After the Gonzar “fail”, I wasn’t planning on stopping until the village of Ventas (another 3+ miles), and yet in the little hamlet of Castromaior I came across fellow pilgrim Paul (who I had first met back in Orbigo one week prior) sitting on a the porch of a pathside private hostel. He encouraged me to sit down with him and chat for a bit, and then encouraged me to ask the hostel’s matron (Pura) if there was any room in her abode for a mendicant pilgrim. I knocked on the door and asked her the same and, after an amusingly long pause – and a long sigh to boot, she agreed to let me stay. Out of respect for her obvious disconcertion, I let her know that I was incredibly grateful for the roof over my head, and that I in no way needed to dirty up any of her rooms for rent – that any place on the floor was more than good enough for me. She was obviously relieved at this news, and yet did offer to let me sleep on the pull-out sofa in the hostel’s foyer instead of the floor; an offer for which my still-aching hips remain grateful to this day … I then showered and was hunkering down for an early night’s sleep when Paul came in and told me that he was heading up to the local restaurant to get some dinner and that he would treat me if I wanted to come along (!!!). And so it was that I shared one of the most delightful meals of my entire Camino with him and fellow pilgrims Mike & Haley (father & daughter from the States) that night … 🙂

“Often you shall think your road impassable – lonely and somber and companionless. And yet if you persevere in plodding along – and remember that your journey is not about you; then around each curve you shall find a new opportunity to be kind – and therein your next companion.” ~ inspired by Mikhail Naimy

Filed under: Peace Pilgrimage #02: Walking HOME (2019) by Scaughdt