7. The Pilgrim Princess

We walked 15 miles today.

I daydreamed most the way about a comfortable cushy bed just like that hotel in Pamplona. And a leisurely soak in a bath, or, if not that, at least a good foot soak.

This delusion was dashed as I approached my first dormitory-style pilgrim hostel -- the notorious albergue. Notorious for bed bugs, bright lights, drunks in summer. I'd been able to hold Joe off from the "true" camino experience with 2-star hotels up until today but with four more weeks of lodging ahead I could hardly -- or at least too vehemently -- object to an official (meaning 15-euro or less) pilgrim hotel once in a while. Little did I know he'd LIKE the albergues.

Within these gymnasium metal walls, my white linen dream bed became a squeaky metal bunk bed in a large room of many other squeaky metal bunk beds. The mattresses were made of bug-reducing rubber and had no sheets. I repeat: SHEETLESS rubber mattresses. And we did not bring sleeping bags on the advice of a friend who walked in summer not in deep fall.

I stared at the shared military-style showers and inspected the shared toilets. I winced at the shared cheap meal of Wonder-style bread, wine, soup, and what might have been chicken but might also have been fish. The wine was good. I think to make us less concerned about the fish-chicken.

Here we had every comfort for a weary pilgrim for a mere 15€.

Who could whine about that?

As I tried to explain to Joe, I am the difference between a backpacker and a car camper.

Backpackers have made peace with the dirt, the hard earthen floor under their mat, the weight of their pack, beans from a can.

A hardcore car camper like myself enjoys going to a camp site, roasting marshmallows, telling stories and then beelining to the nearest, cleanest full-service hotel.

She'll be back for eggs around the campfire in the morning, but she does not like to share a bathroom, abhors bugs and she definitely doesn't want to hear anyone but her partner snoring.

I'm a car camper.

There is a name for walkers like me on the Camino: pilgrim princess.