Fuentestrella Restaurante - Hontanas

[Deleted member 90306]

Hey Pilgrims,

Back in 2017, I stayed in Hontanas whilst walking the CF. Myself and many more pilgrims took advantage of the pilgrim menu in the above restaurant.

After we ate our food, the paella chef gave an incredible speech (once again, I wish I'd have recorded it) about the Camino, about being a pilgrim and about his wife (a Romanian woman who had also walked the Camino and who also worked with him in the restaurant) before he sang a song - the song I did record.

I'm guessing this is something he does regularly to all pilgrims fortunate enough to take advantage of the pilgrim menu. My question is, can any of you remember the speech? If so, please provide more information or a transcript if possible. It would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Buen Camino!

 

[JennyH94]

Hi kyrotheram -

I remember Fuentestrella well - like you, in 2017, I enjoyed the beautiful pilgrim dinner made by Manuel and Svetlana which was donativo. I was with a pilgrim friend and we joined a packed table of pilgrims from the UK, Switzerland, Italy and Israel. It was a brilliant Camino evening. The speech that Manuel made told the story of how he and Svetlana met. He was a chef at one of the albergues at Foncebadon - Svetlana was a pilgrim staying at the albergue one night. They talked and talked that night. From then on my memory’s not as clear about the rest of the story but I do remember Manuel saying that they agreed that if there was to be a future for them that Svetlana would return, which she did. I’m a bit hazy on the timeframe. They began their life together after that. At the time we were there - June - I think they had been living in Hontanas for about a year. They ran the restaurant and a hostal. There are gaps in what I remember - perhaps you remember bits that I can’t and others who also shared their wonderful pilgrim dinner at other stages might chime in so we can once again know the complete story.

Fast forward to June 2019 - I walked through Hontanas again and looked for them both. It was around 9am - the restaurant was closed and there was no sign of them. I had often thought about them over the time since that evening in 2017 and wondered how they were faring. There was also no sign of the posters Manuel had placed around the town which were evident in 2017 so I wondered if they were even still there. They both had joint dreams which they hoped would come true - I hope those dreams did come true. I feel their love story would have touched many people’s hearts and their openness was beautiful to see.

Here’s a photo of them both serving the fantastic paella -



And here’s a photo of the poster -




Thanks for the memory of a very special Camino experience kyrotheram -

Cheers from Oz -
Jenny

 

[Deleted member 90306]

Hey, Jenny from Oz,

Ah, Manuel and Svetlana - you're very right!!

Yes, from what I remember, the speech was predominantly about how they met. In terms of the time frame, I remember Manuel saying something along the lines of Svetlana completing the rest of her Camino from Foncebadon in half the time that it was supposed to take so she could get back to him! There is one thing that I do remember Manuel saying, "The Camino starts when you get home."

In terms of their joint dreams, did they speak about them? If so, do you remember what they were?

I do hope other pilgrims chime in to complete the story.

Thanks so much for sharing your memories and thanks for the attached photos also, much appreciated.

 

[JennyH94]

Hey, Jenny from Oz,

Ah, Manuel and Svetlana - you're very right!!

Yes, from what I remember, the speech was predominantly about how they met. In terms of the time frame, I remember Manuel saying something along the lines of Svetlana completing the rest of her Camino from Foncebadon in half the time that it was supposed to take so she could get back to him! There is one thing that I do remember Manuel saying, "The Camino starts when you get home."

In terms of their joint dreams, did they speak about them? If so, do you remember what they were?

I do hope other pilgrims chime in to complete the story.

Thanks so much for sharing your memories and thanks for the attached photos also, much appreciated.

Hi kyrotheram -

Yeah - Manuel and Svetlana - what a lovely couple! And cheers on your feedback on my post.

The joint dreams they had were mainly about giving back to the Camino and being of service to pilgrims by way of making the meal by donation rather than a set charge - that way pilgrims who were short of money could still have a beautiful and nutritious meal in the company of other pilgrims. They also hoped to make their business venture a success of course so they could continue to help pilgrims.

I too hope that other Forum members will contribute to this lovely thread - thanks for starting it.

Cheers from Oz -
Jenny

 

[Douglas1221]

I am happy to see this thread reminiscing about the experience of staying in Hontanas when Manuel and Svetlana ran the Hostel Fuentestrella. My memory of meeting them and having their paella dinner in September of 2017 is exactly as others have recounted here. I also video taped him singing. His speech prior to the song was about their story of meeting on the Camino as others have remembered it, but included a brief explanation of paella as a "food of the people", which is modified according to how wealthy or poor the people making it happen to be.

I remember that in my conversation with him he expressed some dismay about the commercialization of the Camino and the way it was going through a process of "Disneyization." He said that he and Svetlana were planning to sell the Hostel and go somewhere else to provide service. They were demoralized by how pilgrims were also changing. It appears they did leave Hontanas and maybe the Camino altogether.

In any case, I am trying to find them to ask if I might include the scenes of them that I videotaped at their hostel in a documentary film I am about to release. The scene is a great depiction of the spirit of the Camino fellowship that just appears regularly along the Camino, especially in those places that are donativo.

I wonder if anyone knows where they are today and how I might contact them?

 

[RemysMimi]

I am happy to see this thread reminiscing about the experience of staying in Hontanas when Manuel and Svetlana ran the Hostel Fuentestrella. My memory of meeting them and having their paella dinner in September of 2017 is exactly as others have recounted here. I also video taped him singing. His speech prior to the song was about their story of meeting on the Camino as others have remembered it, but included a brief explanation of paella as a "food of the people", which is modified according to how wealthy or poor the people making it happen to be.

I remember that in my conversation with him he expressed some dismay about the commercialization of the Camino and the way it was going through a process of "Disneyization." He said that he and Svetlana were planning to sell the Hostel and go somewhere else to provide service. They were demoralized by how pilgrims were also changing. It appears they did leave Hontanas and maybe the Camino altogether.

In any case, I am trying to find them to ask if I might include the scenes of them that I videotaped at their hostel in a documentary film I am about to release. The scene is a great depiction of the spirit of the Camino fellowship that just appears regularly along the Camino, especially in those places that are donativo.

I wonder if anyone knows where they are today and how I might contact them?

Commercialization makes me sad also. And it keeps getting worse. Still love the journey though.