passports

[Robert E. Spenger]

I've been having some problems here. I had intended sending the response
belo to the group and ended up just sending it to Steve. When I realized
this, I tried to forward it but it was refused by the group
administrator. This is a final try.
Steve Bean wrote:

> The passport issued by the Confraternity of St James has no stops
pre-printed, just
> pages of blank squares -
>
> Steve

Quite right and to be expected, since pilgrims from Britain might well
start from one
of the four traditional points in the French interior or even start
walking from their
homes to a ferry across the channel.  One disadvantage to the CSJ
passports is that
they are bulkier that the Spanish passports, which fit neatly in a shirt
pocket. The
big advantage to a Friends of the Camino passport is that it is much
quicker and
easier to get through the mail. It took several weeks for a CSJ passport
and I don't
even know how to get a Spanish passport by mail. I got my first Spanish
passport from
the priest at the Saint James church in Jaca - I had only six blanks
left in the CJS
booklet at that point. I got my second at the pilgrim meeting in Sante
Fe, where
someone had provided some spares. Later, in Santiago, I asked for couple
for future
use at the pilgrim's office, but they would give me only one and I had
to provide the
route and date at the time, so I just let it go. Both of these Spanish
folders were
dated 19_ _, but I crossed that out and wrote in 2000 on the first and
2001 on the
second and there was no problem.

Robert