UN DIA EN LA VIDA DE PUEBLO PEQUENO. 23 Mayo 2010.

A day in the life of a little village! Rest days provide different opportunities to observe life in these wonderful little Spanish villages.
Today began at 530 with fellow pilgrims stirring for a quick breakfast before setting out on their next stage before the Extramadura heat becomes too oppressive (to arrive at a destination between 12 and 2 is perfect because the late afternoon is best indoors)!
Cocks are crowing and dogs are barking in the distance, perhaps at pilgrims already on the road. It is still cool and fresh but all is otherwise quiet in this tiny village on a Sunday morning.
    Up the road, the bar Kiosko is open for a few early birds at 7am (mainly pilgrims today, needing their tostada and cafe con leche before setting out. I join them at one of the outdoor tables with a view of the Iglesia, so I can watch mummy stork feeding her young on one of the towers, and sketching an outline of the bell tower and facade.
   The village is built on the side of a hill with a long Y shaped street running downhill. The Auntamiento (Town Hall) and the top bar (Kiosko) are situated at the top of theY, with the lower bar Sergio (abajo) in the bottom corner. Sergio seems to operate the fuente in front, with water flowing when the bar is open in this tiny little square. The Ayuntamiento has the obligatory 3 flags flying a little shabbily from the top balcony, and is obviously the place to communicate with the local community. The glassed in notice board has details of a regular foot clinic (for pilgrims or pensioners I wonder), there are lots of classes for internet and web use and a free bus tour to see the Festival of Patios which we were lucky enough to see 2 weeks ago.
   A well kept playground in front of the church suggests young children live here and the primary school opposite looks to be a lively place with bright murals at the front entrance. A little farmacia tends to the needs of the local and pilgrim community.
The tabac/tienda is a tiny little shop next door but well supplied with food and household items. Opening times vary, as I discovered yesterday, but it was explained to me later that the couple running the shop have a tiny baby so in true Spanish tradition, they open when possible! I found it open 2 hours after the published time and it was an hilarious experience. In such a tiny space, the shopkeeper (Dad) was trying to re-stock his shelves, while 5 noisy senoras crowded inside, cooing over the baby´s pram. Unfortunately this was all too much for the little babe who burst into tears. In the next moment, Mum leaves a till mid-transaction and disappears out the back with a bottle of water and unhappy babe. Meanwhile Dad is trying to complete transactions, side stepping the melee of senoras gabbling while I just watch on amused at the whole scene. Ten minutes later,I found my milk, bread and yoghurt and said farewells to the elderly lady carrying large bottles of water home!
      The bar/cafe is another fun spot to people watch. Usually it is elderly men propping up the bar during the day. They obviously come for company and to catch up with the daily paper, and are well known to the proprieter of said cafe. ´´Seconds´´of their espresso, little alcoholic tipple and tiny tapas arrive without words being spoken!
Next moment 3 hungry camino cyclists arrive hungry and thirsty, so the barmen disappears out the back to prepare food, but only after drawing a beer for each of them.
    Then the vans start to arrive in the village. I am warned this will happen so await the toot toot. I join a couple of senoras as we line up for fruit and vegetables fresh from Merida.
Next the Pan Van (bread) arrives but I am already supplied as others choose their daily loaf.
    The Roman Baths are an obvious meeting place in the village, and a popular place for pilgrims staying at the albergue. We enjoyed bathing in pools of varying temperatures which was very welcome after a day on the Camino.
   The casas are beautifully cool inside and if ´my´ present residence is any indication, the huge vaulted ceilings and stone and pebble mosaic floors seem to make the difference. There is such pride in keeping homes clean as I observe the neighbours sweeping and mopping their front steps each morning before opening the front door for a little through draught and to greet neighbours walking past.
    In the cool of the evenings, there are kds on bikes and older adolescents on motorbikes using the downhill run for a little excitement!
   Life goes on as pilgrims arrive and leave this charming little place and I head off to Misa (Mass) with about 20 locals. Quite a wonderful experience with a lively young priest playing Spanish guitar and lots of singing from about 6 children/young adults, who are very much assisting with the service. One lad is clearly disabled, and doesn´t really get the hang of lighting and extinguishing candles (his part in the service), but the priest is so patient with him. A mix of older women and a handful of younger people, but my observation is of a very caring community.
As I leave the church and cross over to the little square and Bar Kiosko, I notice the men stray while the women pray! Maybe this is part of their culture, as I asked a group of Spanish male walkers (mid 50´s) one night around a communal dining table why I didn´t see older Spanish women on the camino and their response was that wives cared for them over the years and looked after the house and their children, so it was not their role to walk the camino as well (so I thought did they see it as their duty in life?).
I was then amused later that same evening, one of the chaps got up suddenly, did all the dishes and swept the floor, and promptly told the others "don´t tell my wife"!