Breakfast, 2
Groceries, 10
Lunch, 3
Albergue, 5
Dinner, 15
Total: 35
One of the most touching aspects to hiking the Camino is how welcoming and wonderful the local people can be. From small gestures - like the many people we pass throughout the day who nod and wish us, "Buen Camino" - to grander demonstrations of support - like the volunteers who take weeks or months away from their regular lives to staff the Albergues - it's humbling to see the dedication with which these strangers go out of their way to provide assistance to pilgrims on their way to Santiago.
I could tell you about the many times we've stood confused at a crossroads, unable to determine which road to take until some kind passerby stopped to point us in the right direction; or the time the restaurant owner opened his restaurant after hours to cook us a delicious meal, "forgetting" to charge us for a few of the items we had ordered; or the time butcher gave us more than a few extra slices of salted ham so we could make an extra large sandwich for lunch; or the time we stopped into the Farmacia for hand sanitizer only to discover they were out of stock, though the nice woman at the counter filled up our almost empty bottles from the staff's own supply - for free. I think I could go on forever with more of these recollections - both my own and those I've heard from other pilgrims who have been the grateful recipients of similar acts of kindness.
When I return home and people ask me about the Camino, I expect one of the first things I'll mention is the overwhelming kindness of the Spanish people we encountered along the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment