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Just a heads up to pilgrims on the CF route going through Los Arcos..
There is a small tienda on the way going through the small town that looks quite enticing through the window with a selection of cakes and bakery items..
I got stung again this year as indeed happened to me in 2016 the last time I passed through here.. Gross and blatant overcharging to pilgrims.. As the saying goes: Sting me once, Shame on you, Sting me twice, Shame on me. So this time it's my bad, hopefully those wiser than me will be forewarned...
Do please explain. You were ‘stung’ how? For instance, did they say a coffee was 2 euros and they charged you for 5? Please tell.Just a heads up to pilgrims on the CF route going through Los Arcos..
There is a small tienda on the way going through the small town that looks quite enticing through the window with a selection of cakes and bakery items..
I got stung again this year as indeed happened to me in 2016 the last time I passed through here.. Gross and blatant overcharging to pilgrims.. As the saying goes: Sting me once, Shame on you, Sting me twice, Shame on me. So this time it's my bad, hopefully those wiser than me will be forewarned...
It is true what Plato says. There are some places that charge pilgrims inflated prices. I could name several, especially in Fromista and Ledigos. The Camino has for centuries had a certain fame for crooked innkeepers and barmen. Judging from the reports from medieval times, we can maybe be happy to escape with our lives!
I hate being ripped-off, too. I think Plato was trying to help us.
I also hate being ripped off but a few more details (without being too detailed) would have helped and the warning better understood.It is true what Plato says. There are some places that charge pilgrims inflated prices. I could name several, especially in Fromista and Ledigos. The Camino has for centuries had a certain fame for crooked innkeepers and barmen. Judging from the reports from medieval times, we can maybe be happy to escape with our lives!
I hate being ripped-off, too. I think Plato was trying to help us.
I have to say, while sadly I have not been in Spain for nearly two years, in the past everything on the Camino always seemed inexpensive or at at least good value to meRip-off - what exactly does it mean, though, in this case of an unnamed bakery in Los Arcos?
That they sell bocadillos with ham and cheese for €2.90 to the locals and for €3.50 to the pilgrims? Or that they sell them for €3.50 to everyone and expecting that only pilgrims will buy them anyway?
Please enlighten us so that we are in the right frame of mind should we approach this bakery in the future and not be able to just walk past it.
Note: I don't know how much a ham & cheese sandwich ought to cost these days in Los Arcos, I don't even pay much attention to the price and anyway, I usually ask for a bocadillo with lomo and sometimes they have to make it for me.
Well then, why the post? For all the times I get pilgrim prices (€10 beds, hot showers, inexpensive meals, an albergue owner's or hospitalero's random generosity), I'll gladly get "gouged" a little. But, I'm curious what constitutes gross and blatant...are we talking a €10 coffee or a €15 slice of tortilla?Shame on you, Sting me twice, Shame on me.
Well then, why the post? For all the times I get pilgrim prices (€10 beds, hot showers, inexpensive meals, an albergue owner's or hospitalero's random generosity), I'll gladly get "gouged" a little. But, I'm curious what constitutes gross and blatant...are we talking a €10 coffee or a €15 slice of tortilla?
Having just returned from nearly 2 years in Indonesia, the local price and bule (tourist/westerner) price very much exists. Even if you're a bule who speaks the language and has lived there for 20 years, plan on experiencing "harga bule", not "harga lokal" (bule price vs. local price) on a semi-regular basis...that is, unless you're a fierce negotiator. And yes, I know Spain is different than Indonesia, but you get my drift.
It's not personal.
What a wonderful story! It cheered me up. I too remember many unexpected kind acts like this. Once I stayed at a hostal called El Convento de Foncebadon in Foncebadon. I got there around 4 pm buy my daughter who slept in did not show up until 8 pm and it was getting dark. Of course I was worried. The husband/hostal owner volunteered and drove me up and down the trail looking for her. (This particular walking trail was on the right side of the road and was visible from the road). Finally his wife called him to inform that my daughter had arrived. It was after 10 pm by then but the owners opened kitchen to make dinner for us. We ordered 2 steaks. The wife said one would be enough, and yes the steak was huge enough for two and delicious. Why didn't they just sell 2 instead of suggesting to order only one? They were looking out for pilgrims. They certainly didn't have to do any of it. I am looking forward to seeing them again, hopefully soon.In 2018; Somewhere before Villafranca del Bierzo we stopped in a popular bakery to get a bagette for the trail. The clerk handed over 2 bagettes and my wife said 'No, I only ordered one'. The clerk replied, "You're Pereginos, you get 2 for the price of one". And yes, we ate them both.View attachment 109280
Just thought I'd throw in a happy story!
I understand that a lot of pilgrims are on a budget. But if you can't factor in tourist pricing, can't accept that you definitely have more disposable income than a shopkeeper in a small town during COVID, don't see your privilege staring you in the face as you board planes and trains to have your 'spiritual experience'...that doesn't sound like a pilgrim heart to me.
I think I know the place being described. My recollection was that the proprietor was a polite, businesslike woman who carefully indicated in advance the price of her individual items and checked to be sure I was okay with the cost. I made my selections and was happy to be able to buy them for my lunch. My sense was that she was being careful to avoid angry surprises from peregrinos who were wanting to pay less or expecting to pay less. My memory was that the food items were not cheap but also were in line with what I paid in many other spots along the Camino.Just a heads up to pilgrims on the CF route going through Los Arcos..
There is a small tienda on the way going through the small town that looks quite enticing through the window with a selection of cakes and bakery items..
I got stung again this year as indeed happened to me in 2016 the last time I passed through here.. Gross and blatant overcharging to pilgrims.. As the saying goes: Sting me once, Shame on you, Sting me twice, Shame on me. So this time it's my bad, hopefully those wiser than me will be forewarned...
I stay in a private room at this Convento …Foncebadon (non religious) whenever we come through. They are kind, terrific people, indeed!What a wonderful story! It cheered me up. I too remember many unexpected kind acts like this. Once I stayed at a hostal called El Convento de Foncebadon in Foncebadon. I got there around 4 pm buy my daughter who slept in did not show up until 8 pm and it was getting dark. Of course I was worried. The husband/hostal owner volunteered and drove me up and down the trail looking for her. (This particular walking trail was on the right side of the road and was visible from the road). Finally his wife called him to inform that my daughter had arrived. It was after 10 pm by then but the owners opened kitchen to make dinner for us. We ordered 2 steaks. The wife said one would be enough, and yes the steak was huge enough for two and delicious. Why didn't they just sell 2 instead of suggesting to order only one? They were looking out for pilgrims. They certainly didn't have to do any of it. I am looking forward to seeing them again, hopefully soon.
lol— I had the same experience in Cairo with a couple of locals. It cost me a few Egyptian pounds and a bit of pride. Later I turned the experience into a newspaper column about a whole range of travel experiences including getting conned, being given meals and gifts by locals, and all the surprising kindnesses that mean so much when traveling alone and far from home. My writing earned me a few hundred dollars, so I learned a lesson and made some money that I happily spent on the road. lol! The Camino provides.If you stand in front of the main Cathedral in Leon and look across the square, right opposite and on the corner is a cafe/bar. I stopped there with a friend for a beer in 2019 and were joined by 3 young pelegrinos that we knew from the Camino walking. We all drank beer. Suddenly the 3 young people got up and walked away. Later, I asked the waitress if they had paid. They had not so I did. Sadly, I watched out for that all the way to Santiago and witnessed it more than once.
I was just in this little pastelería two days ago (I am in Navarette today), and I could not have been more impressed with the lady behind the counter. She was so friendly and explained the food she had, and baked pastries. I went twice that day and remember once previously in 2018 in the morning. It's unfortunate you had such a bad experience (twice) as mine was the polar opposite and I would recommend it to everyone passing through. The pastries and sandwiches were perfect for this Peregrino.Just a heads up to pilgrims on the CF route going through Los Arcos..
There is a small tienda on the way going through the small town that looks quite enticing through the window with a selection of cakes and bakery items..
I got stung again this year as indeed happened to me in 2016 the last time I passed through here.. Gross and blatant overcharging to pilgrims.. As the saying goes: Sting me once, Shame on you, Sting me twice, Shame on me. So this time it's my bad, hopefully those wiser than me will be forewarned...
Not sure about the rest of the world but right now everything is more expensive than usual in the US (a combination of many things, less workers, higher wages to attract them, higher gas prices/less truck drivers more cost, extra cost to do extra cleaning per covid requirements etc). Just this morning the grocery clerk and I noted how prices have gone up. Businesses have been struggling to keep from closing for the last 18 months. I expect this won’t end anytime soon, and if businesses close then supply/demand will drive prices even higher.
Here’s hoping for affordable coffee and tortilla for all, I wish I were walking
Agree...so simple, especially since it was the second time around.Ask for the price before you order if you can't see a price tag/list. Then there won't be any surprises and you can simply say "no, gracias" and walk away if you think it's too expensive
I lived in a tourist driven city, and a local bar was to me just the local place I often ate. a general was a friend of mine from back in the days we were nobody’s (I was still nobody). He visited the city on business and I met him for lunch at the bar—it has the best crab cakes and crab bisque of anywhere and the general was hooked. A year or so later he was back and wanted more crab cakes. We met at the bar but it was a game day and packed. The owner came over and told my friend “you’re lucky you’re with Sparrow or I’d have to turn you away (I’m sure not realizing who my friend was or how high in the food chain)” as he led us to a table. I reminded him often after that that he was lucky he knew me.In a fairly touristy part of the UK where I live many of the pubs have varying degrees of dual-pricing, with locals often getting some kind of discount - occasionally formalised with a ‘discount card’ - but often just by being known to provide custom during the long dark winter months.
It occasionally does cause offence.
Last time I was in Spain and relaxing with a glass or two of orujo for medicinal purposes (at @Tincatinkers behest) with a small aged local, we ended up buying each other a few drinks. We were charged the same price, but whilst my glass was ‘standard’ sized, his resembled a bucket.
Im in Fromista now, waiting on my early dinnerIt is true what Plato says. There are some places that charge pilgrims inflated prices. I could name several, especially in Fromista and Ledigos. The Camino has for centuries had a certain fame for crooked innkeepers and barmen. Judging from the reports from medieval times, we can maybe be happy to escape with our lives!
I hate being ripped-off, too. I think Plato was trying to help us.
My thoughts exactly, Jenny.I have to say, while sadly I have not been in Spain for nearly two years, in the past everything on the Camino always seemed inexpensive or at at least good value to me
Im in Fromista now, waiting on my early dinnerit's €14 for a two course 'pilgrim' meal with wine, but I'm fine with that, the menu is varied from the norm. I can always move on if I didn't like the price. Oops, wine has arrived, looks like I'm stopping
Plato,Just a heads up to pilgrims on the CF route going through Los Arcos..
There is a small tienda on the way going through the small town that looks quite enticing through the window with a selection of cakes and bakery items..
I got stung again this year as indeed happened to me in 2016 the last time I passed through here.. Gross and blatant overcharging to pilgrims.. As the saying goes: Sting me once, Shame on you, Sting me twice, Shame on me. So this time it's my bad, hopefully those wiser than me will be forewarned...
Plato,
Thanks for your “heads up“. I feel like I have to apologize for all the people out there who have minimized your effort to give them a heads up. Apparently some people don’t know what it means. It’s simply a warning. It’s simply a suggestion. It’s simply a be advised type of comment.
I also appreciate your refusal to smear this vendor with details that they could not defend against. Further details are not important. You told us enough that if I were to walk through this town and saw that establishment I could choose to go in or not. If I chose to go in I might be a little more careful than normal. That’s it.
So you went in a second time. So what. It doesn’t matter why. Maybe you forgot about this place until it was too late and then you remembered the same thing happened previously. AND you accepted responsibility for the second occasion.
For anyone to insinuate (in any way whatsoever) that if you had been just a little nicer, things may have turned out well, is in fact a judgment on your actions which they know absolutely nothing about.
Again, thanks for the heads up. Just as a note, I returned home last night from my Camino and volunteering two weeks in the pilgrim office. Aside from my first Camino, this has been my best Camino for a variety of reasons. I met some great pilgrims, I felt I grew, and I felt God worked through me to help others along the way.
My only regret is that I didn’t get to meet Ivar!
Buen Camino!
Brilliant. Ain't that the truth.We spend thousands on kit, thousands on air fares, and, in some cases hundreds on paradors and restaurants but complain about a few extra euros in a cake shop. Wake up and smell the coffee, a little perspective is needed here.
@Plato seems like things have gone a bit off the rails with this thread - just my opinion. While it was not clear what had happened for you at the bakery, I’m sure your intentions were good for the benefit of fellow pilgrims and you would not have expected your post to create such a furore.
I’m finding myself becoming pretty cautious about posting an opinion on the forum (this post included) due to the often disproportionate backlash I see to some posts - again, just my observation.
Wishing you well for the rest of your Way
Buen Camino
Jenny, you know I enjoy your posts...hang in there and don't give up...your posts are appreciated!I’m finding myself becoming pretty cautious about posting an opinion on the forum (this post included) due to the often disproportionate backlash I see to some posts - again, just my observation.
Gracias Chrissy! You can see why I’m not on Facebook.Jenny, you know I enjoy your posts...hang in there and don't give up...your posts are appreciated!
Me neither for a variety of reasons...I think probably why I spend so much time on this forum.Gracias Chrissy! You can see why I’m not on Facebook..
Amen!Brilliant. Ain't that the truth.
I would say from the writing that after a few years people may forget or, perhaps even better, they give the tender another chance. That's what I would say. Oh, andyou would be happy to "blah, blah, blah", but that doesn't mean we all have to be happy to do the same, I hope. Remember, not just businesses have suffered during this but individuals as well. And I'm sure the poster is grateful, just like you, that is, for the ones that don't try and screw others who have also suffered the same.Curious - if you had such a horrible experience the first time, why return a second? As for overpricing - hard to know and impossible to comment if you don't explain what you consider overpricing. In these times...well... every business along the the camino will most surely have come through some very tough times and I would be happy to support them and be grateful that they have been able to either stay open or re-open and be available for pilgrims.
That's great. This person, however, felt they weren't treated "quite fairly" by the business they warned us all about.I love Los Arcos and I have always been treated quite fairly there.
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