- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances
SJPP to SdC, 2023
CF, 2024
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I stayed in some places (private albergue, pension) that had a bathtub-- but no drain plug! There was a shower over the tub. I asked the proprietor for a plug but was told "shower only." I've read somewhere that you should bring your own stopper, something that fits over/in different sizes of drains.Okay, you guessed it! I'm OLD... ish!
But bathtubs are the bomb! Get in one of those bad boys and your cares melt away....oops wait a minute! That's what's supposed to happen ON the Camino!
(trying again...)
Ahhhh, bathtubs! Get in one of those bad boys and all your muscle pain disappears from your Camino travails of the day!
Sadly, my very-written-guidebook doesn't have any arrows or any advice on where these sacred treasures may be found, so I'm reaching out to you, the amazing Forum Sages, for help and advice!
About bathtubs, most of the rooms in Hotel España in Lugo have bathtubs, with drain plugs. But the tubs are rather small. They will still comfort stiff joints after a long walk. And the price is right: €40 a night in an older hotel.A Airbnb / appartment can also be a good source of a bathtub. Just a bit of work to sort thru the pictures, but i was lucky to find one a few times in 2019. Prices have been compareable to hotel rooms then, but risen significantly when i was walking this year, so keep that in mind (but likely still less than a 300€ hotel)
My father talks about bathing once a week on Saturday so they would be clean for Sunday church. They had a cistern and water was very precious so his mother and two sisters would bath in the water first and then he and his dad would bath in the same water after the three of them were done....The only place I remember seeing a bath tub in a municipal refugio was at Santa Irene (between Arzúa a Monte do Gozo) but that had no plugs and I'd be surprised if filling it didn't drain off all the hot water making the bather very unpopular with everybody else.
Personally I've never been a fan of wallowing in dirty water (essentially diluted sewage - think about it) and then having to shower afterwards to get clean!
Bathtubs, pools, AC…You will find on the Camino that bathtubs are luxuries and not essentials.
I once found an albergue that actually had a bathtub, and I was one of the first to check in for the night, and I was so tempted to fill that tub, and go deep into the realm of happiness… But then I remembered others coming in would certainly love to have a hot shower so I didn’t do it. I took my hot shower, then greeted the pilgrims that did come inOkay, you guessed it! I'm OLD... ish!
But bathtubs are the bomb! Get in one of those bad boys and your cares melt away....oops wait a minute! That's what's supposed to happen ON the Camino!
(trying again...)
Ahhhh, bathtubs! Get in one of those bad boys and all your muscle pain disappears from your Camino travails of the day!
Sadly, my very-well-written-guidebook doesn't have any arrows or any advice on where these sacred treasures may be found, so I'm reaching out to you, the amazing Forum Sages, for help and advice!
I just love it if you strike a good strong hot shower. It Immediately drains the aches away starting from your head. Aaaaaargh.Okay, you guessed it! I'm OLD... ish!
But bathtubs are the bomb! Get in one of those bad boys and your cares melt away....oops wait a minute! That's what's supposed to happen ON the Camino!
(trying again...)
Ahhhh, bathtubs! Get in one of those bad boys and all your muscle pain disappears from your Camino travails of the day!
Sadly, my very-well-written-guidebook doesn't have any arrows or any advice on where these sacred treasures may be found, so I'm reaching out to you, the amazing Forum Sages, for help and advice!
No plugOkay, you guessed it! I'm OLD... ish!
But bathtubs are the bomb! Get in one of those bad boys and your cares melt away....oops wait a minute! That's what's supposed to happen ON the Camino!
(trying again...)
Ahhhh, bathtubs! Get in one of those bad boys and all your muscle pain disappears from your Camino travails of the day!
Sadly, my very-well-written-guidebook doesn't have any arrows or any advice on where these sacred treasures may be found, so I'm reaching out to you, the amazing Forum Sages, for help and advice!
I agree, Jenny. That hotel in Burgos was my final destination last year, when I spent 2 wonderful weeks walking with my grandson. I certainly enjoyed a soak whilst he gently snored in the bedroom. Very reasonable and we certainly enjoyed the buffet breakfast.What bliss a long soak in a bathtub is!
Hotel Norte y Londres in Burgos has bathtubs in most of the rooms as far as I know. I vaguely recall having a conversation about the bathtubs with the hotel staff one time when I was staying there.
Hotel Astur Plaza in Astorga also has bathtubs, as does Hotel Cuidad de Compostela in Santiago de Compostela.
BTW - they’re all terrific, reasonably priced hotels who also do a great buffet breakfast.
I’m looking forward to hearing from other Forum members so I can get a list going for a future CF camino!
Cheers from Oz -
Jenny
That sounds wonderful. Is it about the same walking distance to SDC?If you really want a treat, hop on the train at Sarria, a quick trip to Ourense, and experience the joys of natural hot springs....Guaranteed to soak away all the grime, dead skin, painful aches and pains. Then walk to SDC from Ourense instead of Sarria. Or take the train back to Sarria.
My dad used to tell us the same. He added that, even though they didn't bathe every day, their mother would make them wash their feet each night before going to bed. (They were farmers.)My father talks about bathing once a week on Saturday so they would be clean for Sunday church. They had a cistern and water was very precious so his mother and two sisters would bath in the water first and then he and his dad would bath in the same water after the three of them were done....
Yes so was my father's family.My dad used to tell us the same. He added that, even though they didn't bathe every day, their mother would make them wash their feet each night before going to bed. (They were farmers.)
They are a great comfort, but Spain has huge issues with watershortages and we must do our part not to make that worse for the locals. Baths use sooo much water. Often there are water restrictions in place. Many showers only run for a minute at a time then turn off for that reason. The routine is get wet, soap while shower off, rinse.Okay, you guessed it! I'm OLD... ish!
But bathtubs are the bomb! Get in one of those bad boys and your cares melt away....oops wait a minute! That's what's supposed to happen ON the Camino!
(trying again...)
Ahhhh, bathtubs! Get in one of those bad boys and all your muscle pain disappears from your Camino travails of the day!
Sadly, my very-well-written-guidebook doesn't have any arrows or any advice on where these sacred treasures may be found, so I'm reaching out to you, the amazing Forum Sages, for help and advice!
So many showers in the private rooms I stayed in (albergues, hotels, casas rurales, etc.) were treacherous! Some of them were raised about 12 inches higher than the rest of the bathroom. Slippery tile floors, glass shower doors and surrounds, plus stepping in and out and up and down, and NO grab bars. A few times I used one of the towels for the bottom of the slick shower, and another for the area just outside. Fortunately, they're not all like that, but there don't seem to be building codes about bathroom safety design.As a person with a disability, my right leg being in a brace, the ability to step over the top of the lip of the tub is impossible. I have to bucket bath in places like that and be very careful to find showers in other places with handicap grab bars on the wall. Mine is a different world than your is! I have been walking the Camino since 2011 with a slight handicap in my right foot and only became seriously handicapped since my last walk in 2019. I am not one to expect the Camino “to provide” to the handicapped, c’est la vie!
Yes, I remember the cold showers and the bases not draining. I used to stand on my heels to avoid touching the base...baptism by slime and hair...This is an 'ohmigoodness you younguns are so soft' post and is a bit tongue in cheek so I hope you take it as a small bit of history and not any kind of criticism!
I read all of the comments above with interest and a bit of amusement I have to admit. "Back in the day... blah, blah ..' which was really only 20 years ago when I first walked the Camino Frances - many of the showers were not even heated. Seriously - we showered in cold water - usually standing outside the stream and sticking one part in at at time to get clean or at least get the stink off!! Hot showers are such a wonderful luxury - as are hot baths!! I hope you all truly enjoy those luxuries when you find them! Walking all day really helps with that appreciation I find ...
Shower rooms were sometimes mixed gender in those days - especially in Galicia - and I have to admit my first view of a middle-aged man with a large paunch strutting back to his bed dressed in nothing but a fanny pack was a bit startling. Thinking about it again, I'm still not sure why he was quite so pleased with himself ...?
Thank you Kanga for the tip about the hot springs at Ourense. I'll definitely head that way on my next camino in the spring. I'm 79 now so those hot springs are going to feel extra special to my old bones!!
Camino hugs to you all!
One of the great joys of walking the Shikoku circuit and the Kumano Kodo in Japan was the hot spring bathing. In February I visited one of the hot springs in Ourense. The one I chose was the only one still open at the time - COVID precautions had shut the others. An excellent experience too. Trying hard to be like a Japanese onsen but with two main differences: swimwear was mandatory and the bathing was mixed-sex. Those two things might well be relatedThank you Kanga for the tip about the hot springs at Ourense. I'll definitely head that way on my next camino in the spring. I'm 79 now so those hot springs are going to feel extra special to my old bones!!
I thought about it Jeff, but still don't get the diluted sewage reference. If you fill from a tap then you are using the mains water supply, which also provides drinking water.The only place I remember seeing a bath tub in a municipal refugio was at Santa Irene (between Arzúa a Monte do Gozo) but that had no plugs and I'd be surprised if filling it didn't drain off all the hot water making the bather very unpopular with everybody else.
Personally I've never been a fan of wallowing in dirty water (essentially diluted sewage - think about it) and then having to shower afterwards to get clean!
My mom was also raised on a farm. I was one of five siblings. Growing up as a child we only had a Saturday night bath in prepation for Sunday church; all sharing the same water.Yes so was my father's family.
They did wash their face and hands, etc. Daily. In later years, they got access to a spring and had the water piped in so as grandkids we never had the "shared" bathwater experience.
Perhaps the “avoid wallowing in your own effluvia” concept whereby in Japan, many near eastern countries and even Ancient Rome the idea was that you washed thoroughly before you got in the bath. A good and close friend in my past would insist I washed my feet before joining her in the tub.I thought about it Jeff, but still don't get the diluted sewage reference. If you fill from a tap then you are using the mains water supply, which also provides drinking water.
Take it from a retired civil engineer - domestic sewage is about 99% bath waste/laundry water/kitchen waste the rest is human excreta and urine.I thought about it Jeff, but still don't get the diluted sewage reference. If you fill from a tap then you are using the mains water supply, which also provides drinking water.
Yes, it is a good alternate route to comply with the 100km rule to get a compostela.That sounds wonderful. Is it about the same walking distance to SDC?
Thanks, Kanga. I'll have to read up about it. I hadn't known about natural hot springs in northern SpainYes, it is a good alternate route to comply with the 100km rule to get a compostela.
Happened to me too. Issue was electricity was expensive to heat it, plus the tank did not hold enough for 6 of us to bathe in fresh water.My father talks about bathing once a week on Saturday so they would be clean for Sunday church. They had a cistern and water was very precious so his mother and two sisters would bath in the water first and then he and his dad would bath in the same water after the three of them were done....
As we were walking through town, getting ready for the decision of albergue, we passed a hotel where the guy offered us a pilgrim special, a queen size bed and bath tub.
Hard yes I said, and when we got to the room, my wife was a little surprised when I said I wanted a picture of her in the bath tub!View attachment 136829
I enjoyed a long soak in the bath here in 2020 while drinking a bottle of cold beer. Hot bath and cold beer = pilgrim heaven.On day 6 of my 2015 Camino I stayed at the Hotel Paladin de Pujadas in Viana. My right hip was killing me, so I decided to treat myself to a night in a hotel and a room with a tub. I had a good long soak and woke the next day feeling like a million bucks. It was definitely worth it.
Waiting to start discussion in which Hotel, Restaurant or other accommodation the toilet paper has 2,3 or 4 layers.
...especially at a time when we are short of energy in Europe.You will find on the Camino that bathtubs are luxuries and not essentials.
We are all entitled to our different opinions and preferences, of course. However, Jeff, I would guess that you never played rugby and leapt into a huge bath with up to twenty-nine other muddy and sweaty chaps after a dirty winter game. Wallowing in your own 'dirty water' seems positively wholesome and therapeutic to those for whom that has been a regular experience.The only place I remember seeing a bath tub in a municipal refugio was at Santa Irene (between Arzúa a Monte do Gozo) but that had no plugs and I'd be surprised if filling it didn't drain off all the hot water making the bather very unpopular with everybody else.
Personally I've never been a fan of wallowing in dirty water (essentially diluted sewage - think about it) and then having to shower afterwards to get clean!
No, both our school gym and the changing room at our playing fields were equipped with showers - after all I did grow up in the latter half of the 20th century not the 19th!We are all entitled to our different opinions and preferences, of course. However, Jeff, I would guess that you never played rugby and leapt into a huge bath with up to twenty-nine other muddy and sweaty chaps after a dirty winter game. Wallowing in your own 'dirty water' seems positively wholesome and therapeutic to those for whom that has been a regular experience.
When camping I always used to carry a universal plug that stayed in place due to the gravity of the water above it. It was for washing clothes at campsites and invariably used to get dislodged with me agitating the clothes. I only shower, I have never used my own bathtub (alone) in the 12 years I have owned my house.No plug
No problem
stick a sock, preferably a light one in the plug hole
works a treat
We always use the same bath water and I always get first dibs!
e
We pulled out our bathtub many years ago and long before the water meters came In favour of a large showerWhen camping I always used to carry a universal plug that stayed in place due to the gravity of the water above it. It was for washing clothes at campsites and invariably used to get dislodged with me agitating the clothes. I only shower, I have never used my own bathtub (alone) in the 12 years I have owned my house.
LOL... when I really needed to soak my aching back muscles I would lay in one of these with my feet straight up on the wall! Hey - whatever it takes to ease back pan, right?
I love the UK and EU bathtubs as they are muchWe pulled out our bathtub many years ago and long before the water meters came In favour of a large shower
I do miss the odd soak now and then so finding a bath is a real luxury
However as time moves on, the shower is ideal
as getting into the bath is ok….getting out might be a different matter !
You’d be surprised Chrissy!I love the UK and EU bathtubs as they are much
l o n g e r than our standard US tubs and you can submerge yourself and stretch out your legs completely; well if you are 5'4" anyway.
Annette, I doubt you would struggle getting in and out of a bathtub with all of the hiking you still do in your Lakes region, Canary Islands, etc. in addition to the various Caminos you and hubby still walk...
you go girl!
Great picture!! Worth a thousand words!!!LOL... when I really needed to soak my aching back muscles I would lay in one of these with my feet straight up on the wall! Hey - whatever it takes to ease back pan, right?
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