50~Regent Advantage
I slept in a bit, not having slept well the night before for some reason,
and awoke to the Fruit peelings from the dinner the night before that I had swiped from the compost.
Apple, Pear, Kiwi, and Manga peels, were all enjoyed, along with some of the Rice I had rescued, and an Oat Cookie that someone left on my computer at Jesus y Maria. I dipped Banana into the Cocoa Mix, which is something I never thought to do before and was alright, but straight Cocoa Powder is way better.
We got going and eventually found a market, after enjoying that morning walk around the Citadel.
I at least needed more doggo food, and of course hoped to be fed as well.
Now in the city we had the opportunity, so I laid my backpack down and for more than two hours played my Harmonica, Prayed, and just sat there petting Ryger saying “Hola” and “El Camino!” to people.
I got about 2euros.
This was incredibly disappointing to me; I thought pilgrims on El Camino would receive a lot more support than this. It’s not like I needed Blessings to rain down upon me, but I certainly didn’t expect to be walking away hungry and with nothing.
Almost nothing, Sister Paula from yesterday happened to walk by. We started talking and she asked,
“Do you want something?”
Before I could answer, Ryger started screaming — his constant screaming at every single dog that walks by certainly not helping us get what we need to survive — so I was able to get out a,
‘I will eat anything you give me.’
Before she walked away inside.
She gave me a Baguette with Seeds on it, and an Orange.
I ate most of the Baguette and the rest of the Rice as we sat there.
I should have eaten the Rice the night before when I found it, as it wasn’t that cold so it maybe started to turn and so it upset my stomach. Oops.
At least it tasted good.
Before we left, I spent the 2euros on tuna and sardines for Ryger. In the market I saw some nice Spanish Olive Oil for a not expensive price. Of course I didn’t buy it, but I’d been wanting a thing of Olive Oil to put on all the Bread I’d been eating since we arrived in Paris. I walked by it with a
*sigh*
Just as we got up to leave, a man with an Accordion approached us. He said a lot of things in Español and did not stop saying a lot of things in Español even after I told him
‘Poquito Espanol.’
I got very excited when he tapped the change in his pocket, as for a moment I thought he was sent by God to get us food and was offering to buy us something. I used the translator to tell him,
‘I like plain oats.’
Well actually he was asking for money, so when I figured that out, I offered him the rest of the Baguette. He showed me his toothless mouth. So, with another sigh, I pulled out the PB container of Cocoa Mix, which he accepted, and then also gave him the Milk.
A guy at an outdoor restaurant table saw this occur, and as I walked by him I looked at him and said,
‘Stingy city…’
A table next to him had an unfinished scrap of Bread and sip of wine left on it. I grabbed the Bread and shoved it in my mouth. I did not touch the wine. I don’t want it.
I then walked over to see if either of the 2 Milks I’d left where I found them last night were still there. They were not, but instead I found a lady asking for Alms. After a very frustrating struggle that lasted more than a minute of me trying to pull the food bag out of the overflow bag from the back of the backpack, I gave her the last human food item I had; the Orange.
I then walked away feeling very upset, though also ‘Victorious.’
So many people walked by us and hardly anyone wanted to help us out.
I’m losing my mind in the desperation of my personal issues and the struggle against tyranny, and to simply survive on the loam with no savings. But I still don’t walk by people in Need asking for help, and gave an offering from the little I had. So I felt good about myself, but disappointed. I was hungry and irritable and if I could choose, I’d be with a gal somewhere not doing a damn thing but cooking and cuddling with her (and Ryger, too, of course). Instead, we’re a yellow-arrowed trail away from being a street urchin, which is better than in a concentration warehouse or dead, and I’m Grateful, but Gratitude doesn’t make it any less difficult
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On the way out of the downtown of The City of Pompadours, I found by a garbage area a nearly empty jug of Olive Oil. Nearly–the residue in an Oil container will settle, as any zero-waste Chef knows. I grabbed that and drained it onto my Bread; finally, Olive Oil with a Baguette. There was even a bit left for later, and I enjoyed and was Grateful.
We soon walked by a table of 4, and one of the men seemed finished with their meal, but still had plenty of chicken on his plate. I don’t really like doing this, as I don’t want to bother people, but for Ryger, I asked if he was going to eat his meat.
The magic of El Camino went into effect.
I was not a bum interrupting their meal,
I was a Pilgrim helping them reduce food waste by feeding my dog. They were happy to shovel their plates, which also had French Fires, into a bag for us. They also gave me four pieces of Bread, which would be Perfect to have with the remaining Olive Oil.
I thanked them deeply.
I am genuinely Grateful for such humble offerings, and that feels good.
I Love Living this way.
At another table up ahead, some unfinished Dried Corn sat on a plate. I quickly vulture’d it into the bag with the Bread as we walked by.
We came to the University in Pamplona. I love seeing universities in my travels.
There was a sign that offered Pilgrims a stamp, so I excitedly followed the markings to the “Central Building” and received another cool stamp. It was at this point that I realized the stamps were really fun, as there are so many different places to get a stamp and you can go wherever you want to get one. I also used the restroom, which was nice, and walked by the dining hall, which was closed. I wanted to hike more anyways, and was rather satisfied from the lovely dinner with fellows the night before.
Ryger however had not had his social needs met, so I could not deny him as we walked by a dog park. Hoping he didn’t cause trouble, I let him go inside. Thankfully, he was his Buen Perro self, and only made friends with the dogs and even played a bit with one of them. When that dog left, so did we, continuing on to an outlying town.
As we approached a playground with children playing, a police officer appeared and marched over to me, firmly asking what I was up to.
The magic of El Camino went into effect.
I pointed to the nearby and unmistakable trail marker and produced my pilgrim passport. His stern gaze then turned soft and he gave us lots of helpful information, including a nearby market that he suggested we supply at. I hadn’t gotten any food for Ryger besides the two cans of tuna+sardines, so I took his advice and went over there. No one gave us anything nor really talked to us, but I got a bag of healthy no-grain dog food for Ryger, along with more tuna and salmon wet-food, too.
We headed onward and part of me was committed to pushing through the night to make up for our slow pace, but as dusk got darker we came to two picnic tables with cover in the middle of the crop fields, and finding such a perfect spot at the right time with an upset stomach ’cause of the Rice, I laid us down for the night.
I just had a nibble of Bread, which had taken on the aroma of the Seasoned Dried Corn it was in the bag with, and saved the rest of breakfast.
