20 June to Santiago

The bus goes from Sobrado to Santiago once a day, Monday to Friday at 6:45am. I had toyed with the idea of staying an extra day but it was SO COLD in those stone walls that I decided to head back to Santiago today. Last night’s concert and the quiet day there had given me all I needed.

As we passed Camino signs and pilgrims walking I was not in the slightest bit disappointed to be in a bus! Besides, it’s only a few days since I walked part of the very route we drove.

This Croatian guy was disappointed though…

…he had come to a standstill after pushing too hard on an injury…it reminded me how grateful I am to have found my own injury improving (although by the middle of the afternoon I will be wondering why my heel is sore enough to have me limping markedly – maybe another rest day is in order)

When we got to Santiago the rain stopped for a couple of hours, so I went to the cathedral to take the photo I usually take, but didn’t do the day I arrived due to the constant drizzle.

Then because I know GraphGuy is allergic to photos that are not straight, and as he could do with a little cheering up as he recovers from surgery, I took one for him:

As I was walking up Rúa San Pedro not really paying attention I became vaguely aware of someone standing in my way with his arms stretched up in the air like a capital Y. He didn’t look unlike this:

Indeed, it was him! The relationship with this Frenchman is perhaps the most unusual from this Camino; we have barely spoken to each other, but have a sense of connection. We met through a French lady, who would chatter away to me as if I understood – and bizarrely it turned out that I picked up quite a bit. One day I thought she was saying she wanted to hold a bed for her friend who was very ill and I helped explain this to the American volunteers when we arrived. It was a non-reservable place, but compassion prevailed. When the friend (that guy ^^ with the trailer) turned up, they even let him lie down immediately, hours before they usually would grant access to the beds (which you would think is the human thing to do, but doesn’t happen much). He slept all afternoon, emerged for dinner and shared his story through a young girl interpreting afterwards – basically he has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and wanted to show himself he was still alive by walking a Camino. What he has learnt was very moving. After breakfast the following morning, using GoogleTranslate, I told him about my wee writing project and asked if he would be willing to contribute to it what he had shared the previous evening. Oui oui oui, after he gets home he would love to. We bumped into each other a couple more times – both times in the pouring rain, so our exchanges were brief…but they felt authentic, genuine. And when Mr Frenchman arrived in Santiago he sent me that photo ^^.

Today’s upstretched arms turned into a warm embrace and finally a long conversation – it turns out he speaks pretty good English, so we didn’t need to have been speaking Spanish up to now!

I continued up the street to my destination…

….a great spot to watch pilgrims get their first glimpse of the cathedral towers on their last stretch before completion. Interestingly, I saw some who had hopped on the bus I was on this morning!

I heard my name being called…

This boyfriend-and-girlfriend were so keen to thank me. What for? I couldn’t remember doing anything for them, although our paths had crossed a fair bit while I was walking about 15km/day, as they were. We had chatted, but nothing out of the ordinary.

“So why do you want to say thank you?” I asked.

“For the inspiration”

“What do you mean?”

“After we saw you drawing, we realised we wanted to, too. When we got to Santiago we went to Pilgrim House and they had some art supplies available to use and so we sat and painted.”

They showed me their pictures – she really knows what she’s doing and for him it was a first try. He was apologetic that he “only did a plate of olives” so I pulled out my journal and found the page with ONE olive on it. That made him feel better! Full of enthusiasm, they then told me that they are planning another Camino and will each bring a little sketchbook. This was very satisfying for me, because it turns out I like to inspire and encourage, even when it’s done unknowingly.

It’s also satisfying when I don’t have to spend money on something I’ll only use once. So that means when in Santiago we go dumpster diving! I always need some cardboard to protect my poles on their homeward flight and we have always taken cheeses home so they need to be packed in something too. When I get back The Whole Family is going to be around, including the Exiled-in-Australia-Son, so we are going to make the most of that weekend – welcome home butter chicken and roti the night I get back and a Midwinter Christmas Celebration a couple of days later. Why am I telling you this? Because I’ve been voted to provide the cheeseboard.

And maybe for Micki:

I’m still on the lookout for a polystyrene box to keep the cheeses cool, but the cardboard was an easy find: