what to do with pack while in a cathedral

[Chomps]

what do you do with your pack when you want to go inside a cathedral/church?

if you're alone.

do you just go inside with it on?
leave it outdoors?

 

[dick bird]

what do you do with your pack when you want to go inside a cathedral/church?

if you're alone.

do you just go inside with it on?
leave it outdoors?

Santiago cathedral won't let bring your pack in. Otherwise, it is entirely up to you. If the custodians don't like it, they will tell you, probably as you pay your admission. That is assuming you find a church that is open.

 

[Chomps]

Santiago cathedral won't let bring your pack in. Otherwise, it is entirely up to you. If the custodians don't like it, they will tell you, probably as you pay your admission. That is assuming you find a church that is open.

so what do you do with it? bike lock?

 

[Chomps]

seem pretty ubiquitous that all the guidebooks are pretty focused on visiting cathedrals and churches. help me out here

 

[dick bird]

so what do you do with it? bike lock?

A forewarned person, knowing that they are not allowed to bring their backpack into Santiago cathedral, would leave it in their hotel room. The less prudent can ask to leave it in the safe hands of the security guards place at the entry for the very purpose of making sure people do not bring backpacks into the cathedral, but they might say 'no' (in Spanish). Any other place of worship will a) allow you in with your backpack or b) tell you firmly not to come in with your backpack. In the case of b), it is up to you but considering the number of firmly chained up bicycles that get stolen in Spain, I wouldn't trust anything to a bike lock. If you are that keen, and if it is a big enough town to have a cathedral, the bus station will have coin operated lockers.

 

[Robo]

When visiting churches I generally leave my pack just inside the door or at the back of the church somewhere.
The last cathedral I visited, Caceres, one of the staff offered to keep an eye on it.
obviously all at your own risk.

in Santiago, I leave it in my accomodation.

 

[CarolamS]

The Correos Office in Santiago (near the Pilgims Office) can store your backpack or bike for a small fee per day.
In other circumstances I either took my pack with me or left it in my accommodation.

 

[Kathar1na]

what do you do with your pack when you want to go inside a cathedral/church?
if you're alone.
do you just go inside with it on?
leave it outdoors?

I left my backpack at my accommodation or kept it on my back or took it off and carried it in my hand.

In most of the churches along the Camino Francés, there are very few people inside and there is not much that you could accidentally knock over - or at least you should not get close enough to do so. Burgos Cathedral with its many visitors has lockers and they are obligatory if memory does not fail me. Again as I remember it, nothing of the sort in Pamplona, Logroño, Santo Domingo de la Calzada and Astorga. I don’t remember the situation for Leon Cathedral. Santiago is special but that’s already been mentioned. And these are already all the cathedrals of the CF I think.

 

[C clearly]

As @Kathar1na says, there are few cathedrals. Big museums, etc., will usually ask you to leave your pack in a locker room. Otherwise you will wear it or ask an attendant where to leave it.

When walking the Camino, there will likely be times when tou leave your pack unguarded. For that reason, do NOT carry important, irreplaceable, or valuable items in it.

 

[dugavski]

I left my pack in a souvenir shop near the cathedral in Santiago. I think it was 3 euros per day.
Other churches on the way were not a problem... I had my backpack with me.

 

[AnneO]

I was just in the Leon Cathedral yesterday and I wore my pack as I walked around. There is also a separate museum there and I had to take off my pack for that but they showed me a little corner where to put it until I was done with the museum.

 

[Introibo]

In rural churches, take it off before you enter and leave it just inside the door. If you feel the need to carry it around then at least take it off your back and carry it in your hands. Less chance this way of accidentally swiping people or inanimate objects with it.

But a word of caution. I think it was Evelyn Waugh who said that if you were to leave your umbrella at the back of an Anglican church it would still be there when you returned. Leave it at the back of a Catholic church and it would be gone.

 

[dick bird]

Evelyn Waugh who said

Well he was a Catholic himself so he would know. All the same, let's not cast aspersions, please.

 

[stevepjq]

Waugh converted to Catholicism in his late twenties I believe.

 

[Tom Hagger]

Waugh converted to Catholicism in his late twenties I believe

I believe that he ceased ever carrying an umbrella soon after that.

 

[Jodean]

Burgos and Astorga had lockers. Not sure about Leon.
Smaller churches, I usually just take off my pack and leave it on a pew, or I wear it if only going to be a few minutes inside.
Santiago, you can leave at your albergue or hotel or at Correos as someone else said.

 

[CMD]

In rural churches, take it off before you enter and leave it just inside the door. If you feel the need to carry it around then at least take it off your back and carry it in your hands. Less chance this way of accidentally swiping people or inanimate objects with it.

But a word of caution. I think it was Evelyn Waugh who said that if you were to leave your umbrella at the back of an Anglican church it would still be there when you returned. Leave it at the back of a Catholic church and it would be gone.

???????

 

[Introibo]

Waugh wasn't casting aspersions. It was a reference to the teaching that "Christ came to call sinners". Waugh understood that he wasn't going to church because he was good but because he needed to be good. There should be no offense taken from the quote

 

[igorschultz]

what do you do with your pack when you want to go inside a cathedral/church?

if you're alone.

do you just go inside with it on?
leave it outdoors?

There are free lockers on the Oficina del Peregrino. You leave a deposit and they return it upon bringing back the key. Also there are some other places nearby offering lockers for 3EUR. Usually they are souvenir shops.

 

[urbanmamma]

so what do you do with it? bike lock?

There is a reception area below the office where you get your compestella that offer bag storage for you. Get your place in line and drop off your bag.

 

[DreamWeaver]

In Oviedo, I left mine at the back of the catedral while I toured the church, that was five years ago, I was a little ignorance of theft.

Saw this 2 weeks ago, so whn you are in SdC, you can make use of this facility

 

[t2andreo]

what do you do with your pack when you want to go inside a cathedral/church?

if you're alone.

do you just go inside with it on?
leave it outdoors?

You can leave your rucksack at the Pilgrim House on Rua Nova - do make a donation.

You can also check your bag into the consigna at the Pilgrim Office. They charge €2 per day. You can leave stuff there for multiple days - like if you wanted to walk to Finisterre and Muxia. Just tell the security guard at the entry that you want the "consigna." They will direct you.

You can also place your bag into storage with Ivar at Casa Ivar, but this is better for multiple days.

I believe the Correos (post office also takes bags into their consigna, but IIRC, this storage is only at the large Rua Franco main post office.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[HARMINIA]

what do you do with your pack when you want to go inside a cathedral/church?

if you're alone.

do you just go inside with it on?
leave it outdoors?

You are not allowed to go in with backpack. At the other site of the Cathedral, a little bit to the left, there is a shop you can Store it.

 

[trecile]

You are not allowed to go in with backpack. At the other site of the Cathedral, a little bit to the left, there is a shop you can Store it.

Definitely true for the cathedral in Santiago, but the OP asked about cathedrals/churches in general.

what do you do with your pack when you want to go inside a cathedral/church?

 

[JabbaPapa]

so what do you do with it?

The souvenir shop next to the current Cathedral entrance is the best solution (those directions will become invalid if the new Bishop opens the real front doors again). Very quick in and out.

Owner is really friendly too !!

He did insist on reimbursing my €3 fee when he saw my ginormous credencial and understood how far I'd walked, as an example of what a lovely man he is, but I'd guess that few pilgrims would get that service for free.

 

[Rmarkob]

The souvenir shop next to the current Cathedral entrance is the best solution (those directions will become invalid if the new Bishop opens the real front doors again). Very quick in and out.

Owner is really friendly too !!

He did insist on reimbursing my €3 fee when he saw my ginormous credencial and understood how far I'd walked, as an example of what a lovely man he is, but I'd guess that few pilgrims would get that service for free.

I had a friend leave her backpack there as well, though she didn’t mention any charges or requested donation.

I just spent 10 days on the Via Podiensis in May, and backpacks were alllowed at the cathedral there for the 0700 Pilgrims’ Mass and blessing. This makes sense, as most people were starting their pilgrimage right after, but they did ask people to leave backpacks along the walls and not bring them into the pews.

 

[Mycroft]

what do you do with your pack when you want to go inside a cathedral/church?

if you're alone.

do you just go inside with it on?
leave it outdoors?

We have many pilgrims leave their packs at Pilgrim House while they go to the Cathedral or to meet folks, etc.

 

[David Tallan]

The souvenir shop next to the current Cathedral entrance is the best solution (those directions will become invalid if the new Bishop opens the real front doors again).

I've heard that they are planning to resume the "hug for the apostle" but has their been any indication that anyone with authority is even considering having pilgrims once again enter through the Portico of Glory? That would be a real surprise to me.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I've heard that they are planning to resume the "hug for the apostle" but has their been any indication that anyone with authority is even considering having pilgrims once again enter through the Portico of Glory? That would be a real surprise to me.

I saw an article the other day suggesting that the new Bishop wants more entrances into the Cathedral than just the current one.