Hello Jane & Guy,
You have chosen a beautiful time to walk the camino - everything will be green, the wildflowers will be spectacular and if you listen carefully, you will hear the clapping of the beaks of baby storks in their huge nests on top of every tower and steeple along the way. These birds are monogamous breeders and return their nests, some hundreds of years old, every year in Spring.
There is a tradition on the camino to carry a small pebble from home, rubbing all your cares and sorrows into it as you walk. You then leave this stone on the huge mound at the base of the Cruz de Ferro (about 28kms from Astorga in the Irago Mountains). In 2002 I carried a stone for a friend who had passed away and last year I carried a stone for my sister who is very frail and ill.
If you would like to try a few of the more basic, spiritual pilgrim refuges, this is my top 10 list. Most are small (8 - 10 people), are run by devoted volunteers, are donativo, offer a communal meal and pilgrim blessing (things rarely offered in the large, modern, more comfortable hostals.)
*Pamplona - Paderbon albergue run by the German confraternity - sing along meal and bible reading
*Eunate – small albergue, meal by candlelight – walk around the church in the moonlight
*Granon – sleep on mattresses in the bell tower of a church – sing for your supper
*Tosantos – Old building, sleep on mattresses - pilgrim blessing in the attic chapel – pray for pilgrims who have left a prayer request
*Arroyo San Bol - New Age, basic albergue – no running water, 1000yr old medicinal spring in the adjacent field, no electricity, no toilet – fantastic dinner cooked by young Italian Rastafarian and maybe a queimada.
*Convento San Anton – magical, basic albergue in the ruins of the San Anton convent
*San Nicolas - sleep on mattresses in the loft of a small restored church – lamplit communual meal cooked by Italian hospitaleros, pilgrim blessing includes washing of pilgrims feet.
*Bercianos – ancient straw and mud house, watch the sunset before being allowed to have a communal dinner
*Manjarin – Atmospheric albergue run by Tomas the Templar - basic, no running water, electricity or toilet. Communal meal by lamplight, sleep in a stone barn on mattresses – stay for the Templario blessing and ceremony at 11am.
*Villafranca del Bierzo - Ave Fenix run by the Jato family for almost 30 years – Jesus Jato is a healer.
And, if you would like a list of the more up-market, private albergues you can download a brochure here:
http://www.redalberguessantiago.com
Pilgrim hugs,