Hetty
New Member
When my husband and I planned our Camino many months ago, we had no way of knowing how busy the month of September would be. It was with great reluctance that we ended our Camino in Castrojeriz after walking there from Saint Jean de Pied Port beginning on September 5.
The first hint of what was to come was in Zubiri on day three where the albergues were all full and we witnessed two exhausted men elbowing each other out of the way in the hopes of finding a room at a private pension at the edge of town. Needless to say, all accommodations were full. They, and many others, slept on the floor of the city hall that night.
We did not rush as we walked, wanting to savour the beauty of the landscape. We rested when weary and took time to talk with people along the way. As a result, we often arrived in towns a bit later in the afternoon to find everything completely booked.
We did our best to book ahead but eventually this became too challenging. We enjoyed the walking, the beauty of northern Spain and the feeling of accomplishment in having walked about 400 km. We have no regrets but feel that it is important to share the realities of the downside of the apparent increased popularity of the Camino experience among people around the world.
The first hint of what was to come was in Zubiri on day three where the albergues were all full and we witnessed two exhausted men elbowing each other out of the way in the hopes of finding a room at a private pension at the edge of town. Needless to say, all accommodations were full. They, and many others, slept on the floor of the city hall that night.
We did not rush as we walked, wanting to savour the beauty of the landscape. We rested when weary and took time to talk with people along the way. As a result, we often arrived in towns a bit later in the afternoon to find everything completely booked.
We did our best to book ahead but eventually this became too challenging. We enjoyed the walking, the beauty of northern Spain and the feeling of accomplishment in having walked about 400 km. We have no regrets but feel that it is important to share the realities of the downside of the apparent increased popularity of the Camino experience among people around the world.