I've just started reading the Spanish forum peregrinosasantiago.com and find there is a real wealth of information there. Tucked in an article today from La Voz de Galicia about accommodation in Caldas del Rei is the fact that almost 2000 people who will be walking in "large groups" have already reserved places to stay in Caldas for the summer. To put that in perspective, a total of about 12,000 got the compostela in 2009 from the Camino Portugues.
The church-related albergue where I stayed in 2004 or 5 closed several years ago, leaving Caldas without any pilgrim accommodation.
The article goes on to say that the municipal government will be opening up the Sports Pavillion for large groups and that others two other places, the colegios of San Fermin and Encarnacion. So it looks like local governments are mobilizing.
The article in Spanish here: http://www.peregrinosasantiago.com/foro ... #msg-44846
Laurie
The church-related albergue where I stayed in 2004 or 5 closed several years ago, leaving Caldas without any pilgrim accommodation.
The article goes on to say that the municipal government will be opening up the Sports Pavillion for large groups and that others two other places, the colegios of San Fermin and Encarnacion. So it looks like local governments are mobilizing.
The article in Spanish here: http://www.peregrinosasantiago.com/foro ... #msg-44846
Laurie
just got back from Santiago, wlaking from Porto, and in Portugal i walked ALONE, from Tui with small groups of 3 to 10 people 
