A night to refresh body and soul

Day 7.5:  Casa Fernanda, Lugar do Corgo, Northern Portugal

Note: this is that longer post about our magical night staying in the very popular Casa Fernanda outside of Barcelos.  You can choose to read or skip or skim.

As we sit down for dinner with fellow pilgrims from six nationalities all tucked into a tiny kitchen and living room to share what will be one of the best meals and nights of fellowship so far on our Camino, I pause and ask “Fernanda, how did this (your story) all start?”

And she begins.

One night, back in 2001, she received a knock on her door from an elderly Portuguese woman who was on a pilgrimage to Santiago.  Being Portuguese was rather unusual since most locals here make the pilgrimage to Fatima which usually starts further south.  Most do not choose to go by her village to Santiago.  It was dark, wet and cold, (similar to tonight) and the woman politely asked if there was just a roof she could stay under for the night and she would be gone early the next morning. 

Fernanda didn’t really have any space in her tiny home.  She has always lived here in the countryside, her parents live across the dirt road, and her home is just a bit more than a one room simple house.

The woman humbly asks again. She said she would gladly sleep anywhere, even with the dogs, because she was cold and just needed shelter.

Fernanda said she needed to ask her husband Jocinto (who is tonight now helping cook our hearty meal of pork, potatoes, salad, and rice).  The both realize they have to help this woman and so they both agreed to find a place for her. 

Fernanda finds some blankets, makes a simple bed in her house and makes a basic hot potato soup to share with the woman for dinner.

“And this was elderly woman, she was my first pilgrim.” Fernanda says

In the morning, the woman gets ready to leave and asks what can she pay for the hospitality. Fernanda says there is no need to pay.  Can I make a donation? No, she says. Is there some blessing you would like me to ask for when I arrive at the cathedral?  No, I don’t need any blessing…but Fernanda does think of one thing, can you get a hug for all pilgrims when you arrive in Santiago?  The woman agrees to this and she goes on her way. 

Fernanda never sees this woman again, but she thinks about that interaction and now she always thinks of Santiago as this welcoming place which is one big hug welcoming everyone.

Fernanda continues.

And then sometime later, an unkown man comes into her small village and is talking with her father.  He ends up helping on the farm that afternoon with the corn.  After hours of talking English that they don’t understand, her dad brings this man to the barrel of wine to share.  After more time goes by, he asks if there is a place to stay since it is late and getting dark. 

Fernanda has seen this before.

Again she asks her husband, and they agree to find a place for him.  They make the same type of simple bed and feed him some hot potato soup. 

He is their second pilgrim.

This man is John Brierley, the author of one of the most popular guidebooks to the Camino. The Pilgrims Guide which is now in it’s 14th edition.

John later comes back and spends a lot of time trying to contact her.  He finally does and asks if he can put Fernanda’s name down as a place for pilgrims to stay on the Camino.  She says yes, thinking that she will be able to open her house to the few Portuguese who will come by, like the elderly woman.  What she didn’t know, she says, is that she will be opening her house up to the world.  At last count, she said, she has welcomed more than 136 nationalities into her simple home.

John Brierly devotes a whole paragraph to her in his tightly written guide book since his first edition back in 2005, that includes her picture, and he states, “Fernanda and Jocinto Gomes Rodriguez have welcomed pilgrims for many years providing authentic hospitality (donations only, suggested 20 Euros a night that includes dinner and breakfast, wine and song)…A night at Casa Fernanda will refresh body and soul.”

She finishes her story telling us since then, John Brierly has stayed at her house many times, even these last few years when he was battling cancer.  The last time he came through she could tell he was struggling and it would be his last.  He passed away last year.

Our friends Cathy and Tim had stayed here 7 years ago on their Camino and talked about how welcoming and meaningful it was to them.  It was the first place we booked and we moved our schedule to accommodate when she had an opening. 

We were one of the first pilgrims to arrive to a one story house at a crossroad with a hand painted sign and a creeky wire gate.  We walk through her vegetable garden which opens into a covered patio with two couches and a few chairs.  Soon Fernanda comes out and is asking if we want a glass of wine or a shower first, should I show you your room, please take off your shoes, relax, you are at home now, how was your trip so far … It is our first full welcome since we have been in Portugal and it already seems like we have been here for ages.  Later we start to join in on this welcome ritual as each group of pilgrims show up from the UK, Canada, Brazil, US, Ireland, and later a Portuguese father walking the Camino with his nearly blind young adult daughter.

Fernanda brings out the wine, serving it in the traditional ceramic bowls, and it keeps being refilled.  She starts to prepare several rounds of tapas for us and we mingle amongst ourselves.  Siri tries to see if she can help, but Fernanda says you are my guest, please sit down.

The burdens of the day’s walk falls away, any tension, stress or uncomfortableness, all melts away.   She offers to put our dirty laundry in her washer. Later when it is done, we are all like family sifting through the bundle of wet clothes to find our own socks and pants and then remembering how to properly and sparingly use clothespins. Jocinto provides instructions.

When we are satiated, and Siri takes a quick nap, Fernanda calls us all into her kitchen where she has somehow fit a few tables together for the 16 people and the feast that is about to appear.   Wine and bread are already on the table.  Then comes the hot potato soup.  I am thinking to myself that I would be fine with this simple meal – it would be more than enough. What I don’t see is that Jocinto is bringing out several plates of pork and potatoes. (I think again, this would be enough) And then comes the salad, then the rice with fish, then the Lima beans with chorizo and more (and gluten and vegan options for those who need it.) It is all more than enough.

It is a feast beyond words. It allows the conversations to go deeper and more meaningful.  With my first question, it opens up others. We find out from our UK friends who visited her last year, that she has been featured on the BBC a couple of times and she tells us those stories which are full of laughter and also touching human moments.  We start to hear each other storiea. This is when I find out that I have worked with father of the person across from me and we take a picture and send it to him. We find out about the Canadian womens’ group and how they came to take the Camino rogether. The Irish couple is again on Camino after not being able to finish last year. Another person shares she is working through if she should marry and if to have kids  The Canadian next to me and I listen fully and walk beside her on her own journey.

The Texan who walks to honor his wife, brings out his guitar he carries, and the songs begin and will go till midnight.  All join in, including Fernanda and Jocinto who make their own requests.  We go through the classics from “Country roads” to “Sweet Caroline.”.  We all stop when the Irishman sings one of his deep and sorrowful ballads.  More wine, port and now the local very strong homegrown spirit called ‘firewater’ is passed around for shots and refills.     

No one wants this magical evening to end, but it is approaching midnight and the Camino will soon call in the morning. 

The last song is “Hallelujah.”

Siri looks at me knowingly as we both remember the cello from just five days ago sending us on way with this ballad. Some of us stand as we move closer together to sing one least time as a group that will never be recreated.

We finish with the verse,

“I’ll stand right here before the Lord of song
With nothing, nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah”

And then all of us, with full mind, body and soul sing several final choruses of “Hallelujah”

The magic is broken and we start off to bed to finally sleep and prepare for our next day together on the Camino.

We are refreshed.