Camino del Norte part 3

This week we continue with part 3 of my series on the Camino del Norte. However, before we get to that I present the usual weekly logic puzzle.

Logic Puzzle

Adam invites two friends over to play, Billy and Cindy. While the parents aren't watching at least one of them takes cookies from the cookie jar. As Adam's father, you must determine if he is one of the guilty. The following facts are known:

1. No other children than Adam, Billy and Cindy were involved.
2. Cindy wouldn't have been involved without Adam.
3. Billy would not have acted alone.

 

Is Adam one of the guilty?

Camino del Norte part 3

Day 3 was March 20. Where I left off on in part 2 was in the town of Islares. Shortly after leaving my hotel, the Camino took a turn inland. It was about two hours later that I had my first conversation with another pilgrim. She was a German woman about 30-years-old who was taking a break at a bus stop. Spain, by the way, has nice bus stops. They usually have a bench and are covered on three sides and the roof. One could be used as a shelter in a pinch where one otherwise had nowhere to stay the night.

It was nice to have a discussion with another human being. Not just on the Camino but my entire time in Madrid and Spain I encountered only people who only spoke to me because it was their job, mostly as restaurant staff.

The main topic of conversation with Ms. Germany was getting from Laredo to Santoña, which I would have to do the following day. Normally this is done by ferry, but the ferry is seasonal. According to my guidebook there was “No ferry December to February, with it resuming operation mid-to-late March.” It was mid to late March, March 20 to be exact. Ms. Germany said the ferry was still closed and she figured out a way to take a bus or busses instead. I like ferries and dislike fussing with bus schedules and maps, especially in a foreign country. Needless to see, this was not good news.

After a while,she saidgoodbye and left me alone at the bus stop. I would have been happy to get to know her better, but I could tell she was in tip-top shape and I would just slow her down. She probably didn’t want to walk with an old man like me anyway.

16.2 kilometers later I had lunch in the small sunny town of Liendo. I would have stayed at the Albergue there, but alas, it was closed for the season, opening April 1. So, on I went after eating.

7.2 kilometers from there I reached my destination for the day, Laredo. This was a nice rather touristy-looking town on the beach. It was my intention to stay at a parochial Albergue associated with a large Catholic church there. Let me pause to explain the types of Albergues on the Camino.

Municipal – These are the most common type, especially in larger cities. I tend to think they are managed by the government who hires somebody to run it. They cost 10 to 15 Euros and provide just the basics – lots of bunkbeds, shared bathrooms and a basic kitchen in which you may prepare your own food if you wish. There might be vending machines. Ifthey operator is nice there will be free coffee. The sheets are usually paper disposable ones (which I don’t care for).

Private – These offer the same basics as the municipal ones but will have a nicer common space and more interaction with the hosts. Often the hosts will offer a shared dinner and/or breakfast at an additional price. They offer real sheets. The cost is 15-20 Euros. Some are on a donation basis, known as a “donotivo” in Spanish, where youmake a donation according to your means and your experience.

Parochial – These share a building with a church, usually a large one. They are run by a church. Usually, you will do business with nuns or monks. The cost is 10 to 15 Euros per day. Otherwise, they are similar to the municipal ones.

I had never stayed in a parochial Albergue before and this included my 2024 Camino, so I was excited to try one. I was also happy to stay in any Albergue after spending my first two nights on the Camino in inns and hotels.

At this particular Loredo Albergue you wouldn’t know it was there except for a signs on the door saying very clearly to not ring the bell until after 5PM. So, I killed time with an early dinner until 5PM. At 5, I rang the bell, to which a voice over an intercom said something in very rapid Spanish I couldn’t make out. Later, somebody opened the door who was leaving so I took the opportunity to go inside and wait, hoping nobody would get mad at me for entering without an invitation.

Shortly afterward a nun showed up who took my ten Euros, completed her paperwork, and showed me to a two-bed room. I took one of the beds, got cleaned up, and then attended the 7PM mass, for lack of anything else to do. Some pilgrims try to attend every mass they can. However, to be honest with you, I find them formulaic and boring. This one was better than average. The priest told at least one joke and the music was performed by a small orchestra of nuns, one of whom played a guitar.

When I returned to my room, I met Dan from Idaho. He was a 71-year-old pilgrim who started in Irun, the traditional starting point of the Camino del Norte. As I mentioned in part 1, I started a bit down the Camino in Bilbao. Dan was nursing an injury he suffered crossing the Pyrenees. As we killed the time until 9PM or so, he told me of his life, which was spent working for various national parks half the year and having mountain climbing adventures the other half. I recall he had climbed Annapurna, the 10th highest mountain in the world, as well as McKinley (Please don’t write in correcting me that the name is Denali. It was recently changed back to McKinley) three times. To that I said I wished I could do McKinely, but I worried I was too old. He inquired how old I was, to which I truthfully said 60. He angrily scoffed at me, barking “I wish I were 60.”

Dan also mentioned the ferry was indeed running, as of that very day, across the river to Santoña. I quoted what the German woman told me earlier and he barked that she was wrong. He was indeed correct. I can’t fault the German woman for not knowing the ferry had started running that very day. Good timing on my part.

When it was late enough Dan and I said good night. He snored. Very early in the morning, without my notice, he left.

Logic Puzzle Answer

Yes, Adam was guilty.

Logic Puzzle Solution

With three children either innocent or guilty, there are 2^3 = 8 possible combinations, as follows.

Adam	Innocent	Innocent	Innocent	Innocent	Guilty	Guilty	Guilty	Guilty
Billy	Innocent	Innocent	Guilty	Guilty	Innocent	Innocent	Guilty	Guilty
Cindy	Innocent	Guilty	Innocent	Guilty	Innocent	Guilty	Innocent	Guilty

 

It’s obvious at least one kid is guilty, as evidenced by the eaten cookie, so we can eliminate the combination where all three are innocent, leaving the following.

Adam	Innocent	Innocent	Innocent	Guilty	Guilty	Guilty	Guilty
Billy	Innocent	Guilty	Guilty	Innocent	Innocent	Guilty	Guilty
Cindy	Guilty	Innocent	Guilty	Innocent	Guilty	Innocent	Guilty

 

From Clue 2, we can eliminate the two scenarios where Cindy is guilty and Adam is innocent, since Adam is Cindy’s partner in crime, when there is one. This leaves the following scenarios.

Adam	Innocent	Guilty	Guilty	Guilty	Guilty
Billy	Guilty	Innocent	Innocent	Guilty	Guilty
Cindy	Innocent	Innocent	Guilty	Innocent	Guilty

 

From clue 3, we can eliminate the scenario there Billy is guilty and Adam and Cindy are innocent, since Billy doesn’t act alone. That leaves the following possibilities.

Adam	Guilty	Guilty	Guilty	Guilty
Billy	Innocent	Innocent	Guilty	Guilty
Cindy	Innocent	Guilty	Innocent	Guilty

 

Notice that in all four scenarios left, Adam is guilty. We don’t know about Billy and Cindy, but we were not asked that. Adam’s father only has authority to punish Adam, which he should do.

Another way of looking at is to assume Adam is innocent and see if that aligns with the information you are given. If Adam were innocent, then the guilty would be Billy, Cindy or both of them. We are given Cindy wouldn’t have acted without Adam, so she would be innocent too. That leaves only Billy, who we’re given wouldn’t acted alone, so he wouldn’t have been involved either. Since assuming Adam is innocent leads to all three of them being innocent, we have proven by contradiction that Adam was involved.

Adapted from puzzle 71 from the book "What is the name of this book?".