27 April to Navarrete

There are many types of pilgrims.
I met one the other day, who I know is not walking today. She refuses to walk in the rain – only sunny days for her.

There are pilgrims who walk with a little day pack and send their main bag to their evening´s accommodation – you should see what they pull out of those big bags…pajamas, hair dryers, as many cosmetics as the pharmacy stocks!

There are some pilgrims whose packs look pretty uncomfortable on their backs

There is a French guy who sleeps out most nights and is carrying a sleeping mat, an enormous pot and a heavy-duty oven rack to grill food over a fire.

There is someone – and it may not be pilgrims – who has been stealing the tiles off the mojons that show the way

There are some pilgrims who don’t use these signs, or the ones on the ground anyway…it seems a little bit of a pity…some of the fun is looking for the markers and noticing what is around them. This morning I followed two guys, who stood right beside a big mark like this on the ground…

…and promptly set off in the opposite direction. In some ways it didńt matter because a few meters later the phones that their noses were stuck in must have told them they were going the wrong way and they turned around! I am not against using maps on your phone and in fact have done so quite a bit on this camino to find the nearest grocery store and limit my walking, but it seems each walk through each city will seem the same if you are just following a line on your phone and not looking around.

Not that there was much to see from under a hood this morning

Mind you, when the sun comes out everything seems better

There are pilgrims who stress about booking a bed. There are pilgrims who brag about how far they have walked today and where they will be going tomorrow. There are pilgrims who seem to think that the way they are doing the camino is the only right way and they tell you when you should take a bus because it will be boring and which places you should skip. There are other pilgrims who walk Every Single Step.

Today I discovered a new type of hospitalero too. In my experience, those who volunteer in the albergues are the most friendly souls around, doing all they can to enhance the experience of the pilgrims in their care. And then there is the one we have today. He did not greet us. He just told us to come inside, put our shoes on the shelf and listen carefully. He then proceeded to tell us what we can and cannot do. Now don’t get me wrong, there was nothing unreasonable in what he was saying – mop the shower after you use it, wash, dry and put away your dishes, stop cooking by 9:30, be out by 8 in the morning, don’t hang your clothes in the kitchen, use a bowl when you wash your clothes etc etc. And I made two mistakes immediately…asked if two bottom bunks could be given to the couple who must be in their eighties (NO! One up, one down)…and I did not have an official credential…just my homemade one. In the end he accepted it, but did not give me an official stamp!

Now having said all that it sounds like he is a grumpy old fart…but in the afternoon I made it my goal to make HIM feel seen, and I discovered he had a very interesting life story (which I have not got permission to share) and he became quite tender as he shared what God has done in his life…and he encouraged those of us who were chatting with him to walk alone and ask God what He wants to say to us on our camino.

Twenty minutes until lights out and I suspect it will be strictly enforced so I will just throw up some pictures of an amazing dinner and the church here that I knew I had to see (I actually went to mass this evening…maybe that is something to write about one day – i have gone three times in the last three days)

Dinner

Church

Incidentally when I was in the church I heard a tremendous crash and wondered what was happening. Turned out to be a thunderstorm!

Mr Rules just came in to the kitchen and I thought I would put him at ease by saying “we will be gone in fifteen minutes” (therés a French guy chatting on the phone
with his wife in here too) “No no no, you can stay as long as you like. You will be quiet. Please turn the light off when you finish.” Then he came over to me with arms outstretched and asked, “May I?”
As he gave me a hug, he thanked me for the conversation this afternoon and blessed me on my way. I hope he was blessed too.

Now Mr French man has gone to bed, so I will turn out the light and creep up to the dorm too.

Daily videos:

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