Albergue Life | The Van Bun

Day 8

Another day, another set of pilgrims. By this time, we were actively recruiting a chef – to give ourselves a break from cooking. “We need a cooker! Hace falta un cocinero!” We found a young group of pilgrims that took on the cooking task. It would be couscous, veggies, re-invigorated leftover pasta and “no bake chocolate chip cookies.” It was a bit chaotic in the kitchen but they pulled it off. The menu was different than usual – but that’s what makes it fun. Each evening is different.

There were several musicians and jam sessions in the main entryway. At one point, a Korean guy was playing guitar and the French chef was playing his accordian – jamming together. Music knows no language!

Goodbyes to the Bay Area teenager crew (and their adopted friend from the UK). I loved their carefree spirit.

Beautiful early morning light as we clean.

I snuck away for the first long bike ride of the Quincena. Sixty kilometers of pure countryside. It’s how I recharge my batteries.

They had several feminist murals throughout the pueblos – all by the same artist.

These quaint pueblo cafeterias never get old for me.

Checking out the albergue donativo in the neighboring town.

New plan to recruit helpers! Most of the pilgrims thought it was funny – some were a bit confused and thought they were real jobs.

She loved swing music and was stoked to learn that Lindy Hop is a dance! I’m happy I turned at least one person on to it. I often had swing playing as people entered – I hoped to encounter another lindy hopper – but I got no bites.

It was just me and Pilgrim A. Everyone left by this time since the sun was gone, not realizing that the best colors come out when the sun is beyond the horizon and the colors refract off the clouds. Epic sunset.

Day 9

It was another crowded day – this time with a few cranky pilgrims. It’s understandable – you’re hot, tired, exhausted, thirsty. Now you have to wait in a line to get checked in. We try to make the wait worth it. Each group gets special attention: cold drinks, fresh fruit, smiles, introductions. We make a point to let people know that this is a different albergue – not just the regular private or municipal albergue where pilgrims are herded in like cattle. Nearly all the pilgrims appreciate this once they see it. Even the cranky pilgrims eventually came around and could be seen smiling and genuinely enjoying things after getting checked in for the shower and the meal

We instituted more controls on the kitchen – only the chefs (me) were allowed inside. All pilgrim helpers had to cut veggies in the dining room. It keeps things less chaotic that way. Emilio showed up again and we all enjoyed wine in the kitchen, listened to music and laughed about the absurdity of this social experiment.

Dinner went off without a hitch. Right before eating, the tradition was for me to thank everyone, say a few words of encouragement for helping out and then lead the “rap-prayer” to the beat of “we will rock you”. It usually got lots of smiles, laughs, amused faces and wide eyes from the crew. Lots of people filming in awe of the spectacle. Definitely a memory that will stand out for people. For us, it was nearly the same day in, day out – after a few times, I didn’t feel at all nervous to address a 40 person crowd. Funny how one gets used to those things.

After the sunset, I led the candle ceremony that was a bit challenging due to different languages, but everyone got it after a few people shared. There was an older couple; the man shared that his wife (also in the circle) was in the ER for 60 days due to Covid, that they thought they would lose her. They had done nearly 15 Caminos together and he thought that there would be no more. “But look at that, she’s right her, and we’re doing another one together.” It was a very touching moment. You could hear and feel the genuine gratitude and pure happiness for the gift of more time with his wife and more Caminos together. Afterwards, he confessed that the experience he had in Bercianos will be one of the best memories of all his Caminos. It’s moments like that which make it all worth it.

Pilgrim A. Doing it for “little A”, the earlier version of herself – to show her the wonderful things she is seeing on The Camino.

Man, we killed it today. Dealt with several cranky pilgrims, handled it with aplomb and grace. Most were thrilled with treatment. Lots of smiles. Great organization with helpers for cutting, prepping, cleaning. Just me in the kitchen doing my thing. Whipping up a bomb dinner for 46 people. Veggies galore with leftover curry killed it. -Patrick’s journal.

Another vegetable stew, injected with extra flavor with the leftovers of coconut curry and rice from previous days.

Alberto, the bici-grino loved it so much, he asked for the recipe – I told him the recipe doesn’t exist, it’s just a spontaneous creation. To give an idea of what went into it, I arranged all the ingredients and he took a photo.

I took a photo-walk to capture new angles of the same sunrise experience. A metaphor for life. There are so many perspectives to see the same event, place, person.

Sometimes, it was more interesting to watch the pilgrims watch the sunset – than to watch the sunset myself. It was a special event for them, it’s not something you make a point of doing after walking for 6 hours a day. In most albergues, many pilgrims are normally in bed at this time.

Day 10

Groundhog day. Same schedule but different set of pilgrims and experiences. It would be another “chill” day today – less than 20 people. Thanks, Camino gods!

Felt a bit sleep deprived but a quick bike ride gave me some energy.

Whipped up a nice garbanzo stew, plenty of hearty veggies and a rich coconut milk broth. Just season, taste and season some more. The tasks are second nature, the schedule cemented in our heads. In the flow quite a bit. Just existing as Camino Hospitalero energy. Ceasing to be Patrick.

Burnout is creeping in. Feeling less excited to answer the same questions, socialize with the pilgrims and do all the tasks. This is normal and expected.

I deeply enjoy the job duties. I feel useful. I solve problems. I get stuff done. There is a schedule. There is structure. I have a purpose.

The traditions between Jose Luiz, Leila and I are wonderful.

We always start the day with a Patrick creation of oatmeal. They loved the treat and each day I tried to outdo myself. More elaborate creations, exotic flavors, various textures. By day 3, there was already 3 bowls laid out for me in anticipation of the oatmeal treat. Towards the end of experience, Jose Luiz took the lessons learned and made his own Patrick oatmeal – it was delicious!

Another tradition was to have our meeting after counting the donation cash. It was a nice way to vent, make ourselves heard, share ideas, collaborate as a team and encourage each other.

We would often have lunch together – even if it was a bit rushed as we fed ourselves before the 1:30pm opening – it was a nice calm before the storm. We usually had a bit of wine and chatted about our previous lives in our respective countries. They’re both from Rio de Janeiro – different neighborhoods. Jose Luiz plays beach volleyball, is part of the local Camino club and lives 5 minutes from the beach. Leila is a proud grandma, also part of the Camino club and said I have a place to stay if I ever visit her.

Saying goodbye to some pilgrims I’ll never forget. They started doing Caminos at 68 (“we were curious”) and immediately became hooked. He’s now 77 and has done nearly 15 Caminos. They exude Camino passion and good vibes.

Morning oatmeal. We started a fun tradition where I would create a new version of my famous morning oats and we would eat together. See below for all the breakfast delights.

Day 11

Notes from my journal, written at the end of the day:

Watching the moon go down over Bercianos del Real Camino. Emilio driving his tractor off into the sunset, hard at work.

Leila, the workhorse – ready to do any task. She is always moving, never relaxed, never lazy. Only after the rush of pilgrims, she’ll catch up on whatsapp or facebook or whatever links her to the random video she watches in Portuguese. She’s my Brazilian mom, looking after me, telling me to be careful in this pueblo – nada va a pasar! – washing and folding my clothes. Being my assistant in the kitchen. She steals dishes and washes them before they’re ready – just like Steph! It’s adorable. Listening to music. Splitting a Guiness, an IPA, another beer. She’s a beer drinker.

The pilgrims chop the veggies, I give orders, they happily do it. I combine the ingredients into a delicious slop. Taste, add more, taste, add more. Just combine good ingredients. What’s a recipe? Just dump in flavor enhancers, lots of veggies, plenty of salt and oil. Season early and often, the dividends are compounding. Toss in some leche de coco as a secret weapon. Eggplant and mushrooms are the flavor enhancers. Fry them separately. Dump in some rice. Olive oil. More salt. It’s damn good. Hardy.

The Korean couple, we communicated via Google translate. They were so excited to talk. Very polite, very into the experience, attentive. Thanks to the internet and technology to make it so easy to talk. They are vegetarians. Doing the camino for religious reasons. They invited me to Korea. Steph and I should visit. It’s good to sit with the pilgrims. Have contact with the Camino. Hear about people’s experiences.

The Spanish dude – been veg for 40 years, vegan before it was even a thing. Completely agrees with all reasons to do it – his son is vegan too. Doing the Camino as a transition to retirement. Trying to decide what to do. Has a list. His top things are, be available and close to the people he loves – and care for them. Create a garden and be in contact with nature. All fantastic items.

69 year old American. Such a sweetheart. Beautiful woman, radiant. Very introspective, thoughtful. Having sunset chat about expectations on The Camino – that she thought she would be meeting all these people and joining groups – but realized she wanted to be alone at times, and left her group. And it was hard to do. But you have to follow what you feel. Totally relate. Having these expectations and then suffering because somehow they are not met. Yet what was the expectation? How is it defined? And is not meeting it some sort of failure? No. Every experience is special and has meaning and is fleeting.

Today, I felt like I let go a bit. Just do my thing. Be available. Follow how I feel. Don’t worry about giving so much to the pilgrims. Be there for them if you need it – but also ok to not socialize so much. Smooth day – pilgrims chopping, Patrick in the Kitchen with Leila, not chaotic at all. Not managing too many people. Easy instructions. We got it down! Hoping they are ok with my level of work – sometimes I’m not sure – am I doing enough? I think we have our roles. Patrick – communicator in English and Spanish. Cooks, manages kitchen. Cleans upstairs. Attentive to pilgrims, forming connections. Leila – the workhouse downstairs, keeps the kitchen running, all the laundry, does dishes, assists with cooking. Jose Luiz, jack of all trades, handyman, keeps the peace, good communication, easy smile, laid back attitude, open to chatting with pilgrims, deliberate and calming presence as he checks in pilgrims. Master of the coffee for breakfast. Fixer of lightbulbs and leaks. Random chats with pilgrims, not afraid to speak english, try to communicate.

Buying stuff today. It’s a job, but I love it. Tasks, tasks, tasks. I love the routine, the, time-boxing. Gotta get it down before 12:30 so we can have that meal and open! The 3 solid meals a day are nice too. Instead of this constant snacking. I should get back to that! Zipping around in the car, like a kid in the candy store at the veg market. Get those shrooms, shy not! Spending the cash of the pilgrims! They leave the money because they enjoy the experience. I make meals that taste good. We get supplies so that the hospis are happy and can provide the best experience for the pilgrims.

Starting to look forward to being back home. Seeing Steph. The next chapter. Dance classes and Spanish class. Ibiza, Braga, Prague and more. Bike trips. Bike wrenching. Wedding planning. Plenty to live for. More albergue experiences.

Being in a small albergue would be cool tool. 1 pilgrim a day. Now that would be an experience. Like a meditation retreat. I want more. I want to go deeper.

Again, nice to just chill for the sunset. I grabbed a glass of wine and just sat with the North Americans. Just wanted to chill and not be on. Hang out with some people that speak my language.

Fun to chat with Alberto about bikes. Rode his Merida gravel and it is smooth as butter!

Pages: 1 2 3 4