I don't care if someone thinks that made me somewhat of a lesser pilgrim, I had to do what I could to keep up the walking.
Ah Tonjesal,
How I love honest pilgrims like you. I agree with you of staying off crowded albergues if the conditions there makes you into an unhappy person. The additional cost of staying in private hostal against the cost of an albergue is of the easiest to solve. We took two years to plan - this was an enjoyable period -and put aside an extra Euro a day for the Camino. This gave each of us an extra 700E to spend. This money went back into the economy of one of the poorer part of Spain.
One downside on this forum is the reading the comments which makes one feeling guilty of being branded a tourist instead of being a pilgrim. I have learnt earlier on to filter out these "holier than thou" writers, and concentrated instead on some of the plentiful wonderful writers who share their experience without a pointing finger. I expect negative feedbacks on this comment.
You are what you are, do not worry what others consider you to be, it is your Camino. Staying in Paradors, or hotels, or hostal, or algergues, in tents, or on the floor, it, IMHO, does not make you a greater or lesser pilgrim. I salute you, as what is inside you that makes you a pilgrim.
Kwaheri