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At ten o’clock the pilgrims should all be out walking and the team starts cleaning. All beds and pillows must be cleaned and all floors be mopped . It’s quite a big Alberge so it took us about an hour and a half to clean the whole place. Toilets and showers got special attention. At noon we had a wonderful lunch prepared by one of the other volunteers. I’m getting more and more nervous about having to do this!

At 2:30 the doors opened and many pilgrims came in. I stayed out of the way, washing lunch dishes and putting things away after a really magnificent lunch -complete with wine, of course! When it was a bit quieter I learned how to assign lockers and take them to their rooms and explain the rules, show them the kitchen and the garden and generally welcome them. Part of the expectation is that I should chat with people on the garden or common room too. The chats can be entertaining, startling or charming or surreal. One gentleman spoke to me in Italian, which I do not understand , for at least twenty minutes, even reading passages of his guidebook to me. Now fate is playing her hand as he is protesting forcefully to an Spanish gentleman “Non capiche” ( Italians excuse the spelling). The Spaniard shows no sign of letting up.

I was put on the schedule for next week and it is great not to feel I am a complete novice. Today I hung up the wash, took it in, washed dishes and … had conversations.

Everyone praises this Alberge, Peligrinos de Porto and rightly so! The garden is fun although two Camino donkeys ruined the grass last year and it has not yet recovered. The staff is kind and cheerful and the pilgrims are happy to be here.