Hospitalera at the End of the World

by Silvia Nilsen
(Westville, KZN, South Africa)

“Well, that’s that then,” said Judith, volunteer warden of the San Roque pilrims' albergue (hostel), a small two-up-and-two-down school house on the edge of a common outside Corcubion near Finisterre on the west coast of Spain.

“Remember, if the place burns down, it’s your fault!” She was joking - or was she?

Judith had collected us from Finisterre that morning and driven us to Cee to do grocery shopping. She and her husband took us to the albergue to show us the ropes - how to work the temperamental washing machine, where to check the fuse box if there was a power failure, and how to check the fire extinguisher in case of a fire.

“And remember” she said sternly just before driving off, “You must not accept more than 20 pilgrims. The insurance cover is very strict and if you feel sorry for a lone pilgrim and allow him sleep on the floor that’ll be the end of our albergue.”

As she drove away I realised that Isa and I were now completely in charge of this pilgrim shelter on el Camino for the next two weeks. Isa, a young Basque woman from San Sebastian, and I just looked at each other. She couldn’t speak any English and my Spanish was rudimentary to say the least. Over the next two weeks my Spanish improved tremendously and Isa learned how to say, “OK, no problem”, my favourite response to some of the many crises and challenges we faced caring for a 20-bed albergue whose hospitaleros provided breakfast and dinner, and tender loving care to a stream of pilgrims every day.

We soon got into a routine and alternated the chores of scrubbing, sweeping and mopping, often to the beat of a 'Full Monty' music CD.

“We are family – sweep, sweep, sweep. I’ve got all my sister with me" – mop, mop, mop”.

One day I scrubbed toilets, showers and dormitory floors and the next day I changed beds, washed the linen and swept and mopped downstairs. My pet hate was HAIR. Hair in the showers, hair in the beds (of all varieties!): hair on the furniture, hair on the floors. Some days I swear I could have stuffed new cushions with all the thick bunches of hair I pulled off the broom.

When the last pilgrim left in the morning, we spent a couple of hours cleaning and then waited for the bread van to buy our daily bread. Then we donned our backpacks and walked a kilometre into the town. We shared the shopping, tearing a list in half after translating my half into English. Some days we struggled back up the steep, narrow path to the albergue laden with groceries. I often bought the wrong thing. When items came as ‘no-name brands’ it was impossible to tell what was floor cleaner and what was toilet or tile cleaner and for a few days I mopped the floor with lavender toilet liquid and washed the linen in softener. On the way back to the albergue we placed bets on how many pilgrims would be waiting for us. The bet was a martini for Isa or a hot chocolate for me. I never had to buy Isa a martini!

At night we shared cooking (sometimes for 22 people) on two small hot plates and a tiny microwave oven. My curried beans and lentils dish was a hit – made with ‘curry spice’ pimento, colouring, pizza spice and peach marmalade! One could make the same meal every night – with new pilgrims arriving every day – but for our own sakes we varied the meals and served a salad with every meal. On day two I made a salad dressing using lemon juice and oil and cut little yellow arrows out of the lemon peels. Pilgrims were delighted when they found ‘flechas amarillas’ on top of the salad pointing the way to Finisterre!

In some parochial albergues the hospitalero is expected to do an ‘oracion’ or blessing. This was not required at San Roque but I decided that the pilgrims should sing for their supper. I made a list of the words “we are hungry”, which we heard every night, in different languages and before we ate, all the pilgrims had to sing “we are, we are hungry” in their own language to the tune of the Queen’s ‘We will Rock You’. I started them off with the English words, clapping and banging on the table.

Clap, clap, bang; clap, clap bang: “We are... we are … HUNGRY!” bang, clap, clap bang. “Tengo, tengo HAMBRE” bang, clap, clap, bang. “Ich bin, ich bin, HONGER” bang, clap, clap bang!” Some nights there were up to ten nationalities around the table and the song sounded like a football chant!

We worked really well together sharing the early and late shifts. I am a morning person. Isa is a night bird. After supper we would chat and sing songs with the pilgrims and I offered foot massages. We set the table for the breakfast and at around 10:30pm I said goodnight and went to bed. Isa stayed up until the last pilgrim was shooed upstairs and she switched off the lights and locked up. I got up at 6am and crept downstairs to cut the bread, put the milk on to boil and play Gregorian chants at 7am to wake the pilgrims. Isa came down at 7am to help serve the coffee and Cola Cao (hot chocolate) and wave the pilgrims good-bye.

I’m sure that being a hospitalero at the end of the Camino is different to being one at the start. Pilgrims at the start need encouragement for the long journey that lies ahead. Most of our pilgrims were comfortable with their backpacks, had survived blisters, shin splints and other physical problems. Some were excited about finishing what they had started but many had haunted, sad faces – fearful of what it would be like when there were no more yellow arrows to follow; when they had to return to their normal lives.

The Federation of Hospitaleros Voluntarios only allows you to serve for two weeks in an albergue. I didn’t really understand why before I worked at San Roque, but after two weeks of early mornings and late nights, daily physical work, emotional caring and responsibility, I understood.

Isa and I are still in regular contact. I am her “Africa-Mama” and she is my Spanish daughter. We are planning on working together again some time.

NOTE: There are two requirements for volunteers to work as hospitaleros in albergues staffed by the Spanish Federation, Asociacion Galega de Amigos, some Confraternities and other voluntary organisations. You must have walked a Camino route and have done a Hospitalero Training course.

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