The Camino de Santiago
In May 2014, I walked The Camino from Astorga to Santiago, then on to Finisterre. Below are excerpts from some of my stories.Astorga to Santa Catalina
Before heading out on the first leg of my journey, I slipped into a shop in Astorga to buy the mandatory shell for my backpack.
“Is it wise to set out so late in the day?” I asked the shopkeeper as I placed a few Euros on the counter.
She replied with a shrug.
“I mean, is it safe?”
A heavyset woman browsing nearby turned to me. “I haven’t been jumped yet,” she said. “Unfortunately!” She laughed hard and gave me one of those ‘you must be new around here’ looks.
Misadventure
The Frenchman bolts upright and click-clacks his tongue. The snoring stops. He lies down.
The snoring resumes.
He sits up but, this time, his click-clacks don’t work. Someone grabs a shoe and clomps it on the floor.
By now, everyone but the snorer is awake. Amid groans, sighs, and shushes, someone snaps their fingers. The snoring continues. As the room approaches mutiny, the snorer rolls over, and now all is quiet. I should be happy.
Cacabelos
“We really should have some Pulpa Galicien.” Jose pointed to it on the Spanish menu. “Galicia’s well known for its octopus.”
Steam rose from the heaping bowl set down in front of me. Slimy purple flesh covered in large course bubbles swam in a blood red pool of liquid.
“Enjoy,” Jose said as he dug in.
I bit into the first rubbery morsel, averting my eyes from the bowl’s contents. The taste registered as a combination of gristle, bone marrow, and sweet, liquid jello. I gagged.
