A friend I met on the Camino asked me to write and describe what it is like to be a hospitaleria. I thought I would send a copy on to share…….
In many ways I love being a hospitaleria. I have met so many pilgrims and have heard incredible stories. Two of the pilgrims who stayed here (on different nights ) were walking from Santiago to Rome and one had left Santiago ten years ago walking to Jerusalem and was now on his way back to Santiago. He said that he had actually only(?) been walking for about 8 and a half years as he stops for a week or a few
days every so often. His credentials were taped together and when he unfolded them they stretched from one side of the room to the other. One young (19 yrs old) man came thru who was waiting for a liver transplant due to some childhood disease. He was so thin and his skin was so yellow my heart ached for him. It was his hope to make it to Santiago.
Then there were the grandparents walking with 5 of their 8 grandchildren. Gran
dpa in his French beret was inspirational. He said that he knew he would not live for forever and that when his grandchildren told their grandchildren about him he wanted one of their best
memories to be the time they spent walking and singing on the Camino together.
Some people simply arrive exhausted (usually from long hours on the old Roman road that comes from Puente la Reina) and are so very appreciative of the chair to sit in and the homemade lemonade and boxed cookies ( the albergue has no oven or they would also be homemade) I offer them when they first arrive that they are moved to tears. There was a wonderful Italian woman who arrived yesterday like that…questioning herself as to whether or not she could/ should go on to Santiago. We talked long into the night. She had no doubts as she headed down the street this morning and said that she would hug Santiago for me when she arrived.
The worst thing is that after spending one day with these people I know that I will probably never hear from them again. It is like reading a book filled with amazing stories but when you get to the end of the book you realize that someone has ripped out the last chapter and you will never know the ending.
Other people are so much fun that when morning comes I just want to walk out the door with them and head back to Santiago.
All in all being a hospitaleria is a bit like being a jr high teacher. So many students passed thru my classroom and I will ever know how their lives were changed because of the time we spent together but I do know that my life is richer and brighter because of that encounter.
Scallop Songs 