A warm Korean welcome

After a uneventful flight from Liverpool to Madrid, we found the train to Chamartin and then walked the 30 minutes to the Korean albergue. It’s situated in a nice neighbourhood and we were welcomed by four Korean women: two who had just recently finished the Camino del Norte and another who walked the Camino Francés in August and said it was very crowded. The fourth has a job in Madrid but comes to the albergue to volunteer as a quasi hospitalera. As we sorted ourselves out in our own private room one woman offered us persimmon slices. So tasty. 

Dinner was tapas and wine in the bar downstairs. We’re still having trouble sleeping so didn’t want a lot of anything. 

This morning as we were leaving, I saw some hiking poles by the door and asked if they had been left behind. One of the women who just finished the Norte route gave me her set! I told her I felt so lucky to have them. Then a pair was found for Les. After hugs, we left to get new tips for the poles and a visit to the church of Santiago for a sello. And on the way we saw this

following this, walking down the Calle Mayor which likely used to be an old Grover’s trail, so it needs to be used once a year to keep it’s status as a trail even though it’s now a Main Street. 

And only in Spain would something like this be followed immediately by 5 emergency trucks using their hoses and disinfectants to clean the street.