This is where we are staying tonight.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/MZnYuKUTnowuCf5D7
We walked 9 miles today to get here. I’m still working on toughening up my feet so was very happy to arrive. Last night we called the place we had chosen to stay (Tío Pepe’s) and they said they weren’t accepting any guests until March 15. So we called this place. They aren’t accepting pilgrims in the dorm (multi-bed) rooms but are accepting guests in the private rooms – – which is what we wanted anyway. We were thrilled to get a spot here. We stayed here 8 years ago. It wasn’t our first choice for this year because we couldn’t remember for sure if they provided sheets and towels – – and we did NOT bring those this year. But turns out they do provide them in the private rooms and we are very happy to be here.
The people who run the albergue are volunteers from Barcelona but they are here a lot and we remember them from when we were here 8 years ago. Very friendly people and the husband claims that he remembers us. That is so hard to believe. We just found some photos of us with them 8 years ago so maybe….
She told us that starting April 1, when they will officially open, all their private rooms (eight doubles, I think) are fully booked until October 30. Incredible. Tonight we are the only guests here.
They’ve been closed the past two years because of covid. She told us horror stories of what they’ve been through. She said the community here (Villar de Mazarife) has only about 450 residents but many many people died. The 58 year old man next door got sick on a Monday and died on Wednesday. In the hospital without his family. They are so grateful for “la vacuna” (vaccine) and are looking forward to a normal year.
This afternoon/evening, we are hanging out in the big dining room where, in normal times, they cook a big vegetarian paella for the pilgrims every night. There’s a warm fire.
I found this sentence in your blog very depressing (“She told us that starting April 1, when they will officially open, all their private rooms (eight doubles, I think) are fully booked until October 30. Incredible.”) If you have to book every night so far in advance because all the albergues are fully booked, a lot of the spontaneity of walking the Camino is lost. None of the “we like this place, lets stay another day” or “its pouring rain…” or “my feet are killing me and I can’t take another step, at least without a day off.”
When traveling in Spain by car we had a similar experience. We would try, when we decided to move on, to call a day or two in advance, and make a hotel reservation (in the days before internet booking), only to find that all the best places were fully booked (often with bus tours). Having a car gave us lots of options, but we often couldn’t stay in the heart of a city (like in Cordoba).
All the deaths due to Covid is also depressing. Especially in small villages where everybody knows everybody.
I agree with you, Henry. We chose to come early because we expect this to be a crowded year on the Camino. But, I really feel for the people who are coming later. I hope this is just a fluke because of the pent up demand of two years without the Camino due to covid and also this being a holy year, which does something like double the number of pilgrims. I hope the Camino won’t always be like this from now on. I don’t think I’d want to come if we had to plan everything months or even weeks or even days in advance. Like you said, much of the fun and joy is being able to make spontaneous decisions.
Vegetarian paella sounds like a dream! Maybe you can request a mini version?!
We passed this albergue on our first Camino (2013) and were amazed to see the vegetarian food advertised. Turns out the person who built the Albergue was a vegetarian who’d done the Camino and was very discouraged by how hard it was to eat vegetarian on the Camino. I would hate to try to eat vegetarian on the Camino. It would be hard to find very much to eat and certainly little variety.