👣 Noire Pilgrim: I’m Not There Yet – The Albergue

There are so many worlds and I have not yet conquered even one.

— Alexander The Great

A place to stay

Will I find an albergue or any other place to stay? A certain panic sets in during a long walking stage. Will my water and food run out? Will my body give out? Is the isolation and panic I feel a hallucination?

The camino meanders through mountains, sheep and cow paths, on paved and unpaved roads. Dry, ancient riverbeds make up the path for many kilometers until I enter another village, pueblo or town.

Cool water

A fuente or fountain magically appears. It supplies cool water to fill nearly empty water bottles or simply an opportunity to wash the sweat from my face. Just the sight of a fountain comforts my agitated limbic system. It says there is civilization out here… somewhere.

A fuente or fountain  on the camino path.
Fountains supply cool water. Make sure the water is potable, that is, fit to drink!

After a respite at the fountain, I reluctantly move on.

One foot on the camino path.

Rocks, shells, and dirt cover every surface my shoes touch. It is agonizing. The sun’s heat isn’t helping. I feel hot spots on the balls of my feet warning me of the consequences of continuing.

A rugged path on the camino de Santiago.

There is nowhere to stop – to do what? Examine my feet? Bandage them?

A marker on the camino Mozarabe in the mountains of Andalusia in Spain.

I can’t stop now. I have 21 kilometers to go. All the time in the world is what I need right now to find a bed at an albergue. Then I can stop walking for a few hours or at least for the night.

Am I determined to ignore conventional wisdom and continue walking in spite of the pain? Or the fear?

What is the answer to the question I keep asking myself? Why am I doing this? Why am I here? The answer escapes me at the moment.

The Albergue

The front entrance to an albergue on the camino Mozarabe.
The door to pilgrim’s paradise?

Albergue, refugio, or hostel – it is paradise to a lone pilgrim on the path. They range from simple shelters, converted houses, and even monasteries intended to provide a bed and shower for the night.

A bed and pillow in the albergue.

Often there is a kitchen with microwave or stove and refrigerator. Some have pots, pans and utensils for resourceful pilgrims who want to cook a meal.

An important fixture is a washtub for clothes that need washing.

A washtub in an albergue on the camino Mozarabe.

And a sunny, breezy place to hang them to dry.

Laundered clothing hanging to dry in the albergue terrace on the camino Mozarabe.
My clothes drying on the terrace of the albergue.

Other pilgrims may be at the albergue already. As the hours pass, people trickle in and complete the familiar ritual of washing clothes, showering, eating, and tending to sore feet.

The Hospitalero

If you find that the albergue has a host or hospitalero you are lucky indeed. These people are volunteers, sometimes ex-pilgrims, who help manage the albergue and welcome and register pilgrims. They are helpful, generous and understanding of the trials and tribulations of the peregrinos.

A few albergue's stamps on the pilgrim's passport.
A pilgrim’s passport with sellos or stamps verifying your status as a pilgrim. If you don’t have one along with your government passport or ID, you cannot stay in the albergue.

The hospitalero may prepare a simple meal and provide information about the town, an upcoming mountain pass, the next stage, or tomorrow’s weather.

While there may be glib comments about the occasional lack of heat or hot water in the shower, thin mattresses and other discomforts, a certain amount of gratitude helps make it acceptable. Everything turns out ok. {{thunder clapping}}

Pilgrims eating a communal meal on the terrace of the albergue on the camino Mozarabe.
Enjoying and appreciating a simple meal with our hospitalero.

Albergue to Albergue

I walked through or stayed in many towns along the way…

The 100 mile marker on the camino Mozarabe.
It does not seem like much but it is a personal milestone for anyone on the camino Mozarabe.

… Rioja, Santa Cruz de Marchena, Alboloduy, Naciemento, Abla, Huéneja, Alquife and stayed in a “fistful” of albergues so far…

Closer.

At the entrance of the village of La Calahorra.
On the way and through the village of La Calahorra near the Tabernas desert where famed Spaghetti westerns were filmed.

And closer.

La Calahorra Castle on the camino Mozarabe.
Castillo de La Calahorra, lies on a hill next to the village.

Each town is a stage and a night spent on the camino. There are others and there will be many more before I arrive in Santiago.

Get up and get out

Time to go.

Just before sunrise, other pilgrims may have awakened already. Within the hour, most people have completed their familiar rituals – morning ablutions, dressed, eaten what they can find in their backpacks and trickled out the door.

Oranges and bananas offered by the hospitalero to take on the trail for a morning snack.

I wait until sunrise to begin the day’s journey.

A pilgrim leaving the albergue and ready to begin another day's walk on the camino Mozarabe.
I am taking a pose before leaving the albergue... once again.

Until next time.


Buen camino

Shirley J♥️




This and several posts this summer will chronicle my pilgrimage in Spain where I will walk the 1400 kilometer-long camino Mozárabe. Read my announcement here.





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