“You are capable of this — and much more.”
By Lala Steyn and Dawie Bosch
"Albergue" = local hostel accommodation
A warm welcome and a sense of belonging are often what we seek. Whether walking the Camino Blocktober, recovering after tough exercise or a hard day at work, or living with the impact of violence, kindness and generosity help. Some of the Camino’s less tangible benefits of hospitality stay with us: a host’s interest in our journey, a meal shared with strangers, a thoughtful recommendation about the next day’s path, or simply the feeling that someone has made room for us.
See our Camino Blocktober diary and reflections
The Camino introduced us to a range of places to sleep, from small albergues with dormitories with bunk beds and shared bathrooms to private rooms and accommodation in someone’s home. We discovered that hospitality is not a matter of price, or even of whether a room is private. It is the human experience around the accommodation. We also saw the other side of the welcome: the determination and enterprise of the people who create and run these places.
On the high, exposed Los Hospitales route on the Camino Primitivo, we passed the ruins of medieval shelters built to protect pilgrims from the elements. Hospitality has been part of the Camino for centuries, evolving from these shelters to today's diverse network of albergues and other accommodation. As we walked in solidarity with survivors of gender-based violence, we experienced the freedom of shared hospitality with strangers. This felt closely connected to the spirit of Blocktober, as the following two anecdotes illustrate.
José and his family: giving an old building a new life
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| Communal supper. |
At Vilar de Cas, between Oviedo and Lugo, we stayed at A Pociña de Muñiz, one of our favourites. We had comfortable beds in a small shared room, and the albergue was beautifully run, with an intimacy that a conventional hotel will struggle to match. Fourteen pilgrims gathered around one table for dinner, turning an ordinary overnight stop into an evening of stories, laughter and encounters with people from different countries.
Before leaving the next day, we spoke with José Muñiz, the owner, and his son about their place. José explained that the family opened the albergue in 2018 after restoring a long-abandoned ruin beside their family home. His father remembered the building standing derelict even when he was a child. José’s research suggested it had once been the village blacksmith’s forge. A cousin who is an architect helped with the conversion, while José’s wife contributed the artistic touch that gives the building so much character.
There is something appealing about this change of purpose: a place that long ago served the working life of the village now serves travellers passing through it. The family did more than restore a building: they brought new life to a small village and created a welcoming place for pilgrims. By offering attractive, reasonably priced accommodation and meals, they helped make Vilar de Cas a worthwhile stop in its own right, dividing what otherwise can be a long day's walk.
José also recommended an alternative route through the historic ruined settlement of Soutomerille, which became one of the most memorable parts of our following day. That advice, offered personally, was as much a part of his hospitality as the bed.
Paula: women building their own place in hospitality
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| Paula Garcia, co-owner of Fogar de Lecer in Arzua, Spain |
In Arzúa, closer to Santiago de Campostelo, we experienced another welcoming stop at Fogar de Lecer. After staying there, we interviewed Paula Tapia García, a young co-owner, who told us how she and her sister, together with three friends, had started their hospitality venture three years earlier. Their story adds a different dimension to the Camino: the accommodation that pilgrims rely on is also a business, a workplace and an opportunity for people to shape their own economic futures.
Paula spoke warmly about the venture but did not pretend that creating and running a business is easy. Among the challenges she described was sexism: although she has not encountered it among the co-owners, she has dealt with customers who treat women as inferior to men.
Her experience reminded us that owning a business can provide independence, while prejudice still needs to be faced down.
We asked Paula what she would say to women, particularly survivors of gender-based violence, who are struggling to start their own businesses and achieve economic independence.
Her message was powerful and encouraging. She urged women to believe in their strength and abilities: “Ignore those people who try to make you think you are not capable.” Having already overcome enormous difficulties, survivors themselves have demonstrated the resilience and strength to face new challenges, including starting a business and building an independent future.
Her message was beautifully direct: “You are capable of this — and much more ... You have already lived through what you have lived through. Starting a business and building a life is easier that the difficult road you've already walked. And it is worth it.”
