When checking into the albergue in Estella the night before,
I ran into Edwina again -
and the decision was made that we'd walk together the next morning.
Even though we were sleeping in different rooms,
the municipal albergue in which we'd stayed had been a dreadful experience for both of us.
The number of people crammed into one room,
the decibel level of snorers
and the rudeness of some people
who seemed unable/unwilling to modify their voice tone or level while in a shared space
led to a night filled with sleep which was interrupted and not at all restful.
We decided on another short day.
It was a morning filled with vineyards,
both small and corporate -
all at the beginning stages of readiness for the growing season,
and all surrounded by mountains
in the far distance
that were reminiscent of the Black Hills in South Dakota!
About 3K before our days destination,
in the village of Azqueta,
we were approached by an old man,
who had been sitting in the doorway of a building.
He asked if we wanted his 'special stamp', and without waiting for a reply,
took us by the hands and led us up a small street to his house.
Once inside, he stamped our 'Pilgrims passport', seemed to give us a blessing and waved goodbye.
We have NO idea why he singled us out of the passing parade of pilgrims,
who he was or why he had a 'stamp' of his own -
although speculating about all those things kept us busy for the rest of the walk!
Once inside, he stamped our 'Pilgrims passport', seemed to give us a blessing and waved goodbye.
who he was or why he had a 'stamp' of his own -
although speculating about all those things kept us busy for the rest of the walk!
We spent a lovely quiet afternoon -
enjoying a sleepy Spanish town,
relaxing and laughing about moving so slowly.
Yup, about like this!
Because of proximity and the availability of decent and inexpensive transportation,
many European pilgrims travel to Spain and walk the Camino in several stages,
over several years,
rather than in one fell swoop like those of us from the States,
Asian countries or Australia/New Zealand.
European pilgrims frequently walk for 2-3 weeks on a vacation;
stop, fly home and then return again in a few years,
picking up where they left off.
Because Edwina knew she would be coming back
and because she'd had foot problems for the first few days of her Camino,
she was willing to go more slowly -
and thus was the perfect walking companion for me,
even with the difference in our ages.
(All pilgrims have their own unique stories,
their own motivations about why they're walking.
The stories shared will remain between us and on the Camino
as they are not mine to tell.)
All I will say is that walking with someone with whom you feel comfortable
and with whom you can share pieces of your souls history
is enough to make any place feel a bit more like home.
many European pilgrims travel to Spain and walk the Camino in several stages,
over several years,
rather than in one fell swoop like those of us from the States,
Asian countries or Australia/New Zealand.
European pilgrims frequently walk for 2-3 weeks on a vacation;
stop, fly home and then return again in a few years,
picking up where they left off.
Because Edwina knew she would be coming back
and because she'd had foot problems for the first few days of her Camino,
she was willing to go more slowly -
and thus was the perfect walking companion for me,
even with the difference in our ages.
(All pilgrims have their own unique stories,
their own motivations about why they're walking.
The stories shared will remain between us and on the Camino
as they are not mine to tell.)
All I will say is that walking with someone with whom you feel comfortable
and with whom you can share pieces of your souls history
is enough to make any place feel a bit more like home.
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