The Tasty Pilgrim

This refugio has welcomed pilgrims from 110 nations in 18 years. The people assisting here for two weeks of their own free will also come from lots of different countries. Today there are three persons here, from Hungary, from the Netherlands and from England. It has always fascinated me how different people are in their behaviour. I have come here to offer pilgrims a great time. What induced Istvan from Hungary to come here is a riddle to me. He is a typical Eastern European man, introvert, distrusting, sour, autistic, unable to communicate warmly. But people behind the Iron Curtain have never learned to be open and reaching out to others. You see, it might be a member of the secret police who wants to set a trap for you. He is not a morning person at all and at home usually gets up by nine. It must be hell for him that the alarm is set at 6.30 in the morning. I am a morning person and am usually awake before that time. In the dark I put on my clothes and go downstairs to the kitchen. Kitchen is open for breakfast at seven. Sometimes a pilgrim opens the door ten to seven. In the communist state of mind that is impossible ! We have to stick rigourously to seven.

To me complete nonsense. The only thing we do in the morning is to put the kettle on for tea and start the coffee machine. Then I cut the bread and divide it among the four tables. As for me, anybody may come in. Some just want to take their fruit juicre out of the fridge. Some have an upset stomach an need some hot water. Amazing that in the communist mind you should watch ardently what the other one does. I was completely surprised that he told me yesterday that he thinks he works harder than me. This would never crop up in my mind. I just told him that we live in a free world and that he may say whatever he wishes to me, but I do not necessarily share his opinion. Off course I left it at that. Shall I count the dishes that I washed or how many times I locked the door at night or how many times I get the fire burning in the salon ? Ridiculous. He speaks bad English and his Spanish is also to me hardly comprehensible. So he is not able to communicate with pilgrims. That is where I come in. Telephone rings and he panicks and I should answer the phone. We had a very hilarious moment when the toaster burnt a piece of bread and that set the smoke alarm off. I can still laugh about it. But it is very hard for a such a type to see the fun of it. Amazing differences there are between people from varous nations. The span of attention for a pilgrim has two heights.

It is at at the start of his stay and at the end. This afternoon I opened the door and said to the pilgrim waiting outside

WELOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF GAUCELMO ! WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING YOU !

All these tired faces turned into happy faces. Then the intake should be as quickly as possible. They all want a shower. What people tend top forget is that the other hightlight is departure. They had their breakfast and put on their backpack, ready to go. I shake their hands and wish them Buen Camino. Then I look them into the eyes and say I WISH YOU MUCH SUNSHINE IN YOUR LIFE ! Nobody has ever said this to them.

Later when they look back on the Camino they remember this special moment. There the Spirit of Saint James shone upon us.