Ventosa

People on the Camino talk about moments that they attribute to something termed ‘spiritual’. Most people who know me know I am mostly sceptical about these attributions. Good luck or coincidence are probably better terms. However, today I spent time with a lovely Northern Irish woman, Anne, walking to Najera. She was a grandmother of 14, mother of 5, extraordinary wedding cake maker, had a brother involved in the IRA and imprisoned in the Maze, and had a brilliantly sharp mind and wit. We had a few laughs together. Anne then started talking about friends and family who’d passed with cancer. For the first time on trail, I mentioned fleetingly about Libby’s recent breast cancer diagnosis. Topic lasted less than a minute max.

We then caught up with Anne’s husband, Eugene, who was walking with small Paul, at a rest place. I sat down and was chatting with the Irish group. Eugene then presented me his hand made Camino momento - see below. He said we hear your wife has been going through some health difficulties and we hope that this will help ease things for her and your family. I don’t recollect Ann chatting with him when she arrived or how he knew this fact. Other Paul didn’t tell him. It was quite spooky. He then told me the history of the memento; that he was a retired shoe repairer in Belfast and that he made only a few of these self stitched leather mementos to pass onto people on the trail who he felt needed or deserved them. I got the last one.

As soon as that interaction was over, the Irish group left, not to be seen again. Spirits in the night.

I now have this memento attached to my pack for the rest of the journey. Given Libby’s Irish roots, I carry it with pride.

How does one attribute an interaction like this one today? Coincidence? Nice people doing nice things? Premonition? All I know was that it was not ordinary.

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