Day 3: Walking from Labruge to Fåo

I woke up early and felt alive to walk. Thankfully the sun was out so I didn’t have to use my head lamp to prepare and potentially shine it in the eyes of the pilgrims sleeping next to me in the Albergue. Every time I put the bag on my back, whether first thing in the morning or following a worthwhile coffee or snack break, I feel home. Sometimes I really do wonder if my primary location is wherever I am walking, and my core identity is that of a pilgrim.  I am thankful to have a wife who respects this part of my life and who sends me on my way, but even more - she loves to travel with me. Being a pilgrim, benefits us both.

I walked from Labruge to Villa de Conde before 8am, and I was ready for breakfast. But before arriving, a pilgrim from 2018 contacted me via facebook and asked to rendezvous on the Portuguese way. I was so exited to see him. His name is Paulo, and he lives in Porto. I do not have cell service here, so connecting was going to be tricky. Somehow I missed him by a few minutes. He was going to deliver a Camino rope as a gift. He put it on a handrail and left it for me, but I sadly missed it. Maybe someone else will find it and receive it as a gift. Otherwise, it may simply hold Paulo’s energy as it remains on the fencepost, and maybe pilgrims will walk by and be blessed by his lingering generosity. Either way, I am sad I do not have the Camino rope, but also believe it will bless those who pick it up or who simply see it on The Way.

When I arrived to Villa de Conde, I noticed two pilgrims and was hoping they knew where I could find breakfast. They were equally hungry and looking for sustenance. We walked together, and I appreciated the comfort of speaking English (there are many times, I wish I knew French, Portuguese, and Spanish, but more often than not, I enjoy the comfort of my own language). I do enjoy trying my hat at German occasionally, and just recently bantered with two German men at the local cafe about what constitutes actual beer versus sewer water; guess what they said about Heineken?

The new pilgrim friends have been a delight and gift to me. Pat is a Camino veteran, and he turns 71 the day he walks into Santiago. Mary Beth is a Camino neophyte, and she is a curious and kind-hearted person. They are dating and have a real delight about them. They live in the US, and more specifically in South Carolina! If this would have happened in 2018, South Carolina pilgrim friends would be friends from a largely unknown state, but now South Carolina means much more to me. I really enjoy walking and talking with Mary Beth and Pat. Mary Beth carries snacks, so she has saved me from HANGER multiple times with an offering of dates and a bite of banana. 

Pat and Mary Beth planned to walk from VIlla de Conde to Apulia or Fao, but that seemed a bit far for me having started in Labruge. Even so, the camaraderie  inspired me, and I made it to Fao and skipped Estella, which was a good choice - it was primarily a golf course.

We ended up finding a small hostel which had a dorm room for me and a hotel room for them. We planned to eat dinner at Restaurant de Juventude (The youthful restaurant) but it didn’t open until 7, so we did the Camino thing and went to a cafe for a beer and a snack. This was definitely the local watering hole. The men were quietly playing dominoes when we first arrived, but then after a few rounds and a few bottles of wine, the noise picked up and their friendly chatter turned to friendly yelling. The noise subside when it started raining and they moved inside. After another bottle or two, the noise picked up again until an older woman entered the cafe to retrieve her intoxicated son. She was teasing him with disdain and hitting him with her purse as she helped him to stand up and walk home. It was a comical site, yet also a gift to observe the love the mother had for her son, and the friendship the locals had for one another.

Once the rain came down, we elected to remain at the cafe and to move inside for dinner. It wasn’t great, but it was energy for our journey. Again, the staff was excellent. Elena was our host, and she was a delight even if we had a significant language barrier. The rain ended as we concluded our dinner. We walked home, and I went to bed. It was, again, a restless night, but the hours of sleep were enough to relax my muscles and sustain me for another day of walking.