LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1093330
Spring 2019 LOCALadk Magazine 51 LOCALadk before reaching Santiago, Tim, Tom, and I shared the entire journey together—not always side by side, but in relatively close proximity. The messages I learned and the insights I gained through meaningful conversations and the sharing of personal experiences surpassed any expectation I could have imagined for my pilgrimage. I am blessed to have had their companionship, love, kindness, and support along the way. The public albergues were managed by locals and subsi- dized by the Spanish government so that the cost for a bed, hot shower, and use of a kitchen and laundr y was a mere $5–10 Euros per day. Pilgrims gathered in the common areas to share stories, food, and make friends. I was relieved that English was the main language spoken among travelers, mak- ing it easy for me to have conversations with people from around the world. My favorite albergue was Bodenaya, which captured the true spirit of the Camino. The owners, Celia and David, wel- comed us into their home with cups of hot tea, emphasizing that this was our home too. They did our laundr y, made us hearty vegetarian meals, and poured bottomless pitchers of wine while we sat around a communal table and slept in the cozy loft above. They asked only for donations. Their message of "give what you can, when you can, to whomever you can," was felt to the core, and the energy of the collective pilgrim experience was strongest here. I was grateful to celebrate my 40th birthday among a world culture of pilgrims in this comfortable home away from home. The Spaniards I met were welcoming and friendly. Although I've traveled extensively in Spanish-speaking countries, the regional dialects in Spain were difficult for me to under- stand, and many people spoke no English. But that didn't stop them from being kind and helpful, offering food and water, encouraging me when I was tired, and directing me when I was lost. One Spanish woman told me that us pilgrims were helping to heal the karma of Spain. To live along the Camino Primitivo is a sacrifice, and one the locals seemed to take seriously, and with honor.