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Rabanal - Refugio Gaucelmo
At a little over 20km from Astorga, Rabanal is a popular pilgrim resting place. It is a very attractive village and, though boasting only 60 permanent residents, has a number of albergues, two hotels and two shops as well as restaurants and cafés. There are three churches in the village with the one opposite Refugio Gaucelmo hosting a number of services every day. Twice a week there is a bus service between the village and Astorga. I had twice walked the Camino Francés but had never stayed at Refugio Gaucelmo which is administered by the U.K. based Confraternity of St James (CSJ). It was a very popular 40 bed albergue and had the "Completo" sign out each time I was in Rabanal. |
Rabanal
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Refugio Gaucelmo
I was impressed by the village itself and also by the comments I had heard about the refuge so I decided to apply for a position as hospitalera. My application to the CSJ for a posting at Refugio Gaucelmo was well in advance of my desired date of the first two weeks of July 2014. Along with an email informing me of the success of my application was the information that one of my hospitalero partners was also Australian and, to my surprise, it turned out to be Jenny, a fellow member of the Pilgrims in Sydney Camino group. Though both trained, neither of us had any hospitalero experience however we were rostered to serve with an experienced English hospitalera.
The months prior to our hospitalero duty gave Jenny and me a chance to get to know each other better and to discuss our strengths and weaknesses. This proved to be very much to our benefit as the other member of our team had last minute family problems and could no longer fulfil her commitment.
Despite the best efforts of the CSJ co-ordinator, we two inexperienced hospitaleras were going to be on our own. Strangely enough, we were not particularly perturbed by this thought. The CSJ provide a very detailed manual which we had read a couple of times and we felt quite well prepared. We met in Astorga and spent the day sightseeing before travelling to Rabanal the afternoon before handover day.
Working with the team before us was an excellent introduction to the practical elements of being a hospitalero and we were very grateful for the assistance we were given on handover day. However, we were keen to take possession of the refuge and happily waved off the outgoing hospitaleros after breakfast the next morning.
Despite the best efforts of the CSJ co-ordinator, we two inexperienced hospitaleras were going to be on our own. Strangely enough, we were not particularly perturbed by this thought. The CSJ provide a very detailed manual which we had read a couple of times and we felt quite well prepared. We met in Astorga and spent the day sightseeing before travelling to Rabanal the afternoon before handover day.
Working with the team before us was an excellent introduction to the practical elements of being a hospitalero and we were very grateful for the assistance we were given on handover day. However, we were keen to take possession of the refuge and happily waved off the outgoing hospitaleros after breakfast the next morning.
The refuge had been opening at 12:30pm but we decided to start with a 2:00pm opening until we had settled into a routine. It actually only took a few days before we were able to have the refuge clean and the washing on the line before opening at 12:30pm to welcome the new pilgrims.
On our first 12:30pm opening day, we welcomed Jayne - not a pilgrim but another hospitalera come to work with us. Jayne's duty was originally for the second half of July but she wished to extend her service so came to work alongside us as well. Jayne was also inexperienced but by the time she arrived Jenny and I felt like old hands and quite capable of initiating Jayne into the hospitalero role.
Having adapted to the routine, Jenny and I were at first a little tentative about the idea of having a new hospitalera arrive. Thankfully, our concerns were short-lived as Jayne's wise counsel and common sense attitude soon made her a very welcome addition to the team.
Not only did having three hospitaleras lighten the workload, we were also able to take turns to go to Vespers in the church opposite and each afternoon one of us was able to have some time off. On one occasion, Jenny and I finished our work in time to catch the bus to Astorga which enabled us to do some banking and shopping before catching the return bus back to Rabanal. To our surprise, Jayne had opened at the usual time and was quite unfazed at the prospect of being the sole hospitalera on duty.
The Confraternity has a policy of providing a meal allowance for hospitaleros at Refugio Gaucelmo and each night we staggered our dinner times so that we all had enough time to relax over our meal. This consideration of your own needs and those of your fellow hospitaleros is important to the good working of the team. Of necessity, you live in close proximity to your hospitalero partner(s) and it can be a difficult time if there are clashes of values or personality. The three of us were extremely fortunate to have found ourselves in a team of complementary individuals. Though we each took responsibility for a particular area of the refuge, we helped each other if we finished our tasks sooner than expected.
We also took turns in receiving pilgrims into the refuge, recording their details and showing them to the dormitory. In addition to our native English language, Jayne spoke German and between the three of us we had a smattering of Spanish, French and Italian. We managed to communicate with the pilgrims using basic terminology, gestures and, most importantly, good humour and a smile.
On our second day, Jenny and I had our most challenging language difficulty. Two Croatian pilgrims stayed with us and we could only communicate with them using a mixture of gestures and by writing the times for important events in the daily life of the albergue. We had done the best that we could but were concerned that it wasn't enough. At breakfast the next morning, one of these women took my hand, kissed it and said "thank you, thank you, thank you" before giving me a hug. That moment buoyed us tremendously and from that time on we no longer worried about our lack of language skills.
On our first 12:30pm opening day, we welcomed Jayne - not a pilgrim but another hospitalera come to work with us. Jayne's duty was originally for the second half of July but she wished to extend her service so came to work alongside us as well. Jayne was also inexperienced but by the time she arrived Jenny and I felt like old hands and quite capable of initiating Jayne into the hospitalero role.
Having adapted to the routine, Jenny and I were at first a little tentative about the idea of having a new hospitalera arrive. Thankfully, our concerns were short-lived as Jayne's wise counsel and common sense attitude soon made her a very welcome addition to the team.
Not only did having three hospitaleras lighten the workload, we were also able to take turns to go to Vespers in the church opposite and each afternoon one of us was able to have some time off. On one occasion, Jenny and I finished our work in time to catch the bus to Astorga which enabled us to do some banking and shopping before catching the return bus back to Rabanal. To our surprise, Jayne had opened at the usual time and was quite unfazed at the prospect of being the sole hospitalera on duty.
The Confraternity has a policy of providing a meal allowance for hospitaleros at Refugio Gaucelmo and each night we staggered our dinner times so that we all had enough time to relax over our meal. This consideration of your own needs and those of your fellow hospitaleros is important to the good working of the team. Of necessity, you live in close proximity to your hospitalero partner(s) and it can be a difficult time if there are clashes of values or personality. The three of us were extremely fortunate to have found ourselves in a team of complementary individuals. Though we each took responsibility for a particular area of the refuge, we helped each other if we finished our tasks sooner than expected.
We also took turns in receiving pilgrims into the refuge, recording their details and showing them to the dormitory. In addition to our native English language, Jayne spoke German and between the three of us we had a smattering of Spanish, French and Italian. We managed to communicate with the pilgrims using basic terminology, gestures and, most importantly, good humour and a smile.
On our second day, Jenny and I had our most challenging language difficulty. Two Croatian pilgrims stayed with us and we could only communicate with them using a mixture of gestures and by writing the times for important events in the daily life of the albergue. We had done the best that we could but were concerned that it wasn't enough. At breakfast the next morning, one of these women took my hand, kissed it and said "thank you, thank you, thank you" before giving me a hug. That moment buoyed us tremendously and from that time on we no longer worried about our lack of language skills.
open garden tended by monks
I would, however, urge prospective hospitaleros to learn Spanish. You are a part of the community while you are staying in the albergue and being able to converse with the local inhabitants will enhance your hospitalero experience.
We enjoyed our community contact and donated some of our stale bread to one resident's chickens and our empty jam jars to another resident. We very gratefully accepted fresh fruit and vegetables from local gardens and were invited to lunch by one of the other albergue owners and by the monks in the next-door Monasterio Benedictino de San Salvador del Monte Irago.
There are a number of albergue tasks that must be done on a regular basis. The refuge is donativo and the donation box is emptied every day and the amount received is registered. All expenses are also registered and the balance is checked by the incoming hospitalero on handover day.
We enjoyed our community contact and donated some of our stale bread to one resident's chickens and our empty jam jars to another resident. We very gratefully accepted fresh fruit and vegetables from local gardens and were invited to lunch by one of the other albergue owners and by the monks in the next-door Monasterio Benedictino de San Salvador del Monte Irago.
There are a number of albergue tasks that must be done on a regular basis. The refuge is donativo and the donation box is emptied every day and the amount received is registered. All expenses are also registered and the balance is checked by the incoming hospitalero on handover day.
The water temperature is also checked on a daily basis as are the gas cylinders. These tasks are fully explained in the manual and the procedure is also explained by the outgoing hospitaleros on handover day.
The physical work is not hard but it can be tedious. The task of cleaning toilets, showers, floors and making beds every day is not particularly satisfying in itself however it is satisfying to show pilgrims into clean, beautifully presented surroundings. Going on pilgrimage can be a life-changing experience and to be a part of another's Camino is both an honour and a humbling experience.
While the practical work had a routine to it, every day brought something different. This ranged from tears in the garden during a heartfelt conversation with a grieving pilgrim to the laughter at the garbage bag poncho we made for a pilgrim who had no wet weather gear. We also consoled, encouraged and assisted many a pilgrim who arrived sporting various rashes and blisters.
The physical work is not hard but it can be tedious. The task of cleaning toilets, showers, floors and making beds every day is not particularly satisfying in itself however it is satisfying to show pilgrims into clean, beautifully presented surroundings. Going on pilgrimage can be a life-changing experience and to be a part of another's Camino is both an honour and a humbling experience.
While the practical work had a routine to it, every day brought something different. This ranged from tears in the garden during a heartfelt conversation with a grieving pilgrim to the laughter at the garbage bag poncho we made for a pilgrim who had no wet weather gear. We also consoled, encouraged and assisted many a pilgrim who arrived sporting various rashes and blisters.
herb garden
The delicious aromas emanating from Refugio Gaucelmo's well-equipped kitchen were usually enhanced with herbs from the refuge's garden - a feature which was greatly appreciated by the pilgrims who liked to cook. Its effect was also felt along the Camino as many a pilgrim wore sprigs of rosemary and lavender when they left in the morning.
It was often difficult to wave the pilgrims off after breakfast and nearly every day there was a prolonged farewell with hugs and photos.
Refugio Gaucelmo has a tradition of serving afternoon tea for pilgrims. Knowing this, Jenny had baked and transported from Australia a 2kg fruit cake. This proved to be a huge success with the pilgrims (and her fellow hospitaleras) as was Jayne's bread pudding made when we had excess supplies of bread - the pilgrims took precedence over the chickens!
Jenny also took some tubes of Vegemite to Rabanal. Only the most foolhardy pilgrims dared to try it and their facial expressions afterwards provided great amusement to both pilgrims and hospitaleras alike.
At least one of the monks would join us at afternoon tea to ask for volunteers from different cultures to read at Vespers. One day there was a lack of English speaking pilgrims staying so I volunteered. During my duty as hospitalera, I read twice at Vespers and also at a Mass to consecrate the church's new altar. It was a great honour to be able to participate in such an important village event and an added bonus that I didn't expect when I volunteered to be a hospitalera.
Julie-Ann, April 2016
It was often difficult to wave the pilgrims off after breakfast and nearly every day there was a prolonged farewell with hugs and photos.
Refugio Gaucelmo has a tradition of serving afternoon tea for pilgrims. Knowing this, Jenny had baked and transported from Australia a 2kg fruit cake. This proved to be a huge success with the pilgrims (and her fellow hospitaleras) as was Jayne's bread pudding made when we had excess supplies of bread - the pilgrims took precedence over the chickens!
Jenny also took some tubes of Vegemite to Rabanal. Only the most foolhardy pilgrims dared to try it and their facial expressions afterwards provided great amusement to both pilgrims and hospitaleras alike.
At least one of the monks would join us at afternoon tea to ask for volunteers from different cultures to read at Vespers. One day there was a lack of English speaking pilgrims staying so I volunteered. During my duty as hospitalera, I read twice at Vespers and also at a Mass to consecrate the church's new altar. It was a great honour to be able to participate in such an important village event and an added bonus that I didn't expect when I volunteered to be a hospitalera.
Julie-Ann, April 2016