Name That Tune

Kay Cherryholmes

Just now · Off to a beautiful start this morning! Earliest start yet! The alburgue; Casa Magica was ran by the sweetest woman; Simone. I was telling her of my disappointment in taking a taxi there and she assured me that every Camino is personal to each peregrino. She said that she came to Spain years ago to walk to Santiago and that when she arrived in Ciragui, she met 'that guy' (pointing to her Spanish husband) and she said I never made it to Santiago! Ahhhh! I am not a sucker for love but that one was GOOD. I would totally skip out on Santiago for Love. well I'd like to think I would.So today I am trekking, happily with the morning breeze and let me say yesterday in the vineyards I walked through at 2 seperate times peregrinos (not with me) one set was on bikes - 2 guys) and another time they were in a cafe ( a couple) and I over heard them say to each other "she's American".... hmmm I wondered how they that? I mean, YES I am American (happily) but Idon't have the flag attached to my back packie, I wasn't talking so they couldn't have based it on my accent or language, nothing but a visual observation. Well....let me go waaaay out on a limb here and suggest that perhaps they are assuming this becuase I am, ohh how shall I say it kindly; a little bit a of a chunk. A slow, happy, freespirited little chunky peregrino. Honestly, there are people of all sizes in this journey so far but ON THE CAMINO, ....I'm a little 'grande'. So this is starting to irritate me, their simple assumptions of my Nationality based on my body size. I mean, COME ON, I know soooo many healthy, fitness loving Americans who are buff buff buff. I am personally close with many of these people. As if the pressure of walking 500 miles (well now, 495 miles thanks to Juan in the Taxi) now I have the additional pressure of making Americans look bad I can fix this. I can Ican. Let's be honest, my ability to speak Spanish has been less than successful and I can be anybody I WANT to be  Along my journey this morning through very shady lanes in the country side, I decided that with my fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes I could be Swedish, German, Irish...all good choices. I would prefer to say I am Swedish but with all those Swiss Alps, how have I not shed the lbs? nah, Swedish isn't believable. BUT,.... a German peregrino I could pull off!?Ya? I think so. I am going to say the next time people inquire where I am from and who I am; I am Katiana Heineken from Frankfurt and that I left the family beer business to be a goat farmer and that I selll goat cheese to all parts of the world! Surely the beer and the goat cheese would eliminate any confusion. Has anyone ever seen a buff goat farmer? well probably not. Goat cheese is really good, on everything. In fact I might have some today with my cafe con leche Now for my linguistic skills; I have been practicing that too. Iknow that Danka is kinda german I think and it means thank you. I think I will say "uuchen lieden ankaan dooduhn" to people and my face will look like I am saying "where is the cafe".... and unless the person I am speaking to also speaks German, noboby will know the difference! Voila! America is off the hook!Where I came up with "Uuchen lieden ankaan dooduhn" is from that 80's song that starts out saying something like that??!! Ican hear it in my mind. I've been singing it on the trail. I think its by Aerosmith? All of you that grew up with me in the 80's does anyone know which song I am referring to? A gift to the person who names it first (warning Kate Geren will win probably; she wins all the who can guess it first contests) Also I need any of you who really know some basic German to post me some simply statements so I can look real. I really am having the time of my life here! I don't miss the goats at all. Talk soon! XXOOKatiana (my friends call me Kat)