- Time of past OR future Camino
- Too many and too often!
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I like that. With the surge of "pilgrims" especially on popular routes, and when there are shortages of beds, - I personally think that more clarity from the proper authorities is good. Otherwise, the "pilgrims" begin to speculate and come up with their own definitions of who is a "pilgrim" and who is more deserving of a bed.FICS does not mince words. They are quite vocal about what they believe a pilgrim is and isn't.
I totally understand that. I do like the idea of more clarity as stated above - especially for access of the municipal and religious albergues which often don't accept reservations. Similar thought process to yours.I don’t particularly like the pilgrim vs tourist distinction because I don’t think it is necessary or productive. It just serves to give people a sense of superiority over others, which in my mind should not be part of a pilgrimage. However, as someone who will transport a bag, I am fully supportive of some places prohibiting it. Given all the recent discussions about bed availability and the effect booking ahead has had, I think there should be places reserved only for those who want to wing it and not plan ahead. There should be options to suit all walking strategies.
I don’t particularly like the pilgrim vs tourist distinction because I don’t think it is necessary or productive. It just serves to give people a sense of superiority over others, which in my mind should not be part of a pilgrimage. However, as someone who will transport a bag, I am fully supportive of some places prohibiting it. Given all the recent discussions about bed availability and the effect booking ahead has had, I think there should be places reserved only for those who want to wing it and not plan ahead. There should be options to suit all walking strategies.
The FICS managed albergue where we worked last summer did not accept pilgrims who received vehicle support meaning you should be walking and carrying your own pack.The Federation’s requirement will include ‘rucksacks only’ and also the need to carry one’s ‘own sleeping bag’; which seems sensible given that they are necessary for their albergues.
There is no mention in the article as to whether the prospective peregrino need turn up carrying the rucksack or have it delivered; but I could hazard a guess.
My early Camino experience predates both luggage transfer services and reservations. Sadly I have to recognise that both of those things are here to stay - at least on the Frances - but that doesn't mean that I have to pretend to welcome the fact. Walking the Frances in September 2016 the number of huge suitcases outside albergues was jarring. For me the process of stripping my "necessities" to a minimum is an important part of a pilgrimage. Unless you have unusual and very specific personal requirements a summer/autumn Camino using albergues allows you to carry a tiny load - well within the physical limits of most people who can walk an average 20km stage. I feel that the ever-growing luggage transfer industry is parasitic - preying on the fears of those who have never walked long-distance before.Yes… lots of opinions on this topic. I hold two distinct views - one is my “theoretical” view that me making judgements of others and the way they do their camino doesn’t add anything useful to my own; the other, which comes from arriving at albergues after a long day of walking, making my way past a massive stack of (presumably pre-delivered) suitcases, and being told that the place, in spite of currently being almost empty, is fully booked for the evening.
My early Camino experience predates both luggage transfer services and reservations. Sadly I have to recognise that both of those things are here to stay - at least on the Frances - but that doesn't mean that I have to pretend to welcome the fact. Walking the Frances in September 2016 the number of huge suitcases outside albergues was jarring. For me the process of stripping my "necessities" to a minimum is an important part of a pilgrimage. Unless you have unusual and very specific personal requirements a summer/autumn Camino using albergues allows you to carry a tiny load - well within the physical limits of most people who can walk an average 20km stage. I feel that the ever-growing luggage transfer industry is parasitic - preying on the fears of those who have never walked long-distance before.
Some years ago my friend Johnnie Walker went to Japan and walked the Shikoku 88 temple circuit. He posted about it on his personal blog at the time. The very first response was a question - Is there a luggage transfer service? Because otherwise I'm not interested.For me, the saddest thing is that I see that so many people’s first instinct is to look for the way to make their camino the easiest, the most hassle-free, the most amenities-laden. And then they lose an opportunity to challenge themselves, to see exactly what they can do.
And just how little one really needs. It's an illuminating and freeing revelation..... I do think that the camino gives you a terrific opportunity to see just how very self-reliant you are!
I do almost all my internet browsing through Google Chrome these days. Set by default to translate to English. From all sorts of languages. Does a surprisingly good job on Korean and Japanese. Way back in the 1980s I did a university course in Computer Science and had to write an essay on the largely theoretical idea of machine translation of human languages. Glad to see it is working better than I predicted at the time! A friend in 1989 tried to explain a research project going on in Switzerland involving hyperlinks and something called the World Wide Web. Sounded like Star Trek fiction at the time. I wonder how that worked out....So for those who didn't translate the article and don't read Spanish, there's several things here the group met and discussed.
The only problem with this is that sometimes, due to injury, a pilgrim may need to ship their bag ahead and I would hate for an injured pilgrim to be turned away because their backpack was forwarded in order for them to be able to keep walking.The FICS managed albergue where we worked last summer did not accept pilgrims who received vehicle support meaning you should be walking and carrying your own pack.
This one I like - but can't imagine how hard it must be to do. Unless they are going to have significantly more policia policing the paths.... seems like an impossible task to make any headway to reduce graffiti or other defacement on the Camino.One is to prosecute people who deface the Camino.
On the couple of occasions when injury has halted my Camino journeys I have stopped in an albergue until I have been well enough to continue or to travel home. In the latter case I returned at a later date to resume my journey from the same place. I cannot imagine a situation when I would send my bag ahead. If I am in such a poor physical condition that I am unable to carry the trivial amount of gear necessary for an albergue-based Camino then I should be at home recuperating rather than "soldiering on" on a Camino.The only problem with this is that sometimes, due to injury, a pilgrim may need to ship their bag ahead and I would hate for an injured pilgrim to be turned away because their backpack was forwarded in order for them to be able to keep walking.
Certainly I would try to help a pilgrim find refuge if we could not provide it. Its only 11 albergues. If you need to ship your bag then you should send it somewhere that doesn't have this restriction.The only problem with this is that sometimes, due to injury, a pilgrim may need to ship their bag ahead and I would hate for an injured pilgrim to be turned away because their backpack was forwarded in order for them to be able to keep walking.
This one I like - but can't imagine how hard it must be to do. Unless they are going to have significantly more policia policing the paths.... seems like an impossible task to make any headway to reduce graffiti or other defacement on the Camino.
Some years ago my friend Johnnie Walker went to Japan and walked the Shikoku 88 temple circuit. He posted about it on his personal blog at the time. The very first response was a question - Is there a luggage transfer service? Because otherwise I'm not interested.
There are plenty of places that do accept transferred bags where injured pilgrims can stay.The only problem with this is that sometimes, due to injury, a pilgrim may need to ship their bag ahead and I would hate for an injured pilgrim to be turned away because their backpack was forwarded in order for them to be able to keep walking.
The long standing exception to that particular rule is pilgrims with a disability.The FICS managed albergue where we worked last summer did not accept pilgrims who received vehicle support meaning you should be walking and carrying your own pack.
They do, but this doesn't read like it was from FICS. It sounded more like the Spanish Federation of Associations of Friends of the Camino de Santiago has made this decision.FICS does not mince words. They are quite vocal about what they believe a pilgrim is and isn't.
The pilgrim travels with his belongings in a backpack, the tourist with his suitcase, which makes no sense on a natural path that is done on foot, by bike or on horseback.
The credential clearly states, albeit in Spanish:I don’t read Spanish, but does it say if someone is able to send a backpack forward to these albergues? Just not suitcases?
Please be careful. You have attributed to another forum member a quote that was in the newpaper article. These were not her words, and you shouldn't be suggesting they were.Please forgive my petty and possibly off-topic quote but I'd like it recorded for posterity.....
Not looking to fire up the usual debate.
Thank you, I appreciate that.Please be careful. You have attributed to another forum member a quote that was in the newpaper article. These were not her words, and you shouldn't be suggesting they were.
He looks tired too but that hill into Astorga is quite tough at the end of the day. Lets not forget with regard to suitcases that some people are 3/4 of a world away from home and the camino is just a part of their tripNot trying to derail the debate, but I seem to remember that there is a statue of an early 20th century pilgrim outside the albergue in Astorga with, that's right. a suitcase. Mind you, he is carrying it via a sturdy leather strap across his chest.
@jeanonthecamino -"The only problem with this is that sometimes, due to injury, a pilgrim may need to ship their bag ahead and I would hate for an injured pilgrim to be turned away because their backpack was forwarded in order for them to be able to keep walking"
I absolutely agree with you. Last year on the Norte my wife got shin splints after three weeks and we had to send her rucksack ahead to reduce the weight on her shin. With daily shin massages all worked out well.
I thought the thread is about a new specific rule for a small set of 11 albergues on the Camino Francés?It's about whether albergues can or should refuse to accept transported suitcases.
It is this statue (see below), right? I thought that it is supposed to be an emigrant. Of course, throughout the centuries there have been all sorts of travellers on this major road from east to west and from west to east and up north. And who would ask a Camino pilgrim “Quo vadis” - “Where are you going to” as the plaque at the foot of the statue says. Isn’t it obvious to all and sundry that the Camino Francés pilgrim goes to Santiago?Not trying to derail the debate, but I seem to remember that there is a statue of an early 20th century pilgrim outside the albergue in Astorga with, that's right. a suitcase. Mind you, he is carrying it via a sturdy leather strap across his chest.
Apparently it does represent a pilgrim. I read that the sculptor lived on the Camino and walking figures feature prominently in a lot of his work. The bronze sculpture was made as a replacement for an earlier piece in plastic which was burned by vandals. His suitcase doesn't look ideal for a walker but I'm sure it had some special significance for the artist!What a strange monument to the peregrino … I would have thought that it is supposed to be an emigrant.
The article cites, in the last paragraph:I thought the thread is about a new specific rule for a small set of 11 albergues on the Camino Francés?
I’d be curious to know which 11 albergues are concerned. And since the name Roncesvalles is mentioned - is Roncesvalles one of these albergues or not? As far as I understand it, Roncesvalles is not “under the direct control” of an Amigos association?
PS: And I’m merely curious - which is why I don’t say what I do personally with the backpacks and suitcases I own.
I noticed that the official title is “El Caminante” and not “El Peregrino” thoughApparently it does represent a pilgrim
It says in post #1 of this thread: Amongst other business the member Amigos associations have decided to ban suitcases in the 11 albergues under their direct control. I am merely curious to know which ones are meant.That's 17 confraternities so applies to all the albergues they control plus FICS, so that's quite a few.
The article says that 11 albergues are affected, but unfortunately doesn't name them. However it does point out that they are among the ones with the largest capacity. No doubt Jacotrans or Correos will inform you if you try to send your suitcase or backpack to one of them. I think the issue here is whether they are justified in taking this action and whether other organisations and albergues will follow suit.It says in post #1 of this thread: Amongst other business the member Amigos associations have decided to ban suitcases in the 11 albergues under their direct control. I am merely curious to know which ones are meant.
Having never used the services of Jacotrans or Correos nor having the intention of doing so in the near future I would not know but this sounds like a reasonable assumption.No doubt Jacotrans or Correos will inform you if you try to send your suitcase or backpack to one of them
But sometimes just removing the extra weight allows you to soldier on... without causing further injury. There are plenty of injuries that can slow you down but aren't quite to the level of needing to halt your journey. But this requires knowing your body and understanding the injury. Knowing when to rest and when to continue and when to continue but ship your bag ahead - well - that can be tricky to know sometimes, but I personally have been able to make those choices successfully. I did ship my bag forward one day when I had an injury, just removing the excess weight allowed me to continue slowly progressing, resting when I needed to rest. I listened to my body and it said I can keep walking, but it would be better to not carry the extra weight. My body was right! I don't consider any amount of extra weight "trivial" - but moreso when an injury is involved.On the couple of occasions when injury has halted my Camino journeys I have stopped in an albergue until I have been well enough to continue or to travel home. In the latter case I returned at a later date to resume my journey from the same place. I cannot imagine a situation when I would send my bag ahead. If I am in such a poor physical condition that I am unable to carry the trivial amount of gear necessary for an albergue-based Camino then I should be at home recuperating rather than "soldiering on" on a Camino.
LOL... I would agree with you. That said - it is still nice to have the option when an injury is involved. I personally think pilgrims should carry their backpacks, but nice to have an option to forward a bag if injured but still able to walk. And there are a few people who truly can only do a Camino with the support of bag transport due to illness/injury/disabilities I simply wouldn't want to see those people disenfranchised from the opportunity to complete a pilgrimage. Funny how my statement about INJURED PEOPLE sparked so much debate.I would absolutely love to see a statistic on how many of those hundreds if not thousands of luggage pieces transported along the camino each day are from people with injuries or other "good reasons" (for lack of a better word).
From what i seen last year my gut says: not many.
LOL... as stated in my original post. I didn't type whatever it was you fixed, I simply copied and pasted chrome browser translation. No apologies needed to me... if chrome browser translation made whatever translation error you corrected... I don't edit things I am copying/pasting/quoting... because then I am not copying/pasting/quoting - I would instead be making my own edits on their statement.Please forgive my petty and possibly off-topic quote but I'd like it recorded for posterity.....
Not looking to fire up the usual debate.
Edited to fix quote apologies to @jeanineonthecamino
This is exactly one of the reasons why I think further clarity would be helpful. Disabilities and injuries should be taken into account when rules are made/changed. But - to be successful, it requires clear guidelines for albergue hosts and pilgrims alike to follow. There are some disabilities/injuries that are more visible than others. Private albergues can do what they want as they are private businesses -but for access to municipal/religious albergues - clarity/guidance in a lot of what is or is not accepted is beneficial.It seems entirely correct that any business can set out the service that they choose to provide, and in this particular case I welcome someone finally getting off the pot and making a stand. (That could be worded better, I admit).
However, the devil’s in the detail. If the associations were to maintain their longstanding principle of making exceptions for those with genuine disabilities, as cited by @JabbaPapa in #28 then how do they decide in advance of the purportedly disabled peregrino arriving? And what is a qualifying disability?
Our night in Rabnal, there was a supposed Bollywood star as rumor had it, with two men supporting her walk. Her suitcases were spread all over the albergue bunks. That's when I started considering that there were many ways to do a Camino!Several news sites today have reported on a meeting of the Camino Francés Federación in Saint Jean Pied de Port. Amongst other business the member Amigos associations have decided to ban suitcases in the 11 albergues under their direct control. A proposal which @Rebekah Scott posted here some months ago.
Las asociaciones del Camino de Santiago prohíben las maletas en los albergues que gestionan sus asociaciones, once en total
Las asociaciones del Camino de Santiago acuerdan ser "beligerantes" con los "atentados" contra la ruta jacaboeawww.noticiasdenavarra.com
Just a thought…. In the beginning when pilgrims started walking to Santiago there were all types of pilgrims, pilgrims that had no means and walked carrying their belongings and then there were pilgrims who had there belongings carried by other people or maybe a donkey… There are all types of pilgrims…My google chrome translated this paragraph:
"We are traditional Jacobean shelters that work for and for the pilgrimage to Santiago. The pilgrim travels with his belongings in a backpack, the tourist with his suitcase, which makes no sense on a natural path that is done on foot, by bike or on horseback. There are other accommodations that meet the needs of a tourist and we do not want to lose the essences that make the Camino de Santiago a unique and global phenomenon", they explain from the Camino Francés Federation.
I find this interesting as there is much debate on what does and does not make a pilgrim. I guess at least the Camino Frances Federation has taken a stand on this particular statement.
Well said!! “What makes one’s journey to Santiago a pilgrimage is not the mode of one’s travel, or level (or lack) of luxury but what is one’s heart when one sets out or when one completes the journey.”I think this reflects the situation that there are many ways to make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, with different degrees of support and amenities. This has always been the case. I very much doubt that when Ferdinand and Isabela made their way on pilgrimage to Santiago, they walked and carried their own things (backpacks not having been invented yet). Nor do I think they (or their nobles who went on pilgrimage) stayed at pilgrim hospices along with the poorest pilgrims. I have no doubt whatsoever that they stayed at fine inns or the homes of fellow nobles. The Camino de Santiago has always provided the complete range.
It continues to, with a range of albergues, casas rurales, hostals, hotels and paradors available to pilgrims. From the outset, albergues were not intended to replace the other options for pilgrims, but to supplement them. And I put that "for pilgrims" in there intentionally. What makes one's journey to Santiago a pilgrimage is not the mode of one's travel, or the level (or lack) of luxury, but what is in one's heart when one sets out and/or when one completes the journey.
That said, just as the fine hotels and paradors have set themselves up to accommodate and support one kind of pilgrim, it makes perfect sense for the FICS albergues to set themselves up to accommodate and support another kind of pilgrim. And not accepting large suitcases is completely consistent with that.
Several news sites today have reported on a meeting of the Camino Francés Federación in Saint Jean Pied de Port. Amongst other business the member Amigos associations have decided to ban suitcases in the 11 albergues under their direct control. A proposal which @Rebekah Scott posted here some months ago.
Las asociaciones del Camino de Santiago prohíben las maletas en los albergues que gestionan sus asociaciones, once en total
Las asociaciones del Camino de Santiago acuerdan ser "beligerantes" con los "atentados" contra la ruta jacaboeawww.noticiasdenavarra.com
I couldn't agree more with you. As always you articulate your thoughts so well and succinctly. There was a time that I was caught up in the definition of what a pilgrim. I have released those thoughts as it is a judgement and is really quite counterproductive. One reason I walk is to clear my mind of needless judgements. It was actually quite freeing to resolve my thoughts by now thinking I could really care less how each person choices to walk. (When it gets right down to it many things we all post here are just, plain and simple judgements. So get rid of them).@Bradypus, your post has sparked something in me, so I will respond, even though I swore I would stay out of this debate.
For me, the saddest thing is that I see that so many people’s first instinct is to look for the way to make their camino the easiest, the most hassle-free, the most amenities-laden. And then they lose an opportunity to challenge themselves, to see exactly what they can do. I see that at home — Yes, you can walk up two flights of stairs and don’t have to take the elevator, but everyone takes the elevator without even trying to walk. And it’s the same on the camino — Yes, you can carry 15 pounds on your back and don’t need jacotrans, but people sign up for jacotrans and don’t even try to push themselves.
There is a huge difference, imho, between suffering and challenging yourself to see what you can do. I don’t think suffering needs to be a part of a camino, but I do think that the camino gives you a terrific opportunity to see just how very self-reliant you are.
Well Dick Bird, you’ve hit the nail on the head!Sorry if this point has already been made, but the issue is not just about who is or isn’t a pilgrim: it’s also about the purpose of an albergue. Albergues exist to help pilgrims who might lack resources or who want to travel in a simple, uncomplicated and perhaps challenging way. Clearly this doesn’t apply to someone who is paying to have a suitcase transported for them. The municipales and donativos are nearly always subsidized by the local community, again not for the sake of the well-resourced traveller. Finally, dealing with luggage puts an extra burden on the hospitaleros who are often volunteers and unpaid. So am I in favour of the suitcase ban? Absolutely.
I am frankly surprised that this is mentioned as a requirement only now. In the Alps, on Alpine huts for mountain walkers, light sleeping bags / liners have been a requirement for hygienic reasons for as long as I remember i.e. at least during the past 50 years. There’s actually a word for it: literally hut sleeping bag. Often a whitish colour and made of cotton.And yes to sleeping bags too.
You're right. FICS has been mentioned several times but FICS is just one of the Camino Associations that make up the new Federation. If I recall, there are about 18.They do, but this doesn't read like it was from FICS. It sounded more like the Spanish Federation of Associations of Friends of the Camino de Santiago has made this decision.
Which municipals accept reservation? This is news to me.Municipals also take reservations and accept luggage transfer. I understand they also keep some beds for people like myself, but I’m not sure how many. I’m all for the ban on cases in some albergues.
The Spanish Federation of Associations of Friends of the Camino de Santiago has a web page explaining their rules of use for shelters and refuges. Here is the page link. I don't think it has yet been updated to reflect the decision to ban suitcases.The Federation’s requirement will include ‘rucksacks only’ and also the need to carry one’s ‘own sleeping bag’; which seems sensible given that they are necessary for their albergues.
There is no mention in the article as to whether the prospective peregrino need turn up carrying the rucksack or have it delivered; but I could hazard a guess.
I read the article and there is no mention of people who transport their backpacks. There are some muni/municipals do do not accept transported backpacks. I carry mine but I do not believe there are many that don't. I am sure others know better than I regarding this subject.While I understand the rationale behind this, it ignores the number of handicapped individuals, including myself, who physically can’t carry a backpack. As someone who has a cage and eight screws holding up my neck, I am blessed to be able to walk at all. Three years ago walking wasn’t a given. That my physical condition somehow makes me less of a pilgrim is disappointing to hear. I finished the French Way solo last fall.
Let’s see if the Federation is willing to outlaw GPS and phones that make it totally unnecessary to interface with local residents when you become lost. There was once a time when that was part of the experience of being a pilgrim, getting lost and asking for help.My google chrome translated this paragraph:
"We are traditional Jacobean shelters that work for and for the pilgrimage to Santiago. The pilgrim travels with his belongings in a backpack, the tourist with his suitcase, which makes no sense on a natural path that is done on foot, by bike or on horseback. There are other accommodations that meet the needs of a tourist and we do not want to lose the essences that make the Camino de Santiago a unique and global phenomenon", they explain from the Camino Francés Federation.
I find this interesting as there is much debate on what does and does not make a pilgrim. I guess at least the Camino Frances Federation has taken a stand on this particular statement.
But the “Camino Francés Federación” and the “Federación Española deThe Spanish Federation of Associations of Friends of the Camino de Santiago has a web page explaining their rules of use for shelters and refuges. Here is the page link. I don't think it has yet been updated to reflect the decision to ban suitcases.
He looks tired too but that hill into Astorga is quite tough at the end of the day. Lets not forget with regard to suitcases that some people are 3/4 of a world away from home and the camino is just a part of their trip.
I agree with the decision to not allow suitcases in these albergues as long as it is clearly identified which ones are on this list. There should be plenty of other lodging options for those who have a need to transport a suitcase though the options are likely to be more expensive. Regarding the definition of tourist, I can't comment but I do want to share a story.I agree. I don't think that they needed to make a distinction between pilgrims and tourists, as I believe that whether one is a pilgrim or not depends on the intention of the individual, not how they carry their belongings. They could have just made the rule without the judgment.
Edited to add: I think that it's a good decision to not allow suitcases in these types of albergues. There are plenty of accommodations for those who are having suitcases sent ahead, and I'm happy that these albergues will be available only to those carrying their own backpack.
That is not for the forum members to decide. This thread is a broader discussion of our opinions on their decision and its implication.I think the issue here is whether they are justified in taking this action
This is a stretch of logic and interpretation of tradition that I haven't seen before!Let’s see if the Federation is willing to outlaw GPS and phones that make it totally unnecessary to interface with local residents when you become lost. There was once a time when that was part of the experience of being a pilgrim, getting lost and asking for help.
Some municipals take reservations, but most do not.Municipals also take reservations and accept luggage transfer.
My question: did I become a tourist in Burgos when I started forwarding the suitcase?
I’ve been looking for the website of the newly formed Camino Francés Federación. Do they have one and if so what’s the link?
But the “Camino Francés Federación” and the “Federación Española de
Asociaciones de Amigos del Camino de Santiago” aren’t the same organisation?
This is the French Camino Association that apparently had the meeting. There is another body Spanish Federation of Associations of Friends of the Camino de Santiago that has representation for the amigo groups throughout Spain and not just the CF. The Jaca group would be considered on the French way through Aragon and therefore a part of the CF. I am not an expert or a member of these groups, but we have volunteered for both the FICS and HOSVOL albergues. Each one has some differences in rules, but the ones Phil and I have worked at don't accept pack/luggage transfer or reservations. That does not mean that all municipal/association albergues have these rules. We are members of the American Pilgrims on the Camino which has agreements with various Spanish groups and trains hospitaleros for various types of albergues and different types service on the Camino.I think they are not. One is based in Logrono, the other in Carrion les Condes. And there is the other one in Jaca.
The distant armchair observer is wondering indeed ..
It sounds like some have been accepting reservations recently with the high pilgrim numbers. I can't confirm - but I have read that some have been doing this on a couple Camino websites.Which municipals accept reservation? This is news to me.
Thank you, @Marc S. You found something on the web that I had not yet found ...I think this is it
I find it confusing, too. And no, I don't know whether or not they have a web page.Do they have one and if so what’s the link?
I’ll be offline for a short while; I need to buy a lottery ticket; clearly it’s an extraordinary day.You found something on the web that I had not yet found ....
I am by no means omniscient, but I am having trouble imagining a disability or injury that would require one to pack one's belongings for shipping from albergue to albergue in a suitcase instead of a backpack.This is exactly one of the reasons why I think further clarity would be helpful. Disabilities and injuries should be taken into account when rules are made/changed. But - to be successful, it requires clear guidelines for albergue hosts and pilgrims alike to follow. There are some disabilities/injuries that are more visible than others. Private albergues can do what they want as they are private businesses -but for access to municipal/religious albergues - clarity/guidance in a lot of what is or is not accepted is beneficial.
They were a requirement in IYHF youth hostels 50 years ago, too.I am frankly surprised that this is mentioned as a requirement only now. In the Alps, on Alpine huts for mountain walkers, light sleeping bags / liners have been a requirement for hygienic reasons for as long as I remember i.e. at least during the past 50 years. There’s actually a word for it: literally hut sleeping bag. Often a whitish colour and made of cotton.
No; I don’t think you are missing anything.Or am I missing something?
I am by no means omniscient, but I am having trouble imagining a disability or injury that would require one to pack one's belongings for shipping from albergue to albergue in a suitcase instead of a backpack.
If one knows one never is going to carry it it may be more sensible and efficient. But if someone with a disability or injury really wants to use one of these 11 albergues, surely they can store their belongings in a backpack.
Or am I missing something?
See posts #37 and #72 above.Astorga , status of a pelegrino
Yes. Read Johnnie Walker's book 'It's About Time' for an excellent take on that.And just how little one really needs. It's an illuminating and freeing revelation.
A 15 pound or less pack is within most people's capabilities.
I don't read this that way. @dick bird has said something about this recently, perhaps earlier in this thread. This is about how the associations support those pilgrims without the wherewithal to undertake a pilgrimage if their only options were to stay in hotels and similar commercial establishments.If the albergues have decided to ban suitcases, then maybe their ideal is for the pilgrim to carry their rucksack all the way, unless there was good reason.
Interesting photo. But now I am getting even more confused. This is obviously not on the Camino Francés which is unique among the Caminos in Spain if I understand the Camino Francés Federación correctly. I found an establishment on Booking.com called Km101 in Baamonde and, again if I understand correctly, it is not an establishment that offers the "traditional Camino Francés hospitality" as it may be defined by the Camino Francés Federación, it just offers hospitality, correct?I am on the Norte now and have reserved all lodging ahead, staying at private albergues, pensiones, and a few small hotels. I have seen luggage transport waiting for "arrivals" of owners a few times already. Their suitcases look quite big and seem to be rather high end luggage. Here are the ones I saw today (6 of them) when checking in to the "Km101", where we had a reservation.
View attachment 146640
Only you can tell that. I might suggest not, but I don't read minds, and avoid any suggestion that I can.My question: did I become a tourist in Burgos when I started forwarding the suitcase?
View attachment 146639Astorga , status of a pelegrino
I agree, and it annoys me when people say that some people just want a cheap holiday.Personally, the distinction that people try to make between tourists and pilgrims is completely unjustified.
I realize this is not a traditional albergue on the Camino Frances. I am only acknowledging my surprise after many Caminos that I happen to notice more and more luggage transport (not just pack transport) on the Caminos I have been walking on...the trend seems to be growing.Interesting photo. But now I am getting even more confused. This is obviously not on the Camino Francés which is unique among the Caminos in Spain if I understand the Camino Francés Federación correctly. I found an establishment on Booking.com called Km101 in Baamonde and, again if I understand correctly, it is not an establishment that offers the "traditional Camino Francés hospitality" as it may be defined by the Camino Francés Federación, it just offers hospitality, correct?
If that's the one then "Km101 provides accommodation with terrace, around 29 km from Lugo Cathedral. This sustainable guest house is located 29 km from Roman Walls of Lugo and 31 km from Congress and Exhibiton Center. Guests can make use of a garden. The units in the guest house are equipped with a flat-screen TV. Featuring a private bathroom with a shower and free toiletries, units at the guest house also offer free WiFi."
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