September 12

I stayed  in my first donativo alberque - free, but with a donation left in the morning.  This one was staffed by two after middle age men, one Italian, one German, both of whom were volunteer hospitaleros, speaking the rudiments of many languages.   I felt in them such love for humanity and for God.

More than the beauty of the countryside and villages, more than the so many interesting people of all ages whom I've met, I'm coming to love most the culture of the Camino - friendliness, generosity and mutual respect.  Someone passes you - many in my case as I am slow - they always look you in the eye, sometimes just greeting you, often inquiring where you are from and if you are doing well, and always wishing you,  "buen Camino!"

Is it because we are all walking the same road, making the same effort, carrying few possessions?

Some of the many people I've met:

A young, beautiful high school graduate, dressed like a Gypsy, with colorful harem pants brilliant scarves, who speaks 7 languages - German, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, very good English and very good Spanish. Next month she begins  Medical studies on scholarship at the University in Tubingen.  She walks the Camino to ask God for a blessing for her new life away from her family.

A late twenties S. Korean man, who has worked 6 years on "equity research" after getting his degree in Actuarial Science from the University of IL.  He quit his job last fall, because he believes capitalism is destroying the planet.  His family is strongly Christian, but he has many doubts and walks as a spiritual searching.

A class on the Camino from Franklin Pearce College.  The kids get college credit for Spanish, for PE, for history, culture and religion.  They spend 8 or 9 weeks walking, sleeping in the same place but exploring the experience on their own during the day so they can each write a reflective paper at the end of the quarter.  One of them, Hannah ( whose mother is Mary) is majoring in Graphic Communication, carries her heavy camera and will do a book with commentary as her project.

So many more, but my eyes are tired.  And the rest of me, too.  The place I'm staying tonight, a converted monastery, has bunk beds three levels!  Luckily, I'm in the middle not the very top!

Love to all,br