stopping for a week 60km from santiago?

[elzi]

hi, i just wanted to ask, we´ve had to stop as my boyfriend has a very sore and swollen leg so we´ve stopped in pontevedra and taken a few days off up in fisterra.
thing is i was thinking i would like to go back and finish off the last 3 days to santiago after my bloke has gone home. Only i was wondering do they still give you a compostela if you take a week off so near the end or do you need to walk the last 100km all in one go?
it´s not that i really mind about the certificate i already have one, i was just wondering whether it´s worth me queuing in the pilgrim office or not at the end?

 

[elzi]

Hi, in case anyone is wondering i just went in and got a compostela this evening. I´m not sure if they didn´t didn´t notice the date difference or whether a few days here and there doens´t really matter if i walked it all! :wink: Which I did - and it was very, very hot coming into santiago today!!

 

[peregrina nicole]

Well done Elzi. Actually, the compostella guys don't care how long you take and how many breaks you take in between as long as you are using the same credencial, do the whole thing on foot or bike (rather than buses) and get your stamps along the way. I met a number of Spanish people on the Camino Frances and on the Via de la Plata who are gradually working away at getting to Santiago. They do a week or two each year. Not everyone can get a month or so off work. People get ill and injured and the Compostella guys understand that. In fact, many of the Spanish people I met in 2008 on the Camino Frances were planning on finishing in 2010, the holy year. I am currently working away at the Via de la Plata using the 'Spanish method'. So, if your boyfriend still has his credencial, he too can get his compostella buy just starting off again from where he left off. Buen Camino!

 

[elzi]

Thanks! Yes I'm still a bit unclear on the rules, I know it's possible to do the camino in stages and all the rules seem to state that you just have to walk the last 100km but there's no mention of stops etc. However I received a message from someone saying that they saw a a guy refused a certificate (after a long discussion apparently) for taking gap of a whole year at Portomarin... (80-90km or so from santiago??)
So I still don't know - maybe a gap of a few days (tiredness/injury?) in the last 100km is fine but obviously a whole year is not acceptable?!?? :?

Sadly I don't think my boyfriend (now ex! - he REALLY hated walking!!) will be finishing.... Am very glad I did though!