Serving as Hospitalera in Logroño!

[Becky 59]

I just started my quincena at the Donativo in Logroño, and will try and update how it goes on this thread.
The Donativo has space for 60, but 26 spaces are in a bunk room that has been quarantined for bedbugs all summer, so the work load is less, but we have been full or nearly full every night so far. We’re cooking a communal meal for about 30 people every night, pasta or lentils or Rioja potatoes with chorizo so far, and fruit cobbler for desert. I was excited to find that the building has an elevator so we don’t have to carry groceries up the stairs like we did last year in Viana. Two nights ago, 19 of 22 guests were Italians which made for a very noisy dinner!

Tonight the parish is installing the new priest who is replacing Father Jose Ignacio Diaz; the local bishop will be part of the mass, and there is a reception here at the albergue (which is using our room where perigrinos sleep on mats and using our kitchen, so no communal meal tonight ).
If you are on the Francés, stop in for tea, a hug, or a night!

 

[StephenHLanark]

I’m in Logrono and will be at the pilgrims mass at Santiago el Real tonight. If you see an elderly obese man in pink shorts…

 

[AmyRKent]

I just started my quincena at the Donativo in Logroño, and will try and update how it goes on this thread.
The Donativo has space for 60, but 26 spaces are in a bunk room that has been quarantined for bedbugs all summer, so the work load is less, but we have been full or nearly full every night so far. We’re cooking a communal meal for about 30 people every night, pasta or lentils or Rioja potatoes with chorizo so far, and fruit cobbler for desert. I was excited to find that the building has an elevator so we don’t have to carry groceries up the stairs like we did last year in Viana. Two nights ago, 19 of 22 guests were Italians which made for a very noisy dinner!

Tonight the parish is installing the new priest who is replacing Father Jose Ignacio Diaz; the local bishop will be part of the mass, and there is a reception here at the albergue (which is using our room where perigrinos sleep on mats and using our kitchen, so no communal meal tonight ).
If you are on the Francés, stop in for tea, a hug, or a night!

Thank you Becky, and Francine, for hosting us last night. It was one of our camino highlights thus far!

 

[Silvermomma]

It takes all summer to quarantine for bedbugs? Most albergues don’t shut down for that long, do they? Just curious.

 

[Becky 59]

I’m in Logrono and will be at the pilgrims mass at Santiago el Real tonight. If you see an elderly obese man in pink shorts…

I’ll keep my eyes out! I may have to stay in the albergue and monitor the door. But I’ll be at the reception afterwards!

 

[Becky 59]

It takes all summer to quarantine for bedbugs? Most albergues don’t shut down for that long, do they? Just curious.

No, they quarantined after the first fumigation, which did not succeed in irradiating the bugs, fumigated a second time, and we just checked yesterday and still found a live bug. Apparently there was wall covering installed in the past that may be harboring or sequestering them.

 

[Becky 59]

Thank you Becky, and Francine, for hosting us last night. It was one of our camino highlights thus far!

So nice to hear! Buen Camino for the rest of your walk!

 

[J Willhaus]

No, they quarantined after the first fumigation, which did not succeed in irradiating the bugs, fumigated a second time, and we just checked yesterday and still found a live bug. Apparently there was wall covering installed in the past that may be harboring or sequestering them.

They are very hard to get rid of especially if they have someplace to crawl into. They can live in false ceilings or follow pipes up or down floors into other rooms, too. Good luck as you continue the fight. Strong work!

 

[StephenHLanark]

I’ll keep my eyes out! I may have to stay in the albergue and monitor the door. But I’ll be at the reception afterwards!

Well that was the longest pilgrims mass yet. 90 minutes. And the promised pilgrims blessing didn’t happen.
Sorry to have missed you.
Best

 

[J Willhaus]

Well that was the longest pilgrims mass yet. 90 minutes. And the promised pilgrims blessing didn’t happen.
Sorry to have missed you.
Best

Probably because they are welcoming the new priest. Not the usual.

 

[C.C.]

I was pleased to be able to serve as a hospitalero in Logrono, in September of 2019. Never worked harder or enjoyed time as much ! it was my first experience volunteering…in March 2024 I will be heading back to Spain to spend my time at 3 different albergue, making it 8 times. Serving pilgrims on the Camino is a joy

 

[StephenHLanark]

Probably because they are welcoming the new priest. Not the usual.

Yes it was led by a bishop so I knew it was special. Didn’t understand most of the speeches . But the main choir was special too

 

[Becky 59]

Now day 5 in Logroño: we have up to 43 spaces currently, depending whether the diocese wants to use rooms for meetings. On rainy days the pilgrims stay in; on sunny days they go out for tapas. We have served lentils, potatas al Riojana, garbanzos with tomatoes and veggies, and usually fruit cobbler for desert. The Camino seems busy but not overly stuffed; there is often 1-2 beds infilled that we could squeeze someone in.
After dinner we offer a trip into the next door cathedral through a connecting tunnel; the church has incredible acoustics and we have had some musicians staying here that played.

 

[peregrina2000]

After dinner we offer a trip into the next door cathedral through a connecting tunnel;

My memory is that the albergue is not adjacent to the cathedral, and if google maps has the locations right, it looks like the tunnel is several blocks long. Any information on its history?

 

[Becky 59]

My memory is that the albergue is not adjacent to the cathedral, and if google maps has the locations right, it looks like the tunnel is several blocks long. Any information on its history?

The parochial albergue is attached to the cathedral Real (not the famous one on the plaza; this is the cathedral with the big Matamoros statue above the door), and the tunnel is perhaps 30’ long. Don’t know about history but I’ll ask around.

 

[David Tallan]

The parochial albergue is attached to the cathedral Real (not the famous one on the plaza; this is the cathedral with the big Matamoros statue above the door), and the tunnel is perhaps 30’ long. Don’t know about history but I’ll ask around.

Are there two cathedrals in the same town? My understanding was that this isn't usually the case. The theory that I've been operating under was that a cathedral is the church that a bishop operates out of and that generally there is only one bishop in a town and he only operates out of one church. Other important churches aren't called cathedrals but basilicas. So, for example, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is a basilica and not a cathedral. Am I in error? Or is Logroño an exception to this general practice?

 

[StephenHLanark]

The Santiago el Real is a church. The bishop was leading that service coincidentally. The Cathedral is about 400 metres away.

 

[Becky 59]

Are there two cathedrals in the same town? My understanding was that this isn't usually the case. The theory that I've been operating under was that a cathedral is the church that a bishop operates out of and that generally there is only one bishop in a town and he only operates out of one church. Other important churches aren't called cathedrals but basilicas. So, for example, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is a basilica and not a cathedral. Am I in error? Or is Logroño an exception to this general practice?

There are actually three, called “Co-Cathedrals”, a holdover from long ago. Father José Ignacio Díaz (who passed away this summer, a stalwart of the Camino) was the priest for this one, and the installation of his replacement just happened this Sunday. The new priest looks to be someone favorably inclined towards pilgrims and the Camino; they are holding lots of meetings in one of our dorm rooms (so we are spending lots of time shuffling mats around!) these days.
Meanwhile perigrinos come and go; we have had 1 or 2 empty places so far, and the September 1 wave is hitting us!

 

[Kirkie]

There are actually three, called “Co-Cathedrals”, a holdover from long ago. Father José Ignacio Díaz (who passed away this summer, a stalwart of the Camino) was the priest for this one, and the installation of his replacement just happened this Sunday. The new priest looks to be someone favorably inclined towards pilgrims and the Camino; they are holding lots of meetings in one of our dorm rooms (so we are spending lots of time shuffling mats around!) these days.
Meanwhile perigrinos come and go; we have had 1 or 2 empty places so far, and the September 1 wave is hitting us!

Becky, you are a star!

 

[J Willhaus]

I have always heard from the priests when working at the hospitalera that having a parish on the Camino is a big honor and a big responsibility because you have the people in your parish AND pilgrims to look after and serve.

 

[Vacajoe]

LOVE that tunnel! I’d imagine it’s a holdover from when the pilgrim dorm served as a rectory or housing for clergy. As a lifelong catholic, it was interesting to pop out of the “secret” chamber into the closed church - a bit Indiana Jones-ish!

 

[Becky 59]

Last night dinner was pasta boloñesa, but we forgot to take into account that half of the perigrinos were Italian and they demolished the sauce (high praise for our American Italian cook!) Plum and nectarine cobbler for desert was also a big hit. We had 40 for dinner, our biggest crowd yet!

 

[Becky 59]

Next update: I tested positive for COVID yesterday. We must have had an asymptomatic perigrino, and despite cleaning every surface including floors and mats with bleach, and washing hands endlessly, I couldn’t avoid the airborne germs. There are two locals, the winter staff, who are helping this weekend to do my work, and the possibility of fresh blood Monday if I’m still down. There is an extra room, usually used for seminarians, that I am quarantining in. COVID is still out there, but honestly I hadn’t seen or heard of any until I got sick.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@Becky 59 , hopefully you only have a mild variant. Wishing you a speedy recovery !

 

[J Willhaus]

Next update: I tested positive for COVID yesterday. We must have had an asymptomatic perigrino, and despite cleaning every surface including floors and mats with bleach, and washing hands endlessly, I couldn’t avoid the airborne germs. There are two locals, the winter staff, who are helping this weekend to do my work, and the possibility of fresh blood Monday if I’m still down. There is an extra room, usually used for seminarians, that I am quarantining in. COVID is still out there, but honestly I hadn’t seen or heard of any until I got sick.

Get better! It's a bummer having it let alone when you are a hospitalera!

 

[David Tallan]

I hope you have the lightest of cases and the speediest of recoveries.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@Becky 59 , how are you doing?

 

[Becky 59]

@Becky 59 , how are you doing?

Thanks for asking! Cough is already gone; fatigue is really the only symptom now. Today I was up for an hour at a time before exhaustion drove me back to bed. And a hospitalera from the next incoming team volunteered to show up early (she was already in country) and is helping out some. The Camino provides?

 

[C.C.]