Camino - Last Legs

As we approach Sarria, it is with a certain sense of achievement coupled with trepidation that we begin the last 100 km of our Journey.
The town of Sarria is the great junction where the 'wearied and blistered' encounter the 'fresh faced and excited' as this is where many new pilgrims begin their adventure to Santiago.
For those of us who have done a few miles already this could make the last leg much more busy and frantic compared to the comparative quietness of the trail so far.
There is also something of a pecking order that one notices on the path.
Egos tend to be pricked a little when one comes across folk who have done less or more miles than oneself.
And there is always someone who has done more!
We met a couple from Holland who had walked from their front door, and a Swiss gentleman who had set out from Krakow. We foolishly thought this couldn't be beaten until we encountered a chap who had started in Poland and went via Rome before heading back to Santiago, clocking up a staggering 6000 km, all on foot and with his loyal dog!
Our feeble 800 km effort pales into insignificance.
TTFN

Camino - Grub & Dodgy Wine

Almost every day for the past 3 weeks we have been eating the available 'menu peregrino'. This is almost always a 3 course menu including wine and water for about 10 Euros or less - so really good value.
The quality varies somewhat depending on each restaurant / bar. In general we have noticed that in the Navarra & Rioja region where a lot of wine is made, the wine (often a whole bottle) included in the menu is pretty good, and sometimes great. The food however, although plentiful and good value, is mostly quite plain.
Almost as soon as we entered the Castilla y Leon region, the food quality improved but the wine deteriorated dramatically. This is not to suggest that Wine from Castilla y Leon is bad, just simply that pilgrims are not granted any of the good stuff.
On one particular occasion the local eatery was happy to admit that their wine was so terrible that they would be including a free bottle of sickly sweet fizzy water with the menu, so as to make the wine drinkable - it didn't help!
The standard main course that appears on every menu, so far, is Lomo Cerdo, which a version of Pork with chips. This staple dish can be anything from a sliver of leather in grease to the most fantastic triple chop delicately pan fried in garlic & herbs - every meal is an adventure.
Ironically each time we have ventured away from the set Pilgrims Menu, we have been quite disappointed, and ended up making (comparatively) an expensive mistake.
Where in the UK could you get a 3 course meal with wine for under a tenner?
TTFN

www.virginmoneygiving.com/SallyandAustin

Camino - Highest Point

The long ascent to just under 5000 feet brought us to the highest point on our journey. Frankly the Crux de Fero is a bit of an anticlimax, but some of the messages and tokens left by the pilgrims are quite touching.
The ascent may have been long and shallow but the descent to the next village 'Acebo' was steep and treacherous. Sadly my left shin decided to make itself known, to the point of bringing me to tears and the only way of descending was for me to walk backwards! Slow going indeed. We finally reached the beautiful mountain village of Acebo, where we stayed for the night as I could proceed no further.
The heat had been increasing already by the time we had arrived.
Later in the afternoon the sun had really started to get in gear.
At around 6.30pm we came across a fellow pilgrim from Belgium whom we had met the night before, and had set off at about the same time that morning. He looked quite sunburnt and in an exhausted state.
He explained that half way up the mountain he had dropped his water bottle and it had spilt the contents. He had spent the rest of the journey with no water. Due to the lateness of the hour - as few pilgrims travel during the heat of the day - he didn't encounter any other pilgrims on foot. Desperate he tried to flag down some of the pilgrims travelling by bicycle. Alas no one wanted to stop.
Eventually an older cyclist stopped and generously gave him all his water!
It was a stark reminder once again to all of us how something a simple as the availability of water can still present such a problem so quickly to those of us who are so used to surfeit in every other aspect of our lives.
TTFN

Camino - A bed for the night

It is perhaps time to mention the accommodation available to the average 'Perigrino'. We have almost always made use of the Camino Albergues which are only available to Pilgrims (special Camino passport needed for trip). A night stay ranges from 5 - 10 Euros per bunk. These places a not dissimilar to Youth Hostels. Initially we were a little reticent at the idea of bunking in a room with possibly 30 or more folk in one room. Surprisingly apart from 2 exceptions (so far) these albergues are spotless and provide more than adequately for the weary traveller. And to be honest the service and general convivial atmosphere of these places is considerably better than many 'low budget' motels/hotels we have stay in, in the UK & Europe that charge significantly more.
The fly in the ointment can be when one is in a room with one or more snorers. Armed with earplugs this problem can be reduced somewhat. However yesterday we had the double misfortune of entering a village with only one place to stay, it was raining, and our bodies refusing to go any further. Sadly this particular Albergue was, shall we say, tatty and unkempt. The outdoor loos had no seats or paper, and we decided not to venture into the outdoor showers for fear of coming out less clean than when we went in! The room was not really large enough to swing a cat, yet it had 6 bunk beds crammed in. However one could argue that for 6 euros each we shouldn't complain, and beggars can't be choosers. Weary and a little disgruntled we made an early night. Alas we were later blessed with a snorer of the first magnitude that managed to penetrate through earplugs and vibrate through the somewhat thin mattress.
We arose grumpy and still very tired.
Yet the world has this rather marvellous way on balancing things up a little.
We had completed our ascent to Astorga with just a few miles to go. We planned to stop at the top for a break. There before us was splendid little shack/bar unattended laiden with the most fantastic array of organic nibbles, teas, muesli, and hot coffee dispensers. Plus an array of juices and a variety of milks, ranging from cows milk to soy, rice or nut milks. All this, set out just for Pilgrims, with a sign saying 'self service' and a little honesty box at one side. We were truly honoured and humbled by the generosity of whomever had decided to create this marvellous oasis for those on their way to Santiago.
TTFN

Camino - Top Tips

We passed through Leon today. Apart from the Cathedral and the spectacular design of the Paladour Hotel, we found the city a little ordinary compared to Burgos. Having said this the shop windows in the main street of the Old Quarter were beautifully dressed.
It seemed to take an age to walk out of the city through the seemingly endless industrial suburbs.

A few top tips for any who wish to set out on a trek of this sort:

1. When pushing needle through wife's large and very painful blister on heel - firstly make sure needle is a) sharp, b) the right size for the job, rather than two sizes too large, and secondly that there is cotton already threaded prior to surgical operation! This can be tricky when attempting to thread cotton through eye of needle while said object is still inserted in beloved's foot - removal & reinsertion not being an option.

2. When filling up at a water fountain do not allow wife to turn lever tap off the wrong way, resulting in a soggy husband. Secondly do not let her then leap to the rescue and throw the lever tap the other way resulting in an even soggier and less amused husband given that it also happens to be 6am and a cool misty morning with an icy breeze!

3. Do not be fooled by innocent looking croissants, donuts and the like as they are often filled with evil banana flavoured custard!

4. When seeking shelter for the evening firstly check that the bed is a) long enough for folk other than Hobbits, and b) Wider than the average stick insect. Secondly when falling out of said bed, do not, I repeat do not use sore & weary left knee to break fall with!

TTFN

Camino X - The Half Way Point

It may be worth mentioning at this point some of the characters we have met along the way. Having now trudged nearly 400 km, statistically one is bound to come across the odd one or two folk with a screw loose. Having said that it has occurred to me and others that the very nature of deciding to walk 790km, one must be missing a marble or two in the first place.
Our first encounter with a fellow pilgrim who had a touch of the sun was as we were sitting resting our weary feet at a little village called Granon. This curiously happy Frenchman comes bounding out of nowhere asking us if we know where the Albergue is in the village. We used our best French and told him it was run by the local church and was located nearby. He laughed heartily and said he knew but that he considered the mattresses too thin so was looking for the other Albergue in the village. We didn't know but suggested he ask back down in the centre.
After few minutes of chatting it turns out he had already walked over 1000 km! Each time he expounded a sentence in speedy french he would laugh in a way that reminded us of Dr Frankenstein raising his monster for the first time! Not a sinister laugh, but the laugh went on for much longer than was normal, and way beyond comfortable. He trotted off and returned a few minutes later having found the second hostel, which was still not to his liking and announced to us as he literally sped away at a run that he would find another in the next village - some 5/6 miles away. This last cheery goodbye was once again accompanied with a hearty laugh that continued on as he disappeared into the distance.
Our second strange encounter was as we were coming into Carrion de los Condes where about a mile outside of town a man in his fifties was catching us up. We let him pass, but instead of overtaking us, he began jabberring away in a curious way in what we assumed was Spanish. It turned out that he was both deaf and partially dumb. This in itself made it a bizarre conversation. As much of his communication was justiculation coupled with the occasional Spanish word thrown in. He was not slowed down in the slightest by our inability to speak or indeed understand Spanish. We persevered as he had decided to latch onto to us.
Assuming we understood him correctly he used to work on a farm milking cows until his back hurt. Unfortunately he smoked a lot while doing this and one day set light to a barn when he threw away his fag end thoughtlessly into some hay. His attempts at stamping out the fire came to no avail! He is now retired and watches football and drinks a lot, and by the way would we like a room for the night, as he doesn't think the Sisters in the convent Albergue are that great!
We thanked him for his kind offer - and he shrugged his shoulders and waved us goodbye.

TTFN

Camino Blur - Time & Date Unknown

Everything has become dependant on our body. Time really has become meaningless as we walk while we can walk, and stop when either our feet or knees or the weather says otherwise.
The very concept of time changes on our level of tiredness - 5 or 10 miles can fly by or a single one can drag on for what seems like hours and sometimes can indeed be hours as the last few hundred yards can litter be shuffling or limping.
It is worth mentioning at this point that Bowen Therapy has come in very handy on several occasions so far on this trip for ourselves and a couple of fellow pilgrims. It continues to surprise me the body, even when weary, can make significant changes to bring itself back to a state of equilibrium in a matter of minutes. This happened yesterday when we had the misfortune to arrive late at a village and the Albergue was full, and the Albergue in the following village was also full, so we had another 3 miles to walk to the next one. In all we ended up walking an extra 5 miles on top of the 14 we had already done. Sally's feet were in real pain already so I gave her a quick Bowen treatment while seated at a picnic table - just a knee & ankle procedure. Within a few yards she was almost clipping along - still weary physically but walking more balanced an in far less pain.

We arrived in Burgos today, and finally we are impressed with what Spain has to offer. The architecture is truly awe inspiring almost everywhere we look. Although a city it has an air of peacefulness which is refreshing from the frantic busyness of Logrono.

TTFN