You Are More Than Just a Passing Pilgrim on the Camino

I have a late start today because I have to wait to borrow a charge for my phone. My cord quit working last night so I awoke to a 5% charge. I don’t know where the nearest Apple store is but I will trust the Camino to help me solve this situation today.

I say goodbye to Pascelle this morning not knowing if I will ever see the fine young lady again. She has been a joy to get to know. I am sure she will do amazing things with her life. I start the day hiking out of Ponferrada with Bálint and Ulli. At the first Farmacia we lose Ulli as his foot is causing him great pain he needs to address. Bálint and I continue to walk out of the city passing many pilgrims enjoying the continuation of our conversation from a couple weeks ago. He is trying to decide whether to be the Prodigal Son and go back to the family business after Santiago or to continue to walk and travel for a year. At Fuentas Nuevas I leave him with a coffee and tostadas and the comfort that the Camino will help him find the answer. I’m sure we will see each other again in a day or two. It is a day of passing pilgrims I have met before. It seems like I passed all the Koreans today. I passed the British couple. I catch up to Harry and Kat in Cacabelos and sit for a bocadillo. Wow that sandwich was huge. I ate half of it and saved half for later. Powering on together we begin the climb up into the vineyards. As far as you can see workers are in the fields cleaning up and preparing the vines. It looks a lot like California. I shout a Buenos Dias to them and the return with a Buen Camino. Such a friendly bunch. Pulling into Villafranca I spy a Redskins hat. I give the lad some grief about getting our quarterback only to find out his name is Stefan and he is from Germany. He just likes the NFL. At the edge of the village I meet a lady from Malaysia. It is her first day on the Camino and she is naturally sore. I assure her it gets better. About that time an angel sends me a message that she is arriving in Villafranca on the bus in an hour with a new phone charger for me. So I wait in Villafranca for Pascelle to arrive on the bus. Harry and Kat catch up and then push on to Trabadelo. Pascelle and I will try to do the same. Villafranca is a beautiful mountain village. As I cross the bridge over the fast moving water I turn to see the town. A church, a church, a church and a castle. How cool is that. I saunter up the street looking for a bar for a coffee or beer and hear the roar of another river. The falls are so amazing and the sound so powerful. About the time Pascelle sends a note that her bus arrives my heart sinks as I realize I lift my hiking poles back on that bench by the post office. I send her a note that I am racing back to find my sticks. She meets me and has already checked the park bench. No poles. I have to look anyways. No poles. Oh well less weight. We check Albergue Leo but they don’t have my poles. Heading out of town we are stopped by a young lady on the phone with her mother who had walked by me several times as I sat on the bench. The old gal had warned me about the rain with concern. She was a sweet lady. Her daughter was now trying to stop me to share that she had my poles. How does this work? The Camino is amazing. Pascelle and I race with Joy up the road along the mountain stream reveling in the Camino Spirit we just were blessed with. We join Harry and Kat at a wonderful Albergue along the river in a small village of Trabadelo. We are the only four that stopped here today. The locals love us as we share dinner with them. What a Camino day. These people that live along the trail really do look out for and care for the pilgrims that pass through their village. Now that is the way to end an evening. 13 year old Spanish brandy.