My Camino Aragones 7/2018

[martin1ws]

I started on Saturday, the 14th and it ended yesterday, because now I am on the Camino Frances.
Details on my blog.... I like my smartphone but writing much is no fun....
http://www.trend-wertpapier-club.de/wordpress/

Some ideas:
* I had osm-maps from Spain and the camino-gpx-tracks (all Spanish caminos here from the resources). It would probably have not been necessary.... but I like the safe feeling and the overview it can provide.
South of Canfranc Estacion my gpx goes in the town over the river. I followed and a Spanish woman said: no way, go back... so just follow the arrows in Canfranc Estacion.
* I liked my 3-days routes to San Juan de la Peña. You can put your backpack in the albergue in Santa Cilia and overnight a second time , if you ask.... by the way the lovliest hospidalera I found on the Camino Aragones.
* I liked the possibility to walk on my own.... but you need not in July. I was only one time alone in the albergue in Castiello de Jaca in the north of Jaca.
* A little bit of Spanish is very good. Even my very low duolingo + mividaloca knowledge helped much for my camino feeling.... as there were so 'many' Spanish people and so few others.
* I lost my first camino family at the end of camino aragones.... And if someone would have told me one week ago how sad I would be because of the ‚loss‘ of my first camino family, I would not have believed it.
* I had a great time, I think.

 

[LGLG]

I started on Saturday, the 14th and it ended yesterday, because now I am on the Camino Frances.‘

Hi Martin, my husband and I will start the Aragones next month. We need to pace ourselves and avoid too long stretches, so your blog was useful for us. Could you tell us what your experience was with available beds in the Albergues? Can we be reasonably confident to secure a bed anywhere on the Way?

 

[martin1ws]

The only full albergue was in Sangüesa. It is one of the smallest albergues and the next one ( Izco ) was closed.

So normally it was very easy to find a bed for me in July.

 

[LGLG]

Oh, thanks for the heads up, that’s the stretch I was concerned about and also was planning to stay at. Izco. Have you got any idea why it was closed?

 

[Sparrow in Texas]

I get the impression that some of the albergues on route may be "closed" -locked - but that there will be a sign on the door with a phone number to call. Might that be the case with Izco? I, and a few others on the forum, are planning to walk the Aragones in late September-early October. Is there someone in Spain who might check on this? Though, I would hope that as we stop each night the hospitalero will be able to give advice on what is ahead. We will keep our faith!

 

[martin1ws]

My Spanish friends told me, that Izco was closed. And they did not mean with 'closed' that you just need to phone for the hospitalera.
But I did not ask for the reasons or for how long.
But you have sometimes to phone.... we e.g. in Monreal.

If I would do it again I would just think 'the camino will provide' and plan maybe an emergency budget for taxi-drives and speak with the pilgrims and the hospitaleras about the albergues ahead .... this is much easier if you do not like detailed planning like me.

 

[marjude]

I walked in April 2016 and Isco was closed then.

 

[wayan]

I walked the end of September 2015 - Izco was open then. The hospitalero was in and out. It ended up completo with some people sleeping on mattresses on the dining room floor. There was alcohol available as well as tins of food to buy.

 

[Sparrow in Texas]

Here is a little more information about Izco that I found on Gronze. The note is that as of April 2017 the albergue is closed for all of 2017 for administrative reasons, and to verify reopening.

 

[LGLG]

Anyone walked via lumbier de foz lately? Stayed at Lumbier? We were hoping to do this alternative route, but if Izco should be closed, we 'd have to reconsider or make private arrangements in Lumbier.

 

[Sparrow in Texas]

@Vacajoe walked Foz de Lumbier in April, we can check his postings.

 

[LGLG]

We've decided not to risk running into a closed Izco albergue, so have booked private accomodation in Lumbier instead - then plan to stay in Monreal albergue the next day (I think about 20 km from Lumbier?). This will add a day to our original schedule, but I'm sure nature will keep us plenty of opportunities for restful meditation.

 

[Csutak]

Should you find a closed alberguue on the Aragones, you can probably find a casa rural or a cheap * /** hotel room.
Once in Sangüesa I got a place at the campsite. It turned out there were several spare rooms for pilgrims there.

 

[LGLG]

Should you find a closed alberguue on the Aragones, you can probably find a casa rural or a cheap * /** hotel room.
Once in Sangüesa I got a place at the campsite. It turned out there were several spare rooms for pilgrims there.

In the 'bigger' regular towns , probably yes - and that's good to remember, because I only pre-booked certain places, while trusting to get a bed in albergues or similar in the rest. Yet I won't be up for 30 km stretches as I did last time. I doubt whether there is anything else between Sanguesa and Monreal for example, which via the Foz de Lumbier would be well over 30 km. I've put a new post up to ask for feedback on my suggested stages.