At only 23 years old, Claudia is practically alone running a small artisanal pizzeria in O Pedrouzo, one of the last stops on the French Way before Santiago, while her husband recovers from a liver transplant.
The story began approximately a year ago, when Claudia and Saad, 25 years old, left Extremadura and moved to Galicia looking for new opportunities. They settled in Or Pedrouzo, they started working and ended up building their own project together.
With their savings and financing, they decided to open a small artisanal pizzeria in the middle of the pilgrimage route.
The business was named O Forno do Camiño.
They learned to make pizzas from scratch
Neither of them had professional experience making pizzas.
They did much of the preparation of the premises themselves and learned the trade by watching videos, practicing and doing numerous tests until they achieved the recipes they wanted to offer.
They finally opened their doors on August 11.
The location was especially attractive: O Pedrouzo is one of the classic points where many pilgrims rest before facing the last stage towards Santiago de Compostela.
From there it is around twenty kilometers to the Galician capital.
The diagnosis that changed your plans
But as the project began to take shape, the couple received news that completely altered their lives.
Saad was diagnosed with liver cancer after going to a health center for what initially seemed like a gastrointestinal problem.
Shortly after, a compatible donor appeared and he was able to undergo a transplant in Santiago.
The intervention came precisely when the business had just started and needed all the efforts of its owners.
Claudia then had to take on daily activities practically alone.
Preparing pizzas, taking orders, organizing purchases, receiving clients, resolving unforeseen events and keeping a newly opened establishment running began to depend largely on her.
All while emotionally accompanying her husband during his recovery.
Up to one hundred pizzas a day
The effort began to pay off.
During September, the couple claimed to have achieved days of between 70 and 100 pizzas, in addition to accumulating numerous positive customer reviews.
The business began to be known among pilgrims, neighbors and visitors who passed through O Pedrouzo.
Saad acknowledges that one of the things that makes him most proud is not the numbers, but seeing how Claudia has been able to keep the family project alive in one of the most difficult moments of their lives.
She even asked that the spotlight in her story fall especially on her.
A pizzeria marked by Galicia, Extremadura and the Camino
O Forno do Camiño is committed to artisanal pizzas made to order, with slow fermentation and a wood-fired oven.
The menu includes varieties that also reflect the personal history of their owners.
There are pizzas inspired by Extremadura, others with Galician products such as Arzúa cheese or octopus and one called, precisely, Pilgrim.
In some way, the business mixes three worlds: the land from which they come, Galicia, where they decided to start a new life, and the Camino de Santiago, which passes in front of their door every day.
When summer ends another challenge begins
Being on the Camino is an advantage during the months of greatest influx of pilgrims, but it also means partially depending on the season.
With the arrival of autumn and the progressive decrease in the number of walkers, the support of the residents of O Pino and nearby towns will be increasingly important.
For Claudia and Saad, therefore, the challenge does not end with medical recovery.
Now they also need to consolidate a business that was born practically at the same time that one of the most difficult periods of their personal life began.
But while Saad continues to recover, Claudia remains behind the counter every day.
He is 23 years old.
Just a year ago I arrived in Galicia looking for a new opportunity.
Today he keeps a small business open on the Camino Francés and supports a project that they both started together.
And perhaps that is why, among so many pilgrims who walk every day seeking to reach Santiago, this story reminds us of something that the Camino itself constantly teaches: keep going, even when the route changes completely.
