A Cup of Kindness
A Cup of Kindness
by Kristina Renteria | Lake Mary, FL
Normally, I am the one helping as much as I can, but in this case, I was on the receiving end of an act of kindness. At the end of May 2025, I was walking from Vilalba to Santiago on the Camino del Norte. I was pretty sure that I had enough cash to get me to Santiago, where I could get to an ATM. I spent the night at the albergue inside the Monasterio Cisterciense de Santa María de Sobrado, where I purchased several locally made products in the gift shop. In retrospect, I should have paid with a credit card, but unfortunately I chose to pay with cash.
So the last morning before arriving in Santiago, I went to a café to get a cup of coffee before departing. Credit cards were not accepted there, and I realized that I did not have enough cash to purchase a €1.60 cup of coffee. Earlier that morning, I had met two ladies at the albergue, one from Canada and the other one from England, and they were in the café now. Noticing my struggle, the British pilgrim simply gave me one euro. It really made my day. After all, who would want to start a 20-kilometer walk without coffee?
Many thanks to the British pilgrim, whose act of kindness on the Camino will never be forgotten.
