On the Camino

I have only walked the first 20miles of this route so have no idea about the accuracy/usefulness of any of these books  - if anyone does have any experience then do please let us know in the comments below. Good walking books have an ebook 'Tavel Via Francigenia Canterbury to Rome for $7 Australian (about £4 as I was writing this post) - it is available at http://www.goodwalkingbooks.com/travel_vf.html  (you can also look at a sample here although this does not show much it looks like the book is part guide, part diary of the author's walk) Lightfoot Guide Books publishes a guide in three parts: Canterbury to Bescancon, Bescancon to Vercelli and Vercelli to Rome which vary in price from 12-25 Euros (about £9.50-20) depending on volume and whether you buy the ebook or the paperback version (reading some people's experience with these books has taught me that if you buy all three they weigh about a kilogram!) Image from http://pilgrimagepublications.com/pp_2014/prod

The information on credentials usually comes only in Spanish so below is a translation of what it says as well as information on where you can get a Credential.  Necessary considerations: This credential is only for pilgrims on foot, bike or horseback, who wish to undertake a pilgrimage with Christian intention, even if it is only searching. The credential's aim is to encourage piety. therefore the issuing of it should be a Parish, Confraternity or Amigos association  etc. The Credential does not accrue any pilgrim rights. It has two practical purposes: 1. To regulate access to Albergues, the Christian hospitality of the Camino 2. To be a record for the Compostela awarded by the Cathedral in Santiago which is the certificate of completion.

The Correos (Post Office) has started to do sellos for Pilgrim's Credentials and their website states that: 'At any post office will postmark your credential and many of them well, you'll find special postmark that we designed with the picture of some place or landmark event in the town. So you'll get memory in your Credencial all those places that you could see and visit on your Camino de Santiago' (taken from http://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/es/sellos-credencial.php ) Below are the last lot of the sellos that they have released on-line:

Here are all of the sellos I collected from my Camino on the via de la Plata