ALSO... do I really need to call ahead for an alberge to make a reservation? Or just line-up outside? Seems like there's different kinds.
laguirre,
You can reserve in private albergues but not in municipal ones.
Be sure to check out the
BikeLine site; they provide a list of albergues which are especially bicycle friendly and do accept reservations.
Since you are an architect you may be interested in my personal inventory of monasteries along the CF which accept pilgrims. Amongst these are successful and poor examples of architectural adaptive re-use, retro fitting and contemporary additions. Much to view and ponder. For location info and basic photos see the Eroski site
Etapas and albergues . For more personal comments and /or photos see each location as cited in my
Camino Gazetteer. For more info on Benedictine monasteries see
here.
Roncevalles, three albergues; the new, the old and the winter, in monastery structures
Trinidad de Arre, in a monastery garden
Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Nuestra Sra. de la Anunciacion, in monastery
Carrion de los Condes, monasterio de Santa Clara, in monastery wing
Carrion de los Condes, albergue Espiritu Santo, in monastery wing
Sahagun, albergue de las Madres Benedictinas, in monastery
Leon, albergue del monasterio de las Benedictinas (Carbajalas), in monastery
Carracedo del Monasterio, albergue, in monastery grounds
Samos, Albergue del Monasterio de Samos, in monastery wing
Sarria, albergue Monasterio de la Magdalena, in monastery wing
Two other monasteries which are not listed on the Eroski cited cite above are
Rabanal del Camino, San Salvador de Monte Irago monastery
at this site
and north of Melide, Sobrado dos Monxes, Santa Maria do Sobrado monastery
at this site
Happy pedaling and Buen Camino,
Margaret Meredith