Janine and I walked nearly 17 kilometers today – more than yesterday, but  not nearly as far as on our first day, when those last five kilometers stretched on forever. We had breakfast before leaving our hostal in Hospital de Órbigo. By the time we stepped out, the sun was already up—a late start for us.

The first memorable highlight today happened when we spotted a stuffed “person” lounging casually in a doorway. Curiosity led us to peek inside to find an old man sitting behind a table, looking a bit bored. He offered us a sello (stamp) for our pilgrim passport, so we came in. What an interesting room! There was not a single bare spot on his three walls. They were covered with currency from around the world in various denominations and postcards sent to him from far and wide. We took a photo of his address so that we can send him a postcard for our own corner of the world.

Naturally, he asked where we are from and then found the exact spots on his wall where any memorabilia from Australia and Canada was displayed. I had brought along little Canadian flag pins, feeling sure he would like one. Sure enough, when I offered him one, he headed straight to the stuffed figure and pinned it to its hat—joining a handful of other Canadian flag pins already there. He proudly pointed out each one amid pins from other countries. He treated us to a pastry from the panadería (bakery) and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. This was all donativo but no donations were expected. It was an unexpected and enjoyable encounter – totally different from anything you would find in Canada. The beauty of travel!

The second highlight, came when we reached Casa de los Dioses (the House of the Gods). It is little oasis in the middle of nowhere that offers food and drink to pilgrims, set up in 2009 by a man named David Vidal, purely out of love for his fellow human beings. While donations are welcome, they’re never expected.

We first heard of David through our daughter Tania, who met him during her Camino in 2013. It was one of the defining moments of her journey—so much so that she wrote about the experience in a post called “The House of the Gods”: https://mymeseta.com/23-house-of-the-gods/. Meeting David left a lasting impression on Janine and her husband Craig in 2013, too. Today Janine pointed out a man that she thought might be David.

I approached this man and quietly asked if he happened to be David. With a warm smile, he confirmed that he was. I shared with him how much our daughter had been impacted by the time she spent there and conversations she had in 2013. David immediately wanted to know all about when she had visited and the details of her experience. He made a serious effort to remember her, but it would be hard to remember one person among so many who come here.

I couldn’t access Tania’s blog, “My Meseta,” but fortunately Janine could. I showed David the post Tania had written which included many photos of what the House of the Gods looked like then – quite different from what it looks like now. David was completely captivated, lost in memories that Tania’s blog post evoked. We spent close to an hour with David, looking around, meeting other walkers, taking photos and making sure David was able to get Tania’s website on his phone. After no less than three warm hugs from David, Janine and I finally set off to Astorga, six kilometres away.

We are spending the night at the same place Dave and I stayed at in 2015: El Descanso de Wendy in Astorga. It’s lovely and so is beautiful, historic Astorga. But it’s time to call it a night. Tomorrow promises to be a longer walking day as we head for Rabanal del Camino, where we’ll be volunteering from September 1st to the 15th—a new adventure that’s sure to bring its own share of stories.