June 22, 2018

A much different solstice!

I’m dripping with sweat – the albergue is fully booked this evening. Spanish summer does its thing, it’s not even noon and almost all the rooms are booked. A flock of 12 rushed in at once; one needs a room, the other wants to eat, another is barely standing and another needs a WC, someone needs to inquire about tonight’s mass right this moment – a complete vertigo of a mess. Everyone’s dragging their bikes and carts inside, it’s just me and Daniel here – we are super busy bees today because Antonio is out for supplies, Andrea is off, but the seminarist is taking a nap.

Everyone’s tired, nervous. I put my trained voice to good use and command: ”Documents to me! Then follow Daniel and take your shoes off, then form a queue back to me!” The next big mess starts when the travellers rush to the kitchen to “help” with the dinner. My lovelies, upon seeing the inflow of people in the kitchen, start pulling their hair out and call for every known mother to aid them. How naive!? At a moment’s notice they’re surrounded and questioned about all the possible and impossible topics. This French guy, all fired up, is gesticulating knife in hand so vigorously that I’m starting to worry about everyone’s safety. Humming a lovely chant, I approach him carefully and take the knife. Then and there someone’s squeezing through to the sisters’ kitchen. I overtake him the last second, Antonio is crossing himself constantly, Andrea is summoned and is thrown to the two new arrivals – Italian cyclists. Daniel is making some small talk to get everyone out, and he succeeds. But that just means I’m left with no real help. May all the higher powers be hailed for Helen, a beautiful, energetic Croatian with whom I form a connection within the first moments. We work in tandem. The heavens bestow us with another helper, a French girl who spies the things to do on her own.

All’s done by 8PM when the dinner bell is rung – the table is set. I feel like I’ve ran a marathon, built a pyramid and cleaned the Augean stables – all of that at the same time. Today there are a lot of us, how nice that only half of those staying over are at the table. From today onwards I know I have two soulmates in this world, Helena Valovic, Teresa Casal. How wonderful that there are soul sisters in the world, it’s a surprise meeting them; and that feeling of closeness at the first sight…wow! Now I know- you exist. A couple of pictures from our solstice dinner. Just, please, don’t nag about the bags under my eyes and no comments about tiredness, ok?! I’m really tired though, but I’m happy!