Behind the Albergue Door: Inspiration Agony Adventure on the Camino de Santiago

by Dean Johnston

The Camino de Santiago - an 800 kilometre hike across Northern Spain spanning two mountain ranges, one barren wasteland, four different provinces and, most daunting of all, five weeks sharing dorm rooms with exhausted snorers, and bathrooms with enthusiastic wine drinkers. The whole concept sounds absurd and unbearable. But Dean and his wife did it anyway, and nothing was more surprising than how much they enjoyed it. The camaraderie, the sense of community, the satisfaction that accompanied each day’s debilitating fatigue. Fascinating, excruciating, inspirational, interminable - they are already making plans to tackle it again.

Behind the Albergue Door is the perfect primer for anyone considering hiking the Camino, a stroll down memory lane for those who have already hiked it, and simply a riotous travel chronicle for everyone else. Join Johnston and friends on their hilarious journey of fun and fellowship, pain and suffering, nature and culture, with just enough practical advice thrown in to make you think about starting a pilgrimage of your own…

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel

276 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2013

About the author

A former financial planner from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada who has been obsessed with travel ever since he and his wife dropped it all to enjoy a seven month long honeymoon in Southeast Asia back in 2000. He has blogged extensively about their travels since day one but it was only in 2011 that he sat down and focused on writing a full length book. He also owns a bike and several pillows. His pet peeves are television commercials for other television shows and getting stung by things. He hates onions yet loves onion rings. He plans to continue travelling the world and writing whatever pops into his head. He likes turtles.

Reviews

[Paul Weiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good souvenir but a guide … not so much!

I can’t claim to have walked the entire Camino. The honours for that achievement go to much hardier souls than I. But, having stretched my legs on the final 115 km stretch from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela, I was looking for a book that would serve, in hindsight, as a souvenir of the walk and a reminder of both the pleasures and the trials of my experiences as a Camino pilgrim. Dozens, if not hundreds, of choices were available, but I confess I was drawn to BEHIND THE ALBERGUE DOOR because it was penned by a fellow Canadian.

Having subjected myself to the pain of being an adult male reading TWILIGHT, I certainly chuckled at this particular idea:

“Some of those hiking for religious purposes treated it a bit like penance, I suppose in lieu of a portable cat o’ nine tails or a Twilight novel.”

I also commented to fellow hikers that, out in the country, one would have to be rather mindlessly somnambulating as opposed to actually hiking in order to get lost in the countryside. Every conceivable point of confusion was clearly noted with a cairn, a mileage marker and an arrow pointing out the appropriate direction EXCEPT inside urban areas. I’ll admit to indulging in some voluble cursing having got myself turned around and lost in the final kilometer of the entire trip inside Santiago de Compostela looking for the finishing point at the Cathedral. Clearly the author agreed with me!

“Cities are always tough as well, mainly due to the sheer number of route options and the difficulty recognizing one small arrow among the modern urban chaos.”

Then there was the commonality that every single hiker shared, making conversation with complete strangers from all corners of the globe pleasant and, of course, entirely non-threatening.

“Even though you couldn’t have created a more racially, nationally, linguistically and physiologically diverse crew if you were getting Tommy Hilfiger to help you cast the perfect family for a banking commercial, the fact remained that we all chose to be in that particular place, doing that specific thing, at that exact point in time, which meant we had at least that much in common with everyone we met.”

And I dare say that I was far from the only pilgrim who had spent a few moments wondering about my own sanity in choosing this particular form of vacation!

“So, in addition to our obvious physical discomfort, it was knowing that we chose to do this, and could change our minds at any point, but for some reason wouldn’t even consider it, that added a whole extra layer of confusion and emotional wonderment to the situation.”

In short, as a souvenir, BEHIND THE ALBERGUE DOOR worked well for me as the author’s experiences seemed to be quite similar to my own and he was able to evoke some clear recollections of my own six days on the trail. That said, and this is only my opinion (but I have over 40 years of canoeing, camping and wilderness hiking experience to back it up), if your purpose in looking for a Camino book is to serve as a guide or a compendium of useful advice, BEHIND THE ALBERGUE DOOR falls short. In addition, the attempted humour (and goodness knows, there is plenty of it) is only marginally successful. Much too often, it comes across as forced or even caustic à la Don Rickles. A little bit of Johnston’s brand of humour goes a long, long way and I believe he went overboard.

In summary, souvenir … yes, travel guide or helpful tips … no, look elsewhere!

Paul Weiss

[Laura Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not sure what to expect when I began reading this book. Gladly, I found it to be a very interesting approach to presenting very useful information. Unlike many other books that are geared toward being informative, this book, by far, is not boring or dry.

The author takes you on an adventurous hike along the Camino and does a good job entertaining while educating in the process. I found myself laughing often at a character or a weird experience the author discussed. I liked the section about “the people that you meet” and I liked Zoe. It was easy to imagine being on the journey. The author’s knowledge and enthusiasm about the topic is quite evident, and it is clear the author put a lot of thought into the wealth of information provided. Anyone will find this book useful in preparing fully for a hike.

The book is very detailed and the visuals bring the book to life. Even, if you’re not interested in hiking, the great stories and pictures the author shares are bound to keep you reading. However, for anyone who is interested in hiking, I would highly recommend reading this book even before packing. Everything that one would probably not think of when preparing for this kind of outdoor adventure is fully discussed.

[Jay Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a factual, day by day account of hiking the Camino de Santiago you'll be disappointed. I received a free copy of this book to do a review and I was not looking forward to it. Little did I know what a treat was in store for me. I now feel sad that I must part company with this author.

Having finished the book my first thought was 'I want to walk the Camino'. My second thought was 'I'd have become good friends with Dean and Laynni if I'd met them on the Camino'.

This is a very personal take on a long and arduous hike. It is a mix of fact (sometimes exaggerated, but I enjoyed the artistic license), always entertaining humour, and keen observation of people and places. With such an eclectic choice of subject matter I never knew what to expect from one chapter to the next. I fought to find time to join Dean and Laynni on their hike again.

I won't forget the Camino in a hurry. Now I will always be looking for an opportunity to steal 5 weeks from 'reality' and do it myself. And I'll be hoping to meet some people like Dean and Laynni on the walk.

[Vivek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dean Johnston is a talented writer; he can do what most writers attempt to do - write. He has a sense of humor, and his ability to transmute sights, sounds and feelings into words is second to none. I will go so far as to say that he's inspired me to take this hike (Camino de Santiago) in Northern Spain, although I will cheat by staying in hotels rather than sleeping with strangers in albergues on bug infested beds and having them fart in my face and fondle my scrotum while I dream of St James and heaven. I learnt a lot from this book and I'm sure others will find it useful too especially Roman Catholic Hispanics.

On the down side, this book is desperately crying out for an editor and some critiquing. It's poorly structured and there's too much repetition. The story can be told beautifully and succinctly in half the number of pages. The title is unreadable (I don't wear glasses, even while reading) when seen on Amazon where every book is displayed as a postage size stamp. How does the author expect to sell a book whose tittle can't be read?

This book is a diamond in the rough. The author met many people during the trek who said they're doing this to rediscover themselves and find their mission or purpose in life. If he positions this book as something that can help millions attain peace of mind and mix his trekking experience, his wonderful writing skills and sense of humor, then this book will fly off the shelves. It'll hardly take a month or so to edit it and put it back for sale.

In its current state it's a three star book, I've given it four stars for effort, walking 500 miles on some beautiful but difficult terrain. It can easily be turned into a 5 star masterpiece, if the author chooses to do so. I sincerely hope he does and and gives his readers what they truly deserve.

[Nadine Lazarowich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this book after reading Random Acts of Travel by the same author. He has a very unique sense of humour and has a knack for making even the most mundane details of travel hilarious. I found this book had a lot more practical info for anyone interested in the Camino de Santiago but is still an entertaining read for those who never intend to hike 800 kilometres in total, let alone a month (like me).

[Erin Halvorsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious! My friends and I have been seriously considering hiking the Camino and after reading this book it is definitely a must-do. Not that it sounds like a walk in the park, he certainly doesn’t hold back on all the harsh realities but he does it in an amusing way that makes it clear how much they enjoyed it in spite of all the hardships. Lots of practical advice and funny stories. Loved it!

[Amanda Cordner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This put me in the right frame of mind and leveled my expectations in terms of both the highs and the lows. It reminded me that the most important thing above all is to have a sense of humor and march on.... Dean is a really funny and talented writer, very happy I found this book!

[Arda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading books about (thru)hikes and (ultra)running. I've read a lot of them and almost always enjoy them. But this was not the book for me (but I did finish it, just to see if it would get better). For me it felt a bit too much like a bunch of "lists" and the humor comes across really forced.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't say I liked it very much. The author comes off as rather condescending towards Europeans, and I didn't like the disjointed little stories and "funny" anecdotes.

[Kanika Sachdev]

The Camino de Santiago - an 800 kilometre hike across Northern Spain spanning two mountain ranges, one barren wasteland, four different provinces and, most daunting of all, five weeks sharing dorm rooms with exhausted snorers, and bathrooms with enthusiastic wine drinkers. The whole concept sounds absurd and unbearable. But Dean and his wife did it anyway, and nothing was more surprising than how much they enjoyed it. The camaraderie, the sense of community, the satisfaction that accompanied each day’s debilitating fatigue. Fascinating, excruciating, inspirational, interminable - they are already making plans to tackle it again.

Behind the Albergue Door is the perfect primer for anyone considering hiking the Camino, a stroll down memory lane for those who have already hiked it, and simply a riotous travel chronicle for everyone else. Join Johnston and friends on their hilarious journey of fun and fellowship, pain and suffering, nature and culture, with just enough practical advice thrown in to make you think about starting a pilgrimage of your own…

[Steven Donoso · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never walked the Camino de Santiago, so I can't comment from a personal perspective on Dean Johnston's Behind the Albergue Door: Inspiration Agony Adventure on the Camino de Santiago. I can say that the book is part travelogue, part how-to and, in a couple of chapters, part purposely fictitious emails and tweets. The subject is engaging, the writer has potential and at the same time the book is very much in need of a good editor to make it more cohesive and to be clearer on the audience for the story. Behind the Albergue Door, like the walk it describes, meanders some of the time and the journeys -- the book's, ours and the author's -- might greatly benefit from less ironic description and more insightful reflection.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't quite a guidebook but also wasn't quite a travelogue. The authors hiked the Camino de Santiago and wrote this book to share their trial-and-error advice with other travelers.

But the authors also tried very hard to make the book funny, and their sense of humour just didn't fit with my personal tastes. If you enjoy watching comedians who frequently talk about their pubic hair or their scrotum you'll love this book. I found it tedious and quit about 1/3 of the way through.

[Lyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off a bit slow but once I got to know the author, I fell in love with the book! He recounts his trip on the Camino in a way that isn't boring and just a description of the scenery around them. It tells hilarious tells and gruesome details of the pain their feet endured. It's definitely something that may be added to my bucket list.

[Anne Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great mish mash of tales along the Camino. I especially like the fictionalized accounts from different people. Some of his humor is rated R but overall not a bad collection and great info on the Camino.

[Germanio Puglio · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was excellent and well writtten.