Friday, September 26, 2008
approximately 20 kilometers (12 1/2 miles)
Another day of rising early for the day's walk. Today's walk was the shortest and easiest of the bunch. For the first and only time I arrived at an albergue before it opened for the afternoon. There was a crowd of at least 50 other pilgrims who had arrived before me waiting on the front porch and lawn of the albergue. The walk itself was good - I walked a good portion of the day with David - we saw Jesús and Antonio less than on other days. I spent the last hour or two with a remarkable Canadian - you can read more about him in the Pilgrim of the Day section below.
One of the highlights of the day was sharing lunch with about 12 Spaniards. I left for lunch with my three most regular companions - we ran into some other friends we'd made on the camino over the last several days. But rather than head for a restaurant right away, we stopped first at a cafe for a round of drinks. We hung out and talked and waited for some others to join us. We then sauntered on down the road to a restaurant that someone in town had recommended. I certainly never would have found or picked out this restaurant on my own, because through the front door it looked like just about any other bar or cafe in Spain. There was, however, out of sight behind a door, a dining area that looked much more like a nice restaurant. By the time our food arrived our party of 4 had ballooned to something like 12 people.
The waiter started off with the standard baskets of bread and a wide variety of drinks (soda, wine, beer, water, etc). The group then ordered a few starter plates of Pulpo. Pulpo is a local Gallego delicacy - The legs of the octopus are cut up into circles (think like a carrot) and boiled (or perhaps sauteed?). It's only the second time I've had it. And I must say that it does have a good flavor, and the meat is good. I'm still not real fond of the skin or the attached suckers. The rest of the menu was standard in that the options were normal: various choices for 2 plates (or courses), and a dessert. Only it was not standard in that the food was absolutely fantastic!! I know I walked 20 kilometers that morning, and that might have played some part in my enjoyment - I was far more tired and hungry the day before, and was far less impressed with that meal.
At any rate, as good as the food was, the best part of the meal was not the food, but was being welcomed into a community of festive Spaniards as they shared a meal. It was a different cultural experience than I have had in the year I've been here. Not that I havn't shared meals with Spaniards, but in this experience I felt more immersed, and more welcomed as part of the group. While I still felt my 'otherness', that welcome into this group was rich and satisfying. I still could hardly keep up with the multi-layered and high-speed conversations, but I was much less exhausted, and far more appreciative of the opportunity. The entire process took probably 2 1/2 or 3 hours and felt so incredibly Spanish. The restaurant turned off the lights signaling to us it was time to leave. As we left, believe it or not, most of the group decided to stop off at yet another cafe for another round of drinks, and more conversation. I opted at this point to return to the albergue for some time alone.
I made two separate stops at the Pharmacy to find some material to care for my small but growing blisters. I made my last visit to a local supermarket to purchase some fruit and other snacks for the next day's walk. In the end I was finally able to get out and explore the city of Arco do Pino a little bit. I probably walked more than I would have liked to, but enjoyed exploring another corner of this unique planet. Later in the day I had another good conversation with a long-hiker from Poland. He spoke excellent English, and had been hiking the camino alone. It's unfortunate I did not have more time to get to know him, as our conversation was easy and pleasant. All of the long-hikers I met definitely left me with the impression that I was missing out on something special and with the desire to make the whole journey someday. It seems to be a rich and challenging experience that does impact people deeply in different ways. This was the day that I felt like I was just starting to get a glimpse of the unique relational potential that the camino offers. It really is a great way to get to know someone quickly - it's a place where you are able to move into deeper levels of conversation than you normally would with friends, neighbors, and co-workers that you see on a regular basis.
Pilgrim of the Day:
Gilles is truly an inspirational person. I met this French (and English)-speaking Canadian from northern Ontario (not Quebec) near the end of his 40 day camino. It's a remarkable journey for anyone, but I was especially impressed given that Gilles is 74 years old. In addition to his remarkable adventuresome spirit, he was also one of the kindest and gentlest people I have met in a while. This soon-to-be-retired Catholic priest definitely exuded an unassuming love that had the air of Jesus to those that he met. I met Gilles briefly Thursday nite in the albergue, and walked and talked with him for more than an hour when I caught up with him on Friday. It was rewarding to meet him and talk with him. I only hope I can be as vibrant both physically, socially, and spiritually when I reach that stage of life.
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