The Pilgrim Albergue offers a variety of bed options at different price points. During my stay, I had the pleasure of choosing a single bed instead of a bunk, sharing the room with three other roommates, which was a delightful surprise. Upon entering the room, I was pleasantly surprised to find Rita already occupying one of the beds. After a couple of days, our paths crossed again, bringing together a diverse group of individuals. My other two roommates were Manica, from Texas, and Daniel, from Germany.
It rained right after I checked in and Daniel informed me that it would take about a 40-minute walk to reach the town center. I decided to take it easy and enjoy the amenities of the Albergue. After a brief nap, I joined my roommates for dinner at the Albergue's cafeteria.
The Albergue itself was quite spacious includes a full-service bar, a restaurant with a large dining area, and numerous beds to accommodate larger groups of pilgrims.
For dinner that evening, four of us, including another young woman from Europe, gathered at the cafeteria: myself, Rita, Daniel, Monica, and Nikki who was from another room. Our dinner conversation ranged from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict to the governmental systems and social programs in our respective home countries, such as health insurance. Daniel aged 31 was taking a year off from work to embark on his second Camino journey. Monica, a 30-year-old schoolteacher from Texas, was enjoying her first Camino during her summer break. Nikki, a warm 25-year-old from Hungary works in hospitality industry.
Despite having met Rita a few times, it was during this gathering that she revealed her remarkable age of 77, a fact that was truly astonishing given her youthful appearance. I would have guessed her to be around 65, considering her brisk walking pace and vibrant energy. She had faced significant challenges, having lost her husband and one of her sons, while her surviving son battled illness. Remarkably, none of these hardships seemed to affect her demeanor. Rita impressed us with her multilingual skills and her dedication to learning Spanish on Duolingo, boasting an impressive streak of over 400 days. She also shared some captivating stories from her Camino experiences. Here is a photo of five of us in the cafeteria.
