Gifts from the Camino

When you read and research about the Camino you often hear that the Camino gives you what you need, not necessarily what you want..... what you need.  But, I feel it also gives you special gifts along the way.
Today the Camino gave me the gift of rain.  Granted, rain on a hike is not really considered a positive thing but what immediately came to mind was that now I could justify carrying that rain poncho in my pack for over 30 days....and it must weigh at least a pound!  Besides, it also dampened the dust which comes in through the holes in my shoes...and there are several now!  One last thing about this gift of rain; the landscapes in both Asturias and Galicia are so verdant and rich with vegetation, that I feel it would be a pity missing what makes this landscape possible.
This photo is actually taken holding my camera inside my rain poncho.

The next photo shows some other gifts I have received along the way.

First, the blue denim heart was a gift from my friend B7 to carry with me on the trip....a reminder of friends and family at home  It has proved to be the perfect pin cushion to hold my large safety pins which I use when my hand washed clothes do not dry overnight and I have to pin them to my pack while walking the following day to let the sun do the job.
The small gold pendant was given to me by the owner of a bar where I stopped to buy some fruit and a cold drink.  This gentleman had a wall dedicated to all the pilgrims from all over the world that had stopped and signed or left something on his wall.  He carefully pointed out many different countries and I so wished I had a Canada pin or something to leave for his wall.  It was now so full he told me he was going to extend it to the adjoining one.  After I left I thought I could have asked him if I could take his photo beside this wall he was so proud of but I am sure the camera could never capture that moment.
The gold arrow was a gift from the hopitalero or host of the albergue in Bodenaya.  This was a very special albergue and a very special person named David.  He was such a gentle and welcoming soul (has been to India and practices yoga....explains his nature).  Not only did he feed the 20 people staying there that night but also washed and dried every ones clothes.  In the morning he played some very soft music to wake us along with the aroma of fresh brewed coffee.
The yellow arrow, if I have not already mentioned this fact, is one of the markers you follow to find your way.  It may be painted on the ground, a wall, building, rock, fence post, guard rail and I am sure I have left something out....of yes, even on trees.  You will see it along roadways, in forests, fields, towns and cities.
Another important marker that sometimes accompanies the arrow and sometimes is on its own, is the conch shell.  I prefer the yellow arrow as some regions have a different way of positioning the shell.  For example, in Asturias you proceed in the direction of the hinge but in Galicia, you follow the part of the shell that would open.  Every single arrow or shell that greets you is a gift because without them you would be totally and hopelessly lost as there are so many roads that criss cross and head in all directions.

Sharing the way with people, whether it be an hour, an entire day, or off and on over several days is also a great gift.  And there have been so many interesting encounters.
This lovely woman came out to greet us and invite us to pick perfectly mature golden plums from her garden.

We felt a little disappointed that this small village had no bar although they did provide some picnic tables and a vending machine that had a very good selection of high calorie goodies and another for coffee.  I guess the Camino decided that I needed some fresh fruit more that a fresh cafe con leche.

  When I met this couple from Toledo, I immediately noticed what I felt was a strong resemblance to my neighbor, David...which tugged a little on my hearts strings reminding me of the people waiting for me at home.

I met Eva, a woman from Barcelona, at a communal dinner in the albergue.  We confided we were both a little worried about walking alone on the route the following day. We had to cross over the highest point on the trail and rain and dense fog was in the forecast.  So, we made a pack to stay together on the crossing and spent the next several days meeting a parting.  Her special gift to me was not letting me know how well she could speak English and so I had a lot of opportunity to practice Spanish.

And a very special gift of sharing the Camino with other people was when Carlos from Murcia (my long time partner on Skype for practicing Spanish/English) and his partner Gelo, devoted 2 days of their vacation to meet me in Carrion de los Condes so we could spend some time together.

Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery and Today is a gift:  that's why we call it - The Present.