Casa Alternativo

 

Breakfast at the Casa with friends met the evening before

Dries, from Belgium, is half-owner of Casa Alternativo 

Otto, the other half-owner, was born at Casa Alternativo 7 years ago, just after it opened 

Dries has such a unique story. His father told him to walk his first Camino. It was a disaster; walking over the Pyrenees Mountains in pouring rain with no rain gear, someone snoring so loud at his first Alburgue that he slept in the bathroom. And then, someone gave him a bowl of delicious soup that warmed him, and with that gesture of kindness he never stopped walking.

Many Caminos later he was working 1/2 year at an albergue. Walking until he was penniless the other half of the year.

At one point he began to feel driven to begin to look for a place of his own to open for pilgrims to stay. He would walk the neighborhood of Os Eidos, Spain, because there were no Alburgues near. One day, a ninety year old neighbor pointed to property where a house was being built to be sold and told him, "go there, go there!"

He walked onto the property, met the owner and poured out his heart about the vision he had for the land. By the end of his story, both he and the owner were crying.

The owner was willing to sell him the house and the property. Dries explained that he had only enough money to rent. They made a deal together, on a handshake, that Dries would rent the property for five years and after that time he would need to buy it outright.

And that he did.

Dries carrying Otto

Dries and Otto made people feel so at home and comfortable that everyone began to share their stories together around the table at dinner. By the time Dries surprised us all with a table set for breakfast filled with candles, hot coffee and simple bread and jam, no one wanted to leave.

But, alas, we all did eventually go

Morning video sitting and listening to music watching as friends leave to walk another day

The Camino continues to provide