Your accommodation doesn't make you a pilgrim!

[Phil W]

I like your post a lot, @greyland--and sure wish everyone had your attitude and outlook, rather than the 'me first' vision that fuels bed races and assisted early arrival at albergue doors. Thanks for modelling that sort of kind sharing--and hopefully it inspires others who witness it.

Well said Viranani! I agree with you.
Phil

 

[Marion-SantiagoInLove]

I get the feeling that there is a "race" to get to the next nights accommodations. I would rather be able to take the time to walk slower, taking my time to see and enjoy things I have never seen before and I will never see again. Having time to contemplate my life and surroundings.

Beautifully said
We are doing the Way of Saint James and not the accommodations of Saint James... aren't we?

 

[Diane Kinney]

And as my grandmother would have added - Especially if they don't have heirs, suffer from poor health and are 90+ years old ;-) Buen Camino, SY

I like your Granny. A practical woman

 

[Albertagirl]

For me, walking the camino, as with most other things in life, was a learning experience. I learned most of what I know about the practical aspects of walking the camino from this forum. But I learned almost all of what I know about being a pilgrim from the parochial albergues. Some really poor pilgrims at Granon taught me what it is to travel in need and to receive in gratitude. An elderly hospitalero at the San Francisco de Asis albergue in Tosantos demonstrated joy in poverty by rejoicing at the large basket of small, bruised windfall apples which a local had donated that day, as he worked away at preparing them so the pilgrims could have a dessert that night. If I could, I would stay at a donativo every night, and sleep on the floor, and eat the very basic fare, and cultivate a grateful heart.

 

[VNwalking]

I appreciate this reply so much @Albertagirl...thank you!
Beautiful.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I stayed in a mix. In the beginning, getting a feel for things, I tried a variety: big and small, donativo to parador, parochial to private. I always stayed in hotels at rest stops, and transitions from one Camino to another. I feel it's important to give to the local economy, and besides commercial lodging tried to shop, eat out, etc. But I don't think albergues should be only for those who can't afford anything else. Because of PTSD I really couldn't deal with traveling in a "Camino family" but in small private and parochial albergues I could connect with fellow pilgrims now and then. I also noticed there was always room in those parochial ones (my favorites) when the "party albergues" were filling fast. To each their own.

 

[Pville]

We stayed only in private accomodations and were surprised at how often we ran into the same people, even in towns where there were a variety of hostels, casa rurals, inns, avaliable. We quickly formed a bit of a "private accomodation family" and looked forward to who among that handful we'd run into the next night.
Thanks for the post, JohnnyWalker. An eye-opener for many, I imagine. I remember when Sillydoll put it up about a year ago and was surprised and grateful to read it.
We ran into pilgrims who clearly looked down on us because we weren't doing the albergue thing. Fortunately, there were only a few. But they are definitely out there!

I'm going on my first Camino this time next year and wish to stay at more private accommodations. I'm hopeful my experience is similar to what you described with regard to finding fellow guests along the way.

I'm just beginning my research on the types of accommodations, and definitions for the variety available (pension, cash rurales, hotel, etc). I don't know Spanish, so will work to learn enough basic phrases to make a proper attempt.

 

[Pville]

Also... not everyone is communally oriented. As an introvert, I need a little more time alone than most people, tho' I DO enjoy sitting on the sidelines in an albergue. And I DO like the albergues with private rooms - the best of both worlds.

@OTH86 - how does one locate these albergues with private rooms?

 

[grayland]

@ZREXER said:
The only wrong way to do a Camino is when your behaviour impacts the experience of others

The best quote I have seen on the forum.
I think I will steal it to use in the future.
Thanks.

 

[Felipe]

- how does one locate these albergues with private rooms?

You can reserve in booking.com or directly with the albergues (many more options), looking for addresses and phone numbers in the well reputed gronze site; see "habitaciones privadas".
http://www.gronze.com/
You probably need to reserve well ahead of your walk, because albergues don't have many private rooms. Much more availability obviously, in hostals and "pensiones".

 

[OTH86]

@OTH86 - how does one locate these albergues with private rooms?

Welcome to the Forum!! In addition to what @Felipe said, the various guidebooks have some information -- or ask at albergues, and ask people along the way - many have done it before! If you're going to start in St Jean, you can pick up information from the Pilgrim Office, too. Depending on the time of year you'll be walking, you may find more available private rooms - Fall, for example.
Good luck with your planning & Buen Camino!
Terry

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

@OTH86 - how does one locate these albergues with private rooms?

All the ways they've listed. Be able to say you snore with a straight face, in case they try to talk you into a shared room once you arrive...I was so cold from open windows in snow storms I booked a private room. When I arrived the owner tried to convince me to stay in the multi bed room. But I'm sooooo cold, I pleaded, nearly in tears, looking longingly at the single bed in a room WITHOUT WINDOWS...he replied "but I like to keep the single room in case someone snores." I replied "ZZZZZZZ" as loudly as I could, faked a cough to stifle a laugh, and gave him my best sad pilgrim face. First time I didn't shiver all night in almost a week.

 

[Icacos]

.... - how does one locate these albergues with private rooms?

Or you can create your own private room by paying for any extra bed(s) in the room. But you will feel like a heel if you found out later that someone had been deprived of a bed that night because you had wanted a room of your own. And I'm not speaking from experience here ......

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Or you can create your own private room by paying for any extra bed(s) in the room. But you will feel like a heel if you found out later that someone had been deprived of a bed that night because you had wanted a room of your own.

Did that. We had bunks in the main section of the albergue when Peg became ill in the middle of the night. The next day we took over a 5-bed room with its own bath in a different section. The albergue was full the night that Peg got sick and we were willing to share our room the next night with people who would be considerate of Peg's condition. The main section of the albergue was only half-full that night however.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Well in my case I've checked into a 5 star hotel in Pamplona for two nights called La Perla in order to recover from terrible heat today walking for 7 hours in 34'. Yes I had a wide brimmed hat yes I had enough water ....my OH took a swim in the stream on the way to cool down. We stayed in SJDPP for 10 euros but I'm afraid I needed fluffy white towels today and a room for just two, and a bath and bathroom products and laundry service... and and and, I'll continue on Friday but have decided to use a hotel every 5/6 days to top me up!

La Perla isn't just a fancy hotel in a great location. It's where Ernest Hemingway stayed when he was in town, drinking and shmoozing and "researching" the bull-runs for "The Sun Also Rises." You can ask to stay in "his" room, but it costs a bit more, I think.
(I stayed there back when it was a ratty walk-up pension, way before they redeveloped it. I think the mattress and bed dated right back to Ernest!)

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I think the restaurant at La Perla is one of two Michelin star restaurants in Pamplona.

 

[BonitaHolland]

I think the restaurant at La Perla is one of two Michelin star restaurants in Pamplona.

However it didn't deliver a great breakfast .... but I didn't care the fluffy white towels and the enormous bath made up for that also the bath salts with lavender flowers....

 

[lovingkindness]

When staying in hotels or pensions I miss the camaraderie of the albergues.

...I don't. I think, hallelujah it's just me-me-me-me and I can hardly believe that I'm there: crisp white sheets, pristine bathtub and no bed bugs to scare...

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Or you can create your own private room by paying for any extra bed(s) in the room. But you will feel like a heel if you found out later that someone had been deprived of a bed that night because you had wanted a room of your own. And I'm not speaking from experience here ......

Heel indeed! Cannot believe a hospy would allow people to buy a block of beds for extra comfort.

Loved the hopsy on the Portuguese who would tell high maintenance tourists that he was out of beds rather than to cater to their wims.

 

[BonitaHolland]

@ZREXER said:
The only wrong way to do a Camino is when your behaviour impacts the experience of others

The best quote I have seen on the forum.
I think I will steal it to use in the future.
Thanks.

Surely 'negatively impacts'

 

[BonitaHolland]

Heel indeed! Cannot believe a hospy would allow people to buy a block of beds for extra comfort.

Loved the hopsy on the Portuguese who would tell high maintenance tourists that he was out of beds rather than to cater to their wims.

It's not a 'whim' it's an active choice to serve ones own needs and personal comforts and is no different to the dietary needs individuals have (note that I didn't call them 'whims' as I'm not medically trained or judgemental). I've never believed in or supported an 'orthodoxy' and there is no Camino Orthodoxy that can be sensibly or morally defended.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

It's not a 'whim' it's an active choice to serve ones own needs and personal comforts and is no different to the dietary needs individuals have (note that I didn't call them 'whims' as I'm not medically trained or judgemental). I've never believed in or supported an 'orthodoxy' and there is no Camino Orthodoxy that can be sensibly or morally defended.

Bonita, my commentary was not to you in particular. I am all for people going to hotels and pensiones, good for you for using them. I find it very lonely when I opt for the occasional pension ( twice in 5 Caminos I think) as I do when I end up in a room on my own in albergues. What I was objecting to is people buying extra beds in an albergue not to have people sleepeing next to them for their comfort.

And when a group of friends comes into the albergue asking to look at the facilities and asking if they can have a room for their group only I cannot do anything but applaud the hospy who sends them on their way giving them pension options in town to send them on their merry way.

I like Camino orthodoxy, when prople used to obide by it there were no threads like the one started by @annisantiago with all the responses that followed. But staying in albergues was never part of the orthodoxy, not being high maintenance was. The pilgrim thsnks, the tourists demands, as the saying goes.

 

[Tia Valeria]

@Anemone del Camino - your post reminds me of Terry's experience.
Queue of pilgrims registering in the albergue; A woman at the back shouts 'A bed...a bed for me and my friend'. Hospitalera responds 'You wait your turn'. They did get a bed each but a sad attitude and a good response from the lady in charge.
Totally different attitude when a group of young people came into a different albergue when we were together. Quietly took beds in the 2 rooms available. Later they traded beds with an older couple so all the youngsters were in one room. Very quiet and considerate group and only too grateful to the older couple who offered to swap.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I think the person who posted about taking a room for five said that they would have let people share if they wanted...they paid for the room there (I assume) rather than go to a pension because one of the group was ill (so I assume not in good shape to go looking for alternate lodging)...they did it out of consideration for anyone else that they not be disturbed nor catch anything...so good for them. Self formed groups walking together are often the loudest distrupters in an albergue, and could easily go to a pension and share rooms there...but they don't. People don't get to decide for others what they choose for their lodging. They also don't get to decide how much weight they carry each day, nor if they use public transportation outside of 100km.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I think the person who posted about taking a room for five said that they would have let people share if they wanted...they paid for the room there (I assume) rather than go to a pension because one of the group was ill

That was me (Peg was sick from food poisoning) but someone else had already brought up the subject of taking multiple beds; I just gave an instance where it was done. The 5 bed room was by itself and across the garden from the main bunkroom and the day before it was used by a group of bicyclists. If the main room filled up I was willing to share the room with anyone who would have been considerate of Peg's condition.

My photo with the caption "Peg is sick. What should I do?"