Hola First name / pilgrim 👋

👣💙💛💙👣

Greetings from Albergue San Martín in Miraz on the Camino del Norte, about 80km before Santiago - my home for the next two weeks.

 

I am blessed (as my new friend Brian would say) to be volunteering here in this lovely albergue which the Confraternity of Saint James, a UK charity, runs.

 

Joining the CSJ was a fabulous way for me to stay connected to the Camino when I went back home. They have a virtual albergue every month which I usually go to and I have made some lovely friends there.

 

Find out more about the wonderful CSJ here

 

I headed over from Vitoria-Gasteiz in my campervan Bruno and the outgoing hospitaleros handed over the reins to Mu, Brian and I yesterday.

 

Today was our first day getting settled in.

 

I first did training last year to be a hospitalero (hospital worker as people supporting pilgrims back in the day used to be nurses) with HosVol and have volunteered in two other albergues in Ponferrada on the Camino Francés and Castilblanco de los Arroyos on the Vía de la Plata.

 

I loved them both though they were very different experiences. Ponferrada was crackers-busy with 112 pilgrims one night. Castilblanco was very quiet with just me on duty and more like 6 every night.

 

They are all very similar but also very individual, and have slightly different ways they work, BUT they are all here to support the Pilgrims on The Camino.

 

Here are they lovely Florian and Judith from Germany who I had the pleasure of spending time with yesterday and this morning before they headed off on their way.

I love hanging out with Pilgrims 🙂

 

If you are interested in volunteering then check out your local Camino organisation for more information to see if they have any opportunities. Some organisations in other countries have albergues in Spain, others may link you to organisations in Spain like HosVol. 

 

This directory from the Xunta in Galicia looks a pretty comprehensive resource https://www.caminodesantiago.gal/gl/descubre/asociacions-do-camino/directorio-de-asociacions.

I brought my mini trampoline with me, so don't panic. I'm still bouncing 😜

This was a stop off on route in a beautiful park next to the bridge at Hospital de Orbigo where I was bouncing while watching pilgrims cross the river. A beautiful spot on the Camino Francés.

 

My knees are feeling stronger every day and it is definitely helping to strengthen my core, too. I reckon this could be great Camino training!

 

I am in a team doing The Push-Up Challenge, which is Australia's largest mental health and fitness event.

 

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Australians take up the challenge to complete a set number of push-ups that represent the number of lives lost to suicide in Australia in the most recent year of available data.

 

I am not a push up fan, so I am doing half a minute on my rebounder for each push up. I have done 523 minutes in 10 days so far.

 

I LOVE IT!!!! 14 more days left to go.

 

More when I check in next week 😊

If you are interested in the Camino del Norte check out my last journey past Miraz when I did it in 2021 here