In 2015, I was finally ready to leave Santiago after finishing my walk from Lourdes. I decided to take the train from Santiago to Barcelona, Barcelona to Brussels. I went to the train station in Santiago the day before my planned travel and bought the tickets directly from the very friendly and helpful ticket sellers.
The next morning, I arrived on time and got on the train to Barcelona. Great memories as I traveled by train past many of the Camino crossings I had been on just a few days previous.
I arrived in Barcelona with about an hour to switch to my next train to Brussels. Ticket in hand, I got ready to board.
Imagine my shock when the ticket person would not let me through the gate. It turns out the nice ticket people in Santiago had sold me tickets to leave Barcelona on the PREVIOUS DAY. Wrap your head around this - I had a ticket to leave Barcelona the day before I arrived in Barcelona!
There was nothing the ticket person could do about it and advised me to go to customer service . The clock ticking, customer service told me I would simply have to buy a new ticket for Brussels. I explained to them that I did not have enough money to do that (pilgrim). They shrugged, I shrugged, and found a seat at customer service and waited.
I got out my rosary and said a prayer (I seemed to have had an ongoing conversations with my Saints throughout my walks) and told them that, since they had not let me down throughout the whole Camino, I knew they would not let me down so close to the end.
My train from Barcelona to Brussels left without me. It was out of my hands.
I waited. I people watched the customers who came in to customer service (quite a cast of characters). Occasionally, someone would come out from the back office, see me, ask the person at the desk what I was there for, they’d explain, they’d shrug, they’d retreat back into the back office.
In 2015, I was finally ready to leave Santiago after finishing my walk from Lourdes. I decided to take the train from Santiago to Barcelona, Barcelona to Brussels. I went to the train station in Santiago the day before my planned travel and bought the tickets directly from the very friendly and helpful ticket sellers.
The next morning, I arrived on time and got on the train to Barcelona. Great memories as I traveled by train past many of the Camino crossings I had been on just a few days previous.
I arrived in Barcelona with about an hour to switch to my next train to Brussels. Ticket in hand, I got ready to board.
Imagine my shock when the ticket person would not let me through the gate. It turns out the nice ticket people in Santiago had sold me tickets to leave Barcelona on the PREVIOUS DAY. Wrap your head around this - I had a ticket to leave Barcelona the day before I arrived in Barcelona!
There was nothing the ticket person could do about it and advised me to go to customer service . The clock ticking, customer service told me I would simply have to buy a new ticket for Brussels. I explained to them that I did not have enough money to do that (pilgrim). They shrugged, I shrugged, and found a seat at customer service and waited.
I got out my rosary and said a prayer (I seemed to have had an ongoing conversations with my Saints throughout my walks) and told them that, since they had not let me down throughout the whole Camino, I knew they would not let me down so close to the end.
My train from Barcelona to Brussels left without me. It was out of my hands.
I waited. I people watched the customers who came in to customer service (quite a cast of characters). Occasionally, someone would come out from the back office, see me, ask the person at the desk what I was there for, they’d explain, they’d shrug, they’d retreat back into the back office.
I waited. And waited. I knew it would be ok although I had no idea how.
Several hours later, a person finally came out of the back office, called me over, and old me they would re-issue my ticket. I smiled, thanked them, hoisted my backpack, grabbed my hiking poles, and got on the next train to Brussels.
A smile and a thank you to my Saints.
I waited. And waited. I knew it would be ok although I had no idea how.
Several hours later, a person finally came out of the back office, called me over, and old me they would re-issue my ticket. I smiled, thanked them, hoisted my backpack, grabbed my hiking poles, and got on the next train to Brussels.
A smile and a thank you to my Saints.