[Gocamino] Albergues in Arzua

[Rosina]

Hello you all,
There are now four private albergues in Arzua, all located in the center of the city (the "casco").? Heretofore, there were two public albergues: one in Ribadiso with 60 spaces and the other one in the casco, Casa Tarazona, with 46 spaces.
The new albwergues, Via Lactea, Don Quijote, Da Fonte and Ultreia, (all in the casco) will add 156 berths .? All will be operational by the beginning of the "high" pilgrimage season, that is, Holy Week, that?commences? on Palm Sunday which this year falls very early on March 16th.
Staying in the private albergues costs up to 10 Euros (16.00 US Dlls) and the pilgrims have shower privileges. While the public albergues only cost 3 Euros (app. 5 Dlls.)? the advantage of the private ones is that pilgrims may register at any time, whereas registration in the public ones usually does not begin until 1:00 p.m.
The owners of the private albergues state that despite the fact that, at long last, three private albergues were permitted to open last year the spaces available were still not enough.
Logically, the?influx that is expected in the next Holy Year, 2010, is huge since there will not be another Holy Year for eleven years, until 2021.
I've learned that the hotels in Santiago are almost fully booked already for the days around the opening?of the?holy door on December 31, 2009 and its closing on December 31, 2010.
Having been there for the last opening and closing of the door I can unequivocally attest that those occasions are not to be missed if one can at all go.??Some hotels, by the way, are asking for advance deposits.
Is the immense hustle of the opening and the closing of the Holy Door worth it?? Yes, yes absolutely and unequivocally yes.
In the?GoCamino archives are some impressions, and photos,?that I posted at those time. Reading them brings back to me the tremendous excitement and joy of both occasions and, I simply can't wait for the next ones.
As for accommodations, the Xacobean people did very well taking care of the throngs those times (including passed-around free bottles of champagne on both New Year Eves) and I have no doubt whatever that they will do so again.

Hugs!

Rosina??
?
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