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Life on the Camino - Miscellaneous Topics
Your All Time, Absolute BEST Camino Moment!
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[QUOTE="JillGat, post: 852538, member: 47729"] I expected my first Camino to end in Santiago, but when I reached there, I didn't feel at all like I was done walking. The evening I arrived in late June, I ended up having a couple glasses of wine in la Plaza de Cervantes with a couple of guys who talked me into walking with them the next day onto Finisterre and then Muxia. One was a rather domineering, extroverted Brit, who had walked many caminos before. The other was a quiet, spiritual, bearded guy from South Africa. The two had met up on the Primitivo a week or so before and - odd couple though they were - they ended up being inseparable. (Neither of them spoke Spanish, which is why I think they thought it would be handy to have me along.) The next morning the three of us headed out together and, after a long day of walking, we started looking for a place to stop for the night. I was noticing women hanging bunches of plants and herbs on doorways, but I didn't know what that was about. As evening fell, people were lighting bonfires in their yards, which bothered the Brit enough that he stopped to reprimand one old fellow for creating such pollution. After setting down our things in an albergue next to a beautiful tiny church on a stop in the road, I headed out to look around and was immediately roped in by a couple of local elderly women who explained to me that it was La Noche de San Juan and they insisted that I join them for some obligatory rituals. I went to get my friends, and the ladies led us in jumping over a bonfire nine times for good luck and then they grilled sardines, which we enjoyed on hunks of bread. Later came powerful Orujo punch and more pilgrims showed up. Although it was a Catholic holiday, it had a distinctly Galician pagan feel to me. The quaint little church was locked, but an abuelita told me that the next day, June 24th, a priest from the capital of the parish would be coming... one of only a couple of days of the year the church would be opened and the mostly elderly locals (about 14 of them) would have the chance to celebrate Mass together on Saint John's day. She told me it would be nice if I could come, too. This seemed important, especially after the way they had thoughtfully included us in the festivities the night before. So I went back to the albergue and announced to all the pilgrims that we would be staying for Mass the next morning. Everybody had other plans. All wanted to get up early and start walking. I insisted, even though I didn't feel like I was getting anywhere. But the next morning the church was full, probably for the first time in many years. Twenty three foreign pilgrims joined the local elderly folks for Mass and stayed until early afternoon before walking on. I don't remember the name of the town. I have pictures somewhere. But this was a special moment on the Camino for me. [/QUOTE]
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