Serendipity and Symbols

For anyone paying very close attention, you can see by the map that we did not actually walk to Astorga today. After about 12 miles, we finished up in a small town called Mazarife. The only hotel in town had just four rooms, and they were all booked. So our tour agency arranged for us to get in a cab and drive 25 minutes to Astorga.

The instructions were fairly easy: Go to the Bar La Torre and call for the pre-arranged taxi. To walk the length of this town would have taken less than 10 minutes, so it was fairly easy to find the Tower Bar.  It was directly across from the remains of an old church steeple.

Of course there were storks nesting at the top, and swallows nesting in the eaves of what remained of the roof. There are so many birds here of different varieties. We came upon the sounds of cuckoos in the bushes several times along the route, which offered little scenery.

While at the Tower Bar, we had time for one beer while we waited for the cab. It was a perfect way to kill 15 minutes.

Before getting in that cab, I want to go back to the beginning of the day. As I walked out of my hotel this morning, I took a minute on the bench to make sure all my equipment was arranged correctly for the walk. When I turned around, the husband and wife doctors, Anders and Annetta, were within 50 feet of me. It was a delight to see them again. As we walked together, Miriam caught up to us before the next stoplight. There were no plans made and no contact to coordinate. Our meetings were just happenstance and serendipity. It was a great way to start the day.

Not too much later, Beth and Fred joined our group. Their pace was a little faster so they overtook us as we covered some flat land. It was very convenient for us all to take a coffee break together about four miles into the walk.

We caught up on how everyone spent their time since we’d last seen them. All the news was very positive. It always seems that the café con leche tastes better when you're in good company.

I can't resist an opportunity to confuse someone. So when a stranger approached me on the main drag today and asked if I spoke any English, I responded in a very bad accent, "a little." That’s how I met Leo.

Leo is from New Jersey, so I asked him the most important question: “Which exit?” (For the uninitiated, this is a longtime joke among New Jerseyans, referencing the never-ending New Jersey turnpike.) For anyone keeping track, Leo lives near Exit 70. He joined us for several hours as we made our way down the trail, walking with Miriam from Berlin. 

Leo has done a Camino hike before, and told us that the entirety of its length was as flat and sparse as the segment we were currently traveling.  I took it as an observation and not a recommendation. I'll take scenery over flatlands any day, even if it means navigating some hills.

Okay, back to the taxi. Annetta developed some blisters so she grabbed the cab with us while her husband dedicated himself to completing the walk for the day. As you can see, it was hot out. Tomorrow they will be in Astorga and we all plan to grab dinner together.

Fred seems to have captured some strange symbology that has been following me along the Camino. If you are observant, I believe you can pick out the image that’s repeated.

There is a big decision to make in the morning. Do I climb back in the taxi and go back to where we were picked up today, to cover the same miles that I have already seen at 70 mph? Or do I simply walk the wrong direction up the Camino for half the distance, and then turn around and complete the day back at the hotel?

There is a third option — but I can't justify sleeping in and scheduling a massage at a local spa.