Handsome Spanish Gent and Offspring

[CaminoDebrita]

Day before yesterday found me, once more, doing my major loop at Silver Falls here in the Pacific Northwest. I was feeling a bit lazy as I had decided to walk with a 15-pound pack rather than 22 pounds. That said, I was also deciding that 15 pounds feels better than 22. As I was trudging quickly along considering what to leave behind, I saw a family posing for photographs near a tree.

As I got closer, the gentleman said, "Perdon, photo?" I thought, OMG, they are from SPAIN!! so I asked him...and sure enough, "I'm from Northern Spain".

I excitedly showed him my Camino scallop shell (a special one made from cardboard) and he laughed really hard, and told me that I would need a real one. We conversed for about twenty minutes, and he assessed my gear:

1. You're not going to wear those shoes, are you? (I was wearing Salomon trail runners). I told him I was trying them, but that I would probably going to be wearing my Vasque boots--mid top and leather. (what was the word for leather?? this was hard for me in Espanol).

2. Take excellent care of your feet, said he. He remarked that he had seen many pilgrimages stopped because of foot problems.

3. Take warm clothes and a waterproof poncho and rain pants (my plans).

4. He loved it that I had given myself 43 days to walk, a day to get back to Madrid, and another day to fly back to the states. He liked the flexibility.

5. He asked how much I was training, and said he thought it might be much more than most people.

6. He said to take the first four days really slowly and carefully.

It was a really delightful conversation, and his little daughter--ten years old!--is going to attend school in Corvallis this year, which is where my husband is from.

Meeting this sweet family was just one more reminder that I was called to walk this Camino. I can't know why, but I wonder at it and it makes me happy. Daughter's wedding 19 September. Fly out to Madrid 28 September!

 

[tomnorth]

What a chance encounter. These things don't just happen. Buen Camino.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

What a chance encounter. These things don't just happen. Buen Camino.

I may just see you on the way! I will start walking 1 Oct, after taking a few nights in Spain to deal with some jet lag!

 

[movinmaggie]

Sweet story Debrita……I start Sept 25 which I will take very slowly for the first week or so.

 

[GreatDane]

I wish Silver Falls was in my backyard rather than a 5.5 hr drive from me. I'd be using it as my training hike every day!!! I've loved the times I've hiked the loop. Instead my local training hikes make the meseta look verdant. http://friendsofbadger.org/ One time on the SF hike I spotted a couple with Camino de Santiago t-shirts .

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Day before yesterday found me, once more, doing my major loop at Silver Falls here in the Pacific Northwest. I was feeling a bit lazy as I had decided to walk with a 15-pound pack rather than 22 pounds. That said, I was also deciding that 15 pounds feels better than 22. As I was trudging quickly along considering what to leave behind, I saw a family posing for photographs near a tree.

As I got closer, the gentleman said, "Perdon, photo?" I thought, OMG, they are from SPAIN!! so I asked him...and sure enough, "I'm from Northern Spain".

I excitedly showed him my Camino scallop shell (a special one made from cardboard) and he laughed really hard, and told me that I would need a real one. We conversed for about twenty minutes, and he assessed my gear:

1. You're not going to wear those shoes, are you? (I was wearing Salomon trail runners). I told him I was trying them, but that I would probably going to be wearing my Vasque boots--mid top and leather. (what was the word for leather?? this was hard for me in Espanol).

2. Take excellent care of your feet, said he. He remarked that he had seen many pilgrimages stopped because of foot problems.

3. Take warm clothes and a waterproof poncho and rain pants (my plans).

4. He loved it that I had given myself 43 days to walk, a day to get back to Madrid, and another day to fly back to the states. He liked the flexibility.

5. He asked how much I was training, and said he thought it might be much more than most people.

6. He said to take the first four days really slowly and carefully.

It was a really delightful conversation, and his little daughter--ten years old!--is going to attend school in Corvallis this year, which is where my husband is from.

Meeting this sweet family was just one more reminder that I was called to walk this Camino. I can't know why, but I wonder at it and it makes me happy. Daughter's wedding 19 September. Fly out to Madrid 28 September!

Wow that's nice to meet some one on your way giving you great advice.
Wish you a Buen Camino, Peter.

 

[Castilian]

what was the word for leather?? this was hard for me in Espanol

Leather= piel or cuero in Spanish. In the case of boots, most likely piel. Don't worry if you don't know if you should use piel or cuero in a given context because you'll likely be understood regardless which one you choose (and how odd it might sound to a native speaker).

 

[William Garza]

Vaqueta
Leather made from cowhide
")

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I wish Silver Falls was in my backyard rather than a 5.5 hr drive from me. I'd be using it as my training hike every day!!! I've loved the times I've hiked the loop. Instead my local training hikes make the meseta look verdant. http://friendsofbadger.org/ One time on the SF hike I spotted a couple with Camino de Santiago t-shirts .

I am there every other day, unless "life happens". I threw my back out and this is Day II of doing very little. I did go to my friend Sally's hospital in Portland (Oregon) and spent a few hours with her, pushing her around and here and there in the hospital. It was hard, as she is --like me-- on the larger size, plus about forty pounds more. So today, it was off to the Acupuncturist / massage clinic. Tomorrow Sally gets a large malignant tumor removed from her right kidney, and if God allows, she will then be cancer free for two years so she can get her heart transplant. We shall see.

I will be at the hospital tomorrow, if I am able.

And back on the trail as soon as I can.

 

[Americanperegrino]

And most believe the Camino starts in SJPP...yours started on a mountain trail in Oregon.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

And most believe the Camino starts in SJPP...yours started on a mountain trail in Oregon.

Now THAT brought a smile to my face!

 

[Bala]

I am there every other day, unless "life happens". I threw my back out and this is Day II of doing very little. I did go to my friend Sally's hospital in Portland (Oregon) and spent a few hours with her, pushing her around and here and there in the hospital. It was hard, as she is --like me-- on the larger size, plus about forty pounds more. So today, it was off to the Acupuncturist / massage clinic. Tomorrow Sally gets a large malignant tumor removed from her right kidney, and if God allows, she will then be cancer free for two years so she can get her heart transplant. We shall see.

I will be at the hospital tomorrow, if I am able.

And back on the trail as soon as I can.

May it all go well for her.

 

[GettingThere]

I am there every other day, unless "life happens". I threw my back out and this is Day II of doing very little. I did go to my friend Sally's hospital in Portland (Oregon) and spent a few hours with her, pushing her around and here and there in the hospital. It was hard, as she is --like me-- on the larger size, plus about forty pounds more. So today, it was off to the Acupuncturist / massage clinic. Tomorrow Sally gets a large malignant tumor removed from her right kidney, and if God allows, she will then be cancer free for two years so she can get her heart transplant. We shall see.

I will be at the hospital tomorrow, if I am able.

And back on the trail as soon as I can.

Very, very best wishes to Sally, CaminoDebrita - I'll be thinking of her tomorrow (which may be today here, in the weirdness of time zones) - and also of you. And I agree with Americanperegrino - I think that meeting was one of those "You know your camino has really started when..." moments!

 

[CaminoDebrita]

Very, very best wishes to Sally, CaminoDebrita - I'll be thinking of her tomorrow (which may be today here, in the weirdness of time zones) - and also of you. And I agree with Americanperegrino - I think that meeting was one of those "You know your camino has really started when..." moments!

Thanks so much.

I just talked to my gal Sal. She is doing much better, and we were able to do a lot of laughing on the phone. While I was in her hospital room yesterday, a sweet foreign worker came in, and thought that Sally was my mother; Sally is 57, and I'm 55. Sally quipped that she had me when she was two, and I noted that she was a promiscuous one-year-old....so we were rehashing that and having a good laugh! Her surgery is at 7 am, and I am not going up, as my back is wreaking havoc. I think that given that her family is there, she's fine. Also, if I force myself to go, she'll think it's really looking gloomy.

Anyway! there it all is.

 

[t2andreo]

One of the other informal, but almost carved in stone "Camino Rules" is that: "St. James works in strange ways, and sometimes his ways are very strange (almost weird) indeed." Me thinks CaminoDebrita experienced just such an intervention. Who is to say?

What I can state, is that things like that; serendipitous meetings with people, finding items thought lost and gone for good, the anonymous kindness of complete strangers, and so forth, seem to be daily occurrences while on Camino. Learn to recognize it for what it is, and just accept graciously. If you prefer, call it fate, call it Karma, call it whatever floats your boat. All I know is that it exists and it is real...

I hope this helps.

 

[movinmaggie]

Mine has happened a couple of times before I have even left, once….hiking through one of our utterly beautiful trails here on Vancouver Island, for some reason I felt the urge to stop, not sure why - then I happened to look down, and there it was, a small beautiful contoured (to my hand) rock that seemed to say "take me, take me" and take it I did. So glad I can take something from one of our ancient forests here to place on the Camino.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

One of the other informal, but almost carved in stone "Camino Rules" is that: "St. James works in strange ways, and sometimes his ways are very strange (almost weird) indeed." Me thinks CaminoDebrita experienced just such an intervention. Who is to say?

What I can state, is that things like that; serendipitous meetings with people, finding items thought lost and gone for good, the anonymous kindness of complete strangers, and so forth, seem to be daily occurrences while on Camino. Learn to recognize it for what it is, and just accept graciously. If you prefer, call it fate, call it Karma, call it whatever floats your boat. All I know is that it exists and it is real...

I hope this helps.

I believe that fateful interventions occur all the time, but one must have the ears to hear and the eyes to see, and the heart to understand. I believe that angels exist, and I believe in God. I believe that we are entertained by angels, and I am quite sure they are entertained by us!