The Adventures of a Hospitalera

It is so much fun meeting new people; other hospitaleros, pilgrim's, and people of the village or town. There are three of us hospitaleros here at the Albergue in Grado. Elidio is from Spain and he is the essence of hospitalero. Even if we are full or completo, he offers the pilgrims a glass of water or cup of coffee, and gives them information about where they might find shelter for the night. He and I will be here for two weeks together. 

The other hospitalera is Clinete. She is from Brazil and will be with us for a week. She is also very helpful and tries to do whatever she can to be useful to the Albergue and the pilgrims. 

Right now she's napping in the chair. This hospitalero stuff is not for wimps. If you do your best, you are busy from 5:30 to 11pm. I took a short nap today also. 

We just finished having "Happy Hour" where we set up coffee, tea, cheese, bread, cookies and snacks for the pilgrims. Somehow, getting together around a table eases them into conversation and the beginnings of a Camino family.  Here is a picture from Happy Hour. 

Elidio made me a special sello or stamp for my credential. He had a dried flower from Grado, a red candle for wax and a ring to make an impression. 

This morning I counted three pairs of boots and only two pilgrims left at breakfast. So I went upstairs to see if we lost someone in the night. A young woman pilgrim was still upstairs calmly packing her backpack and enjoying the music I had turned on. We were chatting and she asked me if I liked chocolate. I mean who doesn't like chocolate? So I said yes, and she handed me a big Cadbury bar. She said her boyfriend sent her several because he was concerned that she was getting too skinny with all the hiking. That was a novel thought. Anyway she was sweet and we had a quiet time together while she had breakfast. 

Elidio throws scraps of bread or melón rinds to the ovejas to get them to come closer. We have fun watching them. Here's one from this morning. 

Here is my perfect lunch, a ham and cheese sandwich, olives, double stuffed Oreos and coffee. Well I suppose it could be more perfect with some of the substantial chips cooked in olive oil they sell here. 

I tried to buy bread from this lady, but her bag was empty and people were looking at me funny. It's not the first time people have looked at me funny. I seem to provoke that questioning look of amusement, or maybe it is concern. Oh well.