Ok.. I have a couple under "unexplained" though maybe not mystical. If I posted these already, I apologize.
The Poopy Fan. When I walked the Via de la Plata portions in 2009, I was touristing in Sevilla the first few days and I wanted to find a gift to take to my 5 year old granddaughter back in Oregon. I wanted something small I could carry and wouldn't have to ship home. At the Cathedral, I found some gypsies selling beautiful hand painted fans for something like 3 Euro. I found a green one I loved and bought it. I figured I could use it in the heat and give it to Emma as "the fan grandma carried across Spain."
Next morning as I was getting ready to start walking, I stuck the fan in my back pocket. I packed my mochilla, ate my breakfast, then had one last moment in the bathroom. I had this great BM (sorry if it's too much information, but it's part of the story), got up, turned to flush the toilet and... OH NO!
The beautiful fan was in the bowl... with the poop! ::crying::
I fished it out and threw it away, saddened by this course of events. Then I continued on my journey.
Somewhere on my first or second day's walking (I've forgotten which day and my journals are in storage), we were dying of thirst from the heat. We came into a village and found the fountain, but it was not working. A couple of village men stopped and showed us how to turn on the fountain, and we began filling our bottles.
Suddenly, from over my shoulder I heard a voice calling, "Peregrina! Peregrina!"
I looked and saw a hand waving from out of a barred window.
"Quieres agua fria?" (Do you want COLD water?")
Heck yes! I hurried to the window where there was a lovely lady holding a big 2 liter bottle full of ICE WATER! Hooray! I drank some of the water and filled my bottles with the rest.
"Gracias! Gracias! Muchas Gracias!" I told her! Then I remembered I had some St. James Chaplets I'd made to give to people along the Way. They were red cord with St. James medals. I told her to wait a moment. I went to my mochilla and dug one out and took it back to her.
She said, "For ME?" I nodded. She began crying and thanking me - then told me to WAIT HERE!
She disappeared from the window and I waited. Soon she appeared at her front door, and handed me a gift. From behind her, she pulled out the EXACT same green fan I had lost in the toilet!
I got goosebumps and cried. It was a magical experience, for sure!
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The next story was on the same walk. We were not smart and began our VDLP walk in August. The heat was deadly and we only walked about 8 or 9 days before we tossed in the towel. I had two bottles of water I carried, but the fountains were few and far between and many were dry. The amount of water we had to carry added so much extra weight it was painful. It really was dangerous walking. Somewhere between Almaden and Real de la Jara, I began wishing I had brought my water bladder system. I thought more and more about it as I took each step. WHY didn't I bring that Platypus? Oh, I wish I had that Platypus. I'd see Joe drink from his and think, "Dang.. I wish I had my Platypus!"
Suddenly, I looked down, and in the ditch I saw something. I bent over and picked it up and started laughing. It was a perfectly new bitevalve ... for a Platypus! I laughed so hard! Then I said to God, "Well.. that's not EXACTLY what I was thinking about.. but thanks? Could I please have the rest?
A few hours more, I look down and guess what? There is the TUBING on the ground - nothing wrong with it. I laughed again, a little less loud..
We arrived at Real de la Jara. There, you have to pass by the albergue and go into town for the key. Joe waited there while I went to the Piscina to retrieve the key. It was bloody HOT and I really was needing water. Why didn't I bring my Platypus?
I got back to the albergue. We were the only pilgrims there. I unlocked the door, walked in, and there on the counter, with a sign saying FREE was the BAG for the Platypus system! Once more, the Camino (and God) provided! All I had to do was ASK!
I used it the system the rest of that journey.