Albergue Santa Maria

October 6

The taxi delivers us right to the door of the albergue Santa María del Camino, the local parish hostel, in Carrión de los Condes.  It is run by three Sisters of Augustine.

The facility is fairly new, with a computer room, common room, kitchen, nice showers that don't require constantly pushing the button, and laundry facility.  We don't mind paying a few euros to not have to handwash our clothes.

After the usual settling in at the albergue, Jerri and I set out to find the nearest farmacia.  I do not replace anything on my feet so the pharmacist can see exactly what he/she is dealing with.  I also bring my supply of remedies.

I sit in the chair and show the pharmacist my feet.  Jerri asks what she suggests and she immediately replies, “Go home!"  Then she collects antibacterial cream and a selection of bandages.  Jerri chooses the gauze pads.  The pharmacist approves of my tape to affix the gauze and the paper tape for the minor blisters.  “No second skin!" she tells me.

Later, I sit out in the sunny plaza and tend to my feet.  I also try to connect to the WiFi supposedly available there.  No luck with that so I return to the albergue where Jerri is journaling.  She tells me about this interesting expatriate she met (that's not my story to tell) who recommended another expatriate, a doctor who will see pilgrims by referral only.  To visit this doctor we will have to leapfrog another map.

It takes a while to arrange for a taxi in the morning.  We want to leave early so we hopefully get some walking in after seeing the doctor.  I joke that I hope it's as easy as prescribing an antibiotic and we'll be on our way.

We recall that Gema had taken Jerri to a farmacia in Pamplona and gotten all of Beth's meds without prescriptions.  So we return to the farmacia here.  There is a different pharmacist on duty now, but he gives Jerri the antibiotic she asks for, without a prescription and without even asking what it's for.

I'm not complaining, though.  I need my feet to get better--I'll use whatever I can get until something works.  I pray that between the portable pharmacy I now have and whatever the doctor may do tomorrow, I'll be back up to speed before long.

 In the albergue again, at 6 p.m. the sisters lead a singalong in the common room.  There are secular as well as religious songs.  Jerri and I actually know a few.  The sisters are sweet and have excellent singing voices.  They invite anyone to sing a song in their native language.  We don't know about the others in the circle, but Jerri and I are trying to think of something short and easy that we know all the words to.  A German woman comes up with a brilliant idea--she sings “Are You Sleeping?" in German. We all join in the round in our own languages.  It sounds quite lovely.

 After a quick, simple dinner, we attend Mass at the parish church.  Even with the program in front of me, I cannot speak the words fast enough.  But I do follow the parts of the Mass.

When the service is over, the priest invites any pilgrims forward for a blessing.  He prays, the sisters sing, and he lays hands on each of our heads.  The sisters give each of us a colorful paper star, which is a symbol of importance to them and meant to remind us after Santiago that the Camino is a lifelong walk.  It is all very moving.

This is a version of the Mother and Child that considers Mary to be the patron of peregrinos. We've seen it here and there over the weeks. They are both holding apples, but we have not found an explanation why.

Back in our dorm, I'm trying to catch up in my journal.  Jerri comes in to say that one of the sisters had found my star in the reception area (when we returned from the church, I went to tuck mine safely away and discovered it missing) and that I should go to sleep, since we have an early start in the morning.  No sooner does Jerri say this when all the lights go off.  Not all albergues have a lights-out time, but the sisters do.  At 10 p.m. on the dot, they turn them off.  This is no surprise to me.  Some things never change, and nuns sticking to their rules is one of them.