Stories From the Camino TODAY, May 3, 2017

May 5, 2017

Here are some of the stories we heard just today...

1. A defense attorney from England that we met last night is hiking with three friends. Today is his last day as he must go back to work, but he says he'll come again with his wife. He heard us talking about Benadryl last night and teased us about dealing drugs. Said his friend is a Chief Inspector (reminds me of my favorite Maisy Dobbs novels). This morning at breakfast he walked up to the table and told the people sitting near us to be careful as we were drug dealers. Who knows what they understood.

2. A gift-At breakfast a man who seemed to be helping at the albergue asked me my name. I thought it was strange. Just a few minutes later he came back and presented me with a gift he had made. It has a pilgrim on one end, my name (no e) and a flower on the other end.

3. Eliana from Florida, originally from Brazil...She is hiking with her husband to Sarria. When they reach Sarria they will be joined by his four siblings and 85 year old mom to do the last 100 km together.

4. The A girls-Alberta (April) and Australia (Fiona) Taking time off from work to hike, they met on the Camino and are now walking togther. Fiona took pictures of us spry old ladies to send to her mom to show her that she could do the Camino, too!

5. Names unknown-a husband and wife team, both retired doctors from Long Island. We've talked to them a bit. Here's some of their advice: She said take ibuprophen with food (knew that) and if you get a cut apply a little extra pressure to stop bleeding. He said let a dog lick the wound.


6. Unknown person- we had just climbed a steep hill and two men had stopped to rest. One gave us a thumbs up and the other took off his pack, sat on it to rest and pulled out a piece of paper and began to read the pilgrim's prayer  (in Spanish perhaps). It was a very special and powerful and true Camino experience. I wish I could explain the feeling... I wish I had asked if he was a priest.

7. Inaki-The Viana library was open when we stopped walking for the day. Of course we had to stop in to look around the children's section! I used Google translate to write a message to the librarian named Inaki (Basque for Ignatius ). I told him I worked in the children's library at home in the US. He was thrilled. He then began to talk to us in English and told us he wanted to show us some thing very special. He took us to a painting of Francisco Navarro Villaslada and said he was an important Spanish writer, similar to Sir Walter Scott, and he was also a statesman. Then he went on to say that the library building was this man's home, over 500 years ago. But there's more! He asked us to follow him down to the basement, then we went even lower! He took us to Francisco's bodega. It was two rooms with curved stone ceilings way underground, where wine was made. He told us much more. But there's no time to explain.

8.  The priest at Santa Maria de la Asuncion de Viana -After the mass tonight the friendly priest called all of the pilgrims forward. This is the usual procedure, but instead of just blessing us he spoke to each of us individually and placed his hands on each pilgrim's head in prayer. It's impossible to describe ...

 We walked 18.4 km today. We have walked 153.5 km so far (not including the meters we walked that were not on the path)! Another awesome day. We are spending the night in Viana. God bless.