Restore faith in humanity

[midliferider]

I am on a cycle tour in Spain, doing the Camino north route from Bilbao to Santiago. However I am not exactly following the Camino route.
Yesterday, my resting place was a small village, Boimorto, in Galicia. After taking a shower etc, I walked up to the only restaurant in the village. To my horror, it was closed. As it is Sunday all the shops are closed as well.
There were group of young people talking outside their home which is almost next to the restaurant. I asked them whether the restaurant will be open later. They said no. Then we started talking and they realised my situation. One of them went inside to talk with their mother. She came back and said her family is happy to give me dinner, as they have already finished, it will be left overs. I happily accepted it.
So all the family gathered around the kitchen table talking about my cycling adventures etc while I finish one of the most delicious dinner I have had for a whole week. It was a full dinner, including starter, main course and pudding etc.

I have had similar experiences in Croatia and Portugal as well.

Cycle touring restore your faith in humanity.

 

[numbnuts]

 

[ianrauk]

Doesn't get much better then that.

 

[swee'pea99]

Lovely story!

Hope I'll be forgiven for reposting...

Many moons ago a friend and I were riding in the Peloponnese mountains in Greece, and stayed overnight at a very cheap pension in a tiny village way up in the hills, so basic that it was unplumbed: your washing water came from a little metal tank that hung on the wall with a beer-keg type tap on the front.

Anyway, next morning we set off again and after maybe ten miles rode into a little village in the back of beyond, and as we rode up the main (only) street, people started coming out and flagging us down. They spoke no English and we had only a few words of Greek, but they got us to understand that we should wait, so we did. And about five minutes later a small car pulled up and a young man got out and proved to be the one man from miles around who could speak - albeit little and very halting - English. Anyway he started trying to tell us something, with the help of a lot of gestures, and I suddenly clutched at my sides and said to my friend: 'The money belt!' Sure enough. I'd left the belt, containing not only all our money and travellers cheques but passports, tickets, everything, back at the pension.

As the doctor - for that's who he was - drove us back to the pension, he said that the owner, not knowing which direction we'd gone in, had rung every village within a ten mile radius to tell them to look out for and stop a pair of young English numpties on bicycles.

We got to the pension, the man handed over the money belt, many smiles and thank yous, then the doctor drove us back to the village where our bikes were leaning against the wall where we'd left them (unlocked, needless to say - we'd had a brief debate, because if they'd gone we really were screwed, but had agreed that there's no way we're using a lock in front of these people), then we climbed on and rode away, good-byed with big smiles and waves from all the villagers.

 

[midliferider]

That is another great story swee'pea99.

 

[Beebo]

I am on a cycle tour in Spain, doing the Camino north route from Bilbao to Santiago. However I am not exactly following the Camino route.
Yesterday, my resting place was a small village, Boimorto, in Galicia. After taking a shower etc, I walked up to the only restaurant in the village. To my horror, it was closed. As it is Sunday all the shops are closed as well.
There were group of young people talking outside their home which is almost next to the restaurant. I asked them whether the restaurant will be open later. They said no. Then we started talking and they realised my situation. One of them went inside to talk with their mother. She came back and said her family is happy to give me dinner, as they have already finished, it will be left overs. I happily accepted it.
So all the family gathered around the kitchen table talking about my cycling adventures etc while I finish one of the most delicious dinner I have had for a whole week. It was a full dinner, including starter, main course and pudding etc.

I have had similar experiences in Croatia and Portugal as well.

Cycle touring restore your faith in humanity.

Did you leave a tip?

 

[midliferider]

Did you leave a tip?

I am sure you are joking. I would not dare devalue their hospitality by offering money or any reward.
We had a group photo and shared it on e mail.

 

[slowmotion]

This one had nothing to do with cycling.
We flew to Avignon and rented a hire car for a ninety minute journey to reach our friends' place. I'm always a bit nervous with hire cars on "the wrong side of the road". We got to the autoroute and pootled along before coming to our exit. At the peage, I stuck in my credit card. Rejected. With increasing panic, I tried my debit card. Rejected. We had no French cash to chuck into the machine either. Sweating, I walked back to the first car in the growing line of weekend traffic behind us and tried my very best apologetic French.
"It's all right. Here's ten euros" as he handed me a note.
"Give me your phone number. I'll get it back to you"
"No need. Have a lovely holiday."
We parted company. Chapeau that man.

 

[Fnaar]

I am on a cycle tour in Spain, doing the Camino north route from Bilbao to Santiago. However I am not exactly following the Camino route.
Yesterday, my resting place was a small village, Boimorto, in Galicia. After taking a shower etc, I walked up to the only restaurant in the village. To my horror, it was closed. As it is Sunday all the shops are closed as well.
There were group of young people talking outside their home which is almost next to the restaurant. I asked them whether the restaurant will be open later. They said no. Then we started talking and they realised my situation. One of them went inside to talk with their mother. She came back and said her family is happy to give me dinner, as they have already finished, it will be left overs. I happily accepted it.
So all the family gathered around the kitchen table talking about my cycling adventures etc while I finish one of the most delicious dinner I have had for a whole week. It was a full dinner, including starter, main course and pudding etc.

I have had similar experiences in Croatia and Portugal as well.

Cycle touring restore your faith in humanity.

That's lovely. I lived in Galicia for 2 years, and was very touched by the kindness of the people I met there (as well as the stunning scenery)

 

[Drago]

A wonderful story, although their dog is pretty annoyed at going without his dinner to feed the mad Englishman.

 

[C R]

I am on a cycle tour in Spain, doing the Camino north route from Bilbao to Santiago. However I am not exactly following the Camino route.
Yesterday, my resting place was a small village, Boimorto, in Galicia. After taking a shower etc, I walked up to the only restaurant in the village. To my horror, it was closed. As it is Sunday all the shops are closed as well.
There were group of young people talking outside their home which is almost next to the restaurant. I asked them whether the restaurant will be open later. They said no. Then we started talking and they realised my situation. One of them went inside to talk with their mother. She came back and said her family is happy to give me dinner, as they have already finished, it will be left overs. I happily accepted it.
So all the family gathered around the kitchen table talking about my cycling adventures etc while I finish one of the most delicious dinner I have had for a whole week. It was a full dinner, including starter, main course and pudding etc.

I have had similar experiences in Croatia and Portugal as well.

Cycle touring restore your faith in humanity.

This story makes me a bit prouder of being Galician, if that is possible. Boimorto is a bit out of the way, but nice countryside (that is a given in Galicia, but then I am biased), not much left to Santiago, did you get there today? You have to try Tarta de Santiago (almond cake), and don't miss augardente.

 

[midliferider]

This story makes me a bit prouder of being Galician, if that is possible. Boimorto is a bit out of the way, but nice countryside (that is a given in Galicia, but then I am biased), not much left to Santiago, did you get there today? You have to try Tarta de Santiago (almond cake), and don't miss augardente.

You should be.
It's only 50km from Boimorto to Santiago and not hilly either with compared to the rest of the tour. I was here by 11.30 on Monday morning.
It is an interesting experience.

 

[JtB]

You have to try Tarta de Santiago (almond cake), and don't miss augardente.

Not forgetting of course my wife’s favourite dish - Pulpo a la Gallega.

 

[C R]

Not forgetting of course my wife’s favourite dish - Pulpo a la Gallega.

That's my favourite too.

 

[midliferider]

Not forgetting of course my wife’s favourite dish - Pulpo a la Gallega.

I had plenty of tarta de Santiago.
Sadly I am not a big fan of octopus. However the free meal I had included some kind of octopus pastry. It was good.
I don't drink alcohol.