Angels on the Camino...by ER

It´s true, we do encounter angels every day. They don´t have wings or wear halos of gold, but they do point us in the right direction, give us shelter, prepare our meals and give words of encouragement. Many of these angels are ¨hospitaleros¨ or volunteer workers of the hostels/monestaries in which we have been sleeping. Many of them have done El Camino before and return to the monestary in support of other pilgrims. I am considering signing up to do this while I´m in Europe. It´s so nice to see a smiling face when you arrive in a city and to hear the kind words of someone asking how you are doing while stamping your ¨camino passport.¨ Most of the hostels are free in La Rioja, but others are only 5 - 7 euros or donation only. We found a real oasis today in a small town, Viloria de la Rioja (population 30). An Italian couple have welcomed pilgrims in this hostel for the past 15 years, leaving an impression to all who have been here. The old farmhouse is made of stones and timber and they make a family - style meal for all the pilgrims spending the night. We are about to sit down for dinner right now...I´m sure it will be an interesting conversation amongst all the Italian, Swedish, German, Spanish and English pilgrims staying here.