Guardo is promoting the Camino Olvidado

[peregrina2000]

Last year, the municipality recorded 400 peregrinos passing through Guardo (not sure if the measure is based on the number sleeping in its albergue or some other statistic), and this year it is undertaking a promotional effort, which should stimulate traffic. I know, I know, some will say this is not a great thing, because who wants the Olvidado to become the Frances. Having walked the Olvidado about 5 years ago when pilgrim infrastructure was sparse and marking was bad, this is a great development -- at least until it reaches that impossible-to-stop tipping point! But rest assured, this Camino has a LONG way to go before it gets the traffic levels of any of the saturated caminos.

Impulso turístico al Camino Olvidado

El Ayuntamiento pone toda la carne en el asador para dar una intensa promoción y proyección a la ruta con nuevas iniciativas que buscan un futuro prometedor

www.diariopalentino.es

And another little tidbit -- I just learned a new Spanish saying -- poner toda la carne en el asador (to put all the meat on the grill) roughly must translate into something like -- to go all in.

 

[pelerine]

Excellent! Thank you for this article! The Olvidado is on my list to do maybe in 2021 or 2022, se Deus quiser.....

 

[dick bird]

Last year, the municipality recorded 400 peregrinos passing through Guardo (not sure if the measure is based on the number sleeping in its albergue or some other statistic), and this year it is undertaking a promotional effort, which should stimulate traffic. I know, I know, some will say this is not a great thing, because who wants the Olvidado to become the Frances. Having walked the Olvidado about 5 years ago when pilgrim infrastructure was sparse and marking was bad, this is a great development -- at least until it reaches that impossible-to-stop tipping point! But rest assured, this Camino has a LONG way to go before it gets the traffic levels of any of the saturated caminos.

Impulso turístico al Camino Olvidado

El Ayuntamiento pone toda la carne en el asador para dar una intensa promoción y proyección a la ruta con nuevas iniciativas que buscan un futuro prometedor

www.diariopalentino.es

And another little tidbit -- I just learned a new Spanish saying -- poner toda la carne en el asador (to put all the meat on the grill) roughly must translate into something like -- to go all in.

Just seen your post. Sadly, it was only 500 by September 2019. Some municipalities are up for it, others seem less enthusiastic. Guardo was a nice little town, though we didn't stay there. I feel sad because some of the hospitaleros and fraternity people we met were really committed. Let's hope for better things in 2022 (or even 2021, who knows). Buen camino.

 

[peregrina2000]

Guardo was a nice little town, though we didn't stay there.

So where did you stay? Curious, because it seems like an almost “must stop” place based on distances.

 

[dick bird]

Puente de Almuhuey, according to my diary. You probably know the (unverified) story about the municipal albergue - closed by the municipality itself because they had neglected to provide proper disabled access and were denounced by the proprietors of a local hotel. We stayed at the bar El Duende Carriluende (halfway down main street on RHS) who gave us a huge suite and breakfast for 30 euros, no resentment of pilgrims there, it seems. Before that, Santibañez, bar Mylo. OK for a night, but they did a very good menú.

 

[peregrina2000]

Puente de Almuhuey, according to my diary.

Ok, well that answer just raises another question — where did you sleep the night before Puente Almuhey? I’m asking just because I am hoping to return and am wondering about some of the options after Cervera de Pisuerga. One other option would be to continue on from Guardo to Velilla and stay there on the way to Caminayo. Or did you go straight from Guardo to Puente Almuhey?

BTW, I saw we stayed in the same place in Cervera de Pisuerga, and sadly, I think that albergue is now permanently closed (happened before covid, I believe).

Ah yes, I have heard all about the political intrigue in Puente Almuhey. Actually, the owner of the place we both stayed (which was fabulous, IMO) was the former mayor of the town. His term expired on the exact day we stayed there, or maybe it was that he had just received the formal notification that he had lost his bid for re-election on the day we stayed there. In any event, the albergue was closed not by his complaint but by the hotel owner. Even though it was a municipal albergue, it had not gotten the license it needed, and as you said, was not handicap accessible. Crazy story — an illegal municipal albergue.

 

[charlotte19675]

I am hoping to walk the Lebaniego Castellano this autumn, but because of accommodation issues so far I have decided to do 1 stage of the Olvidado between Aguilar De Campoo and Cerevera de Pisugera instead of walking from Alar Del Ray to Cerevera. I am getting a train from Alar Del Ray to Aguilar De Campoo and then back onto the Lebaniego at Cerevera and heading north to Potes.

 

[dick bird]

Ok, well that answer just raises another question — where did you sleep the night before Puente Almuhey? I’m asking just because I am hoping to return and am wondering about some of the options after Cervera de Pisuerga. One other option would be to continue on from Guardo to Velilla and stay there on the way to Caminayo. Or did you go straight from Guardo to Puente Almuhey?

BTW, I saw we stayed in the same place in Cervera de Pisuerga, and sadly, I think that albergue is now permanently closed (happened before covid, I believe).

Ah yes, I have heard all about the political intrigue in Puente Almuhey. Actually, the owner of the place we both stayed (which was fabulous, IMO) was the former mayor of the town. His term expired on the exact day we stayed there, or maybe it was that he had just received the formal notification that he had lost his bid for re-election on the day we stayed there. In any event, the albergue was closed not by his complaint but by the hotel owner. Even though it was a municipal albergue, it had not gotten the license it needed, and as you said, was not handicap accessible. Crazy story — an illegal municipal albergue.

We stayed in Santibañez at Bar Mylo and walked from there, through Guardo (it was morning which is why we didn't stay). The accommodation was very ordinary but OK, in what seemed to be a converted apartment just down the road. Bar Mylo does a good menú del día as well. Sanitbañez is a rather forgettable town, especially in the rain but people were nice. If you walk the Olvidado again, say hi to Chuchi, Adolfo and Luisa. All three were very kind and deserve high praise for what they do. We went to the other hotel in Puente de Almuhey for a drink. I can well believe the rumours.