The Tasty Pilgrim

This morning I got to the airfield in time and boarded the plane to Biarritz. Waiting at the gate I met two other pilgrims who would travel with me in the car from Biarritz to St. Jean Pied de Port. During the flight I tried to sleep a bit, as I was tired enough. We landed in time at Biarritz, a beautiful town along the Atlantic coast of France. It is very popular among surfers as the waves roll in over a long stretch of water. So you wait at the arrival point to pick up your luggage. A lady came up to us and introduced herself. It turned out she was also coming with us in the car. Her face was so familiair to me !!!! Incredible. Suddenly she said I know you, we met last year on the Camino. She and her husband had started half way in Logrono and walked to Santiago de Compostella. When we met I had told her about this magnificent refugio for pilgrims L' Esprit du Chemin in St Jean. When they had completed their Camino they had taken the train to St. Jean. Here they had a look inside the refugio, unfortunately it was full. They could not stay there. Then they started the Camino from here to Logrono, so they had completed it in a totally different way. Start at the end and go back to the beginning. Yet , the idea of staying in L' Esprit lingered on. Beginning of the year there is a meeting for people that have stayed at the refugio as friends and might have a wish to assist as volunteers. They did the introduction for helpers in the refugio. So here we are at the airport in Biarritz and I meet this couple who is on their way to L' Esprit to assist here for two weeks. And only because I had told them last year about this extraordinary place. We do not live in a meaningless world ! Surely this is not a coincidence but someone high up there arranged for us to meet here. Travelling by car through the mountains is really a fascinating drive. Another passengers had got into the car, a German who worked at the Porsche design studio. Since I owned a classic Porsche we had a very interesting discussion. After an hour we got to St Jean and the refugio. Great to see Arno and Huberta once more ! I had brought a large bunch of tulips for them, quite a nice present in France. Tomorrow I will write some more if I have internet access.  Surely about another miracle. I will now savour the dinner waiting for me. After all I am the Tasty Pilgrim !