Closed Albergues

[countrycasita]

Just got back from doing the first ten days of the Camino Frances from St Jean. Two quick notes on Albergues in the early stages: At Villamayor de Monjardin, the municipal albergue is closed after the roof fell in during the winter. Apparently there is some question about how to raise the money for the repairs so this could be closed for some time... this leaves only the 25 place Dutch-run Christian place at the top of the village. I found it delightful and friendly with a communal meal - but it was full by about 2pm and they were ordering taxis to ferry people on to Los Arcos. Also, although the number is given in Brierley, they don't actually take advanced telephone bookings.

Secondly I failed to find the Santa Maria hostel in Viana and was told in the bar opposite the church that it too was closed. Again that puts pressure on the main Andres Munoz albergue (which was pretty ordinary and had 3-level bunks). On the bright side, the Palacio hotel right near the albergue gave the best evening meal of the trip - quality and value (9.50 euros).
Incidentally, I was surprised how early places filled up....mid- afternoon by and large. Is it like this all the time or is late April/ early May particularly busy??

 

[Deleted member 3000]

There is a 15-bed parroquial albergue in Viana, but it is not yet open for the season:

Plaza de los Fueros (Junto a la iglesia de Santa María)
Availability of the shelter: In 2011 from the second week of June to the 30 of September
Price: Donation
Places Total places: 15
Description of rooms: Four rooms
Reservation: No
Conditions of admission to accede to the shelter: To be pilgrim with credential
Aperture time: 12:00 Hour of closing: 22:00

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I am SO not surprised the roof came down at Villamayor de Monjardin. I was there last Spring during a week of thunderstorms, and the rain poured right through the roof! When I called in the people in charge (I was hospitalera-ing) they just kinda shrugged and said their roofs leak ,too, when the wind blows so hard -- there was no money in the parish budget to put a new roof on the ramshackle old truck garage.

Maybe now something will be done to improve that much-neglected place. My only sadness is it was one of the very few and fading number of truly "donativo" albergues left on the Camino. And I feel its neglected state is due to the hundreds of pilgrims who consider "donativo" to mean "free," and contribute nothing toward the upkeep of the buildings they feel entitled to use.

The parishes cannot support the pilgrim throngs all on their own.
The Donativo ideal is disappearing from the Camino.
There is plenty enough money to keep them all in fine shape. Unfortunately, it is still in the pilgrims´pockets!