I'll pass on purgatory

Link to selected photos

2006-10-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to some selected photos of my walk in Spain. Hope it works.
My attempt to insert them into the entries didn't!

share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaOGLhm4bs2LiY

FINISITERRE

2006-09-18T06:23:00.000-07:00

My walk is over! After walking westwards for the last 880km I cannot go any further. The last 3 days have been interesting. Day 1 was great after my rest day in Santiago. Walked over 34 km and apart from the last few I was in great form, was walking for the pleasure of walking and with nice people and was great. Didn´t arrive at the auberge ´till 7.30 though and the auberge was an old school so we were sleeping on foam sheets on the ground. And I was in the middle of my shower when all the water got cut off, there wasn´t even cold water so that wasn´t too fun... Didn´t sleep very well either as there was a mosquito buzzing in my ear half the night too. Bit nervous about them now after it looked like my 5 weeks were an excuse to get some liposuction done a few days ago. Got to use my survival blanket 5 years after I first purchased it. Not too much fun for the others in my dorm but going on this walk with just a sleeping bag liner wasn´t a smart idea on my part.

So that was Day 1, day 2 was soooo tired and had to walk, we thought 38 km, ended up being at least 42! Luckily we left some stuff in the pilgrim office in Santiago (just 1 euro a day and that was 3 person´s stuff) but my bag was still way too heavy for 42 km! Was sleep walking half the time but still conscious enough to know I was awake and had 2o+ km to go!! When we finally arrived the hospitalero had no food as we arrived so later so we piled all the found we had between us and had a mountain of pasta, a slice of cheese and tomato sauce. Not bad! Early to bed for me and just 18km to walk today, nice! Has been foggy since we left Santiago and so didn´t get to see a lot to be honest. The remains from the fire last month... but not too much sea at the end. And the lighthouse is a hornhouse... walk 880km to be almost deafened!! Some hasty photos later and we hurried back to the town to have a hasty meal before one of the French guys heads off to his holidays in Rome. So the rest of us will be here tonight, Santiago tomorrow to get my other two free meals from the Parador, have warned the doorman in advance! and get some souvenirs.

And the fate of the walkers, one speaks of writing a book, one is going to try and help encourage people to return to the countryside... one is retired but thinking of making the return trip, two will return to work in an oil refinery, one has returned to teaching, one to IT... some don´t know, one a nurse, three hope to make a documentary (http://www.129expressions.com ) and one will study for the moment and see what doors open next

SANTIAGO

2006-09-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

I´ve arrived!! In fact I arrived yesterday but am feeling it more today. The plan had been to do 2 tough days with an easy day in between but myself and Lucie had been having such an interesting conversation during the easy day that I didn´t feel the 24kms go by and figured I´d go on and do another 8 to have three equal days but 8 ended up been 16 as the village where I was meant to ask the barlady for a bed was a bit twilightzonish with an old man beckoning me around corners that I decided to press along in the downpour that followed. So I arrived at St. Irene to see other people standing in the rain at the door, but there was a bed... no food but a bed and a hot shower and I had 100g of chocolate in my bag, energy food for the final day.

Arrived at Santiago in the rain at about 1.30. The last few days were typical Irish weather, misty, overcast, drizzly, rainy... The walk into Santiago is like any other city-town, pretty ugly, but the old centre is lovely and the seminary where I´m sleeping is up on a hilltop with a fantastic view. Was so tired yesterday that I just got my certificate and spent the rest of the day in bed. Everything changed today though, woke up full of energy, still foggy here but so quiet, got to see the city before business began. Also got one of my 3 free meals (breakfast) in the Parador, most expensive hotel in Santiago. How it works is that you get a copy of your certifcate and then you go to the garage entrance and are brought to a special pilgram room for eating. Only 10 people can do this each time so you have to arrive early to get it or do breakfast like me and the 2 Americans this morning. Dinner probably wouldn´t work for me anyway. This "ritual" is a bit of an inconvenient transition for the hotel rather than a love for the pilgrim. I don´t think they´d appreciate my vegetarian requests!! Still interesting to partake in!

After breakfast I got my cert laminated as it was already getting destroyed and then the fun began, meeting all the people I had bumped into, walked, dined and made plans with in the last 30 days. Then the joyous feelings sprang and culminated at the pilgrim mass where a nun with a fantastic voice sang the opening hymm and the church crammed with people beaming all listening in wonder. I had squeezed myself into a bit of floor space beside the altar and felt the emotion finally rise as my eyes began to water and looked around to see half the congregation wiping the tears away too. They must have done away with naming the individuals, makes sense considering how many people, so they just listed the countries. 2 from Ireland I think. Met 3 other Irish people later, retired school teachers who did it for 4 days. At the end of the mass they burned incense in a massive burner which was swung by 8 priests to the ceiling! Amaziing to see. And then reunion again with more people, just after a massive buffer lunch for 7
euros 50 and meeting everyone again this eve in front of the cathedral.

Myself and at least 2 others are starting the 3-4 day walk to Finisterre tomorrow. That was slightly putting a damper on the whole arrival to Santiago experience too as I´m not finished yet and I´m always anxious about my feet but was talking to Lucie and this will not be the same. This is just an extra walk we´re doing by the sea. We can relax this time, we don´t have to pressurise ourselves with solitude or time limitations... We´ll see what happens. Was talking to a French guy last night who had returned who said that some of the way is burnt but not too bad. I saw some effects of the fire myself too the last day or two but nothing too devasting... well not along the camino anyway.

After Finisterre there´s talk of another place Muxia but I have a flight on the 20th so I think I´m just going to have to call a halt at Finisterre. Still have to go back to Santiago (bus) and buy all things yellow!

92 km to go

2006-09-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

Passed the 100km mark today. Read in my book that they´ve actually made a mistake though and when you arrive at 12 km to go it´ll become 15 so I should have taken a photo at 97... ah well. Walking through Galicia is like walking through the Ireland you see in films, small green fields, stone walls, hills and drizzle. Nice short walk today (24km). The next 3 days will be sizeable and then hopefully just 5 km Friday morning to arrive early in Santiago to get the certificate and hear our names called out after the sermon at the daily pilgrim mass. Then off again for 3 more days to get to the end of the world, Finisterre... All going to plan. Been to the pharmacy again so hopefully I´m equipped for the days to come and nabbed some wool at the Cebreiro market which soothes all those infant blisters. I´ve been accused of doping because of all the products I´m using to keep going! Have developed an allergic reaction to all the creams I was putting on my legs so had to buy another cream to combat that!

At Portomarin, arrived at 12pm. Earliest arrival since I started, was like I was on holidays. Wondered around and finally arrived at the pool at 2.15 to see that it would be open at 3.30. Too lazy to move any further I just hung out reading until 3.30, 4.00, 4.15. A german girl then arrived and we decided to ring the number. Probably disturbed the guy from his siesta but I feel invigorated now. Swimming in the rain...

So, I´m glad I didn´t bring my psychology book that was meant to give me ideas for next semester. I barely have time to read the book I have... it´s amazing how much time looking after one´s feet takes! And am running into people from earlier too which is nice.

So since leaving Ruitlean where I was awaken to the sound of Ave Maria and freshly made toast we reached the caminos highest points, saw the Galician delicacy of boiled octopus, made a few diversions ´coz we love the challenge, walked together and apart, had to time to reflect and company to distract ourselves, converged and divided and converged again.

Now it´s all about the walk. Everyone at their own pace. Well that´s what it´s about to me. The end is nigh. In fact, the end has been nigh since September began. In August I wasn´t going home ´till Sept but since Sept began it´s been almost countdown. So these last few days are important.

Once again, have to acknowledge how good it is to be Irish because every other nation loves us. I obviously do not look Spanish and attract questions and generosity and friendliness.

Sarria, where we slept last night, is the last big town before the 100km and walkers need to walk at least the last 100km to Santiago to be entitled to get the certificate so it´s become a lot busier. The refuge where I´m staying holds 160 places and was full by 3. When I started people told me the opportunity of getting your bags carried for you and I was thinking I might do it for one day but now it really would be unheard of. There is a certain pride in being a ´real´pilgrim, to have walked about 700km now with my 11kg bag myself. It would be unheard of to get it carried unless something awful happened which hopefully won´t. So we´ve developed a bit of a superiority complex to those other day trippers who just carry their water and picnic bag but do appreciate when they offer us melon slices and olives from their bountiful supply of food!

If nothing else, this has been a great opportunity to practice my languages. I understand again why I studied them. It has also been an interesting study of self. I never noticed how important the fact that I am in the youngest determines who I am. The fact that I am often speaking French or German also affects my role, being less skilled infantiles me. Being less experienced... Whatever roles is the most dominant is determined and the hierarchy is decided and the leader - follower roles are distributed. But once the roles decrease in importance then the hierarchy reshuffles or I refuse to play the game and move on.

a little piece of heaven

2006-09-08T05:30:00.000-07:00

Read in one of my guides about this place that gives shiatsu massages. Ok, have to pay for it and is pretty expensive but I´m going to get one ´coz my leg keeps giving away after yesterday´s exploits and I´ve got a 3 hour early morning climb ahead of me tomorrow ... and descent which could be all the worse!!! So only walked about 22 km today, or maybe more... there was a choice b-w 10km on road to a village, 12 km along the mountains or 18 km, opted for the 12 km path but lost the trail 2-3 way through and ended up ploughing my way through scrub until I came to a 3 metre drop to the road. Walked along the edge for a while looking for easier climbs but had to throw my bag, sticks and myself down in the end. About 50 m along the road I came upon the path... grrr... completely covered in dirt I stumbled up one of the German guys I met a few days ago... Well I guess I´m authenticising it a bit more for myself.

Anyway, I´m the only place here so far which is cool. Not a designated stop and might not appear in lots of guides so here´s hoping. Wouldn´t mind a bit of quiet time. Keep bumping into the Irish guys I met in Leon now and Irish girls yesterday. Didn´t appreciate the whole wooden cabin thing last night but it was kinda cool to wake up there this morning. What a difference a good night´s sleep makes and it actually was decent enough. Placed myself beside the yard opening which was noisy but at least provided some air.

I´ve become very sensitive to the colour yellow. Yellow is the colour of the arrows we need to follow and the brown moss on trees is yellow from a distance, I can spot a yellow leaf 500m away, all the yellow warning signs jump out at me. A yellow arrow will never be just that again, it´s a lifeline, a symbol of hope, a restoration of faith, a leap of joy.

After 2 weeks of not using my sticks right I finally know how. Was following an adept French guy for a while who now tells me ´tu danses en marchant´.

And after receiving fierce slagging from all the Spanish and French meateaters I finally found a vegetarian restaurant and it was fab. Guy had been to Middle East and Asia too and could see its influence in the mint tea, multicolured bunting, tofu... Was a lovely setting with a view of the Galician hills to come and the echoing bells of the cows and goats. Doing this walk awakens memories of other walks I´ve done and forgotten in China and India. The mounds of stones that appear at intervals here are found on Tibetan mountains. It´s amazing how half way across the world never matter what the faith is similar rituals are performed.

Other people have arrived now so had better make myself off to shower and wash my clothes. Treated myself to a washing machine yesterday but after today will have 16 euros to get me over the hill and down to the next town where there´s an ATM. I´d better make it over in one day!!!

Week 4 Day 2

2006-09-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

I think about 200 km left. One flat day and then a climb of 1500 m and down again. Just did that yesterday again. Great fun!

Spanish people finished in Leon so I have been travelling with some French people since. Left them in Pontferrada today as wasn´t in the mood for sight seeing but walked too much and am exhausted now. 40+ km... longest ever and never again!

It has been roasting the last few days. Very hard to sleep. Tonight should be a howl in a wood cabin stuffed with bunks...

Will be entering Galicia tomorrow or Saturday and from then on every 500m will be marked ´till 0. Was at a health centre just now as I´m been burnt through my clothes, blisters are multiplying too... The pharmacies are what are benefitting the most from this trek. I´m spending about 30 euros there twice a week.

So back to vineyards and blackberries. Sounds idyllic and is until 8km till my shower turns into 16! And all I want to do is stop!!!

Days are already noticeably shorter here. Was up at 5 am this morning, finished walking at 5 30 pm (see what I´m saying!!!) but it didn´t get light ´till 7.30. Used to be a lot earlier... was a full moon today though so could navigate well enough...

That´ll do for now. Need to go horizontal for at least 8 hours tonight!

Talk next week!

to do or not to do

2006-09-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

If someone asked me would I recommend that they do it, a week ago I would have said no but now I´m thinking, if you can accept that for the first 10 days 2 weeks things are going to be tough and you can cope with that and not loose faith and believe in the optimism of others and that you are as strong as the others and that if others can do it that so can you (there´s some people who started walking in Holland and Switzerland!)

Now I find myself, more so in the morning (late night) walking in the dark as it begins to get bright, thinking, wow this is cool, I am doing this, I have already done so much and hopefully I´ll get to do a lot more!

Leon

2006-09-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

Arrived in Leon today after getting up at 5 am to avoid walking in the heat for too long. Arrived in the hostal at about 2 and will stay an extra day - my first rest day! Is roasting at the moment. Managed to take a little siesta of 1 hour and woke up sweating, at 6 pm! Will venture into the city later. Tonight there is no curfew for going to bed. Normally we have to be in the hostal and in bed by 10, 10.30 but not here. You also have to be out of the hostal by 8am in the morning but here it´s 10 am so should be good. Don´t know if I´ll actually sleep in though, considering I rarely sleep at the best of times I doubt it!

Tomorrow although we´re not walking anywhere we´re going to try to walk a lot around the city so that the legs don´t suffer withdrawl symptoms and won´t function Monday. It´s true!! Have to keep the momentum going!!

Going to explain a few things now. First of all the name of my blog. It´s because and forgive me if this is not entirely accurate, but years ago when the Catholic church recognised purgatory they said that if you walked the camino on certain years (every 4th one) you wouldn´t have to go to purgatory after you died. All other years, you´d be exempted half the stay. It so happens that I´m doing it on one of the other years so I´m only getting my term reduced by 50% but is there even a term anymore???!!!

Piercing blisters: never heard about this until here but apparently it´s the thing to do if you have them. I resisted for about 2 weeks and finally succumbed to a nurse who dragged me into a hotel to do it. What happens is that you, or the willing volunteer - and there was this Italian guy Marco, whose eyes used to light up everytime he saw mine, DYING to pierce them, so there are some - sterilises a threaded needle and makes a stitch through the blister, not touching the skin below but piercing the bubble. Some thread is left in the blister so that it will drain the fluid and dry it out. At the moment, I have three such artefacts on my feet, one with 3 pieces of thread the blister was so huge!

Not much else to say for now. The rest of the people should arrive tomorrow and all go again Monday. Will visit some sites tonight and tomorrow.

Week 3 Day 3 PAST HALFWAY

2006-09-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

Finished my walking for today. Legs-feet are okay. Is pretty hot at the moment about 35 degrees and it was pretty tough yesterday as there was no shade and there were no villages, food-waterstops for the first 17km. Because I had bad infected blisters I was limping and so strained my ankle but met a Portuguese guy at the hostel who pierced the blisters, gave me ibuprofen and a protector for my little toe and so was flying it today. Ankle is a bit sore now but hopefully with a few more tablets to stop the swelling the purple will recede to green and I´ll be okay for tomorrow. A possible 37km walk in the ever increasing heat tomorrow if I want to arrive at Leon or I could split it in 2 and arrive Sunday. If I do arrive tomorrow it´ll be late and so I might spend all day Sunday there as well and leave Mon morning. We´ll see how it goes. Haven´t taken a rest day yet and passed the half way mark to Santiago today. Have also gained 2-3 days so am entitled to it. But I´m beginning to enjoy it now and so it´s actually hard to stop. My arches haven´t been paining me so much in the last few days and pain is all part of it and either I´ve got used to it or it´s not as bad.

Blisters, I´m getting used to, snoring no! Am an insomniac most of the time here but did get a good night´s sleep last night. Hurrah. Only 4 in the room and on beds, a luxury. The hostel I´m in tonight sleeps 6, there are 2 beds but I´ve opted for the upper bunk as I don´t like when someone is moving above me and the mattress on the bed is crap, there´s pretty much a hole in the middle. Something I´ve learned, have to check the mattresses. Had to put a blanket in the hole in one hostel, in another place 3 or 4 boards were broken.

The meseta landscape is pretty nice when I´m not just looking at the stones beneath my feet. Rolling landscape of different shades of brown speckled with the odd green bush or tree. Have never seen as many field mice in my life!

Cooking a communal dinner tonight of tortilla and salad and other stuff. Should be good. Only 4 of us arrived here so far. Yesterday was lovely, was like an oasis and we all hung out in the garden feet bathing in basins of cold water eating biscuits from a monastery we had stayed in the day before.

Since Burgos spent a night in one place with a pool - heaven, in a one street town, crap, met up with a guy who has finished walking but lives near the village the 3rd night. Oasis yesterday and here today. Nice to see familiar faces but also good to meet new people. Not so nice to see the people whose room you shared a few nights ago and snore. Luckily they are not in my room tonight.

no water, no electricity

2006-08-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

People are getting all excited about staying in this place tomorrow night. Okay, I know I was meant to rest but as I was saying earlier my blister burst earlier and after meeting another kind gentleman who massaged my feet, he advised me to cut the excess skin and not go swimming so I may as well keep walking as far as I can...

We´ll see about the no water no electricity place... at least I showered today...

So said ciao to the Italians tonight. Apparently there is a cartoon character in Italy called Majella, why they loved saying my name so much!!! Many people finished here but many people are just beginning...

So the exciting walk out ofBurgos suburbs awaits me tomorrow and then the Spanish meseta.

Burgos cathedral is very impressive. That´s about all the sightseeing I did. To be honest, walking the camino isn´t for the sightseer, will save that for another visit.

To bed!!

Burgos - Day 12

2006-08-27T06:26:00.000-07:00

Aug 27, 3.25 GMT-1

Have arrived at Burgos, showered and washed my clothes. Just as well I arrived early as the place I´m staying only has 16 beds and many were turned away. Might well stay here another day. I know I´ve been saying that for a while now but it seems a really nice city and at the other auberge there´s meant to be a good pool and sauna and that sounds good to me!!!

Feet - well the blister on my little toe has burst and the others are okay... main problem are my arches now but that´s the way I´m build so will have to live with that. They´re just tired really. Feeling more positive. Glad to have reached here. Saw a sign yesterday which said 547 km to Santiago. After today it´s about 527... (but now there´s talk of Finistere, but I´m not listening at the moment. Finistere is another 3 days walk from Santiago, 80 km and is at the beach, one of the nicest in Spain. Apparently there is a ritual burning of stuff there. Would be tempted to burn my shoes and evil orthotics. Have been wearing my sandals for the last few days because my feet don´t fit any more and they are symbols of suffering for me! Worst thing is that now that I have to carry them it´s an extra kilo maybe. What´s good though is that my back doesn´t really ache anymore so I don´t notice it too much.

Must go do some sight seeing, not much though as feet can´t handle much extra walking but the cathedral here looks fabulous and there´s a few things in the surroundings I might manage to see.

Yesterday stayed at Atapuerca where they discovered the scull of a being before homosapiens, called homo anterior and homo heidelbergenis... for all the wannabe paleontologists. There was a tour to the excavation site, for some it was the first time on public transport in over a month. I´m definitely of the belief that once we reach our auberges we should be given golf carts to drive round.

I´ve been asking people if it´s as hard as they thought it would be and most think it harder. Though there´s lots of older people doing it and flying by. I keep meeting a group of french women who pass me by and wishing me luck!!

The last two nights we´ve ended up in towns which are having their yearly fiesta and as renowed the Spanish party throughout the night so not a lot of sleep to be had. Hopefully tonight...

That´s about all for now.

Ciao

Day 9

2006-08-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

Reached Santo Domingo today after 22km walking. Arrived at a decent hour too, 2.30 compared to 4.30 yesterday. Yesterday after arriving, swimming, washing clothes, eating it was bed time and then time to start it all again. At least I had a bit more time to do stuff today, like take a siesta and stock up in walking supplies. Was pretty bad today after 16 km walking when I expected to arrive at a village for some food we were told told that it would be an extra 30 minutes to get to the cafe. I just turned round to a Spanish guy who had been walking with me for while (had studied physics in UCD maybe 15 years ago) and asked him if he had ANY FOOD I could eat. Starvin marvin!!! He had a bruised apple and boy did I finish it fast!! 5 minutes later we passed the cafe...

I may stay an extra day here as I really am struggling at the moment and there is a 2nd refugio here. You can only spend one night in a place so I´ll really only have to move across the road if have to stay.

I have blisters on my heels an my little toe has developed an extension to itself. My legs are hot and I´m limping and it´s crap! One reason why I keep going is that it´s nice to walk with people I´m beginning to get to know or be passed out by them but then catch up at a cafe for breakfast or whatever but I´ve been advised for the last 2 days to take some time off and I may well have to.

Someone was saying that it´s funny how I could train and run a marthon but can´t walk long distance. I guess it´s the pack on my back, that extra weight on my feet that is making the difference.

Such a pain though. Such a pity.

I can´t say that I´m going to Santiago now, or that I´m going to walk the 500 miles as I really don´t know if I´ll be able to and be spending my internet time looking for a flight home.

It almost rained today but didn´t, thank God! That really would have been too much. Yesterdays and todays clothes are drying now as I arrived so late yesterday they didn´t get a chance. They were tied onto the back of my pack whilst I walked.

Must go and have some food. Ate with some italians yesterday. Crazy people!! They really shouldn´t order italian food. The look of disappointment on their faces.

Ciao for now!

Week 2

2006-08-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

Did the 30 kilometers!!! A few shorter days ahead now, well less than 30 anyway. Woke at 5 to have a shower and pack, breakfast at 6 and left at 6.30 with the crescent moon still to be seen. By 7 it was bright and the sun was rising at 7.15. Hard to see the yellow arrows in the semi dark though.

First day with sticks. Not sure if they helped or not. Still walking really slowly. Bought another cream to reduce the swelling. Dropping a chopping board on one foot didn´t help matters much. Can barely squeeze them into my shoes now.

No kitchen in this place so may be eating out tonight. Was a great atmosphere in the kitchen last night with everyone cooking and sharing. And vino tinto. There´s a pool here though! To not have to walk was heavenly!

There´s a doctor amongst the walkers. Met a French student doctor but someone else gave me a very good foot massage today and advice for my feet so might be him. Good to know!!!

Will hopefully walk again tomorrow but Najera isn´t too bad a place.

La Rioja

2006-08-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

Today I left the Navarre (Basque) region and arrived in the La Rioja, apparently the best place for wine in Spain (disputed by other regions).

The walk was not long in kilometers as I did an extra 6 the day before and stayed in a tiny village. Shared the dorm with a cyclist from Barcelona and it was lovely and quiet. Slept all evening and night. Only cost 10 euros for bed and basic supper and breakfast.

Bought my sticks in Logrono, the major city of la Rioja and a cooling cream for the night and heating cream for the morning. I hoping that whatever´s gone wrong with my legs-feet can be fixed when I get home. Won´t be doing any runs for a while anyway!!!

Keep seeing the same people which is nice. The place I´m staying tonight is quite large, over 15 bunks squashed in a room with barely enough room to walk with the pack.

Today I put my camera in a side pocket of my pack and actually took some photos! Just have to make sure I remember to keep an eye on it and it doesn´t fall out. So far I¨ve lost a pair of socks and there´s the tragic story of my sunglasses but that was before I left so I guess it doesn´t count though it still pains me...

There´s a kitchen in this place so myself and 2 others made an interesting dinner of other people´s leftovers earlier. And something on that line again tonight. Lucy, French girl has been walking from Bordeaux (3 weeks now) and Carlos from Lille... I think he has done it 6 times already! If I do it once I´ll be happy! Apparently there´s stretches of this walk in Norway, I met an English girl who has the stick of a friend of hers who did it there.

The majority of the people doing it are Spanish. I haven´t met any other Irish yet although apparently there was a history lecturer from UL doing it but has finished now.

Okay, there are people waiting here so will stop now. 30 km tomorrow (hopefully!)

in response to 5 days later

2006-08-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

... but I note you began day 5/6 in Estella ... not a place I have fond memories of! It was there when I was returning after following the Camino to Santiago (by car, I must confess - because of time constraints, not laziness), that I was robbed of my hiking boots and food-shopping by footwear-deficient vegetarians (they left the salami) who broke into my hire car by smashing the front passenger door window while it was parked in the station carpark. I was asleep in a cheap hotel at the time. The thieves were probably also Francophobes, as they ripped up my Rough Guide to France (but not the one to Spain)! It was a Friday and I had to spend the following weekend in SW France parking my car with the passenger side hard up against a wall whenever I parked, until I could get it repaired in Agen on the Monday morning. However, I did have an interesting encounter with a Spanish policeman whose English was a proficient as my Spanish - none-existent, but we did share a few laughs filling out the incident report!

Pedro´s blog

2006-08-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

If anyone understands portugues here´s Pedro´s blog with a fabulous of photo of me towards the end.

http://caminho.nominimo.com.br/

5 days later

2006-08-20T10:54:00.001-07:00

In Estella, so far have been following the schedule exactly but considering that gives me no time for taking a day off I will have to start going a little faster sometime. Not today though.

It started with a pain behind my knee, that migrated to my shoulders, then my back (actually always my back) but yesterday and today my feet... oh my poor feet. My arch is killing me in my left and my heel in my left. I´ve been told the heel pain is tendonitis and can be paralysing... great! Only 28 days to go with disabilitating pain!!! We´ll see what happens. Apparently walking poles are good to transfer the weight away from the feet so I might get them in the next big town 2 - 3 days away depending on how fast, or I should say slow I am.

Another hot day here, 33 degrees by some thermometers but not too hot. Today is Sunday and most shops are closed. I was looking to buy something for breakfast tomorrow as I want to leave and start walking by 7 am (6 am Irish time) to reach the top of the 8 km hill by 9 am. So up at 6, shower, pack and go, just as the sun rises. Tomorrow I´m following my own schedule so we´ll see how it goes. I´m drinking about 3 litres a day, there´s fountains in every village and sometimes in between - a good excuse for a break.

Internet is free here so I have the time to write as much as I want but I´m not thinking of much else to say. I thought initially that I´d arrive at my destination at about 1pm every day but it has always been later, 3 or 4... we´ll see how fast I´ll be if I´m doing it myself.

There are so many people doing this. Met this German lady whose son asked her if she had met anyone else yet doing the walk... hundreds, she replied which is true. It´s nice! I´m beginning to recognise people in front of me by their walk or the colour of the backpack and as you pass each other out you say ´hola´ or ´buen camino´. People are constantly passing each other out and then being passed by those you passed out as the pace varies or you get distracted or have to use the ´servicios publicos´, or tie your lace, or fill the platypus... or whatever it is at the time. And it can be a really nice experience when your mind wanders from the pain and you look around... and if you are hungry there´s blackberries and today I picked some grapes from the vines which were GOOD!!! And there´s bocadillios, bocadillios, bocadillios. Have never ate as many baguettes in my life. Bread and cheese or potato omelette. That´s pretty much my lunch. The menu for pilgrims varies in price from 7 to 10 euros and can be soup-salad and pasta-eggs & chips and a yoghurt or some dessert or other. Breakfast is a hot chocolate and pastry. Fruit I buy from shops along the way.

Slept well last night, have my doubts tonight. There´s about 50 beds in the room and I am beginning to put faces to the snorers. Also had a siesta while waiting for the shops to open. They tend to shut from about 2 to 5.30 so we have to schedule our breaks around that too. Sometimes the refugios don´t open until late too so you have to wait. There´s a trust amongst the pilgrims and you leave you rucksack and comeback later when it´s open. Refugios only cost about 5-7 euros a night so are really cheap. Last night was really disappointing as we were told that there were massages available but we arrived too late so had to do without... I wóuld have preferred to not have known... 45 minute massage...

Tomorrow, I´ll pass a wine fountain, thing is it´ll be about 7.30 in the morning so don´t know what my capacity for as much as I want wine will be!

8 o clock here. Still 3 hours to go ´till lights out but most people are in bed by 10. Should do some stretches and give myself some more foot rubs and maybe read a little.

Learnt a Spanish song today

Picoto fue a pescar
Al rio Guadalquibir
Lo se caee la cana
y pesco con la nariz

Hasta Luego!

photography

2006-08-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

I was travelling with this guy for a while - nice work!

http://www.jwileyphoto.com/

soooo tired

2006-08-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

Today we managed to do what we set out to but we are all shattered! Sore, oh so sore feet... Not sleeping so well either because of snoring so half comatose.

For the next 2 days the terrain is meant to be pretty flat so that will be nice. At the moment it´s hard to distinguish my skin from all the compeeds I´ve plastered on me.

We´ve been lucky with the weather apart from day 2. It´s raining with thunder and lightning storms at night but during the day it´s not too hot and is dry. Got caught in a storm yesterday evening though trying to make my way back to the hostel after wandering around Pamplona. Pamplona is bigger that I thought. Discovered that when I was trying to retrace my steps for 2 hours.

My camera is working again but I can rarely muster the effort to pull it out of my pack.

I hope I´ll sleep tonight!!!

slugs and snails and puppydogs tails!

2006-08-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

and the slugs here are enormous!!!! shudder!
Someone saw a snake about a foot long.
Didn´t know that snails hung out on stalks...
no problems with dogs so far

day 3

2006-08-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

Okay ... day 3 of walking. Am in Pamplona. Not a bull to be seen but interrupted a nice cow-cow moment this morning. Beautiful day today after torrential rain yesterday. Not so nice pulling on wet socks and shoes this morning but hopefuly all will be dry by tomorrow.

My camera is not working so must locate a Sony shop here. Not sure if there will be one. Pamplona is smaller than I expected... smaller than Limerick I´d say...

Had pilgrim meal, can get them for about 9 euros. Paid 5 euros for accomodation. Normally in a mixed dorm... well has been so far. Still travelling with the people I met day 0 but Pedro will be getting his bags carried for him tomorrow as he only has 23 days and wants to walk it all. Tanya is only around for a week. John and I have about the same amount of time. We all eat together and sometimes walk together but from time to time one of us might drift off a bit which is nice, to let the mind wander and not engage in conversation but a bit of quiet or speculation or searching...

Walk here was lovely, paths surrounded by brambles and bushes, hawthorn, wild plum, blackberries, elderberries, blackthorn, honeysuckle and red berries like hawthorn but smaller. Flor, or anyone else, a name would be appreciated!!! It´s not holly though!!!

Weird Enya-like version of Beatles playing. Bit trippy after wine and some strong local Spanish spirit!

Am aching all over but will walk another day!

2006-08-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

Just after my shower and 27 kilometers hiking!!!

First day over, whew.

Arrived at Biarritz and after finally got to St. Jean. Met my first fellow pilgrim, John from Oregon who had spent the last week with girlfriend in Belfast. Shared room with him and Pedro (Brazilian reporter) and Paul, guy from Catalan. Had a late dinner and sooo cheap wine, 2 euros and was on a high. All embarking on journey for reasons unknown or unrecognised and apprehensive but excited. Up at 6 this morning, tough day, very steep but feels so good now... walked with dormies and met Tanya, girl from Malaga so is great conversing in French, pigeon spanish and English. Eating all the time but according to Pedro´s calorie counter he burned over 4000 today so I figure I should be okay. Staying in massive dormatory tonight, 100s of beds and tomorrow will hopefully make my way half way to Pamplona. Already have blisters but weren´t too bad. shoulders pretty tired though. Think I´ll have to do a bit of yoga stretches. Bag´s about 10 kilos with water.

Can´t think of much else. One day at a time I guess. Place we´re staying tonight is pretty jazzy, with washer and drier so will have nice fresh clothes tomorrow. Not always like this me thinks but I think Great Outdoors guy was slagging when he told me I´d have to do my washes in a river!!!

2006-08-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

16.43 Thursday 10 Aug

Just testing if this works...