From Sao Pedro de Rates to Barcelos. Stats: Who’s counting miles anymore? It’s a lot.
Songs often come to mind when walking for hours on end. I think one of us was griping about people and how they can behave. “People are people”, someone said. Which of course then someone else sang: “People are people…” and we all joined in… “so why should it be…you and I should get along so awfully?” Depeche Mode. That was 1984. Who could have imagined how bad it could get…
Today was the first day we walked with others. Tammy and Sally from Australia. Twenty two hours on a plane. I didn’t complain about our flight to them.
They’re teaching us how to speak Australian. It’s the easiest language we’ve learned so far. ;-). They are “aussies” and sun glasses are “sunnies”. There’s more but I can’t remember it all. I’m sure we’ll see them again and I’ll be fluent soon.
They’re very lively and a lot of fun. Two friends who do lots of hiking together around the world. Talking with them on “The Way” made the time go quicker. God bless you Tammy and Sally. Less time to focus on aching hips and sore toes.
After checking into our alburgue my US friends and I found a restaurant in town to eat dinner. Barcelos is a charming town with lots of shopping and restaurants. A large outdoor mall of sorts. Very European.
As soon as we ordered we recognized a man from The Camino. He was traveling alone. It’s very common, even for women. “Would you like to join us?” we asked. My friends slid down to make room for five at our small square table for four. Fabian from Germany.
Charming young man who I thought to be in his early thirties. Turns out he’s 44. He has walked the Camino four times, different parts each time. Learned how to speak English on The Camino. “It’s addicting,” he said about the Camino, checking his phone to make sure he said the right word. We nodded in agreement and we hadn’t even finished our first.
A few minutes later Sally and Tammy wandered by. We pushed two tables together and the Seven of us shared a meal.
Fiona and Collin from Belgium sat down behind us a few minutes later. Probably in their 70s. It’s their second Camino. Wow. I’d kill for calves like hers, even in my 30s.
When we got back to the alburgue we talked with a mother and daughter from Tennessee. We shared a “room” with them. There aren’t really rooms in alburgues, just bunks grouped together in different parts of a building.
Lovely people, every one of them. All shapes and sizes, ages, levels of fitness. All doing it for different reasons.
Maybe everyone should do The Camino. Let’s imagine that world.
