Day 24: Manzarife - Hospital de Orbigo

-1 degrees this morning! Crazy. My heavy and large clothes from Leon really paid dividends this morning. Florence and Rosie left early and I went for a coffee with Anne-Cécile. Today was Ines's first solo walking day! As I'd been much earlier yesterday they'd asked if I could buy some food from store while it was open (Inés had a very specific list aha).

I then spent the day walking with Anne-Cécile on her 'freedom day', which would have been a huge relief after 2 months as a full time carer. We had a really great chat about each other's families. Chats on the Camino in an incredible way often get into a very deep and personal topics, and this was no exception.

The bridge to get into town is an exceptional view, and must have a great story. We had a hilarious hour at the bar with Inés teaching me basic French, me teaching her basic Spanish, and absolutely no common language between us. Body parts was our starting point.

Given there was only 3 of us at the Albergue, our hosts joined us for dinner, including the 98 year old mother of the man who had founded it. I tried my best language wise, and she was so lovely, sometimes crying and me desperately thinking of words to fit such an emotional conversation. Our hosts, half volunteer hospitaleros, said this was the first time since the albergue started 30 years ago she had ever dined with pilgrims, and i cannot describe the looks on their faces when she kissed us on the cheek goodnight! It was an incrediblly touching moment.

We played a bit of music after dinner, Jurgen being incredible patient in teaching Inés some drums. Andri would play the guitar and asked me to sing as he didn't know the English words. So funny.

At one point in conversation I would speak to Anne-Cecile in English, she would speak to Andri in French, and he would speak to me in Spanish, and it somehow worked! It felt like a 'how far we have come moment'Read more