LIVE from the Camino SJPP TODAY May 2, 2024

[Anniesantiago]

We are in SJPP today

While we were standing in line today, one of my pilgrims met 3 people from Taiwan, who could not find a bed. He said he also saw several people on their phones, frantically searching for beds. We saw many signs that said complete and the Albergue was complete. This is not the same Camino people walked even two years ago. You must book ahead. Or sleep on a bench. At least these for a few days of May. The weather was sunny today and we are hoping it stays that way for our walk to Borda tomorrow.

The line at the Pilgrims office was very long and became longer when both the train and the bus let pilgrims off around the same time.

If you’re coming here without a reservation, all I can say is good luck

 

[gregrobinson]

We are in SJPP today

While we were standing in line today, one of my pilgrims met 3 people from Taiwan, who could not find a bed. He said he also saw several people on their phones, frantically searching for beds. We saw many signs that said complete and the Albergue was complete. This is not the same Camino people walked even two years ago. You must book ahead. Or sleep on a bench. At least these for a few days of May. The weather was sunny today and we are hoping it stays that way for our walk to Borda tomorrow.

The line at the Pilgrims office was very long and became longer when both the train and the bus let pilgrims off around the same time.

If you’re coming here without a reservation, all I can say is good luck

They always open a municipal building in SJPDP when things are full. They won't sleep outside. Check with the Pilgrims office and they will find a place to sleep.

 

[Marciagayle]

We are in SJPP today

While we were standing in line today, one of my pilgrims met 3 people from Taiwan, who could not find a bed. He said he also saw several people on their phones, frantically searching for beds. We saw many signs that said complete and the Albergue was complete. This is not the same Camino people walked even two years ago. You must book ahead. Or sleep on a bench. At least these for a few days of May. The weather was sunny today and we are hoping it stays that way for our walk to Borda tomorrow.

The line at the Pilgrims office was very long and became longer when both the train and the bus let pilgrims off around the same time.

If you’re coming here without a reservation, all I can say is good luck

Always good advice from Annie!

 

[isawtman]

I took the 12 noon bus from Pamplona which gets to St Jean at 1:40. I immediately walked to the Pilgrims Office and there was hardly anyone in line so I got in line. I got my credential and they asked me if I had booked a spot to stay that night. I said no. They told me to go up to the Municipal Albergue which was just opening for the day at 2 pm. So, I went there and got a bed. People arriving on the 4 pm train were not so lucky. Evidently, they opened up the High School Gym for those people

 

[Anniesantiago]

Yes. Some found a mat on the floor there (which can be more comfie than some of those old beds!). People here at Gite Compostella tried to book Roncesvalles for tomorrow (today now) and it was full.

 

[Anniesantiago]

They always open a municipal building in SJPDP when things are full. They won't sleep outside. Check with the Pilgrims office and they will find a place to sleep.

And when they arrive in Roncesvalles with no bed? People might want to stop telling people to ‘Just go! Don’t book ahead!’ It’s no longer good advice imo, at least on this bottleneck.

Also, they don’t make that info about the municipal building clear to all. We had several pilgrims stop by here in a panic because they couldn’t find a bed in the village we told them to go back to the pilgrim office and inquire.

I’d be curious how many slept in that muni building last night because they were coming up the street in droves.

 

[NualaOC]

Thanks Annie for this information. My niece and I will be starting from SJPDP next week. I’m very glad we booked our beds!

Wishing you and your group a Buen Camino.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

And when they arrive in Roncesvalles with no bed? People might want to stop telling people to ‘Just go! Don’t book ahead!’ It’s no longer good advice imo, at least on this bottleneck.

Also, they don’t make that info about the municipal building clear to all. We had several pilgrims stop by here in a panic because they couldn’t find a bed in the village we told them to go back to the pilgrim office and inquire.

I’d be curious how many slept in that muni building last night because they were coming up the street in droves.

Roncesvalles does not allow all their beds to be reserved.

When you get a message from their website about no reservations possible that doesn't mean that they are full it means that you can no longer reserve a bed

The lady that is involved with the volunteers at Roncesvalles (@Ianinam ) said yesterday that they allocated their last walk-in bed at around 2:30pm.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Roncesvalles does not allow all their beds to be reserved.

When you get a message from their website about no reservations possible that doesn't mean that they are full it means that you can no longer reserve a bed

The lady that is involved with the volunteers at Roncesvalles (@Ianinam ) said yesterday that they allocated their last walk-in bed at around 2:30pm.

So in other words anyone who arrived after that time was turned away. (I appreciate they don't literally do that, they assist them to at least get a taxi elsewhere, but basically, they do not have a bed in Roncesvalles.) Not what a tired, even exhausted, possibly cold and wet pilgrim wants to hear at the end of their first day. And if there is a language barrier, it's going to make it even worse for them.

Which I believe is what @Anniesantiago is getting at.

I know that it has been common practice on the forum for a long time now to encourage pilgrims to book as far as Pampolona. But even as recently as a couple of weeks ago there was an entire thread from experienced pilgrims on here talking about how reservations were simply not necessary. Which, at the time, they weren't. Which any experienced Pilgrim /forum member will know applied to then and not now - however any newcomer reading that thread now may be misled into thinking that that was still the case.

EDITED to add: it is of course location specific as well. Immediately after posting I just read another such 'booking not necessary' comment. Relevant to where the pilgrim is, but not necessarily to anybody elsewhere.

 

[Ianinam]

So in other words anyone who arrived after that time was turned away. (I appreciate they don't literally do that, they assist them to at least get a taxi elsewhere, but basically, they do not have a bed in Roncesvalles.) Not what a tired, even exhausted, possibly cold and wet pilgrim wants to hear at the end of their first day. And if there is a language barrier, it's going to make it even worse for them.

Of course we assist, but there is another problem: most taxidrivers cannot come to the albergue (on weekdays) before 4.30 / 5.00 pm because during the afternoon they are busy collecting local children from school and bring them home.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Of course we assist, but there is another problem: most taxidrivers cannot come to the albergue (on weekdays) before 4.30 / 5.00 pm because during the afternoon they are busy collecting local children from school and bring them home.

Good information, thank you.

How many people do you estimate you are having to turn away daily during this busy period ?

 

[Ianinam]

The language barrier will not be a problem; we Dutchies live in a small country, we speak our languages ;-) Nearly everybody speaks English, lots of us speak German and/or French and/or even Italian, and in every group of hospitaleros at least one of them speaks Spanish.

 

[Ianinam]

Good information, thank you.

How many people do you estimate you are having to turn away daily during this busy period ?

During the last week it was daily approx. 50/60 pilgrims.
In the first weeks of september (also a very busy period) it can go up to approx. 100 per day ...

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

The language barrier will not be a problem; we Dutchies live in a small country, we speak our languages ;-) Nearly everybody speaks English, lots of us speak German and/or French and/or even Italian, and in every group of hospitaleros at least one of them speaks Spanish.

I was thinking more of some of the Koreans ( I’ve tutored a few), and Taiwanese for example. Met a chap last year on the Primitivo with Zero English, let alone Spanish, Czech, Italian or German ( my companions).

 

[Ianinam]

I was thinking more of some of the Koreans ( I’ve tutored a few), and Taiwanese for example. Met a chap last year on the Primitivo with Zero English, let alone Spanish, Czech, Italian or German ( my companions).

Yes, that is a problem indeed. Older Korean (Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese) people sometimes do not speak any English. I always try to find a younger Korean/Japanese/Taiwanese pilgrim who speaks English and ask him/her to help and translate. But that is not always possible. I speak a bit Korean, but most of us don't.
The same counts for older Spanish people, and of course they get really angry with us when we do not understand them; they are in their own country and we, silly Dutchies, only speak poor Spanish ... Then we always call for the hospitalero in our group who speaks Spanish best to help him/her.

 

[Anniesantiago]

we are in Roncesvalles tonight and once again people are being turned away. No reservations, no beds. And none in Burguete. And tomorrow none in Zubiri.

I found two young Danish sisters and asked them to share my apt at Benificiados but they cannot find lodging for tomorrow.