...if you want to take a nap and or bath at his hotel what do you say???
If he's a pilgrim and you are a pilgrim than the ONLY answer is "yes"...choosing the bath over the nap probably.
I woke up in Muxia today at five minutes past six, for some reason that five minutes makes me think I am buying a lot more sleep. I didn't get to bed last night till about midnight. I had a rough night of sleep, it has nothing to do with the awesome accomodations, this auberge can not be topped, but there was a really loud snorer that earplugs could not help, not only did he snore like a champ but he grunted and was just restless. At two thirty I had an escape route already in place and ran out to the sofa in the living room near the kitchen. When my alarm went off I had to get ready quickly as the bus came at six forty-five. Iain(pronounced like Ian),who I met last night for the first time was the only other one up, he would be catching a bus fifteen minutes later, I forgot his destination however mine was back to Santiago to buy a few trinkets that I didn't want to carry in my backpack till the last minute.
This morning was difficult for me, it was not surprising to me, I knew all along I would question if returning to Santiago was the right thing to do. With that said I really had no choice a bus takes you to Santiago and from there you need to get to the airport. I was the only person on the bus at its first pick-up of the day...I never thought to ask how long the trip was and I also assumed this bus went from Muxia to Santiago with no confusing stops in between. About fifteen minutes into my ride the bus stopped and picked up a college aged kid, one of many that would hop on over the fifteen or so stops. I was so tired, it was dark, the windows had condensation on them and i had no idea where I was. At one point half of the bus departed and I asked the disgruntled female bus driver, " where is Santiago?" In broken English, for some reason I feel like people understand me more if I speak English broken up (obviously a false assumption, but like many others I can not break the habit). She motioned this was the stop...I asked where was the cathedral and she pointed up to the left. I hopped off headed up the hill with a good half of my backpack weight being rocks...
I stopped for coffee and a huge glass of fresh squeezed orange juice (man am I going to miss this routine). I would then head back out and get one block to this adorable bar that advertised 'chocolate con churros' that is a thick chocolate milk with some sugar pastry for dipping, I looked behind me to make sure no one from the previous joint would actually see me go one block and reenter yet another place for food or drink (did I say I am going to miss this routine?).
I was inside, chilled but confused as to how to spend my day, it was about nine thirty in the morning and I felt I needed to depart Santiago at about three to be at the airport for my six fifteen PM flight. I honestly wanted to buy my waymark tile with the shell and check myself into a place to sleep. It did cross my mind how fulfilling my days had been for six plus weeks and how here it was ending with me possibly sleeping the day away, I have only napped forty five minutes once on this Camino.
I had a gorgeous window table, old style small round table infront of a pub looking window with stainedglass. I had a great people watching view, and knew instantly that i never gave Santiago the credit it deserved, my twenty six hours here had been in the rain and it only appeared to have tourist shops selling the same thing from each shop. I was now in a part of town that I didn't know existed and it had your typical city flair and trendy shops (think of the money I saved).
Outside passes a guy who I suspect is a pilgrim, I would find out he lost his wife to cancer three years ago and she was sixty six, so I assume he was a very healthy seventy. He was in athletic wear and boots and just looked like a pilgrim. He comes in the door comes straight to my table (backpack shared I was a pilgrim) and he asked if he could join me, I actually was five seconds away from getting up, my drink was done but I said,"sure". We got to talking and I shared that I thought I was going to just check into an auberge and sleep, at which point he shared he was at a hotel and said he would be running errands for a few hours and would be out in the town if I wanted to nap at his hotel, he then shared there was a twenty five year old German boy sharing his room but that he'd sleep awhile longer and that it would be no problem. I was sooooo tempted to take him up on this offer...but then he shared they were celebrating a gals 60th birthday at tweleve thirty and invited me. While I was tired I knew this was the best thing to do on my last day, and it kept me in pilgrim mode for another day, I would of course know no one...I had arrived to Santiago ten days ago, these folks were clearly another wave, little to no chance our Venn Diagrams related. he needed help making signs and had negotiated with a restaurant for a special meal price for this fellow pilgrim, I don't think there was any romance involved I just think this guy, David from England was a super nice guy to do this for the gal. He then offered, " do you want to take a bath in our hotel room?", with a reminder he'd be out in the town and that his twenty something walking partner didn't come in until eight this morning so he certainly would not be waking up. UMMM no thought process involved, I've had two baths in almost seven weeks and I teared up for both they felt do good...I screamed," yes".
The water was hot, the hotels soap was glorious and they had this "thing" that blows out air and dries your hair (who would have imagined such a thing existed :)). That was a Camino first...a blowdryer.
I went downstairs where David (funny I started with a David from England and it appeared would be ending with a David from England)was finishing up some last minute birthday party details. I was in awe and always will be on his thoughtfulness to do this for a fellow pilgrim. He walked thru the town looking for a birthday sign to hang up and then negotiated a birthday menu at a place his group liked there...I was just floored at his willingness and attention to detail to celebrate a fellow pilgrims birthday. While downstairs the elevator door opens and there was Ben who started his Camino in Paris, Ben who almost always sleeps outside here in a nice hotel. We hugged eachother and bless his heart a hotel with shower did him good. I had seen him two days earlier in Finesterre and he shared his parents were due in that afternoon...he and two others had enjoyed a cafe con leche and then the next stop was Brandy alittle before ten AM. Ben is one of the younger crew that I ran into often and for some reason I just really liked him, I think because he Skyped with my kiddos one day and he had the same leather hat I had bought for the trip. I was shocked to see Ben, Santiago no longer seemed to contain my pilgrims which was why I didn't really wantvto reenter it. I assumed he was the last of the last I would see from my days (folks were either home having arrived a good ten days before or possibly lingering at the coast). Father (the priest) would be walking back to Santiago with an arrival date of Saturday so I would miss him by one day. I was thrilled though for the opportunity to broaden my horizons and meet this new crew who started more than a week behind us.
David and I went to the cathedral to meet "his gals" an adorable group of three women, I know two were American. He and I got lost in the different alleys trying to find the restaurant, I was of no help as my time in Santiago was all rain and limited to a small section of the city. It was important to him to have his banner up. As we were lost I kept passing stores that I wanted to shop in...I was down to my last four hours of my Camino. I was in wonderful company and felt fortunate to be included in their lunch (pilgrims include but remember I wanted to sleep my hours away as I missed "my" crew so.)
I have had a wish over and over for weeks now...in fact I have said if I could only see Big Bear and Little Bear one last time my Camino would be complete (John and his son Johnnie from my first week), it was all I felt I needed.
At half past noon heading to the restaurant with David I glance to my left and there I let out a loud gasp ...there angled facing right at me was Big Bear and a delightful injured friend I had heard he was hanging with from Boston. They joined us at the restaurant for coffee but I made the decision to forgo the party ( but did get to meet the happy birthday girl) and to spend my final hours with Jim and John over lunch and shopping. We don't know where Little Bear is, I suspect the coast but they will reunite at the airport Sunday.
My Camino came full circle and It exceeded all expectations.
Sunday I will update the coast days AND POST PICTURES...I know the ladies want to see my cute Burgos police officers above all else.
I am in the Paris airport sleeping here for the night (should be easy with my adventures) and I catch a plane out at seven in the morning for home.
I miss my home and family!!!!!!!!!!
