Arnad

A phrase you often see on the various Camino and Via forums is “the Camino will provide.” We found this to be true when we arrived in Verres and found we had no place to stay.

We’re in the middle of Ferragosto week in Italy, when almost everybody takes a few days or a week off, and lodging is hard to find. Knowing this, Karl made reservations for this week back in March. Verres has few accommodations near the Via, but he found a room to rent. The lady who rented the room had a good reputation, and everything seemed set.

A couple of days out Karl emailed asking how to get into the room. No reply. Another email, same result. Sent a Facebook message, nothing. Called, no answer, no way to leave a message.

The stage from Châtillon to Verres is really beautiful; it runs along ridges high above the valley. Wonderful views of the mountains and several forts. Our Italian guidebook to the Via calls it unforgettable, which it was, dispute the heat. It has been unusually hot this year; we’re sure glad we trained in the heat in Virginia.

We arrived in Verres and still had no word from our host. We hiked to the only hotel near the Via, a very fancy place. The reception office was closed when we got there, as was the restaurant. We went around to the back of the kitchen, where we found a woman working. We asked if there was a room available.

She called the management and reported that they were fully booked. We explained our dilemma and she immediately began to help. She had a number for our original host in her contacts and called. No answer. She called the nearest other hotel: fully booked. One by one she called every place she could think of: no luck. Finally, on about the eighth or ninth call, she found a hotel a couple of miles away which had one room. It was a room for five people, priced accordingly, and she thought it would be too expensive. Hearing her discussing that with the hotel, we assured her we’d take it. She then talked the hotel into a discount and we were all set! We had to walk about 3 kilometers (2 miles) to get there, but it was down the valley, so this would just shorten the next day’s walk.

The hotel was great. A lovely room, a very nice restaurant, and, to our delight, air conditioning!

A near disaster until our Camino Angel intervened! The Camino did provide.Read more