Questions about municipal albergue in Burgo Ranero

[peregrina2000]

Hi, everyone,

A cyber-friend on a Spanish camino forum is going to be a hospitalero in Burgo Ranero during the second half of November.

He has a few questions about what he will find, and I told him I'd post them here to see if there are people who have also been hospitaleros in Burgo Ranero or who have stayed there as pilgrims.

1. Does the albergue have heat?
2. Does the albergue have sheets?
3. Do the hospitaleros make dinner for the pilgrims? (I have been there three times and never experienced this, but maybe some do)
4. Anything else special or unusual you'd want the hospitalero to know about?

Thanks, peregrinos. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[KiwiNomad06]

My stay there was four years ago now, but I would be surprised if the hospitalero cooked meals, as there were a couple of good restaurants right across the road, and their hours were definitely 'pilgrim friendly' when I was there.
Margaret
PS I can't comment on whether heat was available: it was 30C+ the day I was there in June, and it was a question of trying to hide from the heat!

 

[grayland]

I have stayed in Burgo Ranero a couple of times...but not in the albergue. It seems to fill up fast and both times they were turning people away about 3 pm. I stayed across the street above one of the restaurants. I think they both have rooms. Like Margaret said, they are both decent pilgrim friendly restaurants with lots of locals hanging out playing cards and families just hanging.
Don't know about the albergue but would be surprised if dinner was supplied by the hospitalero.
The Spanish federation does list El Burgo Ranero as a volunteer albergue and indicates that there are " total of 26 beds, 2 beds high" in 4 rooms.... and that there is a "kitchen and Dining Room"

ADDED: I just noted this website that has a picture and some information. It is a donativo and does not mention dinner supplied. http://www.gronze.com/albergues/camino- ... ranero.htm

 

[Pilar]

I was there in September. It wasn't cold at the time but I remember seeing a big wood burning stove in the dining room. I suspect that is the only heating that they have but it looked ample to heat the place, at least the rooms just above the stove area. I think there were sheets and pillowcases on the beds. Can't say about the blankets as we didn't need them. There is a very ample kitchen that people were using to cook for themselves. No community meal. The hospitaleros were cooking for themselves. Nice stay for me.

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks for the information, I will pass it on. NOw that I think of it, I was in the kitchen of that albergue in June of 2011, and I remember that the microwave made a huge popping noise and stopped working. If you've been there more recently, do you remember if they have one? Just curious.

I agree with everyone who enjoyed that albergue. It has a nice feel, and good location.

I also have a vague memory of getting a case of those paper sheets like the ones so prevalent in Galicia, but am not 100% sure.

Gracias, buen camino, Laurie

 

[Kialoa3]

My wife and I were there in January 2010. Wood stove in dining area. No other heat in the building. The hospitalero, a great guy, offered us the use of a small space heater he was using while working on the computer. That was all we needed. The kitchen was good size and well set up with cooking gear etc. There are shops, bars quite close to the albergue. Can't recall whether or not it was donativo. It was a very pleasant place to stay.

 

[dfitzg773]

I stayed at the municipal albergue in El Burgo Ranero on September 29,2012 (this year--just a little over a month ago!). It was cool, but not cold enough for heat at the time so I cannot tell you about heat. The beds did not have sheets and there was no meal provided.

I spoke to a hospitalero who said their accomodiation is actually next door to the albergue so it could be completely different for them.

The albergue did have a good kitchen and a washing machine. A number of other pilgrims bought supplies from a small store across the street and cooked their own meal. They also have FREE internet on a PC.

The hospitalero invited us to watch the sunset and we walked to the edge of town (not far) to see the sun setting behind the mountains in the distance that we would encounter in a few days. He also told us of the legend of the frogs (I guess ranero is a type of frog).

I found the experience at this albergue to be really pleasant. It was donativo as well.

Dan
Chicago

 

[unadara]

Coming from Camino Madrid this was our first alberque on the Frances route, it was a great place. There is a microwave and I heated water for tea in it. It was completo by 2.30 perhaps (end of Sep). Guys running it for 2 weeks were very good, the queue to come in was very slow as they liked to talk to you, it is their interest in the Camino and the people who walk it that leads them to volunteer. We met one of them later in a bar and talked about starting in Madrid and how we had liked the route. Great dining area, fire lit, many showers, free internet, great vibe, loads of places for good meals if not cooking. And many other places to sleep too nearby. We had walked from Melgar de Arriba with no stops until Bercianos and decided to go on to El Burgo. Good choice as we had slept in Bercianos last year (loved it too!).

 

[scruffy1]

First of all its an amazing building, you feel as if you are in Tunisia or some desert country with the adobe walls and all. Secondly the frog pond! a marvelous way to spend an evening, sitting on the bench watching the sun go down and to listen to the concert. Do remember, this is an isolated village, one is very close to the place where ships sail over the edge of the world, the other option on this stage is even closer. One is probably not lonely there, but the village is quite isolated.