Stage 18: Calzada del Coto to Mansillas de Mulas 32 km

A beautiful moonset

El Brugo Ranero

Mansilla de Mulas

John took a photo of me walking the Camino to Mansilla de Mulas. Can you find me?

9/18/24 Gary

While at the albergue San Roque in Calzada de Coto, there was a man and a woman who rode in on bicycles. I saw them at the meson and assumed they were a couple. The man, Gary, invited John and I to some wine. We said no. “More wine for us.” Later, he came inside where we were sitting and he invited us again. John declined, but I accepted.

Gary, a mechanical engineer from Ireland, had completed a project and was given time off. His wife suggested he take advantage of the time off to walk El Camino. He shared theat his job kept him from his two young children, two and five years old, and is looking for a job that can accommodate his family.

He mentioned that many pilgrims have their lodging all booked up and are missing out on the opportunities of the Camino–the improvisations making last minute changes or making space for someone they just met.. “It is their Camino, but it is not how I want to plan my camino.” Truth be told, I one of those who planned our lodging 3-5 days ahead. I learned early in this trek that it was much more stressful to not have a reservation than to have one.

I mentioned that I was a recently retired principal. He smiled, “you look too young.” And he ventured to add that I, like him, am a great observer and filled with kindness.  “Yes,” I said and to mirror back the compliment added, “Like see like. You see that in me because you see it in yourself.” He mentioned that when he was young, he often “absorbed the energy of those (family) in the room–like his parents who were miserly with attention.” Painful. I wondered to him if this abiliy to absorb energy is a “super power”--a gift for absorbing anger, fear, sadness, grief on one's shoulders can overwhelm and deplete or  be a gift of compassion and grace. Perhaps with time he will know how to absorb the energy from big feelings and transform them into light and strength and goodness.

We agreed that we are called to life the best life we can here and how. I told him that that my objective in life is “to love and be loved.” He agreed.