Cooking Dutch Pilgrim
A Dutch pilgrim from Veenendaal came to our patio to drink our fresh juice. She was a special one. She told us she had so many painful blisters that she stayed in Tomar for a week Week before reaching Alvorge-Ribeira de Alcalamouque.
She stayed In the nice hostel hostel Thomar 2300, which I recommend also for pilgrims. Of course she had plenty of time… She loved to draw so she drawed an invitation with nice Templars crosses and invited the pilgrims to eat together. She did groceries, and started her cooking adventure.
She had 10-14 people who joined! After a few days, she was tired of cooking and she took one day off in her ‘days off’ stay.
Amazing, right? She only stopped to rest here and walked further to Rabacal. I told her that there is a kitchen too, for her to cook again. Who knows… she misses her community dinners and cooks again?!
The group of ladies who rested at my place afterwards would surely remind her of that! They all stay in Rabacal, so they will meet and talk for sure!
Travelling Pilgrim
A French pilgrim apologised for being a little bit late (13:00). He told us that he would arrive between 12 and 13:00… He had a large backpack of at least 15 kilo. And started to read a thick book. I asked him if a thick book is not too heavy. He said:
“It is for half a year, so I just need to carry all. and I don’t like a e-book.”
After his caminho, he is going to Madeira, and then he goes to Asia for half a year, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia. What a interesting journey!
Mother and Daughter to Fatima
Daniela and her mother from London went to Fatima. The real thing. They started in Coimbra at the Convent Carmelite where sister Lucia lived. They had the credencial from Fatima and the stamp from the Memorial and Convent. They told us they have a sedentary lifestyle, didn’t train and planned this for already some years. They were very tired walking their first day from Condeixa to Casa da Lima.
Hotel Detective to Fatima
Where oh where do they stay… They found the hotels on their path. Was very hard and detective work because there are not a lot of places on that path. They don’t speak Portuguese, and in those tiny villages they don’t speak any English! When she called someone, she had to hang up again because they didn’t understand each other.
Well done! Read more about this beautiful path to Fatima in the middle of Portugal (middle of nowhere) the stages Coimbra to Condeixa – Ribeira de Alcalamouque it is easy, you sleep at Casa da Lima. But after Ansiao to Freixianda-Ourem and Fatima, it is quite difficult. That is why we organise a fully arranged caminho to Fatima from Coimra-Condexia. Read about this path here.
Gluten and dairy free diet
We ate together, and they were both allergic to gluten and dairy products. No problem for us. We just made vegetable soup, lots of vegetables, potatoes, some meat and fruit.
Zennn…
Around 12:30 on a hot day this Summer, a pilgrim Alessandro asked if he could get some home made yoghurt. Of course. I said he could pick a spot in the shadow. When I came back with the yoghurt, he was not at our patio. He found a nice place in the shadow at the back of our garden around the corner. He put his mat on the floor had his yoghurt, and practise some meditative exercises. We had lunch on our patio, we gave him some things too and after our lunch he was still there. prepared his lunch with canned beans and our fresh mini-tomatoes. He rested, slept, and didn’t leave until after a real siesta. He was so relaxed, interested in everything. He preferred to walk in the morning and late afternoon again. This school teacher was really a relaxed pilgrim.
No rush at all. We all could learn from this teacher pilgrim: Zennn….
This is a photo of the Mindful walking retreat (click here to read more about this retreat) at Casa da Lima
