First stamp?

[DuaneS]

Hi everyone,

I'm starting in SJPDP at the start of April, and already have my credencial. I was just curious - do I need to visit the pilgrim's office there to 'register', or can I simply get my first stamp anywhere in SJPDP and start the journey?

Thanks!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Duane,

There is no Camino registration. You jist start walking. You can get your first stamp in the albergue where you will spend the first night, or get it as the Pilgrim Office and pick up the elevation guide and list of albergues they provide.

 

[DuaneS]

Duane,

There is no Camino registration. You jist start walking. You can get your first stamp in the albergue where you will spend the first night, or get it as the Pilgrim Office and pick up the elevation guide and list of albergues they provide.

Great, thanks. So it still sounds like there's some value in visiting the pilgrim's office there.

 

[mspath]

There is no need to register. You may get your first stamp anywhere in SJPdP. However the Pilgrim Office at 39 rue de La Citadelle is a great place to meet/greet fellow pilgrims and obtain up to the minute weather/trail conditions.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Great, thanks. So it still sounds like there's some value in visiting the pilgrim's office there.

If only to be counted as having left from SJPP in their stats. And to make a donation to help them keep doing the work they do, such as weighing people's backpacks if they look huge and giving weather advice. The office is on the main drag; hard to miss.

 

[Mark Lee]

Great, thanks. So it still sounds like there's some value in visiting the pilgrim's office there.

Yes, it's well worth going in there. You can also get your credentials stamped at the tourist office or the albergue you are staying at.

 

[scruffy1]

Two thoughts: The sello of the Pilgrims Office in SJPP is lovely you should absolutely visit them. Should you be arriving in SJPP by way of Paris - stop by the Tour Saint Jacques, the tower which is all that remains of a Gothic church
on Rue de Rivoli at Rue Nicolas Flamel. There is a kiosk around back with another wonderful sello. Start this properly!

That's our boy standing on top!

 

[movinmaggie]

Hi everyone,

I'm starting in SJPDP at the start of April, and already have my credencial. I was just curious - do I need to visit the pilgrim's office there to 'register', or can I simply get my first stamp anywhere in SJPDP and start the journey?

Thanks!

DuaneS, definitely worth a visit, for reasons others have pointed out. You can also pick up a copy of all the Albergues with tel #s. These folks provide a wonderful service. There is also the Pilgrim House in Santiago. They moved their office, so perhaps someone here has the new address. Faith and Nate provide a warm & welcoming atmosphere. You can do laundry, fix a cup of tea, have your airline ticket printed out, or just hang out with other Pilgrims. They also have a couple of evenings where pilgrims come together and share their experiences. Buen Camino.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

There is also the Pilgrim House in Santiago. They moved their office, so perhaps someone here has the new address.
.

Pilgrim House moved? After the years it took to find the space, get permits and renovate? It would have taken then another few years to move elsewhere. Are you sure?

 

[movinmaggie]

Pilgrim House moved? After the years it took to find the space, get permits and renovate? It would have taken then another few years to move elsewhere. Are you sure?

It used to be at Rua Nova 19. It has been well over a year now since the move. I had not made note of the new address.

 

[Felipe]

Two thoughts: The sello of the Pilgrims Office in SJPP is lovely you should absolutely visit them. Should you be arriving in SJPP by way of Paris - stop by the Tour Saint Jacques, the tower which is all that remains of a Gothic churchon Rue de Rivoli at Rue Nicolas Flamel. There is a kiosk around back with another wonderful sello. Start this properly!That's our boy standing on top!

Every time that I visited Paris, this lovely tower was closed for repairs -not uncommon for very old buildings. I will try again next time.
I did not know about this kiosko first stamp; I'd love to have it. Where is it, approximately?

 

[JohnnieWalker]

It used to be at Rua Nova 19. It has been well over a year now since the move. I had not made note of the new address.

The Pilgrims House is still at Rua Nova 19 and has not moved.

 

[movinmaggie]

Great, thanks. So it still sounds like there's some value in visiting the pilgrim's office there.

Duane, I was mistaken. It was the official Pilgrim Offfice that had moved. Yes, Pilgrim House is still Rua Nova 19 and or info@pilgrimhousesantiago.com. My apology for the confusion.

 

[Camino Chris]

There is no need to register. You may get your first stamp anywhere in SJPdP. However the Pilgrim Office at 39 rue de La Citadelle is a great place to meet/greet fellow pilgrims and obtain up to the minute weather/trail conditions.

Hi Margaret. I am a new member here, but have read blogs from your many previous Caminos and want you to know how much I enjoyed them. You are an amazing and inspiring "Camino Matriarch". I was saddened to read of your injury last year and hope you may have another walk around the corner. I highly respect all your input to helping pilgrims on this forum, and your comment here is no exception! (P.S. This probably wasn't the right place to say hello, but I'm just learning how other use this site.)

 

[SYates]

Hi everyone,

I'm starting in SJPDP at the start of April, and already have my credencial. I was just curious - do I need to visit the pilgrim's office there to 'register', or can I simply get my first stamp anywhere in SJPDP and start the journey?

Thanks!

As others have already mentioned - there is no official 'registry' for walking the Camino - however, it is well worth passing by to get the latest weather report and advice plus, yes, your first stamp ;-) Buen Camino, SY

PS Regarding stamps, you can get them pretty much anywhere - the albergue you spend the night, an open church, a bar ...

 

[Anemone del Camino]

The Pilgrims House is still at Rua Nova 19 and has not moved.

Thank you. That made no sense at all.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Duane, I was mistaken. It was the official Pilgrim Offfice that had moved. Yes, Pilgrim House is still Rua Nova 19 and or info@pilgrimhousesantiago.com. My apology for the confusion.

And other than for getting a Compostela there is no reason to go to the Pilgrims' Office.

 

[naplesdon]

Should anyone be starting in Bayonne, we have a beautiful cathedral there. You can get a passport and your first stamp there at the vestry. The door to the vestry is on the right side of the apse and it may take a firm knock to arouse someone. The sculptures on the column capitals in the vestry are beyond classic.

 

[PEI_Heather]

Should anyone be starting in Bayonne, we have a beautiful cathedral there. You can get a passport and your first stamp there at the vestry. The door to the vestry is on the right side of the apse and it may take a firm knock to arouse someone. The sculptures on the column capitals in the vestry are beyond classic.

You can also see the statue of Saint James in the Barcelona Cathedral...And yes, the cathedral IS a beautiful one. (I started walking the Camino last October, 2016, in Bayonne--did the confusing and oft times frustrating, more oft times getting lost, but other than that, absolutely wonderful Voie de la Nive. Bonus was walking into the little Church of St Sebastian and happening upon the end of Mass in Basques! What a special church it was--stunning, in fact!)

 

[scruffy1]

Every time that I visited Paris, this lovely tower was closed for repairs -not uncommon for very old buildings. I will try again next time.
I did not know about this kiosko first stamp; I'd love to have it. Where is it, approximately?

Behind the back of the tower, a small cold drinks etc kiosk. As long as you are there, the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris is easy walking distance... well easy for a pilgrim...they too have a sello. Always a line with custodians keeping order , showed one of them my credential and was trimuphantly escorted to the Cathedral Office for the stamp. The security/custodians people know and recognize the credencial and the priests in the office are very very happy to meet a pilgrim.

 

[Felipe]

A stamp from Notre Dame de Paris! I did not know that. This would be lovely.
Thanks.

 

[Texas Walker]

As others have already mentioned - there is no official 'registry' for walking the Camino - however, it is well worth passing by to get the latest weather report and advice plus, yes, your first stamp ;-) Buen Camino, SY

PS Regarding stamps, you can get them pretty much anywhere - the albergue you spend the night, an open church, a bar ...

But, sadly, not at my US parish. Where they have an ornate seal for official documents, but no sello. (I took my credencial from our first Camino by to show the secretary and she was actually a little astonished. Maybe if I win the Lotto I will donate a nice sello to the parish. Then I could get my first stamp at my home parish instead of across the ocean at some place at my starting point. ;-)

 

[Anemone del Camino]

But, sadly, not at my US parish. Where they have an ornate seal for official documents, but no sello. (I took my credencial from our first Camino by to show the secretary and she was actually a little astonished. Maybe if I win the Lotto I will donate a nice sello to the parish. Then I could get my first stamp at my home parish instead of across the ocean at some place at my starting point. ;-)

A sello can cost you 10$. Now even walkers have their own and stamp credenciales as souvenirs, with their email addies. No need for the lotery.

 

[waveprof]

The stamp at the tourist office is a really cool one FWIW

 

[Jodean]

I got my first stamp in Frankfurt, as we have several churches here that have been stops on the Jakobsweg since at least the 1200's.
Since it is often said that you start your Camino when you walk out your front door, I wanted my 1st stamp to be from the city where I live.
It is rather common all over Europe to find churches or tourist infos that will have a stamp if you are traveling through on your way.

 

[oldman]

Hi everyone,

I'm starting in SJPDP at the start of April, and already have my credencial. I was just curious - do I need to visit the pilgrim's office there to 'register', or can I simply get my first stamp anywhere in SJPDP and start the journey?

Thanks!

Duane s.
if for no other reason call in ,say hello and thank them on all out behalf, for making the effort to look out for us , take their advise , get water from their fountain and make a donation if you can afford it.
When you are half way over the hill and ask yourself for maybe the tenth time why am I doing this, you will know that in that little white van or that car that gave you a beep are the very same people you thanked before you started and they are checking that you are OK.

 

[Shalaw]

We visited the office to get an official credential, even though we had Canadian ones, to get our first stamp so we could be counted in their yearly stats and to pick up our shell. They also gave us a list of albergues and a daily elevation guideline, based on the Brierly book, I think. As an aside, we didn't follow the Brierly stages after a few days, and decided to stop about 5kms short, which got us on different stages where we stopped in different towns where there were usually more beds.

Buen Camino!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I get my first one in Canterbury Cathedral (it's 5 miles from home).

 

[oldman]

I get my credential in St James's church in Dublin and the first stamp in the hopstore in St James's gate bruary the home of Guinness and when I get back home I call in and get the last one.

 

[HedaP]

I heartily agree with all those who opted to visit the Pilgrim Office at SJPdP. The first reason being their all important weather report for the next day. The second reason is their advice about the best route to take. The bloke behind the counter took one look at us mature and obviously rookie pilgrims and gave us detailed instructions on how to take the easier, slightly longer and quite beautiful path from the top of the Napolean Route down to Roncesvalles. The third reason is their handout with info about the albergues and distances between towns. I still use mine all the time. Along the way, I marked every town and every albergue we stayed at. Now whenever I read a book about the camino or follow someone's blog or YouTube I refer to my handout and say, hey I stayed there! And in the end, like others have already said, visiting the Pilgrim Office is part of the fun. It's so exciting to be in that office with other pilgrims and the kind folk on the other side of the counter. And it's an opportunity to give a little donation so they can continue that good work.