Companionship was on my mind as I lay awake listening to the metallic sounds from the shifting steel bunk beds. I was thinking about the ease with which it was possible to enjoy companionship and conversation with complete strangers on the Camino. That did not happen as often in normal life. Strangers don’t easily start talking to one another in elevators or in line at a supermarket check out.
But the symphony of snoring with a backing of metallic melodies intruded on my philosophical pondering and I was reminded of Tubular Bells.
The mind is an amazing storehouse of information. It does not seem to discern between the useful and the trivial. Those of you of a similar age might remember a popular instrumental from 1973 called “Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield. It was the first record album on Virgin Records. One that contributed to Richard Branson’s success.
Lost Again
I had got to sleep soon after 9 pm and was wide awake by 5 am. It was too early to disturb the other sleepers and it was too dark to pack my gear. I crept out to the kitchen to read a book for an hour until other pilgrims started waking up.
There were enough people awake to put the lights on by 6:15 am. With my pack organised and my boots on, there was no point in hanging around so I decided to start walking in the dark. As before, a big mistake.
It was a cool misty morning at 11C. Cool enough to wear my rain jacket. I walked downhill along a busy road without seeing a marker or yellow arrow. Remembering my decision from the previous time I had missed markers, after15 minutes, I turned around and walked back up the hill.
At a busy intersection at the top, I spotted the missed yellow arrow on the wall. Easy to see in the dawn light. It’s amazing how much steeper hills seem on the way back up than on the way down.
Companionship
Companionship was a benefit of the 8th day of my pilgrimage. Walking with other pilgrims became the norm. I could still choose to enjoy solitude but I was rarely out of sight of others.
During the day I would meet Andreas from Hamburg in Germany, Danielle from Holland who had cycled 2400 km from her home to Santiago the previous year, Frederika and Gabriella also from Germany. There were others with whom I exchanged a few words or a Bom Camino but not names in fleeting exchanges.
The four of us stopped for a morning coffee and pastry in Redondela, a city of around 30 000. Redondela is near the mouth of the Vigo river and from the road leaving the city, we were able to see the Atlantic ocean for the first time since arriving in Porto.
Andreas left ahead of me. I set off a few minutes later leaving the two women to chat to other women who had arrived at the cafe. I soon caught up with Andreas. He was 33, less than half my age, but I had no problem talking while walking at the same pace as him. His English was excellent, he told me about life in Hamburg. It was interesting that his questions about life and concerns for the future were similar to those of the same generation of North Americans. Not that different to many of my own either.
One of the wonderful experiences of the Camino de Santiago was the companionship that developed between people who were meeting for the first time. It was often easier to have deep conversations with other pilgrims than it was with people I had known for years back in my “normal” life.
As I wrote in a previous post, on the pilgrimage we all took each other at face value. No expensive cars or big houses to convey status. No turf to protect, pedestals to stand on or halos to polish.
Surprise Coffee Stop
Late morning, we came across an enterprising woman who had set up a table under an umbrella on the side of the road at the bottom of a hill . She had a good supply of hot coffee, pastries, curios and of course a stamp for our credencials. We were ready for another coffee so we stopped and joined the group of pilgrims already there.
Andreas intended walking on to Pontevedra, but I was only going to Arcade, an hour away. He left and I waited. I was enjoying the companionship, talking to Danielle, Frederika and other pilgrims who had stopped for coffee – the coffee lady was having a good day.
Just as my choice of bunk at the hostel in Mos and my decision to slow my pace would have a major influence on the rest of my pilgrimage, this was another random decision that was to influence the remaining days of my journey. It never ceases to amaze me how a chain of seemingly inconsequential decisions or events can lead to outcomes that could not be imagined.
Is this God at work? Karma? Fate? I choose to believe God provides us with many opportunities. However we are often too blind, stupid or set in our ways to recognize and enjoy them.
A New Companion
One of the new arrivals was Gabriella, a German woman who had slept in the next bunk to mine the previous night at Mos. As I was leaving Gabriella asked me if I knew of a hostel where she could stay before Pontivedra as she did not think she could walk that distance before dark.
When I said that I intended stopping at Arcade for the night, she asked if she could walk with me. Her English was not good. I did not speak any German but we managed to communicate. She told me that she worked at the University of Berlin and that she had walked the same route the previous year until a foot injury stopped her 12 km from the end when she had to get on a bus.
Albergue Lamerinas
We got to the Albergue Lamerinas in Arcade soon after midday. A short day’s walk of 17.4km in (for me) 4 hours 5 minutes walking. The hostel was part of a hotel but at 12 euro a night, reasonable. The dormitory was arranged with two double bunks in a cubicle. Although the cubicle walls did not reach the ceiling, there was more privacy and less noise than in most dormitories. Bathroom and kitchen facilities were better than most I had experienced.
Gabriella at Albergue Lamerinas 
Stray cats outside supermarket 
River Verdugo – Arcade
We checked in and claimed our bunks, then we walked to a small supermarket. I bought some much-needed fruit, yoghurt, tea bags sardines and a small bottle of wine for supper in the hostel. It was a cheaper alternative than the only nearby restaurant.
After a few long days, it was a nice change to wash some clothes, make some notes, relax and read. Reflecting that I was almost three-quarters of the way through the pilgrimage. I faced the prospect with a sense of sadness, not joy. Because I was enjoying the simple life of a pilgrim, the physical effort and being outside so much I did not want it to end.
I had enjoyed the solitude and silence of the earlier stages of the Camino and hoped to enjoy more. However, on this day I had enjoyed the companionship of other pilgrims.
After supper and wine, a shower with plenty of hot water, and a comfortable bed in a quiet cubicle. All I needed for a good night’s sleep
Total costs for the day were 28.61 euro but I had enough teabags for the rest of the journey and fruit for another two days.
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