Day 12 and beyond !!

Well it all began with an early start as usual. I only intended to walk to Atapuerca, but it is probably not the best idea to make plans on the camino. I walked into the city of Burgos. This is not the nicest of walks, as a lot of it is on the road and through the industrial area of the city. Like I have said before I do not like city's but the more I walked the more I wanted to get it over with and not have to face doing it the following morning. Along with that one of my camino friends was finishing up in Burgos and needed to be in the city that night. We arrived around 4 O'clock to the municipal albergue to be told it was full. Strange thing was we did not meet more than 4 or 5 people that day on the road and only 2 had passed us. This we thought meant that we would have no problem getting a bed!!!!! Not so I am afraid. We walked awhile looking for another one and again it was full. By that time we had enough and headed for a hotel and got the last room there. I suppose it was nice to have a bath and a proper bed....
Not sure at what point I decided to do it but I decided I had enough of the camino and I was going home !!!! I missed Ray and every evening was the same. I would finish walking, shower, wash my clothes and hope that the night would not be too long so I could walk again. I loved to walk but was really lonely at night even though I had made some really good friends and laughed a lot. I just hated to lie down to sleep, it just did not come easy and only in small amounts. flights were booked and ticket got for the bus for 5.45 the following morning.

I was so excited to be going home. I got the bus to Bilbao then a flight to Madrid and from there to Dublin. I then got the bus to Portlaoise where I had arranged for my friend Kath to pick me up. I was at my own house just after 8.30 Ray got the fright of his life as he was waiting for me to skype.

That was 12 days ago and I still have a smile from one ear to the other. I loved the camino, the walking, the friends I made, all the people I met, the fun, the wine, the great chats we all had, but I MISSED RAY more than I could imagine possible. I had prepared for everything I thought before I went. I had all the right gear. I had trained and walking is no problem for me. I thought that we would both enjoy the break of 5 weeks. I laughed when anyone suggested it would be a long time to be away and said he would probably change the locks while I was gone to keep me out :-)

So here I am sitting at my kitchen table with the fire going and bread proving on the counter and nearly ready to go in the oven. I don't know anywhere I would rather be. I have no regrets about going on the camino and am very glad to have walked for the 2 weeks. I had lots of time to think about what is important to me, what I want from life and all the things that I am thankful for including Ray who encouraged me every step of the way.

Snake, Doll, Jane, Pip, Jess. "Team Awesome"

As of today Snake is in Sarria, Jane and Jess are in Molinaseca, Pip is back in Uk and will return next year as will Ray and I.

 "starting to Wither" 

"I am coming home"

Flying from Bilbao to Madrid.

I will go back and start again at Burgos sometime next year with Ray and and I think the nights will be a lot easier and much more enjoyable.

We have been in Killarney for the weekend and the weather was really nice, and are off to Mayo next weekend to do a little walking and Ray and Kath will climb the reek and so start their training for Camino 2013...

Day 11 Villafranca

Today was a tough day . I walked over 30 km. Jess was sick and Jane has problems with blisters so they did not walk as far today. They are as few km behind now. The albergue is nice tonight and is quiet. Unusually the beds are not all full which is different .
The walk today was over hills and all harvested fields. I also got too much sun. As I am walking west it is all on theleft hand side of my body and looks
like a farmers tan. Brown arms and legs just to where my socks are. My feet remain. White !!
Tomorrow I will walk about the same distance to bring me to the outskirts of Burgos . I prefer not to stay in the city's. So will pass through there on we'd morning early. The Albergue has geese and peacocks here in the garden Well it is time for bed again so until tomorrow Buen camino

Day 10, Granon

Today's walk was from Azofra into Granon was mostly through farm land where crops have been all cut. There were some fields of withering sunflowers and also some vineyards. Surprisingly the grapes do not taste much different to the ones on my brother in-laws at home in Ireland.
Again today I am happy with my feet and legs. I have no new blisters and the old ones are healing. I almost feel I am tempting faith mentioning them.
Tonight I sleep in the attic of the town church. There are no beds here just mats on the floor for our sleeping bags We will have a communal dinner later which will be cooked for us. Second day in a row not to have to sort the food out !! It is a beautiful place and feels very homely. I am surprised and also pleased how well I have adapted to camino life. The walking can be tough at times. My days walking is usually finished before 2 so I enjoy siesta and the just resting my feet for the evening. My biggest concern coming was how I would put in the evening without being lonely for home.
ONLY 566 km left to go now !!

Day 9 ,

Today I feel great. My feet are beginning to feel ok the blisters are dying I think!!!! Today we walked from Navarette to Azofra. The walk was
Ainly through vineyards and rolling hills. I probably am getting stronger, It does not take too much out of me now and my feet don't se to complain too much either. Well at least that is today's story.
We arrived in Azofra in time for "Fiestas de Gracias" which was amazing. The streets were lined with tables and chairs. There were 3 huge paella cooking away, there were at least 3 foot wide. There were also pans with pork and peppers in a sauce. Lots of wine too. So we eat and drank of the best of Rioja. A band played in the plaza where we danced. This was all to celebrate the grape harvest. I still have to figure out where we got the energy to dance an drink a beautiful mixture of red, white, and rose wine.
We all survived the festivities although my rib age is still a little sore from laughing.

Better than ice cream

Today was day 7 and a long hot walk to Logrono. We had decided to only go as far as Viana but we got there at 9.30!!! So after a vote and good breaki/lunch we decided to move on and go to Logrono. Although we got there by 1.30 the albergue was full, and the private one near by. We got a pension in the old city for 15 euro each so all happy campers tonight :-)
Just as we entered Logrono today we passed a long water feature. I can't be sure it was a foot bath:-) but it was inviting. I don't think I ever enjoyed anything so much. Certainly beat the icecream. I think we may have started a trend.
The views today were great, lots of mountains, vineyards and olive groves. The good thing about this time of year is all the fruits are ripe. The figs are especially good. Just as we came through Viana today a lady came out with a bucket of them to give pilgrims as they passed.
We have also met a Canadian film maker a lot over the last few days who is making a documentary. Last night he shared a room with us in Los Arcos and filmed us so we may even make the big screen.
It is hard to believe a week has passed and a lot of miles covered, life is good on the camino. Tough for sure but good.

The good, the bad, and the ugly...

Well today is my eight day and I feel pretty good apart from my feet that is!! I have blisters just between my big toe and second toe on both feet. Other than that I feel great. That is the GOOD.
Because the camino is so busy the race for beds is on and it is taking some of the fun out of the day. Starting so early in the morning is not a guarantee that one will get a bed. We did not get a bed in an albergue last night but that was ok we got a room in a pension. We thought that meant a good nights sleep but alas we got none. There was a festival in in the city and it continued until 5 am this morn then the pilgrim rising racket started again. Our little band of misfits or "team awesome" as we like to call ourselves made a decision to take a short day today and hope that everyone else keeps walking!!! Our theory is that if we do not stick to the main stages we may find it easier to find a bed. That is the BAD.
We arrived in Navarette at 9.30 this morning having walked 13 km. Jess has some leg problems. Jane has some too, Snake is just tired and has no bounce !! I have my blisters. Pip is only walking to Burgos and was undecided if he would go on or stay with us. After a little timeout he decided to stay. We are very happy with that decision:-). We are all walking alone but together. I walk by myself a lot of the day as do my friends but we always eat and stay together at night. We laugh a lot in fact we laugh an awful lot. We are now sitting outside an albergue and are first in line for a bed, along with an amazing lady we just met called Edith. Edith has walked over 1500 km from Holland. She intended to walk to Santiago, but for Edith the camino is looking like it will end here. The race for beds, the crowds on the camino, are not giving her the peace and stillness she needs. We have been speaking with her for a while and it is sad to see her cry and feel lost on a beautiful sunny day. I hope in some way we will give her a heart to continue what is only a few miles. This Lady has walked alone from Holland we have only come down the road!!! This is the UGLY.
The photo of Team Awesome : Snake, Doll, Jane, Pip and Jess.

Evening has come, we are showered and fed, Edith has joined us for the evening. We sit laugh, talk. All is well and tomorrow is another day. Buen Camino.

Courage

"Courage is not the absence of fear or despair, it is having the strength to conquer them"
I am now on day 6 and have arrived in the beautiful rural town of Los Arcos. I have not blogged for a few days for 2 reasons... 1 being very tired in the evenings and 2 I have been struggling a bit with settling down to my camino.
I think really until yesterday I thought I may not be able to do it. I have struggled since teenage years with fear and anxiety. Most people who know me would not realise that, So doing this by myself this year was real important to me. The boys are grown up and I am very proud of who they have become. Ray and I did well and I can say that without a flicker of thought. Yet I always doubt my self,I have been walking with a beautiful girl called Jess who showed me that quote on her camera phone on Sunday. I have been thinking about it a lot the last few days. Today I realised I always had courage !!! I have just been denying it for over 30 years :-(
Funny isn't it that I have to walk in 32 degrees of heat over mountains with blistered feet to figure that out.
I have also learned some things I needed to learn from a snake.
I have enjoyed walking today more than any walk I have ever done, it is nice to walk in freedom and really enjoy the beauty around you. The views are amazing here. Along with Jess Pip and Snake ( other people come and go) we start around 5am, to catch sunrise, beat the heat of the day an also get accommodation. It is still very busy here and can be hard to get a bed. I get lots of rest in the evening and listen to music that James sent me :-) That man has his mothers great taste in music. A chat with the boys at home then time for dinner and early bed. Such is the life of a pilgrim and tomorrow I will do it all over again.

Every step is a victory

Today started at 5am. We were ready for it and wanted no bother getting a place to stay tonight. It is tough to walk and then find there are no beds. The reward today was seeing the sun rise just as we approached Alto de Perdon. We also got to finish walking before it got too warm. I enjoyed walking today before the crowds started moving, and we also got a really nice place to stay. While we walked around town this evening we went to look at a really old church. It was all gold and ornate. Jess one of my walking companions sang when other people left. I can honestly say it was the most beautiful sound I ever heard. The acoustics were amazing.
Well the blisters have came to visit today. I have 2 one on each foot just on the outside of each heal. I have not decided if I will thread them yet. I am probably hoping for a miracle !!

Day 3

We started this morn just after 7. Although it was relatively easy in terms of terrain, I have found it a tough day. My feet are really sore, no blisters or injuries just sore and tired. My body aches too. So I feel a bit down. I walked alone today until I reached the city of Pamplona, where my friends Jess, Pip and I had decided to meet. We had a quick look at the cathedral and went to get some things we needed. We had hoped to get a place to stay just outside the city in Cruz Menor but because the camino is so busy we decided to ring ahead to check but there was no where with a room free !!! Yesterday was the same. I am hoping this will not be the case every night. We walked to near the edge of the city and got a hotel. Tomorrow we will leave here well before sun up and hope to get to our next stop in time to get a bed. My budget does not include nice hotels but lying here now I am not complaining. Lunch today was paella which was good ..

Happy Days

I am on my second day now and my first chance to get wifi. Yesterday I started in St Jean and crossed the border into Spain. That was the most amazing experience. The weather was great and the views spectacular I have met some great people. Today we walked to zubri and all the albergue's were full so some of us went to a private pension . It is fab. All the luxuries of home, and we have it all to ourselves. The washing is on the line, the wine is breathing and we have dinner cooking. tomorrow I will walk to the other side of Pamplona. My feet are tired but have no sign of blisters..
Although I was a bit anxious leaving home and taking on such a big challenge, I have a smile from ear to ear today, I am taking it one step at a time and sure I'll see how it goes

A Little bit of History

Oddly enough (to me) not every one knows about the "camino" This amazes me because it is constantly on my mind. I walked some of it a few years ago and I decided then that I would return and start in St Jean Pied De Port in the south of France and walk to Santiago de Compostela all in one visit.

I love to walk more than anything especially on the hills, in a forest or quiet country roads. I have always found that walking is not only good for our body's but more importantly for our minds, To me it is like meditation in a way.
I have been asked why am I doing it, is it for charity ? Am I going on pilgrimage? Am I going with others?  I don't have a specific answer as to why I am doing it. It is not for charity, or am I going on a pilgrimage and I am going alone just me and my backpack.  I like the idea of going alone with just a few essentials to see me through each day, with nothing on my mind but reaching my destination. I have no expectations. I know it will be challenging, and hard at times. I know it will be lonely. I know that I will get tired, get blisters, sore, emotional and a myriad  of other feelings. I also know I am strong, fit, determined and very stubborn  so that will help I hope !! I will take it one day at a time, I will enjoy walking and meeting with people especially those I have chatted with on the camino forum. I hope to cook a bit as well whenever I can have use of a kitchen in the alburgues along the way. I love spanish food and hopefully I will collect a few recipes along the way too. 2 weeks from tomorrow I fly to Biarritz. I can't wait !!!!!!!

I almost forgot the little bit of history ...

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela, also known in English as The Way of St James, are walking and cycling pilgrimage paths. The walking trails come from all Europe, some start and finish in Spain, and they all converge on Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain as their destination. For more than 1,000 years pilgrims have traveled along the many Caminos to Santiago.

The most popular Camino walking trail is the Camino Frances This part of the Camino de Santiago traditionally starts in St Jean Pied de Port in France and finishes in Santiago de Compostela about 780km later, after traveling the breadth of Northern Spain, (In Santiago you can collect your Compostela).  However you can start anywhere and even continue past Santiago to the sea at Finisterre. Cape Finisterre was thought to be the end of the world in medieval times.

Map showing the camino frances

Today thousands of Christian pilgrims and non-Christian pilgrims each year set out from their homes, or from popular starting points across Europe. The most popular route is the French Way or Camino Francéson which most pilgrims start from either Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees or from Roncesvalles on the Spanish side. However many pilgrims begin further afield from cities such as Le Puy or St. Albain.

These modern-day pilgrims walk for weeks or months to visit the city of Santiago de Compostela. Some pilgrims travel on horseback, many also come by bicycle. In addition to people on a religious pilgrimage there are many travellers and hikers who walk the route for non-religious reasons such as for enjoyment, travel, sport or simply the challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign land.

Santiago se Compostela Cathedral 

Love is .... sharing the first tomato from the greenhouse.

 Once upon a time on a sunny morning.....
"There are tomatoes ready in the greenhouse"
"I seen that"
"Well are you going to pick them"
"Ah no sure you grew them and fed and watered them, you pick the first one"
" will you go up and get them I left them there for you to pick"
"I won't"
" come on so and we will get them "
He picks the first tomato of this years crop and offers it
" here you go taste that "
" No you take the first bite "  so he takes the first bite
"Oh God that is lovely" he say's  then hands it to her
"divine" say's she "well worth waiting for"

and so it goes until next year. It is one of the great rewards of growing veg, getting to taste the first of the tomatoes, the spuds and beans and of course the figs which were devoured a couple of weeks ago.

I have only 3 weeks to go until I leave for Biarritz. The fear/excitement has left me now and I feel pretty good. I feel ready now, that is to say I am pretty calm and have it sussed !!!! The weather has been pretty good this week and I have been out walking early in the morning. It has become like a meditation.  One foot in front of the other, repeat repeat repeat. I have a pretty good stride and walk 8 mile in just under 2 hours. There is a flow about it, no change in the motion or the speed. I am not sure where my mind is when I walk but I never feel tired or that I need to stop.
I have noticed Ray is starting to look at the calender now just as I have stopped. The time seems to be flying by, I asked was he counting down the days to get shut of me for a while. All I got was a smile, typical man "No comment"
I expect he is worrying just a tad as I am not the best at taking care of my stuff. I never fail to leave a book, glasses or phone charger behind in  a hotel. Some times I go into panic thinking I have lost my purse (I have done on occasion). If we are going away I usually have to go back into the house for something I left behind. I laugh as I write because I never had to think, my other half has always sorted it all out for me. You can see now why he is slightly worried. Well don't sweat  the small stuff!! I have it covered I think!!!!
I have my gear all laid out and here is the plan. Everything has a place in the bag and that is where it will be kept day in day out until I return home. Soooo if I need something as I walk along the road I will know where it is. Hey Presto, Open sesame, Abrica Dabra open the bag as opposed to empty the whole thing out on the road and I have what I want. WTF? you might think but I really am not the best at minding things, but hey!! There are going to be changes on the camino and I may come home with everything I left with. Ina eat your heart out. It has been suggested that I wear dog tags so if I get lost someone may post me home :-)
It will be all go for the next 3 weeks. I will have loads of "tommy-toes" to preserve one way or another. Some more walking a little cycling and I fear a little trimming from my back pack to keep the weight in check, It will all come together and one foot will go in front of the other...

Everything is ready to pack now !!

Best tomatoes in town

August Already !!!!

I thought in February that August would never come, and here it is the 2nd already. I have lost the excitement somewhere over the last few weeks and am searching endlessly for it.  I have also lost a couple of posts from the blog, obviously deleted them while playing around here trying to decide how I would like the page to look. In the middle of all this mayhem I have been to Westport again to cycle the greenway with Ray and Kathleen and had a great weekend. I have been on antibiotics for a chest infection and have had a tummy bug for the last few days. I have not been for a walk since sunday and feel my world is going belly up this morning.
In my world when all is not well I put flour to the clouds, but that is causing some problems too!!! What you may ask. Weight gain I answer ! Logical I hear you say!! Well that had to stop. It is not as if I have sorted out the backpack weight problem (wrote about that on the missing post ) and I need to gain weight. I really would have liked to lose 10 lbs but instead I gained 5, so cupcakes are not on the menu. Someone please tell me how a beautiful light as a feather dainty little cupcake causes weigh gain ??
I have now moved on from cakes and bread to jams chutneys and pickles. My rhubarb was abundant so we now have lots of rhubarb and ginger, rhubarb and vanilla (yummy) jam and rhubarb chutney and spring rhubarb relish. I have preserved some of our raspberries in brandy and syrup for christmas if they last that long. Yesterday I made red pepper relish and some tomato and red pepper chutney. It is starting to look like most of my tomatoes are going to come in when I go away. I just can't see Ray making chutneys and roasted tomato ketchup in september.
Where is all this leading ??? to my present state of mind. I am full of apprehension about this trip and here are the main problems
1. 38 days is a long time to be away from all that is familiar and all that I love.
2. Am I as fit as I think ?
3. I may have lost my mind as well as my excitement and blog posts.
4. Will I be able to contend with life on the camino?
5. Will I die of loneliness?

I am hoping when I read this back later that I will say to myself "build a bridge woman you will be grand you are  losing your mind is all that is wrong with you" I am breathing a heavy sigh of relief as I write this just realising I have that lost my mind already. I have now managed to knock one of the 5 main problems of the list. Sure everyone thinks I am nuts doing this camino anyway.
If I can get Ray to agree to collecting the elderberries, wild plums, damsons and crab apples while I am away and just freeze them until I return I will chillax a little bit, or maybe my timing is wrong for going will I wait another year....?

Garden rewards

"Jimmy Fisher"

I still have not got around to repacking the dreaded backpack, but sure what about it ??? with 46 days to go I definitely think I will make it on time.
My real problem at the moment is a little hit of nerves !!! It just hits me in small (well rather like a hammer between the eyes) waves. I just think "what the f... am I at here, walking 800 km to Santiago you can't even go up town for a night and relax without wanting to come home", and so this is the the feeling I had last night while I was out to dinner. I don't  go out on a regular basis. I enjoy being home in my kitchen "throwing flour to the clouds" and chilling with the occasional glass of merlot, throwing the few comments here and there to "the boss" about how I am not really going to eat them all that they are for someone else. I may have to sample them to make sure they are up to standard though. Any way I am telling my self that a little dose of nerves and a healthy mix of excitement is going to make a great camino. So that will be my mantra for the next few weeks.
Our youngest son James is 30 today.  I was reading through his birthday wishes on his facebook page this morn and seen "happy birthday jimmy fisher" wrote there from my brother. It brought back some great memories of happy days, of children, unconditional love, falls, tears and lots of hugs. James is now  30 and is in Aus and has travelled so much on his own. Luke our oldest son is married and has 2 little men of his own who also are the light of our lives. So it set me thinking this morn I am a strong woman who has done ok so far so what I am I worrying about ?? Ray will walk on water to get to me If I need him, partly because he would prefer that to flying :-). I will be grand and France won't know what hit it on Aug 31st, who will in turn warn Spain that I am on my way over the mountain...

Happy Birthday Jimmy Fisher xx

Putting flour to the clouds  to sooth my soul !!!!

"Thanks be to God"

I drove down to Westport alone on friday !!! not something that I am in the habit of doing. Sometimes I feel like a protected species I am minded that well. But since I am going to Spain for over a month I think it is time that I cut the cord so to speak.
I met some friends there and had dinner at the Helm on Westport Quay. I had the turbot. It was so good. I can not go to a restaurant by the sea and not have fish after coming from the only land locked county in Ireland.
Waking up on Saturday morning to the sound of rain was not the best feeling I ever had I can tell you. A long day ahead through wet fields, bogs, woodland and country lanes that eventually lead to Croagh Patrick with the rain beating off ones back is noting to smile or be thankful about you would think. Well that is unless one starts at Ballintubber Abbey with a pep talk from Father Fahey. These were his guidelines


Penance - No complaining. Instead say "Thanks be to God"


Community - Include 'the stranger' in your group - No 'Cliques'


Faith - Light Candle as symbol of your faith before setting out.


Mystery - Silence observed at certain designated parts of Tóchar.


Celebration - Share your Food, your Joy, your Love and your Care

Fair enough you might think, but how to say thanks be to God when the rain is running down the back of your neck and your brand new Merril Siern Breeze waterproof and breathable boots are soaking up the water like it is going out of fashion is a small bit beyond my capabilities I thought. Well say it I did and laughed as I said it. This was to be the habit of the day and when I fell on my bum into the wet and muck with my lovely Lowe Alpine bright red Jacket (have I mentioned that I am a gear freak) to the chorus of my companions "Thanks be to God" it suddenly dawned on me that this little mantra was lifting the mood of everyone. It was an amazing day with lots of rain wind and smiling faces.
It took nearly ten hours and a hard climb up the back of the reek.

I thought about our mantra as I lay in bed that night. You know if you think about it when you complain it brings your mood down along with the mood of those who have to listen to you. Being thankful is so much nicer and brings a smile to everyones face. Try it for a day, go on I dare you

Croagh Patrick view from Westport Quay.

Ok, so this is a test to see if I am now blogging from mobile.

The count down has begun.

On the 31st August I will fly from Dublin to Biarritz, then travel on to a town in the pyrenees called St Jean Pied de Port. It is from here I will begin my camino. That 9 weeks from now. I am both excited and a little bit scared which is probably a good thing.

I have always enjoyed the outdoors and walking has always been a great love. A few years ago I got the chance to sample the camino from Sarria to Santiago. Everything about it was magic. But most of all the feeling of putting on my rucksack in the early morn just after sun up and walking all day with nothing else on my mind but where I was heading for. That set the dream for me of doing the whole of the "camino francais" from SJPdP to Santiago de Compostela.

Tomorrow as part of my preparation I will travel to Westport on MY OWN, and on Saturday I will do a walk known locally in Mayo as  "The Togher". The Togher is a pilgrimage walk from Ballintubber Abbey to Croagh Patrick. It is 45 km in length and not for the faint hearted.
I am not a religious person but I am  spiritual so I can appreciate what this ancient walk is about. Hopefully the weather will be a little bit better than it has been so far this summer.

I am not a blogger nor have I aspirations !!! I wanted to share my camino with Ray and the boys so if you are reading this you are welcome. I hope that I can share my journey and excitement with you

Buen camino,

Doll x