Hospitalero threatened and punched - O Pino

[Bradypus]

La Voz de Galicia has an article about an assault on a hospitalero in O Pino this weekend. A pilgrim refused to complete a registration form and became angry and abusive towards the hospitalero - eventually rushing at him and punching him. An incident captured on video. It is stated that although such incidents are still quite rare they have become more common in recent times.

Un peregrino agrede a un hospitalero en O Pino por pedirle que cubriese la ficha de inscripción

José Ramón Blanco, que recibió un fuerte puñetazo en la cara, denunció los hechos ante la Guardia Civil y facilitó un vídeo en el que se ve todo lo ocurrido

www.lavozdegalicia.es

 

[henrythedog]

La Voz de Galicia has an article about an assault on a hospitalero in O Pino this weekend. A pilgrim refused to complete a registration form and became angry and abusive towards the hospitalero - eventually rushing at him and punching him. An incident captured on video. It is stated that although such incidents are still quite rare they have become more common in recent times.

Un peregrino agrede a un hospitalero en O Pino por pedirle que cubriese la ficha de inscripción

José Ramón Blanco, que recibió un fuerte puñetazo en la cara, denunció los hechos ante la Guardia Civil y facilitó un vídeo en el que se ve todo lo ocurrido

www.lavozdegalicia.es

I hope the attacker is found and held to account - if only he had completed the registration form

(Edit. Having watched the video; that CCTV camera wants repositioning; it’s useless.)

 

[Tincatinker]

Regrettable, and odd. Any pilgrim in O Pino has presumably been on Camino for at least two days and must have experienced the compulsory registration process previously.
What are they putting in the Orujo these days?

@Bradypus, I had a hell of a fight to access that article. The occasional translated quote might assist the phone bound

 

[Bradypus]

@Bradypus, I had a hell of a fight to access that article. The occasional translated quote might assist the phone bound

"I promise you that you are going to regret it", "I swear on my friend that I am going to bust you" , "I am going to stay day and night until you come out" are some of the threats made loudly by the attacker , whose identity has not been disclosed."

"In fifteen years that I have been open or in a hostel, this has never happened to me, incidents yes, but none like this ," adds José Ramón when recalling the attack last Saturday, "

"although these attacks are not the norm, they are becoming more frequent. "In recent years, there has been a change in the profile of some people who are going to do Camiño , " laments José Ramón, who confirms that on many occasions the problem lies in the fact that they do not accept that some hostels have closing hours at night."

 

[VNwalking]

Deplorable. And sad.

 

[J Willhaus]

We have only had a few pilgrims acting out, but have never been physically assaulted. Thank goodness there was not further injury to the hospitalero or the other pilgrims.

 

[Former member 92300]

How horrible. No one should have to endure abuse from a pilgrim or tourist or anyone else for that matter. Unfortunately - the more people on the trail, the more likely these isolated incidents can occur.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

That person needs to be locked away … or he should perform his aggression with me as a witness. Not sure what would happen then … sorry , got carried away.

 

[thejoker]

Quite unbelievable and appalling. That's one violent criminal that shouldn't have been given the Camino option for repentance.

 

[williamlittig]

La Voz de Galicia has an article about an assault on a hospitalero in O Pino this weekend. A pilgrim refused to complete a registration form and became angry and abusive towards the hospitalero - eventually rushing at him and punching him. An incident captured on video. It is stated that although such incidents are still quite rare they have become more common in recent times.

Un peregrino agrede a un hospitalero en O Pino por pedirle que cubriese la ficha de inscripción

José Ramón Blanco, que recibió un fuerte puñetazo en la cara, denunció los hechos ante la Guardia Civil y facilitó un vídeo en el que se ve todo lo ocurrido

www.lavozdegalicia.es

Hospitalero are volunteers, we have training but not all the answers. We speak some languages but not all. We are here to help please be patient. Mental illness is worldwide we do our best without being psychologists, help us when you see we need help.

 

[NLS]

This is horrible. Let’s hope that the attacker is held accountable.

 

[SueV]

"I promise you that you are going to regret it", "I swear on my friend that I am going to bust you" , "I am going to stay day and night until you come out" are some of the threats made loudly by the attacker , whose identity has not been disclosed."

"In fifteen years that I have been open or in a hostel, this has never happened to me, incidents yes, but none like this ," adds José Ramón when recalling the attack last Saturday, "

"although these attacks are not the norm, they are becoming more frequent. "In recent years, there has been a change in the profile of some people who are going to do Camiño , " laments José Ramón, who confirms that on many occasions the problem lies in the fact that they do not accept that some hostels have closing hours at night."

This is so sad and horrible to read. What is this person thinking of, to abuse the generosity of the hospitalero in this way? I’ve recently seen the Camino described as ‘something to tick off the bucket list’. Let’s hope for us genuine folk that something else more ’fashionable’ will come along for these people. One video showed a man abusing a fellow walker walking past a café for keeping him awake snoring, threatening to hit him if he did it again!

 

[VNwalking]

I’ve recently seen the Camino described as ‘something to tick off the bucket list’. Let’s hope for us genuine folk that something else more ’fashionable’ will come along for these people.

Amen. Or even better that they catch the good of the Camino and settle into a deeper place along the way.

One video showed a man abusing a fellow walker walking past a café for keeping him awake snoring, threatening to hit him if he did it again

People now think it's ok to be abusive in public?
This is awful anywhere, but especially on the camino. Common humanity...brotherly love...the camino has been so good at turning us towards the opposites of entitled selfishness. Now it seems there are brats - bullies - in grown-up bodies, spewing their anger at innocent pilgrims too...

That's a common humanity challenge. We have to up.our game, good people.

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Hospitaleros make the Camino what it is, and they are wonderful. With rotating volunteers in albergues, when you visit a place for the second time you get a chance to see how a hospitalero can turn an average hostel into a paradise.

Or vice versa. Hospitaleros are people and so are pilgrims. They get annoyed, they have bad days, they lose the head from time to time. It's human and it doesn't change even on the Camino. How could it?

I hate to say this, but on a very few occasions I've been tempted to clatter a hospitalero myself, because some of them are bullies, and some of them are rude, and some are insulting. There are many nationalities on the Camino. Many anthropologies. Some of us are from indirect cultures with honour codes and thus very easy to insult, unintentionally, with problematic consequences. Some hospitaleros should be doing something else. They have no business dealing with pilgrims, or with the public on any basis. I would politely ask organisations responsible for staffing albergues to identify such persons and move them to a non-public-facing role, for the sake of all of us. Leaving the delightful 99.9% to work their magic.

 

[Tony Lenton]

Regrettable, and odd. Any pilgrim in O Pino has presumably been on Camino for at least two days and must have experienced the compulsory registration process previously.
What are they putting in the Orujo these days?

@Bradypus, I had a hell of a fight to access that article. The occasional translated quote might assist the phone bound

My thoughts exactly, though the measures they usually give don’t require additional “doctoring”. It’s no consolation to the poor hospitalero but the attacker sounded and looked as if he could well be suffering a mental illness. Mind you, Orujo, taken in sufficient quantity, is apt to give similar symptoms.

 

[J Willhaus]

Hospitaleros make the Camino what it is, and they are wonderful. With rotating volunteers in albergues, when you visit a place for the second time you get a chance to see how a hospitalero can turn an average hostel into a paradise.

Or vice versa. Hospitaleros are people and so are pilgrims. They get annoyed, they have bad days, they lose the head from time to time. It's human and it doesn't change even on the Camino. How could it?

I hate to say this, but on a very few occasions I've been tempted to clatter a hospitalero myself, because some of them are bullies, and some of them are rude, and some are insulting. There are many nationalities on the Camino. Many anthropologies. Some of us are from indirect cultures with honour codes and thus very easy to insult, unintentionally, with problematic consequences. Some hospitaleros should be doing something else. They have no business dealing with pilgrims, or with the public on any basis. I would politely ask organisations responsible for staffing albergues to identify such persons and move them to a non-public-facing role, for the sake of all of us. Leaving the delightful 99.9% to work their magic.

In this case, the hospitalero was actually the owner of the private albergue and not a volunteer. The pilgrim refused to fill out the "form" with the required information (in the article it said he refused 3 times) and then threatened the hospitalero verbally. He left briefly and then returned to strike him when the hospitalero was helping another pilgrim. There was a thread a while back about the information that was required by the government and some possible additions to that information and many responded that they didn't mind the data collection. Apparently this pilgrim did mind...

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Let me state that any anger, aggression or even impatience directed at another human being is morally wrong and the absolute responsibility of the offender.

But how can things be improved? One way is the approach taken by Galician municipal albergues. They now have an app that scans the data from a passport directly, requiring no data entry during registration. It's not working 100% yet but it's a start. The fact is that in high summer the line of 75 pilgrims moves very slowly, and those at the end have no way of knowing if they'll get a bed. This is going to generate a lot of irritation on both sides. Anything that speeds up the registration process is useful. Hospitaleros might be urged to cut their welcoming spiel as short as possible. Where possible, two reg desks, and two people to show pilgrims where to go.

As for the info, pilgrims should be aware that to collect it is a legal requirement which is in the pilgrims' interest, because the police use this info to provide the excellent security which the Camino enjoys.

Let's try to see both sides and improve systems to facilitate both.

 

[trecile]

Hospitalero are volunteers

In this case, the hospitalero was actually the owner of the private albergue and not a volunteer.

I was just going to clarify that not all hospitaleros are volunteers. Obviously no hospitalero should suffer any abuse as this one did.

 

[grayland]

Let's try to see both sides and improve systems to facilitate both.

Gerard.....This is a case that does not have "both sides". The video is perfectly clear with all of the aggression on the part of the attacker....unprovoked

 

[Ricardo Moretti]

Deplorable. And sad.

yes truly deplorable and sad. But again the person said that this is the first such incident in 15 years... so not a regular occurence....and even though one is on the Camino, it doesn't mean that one is not still with humanity....

Still, very sad and quite deplorable...I hope that this person afflicted with the rage finds peace...and learns some civil manners....

 

[SabsP]

Let me state that any anger, aggression or even impatience directed at another human being is morally wrong and the absolute responsibility of the offender.

But how can things be improved? One way is the approach taken by Galician municipal albergues. They now have an app that scans the data from a passport directly, requiring no data entry during registration. It's not working 100% yet but it's a start. The fact is that in high summer the line of 75 pilgrims moves very slowly, and those at the end have no way of knowing if they'll get a bed. This is going to generate a lot of irritation on both sides. Anything that speeds up the registration process is useful. Hospitaleros might be urged to cut their welcoming spiel as short as possible. Where possible, two reg desks, and two people to show pilgrims where to go.

As for the info, pilgrims should be aware that to collect it is a legal requirement which is in the pilgrims' interest, because the police use this info to provide the excellent security which the Camino enjoys.

Let's try to see both sides and improve systems to facilitate both.

What about showing some patience? Why oh why do people insist on " improving " stuff on a Camino.
It is not a slick Club Med holiday.
And for heavens' sake , I do hope that any hospi will keep up with " the welcoming spiel " because it is the perfect example of the generosity and uniqueness of the Camino.

A tourist demands and a pilgrim asks.

 

[Texas Walker]

The friend looked completely mortified.

 

[Gerard Griffin]

I think it's important not to allow the (often performative) humility of the "true" pilgrim to distract from the task of making the Camino better for pilgrims, hospitaleros and locals alike.

People do the Camino for serious personal reasons, and are often in a sensitive emotional state. Their experience ought not to be marred by problems which could easily be resolved, such as lack of beds and the current issue of improving communication between hospitaleros and pilgrims for the benefit of both.

As for the welcome spiel, it must be as tedious for the hospitalero to repeat it 50 times as it is for the line of weary pilgrims waiting in the sun, uncertain even if they'll get a bed-- because the hospitaleros haven't done a quick count of the line and notified the unlucky ones that they must begin the trudge to the next albergue, or the next town.

 

[VNwalking]

This is going to generate a lot of irritation on both sides

As you said, it's morally indefensible to react to irritation with violence, verbal or physical.

This is a case that does not have "both sides". The video is perfectly clear with all of the aggression on the part of the attacker....unprovoked

Absolutely.
But there are many people in the world right now with imagined grievances who react with disproportionate violence when they've been triggered.

Their experience ought not to be marred by problems which could easily be resolved, such as lack of beds

Really? Wow. Whatever happened to sleeping under a church porch, in a funky shed, or on a mat in the local gym? People walking the camino have lived without guaranteed beds for a millennium and suddenly we are such fragile flowers that we "ought not to be marred by problems?"

 

[J Willhaus]

I think it's important not to allow the (often performative) humility of the "true" pilgrim to distract from the task of making the Camino better for pilgrims, hospitaleros and locals alike.

People do the Camino for serious personal reasons, and are often in a sensitive emotional state. Their experience ought not to be marred by problems which could easily be resolved, such as lack of beds and the current issue of improving communication between hospitaleros and pilgrims for the benefit of both.

As for the welcome spiel, it must be as tedious for the hospitalero to repeat it 50 times as it is for the line of weary pilgrims waiting in the sun, uncertain even if they'll get a bed-- because the hospitaleros haven't done a quick count of the line and notified the unlucky ones that they must begin the trudge to the next albergue, or the next town.

In this case, there was no one else waiting in a line except perhaps the other pilgrim that took no part in the situation so that does not seem to be the cause of the behavior.

Believe me as hospitaleros, we know how many are waiting, we often offer water or fruit to make the wait less difficult and we do let people know how many beds there are. We don't rush them to check in, but try to find a place for them to rest in the shade or warmth or let them use the bathroom while they patiently wait their turn. I am sorry if you have had a bad experience, but please don't lump everyone together. It is not tedious to offer hospitality. It is the only gift we have to give...

 

[Anniesantiago]

Let me state that any anger, aggression or even impatience directed at another human being is morally wrong and the absolute responsibility of the offender.

But how can things be improved? One way is the approach taken by Galician municipal albergues. They now have an app that scans the data from a passport directly, requiring no data entry during registration. It's not working 100% yet but it's a start. The fact is that in high summer the line of 75 pilgrims moves very slowly, and those at the end have no way of knowing if they'll get a bed. This is going to generate a lot of irritation on both sides. Anything that speeds up the registration process is useful. Hospitaleros might be urged to cut their welcoming spiel as short as possible. Where possible, two reg desks, and two people to show pilgrims where to go.

As for the info, pilgrims should be aware that to collect it is a legal requirement which is in the pilgrims' interest, because the police use this info to provide the excellent security which the Camino enjoys.

Let's try to see both sides and improve systems to facilitate both.

Umm no?
There is only one side to this picture.
A grown man attacking a hospitalero because he didn't want to follow the rules.

This is exactly one reason I'm still considering whether or not to take pilgrims again.
It's changed... The Camino is no longer considered a pilgrimage to many - but a "box" to brag you've checked..

 

[Former member 94614]

As you said, it's morally indefensible to react to irritation with violence, verbal or physical.

Absolutely.
But there are many people in the world right now with imagined grievances who react with disproportionate violence when they've been triggered.


Really? Wow. Whatever happened to sleeping under a church porch, in a funky shed, or on a mat in the local gym? People walking the camino have lived without guaranteed beds for a millennium and suddenly we are such fragile flowers that we "ought not to be marred by problems?"

 

[Karl Oz]

My thoughts exactly, though the measures they usually give don’t require additional “doctoring”. It’s no consolation to the poor hospitalero but the attacker sounded and looked as if he could well be suffering a mental illness. Mind you, Orujo, taken in sufficient quantity, is apt to give similar symptoms.

Yes, mental illness seems likely, although that does not make it ok, nor is it a consolation to the hospitalero.

 

[Icacos]

Yes, mental illness seems likely, although that does not make it ok, nor is it a consolation to the hospitalero.

I think the pandemic has taken a toll on a lot of people. Not saying this is the issue here, just speaking generally.

 

[dick bird]

Let's try to see both sides and improve systems to facilitate both.

From watching the video, it looks very much like a totally unprovoked act of violence - not an issue where there are two sides. The aggressor is a Spanish speaker and almost certainly Spanish so given that collecting personal data is standard procedure in all Spanish hotels etc, the attacker would know this. But this is the first time I have heard of an attack like this: I don't recall any reports on this forum at any rate so this kind of thing is thankfully exceptionally rare.

Also, given the apparent totally random nature of the attack, I can't see how reducing waiting times at albergues is going to make much difference.

 

[Bradypus]

A news article today reports that the same man created another disturbance - this time without physical violence - at the Xunta albergue in Palas de Rei two days later. A young Catalan man walking the Camino in reverse. It seems he climbed into the building through a window when the albergue was closed and was confronted by a hospitalero who called the Guardia Civil because of the man's intimidating attitude.

El peregrino que agredió al hospitalero de O Pino provocó otro altercado en Palas

Se enfrentó al responsable después de acceder por una ventana del establecimiento para recoger su mochila

www.cope.es

 

[Annetom]

So sorry to read this.

 

[Felicia V]

I sort of found it equally disturbing that the others there didn’t seem to come to the hospi’s aid

 

[whiteblaze]

I promise I will behave during my Comino walk. Dignity, respect and civility makes for a better day.

 

[Pathfinder075]

I sort of found it equally disturbing that the others there didn’t seem to come to the hospi’s aid

Yes and no. In this day and age when people are known to carry knives and have a tendency to use them you have to weigh up any action you consider taking very carefully. There is no point getting into an altercation if that person turns around stabs you.

Saying that i would have grabbed him and took him down. But I am a big guy and suitably heavy, also trained in Martial Arts. If I jump on someone they are probably going to end up on the ground unless they are used to carrying 130kg. If you weigh 70kg or maybe even 100kg, it's a different story. You better be very sure to get that person on the ground and disable them quickly, then hold them down until the police arrive. If you aren't then don't get involved as you will probably get hurt.

 

[Bradypus]

An article by Anton Pombo on Gronze.com about recent incidents of aggression towards hospitaleros.

Crecen las agresiones a los hospitaleros del Camino de Santiago

Cuando se habla de una temática incómoda, como la que hoy traemos a colación, muchos responden argumentando que la violencia es consubstancial al género humano, que a lo largo de la historia ha habido

www.gronze.com

 

[grayland]

I very much agree with the thoughtful final paragraph of the article (quoted below)_
The downward atmosphere of the Camino is depressing to those who are veterans of earlier and more basic times. Some of the less traveled routes still hold the old feel...but many of them are quickly degrading as well.

The call for more and more commercial and tourist like additions is overwhelming the pilgrim media, including the forum. Roller suitcases have become a necessity and are normal now. Many newer and first time pilgrims are led to follow this trend along with many other commercial offerings. Sad.

Sadly, the voices and opinions of those of us who feel like we have lost a valuable culture are shouted down by accusations of "judgemental" by those who favor the complete makeover now taking place.

I feel sure that this post will bring out the pitchforks and torches in the call to silence any opinions that the commercialization is a good thing.

Sadly, the Camino as many of us knew it has been mutated into something almost unrecognizable

"....Some people think that the situation of the Camino is degenerating by leaps and bounds, especially this year when several itineraries are overwhelmed by the influx, and entering a state of entropy (decomposition, disorder, chaos). We do not want to be alarmist, but perhaps a large part of the problem lies in the overcrowding fostered by the tourism industry , including the low-cost pull effect, which has brought people to these pilgrimage itineraries who, without so much publicity and pull effect, It would never have occurred to him to do the Camino.

The Jacobean route has become a fashionable destination, an object of desire, a challenge that everyone has to complete, under penalty of being left out of the consumer wave, even in four or five days. And from those powders... come these muds...."

 

[truenorthpilgrm]

Roller suitcases have become a necessity and normal now.

The sea of suitcases littering the lobbies of albergues on my recent Camino was rather mindblowing.

 

[J Willhaus]

I very much agree with the thoughtful final paragraph of the article (quoted below)_
The downward atmosphere of the Camino is depressing to those who are veterans of earlier and more basic times. Some of the less traveled routes still hold the old feel...but many of them are quickly degrading as well.

The call for more and more commercial and tourist like additions is overwhelming the pilgrim media, including the forum. Roller suitcases have become a necessity and are normal now. Many newer and first time pilgrims are led to follow this trend along with many other commercial offerings. Sad.

Sadly, the voices and opinions of those of us who feel like we have lost a valuable culture are shouted down by accusations of "judgemental" by those who favor the complete makeover now taking place.

I feel sure that this post will bring out the pitchforks and torches in the call to silence any opinions that the commercialization is a good thing.

Sadly, the Camino as many of us knew it has been mutated into something almost unrecognizable

"....Some people think that the situation of the Camino is degenerating by leaps and bounds, especially this year when several itineraries are overwhelmed by the influx, and entering a state of entropy (decomposition, disorder, chaos). We do not want to be alarmist, but perhaps a large part of the problem lies in the overcrowding fostered by the tourism industry , including the low-cost pull effect, which has brought people to these pilgrimage itineraries who, without so much publicity and pull effect, It would never have occurred to him to do the Camino.

The Jacobean route has become a fashionable destination, an object of desire, a challenge that everyone has to complete, under penalty of being left out of the consumer wave, even in four or five days. And from those powders... come these muds...."

I do feel there is still an opportunity for the kind of pilgrimage that involves fewer people and less commercialism, however, I think pilgrims who want that need to seek it out. Taking less traveled routes is one way or going in the quieter winter season is another.

I have volunteered on the CF in both winter and summer and on other routes in both winter and summer. Because of the nature of the places where we volunteer, we see the more traditional pilgrims. Most of them are not looking for private rooms, pack transfer, or other support services. Most are pilgrims who enjoy cooking together, playing the guitar and telling stories in a community atmosphere.

We have had a few unpleasant moments as hospitaleros where we've had to remove pilgrims to protect others or hold firm to specific albergue rules, however they don't diminish the joy or satisfaction I feel in volunteering as a hospitalera. These violent incidents reported are sad, but they don't deter me from wanting to continue to volunteer.

 

[Tony Lenton]

I very much agree with the thoughtful final paragraph of the article (quoted below)_
The downward atmosphere of the Camino is depressing to those who are veterans of earlier and more basic times. Some of the less traveled routes still hold the old feel...but many of them are quickly degrading as well.

The call for more and more commercial and tourist like additions is overwhelming the pilgrim media, including the forum. Roller suitcases have become a necessity and are normal now. Many newer and first time pilgrims are led to follow this trend along with many other commercial offerings. Sad.

Sadly, the voices and opinions of those of us who feel like we have lost a valuable culture are shouted down by accusations of "judgemental" by those who favor the complete makeover now taking place.

I feel sure that this post will bring out the pitchforks and torches in the call to silence any opinions that the commercialization is a good thing.

Sadly, the Camino as many of us knew it has been mutated into something almost unrecognizable

"....Some people think that the situation of the Camino is degenerating by leaps and bounds, especially this year when several itineraries are overwhelmed by the influx, and entering a state of entropy (decomposition, disorder, chaos). We do not want to be alarmist, but perhaps a large part of the problem lies in the overcrowding fostered by the tourism industry , including the low-cost pull effect, which has brought people to these pilgrimage itineraries who, without so much publicity and pull effect, It would never have occurred to him to do the Camino.

The Jacobean route has become a fashionable destination, an object of desire, a challenge that everyone has to complete, under penalty of being left out of the consumer wave, even in four or five days. And from those powders... come these muds...."

I really appreciate what you are saying. In addition to my interest in the Camino I have also been an avid visitor to the battlefields of the First World War, where we would camp for a few weeks at a time. We would be in our boots with rucksacks, trench maps and OS maps when a coach would pull up and decant 30 people into what had felt like “our space.” I suspect it’s part of what we disparagingly refer to as “progress”. The earlier pilgrims would scorn our modern waterproofs, sunglasses, water systems and mobile phones. The other point is that people who live on these sites also need to make a living and you can’t blame them for cashing in. These things probably go in waves and our grandchildren may have the chance of a simpler and purer Camino. Who knows? Global warming or nuclear war may put an end to Caminos entirely. Just enjoy what we’ve got while it’s there.

 

[David Tallan]

My first night out of Madrid on my upcoming Camino looks like it will be spent on a mattress on a chapel floor. You can't get much more old school Camino than that.

 

[David Tallan]

The earlier pilgrims would scorn our modern waterproofs, sunglasses, water systems and mobile phones.

I don't think there was ever a time when pilgrims would scorn effective waterproofs.

 

[grayland]

My first night out of Madrid on my upcoming Camino looks like it will be spent on a mattress on a chapel floor. You can't get much more old school Camino than that.

Fantastic way to start, David!

Did you make a reservation?

 

[David Tallan]

Fantastic way to start, David!

Did you make a reservation?

I wrote to let them know I would be passing through and see if there would be a place to stay. It is recommended and considered courteous to do so on these less-travelled routes where they don't necessarily see a pilgrim every day. Sometimes that's how you find out where to pick up the key to the albergue (or what the door code is), I'm told.

 

[grayland]

The first day on the Madrid usually involves a long trudge out of the city and environs....unless you are starting a bit further along. Actually, I would recommend starting away from the city.
Much of the route has pretty traditional accommodations...just less pilgrims and tourist nonsense.
Enjoy

 

[Sho]

The earlier pilgrims would scorn our modern waterproofs, sunglasses, water systems and mobile phones.

Or covet them.

 

[David Tallan]

The first day on the Madrid usually involves a long trudge out of the city and environs....unless you are starting a bit further along. Actually, I would recommend starting away from the city.
Much of the route has pretty traditional accommodations...just less pilgrims and tourist nonsense.
Enjoy

Actually, in a sense I will be doing the opposite - starting from the south end of the city. I used to live in Madrid and I will be starting from the front door of where I used to live. This will be my "front door Camino". Just my luck that I used to live at the south end of the city.

What I will actually do is walk from my front door through much of the city on the day of my arrival, sleep in Madrid, and then take the Metro to where I left off to give me a head start on my first day out of Madrid. But I am pretty committed to starting from my front door rather than somewhere more convenient.

 

[insightful-ear]

That person needs to be locked away … or he should perform his aggression with me as a witness. Not sure what would happen then … sorry , got carried away.

Perhaps walking camino again...without hospitality