Laughter

[Ian Holdsworth]

In these pages I have read some wonderful and moving stories of problems faced and dealt with,
of bereaved people finding peace, or physical limitations overcome. I have often read of many 'good times', but not often described. However, I have not heard many funny stories. So how about it, share the joy and laughter as well as the pains. :lol:

 

[brendan nolan]

Hi Peregrino Blanca,
Wonderful idea re 'funny incidents'; sorry I can't think of one at the moment but maybe with some replies I'll get inspired!
However, and this is honest, it had crossed my mind a few days ago to suggest the most 'crazy/odd/peculiar/obscure and possibly useless' TIPS pilgrims.
I'll start with 'Keep your toenails short.' Up to pilgrims to work out why!
Hope this topic gets a few milion replies - I know at times I get too serious on this forum and forget that the Camino is a way out of .............here I go again!!!!!!!
Best wishes,
Brendan

 

[Deirdre]

I think that perhaps many of the funny things that happen on the Camino are "you had to be there for it to be funny" things. In other words, it was hilarious at the moment, but in recounting it to people who didn't participate in the moment ... well it might seem rather lame...

But, at the risk of appearing lame.... I had left Cacabelos early (early!) and was hoping to find a place open for a desperately needed café con leche. Nothing appeared and I kept plodding along my merry way. I was leaving Villafranca heading up the road into the hills when my friend Finn, an English student at the U. of Edinborough caught up to me. He, much to my chagrin, had found a lovely little restaurant overlooking the river in Villafranca that I had somehow missed! As we marched up the road, we were chatting about Scotland and suddenly I got a song into my head. It was a "one hit wonder" from some years back by two Scottish brothers called "The Proclaimers". They sang with an incredibly strong scottish accent and the song was called "I Would Walk 500 Miles". Well, of all things, Finn knew the song and the two of us began singing it at the top of our lungs...."...and I would walk 500 miles..." ".. and I would walk 500 more..." And as we trekked up into the hills along the side of the highway we sang louder and louder and laughed harder and harder...until we could barely breathe at all.

On the plane back to the US, I was listening to my iPod when that song came on... I began to giggle in my seat - people must have thought I had lost my mind... but I shall never hear the tune again without it taking me right back to that moment in Lugo with Finn... I guess you had to be there.....

 

[erinmarie]

Deirdre-

"Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles to fall down at your door!"

Oh, to have heard it!!! Although I think I can anyway... I'll try to think one up myself, post it tomorrow. Muchos besos,

Erin

 

[sillydoll]

Things can be really funny when you are tired (bordering on hysterical!)
I walked with two companions, one a Dominican nun. We agreed that we would not tell anyone that she was a nun so that she would not be treated any differently from other pilgrims.
One night she had the bottom bunk and a French lady was on the top bunk. After lights out an Italian pilgrim sneaked over and got into the top bed with the French woman. If the couple could have seen the indignant look on Anneliese's face - and had they known that they were snoogling on top of a nun - I'm sure they would have been mortified!
Of course I couldn't stop giggling.

 

[Deirdre]

Hi Erin!
Oh, how we laughed! And you know the song too! We could have had harmony! Funny, funny day.

 

[erinmarie]

Of course I know the song! I have a pair of friends who do a "rap" and that is the best part of it- they do a jig to go along. It's also usually one of the last songs played at a Manitoba social! awesome.

I suppose a funny story for you might be one of the days in Galicia when it was raining off and on and we were still a few days away from Santiago. My French friend Alex and I were walking along together, stopping once in a while to rest or eat or anything. Deirdre, you had been behind us for a while when we decided to lie down in a field and stayed there for quite a time. When we started again we were wondering where you were at and talking about the cows and your photographing them... and around the next corner, there you were taking a picture of a cow next to the road.

I guess it isn't that funny, but certainly exhaustion and circumstance make everything better! We must have still been laughing three days later, at every cow we saw!