Today I am grateful for finishing my Camino yesterday. Although I made many many stops to give my body rest, or simply to let it “heal” for a few minutes before I started again, I managed to finish. One of the best parts of the journey yesterday was when I finally reached Santiago de Compostela, I began to go more with the “flow” of my soul. I saw many many of the pilgrims make a beeline for the cathedral, after all, this was the goal.

 

What did I do?

 

I stopped at “fruterías” which are basically fruit shops. I remember as I was walking by, not being hungry in the least until I saw what looked like the most delicious pear I had ever seen.

 

So I stopped, grabbed the single pear, and began to make my way to the counter to pay for my food. Along the way, I saw a green apple, which was a staple and a favorite of mine from my childhood, and decided to grab that as well.

 

I paid for my items, found a bench outside of this shop, and then began to enjoy this delicious fruit. Was it washed? Did it have dirt on it? I did not care, it was delicious. I finished my pear first and then began to make quick work of the green apple. I looked around and saw people living their everyday lives here, and I seemed to blend into them since I was now some random person on a bench enjoying some fruit. I still saw many of the pilgrims continue to hurriedly make their way to the final checkpoint, and I was washed over by gratitude that my body couldn’t handle that speed, and it needed to slow down. How else would I have been enjoying this delicious moment?

 

I finished my fruit, wiped my hands as best as I could, and continued my journey. I was starting to feel thirsty and to my delight, along came another frutería. This time I wanted some watermelon. I asked the nice woman if I could only have half of what she was displaying, and she agreed to take it out of another whole watermelon, since the piece would be too small and wouldn’t sell if she took it out of the one I wanted. I happily agreed.

 

I paid for my fruit, with a little bit extra for her, and then I was back on my way toward the end of my goal. The cathedral. The watermelon was incredibly satisfying, with every bite both nourishing me and hydrating my worn-out body.

 

I was already walking much slower here, but still moving forward. Always moving forward. As I ate my watermelon, almost gleefully, I came across a sign on a door for a place that sold Kebab. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I wasn’t really that hungry, but I was curious to try something “new” while being here.

 

It looked like it was run by a husband and wife. Their daughter was there too along with her son. It was quite a family operation.

 

The mom and dad seemed serious at first, but I noticed this was only due to their work ethic. They were here to work and wanted to do their best.

 

I looked at the menu and got myself the equivalent of a shaved chicken sandwich with a salad inside of a piece of bread.

 

As I looked through the menu a second time, I also noticed they had rice portions, so I decided to order myself some rice to try it out since it is one of my favorite foods.

 

To drink? I tried an orange Fanta but didn’t like it (the drinks taste different here) so instead I ordered myself some Turkish tea. This was a much better choice. 

 

The meal finally arrived, and upon the first bite of my sandwich, my senses were overcome with joy. I didn’t have much of an appetite the entire time I had been here in Spain, and yet now, it felt like I could eat more and more of this food made with love and care.

 

I still couldn’t eat much at the end, but every single bite was heaven. I asked if I could take it to go and so they wrapped it up for me. As I approached the counter to pay I asked if I could be charged double the original price instead, as a way to show my gratitude. This left them all confused at first, and then the daughter had to step in to let them know what I was trying to do. Once they finally figured it out, they were grateful and found a way to charge me more. Not quite double, but almost so it was good enough.

 

I continued with my heart and belly full and now my small bag carrying my watermelon and leftover food. Still making my way to the cathedral I also had to find the place where my items had been sent, since there was a deadline of 5 pm and that deadline was getting near.

 

I continued to make my way through the streets and alleyways slowly until one turn turned into the courtyard of the Cathedral. I had finally made it. But the journey for me was far from over. If anything, it felt like it had only just begun. It had started to rain now, so I made my way to find my items and then finally made it to my hotel room where I could get some rest. This is what I considered my final destination for the day. 

 

Once I made it to my room, I couldn’t believe that I had finally “finished” the Camino.

 

I immediately fell asleep from exhaustion but when I woke up, I had my delicious leftovers to eat. The food I had was still just as incredibly cold, and having the watermelon as my dessert felt like it completed my life.

 

I was just living in this moment and everything was right with the world.

 

I was also planning on going back to get more of the delicious food the next day, but that is a tale for tomorrow’s entry.

 

Thank God I made it.