Day 44

Day 44 – Cacabelos to Villafranca del Bierzo – 9.5 km

As I was leaving Cacabelos this afternoon I took a short detour, following the commotion to the town square. What I discovered was an abundance of small children getting ready to run a 20-meter dash.

Kids bring so much joy to the world! And Spain has been no different.

I was reminded of the twin boys Randy and I met in Estella. Their dad told us to speak English to them because they were learning Spanish, Basque, and English in their kindergarten class. They were fascinated by our placemats (which only pilgrims get) and our accents.

And I thought of the young girls in Espinal who were thrilled when we asked them to stamp our pilgrims passports. (I blame them for our enthusiasm to get anyone and everyone to stamp our passports from there on after!)

I remembered the groups of teenagers who “interviewed” us in Pamplona and Burgos, videotaping our conversations for their English classes.

And of course I thought of my nieces and nephew back home. How a few years ago Tessa, Kaylee, Tysen, and Kenzi would have held hands as they ran their race. How Riley would be too curious about what was ahead to wait for the starting bell. And how Kasen would do a victory dance as soon as he crossed the finish line. I can’t wait to hug them all!

But in the meantime I’m enjoying the many kids that continue to cross my path!

After getting settled into an albergue in Villafranca del Bierzo, I had dinner with two kids who wanted to practice their English pronunciation. They also helped the adults around the table understand each other, translating various English, Spanish, and French words so we all knew what we were talking about!

And I talked to Merena (age 4 ½) and her family about Merena’s first Camino. This is her dad’s sixth Camino and her mom’s second. Dad is riding a bike, with Merena in a cart on the back (and only a coloring book to entertain her!), while Mom is walking. They started in Leon where they live and where he works in the audio-visual department at the University. He is recording the journey for Merena, so she will remember this journey and be able to share it with other families considering the trip. 

They will do a week long stretch now and another in the summer in order to get from Leon to Santiago. Dad said when Merena is old enough (maybe 8), they will think about visiting California, where they can have lots more outdoor adventures!

It is really fun to see so many families enjoying the Camino, letting the kids teach us, and speaking the universal language of smiles!