Tired hospitaleros

[sillydoll]

I received this message from a friend who is walking the camino frances:

I stayed at Manjarin along with two other folk but unfortunately I didn´t stay for his Templario blessing, I think it was quite late in the morning, wasn´t sure about the time & whether he´d actually even do it - he didn´t really seem to interested or enthusiastic so I doubted whether he´d do it. He wasn´t the only one to be disinterested in his pilgrims, Jesus Jato at Ave Fenix in Villafranca also seemed somewhat disinterested or "dissillusioned" and neither displaid anything obvious in the way of a passion for what they were doing or the people...I don´t know but perhaps it has a lot to do with the sheer numbers of folks coming through & the impression that a lot of the people (i.e. the ones that come across as stereotype tourists rather than a spiritual journey of sorts) are making on them.
Regardless, the stars that night over Manjarin made it worth it ten times over...amazing. The language barrier is also perhaps an issue, pity ´cause I want to know so much but can´t communicate on the required level in Spanish. I stayed at Albergue Vegetariano in La Faba, really cool but same issue with Marcel, the owner-hospitalero. He admitted to being ´tired´... of what, I don´t know but they all seem kinda tired.
There´s more to this discussion but each place has been better than the regular albergue by far.
I´ll be in touch when my thoughts coalesce a bit more, it´s all a bit random right now.

 

[brendan nolan]

Hi Sil
Thanks for the post re tired hospitaleros Just thought I'd add some thoughts to the discussion.
For those of us who do only 2 weeks as hospitaleros the work is tiring but very rewarding, and working for a short time it's relatively easy to keep up enthusiasm and give a smile to pilgrims and try to deal with their problems. For those hospitaleros who welcome pilgrims all year [and these days there are pilgrims walking in the winter] it must be very difficult to give every pilgrim the smile they are looking for. We need to bear in mind that some of these hospitaleros have been doing this work for many years and like the rest of us they are entitled to an off day or to be preoccupied with their own problems of which we have no knowledge :?: - perhaps a family problem, a broken drain, a leaking tap or something else which may make the pilgrims' stay less comfortable :!: Perhaps the thing to do is to give the hospitalero a smile, a 'Thank you' that might make his/her day and then be a little more aware when arriving at the next refugio.
Best wishes,
brendan

 

[notion900]

I stayed with Jesus Jato and his family at Ave Fenix in Villafranca and thought it was amazing that they keep up that level of hospitality week after week, year after year. Some of the family-run refugios are just amazing, I spent my birthday in one and they made me a little cake in a shell and sang songs for me! It's important to make time to chat to the hospitaleros to pep them up a bit if they seem jaded, and always to thank them. This is a vocation for them and far from easy: for the pilgrim every day on the camino is different but for the tired hospitalero it could seem the same as every other day, I imagine. It's up to us to make the day different and special for them not just the other way round. PS I also got taken on a date by a hospitalero, but I am not saying which one as he might get into trouble!!!!

 

[Javier Martin]

"I stayed at Manjarin along with two other folk but unfortunately I didn´t stay for his Templario blessing, I think it was quite late in the morning, wasn´t sure about the time ..." (Sil)

The Templario Blessing is at 11:00 in the morning, because at this time is 12:00 in Jerusalem. It takes about 30 -40 minutes and Tomas doesn't let to take photos.

There's another blessing in the evening, the time I had to sleep there (more than 10 years ago) was incredible for me to discover it.

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.

 

[sillydoll]

Hola Javier,
The first time I walked el camino we arrived at Manjarin just in time for the Templarios ceremony. We were very tired, it was misty climbing through Foncebadon and at the Cruz de Ferro and nothing in my (then) 56 years had prepared me for the sight of Tomas with his wooden sword, in his white tunic with the red Santiago cross, and the little group of pilgrims holding hands and chanting in the mist. We joined in and it was a surreal ceremony with his large white goose honking (I think in tune to the singing) and a goat bleating behind the refuge. We had lukewarm coffee out of Polystyrene cups, gave a donation and moved on over the mountains to el Acebo and Molinaseca.
I always regretted not staying there so last year we made a point of staying overnight and I am so glad that we did - it was one of the highlights of our walk. I gave Tomas a little 'brag book' photo album of pilgrims' photos taken at Manajrin as well as a painting of him as a Templar done by my artist friend Sandi Beukes.