Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

[falcon269]

My planned starting point now is Lourdes on October 9. There seems to be "no room in the inn" for that night using internet reservation services! Is there a festival? Does anyone have a recommendation for very low end accommodations between two-star and a manger (but I won't have a tent)?

[sillydoll]

Perhaps you could email the Tourism Office in Lourdes for advice? A 2006 pilgrim said that he slept at St Pierre:

The first night I slept at cité St Pierre, where pilgrims to Lourdes are welcomed, but they also welcomed this pilgrim to St James. You'll have to arrive there in time: dinner is served until 20:00 only.

The Chemin du Piemont de Pyreneen guide book lists these pilgrim's hostels for Lourdes.

Lourdes AC Entraide Saint-Martin Près Porte Saint-Joseph --- 05.62.42.79.94
Info pèlerin – hébergements religieux
Lourdes AC La Cité Saint-Pierre Av. Monseigneur Rodhain --- 05.62.42.71.11
2 ch libres pour gens de passage & pèlerins + crédential – participation libre
Lourdes AC Accueil international 3,chemin de L’Arrouza --- 05.62.94.34.54
90 pl ch & dortoir coin cuisine participation aux frais Tél. avant

[Peter Robins]

there were 50,000 there for the Assumption last week, apparently. http://www.lourdes-2008.com/blog/fr/?p=627 Goodness knows how many will arrive for the Pope next month. I'd suggest steering clear of Lourdes this year

I see they're opening the basilica for the night before the Pope's visit; those with sleeping-bags can sleep on the floor in the best medieval tradition

[sillydoll]

200 000! miscellaneous-topics/topic4554.html

[KiwiNomad06]

I found on the Lourdes website that the 7th- 10th October is the "Rosary Pilgrimage". I guess that could swell the numbers who have made online bookings already...
http://www.lourdes2008.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11&Itemid=0

When I stayed in Lourdes in 2006 I found a 'no star' hotel not far from the Railway Station. It didn't look like it was a thriving business so I couldn't be sure it would still be there. But it wouldn't be on the internet I shouldn't imagine....

[Trudy]

As this year is the 150th anniversary of the Apparitions, Lourdes has been packed all year. Agree with other suggestions about La Cite St Pierre, it's on the outskirts of Lourdes, still only 1km from the Sanctuaries, and caters for low income pilgrims.

The Lourdes Tourisme website http://www.lourdes-infotourisme.com/uk/ is useful for finding accommodation at all levels, and provides websites and email addresses of hotels you can follow up.

[bigskymind]

hi. i walked the camino aragonés in june 2008 and began in lourdes. i was not sure what to expect as i heard it can be a little like a catholic version of disneyworld ... the shops with souveniers can be a little overwhelming ... but when i looked beyond this, it was more moving than i could have imagined and such a rich beginning for my very long walk. i even went into the baths! a great experience.

i can recommend a place to stay ... it is not too far from the grotto ... the hotel le menvielle (3 chaussée du bourg) ... two english ladies own the small hotel ... janine and margaret ... they are very funny, the place is inexpensive and there is a small english bookshop owned by nicole and barry griffin ... just down the street and they carry the camino aragonés guidebooks.

please tell them kimberly from key west says hello and that i made it to santiago near the end of july ... and found everything that i was looking for.

i don't have the telephone number to the hotel but the bookshop number is 33 (0) 5 62 42 27 94
lourdesbks@wanadoo.fr ... they are the ones who told me about the hotel, so they would be able to give you the number if you want to make reservations, etc.

[sillydoll]

Hi Kimberley,
I'll be walking from Lourdes in 7 months time - counting down the weeks now! Did you walk the Aragones route? If so, do you have a blog we can read, or a diary you can share. I have got a couple from this forum but it is always useful to read a new, up-to-date account of a pilgrim's journey.
Hugs,

http://en.federal-hotel.com/hotel_menvi ... _11641.htm

[bigskymind]

hi silly

i did walk the camino aragonés and i am so happy that i chose this 'road less traveled'. my first camino was four years ago and i walked from vezeley during the winter ... so, you can imagine that for me, walking in the summer time was very, very different ... this camino was all about flowers and taking my time. another part that i enjoyed was walking near the rivers and streams of the aragonés, hearing rushing water in the background was a beautiful contrast to the longer, hotter days to come.

please feel free to email me if there are any specific questions. also, here is a quick peek at wandering woman's blog ... i made it to arres while she was a hospitalero ... i highly recommend staying here.

http://wandering-woman.blogspot.com/2008/06/ermita-de-santa-gata-arrs.html

[jl]

It would be wonderful if you could put some little jottings down in the Vezelay section on your Vezelay trip - or put a blog address there if you did one. That I know of, there are at least 2 of us headed that way next year. Any general comments you make might trigger questions from us. Thanks, Janet

[falcon269]

Accommodations were easy to find when we arrived on October 16. The Tourist Office provided us a list of places in our price range (dirt cheap). The first one did not seem to be open, but the second one, an Irish-operated religious hostel with single rooms, had plenty of space. There were hundreds of lodgings with "vacancy" signs out, so I had the impression that finding a bed is no problem unless there is a special event.

I have never seen so many wheelchairs in my life.

The underground church is over two football fields in length! There was a mass being conducted, but it only used the first few dozen pews.

We ate lunch at a Scottish fish and chips place, and the hostess, referred to Barack Obama as "that abortionist," so religious passion runs high! Personally, I have always thought of him as a lawyer and politician, but then I never checked his briefcase for medical instruments, and perhaps she had. The hostess must be in a high froth by now over the election results, but the rest of Europe seemed pleased.