naplesdon
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Multiple Caminos 2010 to 2019
Seeing a whole host of newbies on the Forum I thought I should start a thread about one of my pet peeves. The way pilgrims abuse cafe tables on the Camino is quite annoying.
Outside of Astorga one morning in the tiny village of Murias de Rechivaldo I watched as 4 pilgrims dropped their bags on 4 chairs at one table and then proceeded to unpack the breakfast they had carried from Astorga at a second table, thus depriving the owner of this small establishment the opportunity to served 8 people. Don't worry it didn't take her long to let them know they were not welcome but they wandered off thinking the owner was the offensive one.
The same goes for buying a drink and some chips at a tiendra and then sitting down at a shady table across the street at someone's cafe, this is also a no, no!
You will probably begin and end your Camino at two places where I think the offense is the most egregious.
I have seen so many people stop on the deck at Refuge Orisson and treat it like a public park. They will sit down, unpack a drink and bocadilla they purchased in SJPdP, go inside the restaurant to use the toilet, refill their water bottle at the fountain and walk off, leaving an empty drink can and trash rolled up in an ashtray as if it is no longer their business.
Santiago is the same, pilgrims will buy a drink at one cafe and walk over to a shady or sunny table at another cafe and sit down only to be hustled away by the owner. The demarcation between establishments may not be clear but it is evident by the design and color of the table and chairs. To disespect these owners' hard work and desire to make a living, pay their rent and employees, when you deprive them of the opportunity to host even a single new customer is not cool.
I am sure there are others who have seen worse examples.
Outside of Astorga one morning in the tiny village of Murias de Rechivaldo I watched as 4 pilgrims dropped their bags on 4 chairs at one table and then proceeded to unpack the breakfast they had carried from Astorga at a second table, thus depriving the owner of this small establishment the opportunity to served 8 people. Don't worry it didn't take her long to let them know they were not welcome but they wandered off thinking the owner was the offensive one.
The same goes for buying a drink and some chips at a tiendra and then sitting down at a shady table across the street at someone's cafe, this is also a no, no!
You will probably begin and end your Camino at two places where I think the offense is the most egregious.
I have seen so many people stop on the deck at Refuge Orisson and treat it like a public park. They will sit down, unpack a drink and bocadilla they purchased in SJPdP, go inside the restaurant to use the toilet, refill their water bottle at the fountain and walk off, leaving an empty drink can and trash rolled up in an ashtray as if it is no longer their business.
Santiago is the same, pilgrims will buy a drink at one cafe and walk over to a shady or sunny table at another cafe and sit down only to be hustled away by the owner. The demarcation between establishments may not be clear but it is evident by the design and color of the table and chairs. To disespect these owners' hard work and desire to make a living, pay their rent and employees, when you deprive them of the opportunity to host even a single new customer is not cool.
I am sure there are others who have seen worse examples.
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