Albergue Ave Fenix

Friendship
We all saw a pure example of friendship yesterday/last night. Two young women from Italy arrived in the afternoon, one in a wheelchair the other pushing her. They started in Puenta la Reina which is just after Pamplona. When unable to take the path they are on the road, wheelchair, backpacks and all. They were delightful to talk with and we invited them to our hospitalero/a dinner. They slept in the room with Agnes and me, no steps, it was beautiful to see the tenderness and devotion of one to the other.

The light of some folks ...
One young man arrived yesterday and when he walked through the door it was as if a bright light was shining. He face lit up when he smiled and he was so happy joking with us. Jorge helped with translation when we could not understand the question. He was not staying here, he has a tent and was looking for a place to camp. He told me this morning that he camped with quiet people, the cemetery. His only problem was the village dogs because his walls are so thin.

The Belgium man ....
There are some who think I am nuts for walking one camino, let alone six. Yesterday I spent quite some time talking with a man from Belgium and we compared notes on the camino over the years. There are many pilgrims who walk the way multiple times and this man has walked Camino Frances seventeen times. He was a wealth of knowledge from along the way. I asked him which was his favorite albergue on Camino Frances and he told me Reggio de Ambrois (spelling, I will come back later with my book). This albergue is on the steep down hill from Cruz de Ferro and a few kilometers past Acebo. He said most pilgrims stop in Acebo or continue on to Molinseca, he has often been the only pilgrim at this albergue. This is a family run albergue and there is a Bar/Restaurant in the little village.

A beautiful Italian
She is getting better, she is feeling the love along the camino, the love from other pilgrims. Last year she divorced her husband and now her family have disowned her. Her mother and father will not speak to her until she returns to her husband. My mother was very good and understood the situation and was by my side at all times. My son, Stephen, was always my best supporter but my brother and sister had no compassion, none at all, and my identical twin sister is not my sister these days. I feel Chiara´s pain and know what she is sufferering. I have been able to bounce out of my horrible situation because my girlfriends are my sisters, they know who they are but thank you Anita, Andree, Dawn, Jeanette, Lisa, and Rebecca (in Houston Katie, Rochelle, Nancy and Carol) for without them my life would have been miserable.