Albergues privados

[moros y cristianos]

Walking the Camino Frances in winter is not meant to be easy. Wandering out of the mist and the mud into Hontanas in the dark - the first place open since leaving Burgos - it was good to find the municipal open, and a meal at the bar next-door.

After that, it became rather desperate. I stopped at a private albergue in Itero de la Vega ("La Mochilla" - says it all, doesn't it?) No heating. Rubbish bins still had food wrappers with 'October 2010' in them - i.e. not emptied for months. The microwave oven had a lethal mains electric wire exposed. And an alsatian dog on the premises bit me! The owner turned up after I had been there for three hours and demanded some money, so I asked him what he wanted money for, as there was no service. He conceded and said, "Bueno, no importa." I reported the establishment to the local pilgrim association.

The next day, I caught up with a fellow pilgrim I had met in Hontanas. He was a Canadian. He had gone on further to Boadilla del Camino. According to the online updates on open albergues, the new private albergue in Boadilla was supposed to be open. That stretch across the long open land before Boadilla is quite challenging in winter. He arrived in the dark. There was a light on. The owner came to the door and asked, "How many of you are there?"

My Canadian friend said, "Just me."

The albergue owner said, "I'm not opening up for ONE pilgrim! It is not worth the effort."

My friend carried on to Fromista in the dark. I met him there in a restaurant. He said he was taking the train to Madrid and giving up.

A few years ago some of us began to notice the commercialisation of the Camino was becoming an increasing phenomenon and downgrading the experience. Now it is changing the ethos entirely. The Holy Year allowed many people to make a lot of money. Opening a refuge in the winter, for the pilgrims who try to continue walking in the challenging conditions on the meseta, is too difficult for the profit seekers. Once there would be local associations who would keep places open, but they don't bother any more as there are so many private refuges.

In the end, the pilgrim experience is reduced and impoverished. Does nobody care?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It is not easy in winter!

http://kaybeetravels.blogspot.com/2009/ ... mp-in.html

 

[jeff001]

Those private alburgues are businesses, not charities, and they have to make good business decisions on when to open. If you go to beach in the middle of winter you will also find places that are not open. If you want to find everything open you have to good during the season when business is best.

 

[oursonpolaire]

In winter, I would be tempted to telephone ahead if, for no other reason, to find out if the way was clear (if it's snowy). As far as the situation in Bodilla goes, I would have pressed the owner to tell me where I might find accommodation in the pueblo, and to have him telephone through for me. If that wasn't satisfactory, the local café owner would have usually have a room or two to free up and, if that didn't work, then the next resort would be the police or the Cruz Roja, who have been known to put up pilgrims in cells or storage areas. There are situations where refusing to take no for an answer is legitimate. To leave a pilgrim without accommodation in that weather at night is a serious matter.

 

[MikeB]

The albergue owner said, "I'm not opening up for ONE pilgrim! It is not worth the effort."

I am pleased to be able to say that not all private albergue owners are like that. I walked from Burgos to Astorga from 23 to 31 December this year and had absolutely no problems - indeed, on an evening when I was alone, an angel appeared!

Evening of 22/12 - Burgos - fine, even a party for the Amigos to which we were invited

23/12 - Hornillos - 6 pilgrims - Hospitalero opened the bar opposite the square with the cockerel to sell us pre-packed food, wine and some bread from his home freezer. Wood burning stove gave some heat.

24/12 Castrojeriz - 7 - Hospitalera was in Madrid for Christmas, but some-one else came round to switch on the very good heating. Restaurant open for good evening meal, and a bottle of Pacharan back in the albergue helped matters along!

25/12 - Poblacion - 6 - All albergues in Fromista were closed, and 6 was too many for the "emergency" accommodation at the priest's house, so on to Poblacion. Cold, but bar and shop open.

26/12 - Calzadilla - just me - the rest stopped in Carrion. And it was here that one of the Camino angels appeared, with service well above and beyond the call of duty.

The hospitalero from Calzadilla had driven back along that long straight section from Carrion to Calzadilla to see if there were any pilgrims going to stay in the albergue that night, and he came across me just before you cross the road about 2 hours before Calzadilla. Telling me I was the only one, he went back and switched the heating on. He welcomed me when I arrived, and then asked me if I had any food. I had some cereal bars, brazil nuts and chocolate, but told him not to worry as there is a restaurant 100m away. No he answered, it's closed. The bar? Closed also, but I'm the owner as well, so I'll go and open it. He cooked for me alone, waited while I ate, made me a sandwich for the next day, and made me feel so welcome it was unbelievable.

And the astonishing part - he lived in Palencia - 40km away. He had come 40km just to see if any pilgrim was going to arrive. I must say I am feeling quite emotional just writing this when I think of what he was doing for the winter pilgrims.

But I'm not finished yet!

The next morning, when packing, I realised that I had left my camera in the hospitalero's office. What to do? I tried, very reluctantly and embarrassed, telephoning his mobile, but there was no response and no facility to leave a message - it just cut me off. So having wandered around the village in five minutes flat, I stopped to talk to a lady (my Spanish is reasonable). He'll be here about mid-day I was told. Sahugun was 22km away, 5½ hours, and it was getting dark about 6 - 6:15pm. So I put my limit at 12:30 at which time I would leave and taxi shuttle back to get my camera. 12:30 arrived and no hospitalero. I explained to one of the Spaniards who had already arrived from Carrion what had happened, and that I'd see him later after returning from Sahugun.

Off I went, and yes, you've guessed it. About half way to Ledigos walking on the Senda de Peregrinos by the road - beep beep! The hospitalero had come out in his car to give me my camera.

César, I take my hat off to you - absolutely wonderful - ¡Muchas muchas gracias!



27/12 - Sahugun - 2 - In the converted church. Cool in the albergue as you would expect, but plenty of restaurants open.

28/12 - Reliegos - 2 - No heating, but best showers - almost power showers! Friendly Bar Gil on the square.

29/12 - Leon - 3 - The municipal albergue, the monastery was closed. Warm, and all facilities.

30/12 - Villar de Mazarife - just me - Albergue de Jesus. How this has changed. New owners have built a bar for the locals inside the albergue. It might be OK now the smoking ban is in, but sorry, for me the change is for the worse although I appreciate they need to make money in the quiet months. There was even a karaoke evening after I'd gone to bed while I was there.

31/12 - Astorga - 3 - Hospitalero cooked a great meal for us as it was New Year's Eve. The next day, he cooked for me again as I was passing time until my bus at about 6pm. Great chap, so easy to talk to and so helpful.


I'm very sorry to hear about the attitude in Boadilla, but this is the third time I have walked in winter, and only once found anything bordering on the unhelpful. I ask the night before where is open the next day or two regarding albergues.

In general, everyone seems so helpful - whether it is because my Spanish is reasonable, or it is just luck of the draw, I don't know, but I would return in winter without too much hesitation.

Mike

 

[markss]

Many would agree with moros y cristianos' observation that the Camino is becoming more commercialized, thus the experience has been downgraded. It may well be true that many people running alburgues and businesses along the way appear most interested in profiteering from the Camino. However, there is a flip side. At the same time a good many "pilgrims" who travel along the route are there primarily because it serves as an inexpensive holiday, to an extent subsidized by the goodwill of others. Both sides are taking advantages of the structure toward their own benefit. There is no set of moral or other rule that require sacrifice from those that supply services and support to the travelers of the Camino. Likewise there is no requirement that there be some intrinsically religious or spiritual motive for those using such services.

Sure the increased commercialization is disappointing. Then there comes MikeB's account of his experiences. How uplifting! The true Camino spirit at its finest! Hopefully these occurances are the rule rather than the exception.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Sure the increased commercialization is disappointing.

I cannot describe the sheer joy I feel when a mercado appears when I need it. God bless the commercialization and the men and women who yield to it! Just one of the aspects of the Camino that I love is paying money to the folks who actually do the work rather than some trickle down bureaucrat in a bank in Geneva or Brussels.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I also want to at least recognize the fact that people living along the Frances must at some point wish the "hordes of locusts" would stay home!

I imagine they are happy at the beginning of the season, but by fall's end are looking forward to some rest from the constant demands of people who have the money to travel to another country to walk, and thus often feel they are privileged and can make demands.

I imagine they are weary of picking up trash, and of seeing their beloved land soiled with feces and papel higienico, candy wrappers and other trash left by people who don't seem to have respect for the Way or the inhabitants of Spain.

I suppose they have bad days where they just don't want to open the door to only one pilgrim, and I imagine that sometimes, after refusing, they may feel a bit guilty... and other times, may feel perfectly justified in their decision.

I know in Portland, Oregon, where I live, I often make snide comments when I see all the many license plates of the cars of the people invading "my homeland." Where once I could drive down the freeway and see 5 cars every hour, now I see 150 cars every minute! Where once I could camp and enjoy the wilderness, now I have to fight my way around people up the beautiful trails that are being destroyed by too much foot traffic. Where once I could rent a home for $250 a month, imports from California who sold their homes at the height of the market and came to Oregon and bought several homes drove up the rent so high that I can no longer afford housing, almost overnight.

So I understand the guy who didn't want to open the door.. who just wanted you to go away.
Maybe he was just having a bad day and needed some alone time.
We all have those... I do, anyway.

And honestly, if the pilgrim is out in the snow and cold, whose fault is it?
It was the pilgrim who made the decision to walk during winter... perhaps he should call a taxi!

I have to agree with Falcon, I am SO happy when I see a little mercado where I can buy a picnic lunch from a person instead of a corporation.

And the upside is as Mike says, MOST places will be open and MOST hospitaleros will be helpful.
But as a pilgrim you can NOT ever EXPECT kindness.
You must bask in it when you get it... that's all.

 

[mikevasey]

the new private albergue in Boadilla was supposed to be open

The albergue owner said, "I'm not opening up for ONE pilgrim! It is not worth the effort."

Hi, I stayed in a private albergue in Boadilla in November. Im taking a shot in the dark, but from the description of the reaction of the albergue owner ive got a feeling it is the same one. He is not typical of most owners of hostels, it is just unfortunate that your Canadian friend had to run in to him when he really needed shelter.

Those private alburgues are businesses, not charities, and they have to make good business decisions on when to open.

This is usually true 99.9999% of the time, but there is exceptions. I had the misfortune to stay at one that did not have business constraints after a fairly long day of walking from Hontanas. I have no problem with people who been given albergues as a present by a wealthy dad,I only wish he also given him the present of how to treat other people with respect as humans.

I really dont want to say much more about this, i dont feel comfortable even writing these few short paragraphs, because at the end of the day i did receive shelter over my head.