Albergue de peregrinos Amigos Leopoldo Panero - Comentarios

I chose to stay here because I wanted to sleep in a renovated train station building, and because I wanted to slow down my arrival to Astorga. I met with the hospitalero. Angel is awesome! Angel welcomed me in and explained the basics, as well as placing a beautiful stamp in my pilgrim passport. Everything about this albergue is 10/10. It feels newly renovated - everything is spick-and-span clean. There is fast WIFI, as well as hot water in the shower, a washing machine, clean bedding, a kitchen with a hob and microwave, and a fridge. I asked about the history of the building and Angel gave me a leaflet that describes the restoration process. I asked if many VdlP pilgrims come here - he replied that, no, there are not many. But, there are quite a lot from the Camino Frances. This can be seen by the Google reviews for this albergue. I then noted that it is a big issue that many pilgrims view 'donativo' as 'free' and Angel shared that many pilgrims don't donate anything. I don't want to be 'that' pilgrim, but if you stay here then please do be mindful to give what you can afford. This seems to be an issue consistently witnessed throughout the VdlP, and I also imagine that a good number of Camino Frances pilgrims choose this as an alternative route because they view it as a free night's stay. If pilgrims don't donate, the donativo albergues start disappearing from the way. I highly recommend staying here! Food logistics: there is a sign in the albergue with a number that you can phone for delivery of a 10 Euros menu del dia. Walking the VdlP, I made a slight detour to Riego de la Vega, where I bought supplies in the super-friendly Supermercado Riego. The other advantage of this detour is that you can then follow the train track, pass through the tunnel, and reach the albergue in a more 'romantic' way. There have only been positive vibes here. SO pleased that I found this place. THANK YOU! to Gronze.com for the info, maps, and tips all along the way!