The lawyer and the dog groomer

I first noticed them because of the way they smoked. He lights it, hands it to her, she puffs it once and then hands it back. He has one puff and then offers it to her again, holding it by the filter. And she takes another single puff. And so it goes and they share many cigarettes like that each day. It seems like a very intimate little connection but I found out later that she doesn’t smoke in her real life and this is just a camino  aberration, hence never actually lighting one.

Alina and Alex are from Romania- we call them (unsurprisingly) The Romanian Dolls and we meet up with them again every few days.

We adore them and we are watching them play out a complicated love story. 

Alina is tiny, vivacious and speaks perfect English. Her skin is perfect, her eyes are bright and she exudes intelligence. She is an intellectual property lawyer in Alicante. 

Alex is a dog groomer in Romania. He is good looking, very calm and shy. He watches her when she speaks- it a lovely thing. I thought he didn’t speak English but he does, he just defers to her. 

They wear matching bright jackets and the famous German coloured tramping pants that pre -identify every German that goes by (and a few Romanians too). They look very stylish. 

She taught me my favourite Spanish phrase: tranquilo, no pasera nada- it is a rough version of “keep calm and carry on”. I use it every day!  

But they have lives that are not easy to align, the Camino is a break from that. Alina cannot go back to live in Romania- she has a business now and Alicante is a good life. She could not begin again. But Alex loves his dogs and starting a new life Spain is risky, giving up his business too. Since he met her, he has travelled to Alicante three times and now his business is suffering. Dogs don’t wait while you go on holiday. 

So they walk and talk and talk and walk, share one cigarette and try to make a workable plan.

I suggested a baby - when in doubt- have a baby! I think there might be something wrong with that maxim!!

They have another 250 km to figure it out