Camping culture clash

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To say the Spaniards have been intrigued by our camping habits would be a substantial understatement. Spanish campsites are on the whole excellently appointed with most boasting outdoor swimming pools and onsite bars and restaurants. For the city dwelling flat loving Spaniard the campsite involves a permanent pitch for their caravan plus attachments and often a number of surrounding permanent standing tents that may act as kitchens or general storage. The campsite is not a base for perhaps local excursions or country walks but somewhere to sit away from the city and watch your fellow campsite dwellers amidst as many of your home comforts that you can feasibly bring. Our two man expedition tent looks more than puny in comparison pitched next door to the locals expansive camping accoutrements. Many eyebrows raised and discouraging glances passed in our direction. It's been a sort of camping culture clash. Trekking nomads with a basic nights shelter versus the permanent pitch with satellite TV users that bring a bike with them to purely cycle to the toilet block. We've also preferred to camp at the refugios where possible. Many Pilgrims desire for 5:30am starts and snoring tend to hamper a good nights sleep. Our request to camp either delights our hosts (as we don't take up their beds) or throws them into complete spasm. Last night we were first told camping was completely out of the question but then to our great relief one of the more dynamic hospitaliers (the people who run these places) gave us the all clear. The only condition being we pitched after 10pm. No problem we said. However, shortly before we were about to put up our little home on the garden lawn area a problem emerged. Apparently there was a sprinkler system that was programmed to run during the night. Then followed fifteen minutes of head scratching and sprinkler head prodding by our hosts until we finally convinced them that we were happy to take the risks. As the lawn was brown and the earth dry we felt it would not be the most vociferous of watering systems. Fortunately it wasn't. However, it was a unique experience to be getting our tent sporadically watered on whilst we lay there in our bed. It worked out well as we awoke after a good nights rest to a well washed tent.

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