Low moments on the Camino that became good memories?

[Stinky Pilgrim]

Have you ever had a bad Camino experience that, to your surprise, became a fond memory?

This topic just occurred to me as I was reflecting on the 2016 Camino francés I did with my then 15-year old daughter.

We arrived in El Burgo Ranero very late in the day and our only lodging option was El Albergue Laguna. I had never stayed there before.

We went to bed and all seemed fine. At about 2:00am, my daughter woke up to discover that she and her mattress were covered in bed bugs! I felt a sense of dread and guilt, as I had gotten her into this mess. I began to think this might ruin the whole Camino experience for her.

We grabbed our gear, went out to the garden area, and shook everything out. We then attempted to sleep on some plastic lounge chairs. It was pretty cold and the lounge chairs were very uncomfortable. So, we lay there, our teeth lightly chattering, staring up at the amazing starry sky, and hoping to fall asleep.

Soon enough, my daughter said: “Why don’t we just walk, Dad?” “Brilliant idea,” I replied.

We ended up having a wonderful walk that began under the moonlight and ended many hours later under a blazing sun in León.

Two days later, my daughter was covered in welts and itching like crazy, but she laughed it off. Now we both remember that walk as our favorite one of all.

So, I offer my thanks to those zillions of bed bugs who made this memory possible!

I look forward to hearing your stories….

 

[Former member 99290]

What a wonderful story. Thankyou. And yes I completely agree … some of those low, difficult, uncomfortable times - on the camino and in life generally - can create the most unexpected outcomes and special memories. I’ve experienced that many times.

‘Why don’t we just walk Dad?’ Indeed. Special girl.

 

[mspath]

Here is a fond memory of hours in 2004 that went from low to high.

 

[Tim Floyd]

For us it was about a week into the CF going from Puente la Reina to Estella. While there is nothing particularly hard about this section, the first week had taken its toll on our bodies and we were just really exhausted. Then I managed to get us lost entering Estella so it took us even longer and we had to double back to our lodgings. By this point my wife was in tears. We finally arrived, totally done in, to find the hot water heater had failed. I lay on the bed, dirty, aching all over in pain, wondering if this Camino thing was really a bad idea and maybe we should just cut it short. My wife knew how much it meant to me and did not want us to quit because of her, but she was feeling bad too. Hot water came back several hours later so we finally could shower and sleep.

The next morning we woke up, and to our surprise we felt GREAT! We continued on to Los Arcos and had one of the best days of our Camino. The lesson we learned was “Tomorrow is a whole new day”. From that point on on the Camino, and through our lives since, we find ourselves recalling that lesson whenever we have a particularly challenging day or situation. Tomorrow is a whole new day. We remember that terrible day to Estella fondly.

 

[trecile]

I had just arrived at the albergue in the monastery at Sobrado dos Monxes. As is my custom, the first order of business was a shower. Unfortunately, the shower floors were dangerously slick - a combination of glossy paint on smooth concrete + water and soap. My shower went well, I was dressing and while barefoot I realized that I had left my shampoo bar in the shower. I took a few steps to retrieve it, and BAM! I found my self slipping backwards and on the floor. I took a few seconds to assess my condition, and everything felt okay as I made my way to a standing position. That's when I saw the blood.

My left elbow took the brunt of the fall, and there was a large gash bleeding profusely. Thankfully, I was already fully dressed, and I hurried over to the office, where I told Father Lawrence what had happened. He called for the first aid monk, Luís who came to attend to my injury. Upon cleaning and bandaging the wound we all realized that I would need stitches.

So off Luís and I went to the local Centro de Salud. After waiting for what seemed like more than an hour (probably 20 minutes) I was brought in to see the doctor. Yes, they could stitch me up, but the doctor wanted to make sure that a nerve hadn't been severed in the incident. Unfortunately, they didn't have an x-ray machine there, and since it was a Sunday evening, the closest place that I could be x-rayed was in A Coruña, almost an hour's drive away.

The doctor thought that it would be best if I went to the private hospital HM Modelo, as they had an English speaking liaison person there. When Luís and I arrived (around Luís's dinnertime - and well past mine) I was greeted by a very chipper English woman, who took matters well in hand. While we were waiting for the team to take me for x-rays she contacted my insurance companies and started the claims process. Fortunately, the x-ray didn't show any nerve damage, and I was quickly stitched up. While I was being attended to, Luís went outside for a cigarette break.

On the drive home, now approaching 10pm, Luís asked if I was hungry. Was I hungry? Yes! We stopped at a combination gas station/restaurant, and had a pleasant meal. When I tried to pay for both of our meals Luís said "no, you are in my country, I am taking care of you." That, to me was what the Camino and Spain was all about.

 

[Former member 99290]

@trecile. Wow. That story needs a multi emoji function . What an ‘adventure’ and such kindness and generosity

 

[palmah]

CF, day 17 From our blogpost dated April 4, 2010 "We got to the Albergue Traditionale in Castrojerez and it is quite primitive. Two things would have made it perfect; heat and toilet seats. Other than that the hospitaleros were wonderful hosts. They invited us up to the dining area for a ¨Quemada¨, which is a Spanish drink. It was quite an elaborate preparation and presentation. I don't recall the ingredients except for sugar, raisins, absinthe and water. But he lit the whole thing in a ceramic bowl, off went the lights and with a ceramic ladle he provided quite a show of flame pouring from the ladle into the bowl while speaking some incantation about light and flame and cleansing. When that was finished he did a rendition of Amazing Grace. Then off to bed. This was one of those nights when I´m dreading getting up in the cold and sitting on the toilet without a seat, thinking I can´t do this another day! And then, we get up, have the breakfast provided by our hospitaleros Emilio and Jose. Emilio walked us out and as we started down the street he sang Auld Lang Syne in Spanish." I get teary eyed every time I recall that experience.

 

[Stinky Pilgrim]

Here is a fond memory of hours in 2004 that went from low to high.

Such a great story! And to be rescued by a “caballero” of the Santiago brotherhood. Chivalry lives on in some parts

 

[Stinky Pilgrim]

I had just arrived at the albergue in the monastery at Sobrado dos Monxes. As is my custom, the first order of business was a shower. Unfortunately, the shower floors were dangerously slick - a combination of glossy paint on smooth concrete + water and soap. My shower went well, I was dressing and while barefoot I realized that I had left my shampoo bar in the shower. I took a few steps to retrieve it, and BAM! I found my self slipping backwards and on the floor. I took a few seconds to assess my condition, and everything felt okay as I made my way to a standing position. That's when I saw the blood.

My left elbow took the brunt of the fall, and there was a large gash bleeding profusely. Thankfully, I was already fully dressed, and I hurried over to the office, where I told Father Lawrence what had happened. He called for the first aid monk, Luís who came to attend to my injury. Upon cleaning and bandaging the wound we all realized that I would need stitches.

So off Luís and I went to the local Centro de Salud. After waiting for what seemed like more than an hour (probably 20 minutes) I was brought in to see the doctor. Yes, they could stitch me up, but the doctor wanted to make sure that a nerve hadn't been severed in the incident. Unfortunately, they didn't have an x-ray machine there, and since it was a Sunday evening, the closest place that I could be x-rayed was in A Coruña, almost an hour's drive away.

The doctor thought that it would be best if I went to the private hospital HM Modelo, as they had an English speaking liaison person there. When Luís and I arrived (around Luís's dinnertime - and well past mine) I was greeted by a very chipper English woman, who took matters well in hand. While we were waiting for the team to take me for x-rays she contacted my insurance companies and started the claims process. Fortunately, the x-ray didn't show any nerve damage, and I was quickly stitched up. While I was being attended to, Luís went outside for a cigarette break.

On the drive home, now approaching 10pm, Luís asked if I was hungry. Was I hungry? Yes! We stopped at a combination gas station/restaurant, and had a pleasant meal. When I tried to pay for both of our meals Luís said "no, you are in my country, I am taking care of you." That, to me was what the Camino and Spain was all about.

Thanks for sharing this! Such a scary moment, when one wonders if their Camino is suddenly being cut short. This is the second example in this thread of Spanish charity and hospitality being put on display. I’m sure pilgrims could share numerous anecdotes on that topic alone

 

[t2andreo]

What a wonderful story. Thankyou. And yes I completely agree … some of those low, difficult, uncomfortable times - on the camino and in life generally - can create the most unexpected opportunities and special memories. I’ve experienced that many times.

‘Why don’t we just walk Dad?’ Indeed. Special girl.

This is a corollary of the old saw - "when life gives you lemons - make lemonade..." Well done!

 

[TangoBravo]

Have you ever had a bad Camino experience that, to your surprise, became a fond memory?

This topic just occurred to me as I was reflecting on the 2016 Camino francés I did with my then 15-year old daughter.

We arrived in El Burgo Ranero very late in the day and our only lodging option was El Albergue Laguna. I had never stayed there before.

We went to bed and all seemed fine. At about 2:00am, my daughter woke up to discover that she and her mattress were covered in bed bugs! I felt a sense of dread and guilt, as I had gotten her into this mess. I began to think this might ruin the whole Camino experience for her.

We grabbed our gear, went out to the garden area, and shook everything out. We then attempted to sleep on some plastic lounge chairs. It was pretty cold and the lounge chairs were very uncomfortable. So, we lay there, our teeth lightly chattering, staring up at the amazing starry sky, and hoping to fall asleep.

Soon enough, my daughter said: “Why don’t we just walk, Dad?” “Brilliant idea,” I replied.

We ended up having a wonderful walk that began under the moonlight and ended many hours later under a blazing sun in León.

Two days later, my daughter was covered in welts and itching like crazy, but she laughed it off. Now we both remember that walk as our favorite one of all.

So, I offer my thanks to those zillions of bed bugs who made this memory possible!

I look forward to hearing your stories….

Stinky Pilgrim,

Here's mine. Followed my first Camino up by trying my second one solo and tried the Camino Norte. I didn't train near as hard as I should have. I was 53 at the time. The Norte is not near as crowded as the Frances and everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) was a faster walker than me. The mountains between San Sebastian and Bilbao throw a lot of level 4 days at you. One of the stages before Bilbao, (can't quite remember which one) there is a day when you have to buy all your food before leaving the albergue because the is not place to stop. I bought two oranges, two apples and two bananas.

Woke that next morning to a cold spitting rain. I got walking early in the morning but by 10:00 am everyone from the albergue had already passed me. It was a hard day. It was a cold day. By 2:00 pm I ate my last apple and drank the last of my water while sitting on the muddy path. I yelled at the mountains "I QUIT!"

Funny thing...no one came running out of the woods to help me. I sat there so long my mind started saying "no one will find your body until tomorrow's pilgrims come by". Found some inner strength to get up and continue walking. Within an hour I came upon a barn up in those mountains that had a water spigot attached to the side of it. At that point I had no care about 'how pure' the water was. I filled up both bottles and continued on.

I got into the next village right at dusk. There were all the pilgrims that I met the previous night and no kidding...they started clapping for me! "Tom, we were getting worried about you." "Tom, go put your stuff up and let's have a beer, dinner is almost ready."

I showered so fast, threw my clothes in the washer and was back down there in 10 minutes. Had a great evening with them. They gave me renewed strength to walk again the next day....and everyday after that got a little bit easier.

 

[Stinky Pilgrim]

CF, day 17 From our blogpost dated April 4, 2010 "We got to the Albergue Traditionale in Castrojerez and it is quite primitive. Two things would have made it perfect; heat and toilet seats. Other than that the hospitaleros were wonderful hosts. They invited us up to the dining area for a ¨Quemada¨, which is a Spanish drink. It was quite an elaborate preparation and presentation. I don't recall the ingredients except for sugar, raisins, absinthe and water. But he lit the whole thing in a ceramic bowl, off went the lights and with a ceramic ladle he provided quite a show of flame pouring from the ladle into the bowl while speaking some incantation about light and flame and cleansing. When that was finished he did a rendition of Amazing Grace. Then off to bed. This was one of those nights when I´m dreading getting up in the cold and sitting on the toilet without a seat, thinking I can´t do this another day! And then, we get up, have the breakfast provided by our hospitaleros Emilio and Jose. Emilio walked us out and as we started down the street he sang Auld Lang Syne in Spanish." I get teary eyed every time I recall that experience.

Nothing like a few Quemadas to allay one's concerns over a toilet without a seat....

 

[Stinky Pilgrim]

Stinky Pilgrim,

Here's mine. Followed my first Camino up by trying my second one solo and tried the Camino Norte. I didn't train near as hard as I should have. I was 53 at the time. The Norte is not near as crowded as the Frances and everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) was a faster walker than me. The mountains between San Sebastian and Bilbao throw a lot of level 4 days at you. One of the stages before Bilbao, (can't quite remember which one) there is a day when you have to buy all your food before leaving the albergue because the is not place to stop. I bought two oranges, two apples and two bananas.

Woke that next morning to a cold spitting rain. I got walking early in the morning but by 10:00 am everyone from the albergue had already passed me. It was a hard day. It was a cold day. By 2:00 pm I ate my last apple and drank the last of my water while sitting on the muddy path. I yelled at the mountains "I QUIT!"

Funny thing...no one came running out of the woods to help me. I sat there so long my mind started saying "no one will find your body until tomorrow's pilgrims come by". Found some inner strength to get up and continue walking. Within an hour I came upon a barn up in those mountains that had a water spigot attached to the side of it. At that point I had no care about 'how pure' the water was. I filled up both bottles and continued on.

I got into the next village right at dusk. There were all the pilgrims that I met the previous night and no kidding...they started clapping for me! "Tom, we were getting worried about you." "Tom, go put your stuff up and let's have a beer, dinner is almost ready."

I showered so fast, threw my clothes in the washer and was back down there in 10 minutes. Had a great evening with them. They gave me renewed strength to walk again the next day....and everyday after that got a little bit easier.

This is what the Camino is all about. Great story. : "no one will find your body until tomorrow's pilgrims come by".

 

[caminoresearcher]

I had a similar experience. Traveling from Pamplona and bound for Puenta La Reina, I had a really difficult time coming down from the Alto de Perdon. Then, in the sweltering heat, I ran out of water. Exhausted, scared, and rapidly dehydrating, I managed to make it as far as Uterga before I became very ill. After spending a fair amount of time hanging over the toilet, I checked myself in to the lovely albergue I had just unhappily acquainted myself with, collapsed into a bunk bed, and slept for several hours. I woke in time for dinner. With rest, food, and some hydration, I began to feel human again. Some pilgrims at the dinner table said they were planning to head out after dark, beyond the lights of the village, to get a glimpse of the Milky Way. They asked if I wanted to join and I happily accepted. Off we went, into the darkness of night. When we got far beyond the lights of the village we all stopped. What met us in the darkness was beyond words. The endless rainbow of stars, the same stars that had guided pilgrims for hundreds of years. We all marveled at the beauty, and the sense of connectedness to the earth, to the sky, and to the millions of pilgrims who had come before us, who had looked at the same sky, who had followed the same path. It was a surreal moment, and one that I will not forget.

 

[david g]

Excellent stories! Mine lets me share the hospitality also found among the Portuguese. After two Caminos on the Frances I decided to strike out on my own along the Portuguese beginning in Porto, April 29 2016. I was a couple days in when I came to Esposende. I slowly walked through town, watching for albergue signs and then found myself leaving town without having seen any. Okay, walk back through again and retrace my steps. Nothing again. It was hot out and my frustration level was rising so I popped into a church for some cooler air (churches are always so much cooler than outside!) and (hopefully) some calming energy. When I came out I decided to continue the walk. Not more than ten minutes later I passed a house where several guys were talking. As I passed by I heard a voice ask ‘are you a pilgrim? Where are you going? I stopped and explained my frustration at the situation to Pedro. He went around back to grab me a water and instead returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses, then told me it was Mothers Day in Portugal and they (three families) wanted me to join them. I spent the next three hours talking, laughing and sharing with them as I was presented with the most amazing food I’ve ever had. At the end Pedro drove me to the next albergue, but not until his mother in law had packaged up some food for me for the next day.

 

[pasiño a pasiño]

i would like to share one of my Camino anecdotes....2015 i walked Geneva - Muxia.
The day I arrived in SJPDP, I decided to continue via del Norte and not via Francés.
According to the local "office de tourisme" I just should follow the shell symbols, so I rejected the offer to print some information about the route (the elevation profile looked easy, for my stamina level at the time).
With a rough concept in my mind and a few notes with the names of accommodation, also no Smartphone, I left SJPDP the next morning towards Irun. I was excited to walk a new part of a Camino.
When I arrived in the village after 6h, I first stopped for a drink in a bar and asked the waiter for the directions of my Albergue. When he said that this place doesn't exist here, I thought well, he obviously couldn't understand me properly, so I tried it again and he repeated again, that there isn't the Albergue I was looking for.
After forwards backwards talking it came out, that i walked the whole day on a different way (GR10) and he sent me to another accommodation in St.Étienne.
I was so familiar with my red/white sign, that i wasn't worried that I hadn't seen any shells at all. I couldn't care less.
Anyway my decision was, to stay on the GR10.
After 6 beers the owner of my accommodation told me, tomorrow would be a hard day, with many slopes, also fog and rain, she recommended to get some rest.
She should be right! It was a tough day with +1150m/-1050m.....doable but I changed my attitude towards the GR10.
I also realized that I would have to carry more provisions. I couldn't buy any food in Bidarray, nothing was open. I went out for dinner and heard from some locals, that there will be a shop open the next morning by 9am. This was quite late to start, cause the weather forecast said 32° and a quite difficult climb on the first third, but I decided to go first to the shop.
At 9:10am i thought that somebody could come now to open the shop....nope! At 9:30 I said to myself I need to go otherwise it's getting to late. So i left without breakfast, with my 1,5l water, a handful of walnuts and one brown banana from 2 days ago.
I'll make it short now, i had my nuts with the banana before this steep climb, soon as i ran out of water i felt a bit uncomfortable. The path was 2 feet wide, the sun was burning and on the left side a descent of circa 200m down. At this point i just asked myself, what am i doing here???
A local hiker appeared suddenly and he gave me a sip of his water and said I should be careful, cause a little stream washed in a thunderstorm the path away. Great i thought!
I really feared for my safety. Nevertheless I made it to the top and I noticed that sweat was literally dripping out of my shorts. I was wet like after a shower.
Then i followed a sign, with my last energy, to a farm, where they offered something to eat/drink....my oasis!! after a 2h break i continued.

During the climb i had all sorts of strange thoughts in my mind , but nevertheless, this stretch SJPDP/Irun was on of the best parts of my Caminos so far! Incredible flora+fauna....just stunning!
Hopefully i will never ever underestimate anything again.

safe walk!

 

[Stinky Pilgrim]

With [...] no Smartphone....

A true adventurer

 

[RRat]

Have you ever had a bad Camino experience that, to your surprise, became a fond memory?

This topic just occurred to me as I was reflecting on the 2016 Camino francés I did with my then 15-year old daughter.

We arrived in El Burgo Ranero very late in the day and our only lodging option was El Albergue Laguna. I had never stayed there before.

We went to bed and all seemed fine. At about 2:00am, my daughter woke up to discover that she and her mattress were covered in bed bugs! I felt a sense of dread and guilt, as I had gotten her into this mess. I began to think this might ruin the whole Camino experience for her.

We grabbed our gear, went out to the garden area, and shook everything out. We then attempted to sleep on some plastic lounge chairs. It was pretty cold and the lounge chairs were very uncomfortable. So, we lay there, our teeth lightly chattering, staring up at the amazing starry sky, and hoping to fall asleep.

Soon enough, my daughter said: “Why don’t we just walk, Dad?” “Brilliant idea,” I replied.

We ended up having a wonderful walk that began under the moonlight and ended many hours later under a blazing sun in León.

Two days later, my daughter was covered in welts and itching like crazy, but she laughed it off. Now we both remember that walk as our favorite one of all.

So, I offer my thanks to those zillions of bed bugs who made this memory possible!

I look forward to hearing your stories….

At a pilgrims dinner I sat across from someone I just didn't like. Can't remember why. A few days later, exhausted I arrived at my alburge only to find it closed. I was not looking forward to another 5k to hopefully find a bed at the next town. When I run into the guy I didn't like walking toward me in the opposite direction. He explained there was a really nice alburge with beds available behind the closed one. Boy, was I wrong. I enjoyed his company at dinner.

 

[trevorcc]

2013, end with 8 days in ICU at Santiago was not expected to walk out of hospital for a few days developed chronic renal failure around Leon but kept pushing myself till my body gave up outside of Sarria. Anyway went back in 2014, 2016 and 2018 after operations back in Australia, but the memories I would not change.