Hey there John,
I understand you are away and will soon be beginning your
Camino Frances.
I just wanted to give you a last update from the end of my own Camino, which finished with a flurry on the 9th December after 43 days covering 1,001km.
There are some pretty important updates I can give regarding Galicia. From O'Cebreiro, numbers were expectedly higher than the rest of the route, although with that came a huge amount of disrespectful pilgrims. I was surprised to see people, even at this time of year, setting alarms and turning lights on at 5am to pack and get walking, the sun, still not up by 8am, still sleeping deeply below its horizon.
This being the second
Camino Frances, it was interesting to see how respect for other sleeping pilgrims has slipped still further and those who were suffering, in pain, having a rest day, had no choice but to wake at this hour and lay there bleary eyed listening to the commotion.
These increased numbers became ultra important to me walking onto Muxia, Finisterre and back to Santiago as these smaller Xunta albergues became very close to capacity night after night, alternative accomodation rarely being available.
However, a bonus on the route to Muxia is Dumbria (20km from Muxia and 13km after Olvieroa) is a brand spanking new albergue opened in September 2010 which was like nothing id ever seen before. A new Mega-Hostel more like a hotel, underfloor heating, fitted designer kitchens, stunning cromed bathrooms yet zero pilgrims staying there. If you get a chance, check it out.
A lot of the Xunta (if not all) have been renovated and modernised to the point of overkill, all offering clean, warm accomodation but without any of the 'personal care' of earlier on the Camino. Most offer 20-30 beds and all had hot showers and heating.
Scores of private hostels have either closed for the winter or lowered their price and turned off their heating making a chilly nights sleep and difficulty drying wet clothes.
In Santiago, the donativo albergue down Rua San Francisco mentioned in Ger Kelly's guide is actually a homeless hostel in the winter, some very confused looks were thrown my way as I walked in the door past the drunk fellow blocking the door.
Xunta albergue in Ligonde was closed although Airexe 1km further is open.
Vilaserio on the Camino Fisterra after Negreira also has a donativo municipal albergue although without heating (but does have hot showers) VERY BASIC, the lady across the road 'demands' a donation and offers large tortilla delivery service for dinner for €5.
Several times I was demanded to give a donation as a matter of course, causing me to wonder if the summer had seen many pilgrims not doing so. This suspiscion was confirmed when a spanish pilgrim walking from Muxia for 3 days said that donation albergues were considered 'FREE' to himself and his friends.
The weather...generally good, although reports a few days behind me told of pilgrims scaling the mountains at Manjarin in waist deep snow, arrows submerged, track non existant. The Muxia coast was the wettest weather ive ever experienced....absolutely soaked to the soul!! :?
Anyway, I hope this helps some people, and when those alarms go off at 5am please dont follow the crowd, thats what some of us are trying to break away from. Push those earplugs in a little further, put the pillow over your head and rest some more....the sun will tell you when its time to wake.
Regards
Greg
