matter the most and bring the greatest joy.

 

[jungleboy]

My mother loves shells and has a collection on display at her home. I picked up a shell for her from the beach at Finisterre but I fear that it will not make it through Australia’s famously strict customs if I either send it in the post or bring it myself next time I go. @jenny@zen, do you have any tips for how to bring shells into Australia?

 

[anamcara]

My mother loves shells and has a collection on display at her home. I picked up a shell for her from the beach at Finisterre but I fear that it will not make it through Australia’s famously strict customs if I either send it in the post or bring it myself next time I go. @jenny@zen, do you have any tips for how to bring shells into Australia?

Wow, that’s an interesting question @jungleboy I must admit I’ve brought back all those shells and never thought about declaring them! But good news - I found this on the Australian Border Force website.

Most seashells (excluding oyster shells), sand, rocks and fossils are allowed into Australia if they are free from insects, soil, and animal and plant material. The items must be inspected on arrival to ensure they are free from infestation and contamination.

On thé rare occasion when I’ve been in doubt and declared something (erring on the side of caution) I have been waved through!

When are you coming? We’d love to welcome you and Wendy to Pretty Beach

 

[dick bird]

We live in a small coastal village north of Sydney. In our local general store this morning I noticed a stand of Christmas decorations including some with a coastal theme. I thought these would do us very nicely for our next Camino (fingers cross VdelP in April). I have many shells from our various caminos in Spain, France, Portugal and Japan, but none of them from 'home'.

For my first camino I ordered scallops in our local Vietnamese restaurant so that I could keep the shell. I practically had to fight the waiter for it, he couldn't understand why a customer would want a used scallop shell. I just fancied the idea of someone from Australia walking across Spain with a scallop shell from a Vietnamese restaurant. We are a multicultural nation. I just wonder where the scallop came from.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Do please try and source your shell from those washed up on beaches wherever possible. The harvesting of scallops, which is normally done using dredges, causes massive destruction to the seabed, take a look at The True Cost of Dredging or What Dredging Does to the Sea Bed.

I've given up eating scallops since I found out the true cost of what I was eating. Those videos were both shot in Scotland from where, before Brexit, much of the harvest was exported to Spain which consumed 8 MILLION kilos of scallops in 2020.

That's quite a heavy burden to pin onto your backpack isn't it?

 

[jungleboy]

When are you coming? We’d love to welcome you and Wendy to Pretty Beach

Thank you for the invite! My parents live in Narrabeen so I'd love to take the ferry from Palm Beach up to your neck of the woods. I was just looking at the ferry routes the other day actually!

Re: dates, it's nothing more than speculation at the moment but I'm looking at possibly late February or late Sep / early Oct 2022 if I can coordinate it with work assignments in China. I'll let you know if I'm able to make it happen.

 

[anamcara]

Thank you for the invite! My parents live in Narrabeen so I'd love to take the ferry from Palm Beach up to your neck of the woods. I was just looking at the ferry routes the other day actually!

Re: dates, it's nothing more than speculation at the moment but I'm looking at possibly late February or late Sep / early Oct 2022 if I can coordinate it with work assignments in China. I'll let you know if I'm able to make it happen.

I’ll send you a PM.

 

[GraemeHall]

I have brought my shell through Oz customs quarantine several times - has never occurred to me to declare it!
I'm generally fastidious about declaring things. Wow- what an oversight.

 

[jungleboy]

This is our camino shell display on our dining table, by the way:

 

[dick bird]

Do please try and source your shell from those washed up on beaches wherever possible. The harvesting of scallops, which is normally done using dredges, causes massive destruction to the seabed, take a look at The True Cost of Dredging or What Dredging Does to the Sea Bed.

I've given up eating scallops since I found out the true cost of what I was eating. Those videos were both shot in Scotland from where, before Brexit, much of the harvest was exported to Spain which consumed 8 MILLION kilos of scallops in 2020.

That's quite a heavy burden to pin onto your backpack isn't it?

I had no idea. I had naively assumed they were farmed, like mussels and oysters.

Here are youtube links to the videos.

 

[Dennis White]

How wonderful...it helps you feel connected to home even while on the other side of the planet.

My parents live in a small fishing town on the Far South Coast of NSW. Before setting out on my first Camino (CF) in 2012, I duly sent Dad out along the beaches in search of 'the' scallop shell to carry with me. He found it & it still accompanies me on all my long distance walks, Camino or otherwise, to this day.
In return, I strolled the beaches of Stanley in North West Tassie & St Helens on Tassie's East Coast (ahh...such hardship... ) finding a smaller scallop shell at each which I then carried all the way to SdC. I presented both to Dad & Mum on my safe arrival home; they still tear up to this day over it. Little gestures can mean so much.

Planning a short Tassie trip from SA in Feb and will be on the east coast so will look out for a couple to take on our 'fingers crossed' August camino.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Planning a short Tassie trip from SA in Feb and will be on the east coast so will look out for a couple to take on our 'fingers crossed' August camino.

@Dennis White, make sure you add the Bay of Fires, Binalong Bay & St Helen's Conservation Area to your beachcombing itinerary.
If you need any info about all things Tassie, don't hesitate to PM me.
Have a great trip...we're eager to welcome visitors back to our shores.

 

[Dennis White]

@Dennis White, make sure you add the Bay of Fires, Binnalong Bay & St Helen's Conservation Area to your beachcombing itinerary.
If you need any info about all things Tassie, don't hesitate to PM me.
Have a great trip...we're eager to welcome visitors back to our shores.

Thanks for the tips. This will be our 3rd visit over recent years but only have 5 days this time between Richmond and Pirates Bay. Love Tassie and have done most of the middle and east with the west on the 'things to do'.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Thanks for the tips. This will be our 3rd visit over recent years but only have 5 days this time between Richmond and Pirates Bay. Love Tassie and have done most of the middle and east with the west on the 'things to do'.

It's great you're dividing Tassie into sections according to the time you have. People tend to think because we're small, they can whizz around & do it all in a week; nope, a rookie mistake...better one area well than a total blur outside the car window!
Apologies to @jenny@zen for the derailment of your thread...
For @jenny@zen, are you going to use your now Camino shells as Christmas decorations too?..as was their original purpose?

 

[Dennis White]

It's great you're dividing Tassie into sections according to the time you have. People tend to think because we're small, they can whizz around & do it all in a week; nope, a rookie mistake...better one area well than a total blur outside the car window!
Apologies to @jenny@zen for the derailment of your thread...are you going to use your shells as Christmas decorations too?..as was their original purpose?

our decoration days are behind us. After our Frances hope to do the Porto central to SdC & Finisterre and take them along. Maybe a symbolic ocean return at the ,'end of the world'.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

our decoration days are behind us. After our Frances hope to do the Porto central to SdC & Finisterre and take them along. Maybe a symbolic ocean return at the ,'end of the world'.

Yes, my seasonal decorating is becoming more 'minimalist' as the years go on...
I only asked this of @jenny@zen because in her OP she said the shells she bought from her General Store were actually Christmas decorations!

Love your idea of returning the shells to the ocean at Finisterre...what a beautiful concept ...I don't think I could 'let go' of mine; unless I took two...kept one & cast the other into the waves...hmm.. Thanks for planting a seed @Dennis White & best wishes for your Camino plans & Tassie trip next year!

 

[Dennis White]

Yes, my seasonal decorating is becoming more 'minimalist' as the years go on...
I only asked this of @jenny@zen because in her OP she said the shells she bought from her General Store were actually Christmas decorations!

Love your idea of returning the shells to the ocean at Finisterre...what a beautiful concept ...I don't think I could 'let go' of mine; unless I took two...kept one & cast the other into the waves...hmm.. Thanks for planting a seed @Dennis White & best wishes for your Camino plans & Tassie trip next year!

Cheers and best wishes to you as well.

 

[anamcara]

I'll just keep them for our walk .... when I saw them I thought it may be a good omen.

 

[Mr Magoo]

My picture shows a pile of scallop shells near my house . Theres piles like this all over the place.. I live on a Scottish island where scallop dredging is a popular business for small boats. However, before doing my Camino a year or two ago, I made a scallop shell out of cardboard.
To save weight ! (Takes all kinds)

 

[Dennis White]

My picture shows a pile of scallop shells near my house . Theres piles like this all over the place.. I live on a Scottish island where scallop dredging is a popular business for small boats. However, before doing my Camino a year or two ago, I made a scallop shell out of cardboard.
To save weight ! (Takes all kinds)

As you would. There is a small business there just waiting.

 

[Canada Wanders]

The shell that hung on my pack in 2015 has an honoured spot on our Christmas tree. Our tree has become a memory post of places we have been, adventures we have shared, and things that have brought us joy.
(And some unsuspecting guest may see it on the tree….and give me a reason to talk about the Camino!)