Camino: The Empty Quarter!
More worries about feet and then sudden relief. Drifting unprepared through the bit with no bars – and the Heat! Feet So, as I said, I crawled into Bercianos, one of these villages that goes on for a mile and the albergue´s at the other end. The heat was blistering, someone said 40 degrees. The hospitaleros tell you what to buy from the one shop at this albergue and they cook a gigantic meal. It was a fine meal and crowded albergue – people sleeping everywhere. I did avoid the sing-song with guitars but couldn´t avoid the blessing under the setting sun. The setting sun was really something as you could see for ever. On my little card I received it said ´conocerte, superar, acceptar´ (sorry, Yoana, the spelling and grammar might be wrong.) ...
Misery on the Camino de Santiago
It’s only a short post from Heather today as she’s been suffering a bit today. Pride cometh before a fall Part 2 and the bra again…. Hola chicos! Oh. sorry, Roanne´ll kill me for mentioning this, but mi sujetador especial from Spain – well, I´ve left it in Bercianos. So it´s back to finding a lingerie shop in Leon tomorrow……. Anyway, there am I feeling all strong and fit and young – you know – just like last time. I left the albergue at Terradillos, walked 10 cm and ouch!! Double ouch!! Little toe of left foot AND middle toe of right foot. Left – blister plus crack between toes. Right, my old corn. None of my toenails look anything like toenails but there again, they haven´t for years. I have not been...
The Halfway Point of the Camino: Infinities, Mirages and Miso
After 17 days (I think) Heather has passed the halfway mark on her “little” pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago. She’s having a few frustrations with the computer kit in the albergues, but I’ve left the odd bits in because they add a certain something to the post! Carrion de Los Condes to Terradillos Hola amigos, and the first thing I have to say is that the exclamation mark isn´t working. In order to keep the right idea, I´ll insert an asterisk at the appropriate places. The whole piggin´key isn´t working so I don´t have a number ONE either, but I´ll do a capital Í´for that. The difference between this beautiful, wonderful country and England is that here, when you see a field glowing yellow, it´s sunflowers. They make you feel...
Fromista- Queues on the Camino
As Heather continues her long awaited long distance walk, the Camino de Santiago, she has hit the first queue of the trip; just shy of the half way mark. Tomorrow takes her across that psychological milestone. Will she savour the moment or leave it in the dust as she tires of her unsatisfying 30km days? Fromista. Well, well; seems a long time ago I was writing about the Meseta. I´m still VERY curious as to the connection between Acacio and Orietta who run the refugio I stayed in, in Viloria + Paulo Coelho, the writer. I´ve looked it up and there´s obviously a connection but I don´t know quite what. Anyway, still on a literary theme, I wonder how many of you have read that wonderful little children´s book but for grown-ups as well, The Little Prince. I am...
The Meseta – Walking the Demonic Section of the Camino
From what Heather has written earlier, there’s obviously a whole folklore of agorophobic terror surrounding the walking through the Meseta. But according to today’s update from her, it sounds like going home to Essex in high summer – with a few less trees! Now you couldn’t give that beautiful french lass my phone number could you Heather 😉 So, amigos, amigas, I read a lot about The Meseta (the plains). How there was nothing, no trees, no shade, nothing. I listened to those two at the refuge at Viloria who said that people came in angry to the refuges, problems, demons doing a bolero in their heads with no other distractions. Jackie and Mike (thank you, both) said that there was nothing to worry about. I walked through Rabe and onto the...
Heather’s Camino: A Short 42km Walking Day to Burgos
As Heather continues walking the Camino, she’s updated us on an epic few days of travel, a bit of stalking and the HEAT!! Burgos So, where was I? Well, what day is it? Oh , yes, let´s take it from Thurs night. I stop at a refuge in Viloria de Rioja, obviously a bit new-agey and ethnic and it turns out there are only two of us. A beautiful room, with wide beds and a few bunks. I open the shower room door and there´s Andrew! Oh, it was lovely to see someone I knew and we were the only two in the refugio. It was a superb night´s rest, talking to the hospitaleros who had also been hospitaleros on The Meseta for a long time. Now, if you´ve read The Alchemist, the plot thickens. There were pictures all over the walls, of Paulo Coelho who wrote The...