Camino Friends and Faces...Reunions, Goodbyes and Surprises

   We made so many friends along The Way and will treasure the memory of the special people who touched our lives and added so much to our pilgrimage. We can't mention everyone we met but would like to remember some of them here. (This is a very long post!)

Lynn was the first pilgrim we met when she was checking in at Logan airport at the same time we were. Lynn had already done the Camino Frances route that we were taking and she was heading to Spain to do the Camino Norte route this time. We spent over an hour sitting with her at the airport and asking her questions about the Camino. She had suggestions for places to stay and important things to see. Lynn was just the person we needed as we waited for our flight. We followed her Camino on Mona's facebook account.

Brad was an airport friend too. He lived in CO but most recently had been spending time in New Zealand. We met him in Madrid and he helped us to get a taxi to the train station and then assisted with getting our train tickets. We saw him again a few days later but then lost track of him. We knew he had hurt his knee and wondered if he was able to continue.

Bruno, Mara and Germano were early fun friends from Italy (Torino and Milan) and helped us out when we had no place to stay after our trek over the Pyrenees. Germano taught Emily how to pour wine! We had dinner with them on several occasions but then we slowed down and they moved on. We had so hoped to reconnect with them in Santiago but never ran into them.

Sometimes as you walk along you will catch up to another pilgrim and walk and chat for a minute or an hour or maybe even days! On our second day of walking I met David from Toronto and walked for part of the afternoon with him. Usually early conversations involved questions about home towns, previous Caminos, destinations and the like. When I was talking to David I mentioned our going home date was June 5th and that we hoped to be in Santiago for the 4th to attend mass at the cathedral for Pentecost Sunday. He asked me "what persuasion of Christian" I was that I knew about Pentecost. I told him I was Catholic but he didn't share anything about his religion and I didn't ask. It was a while before we saw David again, but he remembered us and our conversation. I think it was at our second meeting that we learned he is a priest in the Anglican Church! (Think Father Tim in the Mitford series books by Jan Karon.)We continued to see David on and off and we really looked forward to seeing him. We often wondered where he was and we were happy to get his email address so we could keep in touch. When I learned that a friend from home had suffered a tragic loss I emailed David and he immediately responded that he was praying for the family. It was just good to know that David was always there. We were fortunate to have him as a Camino friend and glad to have several more chances to talk with him at the end of our journey. It was very hard to say goodbye to this kind man.

May 10th, David and Emily taking pictures in Burgos.

David at his church (photo from church website)

Niels (with beard) from Denmark was another early friend. We met him the night we were assigned the last three beds in a room with 9 men in Puente la Reina. He was funny and welcoming, trying to make us feel comfortable. We continued to see him off and on. He played the guitar for everyone the night we stayed in Granon. As mentioned before in the blog he needed to leave early and we just happened to see him waiting at a bus stop in one of the big cities. You might say, wow, what a coincidence. But we don't think so. The way we kept running into people, against all odds, must have had some divine intervention!

Grace was first seen in Orrison, way back in France!  Near the very end of our trip we began to cross paths with her again. In this picture you will also see Theresa, who celebrated her birthday on the Camino (like several other friends) and Helen, an outgoing woman we first met at a communal dinner a while back, all of whom we enjoyed chatting with whenever we had the chance.

                              Mona, Theresa, Helen, me, Grace and Emily at a coffee break.


Mona was the first to meet Andrew. What an incredible and outstanding young man. We hope he will think about a religious vocation in the future! When we were staying in Burgos I asked him what his parents thought about him traveling around alone on the Camino. He said his parents weren't worried, back in the day they hitchhiked across the country with his brother who was two years old at the time! We saw Andrew on our next to the last night (before entering Santiago) when we came out of a restaurant about 8:30 or later. Andrew was sitting outside, eating some bread, and resting. He said it was day 33 of his hike and he wanted to make it to Santiago that night! Many people do the hike in 33 days for the 33 years of Christ's life. Andrew left and hiked into the night. When we saw him in Santiago he said he made it into town around 1:30 AM! Andrew was the first friendly face we saw when we arrived in Santiago. We'd probably still be standing in the huge Praza Obradoiro wondering what to do and where do go without Andrew's quiet guidance. We saw him a couple of other times in the city, but never said goodbye. We wish you well, Andrew!

We never had a chance to say goodbye to another dear friend named Valentina. (She was also a friend of Andrew.) Valentina lives in Russia and had to return home before finishing the Camino because her visa was expiring. We spent happy times with her, walking, talking and spending the night, and know she will be back to finish her Camino another time. At the San Anton albergue we mentioned her name and the two hospitaleras told us she had been there just the night before. They also said she forgot her sweater! We carried her sweater (mostly Emily, that is) for days until we could get ahead of her while she visited with friends in Leon. Then we left it at an albergue where we made a reservation for her to stay. We were so disappointed not to see her again. We just loved her insightful and reflective Camino spirit! We are thinking of you fondly, Valentina!

Mona met Christian in a co-ed bathroom! He and his wife Camille had a rough start to the Camino with illness as soon as they arrived. They weathered sickness and went on to finish just before we did. Christian is a marathon runner and his wife is a good walker. He said people wondered if she would be too slow for him but she was much better at the Camino than he. They are a lovely couple from Finland and lucky for us they spoke great English. We seemed to be similar in many ways and became good Camino friends.

And here are more friends: Tina from Orlando, FL, Ann from Minnesota, Bernard and his brother Mark from Winnipeg, Canada and Duncan from Montana.

I always looked for Tina's pink cap when we stopped for breaks. She was pretty fun, and pretty real! Ann was always finding someone who needed some help or support and taking them under her wing. Mark was the brother we talked with more often, but he was in Finnesterre (the trip to the coast that many pilgrims take at the completion of the Camino) when Emily spotted Bernard. Bernard was the guy who cooked the great meal for us the night we spent in Granon. We saw Duncan a lot at the beginning and a lot at the end of the Camino. He was a recent high school graduate, super friendly and just having a blast being out in the world on his own. He will be heading to college at MSU in the fall.

Ann

Bernard

Tina

Duncan

Peter, Rhonda and friend Terry are from Australia. I met Peter on our second day of walking and we walked and talked into Roncesvalles where we caught up with his wife Rhonda and Terry. We never walked together after that but continued to see each other, often, all along the way.  We sang happy birthday to Rhonda on the top of a hill where we all stopped to rest one day. Peter was often seen wearing a shirt that said "same shirt, different day". We were so excited to see them the day we arrived in Santiago. We were standing in line waiting to get our compostelas when they spotted us from their position, also in line. It was a happy reunion and one that was repeated. What were the chances that with the hundreds of restaurants in Santiago we would both be eating at the same one? It had also happened in Leon. I will not be surprised if someday I am vacationing at Yellowstone Park, or anywhere, and I see them again.

Doesn't he look Australian?!

Ben is a cool California guy we first met in Granon. I may not have the facts straight, but the story is still a good one! Ben had applied for a new job as a college counselor before he started the Camino. He was offered the job and accepted it while walking the Camino! Time would pass and then, there he was again. We saw him in Leon at the restaurant where we had dinner and in Villares de Orbigo he stayed at the same albergue. We looked forward to seeing him and were happy to have him follow the blog so we could contact him. Ben was there one day when we were walking and Mona was carrying her bag-with difficulty. Ben was so kind that he offered to carry her bag, along with his own! That's true Camino, self-less caring! Ben was expecting us to arrive in Santiago on Thursday, but we split the last stage into two walking days so arrived a day later. Tina told us that Ben watched for us all day. He left on Friday, before we arrived and we never had a chance to tell him how much we appreciated him and his Camino friendship. Ben was on our list of people we really wanted to see again. Maybe I can him see sometime on one of my trips to CA.  All the best, Ben! 

Two later friends on the Camino were Manuela and Magdalena from Majorca (Island) in Spain. The two sisters joined the Camino for the last 100 km. Their English is a lot better than our Spanish but it was still a little tricky to talk with them. Yet, somehow, we really connected and just came to treasure their friendship. They seemed to adopt us and were always watching for us and checking to make sure we were okay and encouraging us. We saw them a lot for the last days of the Camino and met outside the cathedral for our sad goodbyes. I can still see them sitting on the steps as we walked away...Siempre!

Paula, a nurse from Minnesota, was another early Camino friend. She only had a few weeks to walk and she was walking alone. She was so strong and confident. We enjoyed the time we spent with her at dinners and albergues. We spent more time talking with her than walking with her. By the time she left the Camino she had some foot issues and we hope she will be healthy again soon.

We had so hoped to see Angela and Michaela when we reached Santiago, but we never spotted them. They are sisters from South Korea and are so sweet. Angela had done the Camino before, or some of it, with here dad. It was Michaela's first time and she wore a Tau cross that belongs to her dad. Due to language barriers it was difficult to have conversations with them, but we somehow managed and became friends.

 We met Lily and Uki somewhere near the halfway point of the Camino when we stayed at the same albergue and then we saw them from time to time. They seemed to always want to make sure we were doing okay. When we were in the cathedral in Santiago waiting for mass to start there they were! We were so excited we took pictures right in the middle of church (though mass had not started).

Thomas from Canada stayed with us in Burgos and we met him a number of times after that, sometimes with his girlfriend Michelle, though she was faster and often ahead of him.  He was having a lot of trouble with blisters and went to Decathalon (a Spanish sporting goods chain) with us to get new shoes one time. We were happy to follow him around the city and have his help to get on the correct bus to take us to the store. We had thought (and hoped) we would see him in Santiago, but did not.

I don't remember when we first met Eliana, but it was a good thing for us that we did meet her. She is kind of a magical person who brings sunshine into your day. We saw her over time, met her husband and saw more of her extended family. Eliana, from Brazil originally but living in Florida now, was easy to get to know and like. She told us that her 85 year old mother-in-law would be joining her on the Camino for the last 100km. I wrote about this before, but here's your update: Grandma did it! We made room for her in our church pew on Pentecost Sunday and received hugs and kisses from grandma and Eliana. It was heartwarming to see the whole family gathered to celebrate.

Sue and Helen both live in South Africa and met on the Camino. We saw them sitting at Eduardo's mobil cafe in the middle of nowhere and Helen had hurt her knee. She wasn't able to walk and needed a phone to call a taxi.  Mona came to the rescue and it was like we were their heroes after that. One night when we tried to check into the municipal albergue in Azofra it was full and we were taken to the Church of Our Lady of the Angels which had a small, extremely rustic, hostel attached to the back of the church. The rooms were dark and had stone walls and small windows. The kitchen had a hotplate. I thought that maybe the priest had once lived in the small space. It was now only opened when the main albergue was full. (Once again we were happy to be late and get to stay in a very unique space.) There were two bedrooms, each with a few bunkbeds. Before long Sue and Helen were also moved into the same space. It was just the five of us for the whole night. We sat in the dim light, in the cold kitchen, drinking tea and talking for a long time. The ladies told us they had been watching us and thought we were nuns but didn't want to ask, for fear we would say no! We had to tell them the truth...and tell them that Emily isn't even Catholic! We didn't see them for a long time and we often wondered how they were doing. And then...in our very last few hours in Santiago, there they were! We were drinking sangria at a sidewalk cafe and they were walking by and spotted us. It was another joyful and unexpected Camino moment. 

Update! Early in our journey we had heard that a woman had been hospitalized for five days due to gallbladder problems. Then, weeks later, we were in a bunk room with a woman named Tara, from Canada, who woke up in the night in pain. I wrote about this in an earlier post, how an ambulance had been called and that Emily helped her pack her backpack. Well, Tara was back in the hospital, but not for long. She passed a gall stone and was released to finish her Camino. What an amazing fighter! We walked with her a lot over the next few days, stayed at an albergue with her and stopped for lunch at the same cafe another time... and then lost track of her for a bit. As Emily stood outside of a little shop in Santiago Tara stepped out of her hotel, right next door! She had just arrived in Santiago and was heading to the Pilgrim Office to pick up her compostela. What a great surprise to see her! She had lost some weight due to her restricted diet, but there she was with a huge smile for her accomplishment. Hugs all around!

The biggest surprise was Alexius from Germany! We met him after our first day of walking, then we saw him at the end of our second day. After that we didn't see him for weeks. Then in the middle of the city of Leon there he was, waving to us from across the street. I wrote about this before but now there is more to the story! I don't think we saw Alexius again until our last day in Santiago. Mona and I were sitting in church on Pentecost Sunday waiting for mass to start. A solemn procession preceded the mass. There were six men in black robes playing mostly antique instruments, followed by a cantor, four men carrying a sacred box (litter) on poles that rested on their shoulders and then a double line of priests followed by the Bishop. It was very impressive. And as I watched the priests go by I thought I saw our friend Alexius! I told Mona to look, just to make sure it was him. Oh yes! At one point during the mass we were sure he saw us from his spot on the altar. When the mass was over we waited for Father Alexius at the sacristy door. I asked him why he never told us he was a priest and he said we never asked! On June 18 he will become the pastor of a church in Germany. He used to be the secretary for a bishop and he said he has done a lot of traveling. In fact, he said he visits Boston sometime. I hope I will be able to see him again. For our whole Camino we had wanted to meet a priest and loved that we had met Father David (Anglican) and now finally a Catholic priest, Father Alexius. This was another special Camino moment, for sure!

Can you believe how lucky we were to find such interesting people on the Camino? There is such a unique and special quality about these friendships built on a shared experience.Who knows if we would all be friends in "real life"? It doesn't really matter. These wonderful people were all there for us when we needed them and we are grateful for knowing them.