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...