Day 34: Bercianos del Real Camino to Reliegos - 20.3 km
These last two days have been mentally challenging, but filled with many blessed encounters that truly trump the hardship!
In San Nicolas we stayed at a lovely albergue with two other pilgrims: a middle aged Spaniard and an older Mexican gentleman who lives in Texas. We have encountered several people in the last few days who are expatriates, living in a country other than the one they were raised in.
The albergue was above a bar/cafe, so in the morning we simply went downstairs for breakfast. Where I had the best fresh ham and cheese omelet sandwich of my entire journey!
While enjoying our coffee we chatted with pilgrims who were walking in to town from Moratinos and Terradillos. (I did mention that Randy and I are always the last to leave the albergue, didn't I? So these folks had been walking for an hour or two and we hadn't started yet!)
Ann, from Canada but living in Australia, told us about the American woman who runs an albergue in Moratinos, 3.2 kilometers back. It isn't in any of the guidebooks. But is more 'word of Camino mouth'. And is open to pilgrims who can't afford to stay in the albergues. She shared this information with us because Randy was buying breakfast for the two guys who slept outside the church the night before.
She also said that the woman feels it is her mission to help clean up the Camino. (Many pilgrims litter everything from toilet paper to plastic bags along the route.) You can stay at the albergue in Moratinos for a week, walking and helping clean up the Camino. I would love to spend a week with her, serving in this way!
Ann went on to tell us about the father/son pilgrims from Tennessee who weren't feeling so well that morning. We bumped into them 7 kilometers later in the city of Sahagun. They said they had both gotten sick on their morning walk. We assured them that it wouldn't last long and encouraged them to pick up some Aquarius, a Gatorade-like beverage. The father had just retired, and the son was between undergraduate and graduate school.
"The bus is starting to sound appealing," the father said.
"It's easy to start questioning why we are walking," I said. "Especially when you don't feel good."
"Why are we walking?" he asked.
We all laughed. Knowing that the mental part of this journey is far more difficult than the physical. And yet we will push through. And continue to walk. Even on days when we doubt, fear, or want to give up.
Sahagun was hosting a marathon, so Randy and I stopped at a bakery near the finish line to enjoy the festivities. And along came John from Australia (who is originally from Wales)! We invited him to join us for coffee but he said he was on a "mission".
One of the things I love most about John is that he is so mysterious. He refuses to tell us why he is walking the Camino. He goes on "missions". He has visions, hallucinations, and loses whole blocks of time. He disappears and reappears into our lives seemingly at will (maybe it is us who is having the hallucinations!).
And even though we didn't see him again in Sahagun, he reappeared again this morning in Bercianos. And again declined coffee. But invited us to dinner with him in Leon on Wednesday where he will be staying at the Parador (the fancy hotel Martin Sheen stayed at in "The Way"). We definitely want to make this engagement, and hopefully find out more about our mysterious friend!
Leaving Bercianos, we traveled several kilometers in the direction of El Burgo Ranero before stopping at a bench on the route. It was there that we were sitting when a woman walked toward us from El Burgo, heading in the "wrong" direction. We chatted for a bit, her telling us she was going to Bercianos to have coffee, when we realized she was Sara, the American woman (from Flagstaff, Arizona) working at the albergue in El Burgo Ranero that our friend Aloys from Holland had told us about. We hugged like long lost friends and she shared with us a bit about how to become a volunteer hospitalero (host) at an albergue. (Essentially all you have to do is walk the Camino and take a training that is hosted somewhere in the U.S. every year.)
Randy and I have talked, probably since day 1, about how fun it would be to volunteer at an albergue. For two weeks or two months or two years. He would cook of course. And I would wash feet. We would offer beds for siestas (there are so many times I would be able to walk further if I just had a comfy bed to nap in for two hours after lunch!). And we would definitely have heat!
After we parted ways with Sara and started walking again, two bicycling pilgrims passed us and then stopped. The one handing me a granola bar and wishing us a "Buen Camino" before heading off again on The Way. I ate it right then and there. What a beautiful day!
When we finally got to El Burgo Ranero we immediately met Alex from Wisconsin who is going to college in Puget Sound. He was taking a semester off because "I'm only going to be 21 once." We met up with him again right before entering the town of Reliegos, where we had decided to stop for the evening.
Alex continued on into town but we stopped at the first albergue. And, it turns out, we were the only ones. So for 7 euros each we have the entire, brand new (not even in the guidebooks yet!) albergue all to ourselves. With one of the best showers we have experienced on the trip. Balconies. Heat (in theory; we are still waiting for it to kick on). A restaurant below us, where we were served the most delicious vegetables, chicken, and chocolate tarte for dinner. And we don't even have to leave until 9 a.m. (Which, you know, is 10 in our world!)
But know that your prayers are felt, your thoughts appreciated, and that you are not alone in your hopes and fears and dreams!
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