Baggage forwarders - FYI

[DoughnutANZ]

For those people who choose to send their bags forward via a transport service and who are staying in Municipal or Parochial albergues (that accept bags).

The photo below is of a bag which has been forwarded and the albergue doesn't open until 13:00.

The photo was taken at 11:30.



Fortunately, people are reasonably honest in small Spanish villages.

 

[J Willhaus]

For those people who choose to send their bags forward via a transport service and who are staying in Municipal or Parochial albergues (that accept bags).

The photo below is of a bag which has been forwarded and the albergue doesn't open until 13:00.

The photo was taken at 11:30.

View attachment 151692

Fortunately, people are reasonably honest in small Spanish villages.

Wondering where this is? It is a HosVol staffed albergue per the sign and we don't accept bag transfers at these facilities. Usually if someone does ship a bag it is sent to a bar or somewhere else and the owner has to track it down. There are often bags placed in a line or que until opening time to hold the owners place and left unattended in small towns while the owner of the bag is off getting food or drink or sitting elsewhere in the shade. Is it possible that was the case,?

Edit: also usually bag handlers don't ship with a full water bottle in the pocket which makes it through the bag handling process. The bag handlers are not particularly gentle.

 

[J Willhaus]

Ok, my husband believes this is Hermanillos as he worked there and recognized the front area and believes the person may have shipped it to the private albergue and off to get a bite. This albergue does not accept luggage shipping.

 

[Phil W]

Having volunteered in Calzadilla de los Hermanillos, I think this is the HOSVOL albergue there. If so, they did not accept bags when I volunteered there. I agree that the people there are really pilgrim friendly and saw it on more than one occasion. If the bag was shipped to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos it was probably to Via Trajana, the beautiful private albergue and bar at the entrance to the village. There is also a casa rural as you exit the town. I really enjoyed serving there. Friendly helpful people and lots of children playing in the plaza.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

The photo below is of a bag which has been forwarded and the albergue doesn't open until 13:00.

The photo was taken at 11:30.

You should have taken the picture at 10:00 when there were more bags there.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Wondering where this is? It is a HosVol staffed albergue per the sign and we don't accept bag transfers at these facilities. Usually if someone does ship a bag it is sent to a bar or somewhere else and the owner has to track it down. There are often bags placed in a line or que until opening time to hold the owners place and left unattended in small towns while the owner of the bag is off getting food or drink or sitting elsewhere in the shade. Is it possible that was the case,?

Edit: also usually bag handlers don't ship with a full water bottle in the pocket which makes it through the bag handling process. The bag handlers are not particularly gentle.

If you look at the photo then you will see that it has the bag transfer tag on it.

Also, inside the albergue they have unused bag transfer envelopes so that bags can be sent onwards.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

You should have taken the picture at 10:00 when there were more bags there.

I was thinking of doing that but I hadn't arrived then.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Ok, my husband believes this is Hermanillos as he worked there and recognized the front area and believes the person may have shipped it to the private albergue and off to get a bite. This albergue does not accept luggage shipping.

The private albergue is closed and so they are not staying there.

 

[Phil W]

The private albergue is closed and so they are not staying there.

Too bad it is closed. The couple who ran it were really nice.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Having volunteered in Calzadilla de los Hermanillos, I think this is the HOSVOL albergue there. If so, they did not accept bags when I volunteered there. I agree that the people there are really pilgrim friendly and saw it on more than one occasion. If the bag was shipped to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos it was probably to Via Trajana, the beautiful private albergue and bar at the entrance to the village. There is also a casa rural as you exit the town. I really enjoyed serving there. Friendly helpful people and lots of children playing in the plaza.

This is indeed the albergue and as I noted above they have unused bag transfer envelopes available for pilgrims in the dining room.

Possibly the more recent hospitaleros aren't enforcing this particular rule?

 

[DoughnutANZ]

As far as I can tell the current hospitalero is on her own and she describes herself as an Italian who grew up in England.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I have just checked the address label on the backpack and it is definitely addressed to the Donativo municipal albergue.

The backpack owners name would tend to indicate that the person is from Asia.

 

[Phil W]

This is indeed the albergue and as I noted above they have unused bag transfer envelopes available for pilgrims in the dining room.

Possibly the more recent hospitaleros aren't enforcing this particular rule?

Perhaps, but is is a municipal and they may changed their guidance to hosptaleros. If so that is on them and not the hospitaleros who normally don't handle baggage. Recent guidance from Hosvol is to not accept bag transfered bags. That can out in the Hosvol newsletter we got this week. Supposition could be that the larger group of bags outside earlier in the day were waiting for pickup and when you photographed the sinle bag it was after pickup and delivery.

 

[J Willhaus]

It could be why the bag is sitting outside as you suggest because volunteers don't handle bags or take responsibility for them.

 

[Phil W]

As far as I can tell the current hospitalero is on her own and she describes herself as an Italian who grew up in England.

I was also on my own there. This is on an optional route. Even so I was full a couple of times. I liked Calzadilla de los Hermanillos.

 

[J Willhaus]

We did have bag tags at some places we have worked but did not take responsibility to be open when bag handlers arrived. There are many companies and we would have had to be there all morning instead of cleaning or doing the shopping.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Supposition could be that the larger group of bags outside earlier in the day were waiting for pickup and when you photographed the sinle bag it was after pickup and delivery.

There was no larger group of bags outside. @Rick of Rick and Peg s post was a joking post, check out the laughter emoji.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

This conversation about which albergue it is and so on is subverting the purpose of the original post!

The purpose of the original post was to demonstrate to people who have their bags transferred that some classes of albergues take no responsibility for bags and so (as in this case) bags are just left outside with no supervision and at the risk of the bag owner.

Perhaps if you guys want to have a discussion about HosVol albergues and their rules then maybe shift your discussion elsewhere please.

 

[Phil W]

This conversation about which albergue it is and so on is subverting the purpose of the original post!

The purpose of the original post was to demonstrate to people who have their bags transferred that some classes of albergues take no responsibility for bags and so (as in this case) bags are just left outside with no supervision and at the risk of the bag owner.

Perhaps if you guys want to have a discussion about HosVol albergues and their rules then maybe shift your discussion elsewhere please.

No problem and yes some albergues do not take responsibility for bag transfers. I must have misunderstood what you were saying. My apologies.
Phil

 

[J Willhaus]

My purpose is to provide accurate information. If you ship your bag, make sure the albergue will accept it through the bag shipping company. If I were shipping, I would never ship to someplace I did not have a reservation.

 

[dick bird]

Hosvol volunteers have just been informed via their quarterly bulletin that they are not to accept unaccompanied (i.e. transported) luggage, so please be mindful of this if you plan to use luggage tranport.

 

[Bradypus]

Hosvol volunteers have just been informed via their quarterly bulletin that they are not to accept unaccompanied (i.e. transported) luggage, so please be mindful of this if you plan to use luggage tranport.

Not sure how helpful this advice is. How many pilgrims are aware that the particular albergue they are aiming for that day is staffed by Hosvol volunteers? It has come as a surprise to me more than once.

 

[J Willhaus]

If you see the sign of the yellow man on the side of the albergue, you will know it is HosVol staffed. See the first photo in this thread for an example.

 

[Phil W]

Also Hosvol staffed albergues are donativos.

 

[Bradypus]

If you see the sign of the yellow man on the side of the albergue, you will know it is HosVol staffed. See the first photo in this thread for an example.

True. But you would need very good eyesight to see the sign from 20+km away the night before when you are deciding which albergue to send your luggage to!

 

[J Willhaus]

True. But you would need very good eyesight to see the sign from 20+km away the night before when you are deciding which albergue to send your luggage to!

It should not appear on the list online of allowed albergues. When you ship, you must go online or call the day before by a certain time. I had not experienced it before this trip, but had to learn fast or leave Phil behind this trip or he woukd have had to take a cab. He wanted to walk so I did the best I could to make that happen so we would be able to be together.

None of the municipals, Xunta albergues, or donativos were on the list with Correos. I also checked at least one other company on the phone and they would not pick up Phil's bag at Xunta albergue so he carried it another shorter day before we could book at a private place which accepted bags and had a pick up point listed.

I don't know how this bag in the photo got left here...

 

[J Willhaus]

If you see the sign of the yellow man on the side of the albergue, you will know it is HosVol staffed. See the first photo in this thread for an example.

Yes, of course, we have them memorized as well as others which staff with volunteers, but that would not be obvious for first time or even veteran pilgrims who are not involved in volunteering. Sorry, but as I mentioned above they should not be on the list for pickup and drop off. We have had pilgrims go searching through the town for their bags...

 

[Molly Cassidy]

When you ship, you must go online or call the day before by a certain time.

Presumably if you just pick up an envelop in an albergue you don't have to do this.

 

[dougfitz]

Presumably if you just pick up an envelop in an albergue you don't have to do this.

I doubt that is a safe assumption. If no-one staying at a particular albergue has booked a pickup, why would the company bother stopping there on the morning collection run?

 

[Kirkie]

For those people who choose to send their bags forward via a transport service and who are staying in Municipal or Parochial albergues (that accept bags).

The photo below is of a bag which has been forwarded and the albergue doesn't open until 13:00.

The photo was taken at 11:30.

View attachment 151692

Fortunately, people are reasonably honest in small Spanish villages.

Good post. Many ways to respond!
As someone recently attached to a donativo albergue but not as hospitalera, I was addressed by the Jacotrans guy, telling me he had left one bag. I was busy, nodded and we each carried on with our own business. Locally, and it is very local - nobody passes that albergue unseen, or without a legitimate reason for being in the vicinity. If the hospitaleros, most very experienced, see the bags they might take them into the porch if it is raining.
Now to the persons who send bags there in particular. I have no idea how many even know of this forum! Those who send to the albergue I refer to may or may not phone, but when they do arrive, if there is a bed, they get one. If there is not, they have a problem of their own making and have to resolve it. The bag transport company picks up bags that pilgrims leave properly labelled.
As for Hosvol regulations: hospitaleros must do their best to comply, but also to be compassionate. Cunning as the fox and gentle as the dove... I also know those regulations as I am a Hosvol volunteer in receipt of the Boletin...
The other day, a quick decision was taken, regarding two young guys who may have been chancing their arm re status, but really headed to the fiestas close by! They were given the benfit of the doubt - a wise decision in my view.
Isn't it amazing how many angles there are to any situation?
Thanks again, OP for raising the topic.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I don't know how this bag in the photo got left her

I am not sure why you persist along this line that has got nothing to do with the original post.

As I have already stated, quite clearly, this albergue does allow bags to be dropped off and it has a selection of new envelopes that allow a person to send a bag on and this is exactly what the bag owner did this morning.

People who send their bags to albergues that don't open until the afternoon need to realise that in many cases, like this one, their bag will sit out in the open at least until the albergue opens and in this case was left outside until the owner turned up to claim it.