Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

[sillydoll]

http://www.abc.es/20080805/nacional-soc ... 80805.html


Navarra - cradle of peregrinos

The latest data on housing pilgrims reveals a huge growth in the number of people who decide to stay overnight in Pamplona, the capital of Navarre. The two hostels for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago in Pamplona opened their season on March 24.
Since then, 8,723 pilgrims have been accommodated, distributed by months as follows: 873 people in March, in April 2054, 3,384 in May and in June 2412.
May was the busiest month on the Way through Navarre. This figure represents a dramatic increase of 73.7 percent over the same period last year as, in 2007, 4,519 pilgrims were housed, compared to 7,850 this year.
The shelters are never available during San Fermin, closing their doors July 4 and reopening July 15th. Currently in the city are open two shelters: the Jesus and Mary which in recent months has hosted 6,197 pilgrims and Villa Iraizoz, also called House Paderborn, which has already passed 2,526 people.

Depending on the figures for June, responding to the general trend, the hostel Paderborn received 705 pilgrims, of which only 20% were Spanish – 80 percent were foreigners. In fact, the profile of this shelter, run by the association Friends of Paderborn, shows that 39.4 percent of total accommodated is of German nationality, a figure which, if taken only in respect of pilgrims from outside Spain, amounts to 49.2 percent.

[kubapigora]

Sil.
We have passed Pamplona today (stayed at Arre overnight). Today was the first day, when we have walked with the crowds. There was hundreds of people, that you could see on the path. We stopped for our breakfast just outside Cizur Menor, and over 15 minutes we were on the side of the path- some 70-80 people have walked past.
There was few groups of pilgrims(?) with 3kg backpacks and baseball hats (probably founded by their touroperator) in the same colour, running uphill and cheering us (yeah, that helped us to carry those 10kg backpacks on the day after we walked 42kms).
Now we are in Punte la Reina and 15.47pm albergue is full- there was the same situation with beds along the way from Pamplona.
Kuba.
P.S. Thanks for all the nice words from you guys.

[sillydoll]

Hey peregrino - Kuba!! How nice to hear from you! It is normal to have crowds in August but by the end of next week, the schools and colleges, office and factory workers will all go home and you will find it less crowded.
I am following you on your website!
Hugs,