Day 17 part 2

I had a read a little about the private alburgue in boadilla, family run in a restored barn with courtyard garden and casa rural so decided to stay there. I walked through the gate into the garden with wooden skulptures, stone planters, iron skulptures and all manner of interesting bits and pieces where I am greeted by Eduardo, who speaks a little Czech, similar to my Spanish, that he learnt from a Czech on the camino. He is very friendly and at first I think a little too charming as he carries my backpack into the alburgue which has a large long living room with exposed beams and brick work. This all reminds me of mum and dads bakery on a larger scale. Eduardo and I converse in a mix of Czech, Spanish and english. He corrects my Spanish, it's buenas tardes now, not buenas Dias and muchas gracias not mucho gracias, un vino tinto not una vino and una hora. It's laundry day on the camino and he takes almost all my clothes that mama will put in the washing machine. 5 minutes later I realize that I forgot a pair of socks, I rush to mama hoping that she hasn't started the load, in fact she has, but it's all tranqila tranqila and a lot of Spanish I don't understand. After the usual peregrino ritual of unpacking and showering I go to get a glass of wine with plans to sit in the garden and write. Eduardo surprises me with a request to braid his hair which as he takes off his black wollen hat is very long, thick, dark brown with a lot of grey at the temples. It turns out that he washed it this morning and indeed it is still a little damp as he had it bundled up under the hat. He then arranges a stool for him, a chair for me, a hairbrush sans handle on the patio and we discuss whether it would be best to do this before or after I drink the glass of wine, I think before, he thinks after, but then more peregrinos arrive, sit and drink he says, I'll be back. I'm not that good at braiding as Ana knows but I start, he reassures me that if it isn't good no problem I can do it again!! Luckily he is satisfied with the first attempt and promptly dons the black wollen hat and flicks the braid almost to his waist in length over his shoulder and he is very happy, he and his mother have owned this peaceful place for 15 years and I learn a little about it. They will close in 2 weeks for the winter and he will go to germany for 6 weeks to learn german. I realize that he is not too charming, but loves running the place and making people happy and it turns out that Antonio from the last village is his good friend!! Of course.

Laundry is done and I hang it with the 6 clothes pegs, safety pins found and gifted along the camino and of course the s-binders work very well.

The church across the street opens and it is yet another oppulent incredible site, I light a special candle for natasha and a special candle for Ana and time for some reflection, the girls are on my mind a lot today, I miss them.

A good simple communal meal cooked by mama, served by eduardo, presided over by a very talkative basque who has cleary walked the camino many times and liked to give advice. I learn about el humido, a section of Leon to visit where the cheese and wine are good and people watching is interesting. The languauges this evening are French and Spanish and I say little and try to get the gist.