Most treasured sello

[LizzieW]

Just curious. Do you have a favorite sello on your credential? Where did you receive it? Did you buy a plastic sleeve to protect it?

 

[dougfitz]

There are many that I treasure. When I first did the S:t Olavsleden, there were places that I stayed with no stamp, and people would do a little drawing for me. My favourite among those is by a (then) six year old who did a little picture of her house.

Another pair that I treasure is from the day I walked from Estella when I walked the CF for the second time. As I left the town, I took a short detour to get a stamp at a panaderia on the edge of town, and when I got to Irache, I took the time to visit the office and get my next stamp there.

You can find images of all these here.

ps - if you need to think too hard about why this pair is a treasure, you are over-thinking it!!

 

[Bradypus]

I found my first credencial while clearing out my house some time ago. The sello which I particularly liked was from Chonina's bar in Rabanal which was pretty much the only place for food or drink between Astorga and Molinaseca at the time. I was very amused by the little cartoon pilgrim and used it for a while as my Facebook avatar.

 

[mspath]

Camino Frances
Roncesvalles monastery

photo taken January 24, 2009



Although today I can only follow in memory this dated sello serves as an enduring personal mémento for my walk to and/night at Roncesvalles monastery alone in the snow, January 24, 2009.

 

[davejsy]

Always an interesting question given the reasons for one been more favourite than others could be down to a lot of things, like the memories that go with it or just that it looks pretty!

For me, St Anton CF 07/10/2023 - because of both of the above. We all sat there in those beautifully spell binding ruins whilst Antonio the hospitalario stamped everyone's credentials with the utmost of care and pride. My favourite evening on my Camino and a privilege to be able to stay in such a place sleeping under the stars.

 

[Bill905]

One of the most significant sellos for me is from the Pilgrim's Office in SJPP. Personally, it marks both the beginning of my first Camino, the CF in 2019, and the end of a 4th Camino, the VP in 2023. The memories, stories, companions, and laughter in between those two sellos are treasured! Need I say, I'm hooked?!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

There have been a couple of sello threads in recent years and I always enjoy them. Many are very unique and it's a treat for me to see ones I have never seen before and the stories add a nice touch, too.
@davejsy's is a new one to me; "the star of the show". It's three dimensional quality is quite special.

 

[lt56ny]

I have a very cool sello from a place I stayed at on the Portugues in 2017
I don remember where it was but he took about 2 minutes to make it and he put a seal on and talking the whole time about his friendship with John Brierley. Nice guy
I am sure some of you have stayed with him. Where was it. I think he put a ribbon on when he attached his seal.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have only received one rather time consuming sell in Sobradelo on the Invierno last fall and I love it. It was a shiny gold wax seal with a tiny sprig of eucalyptus embedded in it.

 

[Maurice Frank]

Good question that made me think. My first thought without reviewing my three compostelas would be the two bookends from my first Camino on the Frances in September-October 2023: the first stamp from the Pilgrim's Office in SJPdP and the last stamp from the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago.

 

[dcalonder12]

Ahh, there are so many. In 2023 on our first camino, my wife and I walked del Norte to Primitivo to Finisterre/Muxia…it was magical.

Near the end of Primitivo just beyond Ferreira, we came upon a small donativo shop. The shop owner was an artist who offered hand-crafted sellos. It remains one if my favorites.

 

[Joynz]

The ‘sello that isn’t a sello’ from the church donativo of San Juan Bautista in Granon. The ‘heart stamp’ they called it.

They don’t actually have a sello but instead, after the shared meal, take guests to sit in the old heavily carved chairs in the choir section of the cathedral - lit only by candle light. They then invite the guests to reflect on the meaning of their Camino and share if they wish.

 

[DreamWeaver]

I was sightseeing in Bilbao after my first camino. Just before I exit from Guggenheim museum, I thought : maybe they have a sello. And voila! But the guy had to search in the drawer for 5 minutes, I guess not many asked for it. The least expected place for me to get a sello.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

View attachment 183519
I was sightseeing in Bilbao after my first camino. Just before I exit from Guggenheim museum, I thought : maybe they have a sello. And voila! But the guy had to search in the drawer for 5 minutes, I guess not many asked for it. The least expected place for me to get a sello.

I toured inside the Guggenheim and I never thought to ask for a sello! A great idea and makes me realize how many interesting and special places I could have asked for one. One that quickly comes to mind was my tour of the castle in Coca on the Camino Madrid.

 

[John Crawford Howell]

For me, it was the one I received at the Pilgrim's Office in SJPdP, for it conveyed, at last, John, you are committed; there is no turning back. You are underway.

 

[frbobs]

In 2017 I walked the Camino Portuguese from Porto to Santiago (interior route).
Just outside Porto, I stayed the first night at the Albergue de Pelegrinos, SRa da Hora (Via Portus Cale).CI031505107
My first sello for that Camino was hand-painted. They had little pen/brushes, and the hospitaleros/hospitaleras handmade each stamp for each person (all similar, if not identical). Beautiful, memorable, and the one I remember the most.
In general, I think the stamps and credentials create a wonderful memento of the whole experience, my most treasured souvenir of all.
I was always taken by how creative and proud people are of their stamps. Once, close to Santiago, an elderly woman came out of her house and called me over to stamp my credential, lovely. Thanks for the memory!

 

[JerryStroebele]

Happy to get this one at Casina Marcello in Palas de Rei in October. Sealed by chef Marcello carefully with melted wax. Buen Camino

 

[Anamya]

A great idea and makes me realize how many interesting and special places I could have asked for one.

I played an escape room in Pontevedra during my Camino Potugues and asked for a sello. The lady said she didn't have a camino stamp, only the shop stamp for documents (with their shop name and registration number). I said I'd like to have it anyway, as they were part of my camino experience. She was SO happy stamping my credential, and asking "do I have to sign and date it? I never did it before. Oh, look at those other stamps, so cool".
It's a pretty boring stamp per se, but her happiness made it special. When I saw this topic, it was actually the first one that came to my memory.

Another special one is the Templar Castle stamp in Ponferrada, with the outline of the fortress. Such an amazing place, I'm happy we registered it on the credential!

 

[DreamWeaver]

Another special one is the Templar Castle stamp in Ponferrada, with the outline of the fortress. Such an amazing place, I'm happy we registered it on the credential!

This one. Ya, one of my favourite too

 

[LizzieW]

View attachment 183538
This one. Ya, one of my favourite too

So cool!!!

 

[DreamWeaver]

The sello from SJPP office seems to have shrunk.
2023 vs 2018

 

[RJM]

Probably the sello from the pilgrim's office in St Jean when I did my first Camino. I remember I couldn't believe I was actually about to start my first Camino after deciding to walk it a year before. It almost seemed surreal to me, and I found myself choking up a bit talking with the volunteer as I was getting my credentials and such.

 

[davejsy]

There have been a couple of sello threads in recent years and I always enjoy them. Many are very unique and it's a treat for me to see ones I have never seen before and the stories add a nice touch, too.
@davejsy's is a new one to me; "the star of the show". It's three dimensional quality is quite special.

Yes a sello befitting of the magical place that it is.

 

[Anthony Rocco]

Just curious. Do you have a favorite sello on your credential? Where did you receive it? Did you buy a plastic sleeve to protect it?

I confess: I am a victim of acute sello-itis. There is no cure; one must feed the craving. I always carry at least two credentials when I walk a camino. There are so many that I treasure, some for the artistry, some for the memories. There is one that stands out because it was so incredibly hard to get: the sello at the Shrine of the Virgen del Pilar in Zaragoza. I had been warned it would be tough to track down the priest who has the stamp. It took me three hours. I was so relieved that I didn't mind the 20 minute homily he delivered to me before he would stamp the passport.

Knowing how difficult it was to get this sello, I'm wondering if I am alone or among the few who have it in the credential. Anyone else?

 

[Bill from Canada]

I have a very cool sello from a place I stayed at on the Portugues in 2017
I don remember where it was but he took about 2 minutes to make it and he put a seal on and talking the whole time about his friendship with John Brierley. Nice guy
I am sure some of you have stayed with him. Where was it. I think he put a ribbon on when he attached his seal.

That’s Carlos at Albergaria Pinheiro in Alvaiazere on the Portuguese route near Tomar. He’s very passionate about his town, his Albergue and the Camino. A lovely gentleman.

 

[eeddowes]

Among other favorites. I'm going to go out on a limb here and imagine that a whole lot of pilgrims reach the Arco de Cáparra, walk thru it, take a couple of photos and move on. But if you reach the site during operating hours and make the time to walk thru the ruins of the Roman city, you can stop at the interpretive center where they will stamp your credential. After walking days on end thru Extremadura, following the navigation cubes with this Arco image, I am very happy to have this sello included in my credential.
The first photo shows the Arco de Cáparra with the roman road (VDLP) leading up to it. Pilgrims walk on the path on the far side of the chain link fence, outside the park ruins.