Albergue in Avila breaks a record

[peregrina2000]

For the first time ever, the Avila albergue (which is a great albergue) has surpassed the "400 pilgrims a year" mark. On December 12, 411 pilgrims had spent the night in 2014.

http://www.icalnews.com/Mostrar.cfm...cord/primera/vez/supera/400/peregrinos/324428

If you like castles and wide open spaces, with a few days of gorgeous mountain walking thrown in, head for the Levante. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[george.g]

You are right Laurie, great albergue, stayed there in may. Only issue, road out of Avila could be a little busy until you get to the turnoff, and more importantly you will struggle to find a bar open for morning coffee for the next couple of days.
Regards
George

 

[peregrina2000]

You are right Laurie, great albergue, stayed there in may. Only issue, road out of Avila could be a little busy until you get to the turnoff, and more importantly you will struggle to find a bar open for morning coffee for the next couple of days.
Regards
George

Yes, I agree completely about the exit from Avila. It goes right on the entrance to the superhighway, and is very dangerous. I heard that a property owner has closed access to pilgrims, and I think it's just a matter of time till someone gets hit. We left Avila on a Sunday so there was no problem, but a weekday would be awful.

And I just can't resist a response to your comment about bars not being open for coffee. That is precisely why I joined the Electric Coil Club several years ago, and I would never ever walk without one now. We haven't had any fun with this thread in a while, so I'll post it here for its half tongue in cheek but half serious content: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...ric-coil-changed-my-life-on-the-camino.19167/

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Kiwi-family]

If you like castles and wide open spaces, with a few days of gorgeous mountain walking thrown in, head for the Levante. Buen camino, Laurie

Temptation with a Capital T.

 

[george.g]

Hi Laurie,
Re electric coil, great idea! What extension lead do you favour, the 8km standard or the 10km lightweight?
Re equipment, just given my new boots a quick workout (Scarpa Boltero) seem OK, walked in Merrells last time, just not up to the rougher tracks of the Levante\Sureste.
Regards
George

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Laurie,
Re electric coil, great idea! What extension lead do you favour, the 8km standard or the 10km lightweight?
Re equipment, just given my new boots a quick workout (Scarpa Boltero) seem OK, walked in Merrells last time, just not up to the rougher tracks of the Levante\Sureste.
Regards
George

Hi, George, Well, unfortunately I don't know what your question about the coil means. I just bought something like this,
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AXS0UE/?tag=casaivar02-20
I had to tape an adaptor plug to the plug because I found I was pulling out the plug and leaving the adaptor in the wall. The adaptor plugs are very cheap, but losing them is a real pain when you're in the middle of nowhere in Spain.

Just curious -- what is an "extension lead?"

 

[george.g]

Sorry Laurie,
A poor attempt at a joke. An extension lead is a length of electric cable with a plug each end that you could use to extend the distance you could use your coil from a wall socket.
Regards
George

 

[peregrina2000]

Sorry Laurie,
A poor attempt at a joke. An extension lead is a length of electric cable with a plug each end that you could use to extend the distance you could use your coil from a wall socket.
Regards
George

Hi, George,
Just so you know, it's not that I don't have a sense of humor, it's just that I am so uninformed about electronics and technology that any question is likely to go straight over my head.

 

[Kevin F. O*brien]

Hi, George,
Just so you know, it's not that I don't have a sense of humor, it's just that I am so uninformed about electronics and technology that any question is likely to go straight over my head.

Hi Laurie, Great to see you again, even if it's only in print. Great to hear from you too George. About the boots. Lowa seems to work well in Spain, but I'm not sure whether you can get them in America. Have a look at their "Renegade" range, especially the ankle boots. Nice to see that the numbers on the Levante are increasing. I've had several people contact me asking for info. As you point out Laurie, most seem to want a bit more peace and quiet as the numbers increase on the Frances and the Plata. We have planned it now several times (!) but STILL haven't organized an electric coil. Although (!) it was only Avila and Goterrundura where there was no coffee in the morning, as far as I remember. No wait, we left Avila so late (only 22 to Got.) that we found a tiny coffee place on the left on the other side of the bridge from the refugio. They offered us "rujo" with the coffee. Haha, thanks but no thanks!
Have a wonderful Christmas Laurie and George. And a Happy New Year. Best. Kev

 

[Castilian]

It's good news to see the number of pilgrims increasing in a still barely walked camino.

I heard that a property owner has closed access to pilgrims

That may be the reason why they didn't use the path closer to the river as the official exit.

 

[george.g]

Hi Castilian,
Re path by the river, the route outlined on the "walking pilgrim" site takes the road option, and while I can't remember for certain, I'm fairly sure when I went through there in May this year the arrows took the road option as well, in any event you are not roadbound for very long.
Regards
George

 

[peregrina2000]

Yes, the only option now is along the road. I was told by the hospitalero in Avila that the route used to be along the river till a landowner blocked access. It may be a short stretch but it could be terrifying, because you have to walk along the entrance ramp to the autopista, which is extremely dangerous. I'm actually kind of surprised this hasn't become a bigger issue, because I assume that the entrance ramp, like the autopista itself, is prohibited to pedestrians.

 

[alansykes]

For the first time ever, the Avila albergue (which is a great albergue) has surpassed the "400 pilgrims a year" mark. On December 12, 411 pilgrims had spent the night in 2014

Last month I was 2014's pilgrim no 388 in Avila. Good to see the stream continued. It is a great albergue, and a great town too. If the Pope visits it next year [500th anniversary of the birth of St Teresa], I imagine 1000s of extra tourists, and some pilgrims, will follow.

walked in Merrells last time, just not up to the rougher tracks of the Levante\Sureste.

I was quite happy on the Levante\Sureste in my Merrells, especially early on when it was still really hot (35+ for several days from Alicante) and boots would have been a bit much

 

[george.g]

Hi Alan, The Levante/Sureste sure is a great camino, and while I had a few hot days, nothing like 35+ that temprature must have been difficult to deal with. The main problem I had with the Merrells was that the sole unit didn't provide enough protection from the rougher tracks, still footwear is a very personal thing, what suits one ....etc.
Next year I plan to walk from Malaga to Finnisterre, there's something special "from sea to shining sea"
Regards
George

 

[alansykes]

Hi Alan, The Levante/Sureste sure is a great camino, and while I had a few hot days, nothing like 35+ that temprature must have been difficult to deal with. The main problem I had with the Merrells was that the sole unit didn't provide enough protection from the rougher tracks, still footwear is a very personal thing, what suits one ....etc.
Next year I plan to walk from Malaga to Finnisterre, there's something special "from sea to shining sea"
Regards
George

As you say, footwear is very personal, and the heat I hit this October was very exceptional. I did have a few moments when I wished I was wearing boots, but not all that many - and if I ever walk it again it'll be in shoes.

One year I'll do Malaga (or Cadiz) to Sevilla and then on ...

 

[Castilian]

Re path by the river, the route outlined on the "walking pilgrim" site takes the road option, and while I can't remember for certain, I'm fairly sure when I went through there in May this year the arrows took the road option as well,

Yes, I saw camino signals on the road on a visit to Ávila so I was aware that was the official route. What I didn't (fully) understand was why they didn't choose the route along the river that albeit a bit longer would be nicer but peregrina2000 gave me a clue that make sense as a (possible) explanation: a land owner against it. Of course, other explanations could make sense too so it's just an (educated) guess.

I assume that the entrance ramp, like the autopista itself, is prohibited to pedestrians.

The autopistas and autovias are forbidden to pedestrians. Not sure about the entrance ramps. In fact, an even worse exit is the exit out of Medina del Campo on the Sureste where you don't have only to use the entrace/exit ramp to the autovía but you have also to cross over the autovía using the same elevated pass that use the vehicles to enter from and exit to the autovía and once you are on the other side of the autovía (but not yet in the autovía itself) you cross the ramp (in a curve; i.e.: with little visibility) to get out to the camino that runs parallel to the autovía. Even the signs posted to mark the route warn you that that short part is risky. Traffic is lower than on the Ávila exit but on the Ávila exit you don't get so close to the autovía (or so I think) and on the Ávila exit there are zebra crossings to cross from one side of the road to the other when needed. BTW, I was wondering if when you walked the Levante there were already zebra crossings to go from one side of the exit road in Ávila to the other as they are nowadays.

 

[filly]

Yes, I saw camino signals on the road on a visit to Ávila so I was aware that was the official route. What I didn't (fully) understand was why they didn't choose the route along the river that albeit a bit longer would be nicer but peregrina2000 gave me a clue that make sense as a (possible) explanation: a land owner against it. Of course, other explanations could make sense too so it's just an (educated) guess.



The autopistas and autovias are forbidden to pedestrians. Not sure about the entrance ramps. In fact, an even worse exit is the exit out of Medina del Campo on the Sureste where you don't have only to use the entrace/exit ramp to the autovía but you have also to cross over the autovía using the same elevated pass that use the vehicles to enter from and exit to the autovía and once you are on the other side of the autovía (but not yet in the autovía itself) you cross the ramp (in a curve; i.e.: with little visibility) to get out to the camino that runs parallel to the autovía. Even the signs posted to mark the route warn you that that short part is risky. Traffic is lower than on the Ávila exit but on the Ávila exit you don't get so close to the autovía (or so I think) and on the Ávila exit there are zebra crossings to cross from one side of the road to the other when needed. BTW, I was wondering if when you walked the Levante there were already zebra crossings to go from one side of the exit road in Ávila to the other as they are nowadays.

What I would like to know is whether anyone has actually tried the river way exit of Avila. I know that one is dissuaded from going that way but can one actually get past any attempted blockage. On the via de la Plata there was such a closed off way but I just climbed two gates and went through an abandoned farmyard. I was told that if you were a bond fide pilgrim the police would not interfere in such an 'incident'. By the way I stayed in the youth hostel as you come in to Avila and it was great. Quiet and I had a room to myself with bathroom. It seemed much friendlier to get into that the Albergue. At a large roundabout about 5kms before Avila, a group of us went into a multi starred hotel on the roundabout, had drinks and were allowed to use the pool. Soul Kitchen in Avila was a brilliant restaurant...

 

[george.g]

I went through there in May but wasn't tempted to take any other than the marked route, too fixated on following yellow arrows I guess. I may have been lucky but
the arrows thro' Avila led me directly to the albergue, where a Senora Delores made me very welcome, it really is a very nice albergue quite new and well appointed, and I was lucky enough to meet Donovan from Melbourne. The main problem was the lack of morning coffee over the next couple of days.
Regards
George

 

[peregrina2000]

What I would like to know is whether anyone has actually tried the river way exit of Avila. I know that one is dissuaded from going that way but can one actually get past any attempted blockage. On the via de la Plata there was such a closed off way but I just climbed two gates and went through an abandoned farmyard. I was told that if you were a bond fide pilgrim the police would not interfere in such an 'incident'. By the way I stayed in the youth hostel as you come in to Avila and it was great. Quiet and I had a room to myself with bathroom. It seemed much friendlier to get into that the Albergue. At a large roundabout about 5kms before Avila, a group of us went into a multi starred hotel on the roundabout, had drinks and were allowed to use the pool. Soul Kitchen in Avila was a brilliant restaurant...

Hi, filly, I didn't try to find the old route, but if I were walking on a weekday with lots of traffic I might be tempted, because I'm sure it's a frightening walk -- we were lucky, leaving on a Sunday morning.

The albergue in Avila was very friendly, I thought -- did you have a problem? We did have to call the hospitalero, but he came very quickly. Laurie