PERREGRINO DINNER IN ALBERGUE JUST PASSED GERNIKA

Of all the adventures that are unique to the Camino, the Albergue’s are at the top of the list.  For so many of us, staying at an Albergue is a throw back to days of yore.  An Albergue is essentially a hostel that is specific to Peregrino’s who are walking or biking on the Camino and have a credential which is otherwise known as a Camino Passport.  To check into an Albergue you have to have a regular Passport and a Camino Passport.  The Camino Passport gets a stamp that is specific to the Albergue and at the end of the journey is proof that you walked a certain distance (You can also get stamps at bars, restaurants, and churches).  To receive a Compostela in Santiago you must have a Peregrino passport with a stamp each day and two stamps a day for the last 100 Kilometers.

Most Albergue’s are dormitories with bunk beds.  Some are large rooms with lots of bunks, and some have 4 – 6 bunks in smaller rooms.  Occasionally Albergue’s just have single beds in group sleeping areas and some private Albergue’s have a few private rooms available as well.  Generally, Albergue’s will have a kitchen area, a space for group meals, laundry options, and some have clothes dryers as well.  Some will do Peregrino meals, some have bars that serve food and drinks.  There typically are 3 types of Albergue’s, the most common is the Municipal Albergue which is publicly owned and operated, the Donativo Albergue which offers beds for a donation and is often but not always attached to a Church, and private Albergue’s which can run the spectrum from upscale to basic.  Most Municipal and Donativo Albergue’s do not take reservations, but if you call ahead and give them a heads-up they will let you know when you need to arrive to get a bed.  Private Albergue’s tend to take reservations, some are even on Bookings.com.

Before my first Camino at age 70, the last time I slept in a dormitory setting was my first two years of college in my Fraternity House where we all slept in a dorm in bunk beds.  I could write an entire blog on that experience, but it would not be relevant to this blog.  In an Albergue the dorms are coed although the bathrooms are most generally male or female, but not always.  I remember staying in the municipal Albergue in Villafranca Del Bierzo and was in the bathroom using the shower and shaving at the sink.  As I gathered my stuff and headed back to my bunk, one of the residents from Spain pointed to the door I just walked out of which said Mujeries, which means Women.  He smiled and I realized I was in the wrong bathroom.  I just assumed it was coed, and none of the women who came in said anything. 

Sleeping in a dorm setting with a mixture of people of all ages means that you will likely experience all the various quirks of different sleepers.  People talking in their sleep, snorers of all types, plenty of flatulence, people going to bed at different times, and people getting up at different times.  When you score a bottom bunk, you must deal with the skill of the person who has the top bunk.  It isn’t always easy to get up on the top bunk and to get down in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.  In some cases, being in the lower bunk is like riding a boat in a storm when an older person ends up in the bunk above you.  Most people are very respectful and try and follow the rules as best they can.  It only takes one self-focused individual to upset the apple cart and create a bit of chaos. 

In September of 2023 I was staying in a hostel in downtown Bilbao called Pil Pil.  It was not specific to Perregrinos so it was more of a mixed bag.  About 9 pm I came into the bunk room and climbed up on my upper bunk.  In the climb I managed to pass a small amount of gas and it made a noise.  The fellow in the lower bunk in the bunk that bumped up against the head of my bunk became very upset and agitated.  He was likely in his 50’s and definitely did not understand English.  He started ranting and raving in Spanish and I could not understand a word he was saying.  I caught the word fart a couple of times and indeed he was focused on me.  I chose not to engage with him directly and just started reading my book.  He started playing off color phases on his phone in English.  Derogatory comments about mothers etc.  I just took a deep breath and after a while other folks came in and the tantrum stopped.  Not once was I afraid of him, and I eventually went to sleep.  The next morning, he was gone before I woke up.  When I got my pack together, I noticed my water bottle was gone.  It was a stainless-steel bottle with a ultraviolet light built in to the lid.  Cost me $20.  Clearly, he had taken it while I was asleep.  I actually felt sorry for the man and was glad I did not buy into his tantrum the night before. 

Even with all of this I remain a strong promoter of Albergue’s and encourage others to consider them on their journey.  It is where you connect with young people and forge meaningful relationships with people from all over the world.  It is where you share songs, meals, and exchange ideas and have lots of conversation.  Albergue’s also make the journey affordable for the very budget minded.  Where else can you spend a month or two in Europe for 12 Euros a night?  My pattern is to stay in a private motel once or twice on my journey, the rest is in an Albergue.  I prefer Municipal or Donativo Albergue’s because of the broad range of people who stay there.   I have learned to manage the occasional snorer and have found the use of an eye mask to be invaluable when I go to bed early.  Sometimes I have trouble sleeping, but never two nights in a row. 

I know the Albergue is not for everyone, but most everyone can stay in an Albergue.  If you are willing to start your day on the early side, and arrive at your destination by midafternoon, it is rare that you will not find a bed.  Only one time on my Camino in the fall of 2022 did I have a close call in getting a bed and that was at Albergue Casa Cruceiro in Ferreiro about 9K before Portomarin.  I arrived late in the day from Filloval and did so because I was doing two back to back 35K days to catch up to a group of Perregrino’s who had become my main Camino Family.  I had gotten a day behind them and they texted me to catch up if I could so we could walk into Santiago together.  I ended up catching them at Gonzar the next day so it only took me a day and a half.  I arrived at Ferreiro at 4 pm that day and fortunately there was one bed left in the Albergue.  It was actually a great place to stay. 

Staying in Albergue’s puts the Perregrino into a very nice rhythm because they are so similar in so many ways.  They are way more social than other options, and help the Perregrino feel more part of the Camino experience.  If you are a solo walker it is even more helpful because you now have access to people who can help you with some of the issues that show up in doing a month long walk across a foreign country, it is more budget friendly and community minded and for the Perregrino who wants to walk alone, people will respect those choices without judgement.

If you are reading this and planning on walking a Camino perhaps our path will cross in one of the fine Albergue’s that exist to serve the weary traveler on the road to Santiago.  For more information on walking or planning a Camino go to my website at https://caminocoach.net.

Buen Camino