Carried Along - Camino Thoughts, part 12: Cafe con Leche

Morning coffee across the Camino comes in a few forms - espresso, cortado, Americano, and Cafe con Leche (aka, an espresso with steamed milk).

Sometimes, the thought of a warm cup of coffee inspires us to walk a little quicker or a little bit farther along. Some mornings we would start with a warm cafe con leche and discuss the route ahead, and some mornings we would have to walk a ways before that first cup of coffee.

The morning coffee ritual, whenever it happened, allowed for an opportunity to pray, reflect, and set intentions for the next few hours.

On day 5 of walking, we walked for about 2 ½ hours before we came to a cafe set next to the stream we’d walked along all morning. We appreciated the hospitality of the cafe owners, along with the various pastries and walnuts they offered. The warmth of the coffee after a brisk 5-mile morning walk alongside centuries-old ruins contented the group so much that we did something we had not yet done. We ordered a second round of cafe con leche to encourage us for the remaining 11 miles of walking ahead.

It made us wonder how people “back home” could reimagine their morning routines with tea and coffee to offer moments of prayer, joy, contentment, and encouragement for their days ahead.