Villar de Mazarife to Hospital de Orbigo

A day of doors and cherries!
A pretty short day and a fairly unremarkable walk along very straight roads. No stops until about 9km when we had coffee and met up with lots of old friends.
There is a saying that ‘the Camino will provide’ and we heard about an example of this today from Ramona. Ramona is from Germany and is walking on her own. It’s her second Camino and she is clearly planning many more. She started walking at St Jean in a pair of Asics which soon proved hopeless and she was struggling with bad blisters. She met along the way with two American women, one of whom said she was carrying a pair of shoes she had never worn but really didn’t feel she needed. She offered them to Ramona who found that they fitted her perfectly and were completely comfortable, despite the blisters. They even marched her t shirt. What’s more, the woman wouldn’t take any money for them - and they are a brand new pair of ON’s (the shoes I wear and which I know are really expensive). The Camino certainly provided! (See picture of Ramona with her new shoes).
We also met up with Anna and Cally who are staying at Albergue Verde with us tonight.
It really was a short walk - only about 14k.- and we were at our Albergue by about 12.
This is an amazing place. As I’m writing the most wonderful smells are coming out of the kitchen. We were greeted with a cup of herbal tea and sheets for the bed! It is a dormitory but sheets are a great luxury.
We had bought a carton of gazpacho for our lunch and had this in the garden, where we met more of our fellow pilgrims. One, Jason, had picked cherries along the way (he had asked the owner’s permission!) and shared these with us and others - before realising that the tree in the garden of the Albergue was also heavy with cherries. We all picked some more - perfectly ripe and straight from the tree; what could be better.
Then had a tedious but necessary planning session to ensure that we have some places to stay before we get to Samos, from where we are booked up.
Later we have yoga at 5, sound therapy (!) at 6 and a vegan dinner at 7.30. For me, perfect.
And about the doors - I just saw so many lovely ones today I had to photograph them.
Am now in bed in my big dorm having had the most wonderful evening.
It started with yoga in the yoga studio - what I should really be doing everyday after walking but never seem to get round to. Much more fun anyway with other people.
And then… a special moment, very very special actually. In the same studio one of the friends of the Albergue gifted us a Tibetan singing bowl session. We all lay down in the circular space, head facing inwards, with instructions just to relax and not listen to the sounds but just let them wash over you.
I can’t describe this experience - I can only say that I felt incredibly calm afterwards and when I told him how I felt and that I had been ill previously he gave me an extra one to one session. At dinner everyone seemed very quiet - the air of calm had reached us all I think.
Best dinner on the Camino so far - totally vegan - beetroot hummus, lentil curry with loads of vegetables, salad, saffron rice, wholemeal bread and to finish a vegan cherry cake with cherries from the garden. It’s a donativo for dinner and it’s hard to over estimate how much this whole experience meant to me. I feel very calm and cared for and desperate for this to be only my ‘first’ Camino. I really hope I can stay well enough to do it again.
So many good experiences. And sorry about the doors but they were very interesting!Read more