[Gocamino] New albergues in the Via de la Plata

[David Hough on gocamino]

Rosina asked me to repost the following.
It's also online as received, with unwrapped lines,
at:
http://mailman.oakapple.net/pipermail/gocamino/2008-April/013530.html

------------------------------------------------------------------------

New albergues in the Via de la Plata

*Rosina* blaroli at aol.com

Hello you all,

The Ourense province has just allocated 5 Million
Euros to the betterment of the Camino facilities
in the province, including the building of six new
albergues:  One in ?A Mezquita?, another in ?Vendas de
Barreira?, another in ?Feces? (don?t laugh!), another
in ?Cualedro?, another in ?Campo Becerros? and another
in ?Alariz?.  Ruben Lois, in charge of the project,
declared that the province of Ourense aims to have
a public albergue every 25 kilometers, in addition
to the existing albergues and those in the City of
Ourense itself.

Ourense is the last leg of one of the alternate
endings of the Via de la Plata. Unfortunately, in my
opinion, many Via de la Plata pilgrims opt to join the
Camino Frances in Astorga, bypassing Ourense. This is
possibly understandable since the Ourense route adds
some kilometers to the Camino; on the other hand,
the albergues there are not crowded and pilgrims
who go through Ourense could not be better served.
The city itself is very interesting; its Cathedral
contains a second ?Portico de Gloria? which maintains
its original colorings, and a great many Camino
treasures. The actual arrival in Santiago from Ourense
crossing the river Ulla is enormously moving and
spiritually significant?. Particularly when compared
to arriving in Santiago through industry-sated
Lavacolla and its airport.

Ourense was deemed a city of ?witches?, perhaps
because of its sulphuric hot waters that sprout
everywhere.  Many pilgrims that arrive at Ourense
take hot baths in such waters and swear that they
become free from tiredness and aches.  I personally
like Ourense so much that after arriving at Santiago
from my first Via I went back a couple of times to
visit the city.

The nearby province of Pontevedra has also announced
the allocation of one and a half million Euros to
improve the facilities of the Camino that crosses
the province.  Their plans include the building of
a new albergue at Castro Dazon.

The above projects are expected to be completed by
next year?s summer, in anticipation of the Xacobean
Holy Year in 2010.



In Seville, meanwhile, there will be meetings
and conferences at the end of May to discuss ways
and means in which the province can improve,  and
promote, the Via de la Plata which, it is felt, is the
oldest of the routes to Santiago, and the one more
historically significant.  The province of Seville
fairly covers the whole of Andalucia, including
Granada, Cordoba, Malaga, Cadiz (the oldest city,
per se, in Europe), etc. The province is enormously
influential, as is its government which sits in the
provincial capital, the city of Seville. So much
interest in the Via de la Plata has been evidenced
there of late that I should expect that their plans
and contributions will be something else.

Sevillians appear to happily inhabit a universe of
their own and rarely seem to take notice of other
places and peoples, so the upsurge of interest
in the Via is most unusual. Even at the Macarena
Confraternity meetings assistance to Via pilgrims
has been mentioned, which is most surprising.
(Just to give you an idea:  I joined the Santiago
Archconfraternity almost by motion, and the
people there took my word, and my parish priest?s
opinion, that I had been baptized into the Catholic
Church?. Yet, after waiting nearly ten years for
my application to join the Macarena Confraternity,
and complying with all their many requirements, my
application was denied because I couldn?t produce my
original baptism certificate which would have been
well over half a century old!. There was nothing to
do but to be baptized again! This was a strange, and
interesting, development made somewhat uncomfortable
because I could hear my son and friends at the back
of the church giggling away?.. Well, at least I know
for sure that I have been baptized; how many adult
Catholics can say that?).

At any rate, I?m looking forward to what the
Sevillians may plan to do.  It will surely be
something memorable (air conditioned-public albergues
every 25 kms. Perhaps?....). We?ll soon see.