Something every pilgrim has to deal with is a trip to the pharmacy. While the reasons for visiting the pharmacy are rarely fun (you can buy toothpaste, deoderant, etc., but chances are you are there for pain or sickness), the pharmacists do their best to make it a good experience.
I wasn't expecting to have to go the pharmacy so early in the trip, but I am very grateful that it had nothing to do with my feet!
Luckily we found ourselves in a larger town (Astorga), where pharmacies always have at least one person on duty who speaks English. My Spanish is pretty good when it comes to basic conversation, but explaining that I had a sore throat but no cold or cough or other symptoms was beyond my ability.
Our pharmacist spoke near perfect English and was very thorough. She listened to my complaints and asked more questions than most after hours clinics in America. I left with a package of losenges and feeling well taken care of.
This was also my experience last year. Looking for compeed for blisters, inserts for my boots, crutches for a broken foot, anti-inflammatories for tendonitis, and cortison for a rash I developed after stopping for a rest in a park. At every different pharmacy I was listened to and treated quickly and efficiently.
A woman I spoke to who had sprained her ankle also had a great experience at the pharmacy. She said the pharmacist assessed her ankle to see what kind of sprain it was in order to give her the right kind of brace.
There are so many ways that this country takes care of its pilgrims. But pharmacies may be one of the most important. I am so grateful for those called to serve in the medical profession!
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