Camino Compostela

[murraydv]

Hello. My name is David Murray from Ireland.
I wonder if anyone has noticed the following.
I recently completed the Camino de Levante from Valencia. Previously, I had done the Via de la Plata, the Ingles and the Portuguese. On each of these previous occasions, the name of the Camino (as mentioned above) was hand written on the Compostela by the staff at the Camino Office.
As some of you would know, during Covid, they introduced an online system that you have to complete in order to get your Compostela. Indeed, I used this myself in 2022. However, this past September, when I was completing the online form at the entrance to the office in Santiago, there was a new question on the form, “Which Camino did you complete” it was a drop-down list and you had to select one. You could not type the name yourself. To my surprise, there were only a handful of named Caminos on the list and then one more “other Camino”. The Levante was not on the list and I had to select “other Camino”.
To my surprise, and certainly disappointment, the completion of my Compostela had been computerised with no hand written information by staff. And instead of The Camino de Levante, my Compostela reads “Otros Camino”, Other Camino, which is disappointing. And, in fact it reads “Otros Camino, Via de la Plata”, because the Levante joins the Via de la Plata in Zamora.
There were quite few Camino’s not on the dropdown list,
I would have thought that it wouldn’t take much to have a more comprehensive list of Camino’s on the dropdown list. Not a major issue, but it’s nice to have the Camino name on the Compostela.
I’m doing the Camino Frances in 2025. I know that most people will be curious about that one. Don’t worry, it’s on the list.
Buen Camino
Dave.

 

[BandL]

I know what you mean as a similar thing happened to me. Earlier this year I walked the Baztan from Bayonne and then completed the Frances from Pamplona. The Baztan was not on the list. Explained this at the desk and the result is that I've got a Compostela that says I walked the Norte and the Frances. That's not correct but the staff only wanted to work within the confines of the drop down lists and I didn't want to make a fuss.

 

[trecile]

I'm confused. There isn't a place on the Compostela to write the name of the route that you walked. It is written on the Distance Certificate if you choose to purchase one.

In 2019 I walked a "combo Camino" - SJPdP to León on the Francés, then the Slavador to Oviedo, then I walked up to the Norte to finish. I kept track of my kilometers and the volunteer at the Pilgrim's Office wrote in that number along with all the routes that I had walked. However, this year when I walked the Aragonés - Francés - Invierno and asked for a distance certificate showing all of those routes the volunteer said that he couldn't do it. I know that I could have asked for a supervisor, but it wasn't important enough to me.

 

[BandL]

I'm confused. There isn't a place on the Compostela to write the name of the route that you walked. It is written on the Distance Certificate if you choose to purchase one.

In 2019 I walked a "combo Camino" - SJPdP to León on the Francés, then the Slavador to Oviedo, then I walked up to the Norte to finish. I kept track of my kilometers and the volunteer at the Pilgrim's Office wrote in that number along with all the routes that I had walked. However, this year when I walked the Aragonés - Francés - Invierno and asked for a distance certificate showing all of those routes the volunteer said that he couldn't do it. I know that I could have asked for a supervisor, but it wasn't important enough to me.

My mistake. My post above should say "Distance Certificate" and not "Compostela".

 

[El Cascayal]

know that I could have asked for a supervisor, but it wasn't important enough to me.

Terri, this tells me that you are just too nice and that it perhaps was important to you. After all those kms, a certificate of distance should reflect your efforts. Bah, humbug to the Pilgrim’s office. (This is the un-swearing version of what I’m really thinking.) Guess I do have some filters after all. Aymarah

 

[tpmchugh]

Hello. My name is David Murray from Ireland.
I wonder if anyone has noticed the following.
I recently completed the Camino de Levante from Valencia. Previously, I had done the Via de la Plata, the Ingles and the Portuguese. On each of these previous occasions, the name of the Camino (as mentioned above) was hand written on the Compostela by the staff at the Camino Office.
As some of you would know, during Covid, they introduced an online system that you have to complete in order to get your Compostela. Indeed, I used this myself in 2022. However, this past September, when I was completing the online form at the entrance to the office in Santiago, there was a new question on the form, “Which Camino did you complete” it was a drop-down list and you had to select one. You could not type the name yourself. To my surprise, there were only a handful of named Caminos on the list and then one more “other Camino”. The Levante was not on the list and I had to select “other Camino”.
To my surprise, and certainly disappointment, the completion of my Compostela had been computerised with no hand written information by staff. And instead of The Camino de Levante, my Compostela reads “Otros Camino”, Other Camino, which is disappointing. And, in fact it reads “Otros Camino, Via de la Plata”, because the Levante joins the Via de la Plata in Zamora.
There were quite few Camino’s not on the dropdown list,
I would have thought that it wouldn’t take much to have a more comprehensive list of Camino’s on the dropdown list. Not a major issue, but it’s nice to have the Camino name on the Compostela.
I’m doing the Camino Frances in 2025. I know that most people will be curious about that one. Don’t worry, it’s on the list.
Buen Camino
Dave.

My compostela from 2013, 15 and 16 don't say which camino I walked, nor does my sons from 2012. Frankly, I couldn't care less. I know what I did and received a document confirming it. God knows what I did as do all my friends and family. My compostela hang on the wall but no one reads them nor do I expect them too. I really don't see any problem here

 

[Paul-CH]

I got my distance certificate correct, even when Cádiz wasn't selectable. I told the the volunteer at the Pilgrim's Office the starting place. I don't mind that Via Augusta and the Camino Sanabrés haven't been mentioned.