9/14/16
This is the municipal Albergue in Roncesvalles. I’d rate it marginal at best. Cost 8€ plus dinner with wine 10€. You get your own bunk and that’s about it. If you are old like me you may be entitled to a bottom bunk. This is the view from the original bunk I was assigned. But because I slipped trying to get down I was assigned the bottom bunk on the right next to that open door like most old people. Note that was right by the WC. The open door on the right is the bathroom/WC: 2 showers 2 heads one urinal 2 sinks. 36 people (2 rooms of 18 people) share these.
So during the night in addition to snorefest, my head was 8 inches from the bathroom door. Used on average 4X per hour. All. Night. Long.
As if this were not exciting enough there were assorted romances mixed in. Two young and cute
Italian guys just above me. And the lovely young couple from a US national park. So yes. The beds do creak when they get rocked around. I put on my headset and white noise and fell into a very deep sleep.
A bit later I was woken up by a large German or Austrian man wearing only his chonies and flip flops. There was a language barrier. He wanted the bathroom. Someone had closed the bathroom door and it was dark in our room and he had come from the other sleep room looking for the bathroom. At first I was confused about what he wanted. Then he made a wizzzzzz sound and acted like he was spraying with his um boy parts. Because I’m perceptive that way – about 5 long seconds later realized he needed to pee and opened the bathroom door. After that I made sure the bathroom lights stayed on and that the door was cracked open.
Did I also mention that most Europeans have no compunction about stripping down completely naked in front of strangers to change clothes? Yah.
Did I tell you I’m at a lovely hotel with my own bed and bathtub tonight?