I abruptly woke up at 6:00 a.m. at the sound of loud Irish bag pipes. At first I thought it was a CD that the German couple (who ran the place) played to wake all the pilgrims. It definitely worked!! Later on I discovered it was actually the real instrument being played.
We had a nice community breakfast downstairs and met with other pilgrims. We took turns sharing our experiences and struggles along the Camino. Afterwards, once I had packed all my things and was ready to go, I bid my friend Jonathan farewell. Jonathan was a very sincere and remarkable person. He is a writer and he always shared with me profound insights about literature, societal structures, and his various past experiences. I enjoyed his company and I learned a great deal from him. We exchanged contact info and I promised to keep in touch. God willing, I may visit him in Australia next year when I go to World Youth day.
I went to the central bus station to take the bus to Villafranca and from there I will finish off the journey to Compostela on foot. It was about a 6.5 hr bus ride so I took quite a number of pictures on the way.
I arrived in VillaFrance at 7:30 p.m. and went straight to the albergue. I was a bit worried because it was late and the usual consequence of arriving late is being forced to sleep outside. By God providence I was able to get the last available bed!!!
Another pilgrim arrived fifteen minutes after me but because the albergue was full he was turned away. A Belgium guy named Kuen saw the situation and kindly offered his spot (that he already paid for) for the new pilgrim even though he did not know him. I was deeply moved by his sincere act of kindness towards a complete stranger. Kuen pitched his tent outside and that evening it rained.
On the Camino de Santiago I met some of the most extraordinary people whose character and virtues radiated such positive energy that I truly admired.
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