LIVE from the Camino Life as a hospitalero: Salamanca

[alexwalker]

Thank you, @David Tallan , for the brilliant idea and performance of doing this stint, and writing detailed about it. It has been a pleasure following your days and evenings in this great city that I have been visiting 3 different years.

Wishing you a great Camino Torres, and hope you will continue writing, now as a pilgrim.

Buen Camino!

 

[CarolamS]

WOW what an amazing experience. Thank you so much for sharing and with photos too, I've so enjoyed following this thread but today's report has me grinning from ear to ear so I can't imagine how you must be feeling.

 

[dick bird]

The quote in Spanish is much more powerful, partly because of the wordplay: "Venceréis, pero no convenceréis."

I agree. I would rather translate it as 'Conquer .... convince' which has a poetic repetition of sound, as does the original. You would know, of course, who Portillo´s son is. I also like this quote from Antonio Machado:
“For the strategists, for the politicians, for the historians, it is all clear: we have lost the war. But in human terms, I am not so sure. Perhaps we have won.”

 

[chinacat]

Thank you David, for communicating so splendidly about your hospitalero adventure!
Your photographs were especially rewarding.

And what a wonderful end to it
The local friends-of-the-albergue will probably find you quite hard to forget!

Buen Camino for the Torres!!

 

[Dani7]

Wow David. What a memorable last day! That photo with the dove in mid flight is unbelievable. Thank you for the great photos and taking the time to share with us daily your hospitalero experience. Should I get the opportunity to visit salamanca I really don’t need to google « places to see ». Your daily posts will be my guide. Thanks again

 

[Flog]

Well done,
Enjoy the walking, always good after a volunteering stint..

 

[donalomahony]

Thanks, David...

 

[kiwi-couple]

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with us all

 

[MARSKA]

David- such a marvelous narration of your wonderful adventure! I appreciate you and am honored to have met your beautiful and intelligent daughter. I hope we have an opportunity to meet again.

I'm with Dani - if I have the good luck to be in Salamanca I will look back on your posts for advice!

 

[Peregrinopaul]

David, this has been an exceptional and always engaging thread. I will never contemplate Salamanca in the same way again.

 

[bestfootforward]

Hi David, thanks so much for sharing your wonderful experience with such interesting and engaging posts. You've propelled Salamanca to the top of my must see list - by Camino of course. And now, after enhancing the enjoyment of the Caminos of so many others, it's time for you to enjoy your own. Buen Camino!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I loved my two days in Salamanca last spring, but it can't compare to the two weeks you have spent in this lovely city with extra time to explore and share the little gems you have uncovered each day. I am a "picture person" and enjoyed your selections.
Best wishes as you anticipate walking out of the city on the Camino Torres. It's one of many I know nothing about and will be looking forward to your posts and pictures.

 

[mlhhome]

Wonderful hat too!

 

[chinacat]

I loved my two days in Salamanca last spring, but it can't compare to the two weeks you have spent in this lovely city with extra time to explore and share the little gems you have uncovered each day. I am a "picture person" and enjoyed your selections.
Best wishes as you anticipate walking out of the city on the Camino Torres. It's one of many I know nothing about and will be looking forward to your posts and pictures.

David tucked so much into that two weeks, I thought it had been at least three weeks!
Had to check it!!

 

[David Tallan]

1 November 2024

Today was a quiet day. An in-between day. I handed over the hospitalero duties to my successor, but I haven't started the Torres yet. That starts tomorrow. I planned today as a transition day, so I could be around to answer any questions from the new hospitalero. I'm not exactly sure how many pilgrims signed in today, since I didn't sign them in. I think around 10 or 11. A lot more than yesterday! I also got my credencial started today with a stamp from the albergue.

The two pilgrims we had were gone in the morning by 8:00 and we cleaned up the place. I packed up my things ready for my departure tomorrow. Then we each headed our separate ways, agreeing to meet back at the albergue at 12:50, after the noon mass which Valentín would be attending, and head to Niza for lunch together. I took a spare set of keys.

I basically just wandered around Salamanca, saying goodbye to the town. I did head into some new neighborhoods, looking for some more street art, as directed by that app I was talking about. On my way back to the albergue, I happened to come across Victor on the street. I told him that Valentín and I would be heading to Niza for lunch. He said he would join us but be a bit later. We should wait a bit before heading out.

I got back about 15 minutes before we were scheduled to meet and let myself into the albergue. 1:00 rolled around and Valentín hadn't shown up yet. I figured mass went on longer than he had expected. Then the doorbell rang. It was a bunch of pilgrims asking if they could drop off their backpacks, to return when the albergue opened. I said okay. While I was sorting them out, Valentín showed up. He had been waiting for me outside, not realizing I had taken a key. Once we dealt with the pilgrims, we headed off to Niza, where Victor was waiting for us. We had a nice lunch together, then I showed Valentín the nearby supermarket and we bought something for cena and headed back to the albergue, arriving with 15 minutes to spare. There were lots of pilgrims waiting for us.

Since then, I've been resting in the albergue before my 33 km walk tomorrow. It turns out Ken will not be joining me. His plans have changed and he will be in Zamora. But I can leave the albergue whenever I want this evening.

Photos: building details from the Salamanca streets (×2), eventually more street art (×4).

Bonus: bell tower concert (from yesterday)

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

David, whilst I'm looking forward to your Torres thread, I am going to miss your street art pictures!
Once again, thank you for all of the effort you've put into your daily posts.

Buen Camino!

 

[David Tallan]

31 October 2024 addendum.

One last little thing for today. Tomorrow's post will be in the Camino Torres forum.

After eating a light cena in the albergue, I decided to go out for a little stroll. I haven't been able to be out in the evening since the day I arrived. And who should I bump into in the street but the Mariquelo! He seemed happy to see me and lifted me a bottle of wine, which I went back and passed on to the new hospitalero. He will share it with the pilgrims. I then went out for a stroll again. There is a book fair set up in the Plaza Mayor. There is an outer square of book dealers and an inner display that is focused on, of all things, Alice in Wonderland.

After my walk, it was back to the albergue where I've been reading. Soon it will be time for sleep.

 

[trecile]

Buen Camino David!
No doubt there will be a lot of interest in your posts from the Camino Torres, and probably new interest in this route.

 

[Mary Doll]

Your reply led me to think of stitches. As in, fabrications, constructions. That is a way of looking, no? at who and what we are... the jumper (sweater, to other cultures) I wear is made up of stitches (incidentally, Aran jumper stitches were particular to families. When a sailor/fisherman was washed ashore, his jumper told who he was, who he belonged to, because the stitch was peculiar to his family).
Our interconnectedness is too long back, but are we not all Jock Tamson's bairns? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jock_Tamson's_bairns

I never knew where the saying came from until a couple of years ago when we came across the story in the village of Dailly in Ayrshire. Some good walks there too.

 

[Anhalter]

Thank you for sharing your hospitalero experience with us in such detail David. It was a great read and made me consider taking up that duty one day.
I wish you a very pleasant Torres camino and am looking forward to reading your reports

 

[Lindsay53]

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I never knew where the saying came from until a couple of years ago when we came across the story in the village of Dailly in Ayrshire. Some good walks there too.

First time I heard that saying was from my late wife, she was a Dailly girl. And there are some good walks roundabout.

 

[Kirkie]

Thank you for sharing your hospitalero experience with us in such detail David. It was a great read and made me consider taking up that duty one day.
I wish you a very pleasant Torres camino and am looking forward to reading your reports

My inspiration to offer to be hospitalera came from the example of a lovely French couple who matched us daily on camino from Roncesvalles to Santiago. Soon after we met them, they marked their 1000km! Do it, when you can.

 

[Terenia]

Looks amazing!

Sunday 20 October 2024

Today is French day here in Salamanca. So far (it is about 5:00 pm) we have 6 pilgrims, all from France. One who is staying over from yesterday, a French woman who has been walking the Mozarabe but seems to have jumped ahead from Cordoba to Salamanca, and a family of four (with 4 year old twins) who are starting their bicycle pilgrimage here and heading towards Ourense. But once again I am getting ahead of myself.

I went to bed at about 10:30 last night, leaving the Argentinian pilgrim reading downstairs. This time I set the breakfast up before going to bed and she turned out the lights before she headed to bed.

After seeing the pilgrims off this morning and cleaning the albergue, I set off for a lunch time appointment with a couple of friends whom I had made last year while walking the Camino de San Salvador. When I knew I was coming to Salamanca, where they live, I let them know by WhatsApp. He made a very nice tortilla while she made a nice ensalada mixta. I was keeping a close eye on his technique. They were served with a variety of cheeses, some jamon (of course), and breads. Afterwards, we visited the Botanical Gardens and the Urban Gardens, where they have a small plot to grow some fruits and vegetables (including the tomatoes that went into the sandwich). We took a nice little walk by the river and then the brought me back to the albergue. It has been quiet since then, except for the arrival of the 5 new pilgrims mentioned above. One thing that happened, though, is I had a nice visit and chat with someone who had read my posts in the Camino de Santiago sub-reddit and was passing through Salamanca.

Photos: the river (taken from the Roman bridge, a nice tortilla, the Botanical Gardens (×2), the Urban Gardens, me pointing the way to the albergue).
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Indeed, it is a lovely and charming little place. The location is amazing and garden is full of the walnuts trees that make the black jays very happy. Sergio, the gardener, and his crew take very good care of the garden. Richardo comes to the garden on the weekends and plays the guitar. Alejandra cleans the albergue from Monday to Friday. The bells of the cathedrals create the unique atmosphere... I volunteered at this albergue in September of 2023 and that was one of my best experiences.