Pilgrims Office Santiago - New Service of 100,000 Welcomes‏

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola

The Confraternity of Saint James and The Irish Society of the Friends of St. James have come together to deliver a new service which will welcome all pilgrims to Santiago and the Pilgrims’ Office. The service will be staffed by two experienced pilgrim volunteers and will run initially from May until the second week in October during 2012. During this pilot phase volunteers will be drawn from the membership of both the CSJ and Irish Friends. Discussions will take place during the year with similar organisation in other countries who may wish to participate if the service continues in future.

The objective of this new service is to greet every pilgrim arriving at the Pilgrims’ Office with a personal welcome and congratulation as well as providing information for English speaking pilgrims. The new service has been warmly welcomed and supported by the management of the Pilgrims' Office.

You can read much more about the new service here:

http://www.johnniewalker-santiago.blogspot.com

The project will be evaluated towards the end of 2012. The evaluation will inform consideration of whether the project will continue for future years. Before the project starts we would very much value your help in further understanding the needs of pilgrims arriving in Santiago and your experience and impressions when you arrived at the end of your pilgrimage. Will this service help?

Please respond in the usual way or e mail me with your views or leave a comment on the blog.

Thank you

Best wishes

John

 

[Tia Valeria]

Giving this one some thought Johnnie, we'll respond shortly
TerryB & Tia Valeria

 

[KiwiNomad06]

I know that when I arrived in Santiago I felt kind of 'lost'. I had no idea where to obtain a simple map that would help me get my bearings. I wanted to book a ticket to get back to Paris, but the travel agent's desk below the pilgrim's office had a long queue. I didn't really know where to go, or what was the best option for getting a ticket out. Eventually I found a bit of a map somewhere in town, and managed to find my way to the train station where I booked a train. I imagine there were better options that quite possibly were cheaper- although I did quite like the way the train helped me to slowly 'retreat away' from the Camino- following similar- though not identical- landscapes to what I had walked through.
I know this might sound kind of 'trivial'- but somehow after walking all that way, for so long, I had 'lost touch' with how to organise myself on more ordinary transport, and it all loomed large and 'difficult' in my mind!
Margaret

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

I wish this service well and thank you for it.

I am only sorry that I cannot volunteer to undertake a stint but my insurance premiums for Spain are now astronomical.

May it be a blessing to both the providers and the pilgrims.

 

[Tia Valeria]

A cheerful greeting on arrival with just a quick 'Toilets through there, Pilgrims' Office and Compostelas up there.' would be helpful. At that point my mind was still working in Spanish and set on going for my Compostela, so I would prefer to talk after that. (This could depend on the length of the queue )

On coming back down with my Compostela I would appreciate someone to welcome me with a smile and: - with a street map of Santiago - the type the tourist office gives out; a (double sided?) A4 sheet with local information - Bus/train stations; Tourist office; internet café; public launderette(s) and local fiestas with a list of what closes as a result (eg Dia de Galicia; date - PO; Tourist Office and banks....closed)

One thing that can be hard to work out is the daily 'cut off' point for being read out at the PIlgrim Mass. It would be wonderful if these good folk could work it out and put a sign up to make it clearer.

 

[gaulsdog]

John,

Well done, great idea.

If you need a voulnteer you can borrow the services of this Irish man living in london for a week of two, would be glad to help,

gaulsdog

 

[miguel_gp]

Hola todos,

I am absolutely delighted and feel very privileged to announce that I will be one of the inaugral volunteers for the 100,000 Welcomes Service when it launches at the end of this month. I am very much looking forward to meeting Johnnie, my fellow amigo volunteer and hopefully some forum members as they arrive in the Pilgrims' Office at the end of their Camino, as well as arriving pilgrims that have maybe never heard of this forum (can there be any ). If you are arriving between 30th April and 16th May please come and say hello and make yourself known or maybe drop me a PM so I can keep an eye out for you. It would be great to put some faces to names/avatars and meet some of the people that have kept me avidly entertained over the last 6 or so years.

I think we will be very much trying to establish how best to help arriving pilgrims in the first few weeks of the service. Thank you for the feedback already provided in this thread. If anybody has any further thoughts, please feel free to share either in this thread, by PM or in person at the Pilgrims' Office.

Buen Camino y Buen Llegada
Saludos
Mig

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

This is a wonderful idea!
Mig - we've spoken before - will you be there around May 28th when I'm scheduled to arrive?
In response to another comment - there are thousands of pilgrims who haven't heard of this forum - yet! But they certainly will if we have a desk there - maybe too late for their first camino: I wonder how many of us walk the camino a second or more times? This will only be my second [but I'm already thinking about the third, next year!]
Buen camino - y Mig - muchas gracias amigo. Hasta la proxima!
Stephen
http://www.calig.co.uk/camino_de_santiago.htm

 

[miguel_gp]

Hi Stephen,

Unfortunately, I will be returning home around 17/18th so won't be in Santiago when you arrive but the next two volunteers will be in situ by then to welcome Pilgrims.

I should point out that the Welcome Service is provided collaboratively by the CSJ and Irish Society of the friends of St James not this forum, so volunteers will not necessarily be forum members.

Sorry I'll miss your arrival. Buen Camino.
Mig

 

[miguel_gp]

The Amigo Service has today completed its first full week of operation and to us, the volunteers, it really feels like the arriving Pilgrims very much appreciate the welcome and help we are able to provide, over and above the receipt of their ultimo sello and Compostela/Certificate. It is great to hear people's Camino stories and to play a small part in their Camino journey.

Just a reminder that if you are a forum member arriving here in Santiago between now and the 16th (my last day) give me a shout as you pass through.

I love this job!
Buen Camino a todos
Mig

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

I think it's an excellent idea.
I also like the way that Blue shirts are worn by English speaking volunteers.
You'll know I had to cut my camino short ... but maybe next time ...
Keep up the good work, Mig!

Stephen

 

[mspath]

The Amigo Service has today completed its first full week of operation and to us, the volunteers, it really feels like the arriving Pilgrims very much appreciate the welcome and help we are able to provide, over and above the receipt of their ultimo sello and Compostela/Certificate. It is great to hear people's Camino stories and to play a small part in their Camino journey.

Just a reminder that if you are a forum member arriving here in Santiago between now and the 16th (my last day) give me a shout as you pass through.

I love this job!
Buen Camino a todos
Mig

I think it's an excellent idea.
I also like the way that Blue shirts are worn by English speaking volunteers.
You'll know I had to cut my camino short ... but maybe next time ...
Keep up the good work, Mig!

Stephen

I agree with Stephen and many others that the recently begun Amigo Service is a wonderful idea! How pleasant it must be to have a welcoming chat in English when you arrive at the Pilgrim Office and hopefully it is just as rewarding for the volunteers who 'meet and greet' each arriving pilgrim. This should be a win-win for all.

Good luck with the continuation of this experimental endeavor throughout the summer!

Margaret