Camino Francaise 2017

"unless the pilgrim carry with him the thing he seeks, he will not find it when he arrives." Stephen Lawhead

Preamble

i am just setting up this blog in anticipation of starting my Camino pilgrimage. I fly out to Biarritz on 29th August 2017 and start the walk the following day. My pilgrimage will take me some 500 miles from St John Pied de Port in the French Pyrenees, across the mountains into northern Spain and west to Santiago de Compostela following the 9th century medieval pilgrim route. My camino journey will end at the shrine of St James the Apostle, in the Cathedral at Santiago. I aim to arrive in Santiago around the 4th October, the feast of St Francis.

El camino de Sant Iago literally means the Way of Saint James, and Santiago de Compostela means St James of Compostela (Compostela meaning field of stars). 

I aim to keep all my friends and family up to date with my progress via this daily blog, internet connections allowing.

 

29th August

After a 2 hour flight from Birmingham in a plane with propellers (very noisy) I landed at Biarritz at 1pm and jumped on the bus to Bayonne. It only cost 1 Euro for the 30 minute bus ride and I then managed to make my connection onto the railway to St Jean pied de port at the foot of the Pyrenees. I had decided to start walking as soon as I arrived and so headed for the start of the Camino Francaise which is the pilgrim office in St John. There I got my pilgrim passport stamped and so my walk began. 

I had banked on making these connections and so I had already booked a hostel half way up the mountain at about 800 metres so I wouldn't have to do the whole 1400 metre mountain the following day. 

As I started walking so late, about 4:30, the mountain roads were practically deserted. Despite constant thunder the rain held off and I eventually spotted some walkers further up the road and made it my mission to overtake them. I must stop doing that, its not a race! 

Eventually reached my hostel, a converted cow barn with 12 beds in a loft room at about 6:00. 

Beautiful views and a great sense of peacefulness up here in the mountains,with an eagle flying below me all I can hearare the bells which hang around the cows necks ringing.

 

30th August 

After a sleepless night thanks to the ups and downs of my fellow pilgrims I got up at 6 and was out walking by  first light at about 7. 

Looking back down the mountain towards St Jean everything was covered in white cloud. Just as well I walked up here yesterday as the pilgrims starting from St Jean will be walking through the thick fog. 

Despite the high winds the weather wasn't too bad. I spotted some birds of prey just suspended in mid air, not even moving their wings despite the high winds. I thought they might have been eagles but later one flew over me and I realised they were Vultures. I had heard about them but hadn't expected to see any, the biggest group I counted numbered 31, they seemed to be following me!

I crossed into Spain but the mountain path continued upwards for a few more miles. I eventually reached the summit and began a long descent through beech forest into Ronscevalles arriving at midday. 

 

I realised the 200 bed hostel didn't open until 4pm so decided to walk on to the next village where the only place I could find to stay was a b&b with ensuite, luxury after last night. Perhaps I'll get some sleep tonight.

746km to go. 

 

31st August 

Walked about 24km today, started a bit late and joined the crowd of Pilgrims walking through from Ronscevalles. The temperature was quite cold, there was even some light drizzle and it had rained heavily over night. I soon started overtaking people and as the morning went on the line of pilgrims thinned out so I found myself walking alone for long stretches. Walking through the foothills of the Pyrenees with mountains both sides and mostly through forest trails today the sense of isolation was wonderful, I felt very happy. 

Every time I thought I may be lost in this wilderness a marker would appear, sometimes just a yellow arrow sprayed onto a tree. At one point a weasel jumped out onto the trail took a look at me and disappeared back into the bushes where he/ she continued to watch me as I passed by, moments like that are magical. The vultures were circling today, maybe they have their eye on me! Lots of other birds of prey, kites and eagles mostly 

Arrived at Zubiri, the end of the second stage and stopped at a cafe for a break as I had walked almost 4 hours non stop. I met a man there from Scotland who was on his first day having started at Ronscevalles, he said he hadn't bothered to do any training for his Camino. He was walking on to Larrasoana, another 5kms so we set off together. I told him not to wait for me if he wanted to walk on and he said the same to me, just outside of the village there was a steep hill and when I looked back he was about quarter of a mile behind me, I didn't see him again.

The sun eventually came out and it warmed up quite quickly and the landscape changed and became more arid with small lizards scuttling about on the trail. 

Managed to get into a nice private host for the night. Only six beds to a room with modern facilities and an evening meal for €23 so back on budget today. The place filled up quickly and those who got here late were turned away including an American couple I had dinner with the previous evening. 

Thanks for all the messages in my guest book. I've added a photo album to the blog so I can put a few more pictures on, just look in the menu. Aiming to do 20kms tomorrow, through the city of Pamplona to Cizur Menor.

722km to go.

 

1st September 11:45

This morning was hard going, three sleepless nights and many miles are starting to affect my stride but I managed to make it to Pamplona just after 11. Very narrow paths up through the foothills today and even some walking on the main road. Pamplona is an ancient fortified city with narrow streets, Jocelyn would love it here lots of cafes and shops. the Camino path takes you up through the city walls and across the drawbridge. I asked a waitress in a cafe if there was a McDonald's (all in my best Spanish of course) she replied "no pero esta Burger King" so Burger King is where I am writing this update. 

Thought I might share a bit about some of the people who walk the Camino. They are truly diverse and apart from this walk have nothing much in common. I have seen a Canadian couple with their young son, a German lady with her dog, it even had its own backpack. A young American man Chris with a Ukulele who walked thousands of miles from Istanbul with an 18kg backpack (complete with his collection of souvenir stones) and wants to continue through into Portugal. An Italian man with pink hair also with Ukulele, there's a barber from London who did the walk last year and has come back to do it again. Australians, New Zealander's, Americans, Canadians, French, Irish and lots of Italians but not many  English. There are fitness addicts, people who seem to want to escape normal life, those having mid life crisis, older people, single people, couples and groups and a few people very quietly making a religious pilgrimage

Anyway I'm just killing time before I head off on another 5km walk to Cizur Menor for the night. Will try and update photos later, to see the captions you have to click on each photo which is a bit of a pain but it's a free website so I shouldn't complain.

Made it to Cizur Menor without any problems. The greenery is all disappearing and it's looking more like Spain. The sun is out and it's very warm  I'm staying in an 11 bed room this evening that I phoned ahead and booked, only €10 so sticking to budget again today. I got the only single bed. 

702km to go

 

2nd September 

Sorry about the scary haircut, it's meant to be my low maintenance Camino cut. 

Big party in Cizur Menur last night the music went on all night, in fact they were still partying when I left in the morning at 7:15. All the other people in the room were French and of an age where you have to get up every hour during the night so between that and the music not much sleep again. Managed 27km today up into the hills past rows of wind turbines and back down on a very rocky path into Puente la Reina where I stopped for a sandwich and was joined by Linda from The Netherlands who I had met the previous evening. I left Puente la Reina via the beautiful medieval bridge and headed back uphill into the countryside. The landscape has changed at this point and looks very dry, I spotted a cactus growing in a field. I arrived in the village of Cirauqui around 2 with the sun just starting to get clear of the clouds and warm things up a bit too much for comfort. Lots of long stretches without seeing a soul, vast open landscapes, deserted villages and little traffic even on the main roads. 

Laying down on my bunk now, everything hurts, especially my legs and my shoulders. starting to hear about people dropping out, an Italian man I met 2 days ago had knee problems and went home and I saw a woman in Puente la reina who had fallen and broken her arm and smashed her face quite badly. 

I think I've completed 99km so far, tomorrow I will do about 23 and Sunday will probably have to do 30.   

675km to go

 

3rd September 

I was hoping to get a good nights sleep last night but once again it was not to be. The church opposite the hostel had bells that rang every 15 minutes all through the night. So I was up and out just after 7 through seemingly endless wilderness with vast spaghetti western style backgrounds and more deserted villages. There was a long stretch of the trail that went over an old Roman road which was very dangerous and looked like it hadn't had any maintenance since the Romans put it there 2000 years ago. I made the 15km into the city of Estella, completely deserted as it was Sunday so i continued on through the city until a few kms later I saw a sign for the  Bodegas wine fountain. I hadn't realised it was this early on in the Camino and as it was Sunday I thought it would be closed but when I got there the gate was open and I filled my cup with free wine from the tap. I think it should be designated the 8th wonder of the world, a random tap in a wall that wine comes out of! At this point I had done about 18km without a break so I stopped for a picnic above the Bogedas vineyards and then continued on to Villamajor de montjardin. I arrived here just after 1 and now at 2:15 the hostel is turning people away. Just sitting outside drinking a beer, and no it didn't come out of a tap in a wall and it wasn't free. 

It's very easy to pray when you're out on the road alone. I pray for those who have asked for my prayers throughout this journey, for many who haven't asked but need it and for those who think they don't need it but do. Prayer on the Camino can be as simple as stopping and breathing, I've added a photo of the path where someone has written "stop! Breathe in breathe out, whatever is good for your soul" we're all so busy rushing about, even on the Camino our destination  each day can become the goal and we just need to stop, breathe and be in the moment 

Both hostels in this village are now full and are turning people away. There are no buses on Sunday's so no idea what the people will do. I have 30km to go tomorrow so have booked a hostel in advance as I don't want to get there too late.

652km to go

 

4th September 

The pilgrim typically starts the day when some idiot decides to start early and wakes everyone else up when they are getting packed up in the dark. Said idiot then sets off in the pitch black whilst the rest of us work out how long we have until daylight begins at around 7. 

Sometimes there is breakfast included but usually it's optional (and consists of toast) so I grab something quickly to eat and then get packed up and start walking. I usually walk for 3 hours or so before stopping for food either at a cafe or just eat the food I'm carrying. 

I then just walk until I get to my destination. It pays to arrive early for a number of reasons, firstly so you can get in the shower before a queue builds up and secondly so you can wash your clothes (which are completely saturated in sweat). This is the biggest challenge that faces the pilgrim, getting your clothes dry. The earlier you arrive the less likely you are to have to hang your clothes on your backpack the following day. You find things on the trail that fall off of backpacks. 

This is now my excuse for obsessively overtaking people and arriving early. 

The rest of the day involves eating, (dinner is served from 7:30 or 8) socialising, updating my blog and hobbling around in pain. 

Go to bed, (hostel door is locked at 9.30 this evening) get up and do it again. 

Had a top bunk in a room crammed with beds last night. The beds don't have any safety rails and I managed to fall off the ladder and crash into the next bunk, bashed my foot up a bit but other than that I am ok. Opened my locker in the morning to be hit by the pungent odour of the local sheeps cheese I bought the day before. I really must get on and eat that. 

This morning the early risers headed off at 5:30 after waking the rest of the room up. I headed off at 6:45 as I was bored and had been awake for ages. As I left the village and the street lights faded behind me I realised it was still very dark. I used the small torch on my solar battery pack to find the first trail marker and struggled to find more. Thankfully the trail was good underfoot but after about 15 minutes of walking in the dark I started to wonder if I was going in the right direction. I finally managed to spot a yellow arrow sprayed onto a tree with my torch and continued on until the sun began to rise at about 7:30. 

The road was clear for miles and I walked alone quite happily until I eventually started passing the early risers, eventually catching up with the 5:30 kids in Los Arcos. Can't understand why they wanted to walk 12km in the dark to then spend an hour drinking coffee, young people! I joined them for a drink as I've been yoyoing passed the American guy Cooper since he overtook me on the Spanish border. He's since slowed down now he's walking in the company of two girls, one Canadian and the other from Ireland. Quite a lot of people have formed small groups to walk in often from different countries but I prefer to go at my own pace and meet up with people when I arrive. There are now a group of us who seem to be covering the same distance so it's good to bump into familiar faces in the hostels 

I passed through the village of Sansol where I started to pass a group of slack packers. Slack packers are people who have small day packs with them and have their luggage driven on to hotels for them. I soon got passed the group and then began running into people who had started the Camino days before me. After the village of Torres del rio here was nothing for the 11km to  Viana, the last 7km were particularly hard. The trail was dusty and the sun came out to cook me but I eventually hobbled into the town at 1:30, almost 6 hours walking with only the one cafe stop a total of 30km. Will think twice about doing anything stupid like that again. 

 621km to go

 

5th September 

I actually got some sleep last night. The hostel was an 18 bed room but had lots of space between bunks. I begged for a bottom bunk on the grounds of health and safety. Despite the state I arrived in yesterday I felt fine this morning and set off just as the sun was rising. The path today was poorly marked and I almost took the wrong path at one point but was called back by a fellow pilgrim with an app on her phone that showed us the way. When I asked her how far she was going she said she was only going 10km to Logrono as she had booked a hotel room and massage there, young people no stamina. 

When I got to Logrono the beautiful twin towered cathedral was locked and most of the cafes were closed. I eventually found a cafe and found some Dutch pilgrims, Bauke and Linda who I  knew already there. The girl with the phone app Lotte turned up as well as it was only 9:30 and too early for her to get her room.  

After my half hour break I set off through the old city and into the new modern part, again finding route markers was a bit of a challenge compared to other places. Eventually I ended up on a wide tarmac path that led out of the city for about 5km to a nature reserve. The path was well used by the locals for cycling, jogging and walking and was full of Lycra clad spaniards getting their daily exercise. The path eventually led us into the nature reserve where I stopped to watch a pair of red squirrels they were amazing to watch and quite close. Also an eagle circled high above probably watching the large carp in the lake. The path eventually led up hill and I walked with my Dutch friends into Navarrete where we found a hostel for the night. We arrived at 12:30 having done about 22kms so a short day as the heat was getting towards 30 degrees. Tomorrow I have a choice of 22 or 28km, will probably have to go for 22 as my little toe on my right foot has a blister so big the toe is twice the size that it should be.  

Starting to miss home and family now but I have a good group of people around me who seem to be matching each other's distance so that helps. Thanks for all the messages in the guest book they help too. 

599km to go

 

6th September 

I managed to get even more sleep last night which was good as I woke up feeling ready to go at about 5am. I stayed at the hostel for an early breakfast and got away just before 7. It was still quite dark and I struggled to find the route out of town. Fortunately a girl from South Korea turned up and she had an app on her phone that we followed. Once on the right path I set off managing to keep a good pace until I got to a junction and it wasn't clear which way I should go, as luck would have it a different South Korean girl turned up with an app on her phone and we set off once again on the right path. When I got stuck the third time unfortunately there weren't any Koreans or anyone else around but I managed to guess which way I should be going. Saw the sun rise at about 7:40 which is always spectacular against the backdrop of the Spanish countryside. 

After 16km non stop I went into the town of Najera and had a break at a cafe in the hope that some familiar faces would appear but I think I had just got too far ahead of them all. I also changed socks and sorted out a blister, my feet are not in the best of shape as the heat, sweat and friction is causing a rash to appear. I had this before I left during my training but the cream I have doesn't seem to be doing a lot. 

I continued on through farmland in which grapes were being harvested, scrumped a few for myself and then decided to stop at Azofra for another break. I then made the last gruelling 9kms into Ciruena completing another 31.5km in total. 

When I saw the sign for the hostel it was 200metres away, I wondered if I had the strength to make it. 

What I have come to realise is that no matter how much I feel like I could quit today I know that I will feel very different in the morning. 

Tomorrow I'm hoping to make it to Belorado where the hostel is rumoured to have a swimming pool! (Probably outdoors and unheated

568km to go

 

7th September 

I got up at 6 and ate breakfast from my small supply of food as they didn't serve breakfast until 7 and I wanted to get on the road by then. I got in trouble for using water from their kettle to make tea with my own tea bag in my own cup, unbelievable! 

My Dutch friends Linda and Bauke had tracked me down the night before as they were staying in a rather grotty place just down the road and so we had planned to meet on the road and walk to Belorado. They couldn't stand to stay any longer than 5:30am so left well before me. I left about 7 and walked with an Australian lady Melissa who had a headtorch which was helpful in the dark. No need for apps or proper torches, other people have all these things, just find someone who has what you need and tag along. 

After about 6km I walked through the city of Santo Domingo which should have technically been the start of my next days walking if I had followed the recommended plan and began to pass groups of pilgrims who had started the day before me so no long solitary stretches for me today.  

A lot of walking alongside the road today, a passing lorry driver sounded his horn and waved at all the pilgrims walking alongside the road. The local population mostly seem to encourage us along always with the words 'buen Camino' as do the pilgrims you pass unless they are French who insist on 'bon Camino'. 

When I stopped at a cafe for a break I heard a geordie accent, the first English person Ive met in a week so had a quick chat with Steve from Newcastle. Later met another English person in the hostel Jenny from Milton Keynes so the English are doing well today.  

I arrived in Belorado just before 1pm, a whole day ahead of schedule. My Dutch friends had only arrived about 15 minutes before me and were in the queue as the hostel had only just opened. They saved me a bottom bunk as I was hobbling around in pain again, it's good to have people looking out for you. The fabled swimming pool does exist and is great.  

I had originally been hoping to gain a second day and along with the day I had spare make it to the coast three days past Santiago but now I am having to readjust my expectations as my feet are very red and swollen. The Dutch guys finally persuaded me we should do the next couple of days to plan (around 25kms each day) and then take a day off in Burgos. Bauke is suffering from shin splints and Linda has skin problems on her feet. I bow to the wisdom of the young on this occasion, looking at the state of my feet i didn't take much persuading. We're also going to walk together so that they can make sure I take more breaks as they couldn't believe that I had managed to catch up over an hours walking today.  

Also I need to be back in Santiago to meet Jocelyn on Monday 2nd October and as one Spanish lady said to me, 'if you not there she keel you!

541km to go 

 

8th September 

The hostel last night was a real treat with its pool and restaurant that sold burgers. The bedroom was a large 20 bed dorm all open plan and although it smelt a bit like smelly feet was ok and I slept fairly well, for me that means about 5 or 6 hours. I woke about 3 am to the sound of gentle snoring like a Mexican wave going up and down the room and took the time to upload some more photos before having another hour dozing. 

Yesterday we were joined by a Swiss guy Julius that we knew who staggered in late in the afternoon very dehydrated. He had spent the night in a hotel in Santo Domingo and so had stayed in bed late and not started until 10. This meant he had been caught out by the sun which tends to burn through the cloud cover by midday. He is paying to send his backpack ahead and joining our little group of weary pilgrims for the next few days. 

It's very difficult not to overdo things here, even though my feet hurt and I was suffering from dehydration yesterday (nearly threw up in the hostel reception, that would have been embarrassing!) my will to go on and complete this pilgrimage is still strong. It a strange state to be in because you seem to be emotionally fragile and yet unbreakable at the same time. 

I was given a lecture on looking after myself over breakfast by an Australian nurse called Rosie who explained how dangerous dehydration can be and how to avoid it. I did manage to buy some water with minerals and energy supplements as she suggested. 

We set off about 7, the weather was due to be sunny and warm so I dressed for the heat and put sunscreen on. Outside it was actually freezing cold but I stuck it out until the sun finally rose and started to warm me up. 

We set a steady pace walking in a group which made for a good day. On route we picked up another slightly injured pilgrim, a Thai girl who lives in Germany called Tussani. She had somehow managed to lose her walking socks and her toes needed some medical attention. We patched her up and someone gave her a pair of socks and we continued on our way. 

The first part of the path was through farmland but the second half of the day was through woodland so we were shaded from the sun. The woodland continued over two mountains which weren't too difficult to get up. On the way an older man from England fell over in front of us gashing his arm on the stony ground so we managed to get him back on his feet and helped him clean up his arm. The Camino did seem to be claiming a few victims today, it's not good to see people really struggling.

We stopped and ate lunch by the church at San Juan de Ortega which should have been our destination but we then pushed on to the next village, Ages which has better accommodation. Arrived about 3pm having completed 27.5km feeling much better than yesterday. 

We have an 8 bed room and were given 2 bunk beds and a single bed. They decided I should have the single bed as I'm apparently elderly. Well I did tell them I was going to hire a mobility scooter for the day when we get to Burgos so I suppose I opened myself up to that one.  

513.5km to go

 

9th September 

Walking with a group has been an interesting experience. It has given me the opportunity to reflect on what I'm doing when I'm walking alone. Why am I racing and who is it that I'm racing against? I've come to the conclusion that the only person I'm trying to beat is myself. And that's a race I can never win! So maybe it's time to slow down just a bit and just accept things as they are. 

Today we walk to Burgos our first really big city where our little group will take a day off. I don't think this is a decision any of us would have made individually as we have all been racing our selves, but as a group we could get over our individual egos and see that we all need a day off. So, hotel rooms are  booked and a day of sitting about in cafes and bars awaits us tomorrow. 

We set off late today at 7:45 as we have rooms booked. It started raining as we were leaving and rained most of the day. Quite a lot of roadside walking today, we passed the man who had fallen over yesterday, he was from Liverpool and doing fine. I bumped into a lady from Australia, Melissa who I had met in one of the hostels a few days before. She gave me a rehydration tablet to put in my water as I've been short of breath today and suffering from blurred vision.

The last 10km was through the industrial areas surrounding the city and through the suburbs. Highlight of the day was on the last stretch into the city when we were all starving, finding a McDonalds to eat in. McDonalds in Spain has a few differences to the U.K., you can't get milkshakes but you can get a beer. 

Finally found the hotel and am now enjoying proper towels, sheets, decent wifi connection and a bit of privacy. Going to have a proper break tomorrow as I've been walking for 12 days non stop and my body is starting to protest. I have walked about 284km so far so it's not that surprising.

490km to go

 

10th September 

Went out last night with a group of pilgrims, 3 Dutch, 3 Americans and me to a Tapas restaurant. Ate some of the local delicacies including octopus which was new to me, it was ok but wouldn't be my first choice of food. 

Today I feel fine, so tempted to do the short 8.5km to the next town this afternoon but should really rest my feet. Burgos is packed with people, almost feels like a capital city, nice to see for half a day but I will be glad to get back out into the countryside. 

4:30pm 

Ok so I checked out of the hotel sat and had breakfast in one cafe got an amazing hot chocolate (like melted chocolate) in another. Went to the midday mass in Burgos cathedral and decided to go for a walk. Well I had everything with me and my boots were already on. I only walked the 8.5km to Tardajos. 

No pilgrims on the road today, I had the whole Camino to myself, just how I like it. Nice sunny 21 degrees and cool breeze, bliss after the crowded paths of the last few days. It felt great to be out on my own again. Got stopped by the police who were out looking for injured pilgrims, they only wanted to check that I was ok and wished me 'buen Camino' before driving off to see if anyone else was daft enough to go walking in the afternoon sun. 

Got a bed in a nice hostel, the best yet with real sheets and towel included. Nothing seems broken, not very Spanish but I'll take it!

481km to go

 

11th September 

Had a good nights sleep last night, the other 2 bookings for the room didn't show up so just me and one other pilgrim, a Dutch lady who had just started in Burgos. I had to break the news to her that this is the smallest number of beds and people I've seen in a room so far and the first time I've not been in my sleeping bag and using my own towel. Hopefully she won't be too disappointed. I must now know every Dutch person on the Camino, I can't seem to escape them, it's just as well that I seem to like them. Linda & Bauke are hoping to catch me up today, I don't intend going too far, maybe 20km. 

Sunrise today is 7:51 so the days are getting shorter. Not many people on the road today now I'm between set stages again, set off just after 7 soon got off the roads and onto the gravel tracks. Very windy today which was fine as it would have been like crossing a desert in the sun without the cool breeze. I noticed from my map that we are still over 700 metres above sea level and at one point the seemingly flat plain dropped away into a valley. Lots of time walking alone again through fields of sunflowers, like something out of a van Gough painting. I eventually caught up with the three Americans, Cooper, Amy & Kathy and stopped for a bite to eat around 9:30 and they kept walking. Caught them up again a few kms from Hornillos and and walked with them for a while. Then when they decided to stop for a break I walked ahead to book a room for us all in a hostel that had been recommended to me. 

Hornillos is a beautiful little village and the hostel is on the road in with a nice garden and cafe. Just sitting outside waiting for the Dutch guys to catch up with me whilst drinking a beer. 

461km to go

 

12th September 

5am

Just a few more days and I should reach the half way point on this journey. It now feels like I have been walking forever, as if this is my occupation and there isn't anything else. Just get up and walk, then plan how far I'm going to walk the next day. The Camino is beginning to work its magic on people, they are starting to slow down and unwind. Bumped into a couple of people yesterday that I hadn't seen for a week or more. One guy from Finland, Jaques (who reminds me of one of the characters from the cast of Vikings with his hair and beard) told me he had gone into a little church to have a look around and found a whole bunch of nuns wearing old fashioned habits. Apparently when they saw him they gave him a hug, he said he was really moved by this. I didn't spot the church and didn't get hugged by a nun, a bit jealous actually. Also caught up with a Polish girl I recognised called Asia and Australian, Melissa who I hadn't seen for some time, it's good to see familiar faces and hear from them how others are doing.  

Julius from Switzerland stayed in Burgos as he still wasn't feeling well. I had walked with him into Burgos for a couple of days when we were both suffering from dehydration so hope he's ok. He always made me laugh with his Swiss accent complaining that everything was shitty, 'shitty room, shitty bed, it's a shitty village no?' The more he complained the more I laughed, he had another English catch phrase too that I can't really share which was even funnier! Hope I see him again.  

I went to the special pilgrims mass in the village church last night. They had service sheets in all languages and about 30 pilgrims attended which was good. At the end the priest called all the pilgrims forward and put a necklace with a patriarchal cross on each of us to take with us on our journey which was really nice. 

We're getting ready to cross a baron stretch of land that is 17.5km of nothing but scrub land. We should do this in 2 days time but need to get our distances right to get us to the set off point first thing on Thursday morning. So about 29km today and 25 tomorrow should do it. 

3.30pm

Hard day today, 29km. Sprained my foot early on in the day when I turned to speak to someone, not a lot I can do about it, just keep on going. I have blisters on my other foot so every step is getting painful.  

Walking with Linda, Bauke and Cooper the American who I met on the Spanish border on day two. We ascended a mountain today which took us up to 1025 metres, then across an escarpment and back down 300 metres. The countryside here is quite baron and wheat appears to have been harvested so the place looks like a desert.  

I started to lag behind as my foot was hurting but made it in to Itera de la vega where we stopped for lunch. Hobbled out of there for the last 8km push to Boadilla de Camino. A really hard walk into the wind, past a herd of pilgrims all struggling slowly on into the wind like they were on some sort of migration.  

The road seemed to go on forever but at some point my injured foot just went numb so I managed to pick up the pace. Linda and Cooper were beginning to struggle but we all made it safely to our hostel. The hostel has a pool but I don't think anyone's going in this one! A bit grotty.  

I'm going to stick with the group for at least the next two days until we cross the 17.5km of wilderness the day after tomorrow.  

432km to go

 

13th September 

5:30am

This hostel is one of the few that allows dogs to stay. At 5am when people started to get ready to go a collie started barking, now everyone is awake. It's a 24 bed room so a bit noisy. 

The weather forecast for today is 28 degrees and sunny so will need to get away early to avoid the heat from midday onwards. My sprained foot is a bit painful, I'm hoping it won't slow me down too much.  

Bauke has decided to walk on alone this morning and go for a really long walk, over 40kms. He said goodbye last night and slipped away early this morning. Hope we manage to catch up with him soon.  

It's funny how quickly we become attached to people when we're all out here alone. We very quickly realise that none of us are really alone. You mostly see people at their best on the Camino, I think that's what makes this journey so special. 

6pm 

Sunrise is getting later each day, nearly 8am now. We almost missed a marker in the dark this morning. A nice start to the day walking along the canal to Fromista and then through some smaller villages until we decided to take an optional route away from the road and alongside a river. The river had mostly dried up but there were plenty of trees to offer intermittent shade from the sun which reached 28 degrees today.  

We eventually joined the track alongside the road and had some lunch in a cafe before continuing on our way. The way today was completely flat and the countryside like a desert. I keep trying to take pictures that capture the wide arid landscape but nothing I've taken so far does it justice. We never see much in the way of wildlife here, the odd bird of prey circling about but that's about it. 

Eventually the town of Carrion de los Condes appeared in front of us but it was a deceptive 3km more before we arrived. Our accommodation is in a convent, all single beds in rooms with extremely high ceilings. Very nice and spacious and a bargain at €5.  

Tomorrow Cooper is planning to catch a bus for a short stretch as he doesn't have enough time to complete the journey. This leaves just me and Linda to complete the long empty stretch tomorrow. Bauke text to say he made it through ok and has decided to wait for us to get to Calzadilla de la Cueza where he will join us again. About a km further on we should then be half way!

406.5km to go

  

14th September 

Linda finally persuaded me to join her wassap group. This took me about three days to do as I managed to lock myself out of my iCloud account because I couldn't remember the new password it made me update just before I left. 

To explain, the wassap group is a kind of private message app on your phone. Linda set one of these up so that all the people we meet can keep in contact and find out where we all are. This stuff generally drives me crazy, I just can't be doing with it. However I have embraced this new technology and managed to contact Julius through it who is going to try and catch us up. I'm glad to hear he's ok. 

When I get home I will delete this thing from my phone. I just hate this stuff, but for now it serves a purpose. 

Linda is very good at trying to gather people together. We call her the boss, mostly because the rest of us are trying to have some time away from our responsibilities and it's quite good fun to get a 22 year old girl to make all the decisions.

Set off today at 7, just Linda and me to get through this long stretch. Almost went the wrong way in the dark, followed a rogue arrow but got called back by an American who had found the right path. Not quite the desert wasteland that I expected, it started with a tarmac road with trees on either side before becoming more of a gravel path. It was cold this morning and after about 5km a mist rolled in and we walked through cold fog. At the 10km point there was an oasis where a guy had set up a small cafe with a generator for electricity, he charged extortionate prices for his food and drinks. 

We made it to the end of the stretch where Bauke was waiting outside a cafe. He told us how he had made it there over 40km the day before and ended up in a hostel with four Dutch grannies who fed him and did his laundry for him. 

I had worked out from my guide book that 1km out of the village of Calzadilla de la Cueza we had reached the half way point of our journey. We celebrated with beer but there was no official marker or anything anywhere to say this.

We eventually made it to the end of the stage at Terradillos de los Templarios once again a day ahead of plan but decided that we hadn't had enough pain for the day and walked on to the village of Moratinos.

377km to go

 

15th September 

4am

I spotted a bit of cryptic Camino graffiti yesterday, it read, 'Don't quit before the miracle', yesterday afternoon having passed the underwhelming half way point and arriving at our hostel I realised just how much further I have to go. For the first time I had just a small feeling in the back of my mind that I didn't want to go on. I need to focus on small stages rather than the whole but living out of a backpack and sleeping in a different place each night is taking its toll. It's now becoming a mental struggle as much as a physical one. Now I know how Frodo Baggins felt on that never ending journey towards Mordor. 

The room we are staying in is small, crammed with 2 bunk beds and a double bed in a separate alcove. Bauka had been first into the room and claimed the double bed until he saw me looking at the top two bunks, the bottom ones were already taken. He then gave me the double bed and took a top bunk. The foot that I sprained is still painful and not sure how I could have got up the ladder into the bunk. In fact both my feet are now hurting as I have flat feet and they are becoming quite painful.  

Julius is only 6km behind us and I am planning on taking an alternative route today that will avoid walking beside roads but leave me with a 22km baron stretch of the Spanish Meseta tomorrow. Not sure what the others will do but the two paths will join up again tomorrow and I could do with a night in a room on my own. 

3pm

We set off as usual just after 7. The forecast had told us to expect cold weather this morning, 4 degrees but I don't think it was quite that cold. Nevertheless I walked with fleece jumper and jacket for the first time.  

At Sahagun we bumped into Amy and Kathy who had been suffering from shin splints and would not now be able to complete the whole Camino. They are doing some stretches on the bus and walking others. 

About 4.5km outside of Sahagun I left Linda and Bauke and set off into the meseta wasteland on my own. I didn't see anyone for 9km, no cars, no people, just birds and butterflies. The temperature had managed to reach 19 degrees with a cool breeze and it was wonderful. This is why I came. 

I eventually reached Calzadilla de los Hermanillos which appeared in the distance about 2km away. I managed to get a nice ensuite room all to myself, just what I need. 

All I have to do now is walk the 22km across this desert to Mansilla de las Mulas where I hope to meet up with my fellow pilgrims for lunch, but that's tomorrows problem. 

352km to go

16th September
Had the best €10 pilgrim meal yet last night and joined a table of English speakers from around the world none of whom I had met before. Interesting to note that no young people have opted to take this route. They clearly can't survive without cafes every 6km.

The only people I recognised were Christian and Genevieve an older French couple that I pass everyday on the road. I had stayed in a hostel room with them when they were part of a much bigger French group that has now dwindled down to three. Each day I greet them in French and a ridiculous conversation ensues in which none of us really understands anything that is said. At least we know each other's names now, it makes anyone watching think we are having a real conversation.

I walked out into a frosty wilderness this morning, just 3 degrees. Sunrise is now after 8am so it's becoming more necessary to walk in the dark. After 2 hours walking I reached the 12km point, a dissused railway station. I crossed the still in use railway line and sat outside the old waiting room on the platform for a drink and bite to eat. I watched the only rabbits I've seen since arriving in Spain running about by the track. 

The rest of the 22km stretch was hard going due to the stony path which constantly irritated my blisters. I passed a large prison at one point and then entered the town of Mansilla de las Mulas. I then made my way to the bar where Linda and Bauke were waiting for me.

After we had some lunch we set off again towards the city of Leon. Linda who was suffering from shin splints wanted to get to Leon to buy some compression socks as the shops will be closed tomorrow as it is Sunday. I decided to stop one village out at Arcahueja and walk in to Leon in the morning, I had completed 32km today and didn't feel like making it 40!

My accommodation this evening leaves much to be desired but as ever I will be gone first thing tomorrow morning.

320km to go

 

17th September 

I have now walked over 470km. Although my leg muscles are fine and no longer ache it's my joints that are getting painful. My hips, knees and ankles, also the balls of my feet. I also have two deep blisters and keep getting blistering on my little toe. I won't describe what it looks like. I try my best to strap up the blisters but when the road is very stony it constantly irritates the blisters. And this is the stoniest country in the world. After about 25km my feet just go numb and I no longer feel anything. 

I left this morning at 7.15 the temperature outside was again 3 degrees so really cold. I made it into Leon for 9am mass in the cathedral which was nice. After mass I met up with Linda & Bauke. I also bumped into a few people that I hadn't seen since my 3rd day on the Camino including the barber from London and Chris the ukulele playing American who had walked from Istanbul. 

We set off from Leon about 10am, Julius was also in Leon but in a hotel somewhere sorting out his laundry so couldn't join us. We took an alternative route through countryside away from main roads which was a really nice change. At one point a car pulled up and we were given ice cold beer to help us on our way, free of charge. No idea who these people were or why they were giving away free beer. 

The sun came out in the afternoon and it got quite warm, a real change from this morning. We eventually found a hostel with a few people we recognised sunbathing in the garden including Jenny from Milton Keynes and Freja from Denmark. 

Nice to find a village with a few options for food. Going out later for burger and chips but as ever they don't start serving until 8:30pm. 

296km to go

 

18th September 

Another cold start to the day but not as cold as previous days. Sunrise was at 8:04 this morning so we walked in the dark but it was an easy path. Blisters were really starting to bother me today so I took some pain killers which worked for a while. We walked through the picturesque village of Hospital de Orbigo across its impressive bridge. The village was spoiled by the smell of sewage that seemed to permeate the place.  

The sun eventually started to warm everything up and it got quite hot towards the end of the morning. We passed through several villages along the way that were packed with tourists who seemed to be there to walk a couple of kms of the Camino. I bumped into a woman I had met on my first day. She had hired a bike and cycled across the flat meseta. 

After about 23km I managed to strain a muscle in my right foot which slowed me down considerably but I managed another 7km into Astorga. I managed to find the hostel that Linda and Bauke had already saved me a bed in which was close to the cathedral. 

I now have bits of cotton threaded through my blisters to help drain them. Hopefully they won't be too painful tomorrow as we are due to ascend to 1500 metres into the mountains and back down the following day. 

Today was hard, I felt like I'd had enough.

If all goes well I should reach Santiago in 10 days but I still have some extra days if I need to rest ... or will I try and reach Finisterre, the end of the world?

266km to go

 

19th September 

Not so cold this morning but we did have to walk through some fog first thing after leaving Astorga. Having read the guide book it warned about the height of the mountain and possible weather conditions but the incline wasn't steep and it's turned out quite hot. We reached the end of the stage at 20km at Rabanal by 11:45 so decided to go to the next village about 5km away but stopped for a quick beer first. We also bumped into Tussani who decided to join us. Finally arrived at Foncebadon (or as Jenny calls it, fancy bacon) at 1pm.  

The extra 5km was much steeper but not too bad and we are now at the top of the mountain where I am sitting in a hammock in the sun. The hostel has an amazing view down the mountain.   

I've had a much better day today helped by the weather and the improved condition of my blisters. Last nights improvised surgery seems to have worked well. I feel much better about things today and it's only 9 days to Santiago. Looking forward to seeing Jocelyn when I get there. It's starting to feel like I've been away a long time now. Glad to hear things are running smoothly in my absence. Thanks again for all the messages of support.  

238km to go

 

20th September 

I bought a needle, thread and iodine yesterday and tended to my blisters again. This seems to make a huge difference, simply covering them with plasters wasn't really doing very much.  

Also had problems with my mobile banking app. Phoned the bank and they told me to reinstall it which i did then realised I would have to set the whole thing up from scratch. Luckily I just knew something like this would happen and had packed a card reader so I managed to sort it out in the end. Just as well as Jocelyn had to put 2 new tyres on the car and needed some money transferred. 

Today we walked with Tussani, she was worth waiting for as she has a good torch and sunrise was at 8:19 today. We arrived at Cruz de Ferro, only 2km away from our hostel. Here I added a stone I had been carrying from home to the mountain of stones under a big cross that pilgrims have been adding to for years. The stone represents all the things we want to leave behind us on the road before we finish our pilgrimage. Mine wasn't a big stone, I managed to squeeze it into a crack in the wooden post on top of the pile. A Spanish man in our hostel had a fist sized stone with him that he had carried all the way from Madrid. He obviously had a lot of baggage to get rid of! 

When the sun came up the sky was red and the mountains had a smell that reminded me of incense. After reaching the highest point the track dropped steeply for many kilometres which was very hard on the ankles and knees. There were a few stretches where we couldn't see anyone else but generally the Camino is getting much busier now with people starting in all the major cities we pass through. There are also many tour companies that offer a Camino experience with luggage taken on to hotels and a series of short walks on selected stretches. It's hard to relate to any of these people as they just haven't been on the same journey as me. 

Once we reached Molinaseca at the bottom of the mountain we decided to push on another 8km to Ponteferrada to stay ahead of the crowds. It was a long 8kms! 

210km to go

 

A reflection on the three stages of the Camino journey edited from elsewhere on the internet!

The Camino is said to be a journey of three stages.  The three distinct geographical regions along the route correspond to the 3 stages of personal growth often experienced along the journey.  These include physical conditioning, emotional reflection and spiritual awareness.

The first portion of the consists of rugged, exposed mountains; steep, wooded hills, and fertile river valleys and lowlands extending from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Burgos.  This is a landscape that tests and conditions the body in equal measure.  For every sublime moment of sun-drenched well being there is an inversely correlated moment of pain-hazed doubt. Thus, many pilgrims' main concern is acclimatising to the physical demands of long distance walking.

The cathedralled cities of Burgos and Leon bookend the second stage of the Camino Frances.  Between them lies the vast, treeless expanse of the Meseta.  This central region encompasses the most uninhabited stretch of the Camino and thus provides an abundance of space and solitude.

By the time we enter Burgos, after nearly two weeks of walking, the body has largely adjusted to our nomadic routine.  

Any remaining aches gradually settle into the realm of background noise, and the long vistas of wheat fields stretching to the horizon allow the mind to wander and drift inward.  

On the Meseta one battles not only long distances between villages and extreme summer heat but also loneliness, boredom, uncertainty and the hundred other emotions that inhabit the human psyche.  In our busy day-to-day lives,  we push the strains and uncertainties that we can’t find a way to resolve to the back burner.  We unconsciously hold in feelings of fear, doubt, sorrow, and regret because they are either unpalatable or intractable.  

But after hundreds of kilometres the body has been broken down and reformed.  And in that breaking, we enter a terra incognita where the problems we have held in can begin to seep out.

Each person's reaction to this is different.  Some by-pass this section by bus.  Others hire a bike to cover kilometres quickly.  Some amble and reflect with serenity while others ponder or cry or rage. 

Every journey, inwardly and outwardly, is different. Many people choose to walk the Camino at points of transition in their lives to allow themselves the luxury of time and motion and silence to help stimulate the personal growth they seek.   This space creates opportunity to breathe deeply, gain perspective. 

As we leave Leon we return to the world of mountains and forests.  Galicia beckons with its misty, Celtic world of chestnut woods, stone walls and bovine companions.  As we climb toward the highest part of our journey at Cruz de Ferro, our world descends from the head to the heart, from thinking to feeling.  The body is finely tuned.  The mind has emerged from its pondering and becomes still.  Now there is time to experience and to be fully aware of the surrounding beauty without bodily distraction or mental analysis.  

We have broken ourselves down, emptied our minds and created a wealth of space within us.  It is freedom and wonder at its most sublime, it is the epitome of personal growth .

While the terrain is challenging and visually stimulating, a sense of physical vitality, clarity of thought, and wholeness of heart permeates days and conversations.  We have struggled with and been blessed by the journey.  The destination is in sight. 

 

21st September 

Linda has a theory that men who are overweight are more likely to snore. This may sound unkind but last night we had a nice 6 bed room in a very modern plush hostel and 2 of our fellow fresh faced pilgrims were rather large young Spanish men. 

Her theory proved true on this occasion, at 1:30am the guy in the bottom bunk underneath Bauke was snoring so much that Bauke was trying to shake the bed to stop him. This caused the Australian lady in the other top bunk to dissolve into fits of laughter. When I looked around to see what all the noise was about i saw Bauke lean out of his top bunk and hit the guy with his pillow which stopped the snoring for about 2 minutes. 

After this things just got worse. Bauke claimed that he spotted small creatures crawling up the walls and ceiling. Australia also spotted some and the dreaded word 'bedbugs' was used. Not long after I packed my gear and moved onto the couch down in the lobby. Linda slept through the whole thing. 

We were supposed to be having an extra half hour in bed this morning but we left before 7 along with Australia and followed a mostly urban route with streetlights for around half the day. The path then went uphill again through some beautiful farmland and woods until we descended again into the town of Villafranca del Bierzo. We have found room in another convent with 10 single beds and high ceilings, nice not to have bunk beds, we already checked for bedbugs. 

Just to clarify things I am now in great physical shape and even after limping into a hostel after a 30km walk now recover after an hour or two and go out for a walk around the the place I am staying. I'm sure I will revert back to my usual level of fitness when I get home but for now I am the fittest I have ever been. 

185km to go

  

22nd September 

My friends say I should definitely mention in my blog a man we met about 10 days ago called Pete. I've been trying to avoid mentioning Pete but as I promised to let them have my blog web address when we part company I suppose I should mention him. I first met Pete when I heard him talking to Linda in the garden of one of the hostels we stayed in. When I heard his northern accent I thought it would be nice to speak with another English person so stopped to join the conversation. This was a big mistake and in retrospect I should have just kept walking and pretended I was from another country. Pete is in his late fifties and somewhat bitter about life in general. He hates Americans, anyone who doesn't carry a full backpack, anyone who doesn't walk at least 35km per day and basically anyone who isn't Pete. He's walked the Camino before and obviously not been able to sort out his many issues.  

The first time we met him he just talked and talked all about himself, he's not someone who listens. That evening he managed to upset 2 American girls by criticising their table manners. Pete also boasts about going for the Camino record of 13 days and a few days ago he joined long distance walker Ukulele Chris on a 45km walk with the aim of sticking with him and getting to Santiago quickly. We spotted Pete yesterday sitting outside at a restaurant we were in, he obviously hadn't got far with Chris. Pete is as good at international relations as Donald Trump is with North Koreans. He's the one Englishman you don't want to meet abroad. As one of the few English people here it's not much fun going around after Pete and patching up international relations.  

Today we walked through a number of villages following the main road for about the first 20kms. After this we began to ascend a 1310 metre mountain on a more challenging path. The ascent took us through more villages and the scenery was stunning, very green a bit like the Brecon Beacons. At one point I slowed my pace and once again just enjoyed the peacefulness of being in such a big open space. There weren't many people around either so it was great. 

I finally made it to the top along with Australia after one quick stop at the last village for beer. The others had rushed off ahead and were waiting for us at the hostel. The hostel was a municipal one, the first I've stayed in. A Canadian couple in front of us were being turned away as they had only walked 15kms, not enough to stay here. We didn't have any problems getting in. There are over 60 beds in one room, bunk beds pushed together so it's almost like being in a double bed with a stranger. The person in the bed along side me is a large Spanish lady. I can't see me getting much sleep here tonight.  

155km to go

 

23rd September 

There is a great deal of interest here on the Camino about my blog. Lots of people I run into have started asking for the web address, it's a bit worrying. I have told them they can have it after I leave them. I may have to do some careful editing in a few places! Jenny the girl from Milton Keynes said she would be upset if I hadn't written lots about her. Asia from Poland wants to read it (she has the best guide book, all in Polish - "Polish guide book the best") Even our new Australian travelling companion who won't give me permission to use her name wants the blog too. I thought this was meant to be about me?

There's a lot of laughter amongst our extended group at this point in our journey. And I suppose it has become 'our journey' a shared experience now. Maybe it's not all about me and my experience after all. And where the 'group' starts and ends I'm not sure. Some people I walk with, others I catch up with along the way or in the evenings. Some we have left behind or have left us behind (Just heard that Lucas a young Danish man we met early on has just arrived in Santiago) I think a lot of the laughter is due to the sense of relief that we know we can make it, we've climbed the last mountain and the end is finally in sight. 30km is now a regular day and we know  our bodies can take the punishment for a few more days until we reach our goal. 

We set off this morning about 7:15 in total darkness up over the mountain peak. We had to use mobile phones to light the path for the first 30 minutes as there was no moon. 

Met Asia on the road this morning, she was heading off down the wrong path along with a stream of other pilgrims. I called them all back with my whistle. The first one had missed the clearly marked path and the rest just followed along. This is the problem with so many people on the paths. Asia now owes me a beer!

After a short break at a cafe I opted to go ahead and walked alone for a couple of hours. It was nice to be by myself for a while, to get away from the crazy antics of the group and just soak in the stunning surroundings. Very peaceful.  

After this I found Tussani who had stayed ahead of us and started later. We walked together for a while until the others caught up. 

We arrived at Triacastela the end of the set stage and had lunch then opted to take an alternative route to Saria via Samos where we arranged accommodation. This route added about 3km to the journey but allowed us to get closer to Saria. The other more direct route would have added 16km to our 20km day as there was no where to stay in between so this way was best.  

Caught up with Jenny and Freja on the way. We had booked a room for all 6 of us so we won't then have snoring strangers to share with. 

Samos is a beautiful little town with a stunning monastery. My guide book tells me to enjoy the walk from here to Saria as it's the last quiet stretch of the Camino. The rest of the way we will be joined by people completing the minimum 100kms to gain their certificate.

Guide books and way markers now all have different distances to Santiago so my best guess is now:

130km to go

 

24th September 

Last night I managed to get my first really good nights sleep. Bauke had  tried to book a 6 bed room for us all and when we arrived we were given a 10 bed room. After a bit of complaining the lady in charge agreed to fill up the other rooms first and the other beds didn't get filled in our room. This meant that only one person had to take a top bunk and Jenny volunteered for this. It also means that you can easily agree what time to get up and put the lights on so you don't have to get packed in the dark.  The beds also had quilts although we weren't given any sheets so I don't think they were very clean. I could hear owls in the early hours, they reminded me of home. 

There's a lady who runs each day. She passed me at least 3 times yesterday and once the day before. She doesn't seem to be getting very far. Met a man from the Isle of Wight yesterday who shot off down the wrong path with Asia. He was boasting that he had left St Jean on the 30th August and aiming to get to Santiago on the 27th. If I was carrying the small child's gym bag that he had on his back I would have been there a week ago. 

The 15km to Saria was a nice peaceful walk through a landscape that has become so like England even the few birds and animals we have seen are blackbirds, robins and a hedgehog. We walked mostly in a long line alone strung out over about half a kilometre at one point, everyone alone with their thoughts before the busy final push into Santiago. As we walked through Saria I spotted Matt an American we had previously walked with who had stopped at a monastery for a two day retreat. Somehow he had managed to catch us up. 

There were a number of pilgrims with nice clean boots on the road from Saria. Nowhere near the numbers I had expected and we found accommodation in a very small village, just a pub and nice modern hostel.  

There are now 7 in our group, perhaps we'll stick together and finish this as a group. Not what I had expected but I would be happy with that. 

102km to go

 

25th September 

Last night Jenny and Freja told us about an incident when Jenny was hit in the head by bird droppings. Jenny said it was like being hit in the head by a baseball bat. This apparently happened at 6:30 in the morning and involved Jenny washing her hair under a water fountain in the dark, twice! Freja had very helpfully filmed the aftermath of this incident for us all to enjoy. The video included some very colourful language from Jenny in her posh English accent. 

I walked alone this morning from our hostel in Ferreiros most of the way to Portomarin.  The walk there was very quiet and I thought I was lost at one point in the dark but finally found a marker. The landscape reminds me of home. It's like returning to The Shire after a trip to Mordor. 

Asia caught me up for the last km into the town. We took an alternative route that led us down into a rocky gully, very dangerous and the last thing I want to do now is break an ankle.  

I caught up with Bauke and Matt in Portamarin and we walked out of the town together. As we ascended the hill out of the town we started passing pilgrims mostly with clean boots and small back packs but weren't really prepared for what was to come. At the top the path was full of fresh faced pilgrims, shiny and new, straight out of the packet, hundreds of them. And so we began the slow process of fighting our way through the slow moving herd. It was really odd, they didn't look like us, they didn't sound like us and they sure didn't walk like us. Our feet are sore and we walk on the road at every opportunity, these people stuck to the path. 

The Camino seems to have changed. There is big business involved in transporting luggage and backpacks by trailer and taxis taking those who couldn't finish their 20km walk, depositing them in  Palas de Rei where we arrived after a 7 hour 35km walk. That's the longest walk I've ever completed and I have now walked over 700 in total. 

The next 3 days should work out around 28, 25 & 15kms so we will hopefully have a really short day to finish. 

68km to go

 

26th September  

I forgot to mention yesterday we came across a stall in one of the villages offering free hugs. It was run by some kind of charity but I have no idea who they were. Matt, Bauke and I all got a free hug from a small Brazilian girl and then I managed to knock a plant pot off of a barrel with my backpack which smashed on the floor, I will take more care when hugging next time. 

We set off in the dark again today all following Matt who had a head torch. There was a feeling that we should try and stay ahead of the crowds which we have managed to do. All seven of us stayed together for the first few hours today, The group now consists of American Matt, Dutch Bauke & Linda, Danish Freja, English Jenny, Australia and me.  

Towards the later part of the morning the group split up a bit with me Matt & Bauke going on ahead. Matt & Bauke had great fun telling stories to the American tourists we pass who are bussed in to walk a few kms of the Camino.  The one they like best is based on the American inability to differentiate between Dutch and Danish. This happened to both Bauke and Linda early on so is now turned back on the unsuspecting tourists. It starts with Matt asking one of them where they're from and of course they ask the same question back. When Bauke says the Netherlands they always ask 'where is that?' so he replies, 'I'm Danish' and then goes on to tell them that it's a nice Island to live on. I just try and get ahead of them at this point, it's just crazy but hilarious at the same time. Don't these people know any Geography?

We arrived nice and early in Arzua where we found accommodation in the Municipal hostel. I'm not too impressed, the place is not much better than the last one only this time my bed is next to Matts, don't know if this is better or worse than the last time. The rest of them know I hate it so just make fun of the situation. Australia had the right idea. She opted to find a better place to stay but begged us not to leave without her in the morning. We've told her to be outside by 7. 

I am now trying to fill up my pilgrim passport (or credential) with stamps. You get a stamp in each place you stay. The stamp is supposed to prove you have walked from one place to the next and are entitled to stay in the hostels. Up to yesterday I hadn't bothered getting additional stamps during the day which can be obtained from every cafe and bar along the way. Collecting stamps is a bit of a slack packer activity so now I am trying to fill up the blank spaces in my credential my fellow travellers are teasing me about this and calling me a stamp tramp. I spotted a donkey today and the donkey had its own stamps, two of them. It's crazy but true. I will take a photo of the credential so you can see what I'm talking about. 

40km to go

 

27th September 

Last night we celebrated Matts birthday. We managed to get cake, party hats and banners and champagne (actually some super cheap Cava). There is a bit of a celebratory atmosphere as we draw closer to the end of our journey. 

I'm preparing to reorder the blog so that when it's finished it can be read top to bottom on the page. Looking through what I've written it's finally sinking in that there are no more days of walking alone through vast open spaces. I need to try and prepare myself for the return to normal life. 

I heard from Julius yesterday, he is now hoping to catch us up in Santiago on the 28th. We are going to walk to Finnistere together, 88kms and three days walk from Santiago to the coast and where the medieval pilgrims believed was the end of the world. Well I don't want to be the man who almost walked 500 miles do I? It should give me a total of 866km or 538miles. And hopefully 3 days peaceful walking to finish my Sabbatical. 

 It's 5am and Asia just left the hostel, she's going 35km today to leave her with a 5km finish tomorrow. Hope I see her again in Santiago. There was a young girl in the hostel this morning who had walked from Saria, about 75km. She was shuffling along in pain. Matt asked her where she was going today, she replied that she was taking the bus to Santiago. I felt quite sorry for her, if you're not fit or your boots don't fit properly you won't make it. 

We met for breakfast at the very late time of 7:30 in a local restaurant. We left at 8 and I decided to walk alone for the morning. Got through the crowds by 9:30 and had some space for myself. Bauke had phoned ahead and booked us beds in a hostel so there was no rush and it was only a 20km walk. At one point I was walking alone through a forest and saw written on a tree, 'you are the miracle' I guess that answers my question about some graffiti I spotted a few weeks back that said, 'don't quit before the miracle'. 

I think it's a miracle I made it this far. I'm sure it's just my own stubbornness and the people around me that got me this far. 

I got into Pedrouzo about 11:45 and caught up with Bauke, Matt & Australia. Matt & Australia have walked on to try and get closer, maybe into Santiago itself. Hopefully we will see them tomorrow. 

20.1km to go

 

28th September 

4am

This morning I'm filled with apprehension, the final 20km is before me and there is a whole mixture of feelings and emotions bubbling up within me. On the one hand I want this journey to end. I'm tired of living out of a backpack and sleeping in hostels. My feet hurt and I want to see my family again. On the other hand walking has become like an occupation. There is a great freedom in getting up and just walking through places you've never been before. Life slows to a different pace and you notice things that you might miss when in the car or if distracted by busyness. For a whole month now the fastest I've moved is about 4mph. It's going to be a very emotional day. 

I think the thing I'm going to miss the most is the great sense of community we have here. That's the one thing that's missing in so many people's lives these days and something we build very quickly here on the Camino. 

Bauke got a message from Australia yesterday to say she made it to Santiago, 40km. What happened to the woman who kept telling us she couldn't make it and we'd have to leave her behind? I once had to buy her beer to get her to the top of a mountain. She's now two days earlier than her planned arrival date when we met her a week ago. Tussani is also there, not sure how she got ahead of us. 

Matt is staying close to Santiago, he is walking in early this morning as he has a train to catch this afternoon. Hopefully we will see them both later today. 

 I'm glad i didn't walk the whole 40km yesterday, it was so tempting but it's taken away any urge to make this into a race. It's good for all of us. 

11:45am

Bauke, Linda, Jenny, Freja and I set out early this morning in the dark on the final part of our journey. It's pitch black so we used a mobile phone to light the way. The way was mostly urban today so not too exciting and we were all absorbed by our own thoughts in one way or another. On the way we found a stray German, Thomas who the girls know. He was standing under a lamp post waiting for someone with light to come along, it's never too late to add someone to our group. 

After ascending the second hill we can see Santiago in the distance with mist still sitting over it. Then later as we followed the road a first glimpse of the cathedral. We continued on through the suburbs and then into the city. Past the 1000 metres marker and finally through the tunnel and into the cathedral square. We all collapsed in a heap in the middle of the square, it was a very emotional moment for us all. Matt caught up with us in the square and we had a few group photos. 

We're now waiting in the queue to get our compostela certificates. It should take about two hours. Everyone who walks gets either a religious/spiritual certificate or non religious one. As long as you have enough stamps it doesn't seem to matter if you took a taxi (and we recognise one large Spanish man who did!).  

After an hour and a half wait we finally got our certificates. I paid extra for a certificate to show how far I walked which according to them is officially 799km! 

After checking into my room and leaving my rucksack behind I finally went to the cathedral for the end of my pilgrimage. I went down into the tomb of St James for a few moments of quiet reflection and then got in the queue to embrace the statue of St James in a very reserved and British way. 

Julius made it into Santiago this afternoon and we both went to the evening mass which was great as it featured a singing nun who was really good and the huge incense burner was lit at the end of the service and hoisted aloft by six monks. It was then swung across the width of the cathedral right up to the ceiling. Hopefully Julius will catch me up tomorrow on the way to Finnistere as he still has to collect his certificate.

0km to go

 

A final few words

My Camino to Santiago is now at an end. Tomorrow I begin a short 3 day 88km walk to Finnistere, the end of the world. I will try and write about this on a different page of the web site menu called 'postscript'. 

You might well ask, 'where was God in all that?' If you didn't see God in there in all the struggles and pain, in all the laughter and in the faces of the people I met along the way then you need to open your eyes and look around you. I'm not one for trying to separate the spiritual from the ordinary and I think it's up to us to open our eyes and spot the divine in everyday life. The Camino certainly helped me see things as they really are.

For those of you who may not have seen Icons before, the icons on the web site were made by me from ordinary things. From wooden boards, animal skin glue, gold leaf, egg yolks mixed with natural pigments from the earth and sealed with tree resin. What else does God have to work with than the ordinary? And just as I can make ordinary things into extraordinary things so can he too.

The other question that people have asked is 'why do it?' I'm not sure I really have an answer. Maybe the answer is simply because I can. 

 Many thanks to all those who walked with me, put up with my not so holy moments and made my Camino such a great experience. Linda, Bauke, Julius, Amy, Kathy, Cooper, Jenny, Freja, Tussani, Matt, 'Australia', Asia and so many more. Without you I would have burned out several hundred kms back and may never have made it. We have all become the miracle, ordinary people who made an extraordinary journey. You will all be in my prayers as you return back to work, continue journeying or start studying again. And just in case anyone is still reading this remember, if you ever walk the Camino walk with young people if you can. That way you'll always get a bottom bunk. 

I learned a lot about myself on this journey; that I already dealt with most of my issues long before starting this, that I don't need to push myself so hard, I don't really care if I don't meet everyones expectations of me, that solitude is great but you also need other people, that I really can walk 500 miles with flat feet, and that I am never alone. 

Thank you for reading 

Steven