My Camino Primitivo October 2014

[sulu]

As I stay almost always stay in municipal albergues and cook for myself I will just make a short note of my stages and the albergues I stayed in.
Oviedo to Escamplero via the Naranco sites, probably about 16 kms, maybe less.
The keys for the municipal in Escamplero are held in the bar El Tendejon and when I got there the bar was shut for holidays with no notice about what poor pilgrims were supposed to do! After a panic attack I walked just a few yards further and found a shop, they had the key, so all was saved but the shop closes in the afternoons so I was very lucky! The albergue is in the old school, fairly basic but has a kitchen and electric hob and microwave. €4 The shop is small but sells lots of things, plus individual packs of things like butter and jam
Escamplero to Cornellana 26 kms
The albergue is in the old monastery, it has been beautifully renovated and has everything you need, including washing machine and dryer. €5 The town has bars, shops etc.
Cornellana to La Espina 22kms
There are 2 private albergues. The El Texu, which advertises everywhere was shut! El Cruce is above the Coviran Supermarket at the end of town, it is lovely and the owner is lovely. It has a washing machine but for cooking only a microwave. Lots of shops and bars. Donativo
La Espina to Borres 29kms
Borres was scrupulously clean. There is not much seating and not much in the way of a kitchen, this is the only place where I ate in the bar. There was no hot water, as in, there was no water out of the hot tap but it looked like a plumber had been working on the tank. €3
Borres to Berducedo via Hospitales 26kms
Yet another albergue in the old school. The keys are in the Bar El Cafetin, which has a shop which is open when the bar is. The kitchen is equipped, the water hot.€5 There is also a private albergue in Berducedo
Berducedo to Grandas de Salime 20 kms
A modern and well equipped albergue €5
Grandas de Salime to Fonsagrada/Padron 27 kms
Well equipped, has washing machine and dryer. It's out in the country, no bars and shops round about but a lovely place to relax on a warm day. There are machines for drinks and snacks €6
Padron to O Cadavo 25kms
Another modern albergue. No washing machine and no blankets. There are shops and bars around. €6
O Cadavo to Lugo 30 kms
Modern albergue, the kitchen has a little bit of equipment (i.e.plates, cutlery etc.) The lights are timed, off at 22.00 on at 07.00 €6
Lugo to As Seixas 33kms
Lovely old house that has been renovated. No washing machine but space outside for drying, some utensils in the kitchen €6 When I was there the drinks machines were out of order.
As Seixas to Ribadiso 27 kms
Ribadiso is beautiful in warm, dry weather. A large kitchen but with not one utensil.
I then walked on to Monte de Gozo 36 kms

The Camino Primitivo was lovely and there were very few pilgrims, I saw no one for my first 4 days!

 

[lettinggo]

Hola and thank you for the information.
It is always good to have a recent update on albergues and it sounds like you had a great walk.
How was weather? Much rain at this time of year?

Lettinggo

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks, sulu. Seems like a great camino for you. The information about the Borres albergue fluctuates radically. Not too long ago I read a report that it was back to its slovenly unkempt ways, now you found it spotless. Wonder what´s going on?

 

[ebrandt]

Thanks for all the info Sulu! One question -- The albergue you stayed in in As Sexias -- was it Casa Gorinos? LIz

 

[sulu]

@lettinggo - this autumn is unseasonably warm, having said that I've walked in October before and it has been very warm. I only had 1 day of rain in 13
@peregrina2000 - it looked to me like someone had been in to the albergue at Borres the day that I arrived. Down to the fact that chairs were up on beds and it had just been cleaned. There is a sign up pointing out that; there is no hospitalero/a as such, just volunteers who go in 'ad hoc', and requesting that people leave the place as they would wish to find it.
@ebrandt - the albergue in As Seixas was the municipal. I saw a mention somewhere for a place called Casa Gorinos, I thought it was supposed to be a bar, but as far as I could see it was closed. Maybe it opens in summer!

 

[Juanma]

@ebrandt - the albergue in As Seixas was the municipal. I saw a mention somewhere for a place called Casa Gorinos, I thought it was supposed to be a bar, but as far as I could see it was closed. Maybe it opens in summer!

Hello! Casa Goriños is a private albergue that has also a bar and serves breakfasts and meals. However, they have been closed as an albergue for the last few months, and will continue like that until at least next year (don't know exactly when in 2015 they are going to be open again). They do however open as a bar and serve meals. HOWEVER, they close on Thursdays (also did when they were open as albergue: they just take a day a week off for resting).

The drink machines in the municipal albergue in As Seixas have been out of order for a long time now, and I don't think they will be working again any time soon...

 

[ebrandt]

Thanks for the updated info, Jaunma!

 

[sulu]

Hello! Casa Goriños is a private albergue that has also a bar and serves breakfasts and meals. However, they have been closed as an albergue for the last few months, and will continue like that until at least next year (don't know exactly when in 2015 they are going to be open again). They do however open as a bar and serve meals. HOWEVER, they close on Thursdays (also did when they were open as albergue: they just take a day a week off for resting).

The drink machines in the municipal albergue in As Seixas have been out of order for a long time now, and I don't think they will be working again any time soon...

That is really worth knowing. I arrived at As Seixas desperate for a cold drink, something other than water ( I was thinking Aquarius) and there was nothing. I was carrying an infusion (Duerme Bien) so I had a hot drink with sugar. It would be useful if the owners of Casa Gorinos and the Hospitalera could work together because I queried the out of order machines but the hospitalera didn't point me in the direction of the bar, also the list of services I had didn't mention a bar in As Seixas. There is a lack of co-operation here that isn't helpful to pilgrims. This is useful to be aware of.

 

[Juanma]

That is really worth knowing. I arrived at As Seixas desperate for a cold drink, something other than water ( I was thinking Aquarius) and there was nothing. I was carrying an infusion (Duerme Bien) so I had a hot drink with sugar. It would be useful if the owners of Casa Gorinos and the Hospitalera could work together because I queried the out of order machines but the hospitalera didn't point me in the direction of the bar, also the list of services I had didn't mention a bar in As Seixas. There is a lack of co-operation here that isn't helpful to pilgrims. This is useful to be aware of.

Well, for some reason I believe that the hospitalera at As Seixas public albergue and the owners of Casa Goriños don't get along very well. They might see each other as concurrence, but there is not reason for that, as they address different people: those pilgrims who like to stay in public albergues won't go to the private one, and viceversa; and on the other hand, the fact that Casa Goriños serves meals doesn't affect the public albergue, as they don't serve meals there. They both complement each other, I believe, just as the public and privat albergues in San Roman.
However, and as far as I know, the hospitalera in As Seixas DOES tell pilgrims about the existence of the bar, which is just 200m away. You were unlucky not to know about the existence of C. Goriños: it is in most book and online Camino guides, and there is also a big, white sign with information of the place about 2km before (as you cross a road), as well as just 100m before it (where you have to split to the right, 100m off the Camino, to get to the public albergue).

 

[sulu]

Well, for some reason I believe that the hospitalera at As Seixas public albergue and the owners of Casa Goriños don't get along very well. They might see each other as concurrence, but there is not reason for that, as they address different people: those pilgrims who like to stay in public albergues won't go to the private one, and viceversa; and on the other hand, the fact that Casa Goriños serves meals doesn't affect the public albergue, as they don't serve meals there. They both complement each other, I believe, just as the public and privat albergues in San Roman.
However, and as far as I know, the hospitalera in As Seixas DOES tell pilgrims about the existence of the bar, which is just 200m away. You were unlucky not to know about the existence of C. Goriños: it is in most book and online Camino guides, and there is also a big, white sign with information of the place about 2km before (as you cross a road), as well as just 100m before it (where you have to split to the right, 100m off the Camino, to get to the public albergue).

I guess I was walking with my eye's shut! It just shows how much I needed that Aquarius, maybe more than I was aware. Do the signs actually say 'Bar'? I can't imagine how I missed that fact, a bar is the first place I go after I reach my destination.
Actually, I've just checked and Gronze only gives the public albergue, that was the information I was going on, so I only expected to find drinks machines in the albergue, not a bar. For anyone else using Gronze, be aware!!

 

[Tia Valeria]

Actually, I've just checked and Gronze only gives the public albergue, that was the information I was going on, so I only expected to find drinks machines in the albergue, not a bar. For anyone else using Gronze, be aware!!

That is odd Sulu as my Gronze page shows 2 albergues at As Seixas. Is yours a cached version? and does refreshing it bring up the katest page?
Still - always right to be aware that online guides can be out of date, just like printed ones.

 

[Juanma]

I guess I was walking with my eye's shut! It just shows how much I needed that Aquarius, maybe more than I was aware. Do the signs actually say 'Bar'? I can't imagine how I missed that fact, a bar is the first place I go after I reach my destination.

I don't know if it says exactly "bar", but it does for sure say something like the name of the place, the price of the accommodation and that they offer meals, maybe also breakfast. Even if it doesn't say "bar", anyone reading it would guess that it is an actual bar. However, I have to say in your defense that the sign is pretty blurred off, and hard to read; I guess they have not maintained it in the last few months, as they have been closed as an albergue. However, the sign 100m before the place is still there and easy to read. I had a pic of it, but can't find it now...

 

[angulero]

Han caído las primeras nieves...
Unos 1100 metros de altura.
Fotografia de Javier Villa Cienfuegos.

They have dropped the first snow...
Some 1,100 meters.
Photo by Javier Villa Cienfuegos.

Oviedo.

 

[Juanma]

I found the photo of the sign which is 100m before the albergue. I can not publish it here, but I can tell that it was taken on May 21st this year and it says, very clearly, the name of the place, and then: "Bar, comida, wifi", followed by the price of accomodation. It is hand written over a white board. The previous, much bigger sign, is also hand written on a big white board, but the letters are currently pretty deleted (I guess because of the weather).

 

[sulu]

What do I say in my defence?? I'm old and I was tired
As regards Gronze I've no idea why the version I get doesn't mention a bar. It just shows, info can be wrong and even signs can be missed, but how did I miss 2 ???? and a bar at that