[Gocamino] The pilgrims ´office

[Blaroli at aol.com]

Hello you all,
No....I do not know when the 2004 statistics will show up on the Archdioceses´webpage.
As mentioned, they are terribly short-handed and overworked at the pilgrims´office. They are also dependent on student volunteers, and at the present time the students are very busy.
It turns out that University students finished their classes just before Christmas, but their examinations therefor will be held on the first week of February. Because of this, the libraries all over Santiago (and other towns, I should think) are open until 3:30   a.m.!!
I´ve learned that the average yearly tuition at the very best Universities in Spain (the ones in Salamanca, USC -University of Santiago de Compostela-, etc) is about 600 Euros for what would be about 24 credits in the USA, and the average price of their textbooks is about 15 Euros.  In addition,I was told, about one third of the students are dispensed from paying anything.
Couldn´t you just DIE?
Students in Spain must, also, have learned and speak three languages fluently in order to graduate.  This requirement is somewhat simplified for students in Galicia since one of the languages can be Galician, the other Castilian (what we call ¨Spanish¨) and the third any language of their choice.
-When I think of my students in New York paying $1,800. Dlls. for ONE 15-week three credit course, and of their texts costing them more than $100. each PLUS tax, I am outright speechless with anger and frustration.
........D..mn!

Among good news:  I saw Don Jaime today; he is much better and co-officiates at Mass daily. Unfortunately, his lingering speech difficulties will probably prevent his resuming full duties as a priest, and, for sure, the heavy charge of the Pilgrims´Office.  If it were not for the speech, one would never know that he suffered such a serious stroke.

Pilgrims listed as commencing their pilgrimage in Ireland or England walk, or bicycle, to the edge of the sea and then board a boat to the edge of the sea in Continental Europe, whence they resume walking or riding.

I am sorry that so many of you could not follow the pilgrims´statistics; i just read the original messages and you are quite right: they are messy.
Since everything worth doing should be done correctly, I´ll repost the numbers in a, hopefully, easier to follow form, in the next message.

Warm regards,
Rosina