Pilgrim-only restaurant near Padron

[peregrina2000]

I have just read that there is a pilgrim only, donativo, restaurant opening in the town of Pontecesures, about 2 km before Padron. It is called A Mesa de Pedra.

Here is the website, http://dl.dropbox.com/u/303088/MesaDePe ... enido.html

From what the website says, it is run by an association of friends of the camino, let's hope it's a big success.

buen camino, Laurie

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I stopped at Meson de Pedra a week or so ago while hiking the Camino Portuguese. It was not a pleasant experience.

The man in charge of the "restaurant" had only some squash soup on offer. He had two Spanish pilgrims seated at a rickety table set up among a dusty, cluttered sort of stone-cutting workshop. THey looked at us with beseeching eyes as the "hospitalero" led us over to stamp our credentials -- which also entailed writing down our ID details in his ledger. A big German shepherd dog on a very short lead growled from under the table.

The hospitalero then quizzed me on the spelling of my name, the proper history of the name of my village (Moratinos) and why I have "a funny accent." He then told me I am a liar for claiming to live in Palencia, because "nobody foreign lives in Palencia." He questioned our pilgrim legitimacy because our stamps were not from pilgrim albergues, and our backpacks were not the right size. He informed us our CSJ Portuguese route guides are "beyond horrible." He didn´t ask us to sit down. He didn´t offer us even a glass of water. But he did ask us for a donation, and a "like" on Facebook.

He shooed us out the gate. We were pleased to see the Spanish couple he´d cornered had managed to slip out while he was lecturing us!

Maybe I caught him on a bad day. Maybe he´s not fond of foreigners (we were two Americans and a Portuguese.) Maybe I just won´t stop in there again!

 

[Finisterre]

I shall try and pop in if I get chance, call him garçon, send the soup back.

I will let you know if he sets the dog on me.

 

[peregrina2000]

I have heard other stories similar to Rebekah´s, though not as extreme. Sounds like a place to avoid!

 

[michryan]

Good to know. Note taken I will avoid.

 

[amorfati1]

My experience is from May this year: I was looking forward to have a stop @ that restaurant, as it was also advertised in the Bierley guide and plenty of postings along the way as a pilgrim's restaurant, and I was quite ready for a late lunch break.
As soon as I stepped into this 'courtyard restaurant' - i took one look, and then turned around on my heels and marched right on out again, leaving this 'establishment' behind as fast as possible. In my book this place is a Dump . A mess.
(this was also one of those times that I questioned the Bierley's guide judgement and wondered if he even walks the areas that are written about in the book).
Was utterly beyond me how this could be recommended.
Seems like that nothing has changed/improved from Rebecca's experience two years prior ....

 

[another walker]

I shall try and pop in if I get chance, call him garçon, send the soup back.

I will let you know if he sets the dog on me.

I feel like doing something similar,but i have already promised the wife that i shall be on "Exemplary behaviour duty" whilst on the caminho.