Follow Your Arrow

Canfranc Pueblo, where I am spending two weeks, is a very small village. The official number of inhabitants as of 2025 is 633. I thought my home town was small, with 1300 people, but Canfranc is really small. It has one main street, which runs parallel to the Aragon river, its natural boundary to the east. Canfranc’s one bar has been closed (for renovations) for two weeks now and will reopen in a few more days. So the locals gathered for their Saturday night in the wee park next to the church, which happens to be across the street from the albergue. The group was having a good time, but they were loud, and worse yet, their dogs were barking non-stop for over an hour. I love dogs, as many of you who know me would know. But a trio of barking dogs, no matter how endearing, are still annoying. So, at about 10 p.m. I walked over to the park and asked them to quiet their dogs. They ignored me. I could see the source of the incessant barking – a Jack Russel Terrier with a ball. Of course. I retreated in defeat and frustration.

I was tired. An hour earlier, one of our pilgrims became sick and had an accident in the dormitory corridor. So, on with the gloves and out with the bleach, and I was cleaning and mopping the floors, and laundering soiled clothes. How terribly embarrassing and upsetting this was for the Pilgrim, and this their first day on the Camino. I gave the Pilgrim my supply of immodium and hope this gets her through the 20 km walk she planned for today. We can plan our Caminos, but life unfolds as it will, and we work through it. We walk on.