Posted on May 29, 2019 under Thursday Tidbits with 4 comments

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Posted on May 27, 2019 under Monday Morning Musings with 4 comments

Germany, Poland, Canada, Poland and Argentina.

It’s a small world after all.

For the past four weeks, I have been hoofing it across Spain with people from every corner of the globe. Everyday, I wake up and know that there will be yet another meeting of the United Nations on the Camino. It is singularly the most unique experience of my life.

With only 50k to go, there is a sense of anticipation and excitement mixed with dread. Strong friendships have been forged in an atmosphere that’s hard to describe. We have shared cramped quarters most nights, had communal meals and of course, have walked almost 700k together.

We all realize that a journey such as this is a bit of a fantasy and that the real world will face us in a few days.

The people in the picture above have crossed my path several times in recent weeks but yesterday fate or synchronicity brought us all together on the same day at the same time. Such is the magic of the Camino. With less than 100k to go before reaching Santiago, we decided we’d walk it home as a group.

Yesterday was a long one. Everybody’s bodies are a bit beat up and our feet simply hate us! I plan to write an exhaustive and authoritative account on blisters!

As we were grinding out a 41k walk, I decided to lighten the atmosphere and sang “ The Happy Wanderer”. It somehow seemed appropriate. When I finished, my two Polish friends sang a rollicking, high spirited tune from their home country. Maty from Argentina (you might recognize him in the picture from the story I wrote about him a few weeks ago), sang a passionate song from a country he hasn’t seen since he left home to travel the world over 7 years. Not to be outdone, Jan rounded things out with a well known German song.

We were in high spirits as we danced and laughed along the trail. Someone suggested that we try a song that we all knew. I reckoned Happy Birthday might fit the bill.We sang a rousing chorus, arm in arm. Jan appeared somewhat emotional. It just so happened that this indeed was his birthday. There have been so many magical moments like this.

A few days ago, I was walking all day with a woman from Dallas, Texas. It was getting late in the day, it was hot and we were in a spot where accommodations were sparse. We came upon this very unique habitation that I have since coined as the “hippie farm”. It looked like something right out of the 60s.

Pilgrims can stop there for drinks and snacks that are free of charge. Donations of peace, love and cash are accepted as payment. Anybody is welcome to stay there at no charge and many people (mostly young) stay there for days at a time, even weeks. There is a catch. There is no electricity, running water or beds.

My traveling companion and I felt a little old to be doing the commune thing but we were forced with the prospect of spending the night there as the next village was 5K away with no guarantee of a place to stay.

The head hippie, a seasoned veteran of this fine establishment, mentioned that there was a private home on a farm 800m away that took in guests. We decided to check this out.

I’m not going to go into all the detail of what transpired next but we hit pay dirt and it turned out to be the best accommodations of the entire trip. It was so fantastic that I stayed an extra day so that I could use the jacuzzi in the bathroom! I plan to write a whole chapter on this in my book including the six hours we spent talking with two 40 year old Spaniards who kept us convulsed with laughter with their dark humour.

My last post from Spain will come from Santiago de Compostela on Thursday after we conclude our memorable Camino Walk.

Buen Camino

Have a great weekend.

Posted on May 22, 2019 under Thursday Tidbits with one comment

1000 posts… and counting.

I guess you could call it a milestone. What started on a bar napkin on a flight from Halifax to Tampa 8 years ago (my very first story) has become my passion.

I have 1000 reasons to be thankful but mostly to you, my loyal readers who have listened to me rant for years about nothing.I have many new readers from every corner of the world who are experiencing the magic of the Camino.

A few days ago, I checked into my albergue. This is a bit of a misnomer. It was a modern hotel and I got the last room available. It was a private room and after a long day, I was overjoyed to have my own space. Living with 50 or more people every night has that effect.

It was also a great opportunity to get my laundry done. The laundry room was state of the art. Ultramodern washers and dryers, drying racks with fans blowing hot air underneath and sinks with washboards. When I got there, both wash machines were in use. Pilgrims generally like to wash their clothes by hand and hang them to dry. I am a lazy pilgrim and chose the modern conveniences.

I was next in line and put my clothes in the washer. I went back to my room and set the alarm on my phone. When I returned to put my clothes in the dryer, it was like Times Square in New York on a Friday night. It was utter bedlam. I think everyone on the Camino decided to do their laundry in this hotel, on this day. It was standing room only as people jockeyed to get in the queue.

I was just ahead of the curve and didn’t have to worry about my place in line. After putting 5 Euros in the dryer, I discovered that this particular brand of dryers actually didn’t dry clothes. I hung them on a line and retrieved them several hours later.

That evening, new friends from Germany and South Korea joined me for dinner. We found a lovely restaurant in the massive plaza in the center of town. We decided to sit outside. It was very quiet and we settled in for “tales from the Camino”. The wine was barely poured when the square started to fill. It was cool and overcast. We were a bit puzzled at this sudden turn of events.

Before we could exchange a hello, all hell broke loose. There was a motorcade accompanied by loud music. The unmistakable sounds of “ We Are The Champions” blared from many loudspeakers. Any discussion was quickly drowned out. On a balcony above the square, several young, lithe soccer players appeared. The crowd went wild. This team must have won a game or a league championship. The crowd was loving this.

Meanwhile back in the restaurant, we were trying to talk. Not possible. Every few seconds, somebody was making a speech or Freddy Mercury was coming back to life with yet another round of his epic anthem. We were eating dessert when the celebration ended. I don’t think I even got the names of my dinner guests.

As long as my health holds, I hope to keep writing. After all, Charlotte from Dallas Texas has a chicken undergoing psychotherapy and this story must be told!

YOU ARE THE CHAMPIONS and thank you for your support!!!

Have a great weekend.

P.S. I’m in the mountains and wifi is spotty at best so I’m posting this now. Cheers!