A minor hiccup

So the adventure has taken a little turn. Overnight, my sore throat l worse and it felt like this cold was starting to creep into my lungs since I was coughing a fair amount. I called our tour company, and they put me in touch with someone who speaks English and Spanish, who then called our hosts to contact a doctor for me. It was a little bit of challenge because it is Sunday here and it is a holiday weekend, with tomorrow being the Spanish Labor Day. So many facilities are closed in these small villages.

After serving breakfast to the other pilgrim guests, our lovely hosts, Mercedes and her husband Maximo, drove us to a nearby town to the only open urgent care. Mercedes escorted me in and explained to the staff in Spanish that I was a pilgrim and what my symptoms were. I was seen by a doctor within 10 minutes; she examined my throat, listened to my lungs and asked a few questions. She told me my lungs were fine which was my main concern since I have a tendency to get bronchitis. She prescribed some medications, charged me nothing for the visit and off we went to the pharmacy in the next town, which was the only one open in the vicinity. (Mercedes explained that in Spain they are taxed heavily, but they all accept it because all healthcare and universities are free for anyone. It made me wonder what kind of experience a Spanish tourist who falls ill in the US would experience…) After picking up the prescriptions - 12 euros for both - Mercedes and Maximo then drove us to our next accommodation in a little village called Hospital del Orbigo, situated on the Rio Orbigo and the site of a pilgrim hospital in the Middle Ages.

When we arrived at our hotel in Hospital del Orbigo, our new hostess, Lola (who coincidentally has the exact same birthday - date and year - as me) was equally welcoming even though she was busy cleaning the rooms for the next set of pilgrims coming in later today. She brought us in, gave us cafe con leche and biscuits, and allowed us to sit in her living room (and brought me a blanket) while she prepared our room. The kindness of the “hospitaleros” toward the pilgrims is far beyond anything else I have experienced as a traveler. It seems a calling for them, in service to others on their journey. They give without asking and without expectation for any recompense. This, too, is a humbling lesson for me.

After a long nap, we slowly strolled around the town and came across a couple of sweet and seemingly lonely donkeys. Still missing Cocoa, I had to go say hello and get my four-legged friend fix. We also located the famous Puente de Orbigo, one of the longest and oldest bridges in Spain from the 13th century and the site of a legendary jousting contest in the 15th century by a knight who was scorned by his love interest. Rumor has it that this was the inspiration for Cervantes’ Don Quixote. And apparently they still have jousting festivals here every year in June at the bridge. That would be something to see!

They fed us a bit too well at dinner tonight. It started with two enormous salads with eggs and tuna - a meal in itself that neither of us could finish which seemed to really disappoint Lola. But then she brought us the main course which was two fried chicken cutlets each with a huge mound of French fries. What to do. We didn’t want to insult her cooking (and her husband who was also in the kitchen), but we were truly stuffed. So we did the only proper and kind thing. Rory emptied out her plastic money pouch and when Lola and her husband went back to the kitchen, we quickly stuffed the chicken cutlets into the plastic pouch and shoved it into Rory’s purse, cracking up as we did so. We will feed the Camino cats tomorrow who will be very happy, and Lola was so pleased that we ate it all. Win-win. Not at all remorseful about our deception.

I am dutifully taking the prescribed medication after each meal, although the one medicine is truly horrible so I hope it works. As far as I can tell, it’s basically Tylenol with codeine. But instead of a pill, it is a powder that I have to dissolve in a glass of water and drink down. It tastes like orange flavored gasoline. I guess that’s how they keep people from getting addicted. That part will definitely work.

Tomorrow we head to Astorga by bus to give my body another day of rest before we start walking again.