What’s better than walking a Camino ?

C.C. · Aug 25, 2023

I have walked the Camino France, Portuguese central and coastal, Variant Espiritual and Ingles and will continue to walk while I can. But, I have found my true passion in serving as a hospitaler. 2024 will make it 8 sessions of serving and I have loved every one. Cooking, cleaning, laundry and … the best part, meeting pilgrims from all over. I’ve worked harder at some albergues than I’ve ever done and yet still want to go back again. So if you’re ever thinking about serving, know it will be hard work, but if you’re like me (a 72 year old Canadian) you might get hooked. See some of you in Villadangoes, Salamanca or Grado this spring 2024.
P.S. anyone else hooked on serving ?

nycwalking · Aug 25, 2023

C.C. said:
I have walked the Camino France, Portuguese central and coastal, Variant Espiritual and Ingles and will continue to walk while I can. But, I have found my true passion in serving as a hospitaler. 2024 will make it 8 sessions of serving and I have loved every one. Cooking, cleaning, laundry and … the best part, meeting pilgrims from all over. I’ve worked harder at some albergues than I’ve ever done and yet still want to go back again. So if you’re ever thinking about serving, know it will be hard work, but if you’re like me (a 72 year old Canadian) you might get hooked. See some of you in Villadangoes, Salamanca or Grado this spring 2024.
P.S. anyone else hooked on serving ?

In 2002, after first camino in 2001, I was a hospie at Nicolas Del Flüe in Ponferrada. Padre Jose Ignacio, who recently passed, posted me there.

In 2004, I was a hospitalera at Guacelmo run by Confraternity of Saint James in UK.

Fun times.

You’re right it is hard work.

Maybe one day I will volunteer on camino again.

Bless you for continuing to give back to the way.

Buen camino.

C.C. · Aug 25, 2023

nycwalking said:
In 2002, after first camino in 2001, I was a hospie at Nicolas Del Flüe in Ponferrada. Padre Jose Ignacio, who recently passed, posted me there.

In 2004, I was a hospitalera at Guacelmo run by Confraternity of Saint James in UK.

Fun times.

You’re right it is hard work.

Maybe one day I will volunteer on camino again.

Bless you for continuing to give back to the way.

Buen camino.

I was in Ponferrada in March of this year … very nice albergue. Has the privilege of serving in Logrono in 2019 … another special place

David · Aug 25, 2023

C.C. - good for you, giving back, as it were. Being a hospitelaro is satisfying but! it is such hard work ... being up before the pilgrims get up, not going to bed until after the pilgrims go to bed ... all that background work that no one ever sees ... mostly good, great, pilgrims arriving each day but having to deal with the opposite ... and so many pilgrims arrive with low blood sugar levels, so irritable, fractious .. like children coming home from school (the answer is a piece of cake and a soft drink!

) .. and then you have only a short break after getting everything ready and before you open .. so hard.

Why do people volunteer for this? It is the flip of that psychological coin I think. Moving from receiving to giving, from I to they, with love of the Camino experience being at the heart of it? Just guessing here. Once one realises that the destination is not as important as the experience of Camino?

For me, well, I have never done a complete Camino since I returned to offer first aid and pastoral care, I just walk in areas where I think there will be the most need, such as the first six days from any major Camino joining point .. for me it is being there and helping that replaced getting there, to Santiago, and I think that those who volunteer at refugios, at the pilgrim office, and in other ways must feel like this too.

Gold stars to you C.C. - and to all those who return to give

J Willhaus · Aug 25, 2023

David said:
C.C. - good for you, giving back, as it were. Being a hospitelaro is satisfying but! it is such hard work ... being up before the pilgrims get up, not going to bed until after the pilgrims go to bed ... all that background work that no one ever sees ... mostly good, great, pilgrims arriving each day but having to deal with the opposite ... and so many pilgrims arrive with low blood sugar levels, so irritable, fractious .. like children coming home from school (the answer is a piece of cake and a soft drink! ) .. and then you have only a short break after getting everything ready and before you open .. so hard.

Why do people volunteer for this? It is the flip of that psychological coin I think. Moving from receiving to giving, from I to they, with love of the Camino experience being at the heart of it? Just guessing here. Once one realises that the destination is not as important as the experience of Camino?

For me, well, I have never done a complete Camino since I returned to offer first aid and pastoral care, I just walk in areas where I think there will be the most need, such as the first six days from any major Camino joining point .. for me it is being there and helping that replaced getting there, to Santiago, and I think that those who volunteer at refugios, at the pilgrim office, and in other ways must feel like this too.

Gold stars to you C.C. - and to all those who return to give

Yes, it is addictive. I love greeting pilgrims and caring for them and hearing their stories. Enjoy cooking for and with them. I love the smell of a clean bathroom and fresh laundered sheets straight from the clothesline. Yes, my back hurts after cleaning and cooking. Have volunteered at Christmas as well as summer and spring. It is a different kind of pilgrimage in place.

Phil W · Aug 25, 2023

I also live serving as a hospitalero! People think @J Willhaus and I must be crazy to save our money to go cleanup after others but we do it gladly.

MightyFree · Aug 25, 2023

I also went from peregrino to hospitalera. Both rewarding in different ways. It certainly gives you perspective! If nothing else, it made me a better pilgrim.