Esteribar

I was expecting to be blogging before now but due to a 2 night layover in Dallas, Texas, today was my first walking day! Air travel these days is for the birds. That’s all I’ll say about that..otherwise the cuss words will start and you’ll be highly disappointed in my lack of resilience!
Last night/today I had very special moments that I’m dying to share with you. Something I’ll never forget as long as I live.
Due to the flight delays I had to miss the first two stops to keep my itinerary on track. I finally flew into Pamplona, Spain (I say “I” but I’m with Holly, so I’m a “We” again this year!!) and booked a room so I could regroup, mail a suitcase to Santiago de Compostela, and taxi to Zubiri the next day. I booked at Albergue Suseia, a wonderful albergue with the best food I’ve ever had on the Camino. I stayed there in 2016 & 2019, so I knew it was going to be a great evening, but I had no idea what surprises were in store for me. Dinner was at 7 and there were 11 of us dining in. We took a seat around the table and started introducing ourselves and chatting. The lady next to me, Louise, from Canada said I looked very familiar to her and asked if I was there in 2019. I told her I was with a puzzled look on my face. No sooner did I answer her she whipped out her phone and pulled up photos from 2019. She showed me the photo and I was totally shocked when I saw a photo of both her and I, sitting in the same exact chairs around the same table we were sitting at. I blurted out “That’s me!!” We both couldn’t believe it. We got tears in our eyes and hugged. Sara, who ran the Albergue was also stunned and cried. She covered her mouth and was amazed at the photo. She’s the one who said “And you’re even sitting in the same spots!!” I told Louise that there was a reason for this but I had no idea what it could be. Dinner concluded, we all turned into our beds but I kept thinking how it was so random and so cool! Of the thousands of people on the Camino, how is it possible we are not only traveling on the same days, but staying at the same Albergue? Unbelievable. I went to bed, slept like crap (still jet lagged), and at about 7am went downstairs to the common area. In walked Louise. She sat next to me, she’s so calm and soft spoken, her presence was something I felt warmth and comfort to be around. She said she got up 4 times during the night, still amazed, and confused at our meeting, and kept asking God each time she woke up what this was about and what she was to do with it. She told me the 4th time she asked Him, He said “Tell her I love her”. When she told me this we both started crying and hugging. I told her “Thank you, I really needed to hear this.” She said she told God she didn’t know if she had the courage to tell me or if she’d see me before we all parted ways in the morning. But she did. She walked to Pamplona today and will fly back to Canada. She only wanted to do this short part of the Camino. One day difference and we would’ve missed each other forever. So, today, for a person that doesn’t cry very easily, I started my day in tears and knowing God loves me. What a gift. I feel so blessed and so loved. I’m only posting one photo today, and that’s of Louise, my Camino angel.Read more