Sahagún

Halfway Point on the Camino Frances to Santiago

A couple of nights ago in Albergue El Chiringuito del Camino in Fromista, a few of us were invited to dinner by Phil and Nina. Over dinner they told us that they had met three years ago a few kilometers away in Hornillos del Camino at an albergue called Meeting Point. Nina was walking the Camino with her mother and when they left that night she and her mother both agreed that Phil was loud (he chimed in here with a smile, that some people call that personable).

They met again a couple of cities later and decided to walk together a little, along with other friends that they had in common. 

When they arrived in Santiago, Phil said he was shamed by his friends into asking Nina on their first date. He told his friends not to show up on this date, but of course they all did anyway. 

Nina is from Croatia and Phil from Michigan. They were married 4 months ago in Croatia in a traditional Croatian ceremony where everyone is given a small sprig of rosemary to signify that they are part of the whole and partying begins before the ceremony and long into the night afterward.

Nina and Phil live in Croatia now and when I met them they were walking their honeymoon on the Camino. They took pictures of us all at our table and I neglected to get a copy from them before we left. 

If you close your eyes and think about the people you love doing the things they love to do, you will have a small picture of your own of our shared meal together.

The song many pilgrims sing along the way and Phil and Nina played walking into their wedding ceremony.

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)

https://youtu.be/NKxVjm2MFwE?is=K34Ar3BPOwPu-qaH

(Highlight hyperlink above to link to YouTube)