2025-05-01

„The Camino is a massively positive experience, but not totally positive. Negative things are going to happen that will itritate you, and you will do things that will irritate others.
The magic of the Camino is found in how we react to the negative.
I was walking along, fairly chilled, good form, whistling and humming to myself, on a smooth flat narrow path, surrounded by tall grass either side.
I heard a shout behind me. A yell. A roar. What we in Ireland would call a gunter.
CUATRO CICLISTAS CUATRO CICLISTAS.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw cyclists on big mountain bikes bearing down hard towards me.
I looked at the grass either side ahead of me, didnt see anywhere to get out of their way, and truth be told I dont like being yelled at and I didnt appreciate the lack of a please.
So, my mood immediately turned, I gave a ratty response back, over my shoulder. A yell. A roar. A gunter.
UN PEREGRINO UN PEREGRINO.
And I kept on walking.
Now.
I’m Irish. I’m big. I’m happy. I’m grumpy. I’m laid back. You can take me anywhere, but you can push me nowhere.
I stand in the gutter for very few people.
And certainly never for people who gunter at me.
They braked sharply, I walked on.
They dismounted, all clicking and clanking, I walked on.
They clipped clopped behind me in their cycling shoes, I walked on.
A short bit later, I came to a wider area, a sort of a lay by in the grass, and stood into the side to let them pass.
The first cyclist remounted, cycled past me, then gave a yell back over his shoulder.
PUTA PEREGRINO he snarled.
I didn’t react, I just immediately stepped back into the path, and started walking again.
The three cyclists behind me who were partially remounted, now had to dismount and start walking again.
We made a strange procession.
Me sauntering and whistling
Three cyclists clip clopping and grumbling.
Maybe grumbling at me, or maybe at the cyclist who had insulted me.
And one cyclist stpped far ahead who had just realised his mates weren’t with him.
I walked past a couple more slightly wider areas where I could have stopped.
I didn’t. I kept waking.
We came to a stretch where the road started to widen again.
I stepped to the side.
I stood glaring at them.
They remounted.
And cycled carefully past me.
The second cyclist warily wished me Buen Camino.
I nodded.
The third cyclist respectfully said Gracias Senor.
I nodded.
The final cyclist was different.
The final cyclist was a huge man.
The final cyclist probably had Irish blood in him somewhere.
Big, muscular, fit, strong.
He was up for the craic.
He wasn’t going to apologise, but he didn’t want an apology from me either.
He knew where the fault lay.
The final cyclist was killing himself laughing.
I couldn’t help but grin back.
He stopped.
He didn’t unclip, or any of that nonsense cyclists do.
He held onto my shoulder at arms length and used me to keep his balance.
HEY PEREGRINO he chuckled.
LOCO PERGRINO he laughed.
He indicated his and his friends.
CUATRO he counted, indicating four of them.
He pointed to me.
UN he yelled, indicating I was alone.
He shook his head in amazement.
LOCO PEREGRINO he laughed.
LOCO, LOCO, LOCO he roared.
And off he went. I could hear his big infectious laughter rolling back down towards me, my chuckles were more to myself.
The magic of the Camino. Something negative has both of us laughing
Anyway.
Some time later I came to a cafe, and stood into the queue.
The nice young lady behind the counter gave me a couple of curious looks.
My first thought was negative.
I’m not used to nice young ladies looking at me. Repeatedly looking. Those days are long gone for me. If those days were ever actually there.
Uh oh I thought.
They have called the police I thought.
I’m about to be arrested I thought.
Beaten up, locked up, brought to the airport and deported in shame I thought.
Me Mammy will kill me I thought.
My turn came to be served.
I was wary.
She smiled at me.
My wariness turned to nervousness.
Young ladies don’t smile at me.
Loco Peregrino she asked sweetly?
I nearly fainted there and then.
I wasn’t sure what to do.
Own up and face the consequences, or deny all knowledge?
I glanced round the cafe in panic.
A lot of the customers were female.
A lot were Asian.
My chances of hiding in the crowd were slim.
I nodded.
I owned up.
Si I said sadly.
Loco Peregrino I admitted.
And I resigned myself to my fate.
Which was a cafe con leche and a tortilla, paid for by the cyclists a bit earlier.
By way of apology, or thanks, or respect, or something.
The magic of the Camino.
Negative to Positive.
They made me feel negative, I reacted negatively.
But then they made me feel positive, I hope they now feel positive too.
Morning all.
Have a positive day “

https://www.facebook.com/groups/544764125895308/?multi_permalinks=2400780033627032