This day seemed like a week but it had only 24 hours! My head is buzzing, mostly in a good way but not entirely. Maybe a good night’s sleep is in order. 😴 The energy here at Guacelmo is incredible. 

Janine was easily the busiest of all of us. She managed to clean the beds, wash nine loads of laundry, hang them on the clothes lines to dry in the warm sun. She got everything folded and put away, but still found time to bake granola and a delicious lemon drizzle cake for afternoon tea. She also showed incoming pilgrims around the albergue and to where they would be sleeping.

We opened the door at 12:30 and two pilgrims were already waiting. From that moment until 2 PM, there was a steady stream of arrivals. We have 12 pilgrims staying with us from Ireland, the U.K., Croatia, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, etc. The Camino brings together such a mix of nationalities. 

I had a lovely conversation with two cheerful sisters from northern France this evening. They were happily feasting on the plums in our spacious garden. Although they spoke no English and I’ve forgotten most of the French I learned last year, we managed to share a delightful conversation and had a few laughs as we tried to make ourselves understood.

I also enjoyed talking with a young man who lives near Burgos here in Spain. He said how surprised he is at how few Spaniards were on the Camino, with most pilgrims hailing from other countries. I thanked him for sharing his beautiful country with all of us and told him how much we love being here.

Finally, I met my first Canadian pilgrim today—Beverly from Alberta! She’s staying at another albergue tonight but will be joining us here at Guacelmo tomorrow.

At 5 o’clock everyone gathered together on the patio for tea, cake, and watermelon. We were joined by brothers from the Confraternity of St. James, who dropped by to say ‘hi’ and stayed for tea, bringing our total to about 17 people—served with 7 teabags in the biggest teapot I’ve ever held! 😂 it was heartwarming to see people from around the world connecting with one another.

In the midst of all the excitement, I retreated to our room for a moment of quiet, to get my excitement down a notch or two and make my daily phone call to Dave. That time alone was a much needed “reset.”

Janine and I attended the Gregorian chant prayer by the Benedictine monks at the Church of Santa Maria that was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. So beautiful!