Saturday, September 10, 2011

Busy Camino

 The Camino is very busy with large numbers of pilgrims vying for beds in all the villages. Beds in towns and villages are booked by midday and even large albergues have 'Completo' signs up soon after opening.
In Zubiri a woman was desperate to find a bed as everything was booked from Roncesvalles to Larasoana and Trinidad de Arre. The hospitalero in Lorca said that this year was crazy - much busier than last year. In Cizur Menor we met two couples from Belgium who were trying to book beds ahead in Puenta la Reina that day.
The tourist office told them that everything was full - hotels, pensions, albergues etc. I phoned the Hotel Jakue and managed to find them the last two rooms at R65 each. In Los Arcos we met them again. They were intending to stay in Logrono and had tried to book ahead but were told that everything was fully booked there and also in Viana - 9km before Logrono. I called Jose in Viana (whose apartment we had booked ) and he found them 2 rooms in his aunt's apartment. I am so pleased that we have pre-booked accommodation all along the way. Its hard enough to walk up to 25km a day in the hot sun without having to worry about where you will sleep at night. Over 134000 Compostelas were issued in Santiago up to end of August but those only represent pilgrims reporting at the Pilgrim Office there. Many more pilgrims are actually on the Camino who don't intend walking to Santiago - like Brian and Tricia, and the two couples from Belgium who are only walking to Burgos this year. when we started out from Los Arcos this morning there were pilgrims strung out on the path before and behind us as far as the eye could see. "It looks like Moses and the Exodus" said Brian, and he was right.
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4 comments:

ksam said...

Ahhh yes.. Alburgue Anxiety!! can be quite stressful!! Great Job Sil!

Stewart said...

That is amazing. have the Spanish schools and universities gone back to classes yet? What is the demographics of the pilgrims?

Mark said...

There goes my amazingly kind humanitarian Momzie again! Missing you and love you!

Anonymous said...

I know there are some people who think that staying anywhere else but an albergue isn't 'right' or 'propoer' or something ... but I disagree. Its about the entire journey in mind, soul and body ... and not just about where you lay your head at night. I know that I would not enjoy the journey at all if I had daily albergue anxiety. It would detract from the whole experience. So I'm so grateful that one can book ahead, and that Sylvia is such an expert at doing it
Kathy