July 2,  2018.

“Iveta, I reckon you cleaned the windows in the second room?” Daniel inquired. -Yes, is there anything amiss? “Just look what that spider has done!!! Spun his web already! I’ll stand right here and wait, when it crawls out, then I’m gonna crush him.” Dan, we had a talk about this, that Buddhists believe that for God all…(eeeerm, suddenly forgot the word in English) insects are dear. Dan targets me with his eyes of outrage. – “Only you can come up with something like that!” The senyor is mentioned along with a string of mothers and just to be sure, virgins, too.

What’s said of dogs that have nothing to do? What do they do? Same is happening with the priests, since I’ve arrived here I’ve managed to lighten their everyday load and many of the delayed tasks were accomplished. When they arrive, the second floor is already clean along with the dining hall, all that’s left for the three of them to do is 1-4 rooms. A small thing indeed, but it initiates some idleness, and we all know that hunger and idleness makes men intolerable. “Have you poured the coffee yet?” Yes “The upstairs windows should be closed.” That’s already done. “Marmalade goes into the fridge after breakfast!” Ok, sorry, I hadn’t managed to put it there yet. When I went to do the cleaning up, the travellers were still eating. “Ok, ok, just saying. Have you…?” Stop!!! I feel my emotions start boiling. Let’s do this – I take 2 hours off, while you check everything and if something displeases you, redo it. Or I’ll do it when I come back.

I take my bag and go exploring the hill nearby and the museum dedicated to the Camino. Sahagún happens to be right midway, so here is where you can receive your certificate for walking half of the Camino. My heart and soul are rejoicing upon sight of old buildings and groves of roses. A brief wind runs through my hair, I let it be my hairdresser for now. I’m in a child’s mindset now and I’m jumping skips on the colorful pavement.

The chapel, which the museum is located in, fills with awe: it’s big, ascetic and with such energy that I go dizzy. It’s still early, so there are not many travellers, a member of the dame committee is organizing flowers at the altar – fresh lilies, roses with dizzying scent. More new ideas keep popping up in my head as I walk around and enjoy the exhibition of the photographs and paintings, dedicated to the Camino, humming “Tumša nakts, zaļa zāle” (a beautiful Latvian song). I stay a while by a painting of blooming apple trees; that’s strange… not a single one with blooming orange trees… they will be there in my garden, though. Smiling, I take off to the very top. Endless fields are revealed – as far as the eye can see. The soil here is very good, no wonder this was a very rich territory in the Middle ages that was controlled by three (!!!) abbeys, and there were 20 000 souls living in the city. Now there are only about 3500 and it looks like that number is shrinking every year. That’s sad, however that’s the consequence of globalization.

I check in at my frequented café whose owner is waving to me from a distance: „Hola, bonita, un cafe con leche y zumo?” Si, senjora, por favore.

While I’m drinking my coffee I acquire a new friend – a small energetic dog longing for attention that is celebrating breaking free, from the bottom of his heart. Constantly buzzing, nibbing at my dress, spinning pirouettes, he falls on his back asking to rub his belly. He repeats this with every approaching stranger. Two hours have passed in the blink of an eye, I’m off home. Just gotta take some pastries for the priests. I’m still surprised by their sweet tooth, but I occasionally bring them something, too. Upon my return to the Albergue I notice all of them have scattered about. Aha! The full moon affects priests, too…But just a few minutes pass before an energetic couple with two buggies burst in, and Georgie springs up from one of them – a curly haired, big-eyed three year old. His sister is waiting patiently to be unfastened. We lock eyes for an instant…kids…hmmmm…this is an albergue after all, not a hostel. But the couple is very insistent because a storm is approaching and they’ve been rejected at the municipal albergue and have themselves rejected a hostel.

We scratch our heads, but free up some space for the buggies and show them into the biggest room for four, which is also the farthest in. We charge only for two, by this time Georgie has managed to cram his pockets full of candy, snitched my stamp, and is running back-&-forth along the big, white wall. I panic, at the end of the hall I spy Andrea –“Andreeeaaa! Georgie! Stamp!…rapido!…get him!!!”, while the little scamp dashes through in between Andreas legs wheezing on full volume  and running on. Andrea manages to catch him however, tucks him under his arm and brings him back.

I sigh in relief, wipe away the sweat on my forehead and turn to the exit door. My eyes widen – another one! I look around and Georgie is still wrenching from under Andrea’s arm, but am I hallucinating?…a copy of Georgie, just a little older, filling his pockets with candy. Have I been sunstricken? This isn’t for real…Noope… another family have turned up with THREE kids, youngest of which is chilling in a sling on his daddy’s belly.

Wow…I look at Daniel, his face expressing nothing but torment. Georgie’s little sister’s trying to climb Daniels’ leg, it’s super hot outside today so he’s wearing shorts. Here comes Andrea – “What’s going on here?” Craziness! Five kids all saying something in their own voices, so happy to get out of their carriages they’re running, jumping, climbing…„Bambinos” , I say , „Cinco bambinos, c i n c o !!!!” All while Georgie has discovered the magic of the lounge chair – you can jump on them! I can’t see the parents anywhere. Mathias goes to help Georgie, just then Tono darts in exclaiming that the aqsaqals are on their way, will be here in around 2 hours.

Surprise, surprise! His face when he sees the whole lobby turned upside down, four running kids, buggies and pram, five bikes and a queue to check-in forming outside the entrance already. I’m rushing everything as fast as I can with one hand guarding the stamp and moneybox, because the clatter of coins is so tempting and summons the ball of energy called Georgie almost instantaneously.

Andrea is running upstairs two steps at a time with Georgie under one arm and Mathias under the other with quite the desire to give them back to their parents, who are enjoying a bath…I have feelings, you know!

Somehow 4 hours have disappeared, the storm mentioned earlier stuffs our albergue full to the brim. I’ve chartered some eight bikes and four buggies, I’ve managed a whole group of lowly Koreans, none of whom spoke a word of English. As thanks for even the slightest gesture their way, they bow low with their backpacks still on. They’ve waited patiently for their turn to check-in for thirty minutes in the sun, I approach them with maximum caution, because I know nothing of their culture – what is okay and what isn’t. I gesture them to come in to the conference room and put down their heavy packs (each of them is carrying around 15-20kg), to which they fold their hands in prayer and bow and bow. Just for a moment their leader looks me in the eyes: „Si, gracias, si, gracias” and just keeps bowing and won’t move.

I’m forced to ask the kids’ parents to move either to the garden or their rooms; I check-in the Koreans and show them to their rooms, what’s where and how things are around, gesturing everything, that you can use the fridge, but eat your own food only. Lard, oil, salt and sugar is for everyone. I tell them that the toilets have been disinfected and there’s no need to spend half a roll of paper for the seat. It’s half past four now and it’s time for pilgrims’ coffee; at that moment yet another Korean group arrives, and some loud Americans. “Daaanieeelllll!!!” I shout for help, “Start making coffee, I’m not gonna be able to! Where’s Andrea?!” – “Good question, I dunno!” Daniel’s head pops out the doorframe: “Do something, the senyors are coming!”, in comes a sizeable Canadian garbed in crosses all throughout and into the chapel. Apparently having amassed some sins he’s right off to a confession.

I quickly show everyone their rooms, take the documents and rush off to get some tea ready, set the table and check-in the pilgrims. Meanwhile in the yard, in front of both parents, who have their legs outstretched and sipping wine, the two kids have torn out the ground lamps and are playing star wars with them.

I have managed to check-in almost everyone when finally the aqsaqals arrive. Tono, in his fast gait, striding by says: “Iveta, coffee with milk and cookies, please”, I just wink in approval. Out of the chapel stumbles out the Canadian, blissfully smiling, and his also similarly sizeable wife (my respect to them, they’re walking all the way from St. Jean, he’s sends his backpack by courier, she’s carrying hers) muttering, that she, too, would like to confess.

This time Daniel is totally red in the face coming out from the chapel and quietly invoking mothers, maidens, virgins and to my ears yet unheard holy personas. Either from stress or tiredness a laughing fit strikes me. I fall back in my chair and laugh tears. Travellers are starting to pour into the conference room and Daniel’s going to get some coffee. Aroma of the coffee has a special magic to it, the little rascals, each louder than the other one, are running down the hall right towards Daniel who has a pot of hot coffee. Lifting the pot as high as he can he’s dodging the kids as best he can, who’ve discovered a new occupation (the grand discoverer, of course, Georgie) – running in between Daniels’ legs. All common sense would suggest rushing to help him, but the show is so funny I can barely contain my amusement. “Ivetaaaa! HEEELP!” This reminds me of a cartoon, I’m coughing from the laughter and tears are running down my face, but I can’t possibly get up. “Well, well… and you told me I’m a catastrophe, so who’s worse now?” – “Georgie! Georgie is worse! But that doesn’t make you any better!”

Andrea comes in and saves the day by taking the rascals away. The conference room is full and everybody is divided into groups, Antonio gets the French speakers, Andrea – Italian and Spanish, Daniel – English, amongst whom there are also the parents with their offspring. Surprisingly quiet! Mathias is talking me into believing his mom has allowed him to consume all of the candy that’s on my table and that I definitely have to give him the stamp. After just a while panic takes over me – the quietness is suspicious. Of course! The ball of energy has found himself a brand new occupation – some crumbling plaster, which he’s patiently drilling with his little fingers.

Tiles that were brought to a shine now are covered in a thin layer of white dust. Tono grabs his head in dismay and runs off to get a broom, I run to get a rag, Andrea yet again hauling the kid under his arm to his parents. Emotions are brewing in all of us by now. Right after the coffee, the mass starts and I realize I’m gonna have to manage dinner on my own. I’ve no idea how much the sisters have cooked up so I check on what the pilgrims have brought. One careless mom rushes over to hand me two tomatoes, two cucumbers and small pack of salad and announces that all NINE of them will be at dinner. Aaaaaaaa!

I’m lucky enough to catch a sister responsible for the kitchen. Tuna and pasta salad is what we’e having for dinner…oh noo noo… I look over the produce that’s been brought in, tonight we’re cooking hot cheese sandwiches and tomatoes with cheese and a bunch of small salads. An elderly German rushes over to say he’s enjoying himself here very much and would like to be of use, handing me a pack of frozen chicken fillets. Andrea puts his hand on is heart and says something along the lines of: “Fu… What are we gonna do with that?” Just be cool, find some mustard, ketchup or mayonnaise, we’ll make some quick marinade.

The dinner turned out fantastic, only I didn’t get to eat because one kids’ belly started hurting a we had to fashion a makeshift thermophore from a towel and a plastic bottle. Then another kid got a headache, the Canadian lady didn’t get to tell me her life story and the German fellow was left without a drinking buddy. To me it was clear – that side of the dining hall where kids were playing football with a piece of watermelon crust I had no want to see at all. Sitting in the chapel before going to bed with the door closed (it’s usually open), fearful of the sonic onslaught of the kids it was a long while before anyone broke the silence, we enjoyed the piece. A hot topic – what it means to be a parent, what it means to be responsible and be caring of your children…and why in the world would you torture your kid in a buggy for 8 hours if you’re walking 20-25km a day!!!

It’s already really late when all the travellers scatter to their rooms. I go and sit on the street curb and look to the sky remembering Georgie and Daniel’s whirlpool dance and start laughing again. A light touch on the shoulder –“can I sit down with you?”- Sure. “We were discussing, the three of us, are you a gift to us or a catastrophe?” We both laugh –“Well, after Georgie – a gift, definitely!”