Lugo

Having been dropped off at the train station I said goodbye to Gonzalo (best taxi driver in Tineo imho) and made my way to the Albergue I wanted to stay in.

The person doing the bookings wasn't going to be in by 4pm and it was 3pm so I waited in the lobby trying to decipher Spanish pharmaceuticals and make sure I'd gotten anti-bacterial and not fungal creme or something akin.

By 4.30 I'd gotten a bit bored so I figured why not check the inner part of town, see if there is a different Albergue, get the sellos from the Cathedral now, and have a look round.

The Xunta Albergue was full and so I hobble to the cathedral. It was there I came across an alms beggar, fished out a euro for grandma, said your welcome and left.

She followed me in claiming I'd given her an American nickel, a very pioneering hustle as she explained to the Spanish couple nearby, who then told me in English. I just shrugged, I wasn't American and only had Euros.

Can't blame a hustler for trying, so my advice is if you must give, give bread, much harder to palm with nickels.

Inside the church was great, I left my walking staff by the door, went to the baptismal font, then started my way around the gallery of saints.

One is much like the other in terms of iconography, though I must admit I am partial to less grandiose displays.

I also didn't take a picture of the main altar display which was exceptionally beautiful as others were in that area for evening prayers, so I sat with them and said some of my own.

It was in an alcove on my way out, as I couldn't find a sellos person anywhere, that I saw a statue of Jesus surrounded by workmans tools and paint buckets.

While noveau art is not my thing, at least someone was working hard to depict the working man's Jesus.

Obviously I'm kidding, still it was compelling to donate to that one, so I did with little Marshall in mind.

Then one of the ladies who had been giving tours in English noticed me, asked me if I wanted the stamp, so I said yes, she gave me a small tour of the different saints, answered some questions about catholicism and gave me my prized stamp and also a small portrait of Jesus, then invited me to mass.

I got back to the hostel, which finally booked me in for a private room.

Did laundry, covered my feet in antibacterial creme after a shower, dressed as best as I could as a Pellegrino for mass, and went back to the cathedral.

I didn't understand a word, and I'm not wise to most of the catholic liturgy, but it was nice to listen and meditate on the trip.

It had been a day of deep ranges of emotion.

I'd been angry with my body, dissappointed that I'd missed out on the Hospitales, and more so the other pilgrims you travel with, you see familiar people, and your always glad when you do. People share food, their time, and hardships, but also a weird bond.

You just meet cool people. One of the Czech's Oliver (anglesized name) had travelled 3000km from the Czech Republic. You don't meet people like that often. The cheap drinks also helped. I think everyone should try to pour Asturian cidre once in their life.

Now I was in Lugo closer to my goal, but it still felt like I should be in Asturias. I'd have never caught up though.

So I'd suffered some losses and learned from the experience, as there is a pyhrric victory, I'm sure there are beneficial loses. I'd go on and get my Compostella, I'd come back to the Hospitales later.

I felt a lot better after the service, left a donation for my other pilgrims safe journey, and another to St. Lucia fir other reasons, hobbled out of thd church and started taking in some of the sights settling in the plaza behind the cathedral. The local Galician society was having a small fair, so I decided to have dinner there under s tent set up, Polpo or Octopus tentacles splashed with olive oil and paprika. As a Pellegrino, I opted for a bottle of beer over the traditional bottle of wine, and enjoyed the folk dancing and music. It was all suprisingly good, if not a bit spicy in places. The dancing as well as the octopus.

It struck me that sometimes things happen and you have to be able to take them with humility and grace.

I'd never have had that wonderful service, or dinner, or day in Lugo had it not been for things working out the way that they did.

Its very easy to get caught up in things and not enjoy what you have in front of you.

So to tomorrow, to Santiago.

Special thanks to my patrons, Brendan Mills, Renee Rushbrook, Carlos Ara.

Additional thanks to Eveline of Cape Breton, Gonzalo of Tineo, and Esther of Lugo.

Good luck to the other Pellegrino's in Asturia.