[Gocamino] Re: Gocamino Digest, Vol 11, Issue 3

[James Eyskens]

As a former Hospitalero, it's sometimes difficult to tell the real
pilgrim from the false.  Clean boots are a good indication as is the
'clean' appearance.  Pilgrims who have walked 10-20 miles generally look
and act like people who have walked 10-20 miles, tired, sweaty and
grateful for a resting place.  On my first day as a Hospitalero I was
'gotten over on' by a group of Norwegian van tourists.  After the fact I
was told by several real pilgrims that they (the Norwegians) had done
the same at other Refugios.  Needless to say, they did not leave a
donation. 

But to be fair, most of the private refugios and at least one church
sponsored one would take anyone who showed up at the door, pilgrim,
tramp or obvious tourist.  As long as they could pay the fee.  The
private Refugios also accepted reservations which we never did, and
although I'm not up on current CSJ philosophy, I would be surprised if
Gaucelmo got into the reservation business.  The feeling always was
that, unless you're traveling by van or some other motorized transport
how could you be sure where you were going to be each night.  I called
ahead for reservations in Santiago from Arca when I was a pilgrim but I
called hotels not Refugios and actually ended up being grateful that I
couldn't find a room at the inn (or several).  I ended up at a truly
unique pension over a bar with some other pilgrims I had met on the way
and ended up traveling to Finisterre with them.

I think my lesson in all this is that it's sometimes hard to tell
pilgrims from tourists, and the tourist of one day may become the
pilgrim of the next.
-----Original Message-----
From: gocamino-bounces at oakapple.net
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Sent: Monday, September 12, 2005 1:11 AM
To: gocamino at oakapple.net
Subject: [Gocamino] Re: Gocamino Digest, Vol 11, Issue 3

>From Ponferrada''all you have to do is look at their boots.  The
walking pilgrims have very muddy boots; the freeloaders weat clean
sneakers or boots.  I?ve found conditions ranging from grim to
wonderful.  A reservation system would be fine, but as a 70 year old I
can?t beat the kids, even when I start walking at 5 a.m. to have stayed
in hotels from time to time.  I?ve missed the socialization with other
pilgrims as a result.

Patricia>From: gocamino-request at oakapple.net
>Date: Sun Sep 11 14:00:03 CDT 2005
>To: gocamino at oakapple.net
>Subject: Gocamino Digest, Vol 11, Issue 3

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>Today's Topics:
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>   1. Albergue fees? (blaroli at aol.com)
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Message: 1
>Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 14:50:57 -0400
>From: blaroli at aol.com
>Subject: [Gocamino] Albergue fees?
>To: GOCAMINO at oakapple.net
>Cc: saintjames at yahoogroups.com
>Message-ID: <8C78518E1976E87-F08-42CB at mblk-d46.sysops.aol.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>Hello you all,
> 
>Commencing sometime last year the complaints about albergue facilities,
and abuses thereof by erzast pilgrims, reached a crescendo that has
compelled the powers to be to do something about the claimed
dysfunctions. 
>Apparently, a significant number of tourists seeking places to sleep
free of charge took advantage of the staff shortages in the albergues
and occupied many of the spaces meant for genuine pilgrims.  Further,
and perhaps because of their frustration over the non-pilgrims,
legitimate Camino walkers and cyclist in the albergues left many in
sorrowful conditions of trash and other indicia of lack of consideration
for the albergues and their "hospitaleros".
>Last week the Xunta, and the new Director of Tourism, Ruben Leos,
arrived at an accord whereby pilgrims  that occupy the albergues will be
asked to contribute to their upkeep by paying a fee which will range
from 3 to 10 Euros.  The income from such fees will allow the albergues
to offer better service, including bed-clothing and towels, and it will
also provide some means for augmenting personnel in the albergues so
that  claims of being a pilgrim   maybe looked into in such a manner
that phony ones may be detected.
>The good news about the proposed change is that, in addition to better
services in the albergues, true pilgrims will be able to make
reservations in the forthcoming albergue as they leave one.  This will
avoid the necessity of pilgrims starting out before dawn, in the dark,
so that they may reach the next albergue by one o'clock in order to find
a space.  Since the reservations will be made from one albergue to
another presumably the increased attention, time intervals, and tracking
will uncover free-loaders pretending to be pilgrims and will provide
neede ease of mind to true pilgrims.
> 
>The above information, as published in the Galicia newspapers, states
that that albergues in Galicia are the only ones that do not charge a
fee.  This statement does not accord with my recollection of the
wonderful albergues in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, both the ones run by
the nuns, with their delicious soup and bread, and the one run by the
Camino Friends.  As I remember, they merely have a jar by the front desk
for "donations"; although I heard more than once, that the donations
were mostly made by foreign pilgrims. The same system prevailed in the
Estella albergues where the only fixed charge is for the food.
> 
>The mayor of Santiago, Sanchez Bugallo, quoted the famous words of
Leonardo da Vinci about life: "Chi non la valora non la merita", to
opine that the fee would have a beneficial effect on the hospitaleros
and the pilgrims because we tend not to value, or take care of, what
costs us nothing. (Although a literal translation of the Da Vinci quote
would be that s/he who does not value it -life- does not deserve it).
> 
>It should be mentioned that there is already a quasi-public albergue in
Santiago itself: San Lazaro, which opened last year. Pilgrims who, at
the end of their pilgrimage, occupy any of the 80 vacancies there may
stay up to three nights paying 10 euros for the first night and 7 for
the two subsequent ones.  In addition to comfortable hot-water showers.
laundry facilities and kitchen, the albergue gives each pilgrim a fresh
change of bed-clothing and towels.
>Further, the fees to be charged, small as they may be, will quelch the
"unfair competition" complaints from those who run truly autristic
altruistic and well-cared for private albergues.
> 
>Lastly, despite the severe shortage of personnel and means available to
the Pilgrims' Office, their plans to set up a network of computer
communication among all the albergues proceeds apace.
> 
>Big hug!
>Rosina
> 
>
>
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>End of Gocamino Digest, Vol 11, Issue 3
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