• For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

What did you do with your Pilgrim Passport and Compostella?

Older Guy

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Francis -May 2016 by bike---Loved it
So what do most people do with your Pilgrim Passport, Compostela and Certificate of Distance after you return home?

I left mine in a drawer for several months. Every now and then I pulled them out to look mostly at the passport and all the stamps from the different places I stayed and stopped at. Then decided I needed to do something special with them.

I took mine to a local framing shop and had them arranged into a Collage. I tried to have them include my shell, but they suggested a separate shadow box. I am looking forward to getting them and hanging them on my wall to help me remember my Camino.

Still I am curious what most folks do? To me the passport with the stamps is the biggest memory jogger.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
My compostelas are still in their tubes :oops: I only opened one a few months ago because I was giving a talk and people wanted to see it...
My credentiales are on a shelf with my Camino books and I do look at them :cool: I can't really have them framed as they're not the 'accordeon' type but a booklet form so half of it would be hidden.
Of course I don't have any such records for the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, it just lives in my memory.
Your 'collage' sounds great and I hope it gives you a lot of pleasure. :)
 
Last edited:
All mine is in a drawer in the study, I think I've looked at them twice since I got back. You are right about the credential, it is the most important document of the journey.
I do like your idea of a collage, I'll have to give it some thought.
 
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
I also keep them safely stored away and take them only out for talks etc. BUT I plan to get them all laminated when I am too old to walk (around age 99) and hang them on a wall so that I am remembered of the good times ;-) Buen Camino de la Vida, SY
 
My camino was 6 months ago and the tube is still at the living room coffee table :) It is quite difficult to get the compostela from the tube without causing damage. My credential is in some safe place I don't remember right now... New one for the next camino is on its way from Ivar's Camino Shop.
 
Join our full-service guided tour of the Basque Country and let us pamper you!
IMG_0160.JPG IMG_0159.JPG My sweet hubby asked for my 1000plus picture file. He surprised me with two printed volumes using My Publisher. I opted to daily journal on Facebook while I traveled. When I returned home I utilized the my social book on Facebook. You choose the dates,pictures and comments for that time period. Facebook compiles it all into a printed bound book. I love it as it captured my actual dialog of the experience. This all may seem a bit much....but as we say...we all choose our way.
 
Last edited:
My sweet hubby asked for my 1000plus picture file. He surprised me with two printed volumes using publishers.Com. I opted to daily journal on Facebook while I traveled. When I returned home I utilized the my story service from Facebook. You choose the dates,pictures and comments for that time period. Facebook compiles it all into a printed bound book. I love it as it captured my actual dialog of the experience. This all may seem a bit much....but as we say...we all choose our way.
How do you access the my story service from Facebook?
 
So what do most people do with your Pilgrim Passport, Compostela and Certificate of Distance after you return home?

I left mine in a drawer for several months. Every now and then I pulled them out to look mostly at the passport and all the stamps from the different places I stayed and stopped at. Then decided I needed to do something special with them.

I took mine to a local framing shop and had them arranged into a Collage. I tried to have them include my shell, but they suggested a separate shadow box. I am looking forward to getting them and hanging them on my wall to help me remember my Camino.

Still I am curious what most folks do? To me the passport with the stamps is the biggest memory jogger.
I'm going to frame mine as a group. I'll include a head shot of myself at the top with my well-worn, studded-rubber-knob pole tips glued onto the pic, sticking out of my eye sockets, mantis-style. My granddaughters will love it. It's right near the top of my todo list. He said delusionally.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
IMG_1680.JPG
So what do most people do with your Pilgrim Passport, Compostela and Certificate of Distance after you return home?

I left mine in a drawer for several months. Every now and then I pulled them out to look mostly at the passport and all the stamps from the different places I stayed and stopped at. Then decided I needed to do something special with them.

I took mine to a local framing shop and had them arranged into a Collage. I tried to have them include my shell, but they suggested a separate shadow box. I am looking forward to getting them and hanging them on my wall to help me remember my Camino.

Still I am curious what most folks do? To me the passport with the stamps is the biggest memory jogger.
I got mine framed and I used a spare passport and cut the two pictures from it and added them to either end of the passport for added effect.I look at it nearly every day and each stamp brings back great memories
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
So what do most people do with your Pilgrim Passport, Compostela and Certificate of Distance after you return home?

I left mine in a drawer for several months. Every now and then I pulled them out to look mostly at the passport and all the stamps from the different places I stayed and stopped at. Then decided I needed to do something special with them.

I took mine to a local framing shop and had them arranged into a Collage. I tried to have them include my shell, but they suggested a separate shadow box. I am looking forward to getting them and hanging them on my wall to help me remember my Camino.

Still I am curious what most folks do? To me the passport with the stamps is the biggest memory jogger.
Hi, we framed two of our Compostela's
the ones we framed are from the Camino Frances.
We walked this route alone, my wife in 2013 and I last year.
The pilgrim passports are all lie in a drawer .
And we have all sort of Camino stuff around our house.
Wish you well, Peter.
 

Attachments

  • 20160119_052144.jpg
    20160119_052144.jpg
    1.6 MB · Views: 38
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
I'm going to frame mine as a group. I'll include a head shot of myself at the top with my well-worn, studded-rubber-knob pole tips glued onto the pic, sticking out of my eye sockets, mantis-style. My granddaughters will love it. It's right near the top of my todo list. He said delusionally.
Not sure about the pole tips, but I like the idea of a headshot photo. I wish I had thought of that. I have a picture of me at Alto del Perdon in front of the metal Pilgrim silhouettes. It is probably the most "Camino" of all my pictures. I may do that as a separate framed picture along with the shell shadow Box.
 
I do have a suggestion for Ivar and that is maybe he can work with a local frame shop that can make custom frames with non-acid matting all cut and sized for the Passport and the Compostella either together or separately. I would wager that he would sell a few of them to the same folks that purchased their Passport through him.
 
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
I do have a suggestion for Ivar and that is maybe he can work with a local frame shop that can make custom frames with non-acid matting all cut and sized for the Passport and the Compostella either together or separately. I would wager that he would sell a few of them to the same folks that purchased their Passport through him.
There is only one problem, the size of the passport is not always the same.
Wish you well , Peter.
 
There is only one problem, the size of the passport is not always the same.
Wish you well , Peter.
I was talking about the ones that he sells. Yes, they are different when you get them from different places, but if he passes along the pilgrim passport from the Cathedral that should be pretty much one-size unless they change the design. The idea would be to a a pre-cut mat in a oversized frame that would hole the passport and/or the Compostela.
 
Join our full-service guided tour of the Basque Country and let us pamper you!
The other problem with a standard credencial frame is the number of stamps, the distance walked. If you walk the ladt 100km you will need two pages, if you walk from SJPP you will need two booklets. I don't think anyone will want to frame empty pages...
 
My camino was 6 months ago and the tube is still at the living room coffee table :) It is quite difficult to get the compostela from the tube without causing damage. My credential is in some safe place I don't remember right now... New one for the next camino is on its way from Ivar's Camino Shop.
Reach into the centre of the rolled-up certificate with 2 fingers. Maybe moisten your fingers slightly. From the edge of the certificate, gently twist it a bit tighter so the outside of the rolled up certificate loosens from the tube.

When you roll it back up, lay it face down on a spare clean piece of paper and roll both up. Next time you reach into the tube you'll touch the spare sheet of paper, not the certificate. If you do touch the certificate, you'll be touching the back. The spare piece of paper will help keep the certificate clean because it won't rub against itself when it's rolled up. You could buy a larger diameter tube from a stationery store so the certificate is easier to remove - it won't be rolled up so tight.

Sometimes, to open a jar or twist a lid off of a bottle, as a last resort with a locked-on lid, I'll try wearing rubber dishwashing-type gloves. It really adds traction, grabs like crazy. The first time you get that certificate out of the tube, you could try the rubber glove trick to add friction and to keep the certificate from marking.

Please send 5 bucks for this advice to...just kidding!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So what do most people do with your Pilgrim Passport, Compostela and Certificate of Distance after you return home?

I left mine in a drawer for several months. Every now and then I pulled them out to look mostly at the passport and all the stamps from the different places I stayed and stopped at. Then decided I needed to do something special with them.

I took mine to a local framing shop and had them arranged into a Collage. I tried to have them include my shell, but they suggested a separate shadow box. I am looking forward to getting them and hanging them on my wall to help me remember my Camino.

Still I am curious what most folks do? To me the passport with the stamps is the biggest memory jogger.

I now have several. The first one from 2012 is rolled up in a box in my storage unit. The other 4 or 5 I picked up in 2014 for Santiago, The year of Saint Francis, the walk to Muxia, the walk to Finisterre and one other are rolled up in another box in my storage unit. I visit them once a year or once every two years when I'm in the neighborhood.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
View attachment 29433 View attachment 29432 My sweet hubby asked for my 1000plus picture file. He surprised me with two printed volumes using My Publisher. I opted to daily journal on Facebook while I traveled. When I returned home I utilized the my social book on Facebook. You choose the dates,pictures and comments for that time period. Facebook compiles it all into a printed bound book. I love it as it captured my actual dialog of the experience. This all may seem a bit much....but as we say...we all choose our way.

Funny you posted this as I wanted to do exactly the same.

Buen Camino in life.
 
I framed mine and my partner's credencials (it's quite convenient having two, as it means you can display one side of each and still see the entire journey). Our compostelas we've simply stored away in their tubes. Those we only bring out for special occasions!

But I love having the credencial framed and hanging in our living room. So many happy memories, plus it's always a nice talking point with guests. Just a shame about the six empty boxes at the end!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3732.JPG
    IMG_3732.JPG
    66.5 KB · Views: 26
The Compostela is framed - have to look into doing something with the passport; hopefully will have one more of each next June.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
I miss mine! I put it in my pack when I left SdC, and the pack didn't make it home with me. I asked for my luggage at the airport, but the airline's handler was not very helpful. The insurance company gave me my money back for the different items in my pack, except for these priceless ones. At least I learnt something from the experience - keep priceless stuff nextto your heart!
 
I miss mine! I put it in my pack when I left SdC, and the pack didn't make it home with me. I asked for my luggage at the airport, but the airline's handler was not very helpful. The insurance company gave me my money back for the different items in my pack, except for these priceless ones. At least I learnt something from the experience - keep priceless stuff nextto your heart!
So sorry to hear this.
Maybe this is a good excuus to walk the Camino again.
Wish you well and maybe a Buen Camino for next time , Peter.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Be careful about framing them, the old style ones fade. My 2001 Compostela is almost unreadable and no, it's not in a sun lit position.
thanks for that tip! I was planning on having the reverse side of my credentials (I went through a few) copied so all the sellos could be seen when I framed them...in fact was going next week to do that, but now maybe I will do that with both sides, and leave my credentials in the box where they are at present
 
I miss mine! I put it in my pack when I left SdC, and the pack didn't make it home with me. I asked for my luggage at the airport, but the airline's handler was not very helpful. The insurance company gave me my money back for the different items in my pack, except for these priceless ones. At least I learnt something from the experience - keep priceless stuff nextto your heart!
So sad to read this
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Be careful about framing them, the old style ones fade. My 2001 Compostela is almost unreadable and no, it's not in a sun lit position.
Hi Jeff,

You can use UV-resistant glass for light-sensitive items. Even indirect , bounced sunlight will fade vulnerable things. Art galleries almost always use artificial light. UV glass is a little bit more expensive than plain glass but framers use it frequently. It looks same as ordinary glass. Still, as you say I wouldn't hang anything so that full sunlight hits it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This is what I have done with my first 3 years but unfortunately after my 5th year I've now got 15 Compostela and 5 credentials.
If I go through with what I've planed for next year, which will be Rome - Santiago - Finiste.. - Muxia. In the end I will have 18 Compostela and 6 credentials of which 2 of them will be about 1 and a half meters long because of the amount of Km involved.

P7050001.JPG
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
This is what I have done with my first 3 years but unfortunately after my 5th year I've now got 15 Compostela and 5 credentials.
If I go through with what I've planed for next year, which will be Rome - Santiago - Finiste.. - Muxia. In the end I will have 18 Compostela and 6 credentials of which 2 of them will be about 1 and a half meters long because of the amount of Km involved.

View attachment 29568
Think you're going to need a bigger house . . . . ;)
 
My camino was 6 months ago and the tube is still at the living room coffee table :) It is quite difficult to get the compostela from the tube without causing damage. My credential is in some safe place I don't remember right now... New one for the next camino is on its way from Ivar's Camino Shop.
I find to get the paper out of the tube without damage, get a hold of the innermost edge and tighten the roll. It should come out easier then.
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-

Most read last week in this forum

Greetings all. I was scheduled to start in Porto in a few days. Went for a 20 km hike yesterday (my longest thus far) and almost didn’t make it. By the time I got home, I could hardly walk...
I have a confession. I am terrified of - and yes now feel free to laugh - the top bed in bunks with no railing/fence (something to stop you falling out). I've managed to get away with it except...
One way or another, you need to see this movie! We were lucky enough this evening to attend the 'World Premiere' that was followed by a Q&A Session with: Writer / Director / Producer - Bill...
Did it make a difference in your short term, long term and lifetime? Did it change your soul..or chain it forevermore to some dusty track in Spain Are you in the ever present because of it, or...
I was looking at the wisepilgrim app for the Frances route and noticed that the distances don't always add up from one side to the other. Has anyone else noticed this? Am I being overly observant...
Today is Sunday and I finished my Camino from León on Friday. The thing is I am feeling off balanced. I feel like I am not done. Last night I started feeling anxious with the thought of going back...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top