2011-day 7 - Molinaseca to Villafranca del Bierzoll

Scores on the doors 35.6 km up 326m down 545m

After a comfortable and quiet nights sleep, we set off at 8 am, even then it was still dark, but the sun was begining to rise, as we planned to walk a long way today we decided to take all the direct routes rather than some of the variations, which might have been a tad more scenic, but were a lot longer!

We arrived in Ponferrada, just before 9 and stopped at a cafe for breakfast, of coffee and croissant, before going on to it's famous Castillo de los Templarios, one of the main bases for the knights templar before their destruction.

The castle looked just like you would imagine a castle should, lots of turrets etc. And it struck us that the 6am brigade would have missed it's glories as they passed it in the dark, head torches scanning for yellow arrows. (but then again, each to his own).

Leaving Ponferrada we had the usual slog through the outskirts, and then through a sucession of villages between which the villages had plots of land where they grew all sorts of intresting vegatables and some times a couple of animals as well, often these plots were behind ornate Walls with fortress like gates.

In one village we stopped at a bar for a coke and rest and as it had free Wi-fi I decided to download a couple of episodes of the Archers, they downloaded sucessfully, but my iPhone managed to then delete all my music and podcasts. What is it with us and technology, two years ago both our iPod's totaly crashed whilst we were on pilgrimage. I am now paranoid lest I loose all the photos I have taken with my iPhone, that would be a tragedy of Grecian proportions!

As we walked deeper into the countryside the grape harvest was in full swing, none of the French or even Northern Spanish hi tech grape picking with grape picking machines, this was family groups picking by hand.

In Ponferrada we had visited a baker and bought some slices of pizza, which we ate sitting beside the river in Cacabelos

With our feet in the water to cool them down, before the last 8km push. As you can see we were beside a big green diving board.  In this part of Spain they dam their rivers in towns to create swimming areas, mind you the water is freezing as it comes straight from the mountains.

As you approach each town or village you are met by notice boards advertising all the different types of accommodation, on approaching Villafranca del Bierzo we notice one for a refugio that also had separate rooms. We decided to try it, and so walked up and down the town trying to find it.

Eventually I asked someone who gave us instructions we didn't really understand, but tried to follow, but still did not find it, I asked a waitress at a street restaurant but she told me that she didn't come from the town, but got the owner who in English gave me directions, we found the albergue but the only space was in a small dorm where people were already in bed at 4pm. We decided not to stay, and eventually found a room with ensuite on a casa rural. The whole process taking about an hour and an extra couple of km's.

An Australian we had met had told us that we could find Internet with a printer in the town, so after showers and clothes washing, we visited tourist information, the lady gave us the details of a bar with the necessary equipment, so we now have our boarding cards for returning home.  Because O Cebreiro, where we plan to go tomorrow, is a tourist destination as well as being an important stop on the camino, we were worried about finding any accommodation, so also asked the girl to book us rooms.

Jobs done we retired to the bar where we had been given directions for a beer, as in the better Spanish bars they brought with the beer a small snack for us as well. In this case it was a large mussel each doused in a fantastic spicy salsa.

We were so impressed we decided to eat there off their 12€ menu rather than find the usual pilgrim fare 10€ menu. For my starter I went for a plate of the mussels,

followed by a plate of Botillo a local dish of pork three ways, a sausage and then a kind of haggis of pork ribs and heart, flavoured with pimenton, and probably cooked by boiling. This came with potato and cabbage, all washed down with local red wine.

As we drank our beers we spoke to a chap called Jeremy from buckingshire, who was on a driving tour with his wife, and then afte our meal with two other couples from Britain and to my amazement I was able to do a little translation for them.

When we went into the bar to pay the owner insisted that we both had a shot of the local fire water, the same as I had in Astorga. Lesley declined and insted got a shot of a fruit drink.

2011 - Day 6 - Rabanal del Camino to Molinaseca

Scores on the doors - 27.8 km, up 393m down 845m

Sleeping in a dormatory is always a challange, at 8.30 pm when we got a few bits before the pilgrims blessing in the parish church, people were already in bed and the lights were turned off. We came back from the church and went to bed. Because of my cough I am snoring, I went to sleep and at 11:30 Lesley had to wake me as people were tutting. So then it was the case of trying to sleep on my front and not snore. I did not get a great night's sleep and heard the church clock chime 12, 1, 3, & 5, at 5:30 the first alarm went off. There are a sizable band of pilgrims who set off at 6 am every morning (with the Americans in the vangard) but at Rabanal they were starting even earlier to get to the Cruz de Ferro for sunrise.

We got up at about 6:15 (we had to be out by 8 anyway), joined the hospitalaros for brekfast and were on the road by 7:30.

As we walked the sun slowly rose behind us, it was a red sky but wasn't the forbodeing of dire weather as at home, perhaps the rules are different in Spain.

The path itself was great, whilst rising gently uphill it was good under foot, firm compacted earth, but with a bit of give to it.

The path slowly wound it's way up to the village of Foncebadon and on to the Cruz de Ferro.

Those with good memories will recal how just before we came to Spain we visited Weybourn beach and picked up stones from the beach to bring with us.

The reason to leave at the Cruz de Ferro, why you might ask? Traditionally pilgrims have brought a stone from home as a symbolic laying down of their burdens.

As the stone is left a special prayer can be said "Lord, may this stone, a symbol of my efforts on the pilgrimage that I lay at the foot of the cross of the saviour, weigh the ballance in favour of my good deeds some day when the deeds of my life are judged. Let it be so."

I very soon had need of that ballance as I thought evil thoughts the herds of bicycle pilgrims, who in a bid to be macho had to ride down the narrow pedistrian tracks, rather than the road, scattering us walkers in their wake. The worst being a group of about 20 German cyclists who created so much dust that everything in their wake was covered.

It was then a long hard decent to the village of El Acebo wher we stopped for a coke and to rest our feet.

Before continuing the downward slog. At Molinaseca we had a choice, stop for lunch (it was about 2) and carry on or just stop and get a room. We decided on the latter, and after last night went for a hotel, which overlooked this fantastic bridge and river

2011 Day 5 - Astorga to Rabanal del Camino

Scores on the doors 21.5 km up 154m down 44m

We let ourselves out of our pension at just after 8 the sun was just rising but despite the early hour it was quite warm, which boded ill, as it meant we were in for another scorcher of a day, which it proved to be probably I would guess in the high 20's or low 30's.

Just before leaving the city limits we came to a small chapel which was open, run by the Franciscan brothers, very simple and peaceful. We were then met by lots of runners out for an early run. We crossed the moterway and were out into the country, walking on a track parrellel to the road. We were passed by hoards of bicycle pilgrims, or "bicigrims" as they are known. This time around some days we see far more bicigrims than traditional pilgrims.

After an hour we stopped for brekfast and then onwards always west and slowly up hill.

The sun behind us creating interesting shadowed,

At just after 1 we arrived at Rabinal, we had decided on a shorter day as Lesley is suffering from blisters and both our feet ache. On passing the shop we noticed that it was shut, so decided to book in to our albergue and then get lunch in a local cafe.

We had planned to stay at albergue Gaucelmo because it is run by the Cofraternity of St James the British pilgrim organisation which we are members of. British pilgrims are a rarity, and so we were welcomed with open arms. (But then so were all the pilgrims).

Betty & Dugald the hospitaleros (assisted for a couple of days by Anne and Adrian) are most excelent hosts, showing us where everything was and then invited us to tea at 4:30, after lunch showers and washing settled down in the alberge garden

to read about the next few days and catch up on blogs and diarys. At 4:30 we joined them for tea a tradition of albergue Gaucelmo, our first Tea since leaving England. Doughal is a Permanant Deacon in the Roman Catholic church and regularly leads groups on the Easter pilgrimage to Walsingham, it's certainly a small world!

The albergue is just by the parish church and next to a Benedictine monestry, who lead vespers at 7 and a pilgrims blessing at 9 and I was asked to read at vespers as part of having the lesson in four languages. At 6:55 we were told vespers was canceled, as the monk who lead it had to go to hospital. So we went and ate and just went to the blessing.

During our meal I checked e-mails and we recieved one from Tanya our Spanish tutor, it's great to hear from the folks at home and to know people are Reading our blog.

As my cough is still bad at night we got some pastles from the chemist, to take just before sleep. The chemist said chew two before sleep (or that's what I thought) as Lesley has now told me the Spanish word chupar which sounds a bit like chew is actualy suck, I have chewed and have just broken a piece of a tooth! We will have to see how it is in the morning!

2011 - Day 4 - Villar de Mazarife to Astorga

Scores on the doors 35 km, up 278m down 233m

The guide book had said about the Hostal Jesus, what it lacked in facilities it made up in character and it certainly did, the Walls had been graffitied by countless pilgrims, our room was basicaly a lean to shed with a 4ft double bed. But it also had a fully equiped pilgrims kitchen with an induction hob, free Internet and Wi-fi, a bar, dining room, garden and swiming pool.

However, because of the preperations for the party we decided to go to Tio Peppe's for our meal, we sat with a retired midwife from Mane in the USA and a German civil engineering student, and spent a pleasent evening. We returned to Alburgue Jesus at 10 and the party was in full swing. So we got out our ear plugs and went to bed. At 5:30 when we got up to use the bathroom it was still in full swing!!

When at 7:45 we enquired about brekfast, we were met by very bleary eyed staff, who told us they had to clean the alberge before they could get to bed.

We set off and were met with a 6 km of arrow streight Tarmac (not good for tired feet), before another 4km of streight dirt track.

Eventualy we reached the town of Hospital de Orbigo, it's claim to fame being a a 204m 20 arch bridge.

History tells of a famous jousting competition, which lasted a month, with hundreds of lances broken, and one left dead on the jousting field. Some 600 years later the lists still stand and the competition is re-enacted.

Our next stretch was cross country on rough tracks, seamingly in the middle of nowhere, far softer on the feet than Tarmac. Ahead of us we could spy the Montes de Leon, which we will cross in the next few days. Comming over a rise we then saw Astorga, and about 3/4 hour later were in the City.

It's claim to fame it's twin towered Cathedral and Gaudi bisop's palace. (both shut). We found a room in a pension near the town centre and after showering (where I discovered that the back of my legs were sunburnt) and laundry went to explore.

We looked at the Cathedral and Bishops palace from the outside! And the stunning mayor's office, and then sat in the town square and had a couple of beer's.

We then went for food and I decided to try the local speciality Cocido maragato, the first course was a heaving plate of meat served with chick peas, potatoes and cabbage, the meat including; chicken, spicy sausage, belly pork, pigs trotter, ear, and relleno (stuffing) - this was followed by soup which was a bit like chicken gravy with vermicelli in it. Finally I had ice cream and a coffee, with a glass of the local licquer, which came out of the freezer, was bright yellow, and flavour I can't quite describe.

We then returned to our room to sleep, before starting to head for the hills tommorow.

2011- day 3 - Puente de Villarente to Villar de Mazarife

Scores on the doors 34.3 km up 315m down 269m

At 9pm we went for our meal, only to discover the meal for the day was lunch time only, so we had to go a la carte, so I went for Calamari and Chicken and chips, washed down with a very nice Rose. And then to bed.

After a better night's sleep (woke up at 3 coughing, then snoozed) we were on the road by 8 am.

It was over dinner last night that we concluded that for the Camino walking boots are the wrong footwear, because so much is on Tarmac and hard compacted surfaces running shoes would be better as they have built in shock absorption, probably something like the shoes used by fell runners. However, as we only have boots we will have to suffer with what we have.

For those who might be wondering, if I do my stretches my feet only hurt from the pounding, while Lesley's feet have blisters. (so please pray to St Bol - that they might be healed).

Any way back to the story. After Reading some of the accounts of the way into Leon we were not looking forward to it, as it sounded horrendous dodging vehicles and taking your life in your hands,instead we were greeted with wide tracks away from the roads

All be it full of pilgrims, and purpose built bridges over the busy roads.

At last we hit Leon and had a pleasant walk into the town passing a very posh bank

(so that's where all our money went!) Before getting to the cathedral

Which like all Spanish churches was full of ornate bling

After this we had had enough of the bright lights and after a coffee (where we saw France being hammered by New Zealand - there goes Lesley's bet on France!) we headed off to Virgin de Camino, passing the Leon parrador featured in the film "The Way" a mere snip at £400 per night! At Virgin we decided to go for it and head for Villar de Mazarife.

This would mean a day of about 22 miles. We headed out over a wonderful rough track, soft underfoot and we literally ate up the Km's and passed through a couple of peaceful villages

Eventually getting to our destination at 4:30, we had planned to stay at the Albergue Tio Peppe, but when we got there it was full up, so we headed for albergue Jesus, they explained that they were holding a party but if we didn't mind noise we could stay, and have a room to ourselves for 10 euro, we stayed, and will report on our night, tomorrow.

2011 - day 2 - Calzadilla de los Hermanillos to Puente de Villarente

Scores on the doors - 32 km (20 miles) up 126 m down 286m

The alarm went at 6:30, we had not had a good night as my cough which I have had for the last 10 days, returned with a vengeance, probably because of the dry air, and it kept me awake with coughing and Lesley with the noise.

We went to breakfast and asked about the local shop, only to be told it had shut. Lesley spying a basket of cakes in the restaurant asked if we could buy some as we knew the next town was over 12 miles away. Fortunately the lady in the hotel was happy to sell them. So armed with our cakes we set off.

The day was cool and sun just rising, we started on Tarmac and before after about 3km hitting a rough track which we followed for the next 22km.

The sun got hotter, but it was behind us and there was a gentle breeze to keep us cool. After a couple of hours we came along side the Railway line we had used to get to Leon in 2009, a couple of hours after that we entered the town of Mansilla de las Mulas, where we stopped for coffee and to post our blogs from yesterday.

To guide us through the town on the road were brass scallop shells which were a useful guide to help us on our way.

As it was only just after two, we decided that we should get a few more Km's under our belts and so continued alongside the main Leon to Valladolid road (not the most serene place to walk) to Puenta de Villarente.

We are staying in a local hotel in a pleasant room, the only down side is that they don't serve food till 9pm, so after a beer we have come back to our room to write our posts before food and bed.

2nd attempt - 2011- day 1 Sahagun to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos

Scores on the doors 15.5 km up

92m down 142m

We arrived in Sahagun where since our last visit the railway station has been refurbished (I like to think in our honour).

On the train we had got our gear basically sorted out so were ready to go once we got some water and the GPS finally decided it was in Spain. As we walked through the town we saw a few pilgrims who as they did not follow us, had finished for the day.

The route took us over an old stone bridge, and then on a track parallel to the main road shaded from the sun by trees. And the shade was needed as it was very hot, now at 11pm is still 24•c

A few miles later we came to a dividing of the ways and decided to go the more authentic route following an old roman road, and arrived at our destination at about 6 pm in good spirits.

We have a nice twin room and have had an excellent three course pilgrims meal, for me of Lentils, meatballs and Spanish flan washed down with a very mellow red wine. And as Samuel Peeps was fond of saying "and so to bed"

We have arrived in Spain

After an good night's sleep, at the Stansted Holiday Inn express, and with the help of a bottle of Australian red. (courtesy of our good friends Yvonne and Paul - thanks guys it was much appreciated).

We woke at 5 am had a leisurely breakfast and caught the 6:30 bus to the airport. After a short wait to check in my rucsack and the titanium plate in my foot setting off the security gate we were in departures.

It was there I discovered a minor disaster as my sunglasses had broken an arm off. So off to the shops, I declined the alure of designer labels at The Sunglass Hut and picked up a £15 pair in JB Sport (a far cry from my usual £3.99 Liddl specials.

Shortly after that our flight was called and we were off to the gate, we took off about on time and arrived in Valladolid.

After reclaiming my rucksack, we decided to try for the 12:30 Sahagun, which meant going for a taxi. Lesley exlained to him we were in a hurry to the train and he put the peddle to the metal and got us there with time to spare.

We are now on the train and should get to Sahagun by about 2 and should be back in the trail shortly after.

T minus 59 Hours

The countdown is now on, in less than sixty hours we will be starting our second attempt to get to Santiago. Our rucksacks are packed, we just need to put the final things in our bum bags and string bags for the flight out and we will be ready.

Yesterday we visited our local beach at Webourne to find a special stone each to take with us

You might ask why, when we have been so careful with weight we want to take a stone?

Well all will be revealed when we get to the Cruz de ferro. But before that I have an ever increasing list of things to do before we go!

Jeremy

The Foot

Most people will be aware of my preoccupation and worry about my foot, and if it will hold up on the next stage of our pilgrimage to Santiago.

Last week we spent a week in the Yorkshire Dales, having a spot of R & R, and doing a bit of hill walking. In five days we walked up the famous Yorkshire three peaks and also a couple of local walks as well. Overall the foot behaved itself but by the end of the week I was feeling a little bit of discomfort.

As soon as we got home, while I still could identify where the discomfort lay, I raced down to my podiatrist and was able to get an immediate appointment. After much prodding and poking, he was able to identify the problem which is caused by overwork to one of the tendons in the foot. He has given me some stretching exercised to do and hopefully with those I should be able to do the walk, but must just listen to the foot and take it easy, and not try to be a terminator, walking far to fast and hard.

Take two - The Planning Begins Again!!!!!

As it says at the top of our blog "Hopefully 2011" and that is certainly our intention. We have booked tickets to fly out to Valladolid at the end of September and back from Santiago just over a couple of weeks later. Why Valladolid?


Well from Valladolid we can get a train or coach to Sahagún, the town where our Camino ended in 2009 we could then pick it up again at the exact spot we stopped and carry on hopefully arriving in Santiago about 14 days later. The 60,000 dollar question is whether my foot will last the course? We just have to work on the baises that it will all work out.

My next step is to get back into training following the regime I used last time. I have an old rucksack which I fill with water bottles to make its weight up to 10KG which I then wear when I go Nordic Walking on a Friday morning. This is not without problems as last time to increase the weight I put some brick in the rucksack which made a hole in one of the larger water bottles soaking the rucksack and my shorts and making it look as though I had had an accident. The instruction from our Nordic Walking instructor to the other students was "Don't Laugh", an instruction they all ignored!!

I am also starting to read all different guides we have to the Camino for this part of the route. Somehow we have managed to accumulate about five different guides, each which has its advantages and disadvantages, the problem being that when weight is at a premium which do you take?



Jeremy

Photo's have been added to all our posts now!

Its taken nearly eight months but I have now added photographs to all our posts where I have a photo. The reason for this sudden burst of energy. On Thursday I am giving a talk about our Camino and in preparation have been re-reading the blog and decided to finish off my photo work.

If you are wondering about my foot. It is still painfull although better than it was eight months ago when we stopped walking. A month ago I had an x-ray which didn't show any broken bones. So it looks like its ligament and tendon damage, I hope it will be better for the spring next year when we plan to continue the walk.

Photos added to all our French Posts

I have now added photographs to all our posts written while we were in France.

Hopefully before Easter I will have added photos to all the posts in Spain as well. Its also my intention to re-create my post for the day we left Conques and walked to Livinhac-le-Haut as well.

Jeremy

More Pictures Added

Just to let you know I have added pictures to the majority of the posts up to our stay in Condom, will add others when time permits.

Jeremy

Camino Reflections Part 1

When we left Spain I promised a few reflections on our experiences so far. I have not forgotten, but needed a couple of weeks to get my thoughts together. The 6th of November was the date we were supposed to be in Santiago, and we heard from our friend Luc, that he had arrived safely and that it was raining!


LUC

There is so much to reflect on, but to first thoughts. I guess my most special memories about our Camino so far are going to be about the many wonderful people we met, some only once or twice others many more times.

At the beginning of the trip, the three Australians, the French couple who sat with us and sorted out a non-fish meal for me. The number of generous French people who would invite us to join them for our picnics at lunch time. The French people who invited us to the street party.


The German family with the problem with “Bladders”. All the people we met in France who like us were intending to go all the way to Santiago, including Philip (the only British person we met on the whole trip!). Then there were the Canadian girls and their amazing message that sat there for four days before we walked past and found it.


Our good friends Anne and Seb (of the Hi-Vis hat).


Fr Roger who gave us coffee and Armagnac. Terries and her self giving hospitality, Mme. Sykes and Anthony her partner and that's only a few of the many people we met in France.

Then when we got to Spain there was Johnas and Luc particularly,


but also the wonderful Dutch Hospitalaros at both Roncevalles and Villamayor de Monjardin. Also the two couples we met who were walking the Camino for their honeymoons. And then there were the various Australians and American we met. Not to mention all the every helpful Spaniards who would tell us where the path was, or direct us to the albergues, or just wish us a good Camino as we walked passed them, or would toot their horns and wave as they passed in their cars or lorries.

I think it was principally above all, all these people and many others to numerous to mention which made the Camino for us. To often through the news and media we only hear of the bad side of human nature, with wars, violence and crime. But apart from one notable exception, for fifty days we met the other side of human nature, the great generosity of the human spirit, embodied in people like Therese,


but in many, many others as well, who were prepared to share their lives with us for a short time and to offer hospitality and friendship to a couple of pilgrims who were lucky enough the chance to encounter them upon their journey. When all else has faded about the Camino and we are back into the routine of everyday life, the pictures and memories of all the people we met will keep me going and will be a constant reminder that there is always another side to people and not just the side we see all to often on the news.

First pictures added

I have now added some pictures to the posts I wrote at the beginning of September.

More will follow when I have time.

Jeremy.

Back in the UK

As you can see by the title of this post, we are now back in the UK. We arrived late on Sunday evening and were picked up by my parents.

Monday saw us visiting the local minor injuries clinic in St Albans to get my foot checked out. They confirmed that our decision to suspend our Camino to Santiago for this year, was the correct course of action as my foot would only get worse (with continued walking) and it could result in lasting damage. I now have to rest it for the next six to eight weeks.

So what next? We still have just over a month of the sabbatical to run. If we had been able to continue, we would have arrived in Santiago on about the 8th November and would have gone on to Finisterre. We then planned to take some time to reflect on our experience and catch up with family and friends. It is still our intention to do just this and to make good use of our remaining time.

As promised there will be more posts, and I plan to add pictures to many of the previous posts, so please keep reading.

Love Jeremy and Lesley

Terradillos de los Templarios to Santander

Sometimes (to mix metaphors), everything goes like clockwork, everything slots into place, and everything seems to be meant. Today was just like that for us!

We had a leisurely breakfast, said our fond goodbyes to Lucas and once we had packed we set off.

The walk to Sahagun was across more fenland-like terrain, the highpoint being when we saw a very wild looking pilgrim with a donkey camped by a small chapel.

At about 11:30 we got to Sahagun. We decided to seek out tourist information for options for onward travel. However, despite following the signs we just couldn't find it. Eventually, with the help of some friendly locals, we discovered it was in the Albergue. We got there just as it was opening and were shown a train timetable and given a map to the station. We also got our final pilgrims stamps for this trip. We will no doubt get a second stamp from Sahagun when we come back to complete the Camino.

When we got to the station, we were told that if we took the 2.05 rather than the 1.35 it would cost us €4 each, rather than €11 each. We chose to take the 2.05 and as we waited, across the platform, we saw the Austrian couple who we had shared a room with at the Dutch place. They were also on their way home via Pamplona. We wished them God's speed and a Buen Camino when they resumed.

At 14:05 our train came in. We climbed aboard and set off for Leon. The train took us through small towns and villages which we will visit when our camino is resumed.

Our thoughts had been to stay the night in Leon and travel to Santander tomorrow. However, we decided to look for the bus station and book our tickets for tomorrow. I asked a member of staff at the railway station in my best Spanglish where the bus station was. She replied it was just down the road, and pointed us in the right direction.

When we got to the bus station, we went to the information desk and asked about buses. The lady gave us a piece of paper like a till roll, that made no sense whatsoever. It did however, say it came from ALSA bus (the Spanish National Express), so we went to their desk and asked about buses to Santender. We got given the same piece of till roll. After studying the till roll intently we worked out that there appeared to be a bus to Santander at 3:30 (thirty minutes time), and it was faster and cheaper than the rest of the buses listed. We thought we might as well take it rather than worry about a bus tomorrow. We went back to the desk and sure enough there was a bus at 3:30 that would arrive at 7 pm, for the sum on just over €25 for the two us. The lady told us to go to platform 1 and the bus would appear.

By 3:40 no bus had materialised, but as we were not the only ones standing about, and I had been assured that this was the right stand for the Santander bus, we were not too worried. Eventually a bus appeared, saying Santander, but from a different bus company. I confirmed with the driver it was our bus. We climbed on board, found our pre-booked seats, and were away.

Initially, our journey took us alongside parts of the camino we had walked, and it was a bit strange seeing pilgrims walking along and wondering where they would be spending the night. Eventually we turned away from the Camino and towards the Atlantic coast. The scenery got bigger as we crossed the Picos. With a couple of diversions into small towns to pick up other passengers and a 10 minute comfort break in a town whose main industry seemed to be making biscuits, we arrived in Santander.

We got off the bus and went in search of a bed. The bus station is near the harbour and all the hotels were 3 or 4 star. We headed off and as we debated where to go, an English man out walking his dog, asked if he could help? We explained our search for a hotel and he told us that he didn't know of anywhere cheaper nearby. We therefore decided to go to the Abba Santander (the nearest three star hotel) and enquire about their room rate. If it was too expensive, we planned to ask the receptionist where he recommended. We were offered a room for just over €65, which very pleasantly surprised us, so we decided to go for it.

We are now in a fantastic room with all the mod cons. It is convenient for the town, the harbour and the bus to the airport. After showers we headed into town for food.

As we looked for food we kept on seeing places advertising accommodation, but we are pleased with where we are and will stay here until our flight home.

We also then kept on seeing on the pavement the way marking for the Camino North, a different route to Santiago. One we might take on another sabbatical!

Now off the Camino in Spain

Carrion de Los Condes to Terradillos de Los Templarios

At 5 in the morning I woke up to hear torrential rain outside, the weather forcast on the Internet had said 38 mm and it was probably right! Fortunately by the time we got up at 7:30 the rain had stopped and it remained dry for the rest of the day.

Lesley popped out to a bakery, and we breakfasted in style on choco pan, orange juice and yoghurt before setting out.

Just before 9 we were on our way again, leaving our lovely room in the hostal Albi.

After leaving town we walked for 5 km along a Tarmac road, before walking on a rough track following the route of the old Roman road the "Via Aquitana".

However, Tarmac was the last thing my foot needed, and as we walked we came to the decision that however much we might want to get to Santiago and then on to Finisterre on this trip, we were not going to be able to do it.

As we walked we discussed our options. Some more silly than others. Could we find the local branch of "Rent a Donk" and hire a Donkey to carry me the rest of the way. But there were two or three problems with this plan. Firstly, was there a branch of "Rent a Donk?"; secondly neither of us know much about about donkey driving or looking after donkeys -and you shouldn't have animals you don't know how to look after properly; finally it wouldn't be fair to expect a donkey to carry such a heavy weight as myself. So that plan was high and dry in the water.

Our second plan was to wonder if we could hire a bike, but discounted that idea, as I wouldn't have the correct gear and anyway in about one weeks time there is a very big hill that I wouldn't be able to ride a bike up so would have push it instead, which wouldn't help my foot one little bit.

After more discussion, we came to our final plan. We would walk in easy stages, for the next three days to Leon, and then, if the foot was still bad, stop. Leon would be convenient in terms of location (accessibility) and remaining distance (2 weeks walking) for returning either next year or in 2011.

I found this a hard decision to make: after all walking to Santiago in one go has been my goal, since I first had the dream of making this pilgrimage 20+ years ago. I have to admit, as we walked, battling against a strong head wind, I shed some tears.

At Calzadilla de la Cueza we went into the only bar for a coffee. Lucas was there, and we told him our decision. He clasped me on the back and told me it was a wise decision because we can continue another year, and we don't want to do lasting dammage. He then bought us our coffee.

After coffee we set out on our way again with Lucas. The head wind we had been battling seemed to be getting stronger.

The terrain we were crossing reminded us very much of the Fens in Britain. Endless miles of total flatness. In the far, far distance off to out right we could see the Picos mountains, which are already covered in snow.

By 1:30 we were begining to flag, and spotting a picnic area, decided to stop. We said our temporary goodbyes to Lucas, as he had had his lunch, and stopped for ours.

After a 3/4 hour stop we began again, and every step was very painful. The situation can not continue and so this afternoon we have made the decision that we are going to have to pause our Camino for this year.

At 3:30 we arrived in Terradillos de los Templarios, a village that used to be run by the Knights Templars, where we booked into the Albergue.

Being an emotional sort of person, it was tough for me to say to fellow pilgrims that this was probably our last day on the road. After the usual showers and washing, we spent an hour surfing the Internet to find the best way home.

Tommorow we walk about 12 km to Sahagun where our camino will be temporaly suspended, to be taken up again at another date.

We will then get a train to Leon as the first leg of our journey home.

We have now booked our flights, before having our last pilgrims meal for this trip. We ate in the company of our good friend Lucas and it was a very healing evening.

Our Camino will continue and one day soon we will get to Santiago and receive our compostella, before going on to Finisterre. We have achieved an amazing amount: we have walked over 1200 km in 50 days and it has been a fantastic experience. The distance is 12 times the minimum distance for a compostella but not in the right place!

Just because the physical trip is over, please do keep reading as I plan to post my thoughts and reflections on our journey so far.

If you are following this blog from afar and want to know how the story continues, let me have your E-Mail address and I will E-Mail you when our trip continues.

On the Camino in Spain

Stop Press

Four posts waiting on the Ipod will post them when we find some Wi-Fi

Love Jeremy and Lesley