Amazing People

Along the Camino, one meets many incredible people. Some are pilgrims, others are folks one meets along the way while walking. Let me introduce you to three of them. The first is Miguel Martinez. As I was searching for the albergue in Itero, an older gentleman came from what appeared to be a garage, took hold of my arm and was trying to lead me into the space. I had no idea what he was saying because he was not using full sentence. The garage was covered in pictures, and of course as a wary American, I was very suspicious. He gave me a slip of paper with his name and address on it, and finally said some words I could understand. He wanted to me send him a letter and when I reached Santiago, he wanted me to embrace the saint for him. (It is the custom that when pilgrims arrive in Santiago, they go the the statue of hte saint embrace it.) Miguel is 91 years old and his hobby is collecting all manner of pictures and putting them up in this space. He has pictures from magazines, pictures of a relgious nature, and many pictures of himself with pilgrims. Every inch of space of the walls and ceiling is covered with pictures. I later brought Mart (Holland) to also meet him. Mart loves to talk and wants everyone´s e-mail so that he can correspond. I knew he would love to meet Sn. Martinez, and he was delighted. Sr. Martinez also gave him one of the slips of paper with his address. He has a small notebook with many copies and gives them to pilgrims as they pass by. The paper containes contact information, as well as his age and the request to embrace the Santiago for him. Alejandro Sandoval Ortega: As I was walking to Villacazar de Sirga I saw an older gentleman walking towards me. He was dressed in a vest and cap and wlked with a cane. Because of his dress and the fact that he was writng in a small notebook, I thought he migh be buird watching. As I aproached him, he asked if I ws a pilgrim on my way to Santiago. When I responded yes, he asked me to woite my name and country in his little noebook. He wore a couple of badges with his nmae of them and each said in Spanish "friend of pilgrims." As he encounters pilgrims along the road he greets them and obtains their name and country and then sends them off with a blessing. As I looked at the notebook, I could see that he had many many names of people that he had encountered. Marie Felicité: I met marie today as I was walking to Terradillos. I noticed a woman walking ahead of me who seemed a bit overdressed for hte weather. It was quite warm and she was wearing a fleeced-lined hat and scarf, a jacket, plus a jacket around her waist. When I passed her, I said hello, and she called and aksed if I was "Marcelle." I said yes, and she said tha a man in Belorado had told her about me. From her description; I think it was Olivier, a Frenchman I had met along the way. He had probably told her about me because she too is a black woman. When I saw her again a little later of the road, she told me that she was from France and that she is intending to go all the way to Santiago. She walks a bit each day, and then a taxi meets her at her ending point and drives her back to her starting point. The next day, the taxi takes her to the ending point of the previous day to begin the next stage. Today, I travlelled about 32K, her itineray had her ending point about 45 minutes from my own. She was moving along at a pace that suited her and seemed to be doing well. She did not appear to be to hot in all her clothing. Marie Felicité appeared to be at least 60 years old and was a delightful woman. Three different people, in three different towns, a blessing each one of them: Miguel, Alejandro and Marie Felicité. May you be blessed with an unexpected encounter this day.