Come in, I have a big fire going.  We will warm up, yes?  Glad that you could make it.

How are your feet and legs?  Could be better, yea right.  It’s amazing what kind of situation that we can still walk on.  Well, just kick your boots off while we have a bite to eat.   Yea, change your socks, that’s always good.

You got some sunburn too I see.  Right, the tops of your ears get it the worst.  No hat?  It blew off?  Well, just hunt around in that big box over there and maybe you’ll get lucky.  What’s that, not your favorite team, well it is now.  Ha ha.

You want a big glass of agua?  Then you have some soup and a glass of wine, how’s that.  I made chicken stock and I had some garbanzo beans in the pantry that I threw in, you’ll like it.  There is carrots and parsley.  Everything tastes good to a hungry pilgrim.  Well, yea, some of that ham is pretty bad.  You mean that stuff that you can repair your sandals with?  Haha. Yea.

OK, here’s your soup and some toast.  We take care of you good.  There’s plenty of salt in there, you taste it first.  Good, good.  You want red or white?  Red, OK.

So,  dessert?  We have some flan, homemade.  Yes, good, here.  More water?

Feel better?  Right, not too many pilgrims in October.  We are about ready to close for the year.  We had a record year and August, you should have seen August.  That’s the worst or the best, depending on how you look at it.  Yea, Saint James is happy.

So, you were crying before you came in?  Tears of sorrow or tears of joy?   Oh, it’s an anniversary of something.  A death, I see.  Well, I will pray for your loved one and pray for strength for you precious pilgrim.   OK, lace them up well, you have some ups and downs ahead before you get to the albergue.

There you look better.  A smile and a hug, what a lucky man am I.  OK, see you next time.