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<TITLE>Somport Pass/Aragon Route early May 2001</TITLE>
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<TT>[this is the third part of today's note. I had broken it and what went before down to what I read as 90 lines of type and it still got bounced back as over 250 lines. I'm sorry if this appears to be excessive posting to the list.] <BR>
<BR>
I thought the man who greeted us was the hospitalero and he played along for<BR>
a bit, but finally admitted that he was also a pilgrim, a Spaniard slightly<BR>
older than me with an impish sense of humor. There was no hospitalero. He<BR>
and his wife had found the albergue and tiny town hall community-center open<BR>
with a welcoming sign and a well-stocked kitchen. Dani, Mari-Cruz, his<BR>
wife, Ellen and I cooked dinner together from the groceries which were laid<BR>
out for us - good fresh tomatoes, onions, potatoes, nice bread, eggs, red<BR>
wine. A sign by a basket asked for donations to complete the refugio and<BR>
help pay for the food.<BR>
<BR>
The whole albergue was a project under construction, another sign of renewal<BR>
(like new stonework and tile roofs and window boxes of a few of the houses)<BR>
in what had recently been a mostly abandoned medieval town. Because Arres<BR>
has neither grocery nor restaurant, the young man Dani jokingly called<BR>
'alcalde' and his wife and the few other people who have summer places there<BR>
keep the pilgrims' kitchen stocked with food. Various of them stopped in to<BR>
greet us and make sure we had enough.<BR>
<BR>
Dani and Mari-Cruz slept in a building that appeared to double as a kind of<BR>
community center that had the kitchen/dining room for pilgrims, the food,<BR>
various posters and political announcements, and a small heater. Ellen and<BR>
I slept in the albergue building itself, just across the narrow street. Our<BR>
comfortable new mattresses were on the new plywood floor of the construction<BR>
project. Construction dust had been swept up, but there were still neat<BR>
stacks of tools and signs of uncompleted plastering. The three story<BR>
medieval buildings new windows and floors and stairway were far enough along<BR>
to see that it would be snug and comfortable by the end of the season -<BR>
probably four dormitory rooms, and on a the lowest floor a kitchen-eating<BR>
area and a bathroom. In May it had no plumbing.<BR>
<BR>
Knowing in advance that we'd be without shower, sink to wash our clothes, or<BR>
toilets, we would probably have walked the other route on the north side of<BR>
the reservoir and stayed in Berdun. But Arres' rustic hospitality and our<BR>
good night's sleep felt truly welcoming. We were glad for our happy<BR>
adventure, for dinner and conversation with Dani and Mari-cruz. We're glad<BR>
we went by way of Arres and would recommend it to anyone who wanted to walk<BR>
to the south of the reservoir. It looked as though Arres' plumbing could be<BR>
working in a month or so - only a couple of days work would have completed<BR>
the toilet and sink, so it depends on how fast the construction moves<BR>
forward. <BR>
<BR>
I'll finish this in another note tomorrow.<BR>
<BR>
love,<BR>
donald<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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