One of my most meaningful encounters happened in Portugal while I was hiking to Santiago de Compostela. I needed energy, and the first thing I came across was a small café with just a handful of chairs and tables set out in a a small, quiet square.
It was fairly early in the morning, and when I ordered and sat down, there was only one other customer there. As far as I remember, the older woman got up and sat down next to me within a few minutes. We smiled at each other. We sat in silence for a while, and then she began to speak.
She spoke calmly, with warmth and empathy, as if we had known each other since childhood. I told her, several times, both in English and Swedish, that I didn’t understand a word she was saying—before realizing that it didn’t actually matter. I listened until she fell silent.
We ordered another round, and then I told her a little about myself and what was going on in my life. When I was done, I said goodbye and wandered off with my small backpack. I looked over my shoulder several times as I walked away. She was still sitting there, looking back at me.