470: Wuss of the week?

Today, 31st July, is mother-in-law's 91st birthday. Happy Birthday Frances. It is also the inaugural running of the Golspie 3-peaks challenge. Named after, and loosely based on, the famous national 3-peaks challenge in which participants climb the highest peaks in England (Sca Fell), Scotland (Ben Nevis) and Wales (Snowdon) within 24 hours. For more info on the national 3-peaks challenge click here.

The Golspie challenge is rather more modest and involves climbing three local peaks: Ben Horn (520m), Ben Bhraggie (397m) and Silver Rock (265m). My pal Alisdair very kindly (?) included me in his team, together with his daughter and son-in-law. I did a recce of each of the peaks during the week and decided to withdraw from the challenge. Only Ben Bhraggie had a recognizable path to the summit, the other two involved quite steep ascents through the heather. I would have been a mill stone around their collective neck. I look forward to hearing how they got on. Am I a wuss for withdrawing?

Instead, yesterday, I walked along the coast from Golspie to Brora (11km, 2 hours 18 minutes) and enjoyed a big boy's breakfast once I got there. There was a tiny burn (a Scottish word meaning a small stream) to traverse but the heavy rains from earlier in the week caused the level of water to rise and to submerge the stepping stones. I lost my balance and ended up with two wet feet but hey, it wasn't the end of the world.

Tomorrow -> England, Monday -> Spain. Vaccination certificate and Spanish health authority travel form both printed and ready for inspection at both LGW and BCN.  

Enjoy this version of 'the lion sleeps tonight' that I came across on FB yesterday:

469: The REAL Camino - PXR

PXR, for those who weren't in the military, stands for Post Exercise Report. "A PXR is a report on what occurred during the planning, organization and conduct of an exercise. It provides information on what the exercise was supposed to accomplish, what was actually accomplished, as well as problems or successes that occurred. It includes recommendations for improvements to equipment, material......"

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela - what is it? A series of walks, originally carried out by pilgrims in the 9th century, starting from different places in France, Portugal and Spain and finishing at the Cathedral in Santiago where the bones of St. James (in Spanish Sant Iago) are reputed to be interred. Read more about it here. Are they really the bones of the apostle St. James the great? Is there a monster in Loch Ness? I don't suppose for one moment we'll ever know the answer to either of these questions.

But it is true that many people undertaking the walk find themselves closer to God. Nowadays a mix of genuine pilgrims seeking spiritual guidance and 'ordinary' hikers or cyclists out to enjoy nature and perhaps learn more about themselves. Where am I on that spectrum? Somewhere in the middle probably. Did I find myself closer to God? I think so. I certainly spoke to him more than usual. I can only assume he was listening. Usually there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people walking the different routes but with the pandemic I only saw a couple of dozen on the Camino Ingles. 

Types of accommodation

Hotel, pensión (=Spanish B&B) or auberge (hostel). Many of the auberges were still closed, probably because of the pandemic. I asked my travel company to arrange hotels with en-suite accommodation. They came up with mostly hotels but one or two pensións. All had en-suite as requested. Many weren't doing an evening meal, again probably because of the lack of pilgrims/travellers due to the pandemic. My two favourites, over the eight days, were the Gran Hotel de Ferrol (for their professionalism) and Pensión Vilanova (for their friendliness)

How to get to Ferrol (one of the start points for Camino Ingles)?

There is an airport at A Coruna and another at Santiago de Compostela. To get to the start at Ferrol I took a slow train from Tarragona to Madrid and two faster ones the next day. I flew back from Vigo (an hour South on the train from Santiago) to Barcelona. If you're going to take any trains, and you're over 60, you might like to invest in a Tarjeta Dorada. It costs 6 Euros per year and there are significant discounts to be had. But it from any station on production of a passport.

How many different walks are there? (in brackets = approximate number of days)

Camino Frances	The French Way	800 km (30+)
Camino Portugues	The Portuguese Way	598 km (30+)
Camino Portugues Coastal	The Camino Surf & Turf!	178 km (7-12)
Camino del Norte	The Northern Way	466 km (23+)
Camino Primitivo	The Original Way	315 km (16)
Via de la Plata	The Silver Way	1000 km (40+)
Le Puy Camino	Via Podiensis	732 km (30+)
Camino Finisterre	Muxia Way	90 km (6)
Camino Ingles	The English Way a) Ferrol –> Santiago b) A Coruna -> Santiago	121 km (5) 96 km (5)

What do you get out of it?

Apart from an enormous feeling of satisfaction and achievement there is also the signed compostela, written in Latin and with your name (in Latin) added. Wow, if you like that kind of thing. You ´earn´the compostela by collecting stamps in your credencial issued to you at the start of the walk. In theory you are supposed to collect at least 2 stamps per day. For example one at your hotel and one wherever you stop for tea/coffee/lunch. You need to walk at least 100 km to get your compostela so if you particularly wanted one to hang on your achievements wall at home then don´t pick the A Coruna –> Santiago route. 

What to wear/carry

Bear in mind that the weather in Galicia is not necessarily what you might think of as typical Spanish weather. Often it is a little milder. Depending on the time of year you go I suggest packing something for both rain and sun. I had very lightweight, packable, waterproofs and a hat. I used it all, at different times during the week. A service I can't recommend enough is the luggage in advance system run by the Spanish Post Office. Leave your luggage at your accommodation and you will find it waiting for your at your next stopover. Can be arranged by your travel company. I must confess to feeling a little smug when I saw some pilgrims struggling with large rucksacks carrying all their kit for the whole week. I had a very light backpack with waterproofs and water. Water is advisable as you don't always find what you want to eat & drink at the time that you want it.

Blisters and general health.

I didn't get any blisters. I put that down to three things: good walking boots, good walking socks and lots of practice walks beforehand so that the feet got used to what was expected of them. It was an enormous help to have a reasonable level of fitness – some of the hills seemed to go on forever. I also deliberately factored in a rest day in the middle of the week. I ended up walking for three days, taking a day off, and walking another three.

How to book?

There are 'several' companies dealing exclusively with the Camino de Santiago. They will arrange all your accommodation and issue you with a credencial to take along with you. I used pilgrim.es and they were more than satisfactory. (I gave them 4 days notice to start the walk and they still came up trumps). You might also like to consider: Camino de Santiago , Follow the Camino

Would I do it again?

At the end of the walk it felt a bit like you feel at the end of a marathon (I used to run them a zillion years ago) where you say to yourself “never again”. But now the tiredness has worn off and I start to wonder “why not”, “never say never”. Who knows?

ENJOY!

Saw lots of these. Private chapels?	WTF was this doing at the top of a hill. Did they roll the occupant down the hill?	The enchanted wood!
Spanish scarecrows	Galician beer. After a long day's walk....	THE Cathedral. The end of the walk.

468: The REAL Camino Part IV

Almost finished. Tomorrow I will be on my last leg(s). The Camino wayside markers have a picture of their eponymous shell, a yellow arrow showing the direction of travel, and the number of kilometres to reach Santiago. So, at the beginning of the week the markers were showing > 100 km, and now they're showing <20. I will be pleased to reach the cathedral at Santiago. I plan to sit quietly in a pew for a while and thank the good Lord for allowing me to reach the ripe old age of 70, and in particular for looking after me this past week. With all the walking I've done you'll see I am but a shaow of my former self.

I'm staying tonight in an incredible pensión just outside Sigüero owned by a lovely couple who can't stop talking.  My Spanish would come on in leaps and bounds if I could stop here for longer. Their house is beautiful and my bedroom is very tastefully decorated. Such a difference from last night when it seemed I was there for the benefit of the proprietor who told me exactly when I could and couldn't have meals. Here they sent me pictures on WhatsApp of the kind of food they could offer and asked me when I would like it served. I checked in/registered online as it was siesta time. They simply buzzed me in the front door and told me which room I was in. I got to meet them after my kiplet.

They are bemoaning the lack of tourists because of COVID. Such a shame, it's had such a devastating impact on so many sectors. Tonight I am the only guest.

Casi terminado. Mañana estaré en mi (s) último (s) tramo (s). Los marcadores del camino del Camino tienen una imagen de su caparazón epónimo, una flecha amarilla que muestra la dirección de viaje y la cantidad de kilómetros para llegar a Santiago. Entonces, al comienzo de la semana, los marcadores mostraban> 100 km, y ahora muestran <20. Estaré encantado de llegar a la catedral de Santiago. Planeo sentarme en silencio en un banco por un tiempo y agradecer al buen Dios por permitirme alcanzar la avanzada edad de 70 años, y en particular por cuidarme la semana pasada. Con todo el caminar que he hecho, verás que no soy más que una imagen de mi antiguo yo.


Esta noche me quedo en una pensión increíble a las afueras de Sigüero propiedad de una pareja encantadora que no puede dejar de hablar. Mi español aumentaría a pasos agigantados si pudiera detenerme aquí por más tiempo. Su casa es hermosa y mi habitación está decorada con mucho gusto. Tal diferencia con la noche anterior, cuando parecía que estaba allí para beneficio del propietario, quien me dijo exactamente cuándo podía y cuándo no podía comer. Aquí me enviaron fotos por WhatsApp del tipo de comida que podían ofrecer y me preguntaron cuándo me gustaría que me sirvieran. Me registré / me registré en línea porque era la hora de la siesta. Simplemente me llamaron a la puerta principal y me dijeron en qué habitación estaba. Pude encontrarme con ellos después de mi kiplet (siesta).

Se lamentan de la falta de turistas a causa de COVID. Es una pena, ha tenido un impacto tan devastador en tantos sectores. Esta noche soy el único invitado.

467: The REAL Camino - Part III

Day 4

Friday 4th June 2021. The rest day that I had been wise enough to factor in. I woke up this morning and thought I had somebody else's legs. They are easing a bit now. I am in Betanzos, 50 km down and 67 still to do. Just short of halfway. 

There's no reason why you should have read any of my earlier blogs but in a couple of them I explained that I had been training for this walk since January, building up stamina and endurance. Lockdown rules meant that I couldn't get to Spain when I wanted to in order to finish the Camino on my 70th birthday, so I did the equivalent number of kilometres around my home in Cambridgeshire. One of my friends did it in the North of Scotland at the same time as I did it around Ramsey. We raised a couple of thousand pounds for our three nominated charities. The point I am laboriously leading up to is that Cambridgeshire is mostly flat! Galicia is anything but!  Yesterday I got up to 275 metres, which doesn't sound a lot but, take it from me you know when you've done it!

Yesterday evening I didn't feel like much to eat and simply ordered a cheese and ham sandwich. Then I asked the lady behind the bar for an ice cream with 3 'balls'. Anything at all would do, whatever she came up with. She pulled all the stops out and came up with the creation you see in the picture. 

The first picture shows one of the bridges I walked under. When is a bridge not a bridge but a viaduct? The last picture shows the elevations for each day of the walk.

Tomorrow would appear to be the most challenging day. After that it should all be downhill, metaphorically and literally.

 

 

466: The REAL Camino - Part II

Days 1 and 2 under the belt. I found today much harder than yesterday. (Note to self, wait for tomorrow!) Looking on the map the stretch from Neda to Pontedueme looked to be simply a North to South route but I found it to be a bit of a meander, in and out like a fiddler's elbow, up and down like a tart's drawers! You know the Duke of York? Not that 'nice' Prince Andrew, we all know and love, but the one from the children's nursery rhyme. I spent a lot of time today marching up to the top of a hill and marching down again. 

My heart has been in my mouth almost every step, for two reasons. Firstly I was concerned that the barking dogs I heard here and there might not have been behind big fences - they were, thankfully. I didn't need to parry them off with my trusty peregrino pole. Secondly that I might have come across a high bridge that needed crossing. I don't do high bridges and it would have been a premature end to the adventure. This one, at Pontedueme, was easy-peasy.

A few pictures: a few views, a few meals, and two Strava route maps.

The tourist office at Ferrol. The route starts here	Equipment for Seniors, but I needed to save my energy	Ferrol
Una tostada con tomate. A Spanish favourite.	Oranges	A mushroom. The best way to know if mushrooms are good to eat is to buy it in a shop.
View from the bedroom window	A square pizza! Who knew!	Another hill conquered

 

 

 

 

465: The REAL Camino de Santiago de Compostela (Part I)

Day -1  (Sunday)

I simply hadn't realized that it was more then 1,000 km from Salou to get to the start point of the English way of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. I know now. It's Sunday morning and I'm on the very very slow stopping everywhere train to Madrid where I will overnight before catching an early train to speed me on my way to Ferrol, in Spain's Galicia province. I could have caught a faster train but it would have been much more expensive and you know what I'm like - look after the centimes and the Euros will look after themselves. Almost 8 hours on this train. 24 Euros 65 with my pensioner's discount Gold card. Imagine travelling on a train in UK for 8 hours for 24.65. I don't think so.

6 hours into the 8 hour train journey it started to rain. I wasn't expecting rain until Wednesday, in Galicia, I had just put on waterproof trousers and top over my T-shirt and shorts because I was finding the train air conditioning cold, but the rain was outside the train anyway and not inside. It's been a lovely journey passing through mountains and past orange trees and groves of olive bushes (not that I can tell one from the other). I'll be pleased to reach Madrid though, as my sandwiches and beer are finished.

I eventually arrived in Madrid (Chamartin station) and found not only the hotel but also a Burger King right on the station concourse. Some people reading this might call me a Philistine for my fast food predilection but you know what you're getting, it's reasonably cheap, and reasonably fast. And in (most of) Europe they sell beer in their fast food outlets - what's not to like.

Madrid: high-tech and high-rise

 Day 0 (Monday)

An early start, 7.15 a.m., from Chamartin station. A different ball-game today with 2 high-speed trains. Provided I can get shaved and showered and out the door in good time. It pays to understand how things work: if you turned up at 7.10 a.m. you'd probably miss the train because before you can get on high speed trains, at least in Spain, you have to have your luggage scanned and your ticket scanned. Equals 2 queues. The train whizzed along much faster than yesterday's but the restaurant car was not working and neither was the on-board wifi. Still, one can't have everything. Seats were allocated without regard for what we know as social distancing and a young lady came and plonked herself down beside me. I thought at first my luck was in but she promptly fell asleep. Her ticket was actually for the window seat but it's the early bird that catches the worm so she missed out.

I changed trains at Ourense for a 'semi-fast' train and arrived in A Coruña just before 1 p.m. There was an onward connection to Ferrol at 5.20 p.m. but I had the nous to go to the bus station where I discovered there was a bus leaving almost straight away for the short hop. In Ferrol the bus station seemed to be in the middle of nowhere - lots of buildings around but all shuttered. Siesta time. Luckily I found an open cafe, where the fare was much different to last night's BK. Can't get more Spanish than churros to dip in hot chocolate. The salami was a freebie. Not something I'd have picked but I couldn't really send it back, so I ate it! I'm now ensconsed in my hotel in Ferrol (Gran Hotel de Ferrol) and very nice it is too. I shall go and recce the start line and then I'm all ready to start the adventure tomorrow.

464: Putting on the Ritz

Life,as a pensioner, is grand.

Two days and two nights in London, so I can wait for my COVID PCR test and Spanish health form to arrive before flying to Spain tomorrow. At least I hope to fly to Spain tomorrow. I just need to convince them I am a resident there and not a tourist. I have a whole wadge of documents and hope it will be enough. 

Spent yesterday evening in the RAF Club catching up with two old friends, Gail and Andrea. As we sometimes say in English we 'put the world to rights', over a couple of bottles of house white.

I'm actually staying in the Union Jack club and this morning, after a very nice Big Boys Breakfast, I went for a walk around this part of London:

Waterloo bridge -> the Strand  -> Trafalgar Square -> Leicester Square -> Picadilly -> Haymarket -> Northumberland Avenue -> Millenium Bridge. All well-known London landmarks. I passed Somerset House, which used to house archives and wills, The Savoy Hotel and the adjacent theatre which used to show Gilbert & Sullivan operettas but is now showing Dolly Parton (not all of her surely?), Fortnum & Mason's & The Ritz. Deluxe suites available at the Ritz from £1,800 per night! I particularly wanted to reach the Ritz to justifiy re-showing one of my favourite flash mob video clips "putting on the Ritz". 

Sitting have a coffee and croissant, as you do, I was amused to see two electronic bollards sliding open to let selected vehicle through. I thought the Daleks were coming to get me.

About to have lunch with my sister and her beau and this evening I shall have a drink, or two, with a Chelsea Pensioner friend.  I wonder if he will be in his scarlets....