[Gocamino] Shipping packages to Santiago

[Rosina]

Hello you all,
I've asked my friends in Santiago who either work at, or are very active in, the Pilgrims' office and/or the Archconfraternity. They have told me that there is NO two-week holding limit for holding ?packages at the Santiago post office. Indeed, they assure that the poist office is markedly accommodating to pilgrims and hat they will hold packages sent to general Delivery for a reasonable time.
As mentioned, I have sent packages to myself from Pamplona, from Jaca, from Sevilla, and have picked them up at the Santiago's post office even six weeks later.? The post office people are, whatever, very punctilious in requiring the original receipt from the post office where the package was?sent and unequivocal identification of the recipient (a passport in the case of citizens of non-European Union countries, since we do not have that special identification of theirs).? I have also notice that they are twice as inquisitive if the recipients declares herself or himself to be a pilgrim but the sender is someone else.? The insistence that the town or city where the package was mailed be identified makes sense to me. In the "from" section of the label I usually write my name, my permanent address and the address a the mailing site.
Sometimes what may appear to be rudeness on the part of post office or oher employees in a different country may be attributable to communication difficulties. Not infrequently while at the post office myself ?I have been asked, or have volunteered, to help out when a customer and an employee are not fully understanding one another. One tiny word, or expression, or gesture, can make all the difference in the world.
Most unfortunately, ?I neither speak nor understand German, consequently when I send packages to myself from Austria or Germany I am pointedly apologetic about my language inability to the post office people there, and most of the time I ?look around for a customer who is fluent in both languages to help me out so that misunderstandings may be avoided.?
Having to endure the long waiting ?lines (standing) and the haughty, peremptory, and sometimes?downright ?rude?attitude of so many post office employees in New York City I very much? appreciate the European post offices with their take-a-number-and-go-sit-down-awaiting-your-turn system, and the fact that you can also purchase most packing supplies? on site.
Regards,
Rosina




-----Original Message-----
From: Annette Argall <argall at earthlink.net>
To: gocamino <gocamino at oakapple.net>
Sent: Tue, Jun 14, 2011 10:25 pm
Subject: [Gocamino] Shipping packages to Santiago




I recently sent a package from Salamanca to the Lista de Correos in   
Santiago and picked it up exactly two weeks later. The very helpful   
postal employee who helped me prepare and mail the package in   
Salamanca never said anything about a time limit on picking it up. 
 
I toured Madrid in pilgrim clothes without any strange looks except   
perhaps in the upscale neighborhoods where people were dressed to the   
nines. In the tourist areas, no one seemed to care or even notice what   
I was wearing. 
 
Annette 
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