Coming back home

A strange elevator notice

This was in the utterly soulless hotel close to the Madrid airport where I stayed on May 2 . May 3 was travel day and the airport shuttle- the raison d’être for such a booking – took me to terminal 1 in plenty of time for my flight. Plenty of time also because the plane left almost an hour late, leaving me worried about catching my connecting flight to Montreal. I needn’t have worried as the flight from TO to Montreal was also delayed although changing the gate twice added a certain slapstick quality to my final leg of the journey.

Uber brought me safely to my door where I was greeted by plants( still alive) and bread and milk in the fridge thanks to my oldest grandson. The last few days have been a whirl of Pascha service, a birthday party, unpacking and distributing souvenirs . ( did I need all those keychains?)

It is raining and gloomy but I feel I have caught up on sleep, a plumbing “ situation” and slipping back into a semblance of routine. Now to enjoy a second Spring!

Trilliums in my park

In Avila

The cathedral built into the walls

My buddy, Gilberto drove like the wind and brought me to Avila. On the other side of the highway were traffic jams of people going away for the May 1 holiday. It is labor day and May 2 is the province of Madrid holiday as well so people were streaming out of the city.

I liked my hotel very much. Las Leyendas ( the Legends) is built just under the famous walls of the city. I was sad to say goodbye to a new and dear friend but he had an hour or so drive to his home.

The walls picture book illustrations

Access to the ramparts was scary enough in itself. One step at a time. Not like the young couple who dragged a baby carriage up there!

Going up is one thing!

The view from the heights was spectacular. The sky was full of large beautiful clouds that only let the sun peep down on notoriously cold Avila. Far off I could see a storm cloud drenching the plain. I cautiously made my way down to the spacious ticket and book shop. Sure enough a hail storm rattled the town and then bright sunshine returned.

In the cathedral

How cold and forbidding it was. I refuse to pay to simply enter a church so I sailed past a ticket booth at the door. No one challenged me. I was struck by how odd it was to see almost everyone with a history audio device stuck to their ears. At various strategic points you could push a button and various gloomy altars were illuminated. I got the distinct impression not much praying goes on in there any more

Some pretty impressive medieval art though

I had a nice but simple room in Ávila and a good sleep. Off the next morning in a huge bus driven by a woman who had been a bit too enthusiastic in the matter of Botox on her lips. The countryside on the way down was lovely but you know how you never can do justice with photos from moving vehicles.

OnlyTwo more days

It seemed an eternity stretching out but all of a sudden it’s time to pack my bags properly and think about the return home.

All of us are tired. I think if one is going to do this sort of work there should be one day off per week just to have a chance to look around the countryside and feel just for that day one has no responsibilities.

One of the team leaving early

He left to go home for his daughter’s birthday and so the three of us are filling in until the new hosts arrive.

They arrived at 6:45, a little late in the day for orientation but since they have done this before I trust it will not be too difficult. In any case I have an arrangement with Gilberto that he drive me to Avila tomorrow. If he weakens and decides to stay longer, I will get on a train!

“the team”

Gilberto, behind me – an absolute rock. Never flustered, master of the 100+ keys in this place, noticing and doing without a word. And the other team, Suzanna from BC and Joachim from Salamanca.

The French Family with a tablecloth!

Such niceties seldom seen on the Camino

They were ten people including 5 kids. In spite of their attention to dining graciously the boys, all under 10, were running wild when I noticed them scaling a wrought iron gate liberally adorned with vicious looking spikes. I did warn them off and drew their mother’s attention to the danger of them being impaled but she dismissed my concerns with a haughty wave of the hand.

We had 102 pilgrims in the house last night and we had to open the basement accommodations. A Polish family with 5 kids ranging in age from a three month baby to an adolescent slept down there. About 30 others were in the same room.

Cereal in the morning

It was an exhausting day and I was happy to sleep today… I had 2 siestas of 2 hours each! My Canadian counterpart goes to sleep at 8:30 as a routine but opens the door without fail at 6 am so I cannot fault that. Gilberto and stay up lock the spooky church and the street gate.

I am left to deal, with my wonderful partner, Gilberto, with the somewhat rowdy post supper bunch. The Italians in particular seem to talk at the tops of their voices and since the floor is unforgiving terrazzo, the noise is deafening.

The graves of the victims of France

At the end of the beautiful field adjoining our albergue is a site being excavated. A monument is to be erected there at some point. For now, happy dogs bound around, their masters throwing balls for them under the shadow of the beautiful mountain.

Ten minutes before my shift

The poles are adding up

There are already over 50 pilgrims in the albergue and it is only 4 o’clock. My worst nightmare will be turning someone away.

One of my colleagues is an early bird and she goes off to bed quite early. The kitchen as jumping lady night and I admit to being a bit grumpy when people wanted to go on drinking wine and chatting in a dining room with a terrazzo floor. It has tremendous resonance and I resorted to taking out my hearing aids. That made for some rather surreal conversations with a troubadour who wanted me to confirm the words of a Greek song.

An elder bush coming into flower

I try to be zen and enjoy what I can understand of what is going on….

Booked for my getaway next week -to Avila and then home!

A Camino Moment

I have walked on the Camino and I know what it is to worry about getting to an albergue, about getting a decent bed, about arranging for a meal.

My three companions and I have formed the habit of going for a coffee in a nearby cafe when our cleaning chores are done. Just as we were setting off a dreamy sort of young girl, a crown of lilacs flowers on her hair came to the door to ask if she could use our toilets. Without turning a hair my partner unlocked for and waited for her to leave. The rest of us rolled our eyes and fell to describing her as “ a hippie”, “ a bit lost”. And more.

After lunch the girl brought a German woman to us and translated her request to use our washing machine. She was staying in a camper van near by.

A few moments later the young girl, Maria, sat before us to request a bed. When we had explained all the house rules and offered a bed she told us that she had no money. Being the cynic I am I asked her how she ate. She replied that people kindly gave her food, My partner, Gilberto indicated I should take her to the women’s’ section and that he was going to the kitchen to prepare her a meal.

As I was showing her to the room I asked her why she lived in this way and , her eyes brimming with tears she replied that inner voices told her to try to live in a way that did not have money as its base. Having worked in a hospital as a social worker for over 35 years, when I hear about “ inner voices” I tend to want to consult psychiatry.

Our setting

However.this was different. I liked Gilberto’s immediate acceptance of this true “ pilgrim”s explanation of her situation. I liked his immediate and unquestioning response.

Something to think about

New vine leaves

Mid point

We four hospitaleras/os are at mid point in our two weeks of service and we haven’t yet run away, burst into tears or strangled each other. Put two Spanish men and two Canadian women all over seventy into a totally unfamiliar situation where they have to deal with fifty strangers who do or don’t speak a common language and …. Well, stuff happens.

A happy German who got his washing done!

The weather is brilliant although a little windy today. It’s a provincial holiday and the high school band was out in force in the town square.

A bit of Martial music

One of the wonderful things about yesterday was talking to two young Greek pilgrims! They almost fell off their chairs when I greeted them in the language of Homer as they came in chatting away. In the evening one warm and optimistic guy, Georgiz , was sitting with a beautiful German young lady who had just graduated in environmental law. How encouraging it was to hear their determined and optimistic talk of how to face the problems that stand before them. I so admire their courage as they walk along making their own path. Today is St George’s day and I wish him and his companions all the best.

A beautiful evening!

Exploring

The view from the upper windows here is lovely. I made up my mind that I would get into that beautiful field somehow.

The albergue from
another angle

I only achieved my goal at the end of my walk today as entering the field proved harder than I could have imagine. Instead I got side tracked to an interesting point: the start of the Camino Invierno. I even walked along it for a couple of kilometres.

It was good to have a clearer idea so I could tell the pilgrims exactly how to go.

white heather

Wisteria growing leaves

Well, eventually I did find my way into what I had heard people calling “ the cemetery” and found that it was one indeed. I slid down a slope to get in and almost ended up six feet lower!

There is what appears to be an abandoned archeological dig

A happy black lab bounded out of the beautiful grasses and diverted me.

Other furry friends

It’s only 3 pm and it’s been quite exciting. I will take the desk with my amiable partner at 4 and the house is filling up nicely. Pilgrim mass tonight in the chapel. One of our duties is to lock it up at night. I feel as if I am in a 1940’s movie as we turn the creaky lock in the door and the lights are turned off. More tomorrow!

Up to the Castle

Castle of knights Templars

You’re going to have to read up on them because I just can’t delve into their very long and important history here. The castle though! I loved it! Huge, spectacular, imposing… with a library of impeccably reproduced medieval books! I was in heaven yesterday wandering through this place.

Now and arrow at the ready!

On the battlements!

The weather is cooperating too!

It’s huge!

A catapult

Oops , what happened to the moat?

A dragon guards the library

Settling in and figuring it out

Supper time

Last night there were fifty pilgrims in the Albergue. A lot of them cooked supper in the communal kitchen. One American guy made vegetable dumplings! Some Korean ladies threw together a feast and there was a lot of pasta bubbling away on the two stove tops.

Registering fifty pilgrims and assigning them beds according to their sex, blisters, age, claustrophobia and need to get to a toilet fast had its challenges. The other challenge is team work on short notice.

Clean this when they leave!

For a break, look out of the window

My Spanish is put to the test following long conversations or answering questions I don’t quite understand but if I’m really stuck, my partner helps out!

Book fair in town

Although this is a bit beyond me…. In Spanish yet!

I’d better start writing a few of my own poems!

Yesterday my gifts included these, a glass of wine and an ice-cream sandwich!

There are problems, of course. Some leave their valuable equipment behind. Some arrive sick and we must decide whether to isolate them. Somehow the next morning all is wiped clean with the cleaning up chores and many pilgrims want to hug goodbye. Others just want you to know where the nearest breakfast place is.

Lining up to leave