Tuesday was definitely an easier day. The wind was a little too chilly even for this time of year but the sun shone all day as we walked from Woking to Hambledon.
The distance was much shorter than we had expected and the last two miles were in a car as the woman who had offered to put us up that night just happened to drive by us as we were on the last short stretch into Hambledon. I saw this car stopping and a woman wound down the window and said, “Are you Ian?” and there we were, heading for this amazingly comfortable house with a massive annex with so much space and the chance for Alison to have a bath while I took a shower!
Back on the subject of hospitality, Louise and Simon (our hosts for Tuesday) had agreed to let us stay on the night of the 14th (which is actually Wednesday, but that was because I had miscalculated the dates for the walk!
I had not realised this until Monday so we emailed Louise asking if it was OK to be with her a day earlier. Despite a very hectic day with lots of things happening within the family, she said yes, no problem and we were made welcome at incredibly short notice!
Then, on Wednesday night our hosts have been Gerry and Ligia who agreed to put us up with not much more than a day’s notice. Gerry had been on Student Cross for the first time this year (his son went on Midland Leg last year). He picked us up from our walk and brought us home to his lovely house, we have been fed and pampered royally and are about to have breakfast before being driven back to start today’s walk.
Hospitality is an experience that is at the heart of what being human is. It demonstrates something about our nature that modern society seems eager to deny – don’t ask me why!
I will write about our walk next but just feel very grateful and seriously amazed and reassured by people’s generosity and need to think about this more and explore it while I can.... what do you think?
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Hi Ian,
ReplyDeleteYour musings re hospitality evoked memories of walking the Camino Frances last year, and of how we soon found out that it was 'the kindness of stangers' that defined a place for us-no matter how beautiful/ugly the architecture or scenery. I wasn't expecting to feel this so strongly and had presumed our aesthetic engagement with the environment, built or natural, we were walking through would be the deciding factor. How wrong I was!
As a result my top ten places along route include some pretty dusty 'back of the self' little towns and villages with little or nothing of 'Camino significance'......apart that is from a warm welcome and genuine engagement with pilgrims-hospitality at it's most essential.
My thoughts are with you on your journey.
Bonne route
Nell