Reflections

Countries* - 27
Pilgrims - 212
Nights - 16
Max number of pilgrims: 25 on October 16
Min number of pilgrims: 5 on October 26
Bicyclists – 3 (one started in Norway and another from Lithuania)
Dinners, family style: rotated between lentils or pasta with a salad and bread
Breakfast finished by 8am (we had it set up the night before): bread, butter, jam, cornflakes, biscuits, tea, coffee
Daily cleaning starting at 8am: pilgrim dorm room sweep and mop, 2 pilgrim showers, 2 pilgrim bathrooms with toilet and sink; kitchen and dining area, 3-5 loads of laundry per day
Hosts had their own rooms and access to 2 bathrooms with showers on their floor
Free time: 10am - 1:30pm
Lights out: 10pm

Most common items left behind: men’s underwear, tops, gear they no longer wanted to haul

When I felt like the bad guy: When I had to say no
* list of countries with pilgrim count: Australia (9), Austria (1), Belgium (6), Brazil (8), Canada (5), China (3), Czech (1), Denmark (2), England (3), France (43), Germany (10), Hungary (2), Iraq (1), Ireland (3), Italy (34), Japan (4), Lithuania (1), Mexico (1), Netherlands (11), New Zealand (1), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Russia (1), S Korea (10), Slovenia (1), Spain (18), Switzerland (1), Taiwan (8), USA (22)

It was a wonderful experience for me.  I loved, loved living in a place where I would walk out the door and be there in a city.  There were plenty of cafes for people watching, museums, churches, walking/biking paths, a river nearby with green space on both sides, a public library, a post office, good public transportation, and an indoor market for fruit, veggies, cheeses, meats, olives, etc.  We were told we can always go back to volunteer at this parish house.

A month after I got back, I joined a Pilgrim’s walk in Seattle, and another walker also volunteered recently.  She did not enjoy her time mostly due to the fact she said it was hard to hear/understand people even with her hearing aid and was in a very small village with not much to do.  If I don’t volunteer again in 2027, then 2028 for sure and going back to Logrono would suit me just fine.  Thank you for following my journey.  Back to work.