Pilgrim Office in St Jean

I have been to this office twice - the first time was in April and we entered through this door here. There were four desks set up with people who spoke different languages to sort us all out.

The second time was in March and we went in the gate to the left and there were two people there who spoke only French but who seemed happy to see us.

Here they will sell you a Credential (of a design that you won't get past here) and will tell you if it's safe to go over the Pyrenees (the Route Napoleon way). They will also give you a list of all albergues from here (along with opening times and facilities), a sheet showing the profile of the terrain for each of their stages, maps of the next day and, of course, your first sello.

You can also book a bed in the albergue here and buy a scallop shell if you want to. When I was in the main section of the office they would also weigh your bag for you.

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The Camino Primitivo

The Camino Primitivo (or the Original Way) is reportedly the very first Camino Way to Santiago in the 9 th century when most of Spain was under the control of the Moors and it runs from near the city of Ovideo in Asturias as it starts in Villavicosa (which also lies on the Camino Norte so many people follow this Way from Basque city of San Sebastian (Donosti in Basque) or in from the French border at Irun ( this route then hugs the Bay of Biscay passing through Guernica, Bilbao, Santander, Llanes before going under the Picos de Europa and then heads along the coast to Ovideo) before branching off onto the Primitivo which goes across the mountains and through the city of Lugo before joining the Frances at Melide. The route is 320km long. Image taken from https://viaalpina2013.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/camino-del-norte-camino-primitivo/

Symbols of the three main Christian Pilgrimages

The symbol of the Pilgrim to Santiago is the Scallop shell of which many can be found on the coast of Galicia and it is actually a symbol of the Pilgrimage (and has become a symbol of other Christian Pilgrimages too) partly because you could find the shell easily there and so could go back home and show it off as proof that you had done the Pilgrimage. It has also been included in carvings in some Churches.

Camino Mascot

Those who have walked the Camino will probably have seen one or more of the Camino mascots along the Way but do you know their names? http://m.elcorreogallego.es/xacobeo/ecg/xubi-jubila-pelegrin-mascota-xacobea/idEdicion-2010-06-08/idNoticia-555962/

On the Camino

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