kitchen facilities

[Kiwi-family]

Just wondering whether the kitchen facilities along this route are like the municipals in Galicia (ie lovely kitchens but no utensils) or do they generally have pots?

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, kiwi-family,

The hospitaleros in both San Juan de Villapanada and Bodenaya cook a communal dinner, so no worries there. The albergue in Grandas de Salime is wonderfully well stocked. I was walking with a sous chef from a fancy San Francisco restaurant, and she whipped up a feast for 10 or more.

Lugo has nothing in its kitchen, but there's a grumpy imperious hospitalero there to cheer you up. As I recall there were a few things in the small municipal albergue in Berducedo. Fonsagrado and Cadavo Baleira also have equipped kitchens.

I didn't stay in POla de Allande last year, but when I was there in 2008, there was nothing in the kitchen but a broken plate or two. That may have changed. I didn't stay in San Roman de Retorta last year, but when I was there previously, the kitchen had cooking utensils. There are only 10-12 beds, but there is a private albergue right across the field.

I did stay in a few private albergues (Ponte Ferreira, Herminia's place in Campiello) and they of course don't have anything, though Ponte Ferreira did have plates and a microwave.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Kiwi-family]

Thanks Laurie - that's so helpful. If we were walking Leon to Santiago along the Frances I would definitely take a pot, but this section sounds like a different kettle of fish! Love those communal meals.

 

[Tia Valeria]

If you stay at the private abergue 'O Candido', in San Roman de Retorta, you can book a meal too (before 18.30). The hospitalero brings it in from Lugo. Choice of number of courses and great choice within the courses too. Individual choices for a great commmunal style meal. Breakfast is included in the albergue charge.
I don't know if he would bring food out for the pilgrims in the public albergue, but you could phone (637 563 755) and ask before leaving Lugo. The food is from his own cafe/restaurant I think.

 

[Kiwi-family]

This is exactly the kind of information that is so useful when you are considering carrying food for five! Thanks.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, kiwi-family,

I know you will be planning your stages carefully to keep the kms at a good level for the kids. So just in case you were planning on staying at the private albergue in Ponte Ferreira, you should know that the owners just sell micro-wavable food in a machine. It didn't look very appetizing, so if I were trying to feed a family, I'd bring food from the bar-store in San Roman.

The albergue is a very nice one except for that inconvenience. There is also a private casa rural that serves an evening meal to pilgrims but it was pretty expensive for what it was. I think it was 16 €.

Laurie

 

[Kiwi-family]

Thanks Laurie - note made on my spreadsheet!

 

[Kiwi-family]

Fonsagrado and Cadavo Baleira also have equipped kitchens.

Buen camino, Laurie

Is that Fonsagrado the Xunta at Padron?

 

[Kiwi-family]

If you stay at the private abergue 'O Candido', in San Roman de Retorta, you can book a meal too (before 18.30). The hospitalero brings it in from Lugo. /quote]

Just checking...this is not say that you can't get food in San Roman, is it? (just that you can have a nice meal bought out if you like) And sorry about the double negatives!

Looking at Laurie's suggestion - food ought to be bought in San Roman for the next stage to avoid an overpriced or microwaved meal at Ferreira.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, mama Rachel,

Yes, the albergue I referred to as Fonsagrada is actually about a 20 minute walk beyond town (on the camino) in the adjacent hamlet of Padron. There is both an albergue there and an overflow space in the "Civil Protection" building. In the albergue itself, there is a fully stocked kitchen. The albergue used to be the priest's house, so there are a number of rooms with 4-6 beds. If it's cold and/or wet, check to see about heating -- some of the rooms have heaters, some don't. I learned that the hard way last summer as I walked in a day of constant rain.

I THINK that the bar in San Roman (which is actually about 500 m before the two albergues) sells minimal grocery supplies, like bread, cans of tuna, etc. Can anyone confirm that? It definitely did a few years ago, but last summer when I walked through, the bar had been much expanded and improved, so I don't know if they continue to sell supplies.

Buen camino, Laurie

p.s. and about the microwavable food -- I know the owners were getting a lot of grief about that, so maybe they will open up the kitchen and start cooking again. Presumably their prices would be more reasonable than those at the Casa Rural.

 

[peregrino_tom]

my records from Sept 2011 show:
- Vega (before Oviedo) unstaffed, no kitchen but good meals available across the road all day
- Oviedo albergue: big kitchen
- Villapanada - good kitchen, but hospitalero although very helpful wasn't providing meals.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peregrino_ ... 8087145851
No shops nearby so we were glad to have hauled what we needed up from Grado where camino passes through shopping area
- Bodenaya; Alejandro and team cooked for everyone
- Campiello Casa Herminia: no kitchen, food provided, a bit average, but great atmosphere sitting in what is simultaneously the village shop and bar with allsorts coming and going.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peregrino_ ... 8087145851
- Mesa: unstaffed albergue with kitchen with all the necessary bits. But I think we carried all the food from Campiello across hospitales. (There was a small shop/bar in Berducedo before then which I think may have basic ingredients..?). The place was full and all the hot water ran out about 7pm then all water had gone an hour later.
- Castro: no communal kitchen. We enjoyed the meal provided
- Padron; yes good kitchen and it's not too far to walk back into town to get anything you may not have picked up on the way through. We had lunch there
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peregrino_ ... 8087145851
as well as our evening meal. NB there was only a small supply of alcoholic beer in the dispensing machine and we'd disposed of it all before the others arrived, who had to survive on the non-alcoholic variety or walk back into town (which many of course did)
Cadavo: classic Galicia with modern kitchen but very little to cook with as I recall - possibly they had microwaveable meals from a dispensing machine?
Lugo: didn't visit the kitchen as we all went to the traditional Pulperia in the yard nearby - fantastic wild mushrooms
Ponte Ferreira: when we were there the hospitalero boiled up our chestnuts for us which we'd gathered nearby and served them with white wine.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peregrino_ ... 8087145851
He also cooked us a pretty good meal which we ate in the lovely restored barn. It's a shame if he's not cooking anymore. If you plan to stay there, might be worth an enquiring phone call beforehand to see if he'll cook something up which will give him time to source ingredients etc - because he can definitely cook.
cheers, tom

 

[Kiwi-family]

Fantastic info thanks Tom