Lost and found

[Antnix1]

Seems to be a lot of people posting about stuff they lost on the Camino recently.

I managed to leave a nice new-ish polo shirt somewhere drying and didn't notice for over a week. I hope someone got use out of it and didn't just throw it out.

I found someone's wallet containing a
National identity card. The wallet was badly damaged but the card was only nibbled by a wild animal. Turns out the owner lost it on his camino 7 months prior.

 

[J Willhaus]

I always lose something. Thank goodness it is usually easy to replace it. I try not to take things that I am really attached to for this reason. Last Camino I lost my towel, my water bottle holder (clips to my pack), and eventually then my water bottle (no clip to hold it...) What have other people lost? Might make a good thread to lament our losses.

edit: 2 caminos ago I mailed our rain ponchos and our silk liner bags to our hotel in Madrid from Palas del Rey. They never made it there so I guess I essentially lost those, too!

 

[naplesdon]

It happens. I zipped off the lower portion of my hiking pants at a stop for coffee one morning, then walked away without them. An hour or so later someone passed me and asked if I realized what I had done. They did me no favor by leaving them right where I had left them.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I lost my temper on my first Camino years ago. It was on the Meseta and I took my wooden walking stick - like those they sell all along The Way - and beat it on a boulder, as hard as I could! The danger thing REFUSED to break! I felt better except for a sore hand and was happy there were no witnesses.

Those sticks are indestructible!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I left behind my favorite hat on a restaurant table and I walked too far to turn around and go back. Also lost a pair of sunglasses. All in all, I would say I have been pretty lucky after so many Caminos.

 

[woody66]

Don't know if this counts!
I always carry my power bank and phone cable in the leg pocket of my shorts!
I stayed the night at Casa Roan and Casa Grande between Portomarin and Palas de Rei paid my bill and walked to Melide.

Got to my hotel and no cable or power bank; searched all my pockets and then i thought i remembered paying and placing something on the bar it had to be the power bank!
Anyway the staff at the hotel in Melide were great and gave me a free euro charger and cable that worked.

In my room in Azura i was sorting out stuff and looking for my buff thought i'd lost that as well!!
Unzipped my hip belt pocket and inside was the cable, power bank and the Casa Grande room key on a large wooden key fob!
I have no recollection of putting them there ;my routine is always the same before i leave like a pilots flight check! Warning Don't fly with me Ha! ha!
I think what it's called losing my mind
Woody

 

[David]

Last week I lost a new t shirt on the Meseta. Was wearing it under my shirt, became too hot so took it off, dropped it on my trailer whilst I put my shirt back on, forgot to pack it. Realised about 300 metres further on, after two pilgrims on bikes going the other way passed me. They stopped, she picked it up. She held it to her partner to check for size, and away they went - more gifting than losing I guess.

Doing first aid one year in my Berlingo camper I met an Italian woman some miles down from Roncesvalles with really bad knee - then she remembered she had left her insulin kit on her bunk at Roncesvalles! I took her back to collect.

I guess the top tip for losses here - don't go on Camino with anything important to you - even buy a cheap 2ndhand phone and leave your joy at home ... no one wants to walk back in the hope of finding something.

 

[good_old_shoes]

Craziest thing I found on a Camino so far was not from a pilgrim.

Walked through Estella looking for a place to have a beer. Saw something in the middle of the road that seemed to be a passport / ID. Thought maybe a tired pilgrim has lost it.

Grabbed it from the street and it turned out to be...

...a spanish licence for carrying a firearm!

I dropped it off at the police station, which was just across the street.

 

[davejsy]

A microfibre towel and small a thing of liquid washing detergent were casualties of my CF. After a combination of a couple of days of air drying and using what I was about to wash (minus the washing detergent of course) to dry myself we hit the Decathlon in Ponferrada for a nice new one. Didn't bother buying anymore clothes washing stuff as I found soap worked just as well!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Well, I have added to my left behind items today since my post #3 early morning. I realized too late that I left my sunglasses on my bed in Pueblo de Sanabria this morning...so that makes three items in 8+ years! Maybe this thread has jinxed me!
Maybe there should be a new thread..."Forgotten left behind items" on the Camino.

 

[Caomhin O Fearghaill]

I too have lost kit over the years......but two weeks ago en route to Silleda on the Silver Way I lost my way. I thought I was being smart taking a shortcut, instead I added nearly 5 kilometres before I found my accomodation...happily, I found the way again...the learning for me? I won't lose the Way markers again in a hurry....

 

[Barbara]

I usually lose a single sock. I once left a rather nice hat on the back of a chair. Next day there was an even nicer one on my bunk when I arrived.

 

[JamesX]

I lost my Shokz OpenRun PRO Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headphones at Albergue San Nicoas, Larrasoana. When I dropped off my backpack to have breakfast at La Parada de Zuriain and noticed my open and empty headphones case to realise... I even went back to the Albergue to try to find it but no luck. I actually wished someone could pick it up and enjoyed them because those headphones are really great for walking.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have now truly lost my fleece beanie hat walking the Sanabres and it is going to be cold today as our elevation increases as we head into the mountains. Yesterday I tucked it in to my rain cover I was using when I warmed up,but it obviously fell out somewhere. Thankfully I have my buff and will use it as hat to cover my head and ears.

P.S. My hat just appeared miraculously on the albergue floor this morning...the Camino provides!

 

[Kirkie]

I have now truly lost my fleece beanie hat walking the Sanabres and it is going to be cold today as our elevation increases as we head into the mountains. Yesterday I tucked it in to my rain cover I was using when I warmed up,but it obviously fell out somewhere. Thankfully I have my buff and will use it as hat to cover my head and ears.

P.S. My hat just appeared miraculously on the albergue floor this morning...the Camino provides!

Ah! The camino provides... even at home. I had 'lost' the spine from my daypack, and needed to find it. Three days of intermittent mooching around, cleaning around, no luck. Yesterday it plopped itself onto the floor, having been hiding under a kitchen chair cushion.

 

[Antnix1]

I tempted fate with this thread.

Decided to start the muxia/Finisterre camino and i misplaced my hiking pole. Whether a helpful staff member put it somewhere safe or it just blended in with the furniture, after 30 mins of searching i gave up... The barman rustled in the back through the lost and found

"Maybe you'll find another pole, the camino provides" said a chirpy dutch lady who'd just started walking.

Yes, or maybe I'll buy one, the camino provides" i said with an eyeroll.

(I think she was trolling me as this gem came straight after "where did you last have it")

The barman dug out 2 options. A large stick and a small pole. I took the pole.

"The camino provides", the dutch woman said knowingly.