We Have Arrived in Conques

Just to let you all know we have got to Conques and are staying at the Abbey with the monks tonight. Will be going to services and an organ recital later with another pilgrim blessing. Fuller posts on previous days will be posted soon. Love J & L

On the Camino in France

We meet a Good Samaritan - Fonteills to Senergues

The daily totals:- Distance walked 21 KM or 13.1 miles. total ascent 564m decent 588m high point 680 m

We left Fonteilles just after 9am and headed for Golinhac to pick up lunch at the shop, which had shut 10 minutes before we arrived.

Oh well we thought lets go on to Eysperac where we will get a meal in a cafe. So we plodded on, when we arrived we went to the only bar/hotel only to be told they had no food. We ordered oranginas while we had a think, in the bar was a machine selling nuts, we decided anything was better than nothing so I went to get some. As I was fighting the machine, a voice behind me said you have no food? I have a little bit of bread and some cheese would you like it? It was a very nice German Swiss lady who had heard our discussion and came to our rescue, a pair of French ladies then offered us a huge tomato and with the nuts there was plenty to eat.

As we ate we chatted to this Swiss angel of mercy who was staying at the same Gite as us this evening, and we agreed to see each other then.

We eventually arrived at Senergues and had relaxing evening where for once German was the majority language.




These German speakers are tough cookies as we met an Austrian who had started out from his home and another German Swiss lady who had started from hers.

On the Camino in France

The wall, well not quite:- Saint Come d'Olt- Fonteilles

Daily totals:- we walked 18.8 miles or 30.3 km - total ascent 897 m total decent 707 m highest point 667 m

After a leisurely breakfast we set off with the usual stop to buy the stuff for our lunch. We then had a choice of route to the next town of Espallion, either following the GR 65 and going via the statue of The Vierge Notre-Dame de Vermus which entailed quite a steep climb or walking along the side of the river Lot. As we worked out the total distance for the day was 24km we decided to go via the statue of the Virgin,


yes the climb was steep but the views from the top were absolutely stunning looking back over St Come and forward towards Espalion and beyond.


When after a steep decent we got to Espalion the GPS recorded that we had done 2 more km's than the distance mentioned in our guide book. This is a phenomena which has kept on occurring, the book says one distance and the GPS records a higher figure. This is something we keep on forgetting when setting our goals for the next day and consequently we have covered more miles each day than we planned. Hopefully by the time we hit Spain we will take this into account to shorten our days, otherwise we will get to Santiago far to early with bodies in a state of meltdown.

Anyway back to the day:- On the way down from the Virgin I discovered that one of my pockets on my rucksack had come undone and that the ferrules for my walking poles had fallen out. At that point I should have prayed to I think it's either St Jude or St Anthony (a saint who assists when things are lost, (send us a post if you can let me know which one it is)). Instead I just got cross with myself and stomped into Espallion at high speed. I then noticed an outdoor shop and in my best pidgin got some new ones, as I reached for my wallet to pay and the shop keeper tried to find the price I found my lost ferrels. But how do you explain all this to a French shopkeeper in pidgin? Thankfully Lesley as at hand.

Espallion

We carried on our way stopping at the church of St Pierre-de-Bessuejouls one of the oldest churches on our French leg of the trip.


Where we stopped and said morning prayer. We then stopped at a tap for some water and bumped into Jean-Mark who joked about us needing beer and not water. What came next was one of the most vicious uphill stretches we had encountered so far. At the top again we were rewarded with fine views over the country side before our next decent.

In the afternoon we dropped into an arable area, our first since Le Puy, where they were harvesting sweetcorn using one of the strangest machines I have ever seen.

Before long we were walking alongside the Lot again overlooking the wonderful town of Estaing,


where most of the pilgrims we knew were probably stopping, but we had a different game plan so after a quick Oringina, we headed off again, to our final destination at Fonteillis. What we hadn't done was read the book properly! We had 7km of hard walking uphill all the was with one or two very steep sections most of it on tarmac. The wall was there and I nearly hit it, that point where I could go no further. But round a corner we spied our destination a caravan site and gite at the top of a hill. We were shown to a mobili or small mobile home which we shared with Yohanis the German Swiss chap we met last night.

At 7:30 we went to the gite for our meal, and sat around talking over aperitifs while we waited for two other guests who never turned up. Eventually we started and probably had one of the liveliest conversations over a meal so far, as two of the other guests where a young newly married French couple, who work in Finland and spoke excellent English and were happy to translate for us when needed.

On the Camino

Our First 100 Miles - St Chely-d'Aubrac to St Come d'Alt

The daily totals:- we have walked 19.1km or 11.9 miles
And have reached a high point of 913 m, ascending 407m and descending 686 m

This morning after an early breakfast our taxi picked us up at just after eight and whisked us back to St Chely. After a quick visit to the boulangerie we set off. As usual to get out of town we had to go up hill, first crossing a delightful bridge "the pont d'Peleran" or the pilgrims bridge,


very shortly we entered a delightful beach wood of trees probably less than 100 years old. Very different from Burnham Beaches in the UK.

The wood ended and we were in very different terrain, unlike anything we have at home, with deep gorges and rolling hills. Across the deep valley we could see Salgue where we had spent last night, we then entered a wood of chestnut trees and begun a long decent which continued for many KM. At the bottom was a lovely stream where we stopped to paddle. Leaving the wood after a sharp up hill we were into open terrain again before a final steep decent into St Come d'Alt our goal for the night.

We had decided to have a short day and then stay at a local convent, where our Australian friends had stayed last night. As we were early we, arriving about 2pm we went into town to explore and get a drink, at the cafe we went to we bumped into the German family from Heidelburg again, we caught up on their news, reminisced about the Lake District and wished them well for their last couple of days

We then headed up the hill to the convent where we got the best room we have had so far, an opportunity to wash our clothes in a machine, and an excellent meal with red wine, and a vending machine for beer for 1€ a can.


As we were in a convent we asked about the daily offices and was told that vespers would take place in the Chapel at 6:15, so duly at 6:15 we went to the chapel, but where were the nuns?


Two ladies turned up to lead the office but one of those appeared to be part of the lay community who help with the hospitality. And it was all a bit sad rather than the uplifting experience we were expecting.

However, at evening meal time by chance we ended up with the other non French people staying overnight, two German speaking people, one from Switzerland - Johanis, who had walked all the way from his flat in Switzerland, clocking up nearly 1000 km already which makes out 100 miles look a bit paltry. The other was a very nice Austrian who lives Lichtenstein called Sandra, both have given up their jobs to make this trip which for was very humbling for us to hear when I have a sabbatical on full stipend to make this trip.

We ended the evening sitting in the convent grounds talking about life the universe and everything with Sandra and John Mark (a French chap who is also going all the way,) over a beer, which made a great end to an evening that started so poorly.

It was also great to meet and hear about other pilgrims who are on the trip for the long haul to Santiago and even on to Finistsre as well.

On the Camino in France

Appearances Can be Deceptive

Last night when our taxi dropped us off at the Hotel-restaurant Gasc La Tablee at Salgues our hearts sunk. We were happy that we had a room for the night, but the building had peeling paint and the welcome we received seemed a little suspicious despite us having booked.

We were shown to a room with the bounciest bed in the world a patches of wallpaper touched up with paint. As we were only paying for the room the same as we paid at the gite yesterday plus another 16 € for our evening meal and breakfast, we were prepared to accept our lot. How wrong we were!

After the usual session of showers and laundry we went to the church to say evening prayer (sadly it was locked) so we sat in the sun and said our prayers and watched a lizard climb up the church wall.

We returned to the hotel and had a drink before our meal while we blogged, happily discovering that there was free wi-fi access (a rare commodity so far on our trip) and so were able to post on both blogs.

Our host beckoned us into the dining room where a gastronomic treat ensued.

The meal started with a salad of chick peas with beetroot, tomato & lettuce drenched in a fantastic French dressing. And we ordered a very fine local Rose to wash it down.

Then our host brought in a large slice of quiche for each of us which was even better (by a very, very slim whisker) than my sister-in-law Liz, who I had always thought made the best quiche in the world.

We both commented that with new potatoes and some green beans or salad it would have been a fantastic meal. At that stage we expected the cheese course (not Lesley's favourite).

However, what appeared was half a poulet each in delicious gravy with frits and runner beans. The bird was extremely tender and just fell of the bone. By this stage we were in gastronomic heaven, and dived into our phrase books for more and more words of praise to lavish on our host's wife the chef.

Suddenly his grin got wider and wider and words of English escaped his lips, he was a very happy man indeed!

The cheese board arrived with cheeses that even Lesley found acceptable! (skinner family take note). This was followed rapidly by a lovely chocolate moose.

The meal wad so good that I decided to have an Armagnac, and a coffee. And so I ordered a cafe au lait and an Armagnac, no no said our host you can't have a cafe au lait with an Armagnac it's got to be a cafe noir! I reminded him that I was English and couldn't cope with French cafe noir to much laughter from both of us. the coffee and Armagnac duly arrived and were the icing on the cake of a fantastic meal.

In future particularly were eating is concerned in France I will try to remember that all that glitters is not gold, and that the real pearls beyond price can be hidden behind the most unlikely exterior.

And if you are ever in this part of France do pop onto the Hotel-restaurant Gasc La Tablee at Salgues.


The Village of Salgues from across the valley.

On the Camino in France

Off piste again - Nasbinal to Saint-Chely-d'Aubrac

Today's figures:- total walked 17.9 km or 11.1 miles, total ascent 293 m, total decent 609 m highest point 1369. Travel by taxi 9 km

As we knew we only had a short day today, we did not race to get off but had a leisurely pack and then out to get breakfast of pan de Chocolate, we then decided to book our accommodation for tomorrow night when we will be staying in a Convent.

We then hit the trail again, as usual having to climb out of town and across gorgeous moorland with herds of beautiful Aubrac cattle roaming freely, with many young bulls rather than the bullocks we see at home, again the scenery was very reminiscent of the Dark peak area of Derbyshire.

Just before lunch after visiting the village of Aubrac


we began to descend gently at first

and then more and more steeply down into Saint Chely-d'Aubrac where we arrived just after 3pm. We then popped into the tourist information to get our pilgrim stamps and to get them to arrange a taxi to our Gite, which duly came and delivered us safely and promised to pick us up tomorrow.


On the Camino in France

7th Sept - Aumont-Aubrac to Nasbinals

The scores on the doors:- total walked 27.5km or 17.1 miles. Total ascent 473m total decent 370m highest point 1272m

I woke at 6 and as Lesley was still asleep quietly said morning prayer. Because of the heat of yesterday we had decided to leave earlier than normal to try and get as much distance under our belts before it got hot.

But first it was confession time. Each evening we wash out our socks and smalls and I have been using the tap on the sink to wring things against, unfortunatly last night the tap snaped off. So before we left we confessed to the hotel owner that we had broken the tap, fortunatly for us he just gave a galic shrug and wrote the room number down for his maintenance people. However, I still had visions of being stoped later in the day by the Gendarme on a charge of criminal damage, so my heart beat a little faster when we came into Nasbinal and the first thing I saw was a couple of Gendarme.

We left the hotel and discovered that its Monday and that everything closes rather than on Sunday, but fortunatly there was a small supermarket where we were able to pick up lunch, and also bumped into our French friends and our three Australians friends none of whom we had seen yesterday.

We left Aumont and after crossing railway we came to a motorway where they have built a tunnel which in known localy as the "Saintjacqueduc".

A few km later we passed the tiny chapel Chapelle de Bastide where some French pilgrims were holding an impromptu service and singing "Seak ye first the kingdom of God" in French and we were able to join in with the chorus.

Moving on about a km later an old woman informed us that we were the 32nd pilgrims to pass her that day!

A few km later as we began our ascent up onto the Aubrac plateau the scenery changed again, now it was reminiscent of the white peak area of Derbyshire but on a much larger scale, with vast tracks of moorland seperated by stone walls.

Coming down off the plateau we hit Tarmac again for most of the last 7 km into Nasbinals and so we were very relieved when we got to our gite and were able to kick off our boots and put on our crocs.

After a shower, change and laundry (without broken taps) we visited the Church and said evening prayer, we then headed for the tourist information to discover that all the accomodation at our next destination was fully booked. And tHe next town with accomodation on the trail is 20 km away. After much research and phoning by the man for us he managed to get us a bed in a village 9km off piste.

On meeting the Australians for a beer, we told them the news they decided to skip the stage and get a taxi to the next town, so unfortunatly we might not see them again.

After a meal we headed to bed ready for tommorow.

On the Camino in France

We go to a street party - Sept 6th - Le Faux to Aumont-Aubrac

The statistics:- distance walked 24.6 km or 15.3 miles, total ascent 487m, total decent 554m, highest point 1132m.

We set off just after nine this morning, our first task was to get back onto the GR65 proper (this is the French GR number for the way of St James), as we had gone off piste by about 1km to get to Les Faux.

Because of the altitude the day started off cold with a biting wind an so soon after setting out we were wearing our cagules to keep warm.

Within an hour it was all change as the wind droped and the sun gave off it's full power. Yesterday we had been caught out by the sun and both got mild sunburn, today there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun beat down relentlessly. Unfortunatly neither of us has long sleve shirts so we had to improvise sleeve from our Buff neck protectors and our small caribina towels. Which were effective although a bit strange looking.

The countyside today started alpine but changed to being a bit like Northumbria, but still very lovely. We had expected everywhere to be shut as it was Sunday but on entering St Alban found many shops open, perhaps because it was the morning.

Just before lunch we met a German family from Heidelburg who are walking to Cahors a destination for many of our fellow pilgrims. They were taking it easy because they were suffering from "bladders" (blisters), it was nice to have a conversation with someone in somthing more than pidgeon French.

At mid day we popped into one of the many beautiful churches and said the mid day office and it was tempting to stay in the cool interior for the rest of the day.

On our approach to Aumont-Aubrac we heard a accordian being played and turning the corner saw a large gathering of people under large umberellas and Gazebos obviously having a party.

The next we knew they were all becconing us over to join them. They explained that it was their third annual local community party, and that this year they had been blessed with good weather as prevously it had been a bit cold.


They then plied us with slices of cake and I was given a brimming plastic cup of red wine. As it was Mouton Cadet I could hardly refuse, Lesley very sensibly stuck to orange squash. No sooner had I drunk half my wine then it was filled to the brim again. While we were there a half dozen or so other pilgrims went past but no others were invited to the party! The people were very interested in our trip and made us feel very welcome, but after a coffee we made our leave with many goodbyes and wishes of good walking.


On the Camino in France

Stop press 2

If you look below you will find a number of new posts - I have been writing them each day but today is the first time we have had a wi-fi connection to publish them! When we find an Internet cafe we will add some pictures as well, so look out for the next stop press.

On the Camino in France

Stop press

3 great days of walking, have prepared lots of posts but no internet to send hopefully tomorrow. Enjoying it all. Love J and L

On the Camino in France

The natives are friendly, Sept 5th Saugues to Les Faux

The statistics 29.3 km or 18.2 miles. Total ascent 644 m total decent 481 m highest point 1330 m

After a reasonable nights sleep, we got up and headed for breakfast. We followed in a couple we had sat with for our evening meal, who despite the language barrier, had engaged us in conversation and had organised an alternative meal for me as the dish of the day was fish which I am allergic to. This morning this couple, seeing that we would be eating alone, due to a shortage of place settins, moved their plates over to join us, which was a generous gesture to two foreigners with poor French. We wondered if we would have been as generous, and vowed to follow their example in the future.

Following breakfast we packed up treated the first blisters of the trip (suffered by Lesley) put our boots on and headed out of town. As we left Saugues we came across a couple of large pilgrim sculptures, one of a pilgrim with various other pilgrim motifs such as a scallop shell & the other, a life size sculpture of St James.

On approaching the town yesterday, we had passed other sculptures, including one of a local fabled beast. From afar it looked like a crocodile with elephants legs, however, when we saw it up close on a postcard we discovered that it was in fact a wolf like creature.

We left the town, still carrying on our upward ascent. For the first couple of miles we were walking on Tarmac, but then the surface changed to chalk tracks.

The best way to describe the terrain is Alpine, with lots of small meadows where beef cattle and sheep were grazing, and many stacks of split logs are seasoning for the winter fires. Most of the day we travelled uphill except when we encountered a village or hamlet where inevitably there was a steep decent into it before a climb out again.

In many of the villages we saw métier a ferrer les boeufs, which are devices used to hold oxen so they could be shoed prior to working in the fields.

As we were walking nearly 30km we had decided to take a short cut avoiding a loop to a farm called Domaine de Sauvage. However, the route has changed from that described in our guide book, and so we missed our turn. As we settled down to our lunch, our friends from breakfast turned up most concerned that we were where we were, as they knew we planned to take the shorter route. They tried to explain where we were, but our French let us down and we remained in blissful ignorance until they flagged down the passing turbo boys who spoke some English, and a conversation ensued with much arm waving and consulting of guide books. The result was to say that we were better to continue than to go back and anyway the farm at Sauvage was very beautiful and had in fact been recomended to us by friends Sam & Martin. It was quite tempting to stop and ask for a room but Lesley had already booked our bed at Les Faux, and so we carried on.

A mile or so later we came to the rather lovely fountain of St Roch (the patron saint of pilgrims)

and shortly we crossed the border from the department of Haute-Loire into the department of Lozere. We then came to the Chapel of St Roch where an old woman informed us that the chapel was open and that we could get a stamp in our pilgrims pasport. We went into the chapel which was very cool and peaceful, where a small boy, probably the old lady's grandson, was waiting to stamp our passport with the chapel's stamp.

We then carried on our way to Les Faux, where we landed lucky as got our own room in the Gite, in a wing by ourselves with in effect our own bathroom when we were expecting to have to share a room with a number of others. We were eating in the hotel which the Gite was attached and had a fantastic four course meal for only 12€ each.

On the Camino in France

Sept 4th from St Privat to Saugues

The statistics 22.3 km or 13.8 miles. Total ascent 800 m total descent 808 m highest point 1108 m

The alarm went at the slightly more civilised time of 7:15 after a quick shower we headed for the breakfast room and our petit dejeuner, as we ate a leisurely breakfast we watched other pilgrims set out, some like us carrying their packs, while others left their bags for the bag carrying service to pick up (you must decide which are the true pilgrims).

At 9:30 after another detour to the boulangerie we started out straight up hill, today the countryside is very different with alpine pastures and deep gorges. The walking is fantastic with very little tarmac, after about half an hour we reached the lovely church of Rochegude before starting a very steep decent for about 1km into the town of Monistrol d'Allier on the banks of the River Allier.


From Monistrol the guide book rather ominously says it's uphill for the next 32 km and so the uphill started, slowly but surely foot by foot uphill for the rest of the day. It sound awful but intact was really great walking in fantastic scenery with great views, again at 12;30 the tide of human traffic ground to a halt for lunch and a friendly group we had met at the pilgrims meeting in Le Puy enquired if we had lunch or not as they settled down to their repast. We plodded on for another 45 minutes before we stopped for our own picnic.


After lunch the rain started (so much for a sunny September) and it drizzled all the way to Saugues were we arrived at about 3:30, we then found accommodation half board in a gite with our own room which is a bonus.

After a shower and laundry we headed for town and picked up lunch for the next two days in case everything is shut Sunday. We then grabbed a beer and bumped into a trio of Australians two who are traveling to St Jean de Pied Port.

Back then to the gite for supper and bed.


On the Camino in France

Our first day walking

The statistics:- 25.5km or 15.8 miles. Total ascent 576 m total decent 489 m highest point 1215 m

One day late we have started walking, our day started at just after six as we wanted to attend the pilgrims mass at the Cathedral before starting out. I got a good nights sleep but for some reason Lesley did not and it wasn't because our room mates had snored because they didn't! Throughout the mass more and more pilgrims slipped into the cathederal and then as it finished we assembled in front of the statue of St James and recieved the pilgrims blessing, we were then given a pilgrims medal each and had to say our names and where we came from and where we were walking to (which taxed my French to it's limit), it appeared that we were the only English speaking pilgrims on the route, there were many nations represented but all from French speaking nations , Quebeck, Belgium, Switzerland and France. We then went to the sacristy and received our first pilgrims stamp in our credential.


Our trip had now begun in earnest. Down the 200 or so steps from the Cathederal into the town (a quick detour to the boulongerie for our lunch) and then a steep climb out of town.


Our route took us through fields and passing small villages and hamlets, for most of it we were walking on tarmac roads which are not the best surface for the feet. We aimed to pace ourselves And have a stop every hour. As we walked we passes and repassed other pilgrims always greeted with a cheery bonjour and a quick fire blast of French which went streight over our heads.

At 12:30 on the dot the road cleared as the other pilgrims stoped for their dejeuner, a quiet spot was found and the picnics came out. Still being on BST rather than French time we were not ready for lunch so ploughed on streight up hill for another hour. When we stoped the temprature droped and shortly afterward the heavens opened.

We continued on through a small forest and then through a small hamlet where we saw a group of "pilgrims" being given refreshments from their mobile support in a car. We then started downhill on a very steep path into the village of St Privat d'Allier, half way down we were overtaken by a couple of lads we had nicknamed the turbo boys, as previously in the day they had overtaken us at high speed during a rougher section. At last we arived in St Privat at 3pm only to find that the Getes don't open untill 4, the local hotel beconed and we opted for a double room half board at a very reasonable price.

After a shower an a change of clothes, and a laundry session we explored the village, visiting a beautiful church. Where we said evening prayer. We then looked at a photograhic display in the grounds of the church before hunting for a house of the man who held the church's stamp for our credentials. We then headed back to our hotel for a couple of beers as we wrote our blogs in the hope that we would soon find Internet access.

This was followed by a fantastic four course meal and then as Samuel pepys said and so to bed.

On the Camino in France

Day one in France

Because of my accident we had decided to have a rest day in Le Puy before walking, it meant we could stay in a hotel and have a lie in, followed by a leisurely breakfast and then explore the town.

We did just this, packed our bags and headed for the Cathederal which was strait up hill and our bags felt like someone had filled them with bricks in the middle of the night, both of us were sure they hadn't felt as heavy the day before!

We had a walk round and said a prayer and took a photo of the statue of St James, we will be back tommorow to attend the pilgrims mass at 7am and get a blessing. We then headed down hill to the town to organise our lodgings for the night, following a quick visit to the tourist infomation to check our E-mails.

This was to be our first taste of communal sleeping in a Gite d'etape, picked as it was on the route we had to take tommorow, we just hoped the other residents would not snore! So our hearts sunk when the other beds were filled with an elderly German man and an elderly French couple, we expected the worse! But more of that later.

After dumping our bags we headed off to explore, the first place we explored was a Boulangerie, where we picked up our lunch, we then found a park to eat it in. Thus fortified we headed for the church of St Michael d'Aiguilhe a wonderful church perchedoa on a old volcanic plug overlooking the town of Le Puy.

The 280 or so steps up to it were well worth the climb, it's just a pity that you have to pay to visit a house of prayer however unique it is. St Michael's is a special place to visit and the views from the top were spectacular.

After leaving St Michael's we went for a short walk beside the river, before meeting up with the friends of St James in Le Puy who plied with alcohol and despite none of us speaking much of the others language made us welcome. We then had a meal and then to bed, to find out if our room mates would snore.

Lesley says that i am accident prone, which i have always disputed, however, prior to our meal we had decided to take a shower a do some laundery, trying to save time I dived into the shower with my dirty cloths on to give them a good soak before laundering them unfortunatly when I removed my t-shirt I realised I was still wearing my security pouch with my pasport,credit cards & £200 in it, the pouch was soaked but fortunatly the contents were only damp! Perhaps Lesley is right after all.

We have arrived!

As you can see by the headline, we have arived safley in Le Puy en Velay. We had an uneventful flight, as all the best flights are, and landed in Lyon at about 1pm. We then engaged with French bureaucracy at it's best, as the imigration officials slowly, very very slowly checked each and every pasport in minute detail.

Once clear of the airport it was on to a bus for half an hour to the station, where French bureaucracy struck again. We had bought our train tickets on line and being cautious souls we had got tickets for the 4:19 thinking that as in the GB we could get an earlier train. Oh no, we could go on a later one even as late as the 31st October! but never never an earlier one, not even half an hour earlier as we had hoped.

So we had to wait until our train came in - but once it did it ran with an efficiency which would make a clock maker proud. Ariving at each station at exactly the time it said on the time table. Getting into Le Puy at about Ten to Seven. A total of ten hours travel from when we set out this morning.


We then got a room had a quick explore and a bite to eat which of course included Pue lentils! Because of my accident we have decided to delay walking until Thursday to aid recovery. It's just as well as at the moment we are in the middle of a storm with rain sleeting down.

It's great to get some comments so early on into our trip, and to know that friends are Reading our Blogs. Please keep them coming.

Cabin crew prepare for takeoff

We are at Stanstead at the gate and will board shortly.

If we've forgotten anything it's forgotten! Our bags checked in at 7.8 kg each inc walking poles not bad for three months!

I think I can see my bright orange rucksack on the baggage trolley as we look out at our plane.

Disaster

I start this post in the A&E department of Cheltenham district hospital.

Last night returning to our caravan I put my foot in a hole and twisted/wrenched something, I then managed to walk about 1/4 of a mile back to the van. But after a bad night I found it wouldn't take my weight. So we decided a trip to A&E was required to see if anything was broken and if not try and find out what I had don, so here we are waiting to see a Dr.

A couple of minutes after starting this post I was ushered in to see a Triage nurse, then back to the waiting room until a Dr was available. I saw the Dr who was the consultant no less, he poked and prodded my foot about and then decided an X-ray was necessary. The next thing I knew was that the consultant himself was wheeling me to X-ray. The X-ray was duly taken and then back to the consultant and the moment of truth.

Would we be going to the plaster room or would our trip continue? I held my breath, as he gave me the verdict, soft tissue damage, which should clear up in a few days with ice, rest and ibuprofen to bring down the swelling. And crutches to help me get around for the next few days.


I must admit a few tears were shed, tears of relief as much as anything else, and of course grateful thanks to our wonderful NHS who once again have come up trumps when I have damaged myself.

We are on the way - Well nearly

The rucksacks are packed, a trial walk to the Hunny Bell with full gear has been made,

all the cover is in place, the house has been tidied the garden has been spruced up, the last few e-mail's have or need to be sent.

And then the front door wouldn't shut! Some very I'm-vicarly language was heard, a hasty phone call was made, and Tony Tibenham raced out from Norwich to come and mend the door for us. And then my computer crashed, just what I needed!

Despite the setbacks we finaly left home and on our way to Cheltenham and the Greenbelt festival.

Weight (or lack of it) is everything

As I said in my last post we are attempting to keep the weight we have to carry down to the minimum. Along with all the lightweight gear I mentioned before, we have been weighing everything that we intend to take, and then entering it on a spread sheet. As we add to the list I start to panic, it looks like we might need a donkey to carry everything as the total weight gets heavier and heavier.

Years ago I read a packing tip for holidays, which was to put everything you wanted to take on your trip on a bed and then half it, and then half it again. But I have never been particularly good at that, I think it is because for the first 30 years of my life I holidayed in the UK, taking my car, which had a nice big boot and an even bigger back seat, that I could fill with everything I might conceivably have need for my holiday.

So when I started flying it was a chalange to re-educate myself to take just what I needed. Thats all very well with an airline 20kg alowance, but imagaine if you were having to cary that weight on you back for three months.

So radical surgery has been required. With a ruthlessness unusual for me, every unnecessary thing which usually I would take 'just in case' has been dumped. Even so the pile still looks daunting!

Gearing Up

At last most the cover is in place, every Sunday is covered and I am starting to get a list of clergy to cover the other types of service.

All the books and blogs about the Camino, say that you need to keep the weight down to a minimum, especially as you have to carry everything. Some people seemed to have taken this thoroughly to heart, traveling the whole distance on one pair of underpants and one pair of socks, and it appears little else... (Hopefully we won't have to share a refuge with one of them, as we can't afford the weight of cloths pegs for our noses!).

But obviously we need to cut the weight of our gear down as practically as possible. I could bore you with details of the exact make and weight of all our kit, but this would only be relevant if you live in the UK as the products we use might not be available in the States, Australia or the rest of Europe.

What we have got so far is lightweight rucksacks, cagoules and over trousers, lightweight sleeping bags and various other bits of light weight clothing. For the rest of our clothing we are weighing our various walking T Shirts, Trousers etc. to see which are lighter, and will be taking these.

To cut down on chargers, and European conversion plugs etc. we have gone down the route of getting devices that can be charged with a USB lead and then getting a European USB charger.

For books to read and games to amuse us we have gone for an Ipod Touch each with various apps, these should also help us with Blogging and connecting to the Internet, and if we get time, we will scan in various guides, articles and other essential items to cut down on paper and therefore weight. For extra music and data storage, we will also put stuff on our phone memory cards. Anything we have digitised we will also store on our Google or Dropbox accounts so we can access them from Cyber Cafes as well.