One feature of some of the hostels is that they offer what they call a “communal meal.” You have to sign up for this meal whenever you check in, but it is to simulate a meal that you might have with your family back home. Also, it is an opportunity to get to know the people who are staying in the hostel with you. I sometimes sign up, but not always, because a lot of times they don’t serve the meal until 7:30 or 8:00, and I don’t like to try to sleep on a full stomach. But the meal last night was at 6:30, so I signed up for it.
The food generally is good at these meals - last night it was a pasta salad with chicken and chocolate mousse for dessert. To me, the best part of the meal is not so much the food, but the company. There were two tables in the dining room, but at our table was a very interesting mix of nationalities. To my left were two men from Brazil. They didn’t know each other until they met on the Camino, and now they are friends traveling together. Across the table to my left was a lady from Texas. I haven’t met too many Americans on the Camino, but she was taking a six-month leave of absence from her work with one of her goals being to walk the Camino. I did feel sorry for her, as she was really struggling with blisters on her feet. Directly across the table from me was a lady from Denmark. She also had problems with blisters, in fact, she had to take three rest days to give her feet a chance to heal. But now that she was walking again, her ankle was bothering her. So she was really frustrated.
And then to my right across the table was a young lady from Ukraine. Knowing the war that was going on in her country, I had a list of questions I wanted to ask her, but no doubt she was trying to take a few weeks to just forget the heartache that was taking place among her people. This young lady was actually one of the strongest walkers I have met so far on the Camino. Yesterday she walked 25 miles. Plus, when she got to the village, there were the ruins of a castle on top of a hill and she decided to make that climb and explore that. Then today, even though I left before she did, she came by and just blew my doors off! She is fast and strong.
The young lady from Ukraine who can outdo everyone!
Perhaps the life of the party at the table last evening was at my right, what I would’ve considered to be the head of the table. This man was from Australia. I don’t know if you have you seen the movie Crocodile Dundee? This “mate” could’ve been Dundee’s brother. I don’t know how to describe this man, except that he was the description of cool! He was friendly, sensitive, kind, hilarious - truly a fun person to have at the table! An interesting fact this Aussie admitted, and it was actually quite humbling for him - he and his wife both started walking the Camino together a few weeks ago. But she was a stronger walker and ended up walking off and leaving him in the dust. I think she’s two stages ahead of where he is right now! He was kind of chuckling about it; they have a city where they’re going to meet up again.
That conversation last night with these people from different countries just made me think of what it’s going to be like in heaven. The Bible says people from all tribes and languages and nations will gather at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. And what a great communal meal it will be!
One of the things that has been so refreshing to me has been the simplicity of life on the Camino. Yes, the lodging has been a little stressful at times, and I’ll probably do a post on that in the coming days. But besides that, there is a simplicity that resonates with me. When I go to prepare my pack in the evening, it’s easy! I make sure I have one granola bar, a package of crackers, and some trail mix. That’s it for the food! Okay, I lied - I make sure that there’s a tiny package of M&Ms in there as well! But besides my rain gear and my water, that’s it! It’s simple - it takes me about two minutes to ready my pack in the evenings.
When I’m trying to decide what to wear, it’s easy. I brought three pair of pants and four shirts. I cycle through them and when they’re dirty, I do laundry. My wife would be a little bit embarrassed, but I don’t even try to match things. Whatever’s clean, I throw them on. When it comes to shoes, I don’t have to look at 5 or 10 pairs of shoes to figure out what matches my mismatched outfit! I brought ONE pair of hiking shoes! Now I do also have a pair of very lightweight lounge shoes; they give my other shoes a chance to air out and dry out after a day of rain like yesterday. But it’s easy - I know what I’m going to wear!
In that simplicity, I have found that small things make a big impact on me. Back home, it takes a lot to impress and impact us. We have to have an outstanding athletic performance or a great display of technology, or some type of amazing production. There is nothing wrong with that, but I’m finding out the simplicity of the Camino has allowed me to be impacted and awed by small things.
For example, this morning, after about an hour and a half of walking, in the middle of nowhere, I came to a large block building. I’ve seen many of them in this country and you have too if you look at the pictures. But this one was kind of intriguing to me, because as I got closer to the building, I saw a sign that said “Hospital para Peregrinos.” That means “Hospital for Pilgrims.” That piqued my interest. I thought, “This is perfect timing!”
Hospital for Pilgrims
I’ve been fighting this crazy fever for 2 1/2 days now and haven’t gotten any better. And on a day like today where I have to walk 15 1/2 miles, even though God gives me the strength to push through, it’s not pleasant - it’s a real slog. At home I would have probably called in sick today. So I thought, in a location like this there probably won’t be a doctor, but maybe there will be a nurse who can see me and prescribe some antibiotics and get me on the road to healing again. So I was kind of excited as I stepped through the door.
But as soon as I stepped into the building, I realized oh, this is not that type of hospital! And I really wasn’t disappointed, because this was much better. This was a place of rest for weary pilgrims!
Weary pilgrims at the hospital
I identified two or three people who seemed to be running it. One man was from Italy, and if you know somebody who has ADHD, you could just multiply his ADHD to the hundredth power. This Italian man was wired and was one of the most hyperactive people I’ve ever seen in my life! But he was amazing! There at the entrance they had a pot of coffee for pilgrims and some milk that they had heated. There were cookies you could help yourself to. They had a little place for donations if you wanted to help support the cause. I did, but it was just a great little break for a weary pilgrim! Then I looked around and I saw 2 sets of bunks for pilgrims who maybe were so weary that they couldn’t continue to the next town 10 miles away. Those three people were there to serve. And serve they did! I didn’t stay too long there - maybe 5 or 10 minutes - but that short break made my day. It was way better than visiting a medical facility!
As I continued my several next hours of walking, I began thinking, Lord, you are really doing something special in my life. You’re helping me to experience awe in the simplicity of the small things. I began praying, “Lord, how can I go back to my home and bring into my life and my family and maybe even the church a more simplistic approach to life?”
I know we can’t go back to the days of Mayberry, and that was not the perfect utopia anyway. But what can I personally do to develop a more simplistic life? A life where I could be awed and impressed by even little things - such as just a short stop at a hospital for pilgrims, or my stop yesterday where that sweet saintly nun placed a blessing on me, or a simple cross along the way, or an incredible sunrise like I saw again today.
Sunrise: before
Sunrise: after
I want to be in a frame of mind where God can get my attention through small things. And frankly this post is not really for you today. I’m glad you’re reading it, but this is for me. Life on the Camino has challenged me to enjoy those moments God provides along the way! Today, I asked the question, “How I can simplify my life?”
Since you’re reading this, maybe that would be a good question for you to ask as well. What can we all do, what SHOULD we all do on the Camino of Life to be in a place where we can be awed by the simple things God places in our pathway?
Thanks for listening in on God’s lessons for this pilgrim today!
Note the stork’s nest on top of the tower in the third photo.
Approximate total miles: 560
Approximate miles walked today: 15
Approximate miles remaining: 339