Hola!

In the last couple of days I?ve been bringing caminoguide.net up-to-date with new albergues and prices rises.

Unsurprisingly, in anticipation of Xacabeo 2010, there?s quite a lot of building activity on the Camino at the moment. I?ve added new (and a couple of not so new) albergues in St Jean, Zubiri, Logro?o, Viana, Sot?s, Villambistia, Burgos, Hontanas, Rab? de la Calzada, Itero del Castillo, Fr?mista, Mansilla de la Mulas, San Mart?n del Camino, Foncebad?n, Portomar?n, Mongrade and Casta?eda.

There?s also quite a lot of (sometimes badly needed) renovating going on. Melide and Logro?o spring to mind. And, the Xunta has been doing a lot of work on its albergues with the standards applied being almost like a 5-star hotel, except that of course, you don?t get your own room. I stayed in one in Hospital da Cruz last year and I was just astonished at what they?d done. It made me wonder what their priorities are, most pilgrims are happy with something basic and clean.

They?ve obviously invested a lot of money and in order to recoup some of it they?ve raised prices for Xunta hostels from ?3 to ?5. It?s only ?2 more, but in percentage terms that?s 66%. So, it?s quite a big jump. This is part of a general trend too, and that?s the one negative thing I?ve found. All along the Camino there?s a general upwards drift in pricing, especially in private albergues. Sometimes it?s only a euro but sometimes it?s 50% or more.

Part of the increase is explained by increases in costs such as energy and insurance.

I walked a couple of stretches of the Camino Franc?s last year and from what I saw I got the impression that the cost of food hasn?t changed much (from 2008). There?s also more competition developing which should help to keep prices down ? although, in the real world, that doesn?t always happen.

Anyway, the guide is there for everybody at www.caminoguide.net, and it?s still free! As usual, if you spot errors or omissions please let me know. The email address is printed at the bottom of each page.

I?ve been busy on a bigger project too which has now been officially launched. It?s a full guide to the Camino Franc?s which includes all the information in the free guide and loads more besides. I?ve been working on it over the past year and it?s involved quite a lot of background research into the history of the Camino. This grew out of my fascination with the whole subject and my desire to gain a better understanding of the origins and development of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and the role that it played in Spanish and European history. It?s a fascinating subject.

I?ve also included Camino legends, sights to see along the Camino and some notes about architecture, the meaning of plecenames, the history of different places, etc. It comes in the form of two small booklets, one with the guide and the other with all the background info. This isn?t free unfortunately. Because I?m not made of money and I can?t afford to give it away. But it?s only ?6 plus p+p. If you?re interested you can buy it from the website www.caminoguide.net/full. There more information and some samples to download so you get an idea of what it?s like.

Thanks to everybody who?s sent me updates over the past year and keep ?em coming! Good luck to everybody who?s setting of on the Camino this year. I hope you get as much out of it as I did and take it easy on the vino tinto!

Buen Camino!
Ger