9/21 The best part of Logroño is my dinner with Thomas. He begins calling himself the Castilian Tomás and calling me peregrina Charlene. We meet again along the way. He is walking with the foursome I met the night before, Genie, Len, Serena, and Dennis. At a cafe late morning I sit and chat with Genie. She tells me more about Alex, the womanizer, and Serena. She says she and Serena don’t have much in common and asks me if I want to go to the shops when we arrive in Logroño. I say yes, of course, forgetting that I can’t resist buying things, and I don’t want to add any weight to my pack. Genie picks up her phone and makes a reservation for me at the Albergue where they’ll all stay. Although I choose to walk alone during the day, I’m excited about my new acquaintances.
Just outside of Logroño, when it seems the end of walking will never come, I come upon a woman selling souvenirs and freshly ripened peaches outside her home adjacent to the path. I buy three peaches before she runs out. A group of us stand beside the trail eating our catch. The peach is the best I have ever tasted. Exhaustion has a way of making every relief (food, shower, sleep) feel the best ever. Frédéric and Pauli, the French couple from the evening before walk up, and we greet each other happily. I offer my third peach to Frédéric because he was standing closest to me assuming he will share with Pauly. I feel so greedy though when I see him enjoying the fruit all by himself as Pauli looks on, and I am wolfing down my second peach.
Once I reach the Albergue, I can’t wait to shower and hand wash my clothes so I can rest. Genie doesn’t want to wait for me, because the shops will close, so our plan is thwarted by my tiredness. There is a festival going on in the main street not far from the albergue. After I’m cleaned up I wander out in search of food and run into Thomas. He is also looking for a place to sit down and eat. The hour seems to be wrong for restaurants because they are closing. I can never remember the open and closing hours of businesses in Spain. But when we walk up to a nice-looking restaurant just before they close, Thomas convinces the friendly maitre ‘d to take us in. Soon the draperies are closed, the door is locked and we are seated at a table near the kitchen in the empty restaurant. We are given Spanish menus but all they have left is beef, so we order beef.
When our entrées arrive the thick steaks are crusted with flakey salt, cut easily with a butter knife, and rare as though they are simply seared. I’ve never tasted a better steak in my life, and I’m not exaggerating. Thomas is the best company with whom to dine. He has impeccable manners and is sophisticated in his conversation. He has a way of making me feel special. With all the clues right in front of me, I am still surprised to discover he is gay. Pleasantly surprised. I feel like a unicorn among the Camino set. We talk about relationships and Camino gossip, and I feel as though I’m drunk with pleasure during this moment with Thomas even though he is the only one with wine.
When we get back to the Albergue and ready for bed, Thomas tells me he’s had insomnia and is worried he will lie awake again. He decides to take a sedative, and I worry again that he is finding comfort too often from substances (common in the gay community). I decide to imitate the pilgrim Leslie who walks for a different person each day. The next day I will walk for Thomas, though I do not walk with him. I rise before dawn leaving a room full of snoring bunks. I do see Thomas is awake so we say goodbye to each other with warm hands together and then parting.