Walk for William 2010

One year on

2011-05-11T18:18:00.000+01:00

Ana Maria and I can't believe that over a year has elapsed since we started the walk back in April 2010. We have been re-reading the blog on a daily basis, which has been a lot of fun. One of the things we remember most is the large number of people we met on the walk, many of whom still keep in touch!

On the Charity Fundraising side we managed to raise over £5500 of which just over £2000 was raised in Gibraltar for a local charity "Research into Childhood Cancer". The balance went to the Sam Beare Hospice in Weybridge. Only yesterday we got another donation of £10!

On our return to the UK we gave a presentation to our local neighbourhood association. Many of our neighbours had been very supportive of our efforts and it was a way of thanking them. If anyone is interested, Ana Maria and I are happy to give presentations for your local charity, whatever that might be.

During the walk which covered almost 1000 miles I suffered a stress fracture in my left foot. This has kept me out of action for almost a year and the very few walks I have attempted have proved very painful! Recently Ana Maria and I walked about 5 miles of the South West Coast Path and I am happy to say that my foot, although a little sore, endured the rough terrain! We also made a short trip to Lydford Gorge, which we last visited over 20 years ago! Naturally we had to pick a very wet day and the photograph shows just how wet we got!

So long as my foot holds up we will continue to enjoy our walks. We were aiming for the whole of the South West Coast Path which is about 600 miles long - perhaps we can do it bit by bit!

Our thanks to all those who continue to support our chosen charities.

Robert & Ana Maria

Day77 A Laracha - La Coruna -THE FINAL DAY!

2010-07-05T23:00:00.001+01:00

Today we employed a new tactic for my foot! No painkillers, but I applied a lot of tape to all the right places and we decided we would not mention the foot all the way to La Coruna. I must say it worked a treat, helped by the thought that this would be the last trek for a long while!

We continued along the AC-552 where we found a lot more traffic than yesterday. The road is quite narrow in places with no hard shoulder and at times it was scary just how close some of the big lorries came! After the town of Arteixo we elected to go via the AC-415 which seemed a straighter route. This worked well although we had to climb a few steep hills before the road levelled out!

The entrance to La Coruna was a bit disappointing as we went in through a large industrial estate. In addition we went past the local petrol refinery. It is a sad reflection of the world that we live in that we started our walk going past the refinery in Campamento and finished it also going past a refinery, both of which were belching pollution into the air. We thought back to our treks along the mountain tops where we breathed clean air and longed for those days again!

The road took us straight into the city centre where we stopped for a photo at the km0 marker. Later we made our way to the church of Santiago in the old quarter of the city where we had our last stamp on our "credencial".

A tram ride along the seafront followed before we went back to our hotel for a drink and some rest. Tomorrow morning we are catching a coach to Santiago and hopefully a train to Madrid where we hope to spend a day or two before heading south to Gibraltar.

It still feels incredible that we have walked all this way. Earlier this evening we were sitting at a bar having a drink when we saw a map of Spain on the wall. We stared at it in disbelief! This will take a long time to sink in. I am not sure how we feel at this moment. A bit lost, I suppose. It is already strange not to be thinking of filling our water containers and making sure we have some fruit and dry fruit for the journey tomorrow. A short day of 15 miles or a long one of 22? Where are we stopping for the night etc etc.

It is ironic that tomorrow it will take us just one hour to travel by coach from here to Santiago!

Today we were also able to reflect on why we started this walk. In remembering William, we were also trying to highlight his love of music and his desire that the music scene in Gibraltar continue to flourish. Towards the end of last year I wrote to the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, The Hon. Peter Caruana, suggesting that the Government might like to mark the 10th anniversary of William's death in some way.

I am delighted to say that he replied immediately and proposed that I speak with the Minister for Culture, The Hon. Edwin Reyes, to consider staging a suitable event. This I have done and with the help of the Gibraltar Philharmonic Society who are making all the arrangements, a concert is being held at St Michael's Cave in Gibraltar on 2nd September 2010. Jose Maria Gallardo del Rey, one of the world's leading classical guitarists will be playing the "Concierto de Aranjuez" one of my brother's favourites and one which he played many times with many of the world's leading orchestras. William's Ave Maria will be sung by Andrea Martin, a local Soprano, who William encouraged to pursue a musical career. The conductor will be Gibraltar' own Karel Mark Chichon, who is now recognised as one of the leading conductors of his generation. It will be a fitting tribute to William. Full details of the concert will be available soon.

A few years I walked the Thames Path in memory of William. A man, Benjamin Spender, turned up at the start of the walk. It turns out that when he was 13 William taught him to play the guitar. He now teaches classical guitar at the School of Music & Performing Arts at Bath Spa University. He has kept in touch with me these past few years and recently sent me a note from which I will quote the following, "Do give my regards to Judas Bensadon if you see him in Gib - we were both "disciples" of William in the early 70's. Charles Ramirez had already left to study at the Royal College Music by then so I never got to know him. Charles is now Professor of Guitar at Trinity Guildhall, and in his book, "Technical Development for Guitarists" which is now a major publication in the guitar world, he gives the following dedication "With thanks to the inspired teaching of William Gomez MBE........"

William's legacy lives on and it is imperative that the current Gibraltar Government and all subsequent Governments ensure that music always forms part of Gibraltar's great cultural heritage.

Day 77 San Roque Coristanco - A Laracha

2010-07-04T17:38:00.003+01:00

After our very long and tiring walk yesterday we decided to have a short day (for a change!) and set off at 0815hrs intending to reach A Laracha, some 12 miles away. Although it was a shorter journey than usual, it proved to be a painful one as a dose and a half of painkillers failed to alleviate the acute pain in my foot!

Listening to William's music on Ana maria's Ipod helped to ignore the pain. We found the road today leading us through more built up areas than the previous days, indicating we are getting near to la Coruna. Ana maria had fun photographing lots of different flowers. At one point the proud owner of the garden she was shooting insisted that we go in and view her garden from up close!

Many passing cars hooted as they went on their way as an acknowledgement that they knew we were doing the Camino to La Coruna. It lifted our spirits somewhat and we finally arrived in A Laracha at 12.30p.m., for a well deserved rest.

We are treating ourselves to a "suite" at the only local hotel and had lunch at the town's "hotspot", a burger bar!

Tomorrow, God willing, we will reach La Coruna the end of our epic walk. We continue to be amazed that we have made it this far and it is going to be difficult to know what to do with our days once the walk is over. Who knows - we may decide to start planning the next one!

Day 76 Vimianzo - San Roque Coristanco

2010-07-04T17:37:00.004+01:00

POSTED ONE DAY LATE

We set off from Vimianzo rather later than planned. We had arranged to have breakfast at our Hostal at 0730 hrs but when we got up we found the place closed. We couldn't just go because we still had to pay for our lodgings. After several phone calls our landlord turned up. He had overslept! He had probably been to a good party on the Friday night!

The weather was overcast with a slight drizzle as we finally set off at 0900hrs with the intention of walking some 14 miles. Unfortunately we were unable to secure any accommodation and had to carry on an additional 6 miles. The last three miles or so were pure agony as my foot had given up by then, but with Ana Maria's support and encouragement we finally arrived in San Roque Coristanco some eight and a half hours later.

The road went uphill for the first six miles or so and then levelled off. We passed innumerable villages where we had trouble finding somewhere to have a drink! at 12.30p.m. we had our weekly live chat with Brooklands FM Radio from a bus stop on the AC-552 where we updated their listeners on having reached Finisterre a couple of days before!

Eventually in San Roque we found the Hostal Alaska which being Saturday had closed its restaurant! (some things just don't make any sense at all). Luckily we found a very nice resturant nearby where we had a delicious mixed grill for dinner while watching Spain beating Paraguay in the world cup.

Tomorrow we hope to reach A Laracha which will then leave us about 13 miles from La Coruna, the end of our epic journey.

Day 75 Muxia - Vimianzo

2010-07-02T21:13:00.006+01:00

After talking with various local people and a representative from the Spanish Tourist Office we agreed that the best way to reach La Coruna was to go via two secondary roads all the way.

And so, we set off from a very wet

Muxia, Ana Maria with her poncho on although I decided to brave the weather! We had hoped to refill our water flasks after about seven miles but found the bar closed and had to wait another hour or so before we could have a drink!

The road went up and down like a roller coaster and was quite tiring. Eventually we reached our destination for the day, the town of Vimianzo. We found everyone getting ready for a local fiesta. There is a small but beautiful castle and tomorrow they re-enact the storming of the castle in 1461.

The local bars had stocked up with special tapas at a very low price and so we went on a pub crawl, Spanish style!

Tomorrow we continue for around another 25 kms and hope to reach La Coruna in about three days. On this stretch there are no more "Pilgrims" and we are already missing their company. Walking on the road is not very exciting but it is realistically the only way to get to La Coruna within a reasonable period of time.

We are hoping that the weather will improve tomorrow as we are not looking forward to more rain!

Day 74 - Finisterre - Muxia

2010-07-02T20:19:00.014+01:00

POSTED A DAY LATE

In Finisterre we stayed in a Casa Rural where we had one of the best breakfasts we have enjoyed on the whole Camino! The evening before we had met Felix and Francisca from Switzerland and enjoyed talking with them over a bottle of wine! This is really one of the fun things about doing this walk - the amazing number of people one meets. I have no idea what we are going to do when this walk is over!

We left the hotel at 0930hrs, the latest time we have started any day's walk, simply because we intended to do a short ten mile walk. Along the way we met a Spanish couple Antonio and Ester whom we had met before at a couple of Albergues, and a new friend Soona Kwon, from South Korea. All of them had decided to do the long 20 mile walk to Muxia, whereas we had thought of stopping in Lires, the half-way mark.

To cut a long story short, they convinced us to carry on with them to Muxia and so we ended up doing 20 miles! It was truly a fun day and we had lots of laughs on the way. At one point we knew we would have to ford a stream but were assured that the stepping stones there were above water and we would have no problems crossing.

Antonio and Ester went first and after we saw both of them sinking we decided to take

our shoes off and walk over the rather slimy stones. Soona brought up the rear and being very

small she was almost in up to her knees!

The weather throughout the day was at times overcast but mainly sunny and the path took us through woodland, roads and even the beach! At around 6.30 p.m. we staggered into the seaside town of Muxia, rather the worse for wear but happy to have done the 20 miles in one day. Ester, who is a nurse, had given me a pill to line my stomach so that I could take stronger painkillers for my foot and the combination worked well.

Antonio, Ester and the two of us decided to stay at a hostal instead of the Albergue. Mostof the establishments wanted to charge over £80 for rooms not worth more than £30! Once you arrive in Muxia there is nowehere else to go for another 15 miles and so you are caught in a trap! Thankfully we managed to find something on the edge of town where we had a very nice meal. Antonio, who runs a teaching academy and Ester had to catch a bus to Santiago very early the following morning after which they were taking a train to Ciudad Real to start work ma few days later. We have promised to go and see them when we drive back to the UK.

Tomorrow we will carry on to La Coruna. Our first stop will be Vimianzo some 15 miles away, my left foot permitting!

Day 73 Cee - Finisterre - The end of the world

2010-06-30T19:00:00.001+01:00

Today has been a funny sort of day. We set off from Cee this morning knowing that later that day we would reach the end of our planned charity walk of over 900 miles. As we walked we kept thinking that it was truly incredible that we had managed to walk so far.

The weather was once again on our side and we had brilliant sunshine all the way. After the obligatory climb early in the morning the path levelled off and we had a pleasant few miles before reaching Sardineiro where we stopped at a "chiringuito" on the beach for a coffee. Beautiful white sands and we were almost tempted to go for a swim!

After another steep climb we had our first sight of Finisterre and its lighthouse in the distance. What a thrill that was! We quickened our step as the path wound round the coastline getting ever closer to Finisterre. The path eventually led to a paved walkway which took us right into town.

We had arrived!.........well, almost........the medieval legendary "end of the world" is at the lighthouse in Cape Finisterre, another two miles away.....uphill, naturally!

Reaching the zero marker of the Camino was an incredibly emotional moment. It had taken us some two and a half months and a few aches and pains to get here!

It is difficult to adequately describe how we feel. It has been an incredible journey. To walk over 900 miles seemed an impossible task weeks ago and all throughout the walk we have agonised as to whether we would make it or if we would let people down. Many were the times when we thought our feet would carry us no further but somehow we always seemed to find the strength to continue, supporting each other as required.

Now that we have finally arrived we can think back to Gibraltar and where it all started. Our initial journey in torrential rain along the coast to Tarifa, walking on the beach, the beautiful sand dunes of Bolonia and Barbate, sipping sherry in Jerez, the flooded paths everywhere, joining the Via de la Plata in Seville, coming into contact with other "pilgrims" for the first time, forging close friendships with some of them, climbing the steepest, rockiest, most awful goat-track aptly named "Cuesta del Calvario", writing the blog each day, chatting with villagers about their way of life, "talking" with the animals, washing our clothes in cold water, sleeping in bunk-beds in Albergues, arriving in Salamanca where many of our friends finished their camino, getting to Puebla de Sanabria to collect a new pair of boots, having the odd cold shower, blisters, more blisters, even more blisters, the frustration of lack of telephone or internet connections, the amazing sight of the Puente Quinto, climbing the two highest mountain passes in Galicia in torrential rain, more floods, sleeping in very basic mountain huts,

more blisters, dodgy feet, lots and lots of laughter, walking "on top of the world" along mountain crests, getting to know "new" pilgrims, giving and receiving words of encouragement, showing the newcomers how to tend to their blisters, getting lost, having our mobile phones run out of battery or credit or both at crucial moments, the odd row, more blisters, more laughter, arriving in Santiago and its amazing Cathedral, the Pilgrims Mass there and witnessing the swinging of the "Botafumeiro", being told to rest my feet for two or three months, getting ill, both of us getting ill, feeling miserable, getting back on our feet, determined to carry on, more aches and pains, lots more laughter and eventually arriving in Finisterre. WOW!

One day we may be able to communicate more cogently exactly how we feel today. For now let us say that we are tremendously proud of what we have achieved so far. Our only regret is that our fundraising efforts have not yielded the desired results. That said, this was never just about raising funds for charity. It was more about remembering friends and family who are no longer with us and sharing our experiences with loads of people in many parts of the world.

We thank you for your support and if you think you have now got rid of us you have another thing coming! Tomorrow morning we continue our walk towards Muxia and hopefully La Coruna which we hope to reach in about a week's time. If we achieve that we will have crossed the whole of Spain, something which very few people can claim to have done! Who knows, maybe we will be the first! We will continue to post our blog until we finish so please watch this space!

We have drawn our inspiration from our parents, all of whom have always encouraged us to believe that all things are possible. Also from people like Cristabel Watson who walked from Gibraltar to La Coruna a few years ago via a shorter but arguably more difficult route, in the amazing time of 42 days. From Frank Gardner, the BBC security correspondent whose fighting spirit in the face of huge adversity shows my "feet" episodes as somewhat unimportant and irrelevant and Rosie Swales whose book " A little run across the world" set us thinking if we could try and do a mini-version.

I'm not sure that we have succeeded, but we have certainly had a lot of fun trying! We very much hope that our footsteps may serve to guide the many that will undoubtedly follow.

Day 72 Lagos - Cee

2010-06-29T19:28:00.000+01:00

We are slowly getting back into our stride and the walk today of 25 kms proved less exhausting than yesterday. The sun shone again and it was very hot but thankfully less humid. The countryside was just as beautiful. After a few stiff climbs we found ourselves "on top of the world" with the valleys below.

On a day like today it is great to be alive and out in the countryside. It was very peaceful with only the sounds of the birds and the river below to disturb it. Today in contrast to other days we saw very few villages and those that we saw were dotted with splendid "Horreos" the old granaries so typical of this part of Spain.

In the village of Hospital the road split into two with one going in the direction of Finisterre, which we followed, whilst the other took a short cut to Muxia. The path led us to the sites of two shrines both which supposedly have springs which in the past have cured ailing feet!

We couldn't resist the temptation and dunked our feet in the running water which was freezing! It was good fun and a welcome respite from the heat of the day. So far I cannot report any miracle cure as my foot still hurts a lot!

The final approach to Cee was down one of the steepest and longest rocky paths we have experienced. By the time we got down to sea level our legs were like jelly - I really must stop drinking the local wine! The good news is that today we reached the Atlantic Ocean, a welcome sight after almost two and a half months!

Once in the Albergue I realised I had left my towel in Negreira so it was off to the centre of town, where much to my surprise I found a splendid sports shop complete with a selection of sports towels.

We are now sitting down in a local bar waiting to watch the Spain Portugal match, which should be a cracker!

Day 71 Negreira - Lagos

2010-06-28T21:12:00.001+01:00

A long tiring walk of 27 kms today, 28th June 2010, my 65th birthday! For a birthday treat Ana Maria arranged for a car to collect us from the Camino and take us to a nice hotel in a nearby town, complete with jacuzzi! Such luxury for a poor old peregrino! Such a devoted wife!

There have been thousands of birthday greetings from all over the world (well, a handful at least!) and it´s been a very nice day. Many thanks to the many who did phone or text or sent emails - it´s good to know so many people care.

The weather was rather hot and humid today with temperatures of around 28 degrees with the result that even the excellent wicking properties of our "technical" shirts failed to make the grade!

Still, the scenery was once more delightful, although a few very steep hills had us gasping for breath at times! Photos will need to wait for another day as we have experienced some "technical difficulties" and no- I am not drunk! (photos now posted!)

There are now some 40 kms to Finisterre, the end of our charity walk. All being well we will be there in two days. After that we will decide whether or not to carry on to Muxia and La Coruña.

How does it feel to be 65? Only my left foot feels 65, the rest of me is still in the mid forties!

Does this mean I am entitled to a state pension now - fantastic. The drinks are on me!

Day 70 Santiago de Compostela - Negreira

2010-06-27T19:55:00.000+01:00

This morning we both woke up feeling a little bit groggy, looked at each other and said "today we leave no matter what!" It was a good decision. 14 miles and six and a half hours later we arrived in Negreira with only another 50 miles or so left to go to Finisterre. It has been an exhausting day, due mainly to our poor physical state following being bedridden for a few days!

At the same time it was great to be walking the grreat outdoors and breathing fresh air again. As we left Santiago via its great Obradoiro square a troup of horseriders were arriving. The streets were otherwise deserted. The first marker we saw informed us that there were 88 kms left for Finisterre!

The path soon took us through parks and leafy suburbs of Santiago. This became a pattern for the day as we travelled through beautiful woodland and rolling countryside going through numerous villages and hamlets on the way, including the picturesque village of Ponte Maceira.

The village is divided in two parts with a stone bridge straddling the river Tambre. The bridge is late 15th century but was restored in medieval style in the 18th century.

The day, which had been cloudy to start with, soon became sunny with a light cool breeze, making walking very pleasant.

When we finally arrived in Negreira we were starving as we have not been eating much these past few days. After lunch we were told that the Albergue was full so we went to find a private one. After depositing our rucksacks we hightailed it to the nearest bar to watch the England-Germany game. We are now paying the price as our German friends on the Camino have now started to phone in and the situation is getting QUITE STRESSFUL! Katrin, we are never speaking to you again!

Right now we are in another bar watching the Argentina - Mexico game and I hope this also is not going to prove too stressful. Germans I can handle, Ana Maria is a different proposition!

Tomorrow we have a long day which we are trying to split into two easier stages. At the moment we cannot figure out where we are going to sleep tomorrow night in order to achieve this, but we keep on trying.

A number of you have been in touch tonight wanting to know about my foot. I have taken the view that the foot will not stop us getting to our destination. It may take us longer than planned, but we will get there!......but thanks for asking!

Day 69 Getting ready to depart Santiago

2010-06-26T18:20:00.000+01:00

Today we have been preparing to get under way tomorrow. This is still subject to Ana Maria recovering sufficiently.

Today we went ahead with our live connection with Brooklands FM Radio, which you can listen to by clicking the link on the left. They have been very supportive all along and we are very encouraged by their continuing enthusiasm in what we are doing.

Our latest plan therefore is to leave for Finisterre tomorrow, reaching there in 4 days. If we feel up to the task we will continue to Muxia (another 2 days) and then on to La Coruna, a further 5 days.

Wish us luck!

Day 68 - Still "resting" in Santiago de Compostela!

2010-06-25T09:57:00.000+01:00

Thank you all so much for all your messages wishing me a speedy recovery and encouraging us to continue our journey. The latest news is that Ana Maria herself has now fallen ill so we will need to delay our departure for another couple of days! We are beginning to suspect that we have picked up some sort of bug.

Our hopes of reaching Finisterre in time for my birthday are now dashed but we are determined to carry on as soon as we feel we are able to.

Keep watching this space.

Day 65-67 Days resting in Santiago

2010-06-24T14:07:00.003+01:00

They say it never rains but it pours. Following the bad news about my foot, I contracted a severe case of food poisoning which has left me in bed for the last two days!

Today I am feeling slightly better and we hope to set off for Finisterre tomorrow Friday 25th. With a bit of luck we will arrive there on the 28th, my 65th birthday. Once there we will decide if we carry on to La Coruna or if we call it a day.

These past couple of days have been very trying for us and we are very grateful for all the messages of encouragement we have received from many of you.

Day 64 Resting in Santiago

2010-06-22T11:52:00.003+01:00

POSTED ONE DAY LATE

As agreed I went to the local hospital this morning to have my foot checked out. It’s all bad news, I’m afraid and the doctor there suggested I stop walking for some time.

The problem continues to be my old ailment “plantar fasciaities” which unfortunately has gotten much worse, due to the high amount of walking we have done and of course the weight we are carrying.

I was not entirely satisfied with the diagnosis so later today we went to see a private podiatrist for a second opinion. She thought the condition would not improve unless I stopped walking for at least three months!

As you can imagine I have been feeling very depressed tonight and also my foot is hurting like hell after all the manipulation it received today!

At noon we went to the Cathedral for the traditional "Misa de Peregrinos", which was a very nice service with the attendance of the Archbishop of Santiago and various clergy from all over Spain. At the end the swinging of the "Botafumeiro" was as exciting as I remembered from our previous visits to the Cathedral!

Ana Maria and I were meant to have diner with Karl, Nina, Paolo, Giovanni and Davide but we have cried off. I hope they understand that I would not be very good company tonight!

The only glimmer of hope is that if the pain recedes I am assured that continuing to walk will not damage the foot. I am hoping that resting the foot for another couple of days might do the trick and we might then be able to carry on to Finisterre as planned. Our plans to carry on to la Coruna are currently on ice.

We have decided to spend an extra day in Santiago and hope to start walking to Finisterre, all being well on Wednesday 23rd June.

Day 63 Outeiro - Santiago de Compostela

2010-06-22T11:40:00.001+01:00

POSTED 2 DAYS LATE

Today was an emotional day for many as it marked the end of their pilgrimage to Santiago. Such was the case for Karl, our German friend who walked with us all the way.

We had purposely planned it so that we would have a short day – only about 12 miles, enabling us to reach Santiago exactly at noon, after walking for only four and a half hours.

The weather was kind to us and after a cloudy start we had brilliant sunshine all the way. Once again we could sense we were nearing a major city and the houses along the path were definitely more modern than those we had seen previously up in the mountains.

As we approached the city via the old "Camino Real" we saw the spires of the Cathedral in the far\distance, our cue to stop for some photos!

As soon as we arrived in Santiago we went to queue up with dozens of other pilgrims to obtain our “Compostela”, the official record of our journey. After that we entered the Cathedral by the "Puerta Santa" which is only opened during the Holy Years, to pay the traditional greeting to St James.

Later we went to find our hotel. Fortunately the hotel had double booked and offered to put us up in a nearby house, also belonging to the hotel. It has been recently refurbished to a high standard and offered us a sitting room to boot where we watched some of the football.

In the evening we went to dinner with Karl to celebrate reaching Santiago. My foot which has been troubling me all week, flared up yesterday and it was a struggle getting here.

I have finally had to face up to the fact that I need to have my foot looked at and we agreed that I would attend the local hospital in the morning.

Day 62 Silleda - Outeiro

2010-06-19T20:09:00.001+01:00

Today we woke up a little later and left Silleda at 0745 after (expensive) breakfast at one of the local bars. Initially we followed the N525 and later the path took us cross-country. The countryside again was very similar to Surrey and we felt quite at home.

Narrow country lanes, gravel paths, stony paths etc etc., following a similar pattern to the day before. Some stunning views of rivers, viaducts, the odd cow or two causing a traffic jam, old stone bridges and a new motorway bridge under construction came and went, and still the path went on heading ever closer top Santiago.

There are more villages en route now and one can sense the proximity of a major town nearby by the proliferation of industrial estates and built up areas. One thing that was very pleasing today was to see dozens of day trippers walking this stretch of the Camino. When we got to Puente Ulla the coaches were waiting there to take them home. All right for some!

Another pleasing thing today was meeting up again with our friend Karl, whose foot has recovered sufficiently to allow him to carry on walking. Tomorrow we hope to reach Santiago together - or as he put it "I only waited for you to catch up so that you can take my picture coming into Santiago! Seriously, he has become a close friend and we will miss him when he leaves for Portugal, where he has a flat, although we have threatened to visit him in Cologne later this year!

Today we were also able to catch up with our weekly live interview with Brooklands FM Radio, which we missed last week because of poor communications problems. A reminder that you can listen to all the radio interviews by clicking the link on the left of the blog.

Finally a message for Roberto and Lisa - where are you? We have lost contact and hope to meet up with you in Santiago. Same goes for Johan and Karin who last we heard were a few days behind us. We hope that you too will catch up with us in Santiago. A reminder to all that our email address is look4gomez@gmail.com

Our Albergue tonight is near the village of Outeiro, surrounded by woods. Very peaceful setting. It is 8.30p.m. and pilgrims are still arriving! Some people have emailed us asking if all the people are really pilgrims. The answer is quite simple. No! On this blog we tend to call everyone a pilgrim to simplify matters. We take the view that anyone doing the Camino de Santiago and carrying a pilgrim "Credencial" should rightfully be called a pilgrim.

However, people walk for different reasons; some religious, some spiritual, some because of the physical challenge, some because they simply like walking. Contrary to popular belief, many of the people walking the Camino are not even Catholic. For example, the last couple of days we have been meeting two Russian girls one of whom at least is Jewish.

Tonight we have been booking somewhere to stay in Santiago. We are told that the city is heaving with pilgrims. There are 3000 beds available for pilgrims in various Albergues in the city but we have booked ourselves into a nice hotel for a change.

On Monday I have to have my foot looked at as it is becoming very painful at all times, making walking difficult.

Day 61 Castro Dozon - Laxe - Silleda

2010-06-18T18:30:00.000+01:00

As we left our Albergue this morning it was bitterly cold, with freezing fog. It was only at around 10.15 a.m. that the fog lifted and the sun came out. Most of the way to Laxe was through paths very close to the N525. We arrived in Laxe around midday, found the Albergue closed and decided to have lunch.

After lunch we decided we would carry on to Silleda. My foot has been troubling me and I would like to see a specialist in Santiago. By going on to Silleda (17 miles) we can now get to Santiago on Sunday instead of Monday as we planned.

The only problem in going on to Silleda apart from the distance, was the fact that there is no Albergue there. We decided to go and stay at a Hostal. Much to our surprise on arriving there we found signs indicating an Albergue "Santa Olaia".

It has only been opened for two weeks in a former residential private school for girls. It has 65 beds most of which are in twin-bedded rooms, and about 16 showers as opposed to the normal 3 or 4! Tonight we hope to catch the England match before having to rush back to the Albergue before they lock us out!

The path from Laxe to Silleda was very pleasant going through leafy lanes where one could be forgiven for thinking you were in the Surrey countryside! There was a very beautiful Roman bridge which is being refurbished. In one spot we met a group of four Spanish gentlemen having a barbecue.

They had finished the Camino Frances and were on their way home complete with a large camper van which had acted as their support vehicle throughout. They didn't even carry their own rucksacks. Life's definitely not fair!

In another spot we talked to a local farmer who had just finished milking cows!

As you can see we had a very varied day today!

A sad note today is that in Laxe we left Nina and the 3 Italians, Paolo, Giovanni and Davide who were staying there for the night. We have promised to meet up with them on Monday for a farewell dinner as they will finish their walk in Santiago.

We will also be meeting up with Karl there as he is going to wait for us to catch up with him!

Day 60 Cea - Castro Dozon

2010-06-18T17:46:00.000+01:00

POSTED A DAY LATE

Today has been marked by very steep climbs and equally steep descents, often through narrow paths lined with rocks and boulders. Our guide book said this stage should only be attempted by those people who were very fit. I guess we are very fit as we survived!

The first few miles to the Monastery at Oseira were very pleasant although the weather was overcast and bitterly cold. Instead of wearing shorts we had elected to wear long trousers and we were very glad of this as the morning wore on.

The Monastery, founded in the XII century, was partially destroyed by fire in the 16^th century when most of its books and other records were lost. Later it was sacked and was left abandoned until 1929 when monks from the Cistercian order in France started its restoration.

Today the work continues but much of it has been brought back to its original splendour. The church in the monastery has survived intact and dates from the XII century.

After the peace and tranquillity of the monastery we endured one of the most arduous climbs in the Camino, yet! Up 500 feet in an almost vertical climb which had us gasping for breath! This trend continued with more difficult climbs and descents although very gradually losing height. One or two bits of the path were very muddy and in one case we had to abandon the path to take to the hills and rejoin the path a bit further on.

The path took us through a succession of small villages each looking more deserted than the next. In A Gouxa, the very first village in the province of Pontevedra used to be very famous for its Horse Fair. All that remains now is some very old stables. Eventually we came to the village of Dozon whee we are spending the night in the local Albergue.

Tomorrow we continue to the village of Laxe, coming closer to Santiago slowly but surely.

Day 59 - Ourense - Cea

2010-06-16T19:14:00.001+01:00

The sky was overcast this morning with the threat of rain looming high. Thankfully the rain did not materialise but we had a bit of everything else, wind, cold and sunshine too.(James, please find a new symbol that covers all that!).

From Ourense there are two routes that can be followed. Nina and the Italians (sounds like a 60's pop group) took the path via Amoeiro but we decided to stick to the more traditional route via the old road to Santiago. A unique Carballo sign showed us the way.

The way out of Ourense was up a very (very!) steep path rising from about 300 feet to 1500 feet. My left foot is still troubling me and I struggled up the path! After a well deserved drink of water and a couple of pain killers we continued on our way.

The path meandered through leafy lanes and country paths most of the way, a fairly unexciting but very pleasant route. The route passes through a number of little villages, with traditional Horreos, the old granaries, and a splendid example of an old small vineyard using granite supports for the vines.

Approaching Casasnovas, we spotted Nina and the Italians coming out of the other path and from that point on we followed their footsteps all the way to Cea, our destination for the night. The village is famous for its bread, which we sampled at lunchtime when we tried the local "Pulpo a la Gallega".

The village square has a very unusual clock tower with a fountain at the base of each of its four sides. Tomorrow is supposed to be a 22 mile trek but we don't think my foot will last that long so we have decided to stop in Castro Dozon, more or less the halfway point.

Day 58 Xunqueira de Ambia - Ourense

2010-06-15T18:20:00.002+01:00

It was very weird spending the night in the Albergue totally on our own. At least we did not wake anyone up when we got up this morning!

We were quite tired after our 21 mile trek yesterday but set off in good spirits for Ourense. The weather was overcast and quite cold with a stiff wind blowing.

Initially the path went cross-country criss-crossing the local road in many places and finally going over a railway line, where Ana Maria insisted I pose for a photo. I'm convinced she is trying to get rid of me! Well, who could blame her?

The rest of the way was mainly on minor roads which were very narrow, with no hard shoulder and lots of traffic. It was quite dicy at times, particularly when huge lorries came trundling by! The road went through countless villages at times almost merging into each other and we sensed we were nearing Ourense.

This became more obvious when the path went through a trading estate with factories belching out pollution!

What a difference to the last few days where we have been enjoying nature at its best.

The entry into Ourense was long and tedious as we made our way to our Albergue on the edges of the old quarter of the city.

Day 57 Laza - Xunqueira de Ambia

2010-06-14T20:56:00.001+01:00

When we set off this morning from Laza we were still undecided which way to go. The first decision we took was to walk to Albergueria directly on the OU-113 avoiding an extremely steep climb had we goine via Tamicelas. Mind you, the climb to Albergueria was anything but easy. We travelled some 12 kms going from 1500 feet to 3000 feet! I tell you, our legs felt like jelly at the end of that climb.

The severity of the climb was tempered by the beauty of the scenery, looking down on the valleys below. The very small village of Albergueria boasts one of the best known bars in all of the Camino. Every pilgrim who passes that way marks a scallop shell with their name and date etc. and the shell is then pinned to the walls/celiling etc.

The whole bar is full of these shells! Ana Maria and I duly prepared ours and it is now there for posterity as a record that we passed that way on 14th June 2010!

On the outskirts of Albergueria we took to the path again but soon had to abandon it as it was far too muddy. We therefore carried on for another 3 kms on the road\until we came to a spot marked by a large cross. From here the path descended quite steeply down the side of the mountain trying to find the shortest route to the village of Vilar de Barrios below. As we entered the village we were followed by Nina who had been hard on our heels for most of the morning.

Then came time for the second decision of the day. Did we stay there or did we carry on to Xunqueira de Ambia. Doing the latter would mean a total walk for the day of over 22 miles. Notwithstanding that our legs were still wobbling and my left foot was still painful, we decided we would rest for a while and then continue to Xunqueira. It was a good decision! The weather was lovely for a change with the sun shining but with a fairly cold wind blowing!

This second part of our journey today took us via a series of small villages each sporting a variety of "Horreos" old storage huts very typical of Galicia. From the brow of the hills we could see below the plains of Antela, in years gone by the largest fresh water lake in Spain before being dried out for agricultural use.

We once more descended to the plains via a very steep and uncomfortable path, following which we had to cross to the opposite side some 5 kms away to be faced with another very steep climb to the top of the hills. The views from the top were truly amazing and worth the effort!

From there we went cross country through very pretty narrow lanes, most of which were extremely muddy although we were able to find alternative routes to keep us going all the way to Xunqueira. We entered the village at 4.45p.m having taken a total of nine gruelling hours.

Tonight we are at the local Albergue, a very modern building, with 20 beds. For the first time ever, we are on our own as no other pilgrims have turned up, so we can have first choice of everything! The village boasts a very fine Monastery but unfortunately it was closed like so many of the churches and other religious buildings along the Camino.

Our trek today puts us within striking distance of the town of Ourense, which we want to reach tomorrow before 2.00p.m. as we have another parcel from James to collect, this time with replacement socks for me. Once we reach Ourense there will only be another 110 kms left to Santiago, one of our major destinations.

UPDATE - Days 55, 56

2010-06-14T20:14:00.001+01:00

WE ARE BACK (WELL, ALMOST!)

For the last couple of days we have found it impossible to post any updates for which we apologise. We have been plagued by heavy rain, loss of all telephone communications and I ran out of credit on my Moviestar dongle! Finding somewhere to re-charge has been impossible until today. Now I find that the connection is so weak that we are unable to post any photos. Consequently we are updating the blog but the photos will need to follow, hopefully after we get to Orense tomorrow afternoon.

DAY 55 A Gudinha - Campobecerros

The last two days it has rained very heavily. In parts of Asturias quite close to the Galician border and not far from where we are, there has been extensive flooding. We have read today that heavy goods traffic between Asturias and Galicia has been suspended due to flooding and the bad state of the roads.

It was with some trepidation that we set off this morning from A Gudina, expecting more rain. Luckily this did not materialise and although at times overcast, windy and cold, the weather was not bad.

The bad news today is that our friend Karl has had to leave us for a few days. I reported yesterday that he had some pain in his left foot. He had this checked out by a local doctor and it appears that he has an infection in his foot and has to rest it for a few days. Consequently, he was taking the train this morning to Ourense where, with a bit of luck we can meet up again in about three to four days.

Today we have been walking on and off with our Italian friends, Paolo, Giovanni and David, our Danish friend, Nina, the two Argentine girls Mariela and Patricia. The latter are pressed for time and have gone on to Laza while we decided to stop over here in Campobecerros, some 20 kms into what is a 36km trek!

The going was good, travelling partly on minor roads but for the first time in days also cross country. Although it has also rained here quite heavily, the ground is rockier and the paths were quite passable.

The scenery was breathtaking! Walking among the hills mostly covered in heather, it was reminiscent of parts of Scotland.

Practically the whole way we were walking at a height of over 3200 feet looking down on the valleys below! We went through a number of hamlets, Venda do Espoino, Venda Teresa, Venda Capela and Venda Bolanos.

Soon after leaving Venda Teresa we came across the fantastic “Embalse de las Portas”, a vast expanse of water nestling in the valley below framed by beautiful mountains. Truly nature at its best! The descent to Campobecerros was very tough. The path falls about 700 feet from the hills above to the village below, via a very rugged, uncomfortable, rocky path, which wreaks havoc with your feet!

We are now relaxing in our Hostal, Casa Nunez, the only one in town. It is comfortable although quite cold. It seems that the central heating only comes on in winter! The owners are very nice if a trifle uncommunicative. For example, we asked if they did lunch. The old lady told us that she would ask the cook and went off. She then came back and totally ignored us for about 15 minutes. She then went off again, returned and told us that we could go into the restaurant area. As we went in our meal was already on the table! No one had even asked us what we wanted! As it turned out we had a nice meal. At the next table sat the whole family, all 10 of them eating exactly what we were eating!

This afternoon the sun came out for the first time in days and we went for a wander around the village, talking to several of the locals, who are very friendly. There is a beautiful stream flowing through the bottom of the village, which was overflowing due to the heavy rains.

A strange-looking statue in the village recalls the local carnival where the “peliqueiros” dress up in some sort of costume and go through the streets imposing their will by wielding a small whip!

Tomorrow we have a relatively short day – only about 12 miles – to the village of Laza, where we will stay at the local Albergue. After that there will only be another 55 kms to go to Ourense, with Santiago de Compostela only another 110 kms beyond that!

The camino greeting of “buen camino” has now changed to the Galician “Ultreia!”

DAY 56 Campobecerros - Laza

Casa Nunez turned out to be a very cheap place to stay. A double room, lunch and dinner, a couple of beers and 6 “chupitos” for only 60 Euros. Best value for a while. Shame about England drawing with USA, a win would have crowned the day nicely!

Today the sun shone for the very first time in a few days. We set off at around 0800hrs climbing gradually to Porto Camba. The scenery again was stunning. This time instead of having to climb up and down the mountain sides we were walking along the side of the mountains following their contours.

On the outskirts of Porto Camba we came across the cross that was erected there to commemorate all those pilgrims who have died on the Camino over the years. After Porto Camba we continued through pine forests but still with a view of the surrounding mountains.

In the hamlet of As Eiras we came across a rest area, specially set aside for pilgrims where we all stopped to rest our feet for a while. Our photograph shows Ana Maria and I with our fellow walkers, Nina, Giovanni, David and Paolo.

Since we entered Galicia the camino signs have improved with the addition of signs made by the Galician Sculptor Nicanor Carballo. The quality of the Albergues has also improved, with many providing a high standard of accommodation for a standard 5 Euros per person per night.

From As Eiras we continued to Laza which thankfully was a nice gradual descent. The Albergue in Laza is quite modern with excellent facilities, a good example of Galician standards! We had d lunch at Bar La Picota where Angeles cooked us one of the best meals we have had on the Camino, for a reasonable 9 Euros each.

This evening we have to decide if tomorrow we do 20 kms to Vilar de Barrio or if we continue for another 14 kms to Xunqueira de Ambia. The latter alternative although longer would then leave us just 22 kms away from Ourense the day after tomorrow. I guess we will set off early and then see how we feel when we get to Vilar de Barrio.

Day 54 Lubian - A Gudinha

2010-06-11T15:42:00.000+01:00

The day started worse than the day before with heavy rain and fierce winds, although not as cold. Carl came to have breakfast with us at Casa Irene and was the first to set off, complaining of pain in his left foot. Once again the locals advised us against trying to walk the normal path as it was underwater or extremely muddy in most places.

We therefore had no option but to head\for the N525 again which we approached through a small local road which was practically devoid of traffic. There was heavier fog than we had experienced the day before and the strong winds made it almost impossible to walk straight.

We struggled to reach the top of the A Canda pass at over 4200 feet. Once over the pass we celebrated having reached Galicia for the first time! Again it was a shame that we were not able to appreciate the natural beauty of these mountains spoilt only by the numerous motorways and highway intersecting them!

We carried on to the village of Vilavella a couple of miles away where we all stopped for a well deserved cup of coffee. Ana Maria's shoes were completely soaked and she had to wring out her socks which were sopping wet. She decided there was no point in wearing dry socks as they wopuld ponly get wet again very quickly. So sloshing away we continued on our way to A Gudinha where we arrived at the local Albergue at 12.45p.m.

Travelling with us part of the way today were two Argentine girls, both from the province of Misiones, where Ana Maria was born, and from a neighbouring town! It's a small world.

After a nice hot shower Ana Maria and I headed for one of the local restaurants where we had a typical Galician dish, Octopus!..Lovely! This afternoon we are hoping to catch the opening match of the World Cup

Day 53 Requejo - Lubian

2010-06-11T15:14:00.000+01:00

POSTED A DAY LATE

Before leaving Requejo we had a discussion with all the other pilgrims and it was decided that the paths were thought to be waterlogged and so we should follow the N525 road instead. Initially we had thought of stopping at Padornelo immediately after reaching the top at over 4300 feet, the highest point on the Camino.

However, once we got there we decided we could do a bit more and continued to Lubian. We were exhausted by the time we got there so instead of staying at the local Albergue we stayed in Casa Irene, a Casa Rural, where we were very comfortable if a trifle cold.

When we left Requejo it was raining lightly but it was freezing and very windy. It was a shame as the countryside is beautiful with mountains bordering both sides of the road. Because of the bad weather and the heavy fog at times it was difficult to make anything out!

For the past few days we have been travelling on and off with a new German friend, Carl, a former Ford executive, now retired. You may remember Katrin our German friend from Cologne. Well, Carl is also from Cologne. Unfortunately he is not as good looking as Katrin but just as good company! We met in Lubian for lunch and later sampled some Licor de Hierbas, which as Carl pointed out was purely for medicinal purposes.

Later that evening we met at Casa Irene for a snack with him, three Italian friends and Nina, a Danish lady we have now met several times on the Camino. To our surprise we also met Ana, a Spanish girl we had first met in Granja de Moreruela and who is now working for a few days at Casa Irene before carrying on with her journey!

Over dinner we planned the route for the following day which would take us over the A Canda pass at around 3900 feet the second highest point of the whole Camino de Santiago. Ana Maria and I were a little bit apprehensive about a second day climbing mountain peaks as we were very tired from the first!

Lubian is a small village with very interesting old houses, some of which are being restored. The village takes its name from a wolf pit where in the old days locals would trap wolves and later take them along the villages asking for money for presumably having saved their shhep from being savaged by the wolves!

Day 52 - Puebla de Sanabria - Requejo

2010-06-10T17:57:00.001+01:00

POSTED A DAY LATE

It rained heavily all last night and it was still raining this morning as we left for our relatively short trip to Requejo some 12kms away. The paths were all waterlogged so we opted for the N525 instead, arriving in Requejo very wet some two and a half hours after setting off.

Today has a special significance for me as on this day ten years ago my father, Arthur James Gomez, died. He was 88. He was the person I have most admired ever. He was born to a humble background. His father abandoned his mother just before he was born. From a very early age he took care of his mother and his two sisters, in the days when women did not work. When he was seven he worked running errands for an uncle of his who had a coffee stall in the market in Gibraltar. At the age of 12 he was working full time in the stall after school every day, getting up at five every morning to get the stall ready ready before leaving for school. At the age of 14 he started an apprenticeship at the local electricity station, soon becoming a skilled draughtsman. Years later he became the Electricity Dept’s Mains Engineer, responsible for all the street lighting in Gibraltar. A couple of years after he retired he was asked to return to assist in the setting up of Gibraltar’s new power station. During the strikes in the early 60’s he stayed at his post ensuring essential electricity supplies were maintained.

Although not a religious man he had a strong set of values. He believed a man should receive an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. He felt strongly that we should all strive to make a difference in everything we do. That we should always try our hardest. He was a passionate supporter of the formation of the AACR, the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights, but he became disillusioned with politics and with trade unions, saying that they always sought a compromise instead of trying to do the right thing.

Although we were relatively poor my brother and my two sisters had a very happy childhood and we never wanted for anything . When William went to study at the Conservatory of Music in Madrid, the Government of the day refused him a scholarship. My father took on three jobs in order to make ends meet. He was vociferous in attacking the Government for their lack of support for music and the arts.

When he retired he had been one of the longest serving council employees of his generation. Years later when it became fashionable to award MBE’s and long service medals to Govt. Employees I asked him if he missed not having received any medals. His reply was, “I do not need any medals to remind me of who I am!”.

He was a keen fisherman and I had fond vivid memories of the two of us fishing at night at the North Mole in Gibraltar, where we used to spend the hours chatting about anything and everything, drinking coffee laced with brandy (without my mother’s knowledge!). I miss those days.

A month after my father died, my mother Carmen passed away. She had been suffering from a form of Alzheimer’s for many years and for the last couple of years of her life had lost the power of speech. It was a very sad end for someone who was always a very lively and energetic person. She was the one I always turned to when I was in trouble (which was often!), the one who could be relied upon to give me that extra bit of pocket money, who interceded with my father. She was a hardworking woman who for many years lacked any of the creature comforts we are now accustomed to but who never complained about anything. She taught me above everything else that we have to be tolerant of others, something with is serving me in good stead as we do this Camino where we live cheek by jowl with complete strangers, often in cramped conditions. I used to sit at her feet while she scratched my head and told me tales of the good old days! She was a truly beautiful person in every sense of the word.

At her funeral service at the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned in Gibraltar, William played one of her favourite tunes “Alfonsina del Mar”, a nursery rhyme which Ana Maria had brought with her from Argentina. It was the last time that William played in public. Five months later he too died, aged 61.

I think all three of them would have been proud of what Ana Maria and I have achieved so far on this mad walk of ours.

Day 52 Resting in Puebla de Sanabria

2010-06-08T12:44:00.000+01:00

As soon as the Post Office opened this morning we were there like a shot! Excellent news - our package had arrived! Incredible how such a minor thing can bring so much joy. Mind you, you should see the state of my old shoes! That's a photo for tomorrow's blog. Today we have been sightseeing and the following pohotos illustrate a little bit of this beautiful town.

Tomorrow we are doing a short trip of some 10/12 miles to break my new shoes in. Ana Maria is cutting her new insoles to size so we hope it's all systems go!

Day 51 San Salvador de Palazuelo - Puebla de Sanabria

2010-06-08T11:58:00.003+01:00

POSTED A DAY LATE

After filling our water bottles from the local fountain we set off at 0650 hrs towards Puebla de Sanabria via the villages of Entrepenas, Asturianos, Palacios de Sanabria, Remesal, Otero de Sanabria and Triufe.

The first few kilometres were very pleasant and we had our first sighting of pine woods. It was a cold morning and we regretted not having our fleeces at hand (we have been packing them at the bottom of our rucksacks together with all our rain gear!). When we arrived in the small village of Entrepenas we had a chat with a charming village elder who told us a tale of woe. He was one of only four people left from the original villagers the others having left to find work elsewhere.

The construction of a major dam nearby had changed the local weather. Since the dam was constructed they had been suffering a lot of frosts, which had devastated the local fruit industry. The introduction of wild boars and wolves to the area had also destroyed what crops they had and eventually the whole area deteriorated so badly that most people left. Others have moved in, buying land cheaply and building weekend or summer retreats. The price of progress! Needless to say there was nowhere to have coffee!

The village of Asturianos boasts two bars but they too were closed so on we pressed towards Palacios de Sanabria. We followed the camino where it turned away from the main road but after a mile or so we had to backtrack as we found the path impassable.

The tracks were incredibly muddy and although we tried to find alternative routes all our efforts proved unsuccessful. We had to walk another mile back to the main highway and follow that until Palacios, where we enjoyed breakfast, at long last!

After Palacios it was a nice walk through woods with plenty of shade up to Remesal. After that things deteriorated badly. The path had been changed to take us through the village of Oteros rather than through its outskirts and we found the path almost
impossible to navigate due to the amount of mud! We did however find alternative routes going cross country and I must say that the scenery was very beautiful.

From Otero (no bars or shops) the path became a tarmac road which rose steeply to the village of Triufe. It is a medieval village with old houses with balconies, mostly in a bad state of repair but interesting nevertheless.

From Triufe we carried on via an old tarmac road, totally devoid of traffic, crossing over both the A52 motorway and the National road N525, before arriving in Puebla de Sanabria.

The entrance to the town is stunning. We were hoping to reach the local post office before it closed so we rushed up its steep hill to the historic centre of the town, arriving breathless just a few minutes before the post office closed.

The bad news that awaited us was that our parcel had not arrived. To make matters worse a national strike had been called for the following day and they could not guarantee that the parcel would arrive then.

In any event my feet were in such a bad state that we had already decided that we had to rest up for a day and Puebla seemed a nice play to stay. We decided to forego the pleasures of the local Albergue and booked ourselves into a local hostal in the old town just opposite the post office.

Sightseeing of this town which boasts a very fine castle was postponed until tomorrow.

Day 50 Rio Negro del Puente - San Salvador de Palazuelo

2010-06-07T21:39:00.002+01:00

POSTED A DAY LATE

Last night we visited the local Sanctuario de la Carballeda, where they have a statue of St James dating back to around the 12th or 13^th Century. The church also had a stone niche where in the old days the locals used to leave unwanted children to be brought up by the priests.

This morning we decided to play it safe and have breakfast at the local bar as soon as it opened. Our usual of coffee and toast with olive oil. Suitably refreshed we set off at 0800hrs, heading for San Salvador de Palazuelo, via the villages of Mombuey, Valderemilla and Cernadilla.

The terrain was different today to that of previous days in that it was more like rocky scrubland (does that make sense?) and soft and sandy underfoot at least until Mombuey.

There we bought some provisions for the day as we knew that there would be no more bars or shops for the rest of the day. Mombuey has a 13^th Century church with a fortified tower, which was a stronghold of the Knights Templars.

Coming out of Mombuey we missed a right turn somewhere and ended up lost for about half an hour! It was good to be lost for a change, more characteristic of the Gomez style! We soon picked up the scent again and were soon on our way along a very nice path through oak woods. Plenty of shade!

A forced detour followed as they are building a new road right where the camino used to be. As we went through the village of Cernadilla we saw a new flower for the very first time. It is almost identical to a poppy but is bright orange in colour. It seems to flourish in this area as we were able to photograph some as we approached our Albergue this afternoon.

We finally arrived at the Albergue in San Salvador de Palazuelo, at around 2.00p.m.just in time to grab the last two bunks! Hye Ryeung and Sverre had beaten us to the first two! This is a very small Albergue with only four bunks, but has very nice showers with hot water(!). To the side of the Albergue is a water fountain with water coming straight from a spring, where we were able to fill our flasks.

San Salvador has no other facilities. Come dinner time we found that Ana Maria and I were the only ones to have bought some food in Mombuey earlier that day We improvised and with Sverre's help (he provided some very nice cheese) the four of us enjoyed a very nice salad "al fresco"

Tomorrow we hope to reach Puebla de Sanabria where we hope to find our replacement shoes/insoles. Fingers crossed!

Day 49 Santa Marta de Tera - Rio Negro del Puente

2010-06-05T19:20:00.001+01:00

Today we set off at 0550hrs from our Albergue at Santa Marta to cover 17 miles. Although the path climbs to 2700 feet it does so very gradually so it was not too bad. The first 10 miles or so were very pleasant, walking through woods and following the river Tera, a major river in these parts.

HyeRyung in her distinctive yellow sweatshirt followed us and then overtook us as she normally does!

We headed for the village of Calzadilla de Tera to have a cup of coffee - yes, you've guessed it, the bar was closed. We then carried on to Olleras de Tera, where we were told that the bar owner was an elderly gentleman who never got up before 10.00a.m.! We gave up the idea of coffee and thought we would buy some juice at a local shop instead. Uh, uh! No shops either! Having given up the idea of breakfast we headed for Rio Negro where a nice Albergue awaited us.

We had intended to walk along a reservoir for most of the way but the locals warned us that the path was impassable and at best was in very bad condition. We therefore decided to walk alonmg an irrigation canal first and then on the N525, which was slightly tedious but not too bad on the feet. Temperatures rose to 35 dgrees!

At 12.30p.m. we stopped on the outskirsts of Rio Negro for our weekly live interview with Brooklands FM Radio. Just before entering the village we stopped to chat to some of the local fishermen, fishing for "bogas" in the local river.Shortly after we were in our Albergue in Rio Negro which has 28 beds. There are only 4 of us! Ana Maria and I, our Norwegian friend, Sverre and our young S. Korean friend HyeRyung. We had some excitement as Sverre spotted a large rat lurking in a drawer on the ground floor. The husband of the local Hospitalera was called and duly disposed of the rat! I offered to do this, of course, but local union rules forbid foreigners from tackling such sensitive tasks!

This village was the seat of the Confraternity of the Falifos, one of the oldest in Spain and which at its height had 11 hospitals looking after the poor and pilgrims. Losada, the founder of the City of Caracas, was born in this village.

Tomorrow we hope for a shorter walk, only about 13 miles, to the Albergue at San Salvador de Palazuelo.

The following day we hope to reach Puebla de Sanabria where with a bit of luck we will collect the new shoes (and insoles for Ana Maria) which James has rushed to us.

Day 48 Tabara - Santa Marta de Tera

2010-06-04T20:32:00.001+01:00

Taking very tentative steps because of our blisters, we set off at 0700 hrs. Ahead were about six hours of walking, which turned into seven as we had to stop more often than we normally do. The terrain was quite varied today - a bit of a roller-coaster - up and down hills! Also a lot of trees for a change.

After 14 kms we came across the village of Bercianos de Valverde, hoping to be able to stop for a beer. Unfortunately we were out of luck - the village appeared totally deserted, and we had no option but to carry on to our next village Santa Croya de tera some 7 kms away. The path here went through some beautiful woods with plenty of shade, but so full of flies and mosquitoes that we had to resort to our mosquito repellent for the first time on this trip.

Even so when we found a litle hut specially for travellers to sit in the shade we had to get out in a hurry, there were so many mosquitoes!

The rest of the walk passed uneventfully, with frequent stops (I must stop moaning about my blisters - my father would have said "Just grit your teeth and keep going and shut up!" In the end that's exactly what I did!

We arrived at our destination just in time for lunch. Lunch, you say? There is no restaurant in the village and the bars don't serve food - would you believe our luck. If we still had Katrin with us she would have warned us about this and we would have bought something yesterday to have for lunch today. Here I stopped to chat to a dear old lady of 88 to complain about the lack of restaurants.

As it was I had to use all my charm to convince the bar-lady's daughter to cook us a fry-up of eggs, pork and chorizo (which cost us a bomb!) It was great and we enjoyed it. We wanted something hot in particular because for the last few days we have been travelling with our S. Korean 23 year-old friend HyeRyeong Yu ( I told you it was unpronounceable!) who has not been feeling very well. She only ever eats cheese sandwiches and oranges so we thought it was about time she had something hot. She speaks very little Spanish and is a bit shy so we suspect that part of the problemn is that she doesn't know how to ask for things in Spanish. Anyway she ate the lot and we had to tell her how to ask for this again in Spanish! It seems our plan worked.

This little village which we entered via a bridge over the river Tera is famous for its church which boasts the earliest known statue of St James, Pilgrim, dating from the 12th Century and which is the symbol of the Via de La Plata, Camino Sanabres, part of the Camino de Santiago.

Tomorrow we have our customary live interview with Brooklands FM Radio (a recording of which you can hear on our blog) at 11.30 a.m. UK time. We have a tough day ahead of us climbing to 2700 feet - dare I say anything about our feet? No, everything will be fine.

A final word to two of our fellow travellers, Roberto and Lisa from Italy who very kindly donated £50 to our chosen charities. They were a day behind us but now we have lost total track of them. Roberto, if you read this please send me your email so that we can keep in touch. Similarly our Swedish friends, Johan and Karin. A reminder that our email is look4gomez@gmail.com

Day 47 Granja de Moreruela - Tabara

2010-06-03T19:54:00.000+01:00

Today our 16 mile trek was by far the best in a long time. We set off at 0600hrs with all our Xmas trees lit and were soon climbing among beautiful valleys. We decided to follow the Orense route as previously planned.

Two miles later we came across one of the most beautiful spots in the Camino so far, the River Esla which we crossed via the Quintos Bridge. The scenery here was truly breathtaking and I'm not sure we were able to capture its beauty in our photos. After crossing the bridge the path took us down towards the river through a very narrow and sometimes quite dangerous path - I'm sure it would not be allowed in the UK!

The way back to the top was equally hazardous but really worth the effort.

After that the terrain levelled out and we walked cross-country to Faramontanos de Tabara, an additional 12 miles or so, where we had a much needed drink at the local bar. Our path continued along a virtually straight path for another 5 or 6 miles. It was hot and this path is known for how quiet and peaceful it is. I asked Ana Maria if I could borrow her ipod shuffle, a present from Celine bought specially for this trip, to listen to some music, anything to distract me from the pain in my foot!

The second tune I heard was William playing Albeniz. The sensation was magic -the peace of the setting, the clear blue skies, the sun beaming down on us, some large birds flying high above us and William's music.

If there is a heaven I was very close to it today!

Day 46 Montamarta - Granja de Morerruela

2010-06-03T17:27:00.001+01:00

POSTED ONE DAY LATE

ROBERT ARRESTED BY GUARDIA CIVIL!

Just kidding! We thought that would get your attention! For the first time ever we were stopped by the Guardia Civil and made to show our passports. We have been reading in the Spanish press that some drug runners are masquerading as Pilgrims to move drugs in their rucksacks! The police were obviously looking for someone in particular as another unmarked police car arrived shortly after. It confused them that I was called Gomez but had an English passport! After some pleasant chitchat we were on our way again!

Today the countryside was much nicer than yesterday with beautiful rolling hills. Another improvement was that at long last there were trees which provided much needed shade! The paths unfortunately were quite stony and my blisters suffered as a coincequence.

We had set off from Montamarta at 0600hrs hoping to have breakfast in the village of Fontanillas de Castro, some 12 kms away. Unfortunately we missed the turning to the bar and when we realised what we’d done, it was too late as we would have added another kilometre to our journey!

We decided to press on to the next village, Riego del Camino a mere 4 km away. We arrived to find the bar open and a very friendly barlady, Concepcion, gave us coffee and toast. She had been to Gibraltar on the first of only two occasions that she had left the village! She had adored Gibraltar (well, really, who doesn’t?) but that didn’t deter her from charging us the exorbitant price of 7 euros!

Suitably refreshed and limping slightly (my blister had now become two blisters!) we carried on for the rest of our journey, another 7 kms away. Along the way we went via the Ricobayo reservoir. We had been warned that the water level might be too high to give us access but we found surprisingly that the levels had dropped sufficiently to let us through. Otherwise it would have meant a long detour.

Further along we saw the ruins of Castle Castrotorafe, the old seat of the Knights of St James.

Shortly after that we came across our South Korean friend (with the unpronounceable name!) and we followed her to our Albergue for the night at Granja de Moreruela. The Albergue costs 5 euros each and has hot showers! Bliss!

Tomorrow we need to decide which route to take. We can go left towards Orense, which means tackling two massive mountains (each more or less as high as Ben Nevis) in a few days time or going north via the easier route which links eventually with the Camino Frances. We have always thought of going via Orense so I guess that’s the route we will chose. We shall see!

Day 45 Zamora - Montamarta

2010-06-01T19:05:00.000+01:00

With a last glimpse of the Cathedral in Zamora, and the house of the famous "El Cid Campeador", we left this morning at around 0800 hrs and were in Montamarta by noon. Not bad going for a 12 mile trek! I have developed a blister on my right foot which has been troubling me for a couple of days but it does not seem to be getting any worse.

The path today was a bit boring - just mile after mile following alongside the N630 and along a new motorway they are building. We saw a new bridge being erected and that was about all the excitement we had today!

A few miles north of Zamora we went through the little village of Roales del Pan where we stopped to talk to one of the local inhabitants. He has been building a sort of miniature theme park about the pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago and was proudly showing off his "art" - very bizarre!

Robert as usual stopped to talk to a local horse - as you can see we are struggling to find something interesting to say about today!

Most people just catch a bus and avoid this stretch. So far we have resisted every temptation to do that and have walked every single step of the way......aaaaah!

Our Albergue tonight costs only 4 Euros each and comes complete with hot showers. Staying here tonight are one Spanish girl Ana, one Dutch girl, Brit, one S.Korean girl, (name unpronounceable), our old Norwegian friend Sverre and the two of us.

Day 44 El Cubo de la Tierra del Vino - Zamora

2010-05-31T09:46:00.001+01:00

From El Cubo to Zamora should have been a two day trek. We decided to do in in one simply because we needed to stop over in Zamora for a day to sort out a few things. My shoes have begun to disintegrate and James is rushing a new pair to me hopefully to reach us in a town called Puebla de Sanabria which we hope to reach in about 8 days time. There are very few post offices on the way and one has to rely on stopping in the bigger towns to find one. Some, like the Puebla de Sanabria one only open in the morning so by the time one reaches it on the daay, the post oiffice is closed and then you have to wait until they open the following day etc! Nothing is simple - they keep telling me it's part of the experience of walking the Camino!

The path from El Cubo was in part one of the nicest we have been on. All along the route we had plenty of wild flowers alongside the path, and a variety of fields planted with barley and wheat. Also the young shoots of large sunflower plantations were beginning to show. We also came across a few small vineyards - this area used to be a major wine growing region until some problem devastated all the vines.

The terrain was more varied than the previous days with flat plains on the left and rolling hills on the right. At one point as we climbed over a hill, it reminded us of the view of the Surrey countryside from Box Hill. The fields had a lush green colour more reminiscent of the English countryside than Spain!

We stopped for a cup of coffee after about 8 miles in the village of Villanueva de Campeon. There was unfortunately nowhere else to stop for the next 14 miles or so and we were extremely tired by the time we had our first view of Zamora. The entrance to Zamora is very impressive as we hope our photos show. Today for part of the way we walked with a new friend, Herman from Germany. Like all good Germans he likes the odd glass of beer so he joined us for a glass once we reached our destination.

The Albergue in Zamora is new, free and offers a free breakfast - what a change to others we have been to!

Today we are relaxing in the city getting ready for the next few sages of our walk. In about three days time we have a very difficult week or so ahead. We will need to climb two of the highest mountains in this region which rise to 4455 feet and 4150 feet, the two highest peaks on our entire journey.

The days are very long as well with distances of over twenty miles. We hope our feet, legs and every other part of our bodies will be up to the challenge. Whose idea was this anyway???????????????????????

Day 43 Salamanca - El Cubo de la Tierra del Vino

2010-05-29T21:17:00.000+01:00

Today we had decided to have a relatively quiet relaxed day and only walk about 10 miles. In the end we did about 22! We started around 0700 and we reached our destination for the day at 1100. We thought we could do better and set off to try and finish at El Cubo. It was a mistake!

While the first 10 miles had been very pleasant, walking along fields of Barley and Wheat, the next 12 were either on or alongside the N630. Just mile after mile of roads. No trees, no shade and no bars on the way! The only respite we had was stopping to talk to Robin at Brooklands FM Radio for our weekly live broadcast.

Eventually we staggered into El Cubo at around 6.00p.m.

I am glad to say that after a good shower at our Albergue, we enjoyed a communal meal with the other walkers to round off a very tiring day. Everyone mucked in to make spaghetti and salad! I must say we enjoy getting together with the others every evening to compare notes and have a laugh or two,

Tomorrow we have another hard day with about 18/19 miles ahead of us. Which reminds me.....I have to go to bed!.........see you tomorrow

Day 42 Rest day in Salamanca

2010-05-28T20:47:00.003+01:00

After a good night's sleep we have decided to rest over in Salamanca for a day. We are feeling very tired and it will also give my left foot a day of rest which we hope will do the trick.

The good news today is that we have achieved another milestone in our journey. We have now walked over 500 miles. It seems incredible to us that we have made it this far! It has been an amazing experience so far and we have enjoyed every minute (well almost!).

The sad news today is the imminent departure of our friend Katrin. She has been walking with us for about 10 days and been very much part of our lives for that short period of time. She is a sweet girl, a social worker in Cologne, Germany and she has been both a friend and our guide as well. She has this fantastic guidebook and we shall miss her daily instructions....."after 700 metres is coming the road and we have to turn not to the left but to the other side......then after 3.5 km is coming the willage......!

We shall also miss not sharing her customary evening meal of cheese and tomatoes. She has promised to come to the UK sometime to visit us and in the meantime we wish her safe journey to Germany via Madrid where she is hoping to buy some "proper" clothes and also to stock up on some Spanish goodies.

The thing we will remember most about her is her good sense of humour. She has made the weary miles more tolerable by her constant laughter. Katrin, if you read this, thank you for everything. We will miss you.

This evening we met in the Plaza Mayor with Katrin and also with some of our French friends, Anne, Didier, Collette and Claude and also with our Italian friend Ana. Everyone except Ana and of course Ana Maria and I are leaving to go back home tomorrow. Ana will be carrying on to Zamora so we are sure to see her again soon. Earlier today we met Jung Mi, a South Korean girl we met a few days ago and who had been taken ill. She is now recovered but will stay in Salamanca until Sunday. She plans top continue to Santiago and as she walks very fast she is sure to catch up with us soon!

Salamanca is as beautiful as we remembered. The photos can speak for themselves.

Tomorrow we continue to Zamora which we hope to reach in 3 days time.

Day 41 San Pedro de los Rozados - Salamanca

2010-05-28T16:13:00.003+01:00

(posted a day late)

Today was a beautiful day for walking. Sunny with a light cool breeze. We set off at 7.15a.m. (we had intended to leave at 6.15a.m. but the hostal owners had locked us in and did not appear to open the door until 7.00a.m. About 5 kms from San Pedro we stopped at the little village of Miranda de Azan where we had the cheapest breakfast yet on the Camino at a local bar.

We also had one of the warmest welcomes - what a contrast to the owners of the Hostal VII Carreras - who were just interested in how much they could charge us for anything and everything! (Shortly afterwards\we found a sandal on the path which we assumed had been dropped by one of the pilgrims in front of us. I carried it in my rucksack and left it at the Albergue in Salamanca where I hope someone has claimed it!)

We later read that near this village Wellington in command of the 3rd Allied Division defeated the French Thomieres Division in the battle of Arapiles on 22nd July 1812.

The path wound its way along long plains where the bales of hay had just been gathered. Some 5 kms later on the brow of a small hill, stood the cross of Santiago and behind it, in the distance, the beautiful city of Salamanca. There we came across Ana, an Italian girl who has been travelling the same route as us and who we meet practically every night at one Albergue or another!

It took another 4 kms to reach the city centre and its Cathedral, where we arrived at 1.15p.m. having entered over the Roman bridge spanning the river Tormes. As soon as we checked in to our hotel the skies opened and Salamanca was drenched! Today we have been lucky with the weather!

Day 40 Fuenterroble de Salvatierra - San Pedro de los Rozados

2010-05-27T21:58:00.000+01:00

After a free breakfast of coffee, bread, ham and chorizo we set off at 0715 hrs for San Pedro, 18.6 miles away. The most daunting thing ahead was the climb to 3600 feet of the Pico de la Duena. My left foot was still troubling me although the hour I spent massaging it with an anti-inflammatory gel, paid off!

The road was at first along the old "Calzada Romana, or old Roman road, which is currently being excavated. It was interesting to see how the road was built up in various layers. Characteristically, the road was straight for several miles after which we had to climb fairly steeply up 1.86 miles to the Pico de la Duena. This was without doubt one of the most strenuous things we have had to do on this journey but the views from the top were truly amazing. My thanks to Ana Maria and to Katrin for their encouragement as we went up and they could see I was dragging my left foot a bit!

The path on the other side of the mountain decended sharply also for nearly two miles and we were amazed to see two pilgrims running down the hillside, complete with backpacks! I'm glad to say we took a more gingerly approach. After that the path levelled off and we followed a very straight tarmac road for several miles before arriving at San Pedro de Rozados. Needless to say this was the old Roan road which has been resurfaced with tarmac. Such a shame but I guess inevitable.

In San Pedro we had intended to stay at the Albergue there. There was room for 9 people but only one small shower, which had water sloshing all over the floor. Ana Maria and I were very tired and we decided to try a local Hostal, "VII Carreras" the only other accommodation in the village. The accommodation was good but they ripped us off to such an extent that I was very angry.

We found nevertheless that the hostal was one of two places where we could get a reasonable telephone connection, the other being the church at the other end of the village! We wanted to speak with Celine who was celebrating her 30th birthday. She and her boyfriend Alan are in the process of buying their first house together and naturally she is very excited at the prospect. We send them both our love. We also managed to speak to James, who had just returned from Italy where he had gone to a friend's wedding with Kate his girlfriend. He was just about to update the map on our blog and wanted to know where we were! He is arranging to buy me a new pair of hiking shoes as mine are slowly disintegrating! We also managed to speak with Doris Ana Maria's mother in Argentina through the magic of Skype.

Tomorrow we will be on our way to Salamanca!

Day 39 - Calzada de Bejar - Fuenterroble de Salvatierra

2010-05-27T21:14:00.000+01:00

We were not very happy with the prices being charged at the Albergue for breakfast and so we decided to take our chances and seek somewhere en route. On exiting the village we noticed once again the balconies which the houses display, some dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Our first stop at Valverde de Valdecasa provided a bar which unfortunately for us closes on Tuesdays! Finally we found one in Valdecasa where we were able to have a lovely coffee! As you can see we value our small pleasures!

Continuing on our journey we criss-crossed all the way with our friends from France and Italy. The path was somewhat like yesterday and climbed gradually and at times quite sharply to about 3000 feet. My left foot has been troubling me today again and we are quite worried about tomorrow when we have to walk over 18 miles plus we have to climb the “Pico de la Duena” at 3600 feet! Wish us luck.

Along the way we came across a plaque placed there by the winners of the Spanish Women’s Basketball League in 1996. This brought back memories for Ana Maria who used to play Basketball for the Argentine National Team and also for one of the top Spanish teams when we lived in Madrid. along the way Robert had to stop to have his customary chat with some animal or other, this time a beautiful horse!

With about one mile to go it tarted raining and we had to quickly don our ponchos which we had kept handy as the storm clouds gathered!. At around 12.30p.m. we arrived at the Albergue Fuenterroble de Salvatierra. The chief Hospitalero here is the legendary Fr. Blas who is well known throughout the Via de La Plata. Our dorm is now full with 18 pilgrims with others coming in all the time to fill the other dorms.

Day 38 Aldeanueva del Camino - Calzada de Bejar

2010-05-24T17:36:00.001+01:00

At 6.00a.m. Ana Maria and I were on the road again this time heading for Banos de Montemayor, our first stage of our walk today to Calzada de Bejar. The way to Banos is unfortunately along the N630 and therefore quite boring and tiring. Banos de Montemayor used to house Roman Thermal Baths. Today this is the main business of the town which boasts more hotels than all the other villages we've passed put together! Shortly after leaving Banos we also left Extremadura and entered Castilla y Leon.

Katrin decided that she would skip these 10 kms of road and opted to go on the bus instead. We therefore waited for her in Banos until her arrival at 0930. We then needed some medical supplies and of course the chemist did not open until 10.30a.m.!

At around 11.00 we set off for our first challenge of the day, the Puerto de Bejar which climbs to 3100 feet. The path on the whole was very good and easy on the feet. I therefore did not have too much trouble with my left heel, which although painful was not unduly so.

The scenery was breathtaking! Once we got to the mountain pass the path turned into rolling meadows littered with rocky outcrops and some huge boulders. In the distance on our far right we could see the snow covered mountain tops of what we think are the Sierra de Gredos. Really incredible views. The last two kilometres or so were up what I call rocky goat tracks and were a little bit more demanding. All in all a delightful hike today!

The village of Calzada de Bejar boasts 84 inhabitants and an Albergue, where we are spending the night. So far we think there are about 16 "pilgrims" here tonight. There is only one bar in town where we had a sandwich for lunch and tonight the Hospitaleros are going to cook an evening meal.

Tomorrow we will head for Fuenterroble de Salvatierra, where we hope to spend the night at a monastery which doublkes up as an Albergue. I understand it is free and comes possibly with an evevning meal! Meals are an important event each day. Anyone who knows me well will kmow that I normally love eating. Here after\the exhaustion of the walks each day, food is an essential tool in getting back some energy for the following day. That's my excuse anyway and I regret to say that contrary to what I thought at the beginning, I am NOT losing any weight! It is true to say however that Ana Maria and I have never felt fitter!

James is now back from his short interlude in Italy so we hope the map is going to be updated shortly. We are delighted that so many people wrote in to ask that it be updated so that they could see where we are!

More soon.

Day 37 Oliva de Plasencia - Aldeanueva del Camino

2010-05-23T19:13:00.000+01:00

Last night we sat in the Abergue having a salad which Ana Maria and Katrin prepared and later watched the first half of the Bayern Munich v Inter Milan final, before retiring for the night.

Today I'm afraid was a day of pain and suffering for me as my plantar facia has come back with a vengeance! We had about 17 miles to cover and from about the 10th mile I have been taking painkillers as there were no villages where we could rest.

The morning was fantastic, We set off at 0610 in the cool of the morning and walked cross-country along beautiful and quiet paths. For about half an hour we walked along a farm where they breed fighting bulls. We were glad to see that the fences were reinforced steel!

Two hours later we came to the Arch of Caparra, a beautiful Roman Arch in the middle of a field. Caparra used to be an important Roman staging post and there is a large archeological dig at present which has uncovered much of the town and the original Roman road. It was wondrous to see.

After that it was a hard slog to Aldeanueva through rolling hills. At one point the river was too deep for us to cross and we had to scramble on to the motorway where we walked for a couple of hundred metres. After that Ana Maria, Katrin and I walked either on a secondary road or just alongside it. We arrived at 13.45 with everyone in good spirits except for me!

Tomorrow we have 14 miles to cover with two steep climbs up to 3000 feet and then another gradual climb to about 3300 feet. If my foot does not hold up there are two villages on our route where we can stop for a while. Katrin, our German friend has now been travelling with us for a week and will continue with us until Thursday when she leaves for Madrid en route to Germany. We will miss her company.

Day 36 Carcaboso - Oliva de Plasencia

2010-05-22T17:54:00.001+01:00

RECEPTION IS VERY BAD TODAY SO THE PHOTOS WILL NEED TO WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW!

Today we needed to get to Aldeanueva del Camino 23 miles away. As yesterday we had done 20 we decided to split our journey into two days and we headed for Oliva de Plasencia and the Albergue there. This is a detour from the normal path and although it will add a few miles to our total journey, it makes it possible for us to plan the walk to Aldeanueva in two stages.

The walk today was through delightful woods for 14 kms and then about 7 kms along the N630 road. Through the woods we came across a lot of storks. The local park rangers have started a pilot scheme where they have prepared old telephone poles with baskets at the top so that the storks can build their nests. This avoids them doing so on old buildings, churches etc where they cause a fair amount of damage.

As we were resting a Spanish walker came along and we started chatting. He told us he normally does about 60 kms a day. He was not much younger than me but I could not imagine trying to do so many kms a day. In fairness he was only carrying a very small day sack! We also stopped at Venta Quemada we we came across a group of French pilgrims who were going to try a different route to ours. We have agreed to meet tomorrow in Aldeanueva.

After a very boring walk along the highway we finally made it to Oliva de Plasencia where we are now sitting in a small but very nice Albergue. About 20 minutes ago we had our weekly radio interview with Brooklands FM Radio which has been kindly following our walk every week.

Tonight we hope to watch the Bayern Munich v Inter Milan match. As Katrin is with us we will need to cheer for the German team!

Tomorrow we will continue to Aldeanueva del Camino still some 16 miles away!

Day 35 Grimaldo - Carcaboso

2010-05-21T20:36:00.000+01:00

Today we faced a 20 mile trek so consequently we left at 0530hrs to try and avoid the midday sun as far as possible. Ana Maria, Katrin and I were soon on the path which was difficult to see as it was still dark, notwithstanding that we had all our Xmas tree lights on! Those who have been following the blog will know what I mean!

The first 14 miles or so were cross-country through cork woods, pines and the "embalse de Rio Lobos", where we made the first of our various pit stops today. The scenery was absolutely fantastic. Beautiful rolling hills, the birds singing and otherwise very little noise. Soon we were on our way again arriving at the village of Galisteo at 10.45 a.m.

Galisteo is a beautiful walled city dating back to the 16th century. After an hour or so we decided to move on to Aldehuela del Jerte for lunch arriving there at 1.15p.m. Regretably the only bar in town did not do food so we were forced to carry on to Carcaboso. After leaving Galisteo we travelled along a secondary road with little traffic. However a six mile hike along a tarmac road in the middle of scorching heat is not to be recommended and we ended up rather the worse for wear!

Today we have reason to celebrate as we have reached our half-way point, 450 miles! We have therefore booked ourselves in to a very nice air-conditioned Hostal, instead of our usual Albergue!

It has been a hard walk so far but one full of laughter, some pain and lots of surprises. Time has passed very quickly and we are now looking forward to our next 450 miles.

Day 34 Embalse de Alcantara - Grimaldo

2010-05-20T17:14:00.001+01:00

Last night we sat outside the Albergue with Norbert from Germany, Claude from France and Katrin, watching the sunset. It was a very pleasant evening and one to note - we have now done 400 miles. Only 500 more miles to go!

We set off at 0720 hrs on our way to Grimaldo via the village of Canaveral. The path climbed among the hills following the Calzada Romana, the old Roman road. Our guide book offered two routes . One to go into the village itself or to carry straight on and get water and provisions at the railway station buffet. Once again, our guidebook proved to be wrong and added another kilometre to our walk, quite apart from the fact\that we were not able to buy any provisions! The guidebook "Via de la Plata", Guia del camino mozarabe de Santiago published in 2009 by the friends of the camino in Seville has proved a great disappointment. We elected to bring this one as opposed to a choice of two others we had bought in the UK, because we had been assured that it was up to date. It isn't! It tells you that there\is no Albergue where there is one or vice versa, it is lacking in detail and generally it has been of little use. For example the station buffet this morning had been closed since 2008! The guide is prepared by volunteers so I guess one musn't grumble too much!

The station master, Teodoro, proved to be a really nice person. He insisted on sharing his own coffee with us and showed us photos of his grandaughter, Natalia, a beautiful girl. When I thanked him for the coffee he replied, I wish that wherever you walk you will always find someone willing to share a cup of coffee or a cigarette or a glass of wine with you. God speed! It is good to find such nice people along the way!

At the outskirsts of the village we came across Katrin once more. She had gone into the village itself and has offered to share her tomatoes with us tonight! We carried on climbing to Puerto de los Castanos (about 1400 feet) by which time we were quite tired and the sun was beginning to burn. There we met Luis, a 78 year-old from Grimaldo who was on his way there and insisted on showing us a shorter route.

This turned out to be a mistake which added another 2 kms to our day! It was also quite funny. It appears that Luis loses his way quite often and has to be rescued by the local Guardia Civil. Today was no exception and a passing driver who saw us phoned them and they came to collect him and also to point us in the right direction. Tonight this is the talk of the village of only 80 inhabitants and we have become the butt of many jokes!

The last two kilometres of our walk was through delightful corkwoods emerging later in Grimaldo via a rickety old wooden "bridge" and a narrow rocky path. The Albergue is free, quite basic but has a washing machine! Tonight and tomorrow we will be able to wear very clean clothes, something we don't often achieve!

I forgot to mention that a few days ago we got a message via the blog from our friends and travelling companions, Johan and Karin from Sweden who are now two days behind us. Today we had another message this time from Sergio from Barcelona who came across our blog and is following it as he and his girlfriend are thinking of doing a bicycle ride along the Via de La Plata. They are finding the blog very useful and have even offered advice on blisters! It is good to know that so many people are reading our blog.

Day 33 Casar de Caceres - Embalse de Alcantara

2010-05-19T18:15:00.002+01:00

Ana Maria, Katrin and I left the Albergue this morning at around 0715 hrs and after a breakfast of "Cafe con Churros" we exited Casar de Caceres, past the "Ermita de Santiago". I must record our thanks to the people of this small town for their marvellous hospitality and for their fine cheese which we had the pleasure of tasting last night. Our thanks also to Katrin who prepared a very nice salad for our dinner last night. We bought the wine, a very nice bottle from Monasterio de Tentudia, a monastery that we passed a few days ago. Needless to say we slept very well!

The path today followed the old Roman road again, along very sandy paths, where we came across a substantial number of the Roman Milestones which have been unearthed in the local archeological digs around here. The going was good mostly over ondulating hills with large rocky outcrops. We came across several herds of cows, flocks of sheep and a number of fierce looking bulls.

The main problems today were my left foot where the pain in my heel is still severe and my right foot which has developed a large blister also on the heel which has become quite painful. The heat did not help as it was extremely hot today with very little shade. At one point the path divided for about three kms and we elected to go via the N-630 to avoid the path at that stage which becomes very rocky and difficult to walk on.

Katrin, being the young person she is decided to go the hard way and we reached the first bridge almost at the same time. In the end we had to cross over two bridges which meant having to walk along the N-630 for several kms. In the heat our feet were burning and it took all our willpower to complete our 14 mile trek today!

In the end it was worth it as we have arrived at a lovely Albergue overlooking the Embalse de Alcantara, a large lake which is fed by the rivers Almonte and Tajo. The views from here are fantastic and after something to eat we are now relaxing. Ana Maria could not resist taking a photo of me preparing our blog for today! Thankfully the telephone network connection here is very good and we have been able to access the internet without too much trouble.

Tomorrow we are going to try to leave earlier as we have another long day ahead from here to Canaveral and then on to Grimaldo where we hope to spend the night.

Day 32 Valdesalor - Casar de Caceres

2010-05-18T16:54:00.002+01:00

At 0700 hrs this morning we waited outside our albergue for a taxi we had ordered to take us to Valdesalor. Twenty minutes later we were there and then it took us about two and a half hours to walk back to Caceres! As we arrived we met with Michel who was planning to spend the whole day there. He is a very nice French man with a good sense of humour and we have been delighted to have had his company on parts of our journey. Sadly he will leave us shortly to take a train to Madrid and from there to Switzerland where he needs to start work again. He thinks it is going to feel very weird not taking his rucksack to work! We wish him well.

Last night we had explored the town of Caceres and its beautiful and well preserved houses and palaces.

Today therefore we decided that after a short stop in the town’s main square for a well earned couple of cokes we would be on our way again, this time heading for Casar de Caceres another 11kms away. As we left the town we met up once again with Katrin who was also just setting off.

Along the way we met some other French pilgrims who, like us, were suffering from the heat. It has been extremely hot today and we were glad when the walk was over! We entered the village of Casar de Caceres through a really delightful “paseo” one of the nicest we have seen anywhere on our journey. This village is well known for its cheese and we hope to try that later tonight.

The Albergue here is free. It is basic but nor much more so than others where we have paid up to 12 Euros each per night. The people here are also very friendly and eager to help. After our experience in Valdesalor, our faith has been restored!

Tomorrow we have 22kms ahead of us to reach the Dam of Alcantara, where we will spend the night at a local Albergue.

Day 31 Alcuescar - Valdesalor - Caceres

2010-05-18T16:43:00.004+01:00

Today we agreed to go on as slightly longer journey in order to reach a brand new albergue in Valdesalor, some 27 kms away. All along the path we saw a number of the old Roman “Miliarios”, went over a couple of Roman bridges, one with the original flagstones. Incredible to think of Roman legions having passed this way 2000 years ago! Along the way we also came across a number of Roman Milestones.

We also came across a flock of sheep that we beat to the bridge!

Today the path was quite sandy in places with quite a number of small archeological digs along the side of the path, where they have been exploring more of the Via de la Plata.

When we arrived in Valdesalor we went to the new Albergue, which we couldn’t find anywhere. We went to see the Mayor’s secretary, who called the Mayor, who inmformed us that the Albergue was not yet ready for occupation! Furthermore we could not use the “Refugio” in the town’s sports complex. I must say they were not very welcoming! We went to a bar for a coke and they too were almost rude to us. All day I had been suffering a lot from my old ailment “plantar faciar” which manifests itself as a stabbing pain in the heel of the foot. The next village was another 11 kms away and I felt I would not be able to make it.

Katrin who was travelling with us also felt she would rather not carry on. We therefore decided to take a bus to Caceres, the nearest town with the intention of returning to this spot in Valdesalor the following morning to continue our trip. As we waited for the bus along came Michel, one of our French fellow travellers who decided to carry on walking the additional 11 kms.

After a short bus ride we arrived in Caceres. The bus stop was about 1 km away from the Albergue so I had to suffer a bit more before we could camp for the night!

Caceres is a beautiful city which has been nominated for European City of Culture. It is full of old palaces belonging to wealthy families of the day, many of whom then joined the great expeditions to South America. One, from the house of Toledo, eventually married the daughter of one of the Aztec kings, Monctezuma and returned to live in Caceres.

Day 30 16.05.10 Aljucen - Alcuescar

2010-05-18T16:26:00.004+01:00

Another short 12 mile day today. We left at 0750hrs and arrived at the Albergue in Alcuescar at around 13.20hrs. The Camino today went through the Parque Natural de Cornalvo. Undulating hills and magnificent scenery. The Camino felt very isolated today with the sound of birds the only thing disturbing the peace!

We climbed very slowly but steadily some 1200 feet. At one of the landmarks of today’s route, the Cross of St John, we met up with two of the other pilgrims, Michel from France and our friend Katrin from Germany. Along the way we also met up with Marion, also from Germany.

We were all heading for Alcuescar and the Albergue “Casa de la Misericordia”. It is free (donations accepted) and includes dinner. It is one of the best we have visited so far and the Hospitalera , Maribel, (who is in charge) was very welcoming.

At dinner we were joined by Rafa and Remedios from Spain, also walking the camino. Rafa imitates birds extremely well and we were roaring with laughter when he was trying to communicate with a cockatoo, kept here by an old priest.

Before dinner one of the priests gave us a blessing, the first we have received since that given by the Bishop Emeritus of Gibraltar,Charles Caruana, back on 17^th April. How time flies!

After dinner we all had a hand in washing the dishes and putting everything away - just like the scouts again! The photo shows our group just\after dinner. From left to right: Remedios (Spain), Michel (France), Katrin (Germany), Marion (Germany), Maribel (The Hospitalera). Kneeling Rafa (Spain).

Tomorow we have about 17/18 miles to travel so we will be leaving at around 6.30a.m.

Day 29 – Merida – Aljucen

2010-05-18T15:18:00.002+01:00

SORRY THIS IS LATE - TROUBLE AGAIN WITH INTERNET CONNECTION!

Today we had a short day ahead of us (only about 11 miles or so) so we decided on a later start. After our usual breakfast of coffee and toast with olive oil, we set off at 0845 hrs.

Our main visit today would be to a Roman Dam built some 2000 years ago, and which still stands today. In its day it and two other water reservoirs served the city of Merida. It was an incredible experience to stand on the wall of the dam trying to envisage what it must have been like in Roman times.

We arrived in the very small village of Aljucen around midday and made our way to the local Albergue, which is fairly basic but quite adequate for our needs. Two little kittens there adopted my shoes and I was very grateful in the morning to find they had not peed in them!

Our other highlight today was our weekly live interview with Brooklands FM. As usual we enjoyed that very much and we will link up with them again next week. To listen to recordings of pour live interviews please go to the left of the screen and click on the appropriate page.

NEW PAGE

2010-05-14T21:00:00.001+01:00

Please check out a new page which our son, James, has posted, marked "Map of the walk so far". Some people are having trouble trying to follow exactly where we are. I hope this helps! In addition James has added weather symbols - have we really had so much sunshine??????

Also, please remember that photos can be enlarged simply by clicking on them.

Thank you for following our blog. Please feel free to leave a comment. It's comforting to know there are people interested in what we're doing!

Days 27 and 28

2010-05-14T20:39:00.001+01:00

Day 27 Villafranca de los Barros- Torremejia

The route today was about 18 miles long and almost all the way along an old Roman road. In true Roman style the path was dead straight with mile after mile of vineyards on both sides. Today we were joined part of the way by our young German friend, Katrin, who normally races ahead, but is now recovering from bad blisters and has to walk at a more moderate pace!

One interesting sight was a large fenced-in field of poppies which we found strange to say the least!

On nearing our destination the path was flooded so we had to go up a railway embankment to make our way to the other side. Regretably that was the only excitement for the day.

Six and a half hours of walking, sore feet and tired bodies were aching for a nice long hot shower. That we were certainly able to take in the village’s Albergue, a restored Mansion “Casa Palacio de Los Lastra” also known as “Palacio de los Mexia” and which was designated a cultural monument in 1995.

Day 28 Torremejia - Merida

Last night we had heavy rainfall but thankfully it was not raining as we set off for Merida this morning. Shortly afterwards we found the path under four feet of water and had to go on the highway instead for a number of miles.

Ahead of us most of the way was our Dutch friend Koen who we have probably seen for the last time today. No - he didn't die suddenly, he just decided to push on to the next destination so as from today he will be one day ahead of us all the way to Santiago!

For the past few days we have been walking alongside, or sometimes through, vineyards. Today was no exception and we stopped to chat with a couple of workers who were working in one. They told us this was a new vineyard, planted with Merlot grapes. They were going to use a new method of planting to facilitate mechanical harvesting of the grapes - they seemed very excited by this development and we wished them well!

About ten miles after we left Villafranca we arrived in Merida. The first sight that greets you is a Roman bridge which is nearly 1 km long! When it was built in 25 BC, it was the longest known bridge anywhere. Merida was founded by the Emperor Augustus and was one of the most important cities of the empire and capital of the Roman province of Lusitania.

We spent most of the rest of the day visiting the Roman ruins including an aqueduct, Trajan's Arch, a magnificent Amphitheatre and an even more magnificent Theatre with capacity for 6,000 people. There is also a Roman Circus which could hold 30,000 spectators! We also saw the church dedicated to Saint Eulalia, the patron saint of Merida.

Merida is certainly worth a visit. We were almost tempted to stay an extra day but have decided to plough on ( or plod on) tomorrow!

Day 26 Zafra - Villafranca de los Barros

2010-05-12T19:39:00.001+01:00

As we left our Albergue this morning we met our young German friend Katrin. She had been to the local doctor to have her feet looked at as her blisters had become very painful. After receiving treatment she was off again!

We decided to take it easy today and stopped early for a leisurely breakfast of coffee and toast with olive oil, a favourite in these parts. On the outskirts of the town we came across an old trough used in the old days to water the horses. Our path continued for about 5 kms to the village of Los Santos de Maimona. In the Middle Ages this town belonged to the Knights of St James and in Roman times was known as Segeda Aurina.

Its beautiful church of Nuestra Senora de los Angeles, dating back to the 16th century was our starting point to continue our journey to our destination of the day, Villafranca de los Barros.
A few miles further on we came across a farmer on a tractor dragging 12 tractor tyres behind it, criss-crossing through the olive groves. Intrigued by this, we stopped him to have a chat. It turns out that Manuel Arroyo is a lawyer who has got fed up with the legal system and decided to run an olive grove instead. He farms organically and what he was doing was clearing the weeds that grow between the trees. The tyres flatten the weeds tearing out the roots. Once the grass is dry he goes over it with the tyres again and this eliminates all the weeds. He invited us to his home for drinks which we had to reluctantly decline as we had to be on our way.

Shortly afterwards we came across a new Albergue which has been built on the site of an old mill. It is a beautiful reconstruction but unfortunately it is 5 kms outside the town which would mean having to walk that extra bit the following day.

Six hours after we left Zafra we arrived in Villafranca de los Barros. There is no Albergue here so we are staying in a "Casa Rural". Glad to say it has a double bed - no bunk beds - hurrah!

Day 25 - Fuente de Cantos - Zafra

2010-05-11T20:48:00.000+01:00

Last night we ate at Bar Charo which also doubles up as the cafeteria for the Old People’s Home in Fuente de Cantos, so we felt quite at home! Last night we also found out that the village was the birthplace of Zurbaran, one of Spain’s foremost painters. We saw some of his paintings in Seville a few days back.

The highlight today was fording a deep stream which required the removal of shoes and socks, sliding down a mud bank and then wading across, trying to keep one’s balance with our relatively heavy rucksacks. We both managed it in the end. Unfortunately once on the other side our feet were very muddy and it took us a while to get sorted out again! Blisters must be cleaned, new blister pads applied etc etc. A mile later we ran into another stream but this time we were able to hop across a number of rocks without getting too wet!

The paths today went through olive groves first and then mile after mile of vineyards. Along most of the way wild flowers grow in abundance including a lot of poppies. It’s funny how we associate poppies with Remembrance Day but ignore them the rest of the year. Today I got to thinking of the brave members of our armed forces serving abroad in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. On the whole they fight politician’s wars but serve loyally and with great devotion to duty to uphold freedom and democracy, many paying the ultimate price. I always think that not enough is done to thank these men and women properly.

We hope and pray that one day the politicians will find a way for all of us to live in harmony with each other. Ana Maria and I have many friends from all over the world, including Northern Ireland, both protestant and catholic, Pakistan, India, Lebanon, Israel. Many are Christians, some are Muslims. All of them share one thing; a desire to find peace and better understanding among people. Gibraltar is a shining example of how this can be achieved. I grew up in there surrounded by children of different ethnic backgrounds and religious faiths. We did not differentiate among these – we were simply friends and we still are. Perhaps the politicians will listen to the people one day!

Today we took about eight and a half hours to reach our destination, Zafra. As we entered the last mile or so leading up to the town the path led us quite bizarrely through some railway sidings and we found ourselves climbing around the different locomotives, snow ploughs etc!

Zafra has a rich cultural heritage and we had a little time to visit some of the local sights including the beautiful Santa Clara Convent, with fine examples of Zurbaran paintings, The Alcazar of the Dukes of Feria now a National Parador and the Great and Small Squares. Some of these date back to the 15^th century. Today we walked just over 16 miles. Tomorrow we leave for Villafranca de los Barrios some 13 miles away. We hope the rain will stay away. Ana Maria is still having problems with her feet and rain makes it more difficult to stop and change dressings etc. Fingers crossed!

Hello! We're back! Days 22, 23 and 24

2010-05-10T18:36:00.001+01:00

Our thanks to all of you who have been trying to get in touch. We're both well and there is no crisis! We have been climbing up into the mountains going from Andalucia into Extremadura and have now reached about 2000 feet. The network connections have been so poor as to make accessing the internet virtually impossible. Today 10th of May we have reached Fuente de Cantos. We are staying at an Albergue which is by far the best we have seen so far. There are even sheets on the beds! And better still, they have a cable connection to the internet and we have been able to link up to that! In order to try to keep some order to this blog we will first report on the two days we missed and then finalise with our walk today.

Day 22 -Almaden de la Plata - El Real de la Jara

We left Almaden de la Plata this morning at 0800 and reached El Real de la Jara thre and a half hours later. Today we decided to do a short day as the next town is another 15 miles away or so, and it would make for a very long day.

As we did yesterday, we walked mainly through the Parque Natural Sierra Norte, through fantastic woodland, farms and meadows. In part we walked along the long-distance route GR-48 (I still haven’t found out where this goes!).

Along this route we found a Roman Milestone which has been erected in memory of Jose Luis Salvador, who founded the friends of the Camino Via de la Plata in Seville. It is engraved with the words “your steady steps have left footprints that will guide many others who will follow”. We feel privileged to be among those.

The village of El Real de la Jara is small, with a castle that is currently being renovated but with not much else to commend it save for peace and quiet, which in itself is a valuable asset.

Although I am writing this blog today Saturday, I have been unable to engage with any networks to access the internet so the blog will go out a day late. This affected my weekly interview with Brooklands FM and we will try again tomorrow.

Day 23 - El Real de la Jara - Monesterio

In El Real de la Jara we stayed in a pilgrim’s hostel which was very much like a typical refuge used by mountaineers. There we found Sverre, who is Norwegian, used to live on a barge on the River Thames for 10 years, and now lives near Inverness in Scotland! He had booked into the Albergue for 3 days to try and overcome problems with blisters. We wish him well in trying to reach that level of inner peace that he seeks.

As we were having coffee this morning we realised that one of our fellow pilgrims, Mercedes, had left her staff behind so we decided to take it along with us as we knew it had sentimental value for her. Shortly afterwards we met her walking back looking for it. She warned us that there was a small river down the road that was overflowing and we might get our feet wet. She was right! On the other side of the river we met two German pilgrims who had camped there all night. When I mentioned that they had picked a lovely quite spot they told me they had not slept very well because of the noise made by countless frogs!

At 12.30 local time we linked up with Brooklands FM Radio and did our weekly live interview. Tomorrow we have another one with BBC Surrey.

Our path today continued to climb up the mountain paths taking us from approximately 1200 feet to 2000 feet by the time we reached Monesterio, our destination for the day.

We have now left Andalucia and have entered Extremadura. It rained heavily once and we had some slight showers during the day but also some sunshine, so it was not unpleasant. Along the way we met some Dutch friends who are walking the camino and this evening we had drinks with our Swedish fellow travellers, Johan and Karin (hope I spelt that right). Nothing beats a cool glass of dry sherry after a long day’s walk!

I forgot to mention that along the way we met a local farmer who was gathering wild asparagus. He had collected a really good bunch!

This evening also we went to the local church of San Isidro, where we had a nice chat with the local priest Miguel. He is a keen walker himself and is opening an albergue in the town later this year. He has asked us to come for a week and act as Hospitaleros (sort of warden for the albergue). We may take him up on that maybe next year! In the church they had prepared a statue of San Isidro, patron of farmers, which would be pulled to a nearby “Romeria” on 15^th May, the feast day of San Isidro.

Although this blog has been written today I have been unable to publish it due to lack of network connections. Will try again tomorrow.

Day 24 Monesterio - Fuente de Cantos

As we left Monesterio we once\again saw our German friends who were camping by a stream. This time the frogs had behaved and they had slept well! About an hour after we started walking the heavens opened up and we had unrelenting rain for two and a half hours. In the middle of this downpour we got a planned call from BBC Surrey with whom we did a live interview. This became a bit difficult and somewhat farcical because some of the time I was hiding under Ana Maria's poncho to keep the rain from the mobile phone. When they asked to speak to her, we just had to give up and get wet!

The rain caused a lot of problems underfoot which became extremely muddy and slippery in places. In addition streams which had earlier been passable became quite difficult to pass. We were trying desperately not to get our feet wet. Unfortunately at one crossing I lost my footing and in order to stop myself falling I steadied myself with my left foot leaving it a good six inches under water. We then had to continue like that for another couple of miles until the sun came out, at which point I was able to attempt to dry my feet. After a change of socks life became almost enjoyable again!

The first few miles of our walk we came across a lot of dry stone walls, which is a particular feature of this part of the camino. After a few miles this gave way to large open fields of wheat and other cereals. All in all the scenery was once again breathtaking. After around five hours we had our first glimpse of our destination for the day, Fuente de Cantos. An hour later we were marching into the town to the tune of "I'm singing in the rain" with slightly different lyrics "I'm sinking in the mud, I'm sinking in the mud, what a glorious feeling, I'm happy again, I'm sinking in the mud..................!"

Once again our thanks to all of you who worried when we did not report for two days. We are delighted to know that there are so many people following our blog. More tomorrow, subject to internet access!

Day 21 Castilblanco de los Arroyos - Almaden de la Plata

2010-05-07T19:59:00.002+01:00

Don't you just love the names of these villages! Last night we spent the night at a youth hostel and while Ana Maria slept soundly, I could not sleep a wink and felt very tired this morning. We left at 0545 and reached our destination exactly eight hours later, which given the sort of terrain we covered is not bad going!

Today our trek was over 20 miles and not 25 as I mistakenly reported yesterday. In any event, it felt more like 25! The first 10 miles or so were on open road climbing steadily to 500 metres.

The other ten miles was through the most beautiful country park, "Parque Natural Sierra Norte". The park has a couple of granite "Roman" Milestones which were erected over the Via de la Plata to mark the millenium in 2000. Smaller markers have been placed more recently to mark the path. This together with the yellow arrow markers make following the path simpler. That said three other French walkers got lost up the mountain today and arrived at our "Albergue" tonight a couple of hours late!

A very good path which deteriorated rather badly towards the end of the trek led us first downhill for several miles and then sharply uphill again to 500 metres. This last stretch to reach the Cerro del Calvario was the steepest gradient we have ever experienced. This coupled with the bad state of the path made it very difficult and I had to stop every twenty steps to catch my breath! Ana Maria, who of course is MUCH younger than me sailed through it without too much trouble!

Once over the brow of the hill, a short but very steep descent led us straight into the town.

Tomorrow is slightly easier with only about 12 miles to our next town "El Real de la Jara"

DON'T FORGET THAT PHOTOGRAPHS CAN BE ENLARGED BY CLICKING ONCE ON THEM

Day 20 Guillena - Castilblanco de los Arroyos

2010-05-06T15:38:00.001+01:00

Today has been a been a beautiful day for walking. There has been a cool breeze with temperature of around 21C.

The paths too have been very pleasant, with beautiful views, and most of the 13 or so miles covered have been through olive groves, where the trees stretched for miles in all directions, and through orchards and cork woods. Underfoot it has been quite hard with today's trek being graded in part with high difficulty.

There has been the odd encounter with herds of cows with one long-horned steer having a staring contest with me. Needless to say,I moved quickly on!

Ana Maria has been in good form too enjoying the wild lavender which scented the morning air

Tonight we are spending the night at our first "Albergue" which is a bit like going camping again, cold showers etc, you get the picture! This is not really the life for me, but it's all part of the experience, I guess!

This afternoon I had a call from BBC Surrey who are going to do a live interview next Monday at 0910 UK time.

Tomorrow we have the longest day yet - around 25 miles. There is nowhere to stay the night in the middle so once we start we are committed. This walk is graded "difficult" as it is mostly up steep gradients, first on tarmac surfaces and then through woods. We look forward to tomorrow with some trepidation particularly in view of Ana Maria's problems with her feet.

Wish us luck!

Day 19 Seville - Guillena 05.05.2010

2010-05-05T20:22:00.004+01:00

Firstly our thanks to the many who sent us emails and texts messages wishing Ana Maria good luck in overcoming her blisters! It seems to have worked for the good news today is that Ana Maria insisted on walking to Guillena, some 14 miles and the first stage of our continuing "Camino" to Merida and beyond.

Last night, we wandered over to the Triana bridge in Seville, through which we would leave the city this morning. We saw examples of a quaint custom where couples, on getting engaged, leave a padlock chained to the bridge railings. No comment!

This morning we left early and the street lights were still shining in Seville as we walked over the bridge.

Our first port of call was the village of Camas and then Santiponce, the home of the famous Roman ruins of Italica.

Over the years we have visited Italica several times but we are always impressed by it, particularly its amphitheatre. At the time this was one of the largest in the Roman Empire seating between 20,000 and 25,000 people. Italica was the birthplace of the emperor Trajan. His successor was Hadrian, whose wall Ana Maria and I hope to walk one day.

From Italica we continued on our way to Guillena our final destination of the day. Once again we encountered flooding on the path. We decided to try and go round it through some ploughed fields but ended up on the wrong side of the river, together with six fellow walkers and two guys on bicycles!

After some deliberation we elected to cross a muddy path and return through more ploughed fields until we were able to find the path again. This set us back one hour, and although it was a bit of a hassle, we rather enjoyed the experience. At least now we know that we are not the only ones who get lost occasionally!

The rest of the trek was uneventful and we eventually arrived in Guillena at 2.00p.m. On the way we met a chap from Galicia who was doing this walk, The Via de la Plata, for the third time! He showed us the way to a cheap hostal where we are sitting right now, sipping a glass of beer and finishing this blog!

Buen Camino!

Days 17-18 (3rd and 4th May 2010)

2010-05-04T16:34:00.001+01:00

On Monday morning we went to the Post Office to collect our parcel, which was actually waiting for us, albeit that we had to wait for over 40 minutes until our number came up on the screen!

During the day Ana Maria's feet were no better so late on Monday afternoon we decided that we would stay on another day to see if the situation improved.

During the day we went for a short walk to see the Cathedral, the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world and some of the surrounding sights. Some of the highlights included visiting the Chapel of St James (Santiago) and viewing the tomb of Christopher Columbus.

Tomorrow Wednesday, all being well, we shall recommence our walk. If Ana Maria is unable to continue then we will have to take some major decisions as to where we go from here. Fingers crossed that all will work out for the best!

We have already worked out the route that we need to take from the Cathedral, leaving the city through the "Triana" bridge and then on to Santiponce and Guillena, where we hope to spend the night. The journey will be about 14 miles long. Along the way we will be stopping at the Roman ruins of Italica, one of the most important in the whole of Spain.

Day 16 Dos Hermanas - Seville

2010-05-02T15:51:00.003+01:00

Today after a fairly short journey of some four and a half hours, we reached Seville. Walking for several kms alongside tarmac roads and then through a beautiful park just beside the La Pineda Horse Racing track and finally on tarmac roads leading into the centre of Seville.

Temperature was cool at first but had reached 31 by the time we reached the centre. In true Camino style we have booked ourselves into the Youth Hostel (a first for us). Well, Ana Maria and I can be easily mistaken for two mature teenagers!

Having settled in, we have just realised that our towels are waiting for us at the Central Post Office as we posted them forward about a week ago in an effort to lighten our load! Naturally, today being Sunday, the Post Office is closed. I guess we’ll have to grovel and beg reception to give us some. Actually I think I’ll send Ana Maria, she’s much better than me at stuff like that!

On a serious note, We had to stop several times so that Ana Maria could tend to her feet, which refuse to heal properly. We have decided to spend the whole of tomorrow resting to see if she can continue the path on Tuesday.

Seville marks the start of the Via de la Plata which is almost exactly 1000kms long. After that we still have another week or so walking to Finisterre and Muxia.

For now we are absolutely delighted that we have managed our first 200 miles, an achievement in itself. Only 700 more miles to go!

Buen Camino

Day 15 Utrera - Dos Hermanas

2010-05-01T22:40:00.000+01:00

As we hinted at yesterday, we had to stop in Dos Hermanas which is about 12 miles from Seville. Ana Maria's foot has been too painful and while she has been bravely struggling on, I am concerned in case the blister gets infected. In the end it was a joint decision to stop.

The highlight today has been the fact that for the first time we walked with two other people, Emilio and Paco. They are both from the town of Utrera and were on the Camino training for their own projected walk sometime in the summer. They will be walking to Santiago from Oviedo, a journey of about two weeks. They were very excited to meet us and when learning of our trip they wanted to take us home to introduce us to their family and friends. In the end we parted company reluctantly but not before we took a photograph of the four of us for the blog, something which they insisted we must do!

Un saludo a nuestros nuevos amigos Emilio y Paco, los dos de Utrera, que nos encontramos en el camino, y que nos hicieron el honor de caminar con nosotros por varios kilometros antes de volverse a Utrera. Estaban entrenandose para hacer EL Camino desde Oviedo hasta Santiago este proximo verano. Su oferta de almorzar con ellos y sus familias sonaba muy tentadora pero decidimos que deberiamos continuar camino. Esperamos que nuestros caminos se vuelvan a cruzar. Que tengan Buen Camino!

Once we left them we had to walk about six miles alongside a railway line, which although slightly boring was also exciting as the train drivers would sound their whistle every time a train whizzed past! At 12.30p.m. Spanish time we stopped for our weekly interview with Brooklands FM Radio. They are becoming firms friends and we look forward to chatting with them even if it's only once a week. Keeps us sane!

At the end of our six miles to our horror we found that the path had been blocked off with barbed wire, a fence and large concrete blocks! Some unscrupulous landowners have been accepting the upgrading of paths on their property to celebrate The Camino de Santiago Holy Year. Then once the authorities have finished, the landowners seal the path so as not to allow the public through. In other words they get the path for free but refuse to share it. It was this problem that made us take the coastal road from Gibraltar to Cadiz as our preferred route had been blocked off! Suffice to say that my trusty Leatherman multi-purpose tool came into its own today! Still it was a close call as our limbs are not as agile as they used to be and it zapped our energy trying to climb over difficult barriers. All in all it delayed our journey by over an hour.

Once we were on the outskirsts of Dos Hermanas a guy on a motorbike went past and then doubled back. He told us that the area we were about to go into was very dangerous and we should take a different route. Our friends Emilio and Paco had also warned us about this so we decided to take their advice. Antonio, the guy on the bike, then went out of his way to show us an alternate route which, although some 1.5 miles longer, took us safely into the middle of town, where we are now getting ready for bed. Our faith in humanity restored we can now face another day! Gracias, Antonio!

Tomorrow should see us arrive in Seville, where we will reach our 200th mile. From Seville we will start on the proper Via de la Plata which stretches 1000kms from Seville to Santiago de Compostela.

Day 14 - Cabezas de San Juan - Utrera

2010-04-30T20:20:00.004+01:00

After some 22 miles today we limped into Utrera rather than marched! Ana Maria is still having problems with one of her blisters and although it is getting better it is still quite painful.

We failed to get up as planned this morning as our alarm failed to go off! Eventually we left at 0550hrs and reached Utrera exactly 9 hours later, having stopped several times en route to tend to feet. This evening we got our credencial stamped at the beautiful church of Santiago here in Utrera.

The walk today was fairly uneventful, mainly walking along irrigation canals and cross country on earth and gravel paths. We went past huge plantations of sugar beet and wheat, and passed the time of day with some of the workers who were curious about our walking sticks.

Tomorrow we have another 22 miles to go. However, if Ana Maria's foot has not improved we may stop half way at the town of Dos Hermanas, in which case we will reach Seville on Sunday.

Day 13 Lebrija - Cabezas de San Juan

2010-04-29T17:23:00.000+01:00

An early morning start today at 0530hrs to avoid the midday sun. It was quite dark when we set out lit up again like Christmas trees. The head lamps work very well save that it attracts the mosquitoes for miles around! The other disadvantage of travelling in the dark is that you tend to miss the yellow arrow waymarks of the Camino. We managed to do just that and when we realised it we had to backtrack for about 30 minutes adding an extra hour to our trek. I have included a photo of one of the arrows just to show you how difficult these can be to spot!

Practically the whole way today was along a dirt/gravel track which deteriorated quite badly when we arrived in the vicinity of our destination. About five or six miles were along an irrigation canal.

When we arrived the chirch where we wanted our "credencial stamped was closed. As we pondered what to do a chap came along and insisted on taking us to the priest's house where we got our credencial signed and stamped. The same chap then directed us to a hostal which turned out to be apartment suites where we got a special "Camino" price of 20 euros per head! So for the first time in a long time I am actually writing this in an air-conditioned living room, complete with its own kitchennette. Lap of luxury indeed!

Tomorrow we have a very long day with no chance of stopping anywhere in between. Ana Maria's blister has stopped bleeding and antiseptic cream will make sure it heals properly. Following advice from my good friend, Edward, who has run more marathons than I have had hot dinners, I am now using vaseline. Today at least it seems to have worked.

This afternoon we marched into Cabezas to the tune of " It's a long way to Santiago, it's a long, long way to go,................"

Day 12 El Cuervo - Lebrija

2010-04-28T19:08:00.002+01:00

Having walked this morning from El Cuervo to Lebrija, almost half the distance to our destination for the day, we have decided to spend the rest of the day here. Ana Maria has a blister which has taken a turn for the worse and we feel it would be wise to give it a bit more time to heal before we move on, hopefully tomorrow.

Today I would like to talk about my younger sister Yvonne. It is her birthday today. When my mother, who lived in Gibraltar, was taken ill with a form of Alzheimer’s many years ago, Yvonne, who was living in London at the time, put her career on hold to go and look after her. Yvonne was chief buyer for the Janet Raeger brand in the UK. Some years later, when my father was also taken ill and my mother’s health had deteriorated further, Yvonne felt she could no longer cope on her own. My other sister Carmen, herself a very successful actress and singer, also abandoned her career to go and help her. Carmen, a former Miss Gibraltar, has starred in many TV shows including Dr Who in the UK and was one of the lead singers in the Buddy Holly production when it first opened in London.

Both my parents died in 2000. Unquestionably they enjoyed the best quality of life possible thanks to the love and care given to them by Carmen and Yvonne. Yvonne bore the brunt of the care and it has taken its toll on her. She has not been well these past few years. I have never been able to express to her how grateful I am that she was able to look after Mum and Dad in a way that I never could. I owe her and Carmen both, a debt I can never hope to repay.

For now it would be good if anyone who reads this blog would phone Yvonne to wish her a happy birthday. Her No. Is 00(350)20074083.

Robert & Ana Maria – On the Camino de Santiago in Lebrija.

Day11 Jerez - El Cuervo

2010-04-27T21:12:00.003+01:00

After our very restful day in Jerez yesterday, we set off today at 0600hrs. We walked in the dark, with our warning flashes on our arms and one on the back of our rucksacks. Something akin to a walking Christmas tree! Still better safe than sorry.

The way out of Jerez was several miles long and we spent the first 10kms walking along main roads. The next 10kms was along a dirt track alongside the AP4 motorway up to the El Cuadrejon service station. We were told that we would be unable to access the service station as the whole path is fenced in for security reasons.

When we reached the service station we found the path completely flooded as a consequence of the heavy rains that fell the previous week. We managed to find a spot where we were able to climb over the fence and so ended up having a couple of cokes in an air-conditioned shop! The service station manager told us that a few days earlier someone else doing the camino had swam across! He then very kindly opened a private gate that gave us access to the path a little bit further on. The path continued almost all the way to the town of El Cuervo, a total of 27 kms or about 17 miles. We arrived at around 2.00p.m

After checking in to a small hostal we went round to the local church of San Jose, where the local priest very kindly signed and stamped our "credencials".

Later in the afternoon we bumped into three gentlemen who appeared to be doing the Camino. They turned out to be from the Friends of theCamino in Cadiz, whose map we had been following that very day! Their President, Luis, has promised to keep in touch and he is very interested in getting in touch with the Friends of the Camino in Gibraltar. They are currently planning a route starting from Tarifa, which unfortunately comes a bit too late for us!

Tomorrow we have another long day with some 20 miles ahead of us.

Buen Camino!

Day 10 - Resting in Jerez

2010-04-26T19:18:00.003+01:00

Very early this morning we took the decission to rest in Jerez for the day. One of my blisters had been playing up a lot and I felt it would be impossible to walk on it for what is a fairly long trek to our next destination, El Cuervo (about 18 miles). We have been treating the blister today and even managed to do a bit of walking around the town. I feel confident to continue tomorrow.

It has been a very hot 34C day and we expect more of the same tomorrow. We intend therefore to start at around 6.00 a.m. to try to avoid the midday heat.
Our walk around Jerez today took in the Alcazar, the Cathedral, the Old Town Hall and some of the Sherry "Bodegas". We even found time for a glass of our favourite dry sherry, "Fino La Ina".

We could stay here forever but fortunately the "Camino" beckons. It has been interesting to note that at practically every church we visit to have our "credencial" stamped, the local priest knows the Bishop of Gibraltar, Charles Caruana to whom they refer to affectionately as "Don Carlos". In the Cathedral we found a statue of St James, tucked away in a small chapel.

For the next three to four days we have long treks ahead of up to 20/22 miles. We will need to carry extra water as it will be very hot so today we forwarded some of our things to the Poste Restante in Seville. We hope our package is going to be there when we arrive!

Ana Maria and I have been receiving a huge number of emails every day and we apologise to those who have written, for not replying. We are normally so tired at the end of each day that writing the blog is about all we can manage. We are carrying a splendid but very small laptop and loading photos is a very time consuming exercise. It also has a very small screen and sometimes it is difficult to see where we have made typing errors. The blog system we are using does not have a spellcheck facility so please excuse our errors!

But please carry on emailing us or leaving comments on the blog. We find it quite comforting to know that people care and are following our progress.

Our walking poles cause much hilarity as we walk into small villages in particular. The children come and say "where did you leave your skis....or.....have you lost your way, there´s no snow here!" Robert has been heard to swear under his breath once or twice!

Towards the end of each day we have taken to humming military marches, reminding Robert of his military service with the Gibraltar Regiment. This enables us to stop shuffling our feet and pick up some sort of tempo as we walk our final couple of miles each day. To anyone seeing or hearing us we must look like two demented fools! (no comments, please!)......escort to the keys, eyes right.....left, left, left right left......

Day 9 - Puerto Real - Jerez

2010-04-25T18:27:00.003+01:00

Today it took us 8 hours to reach Jerez, the next stage of our journey. Just outside Puerto Real we just could not find the path that was marked in the publication from the Friends of the Camino in Cadiz. In the end it took us about 20 minutes to find the path which went through about 5 miles of marshes.

The setting was beautiful but early in the morning the mosquitoes wreaked havoc with me. Somehow Ana Maria always escapes being bitten but I must have specially sweet blood (or something!) because the mosquitoes just love me. The rest of the 27 km trek was along a series of paths most of which followed alongside the motorway all the way to Jerez. Today the worst aspect has been the heat. We have been walking in around 28 degrees celcius most of the way!

We stopped on the outskirsts of Jerez to have some lunch and then went to
find the Church of St James to have our "Credencial" stamped. Unfortunately the church is being totally refurbished and was closed. This evening we will need to find another one to get our stamp.

Quite close to Jerez the path was flooded. As I tried to find a way round my left foot sank into the mud up to ankle depth. By the time we reached our destination the mud had dried and it felt like I was lugging a piece of concrete around my foot!

We were sad to see two lovely ponies which had been tethered by the side of the road. Although they seemed to be well looked after, they had no shade to get away from the blistering heat.

Towards the end of the day we had to resort to painkillers to dull the ache of our blisters. That said, they seem to be getting better (is there such a thing as a good blister?)

Tomorrow we are thinking of taking another rest day. We shall decide after we've had a glass or two of the local Sherry!

Cheers!

Days 7 & 8 Conil-Chiclana and Chiclana-Puerto Real

2010-04-24T20:15:00.002+01:00

After unsuccessfully trying to log on to the internet last night we decided to continue the blog updates this evening instead. For the first time ever, the fact that we were doing the Camino de Santiago, elicited a startling response from the owner of the hostal into which we booked for the night. He insisted on giving us a special rate for his best, recently refurbished room, and then gave us a light lunch, dinner and breakfast for next to nothing! We hope this continues!

We had intended walking the whole way from Conil to Chiclana by road but after consulting Google maps we decided to opt for a different route. We were glad we did as we found a fantastic path which went on for about five miles and only then did we have to go on a minor road or the remainder of our 15 mile trek!

We arrived in Chiclana after walking for 7 hours. As we arrived over the brow of a hill, the town looked a short distance away. The reality was that there were still 3.5 kms to go! Robert went a bit mad and starting walking at a furious rate to get there quicker and I could not resist taking a photo of him going past a 30km/hr sign!

Chiclana itself was a bit disappointing. We got our "credencial" duly stamped at the local church, had dinner and went to bed. This morning foot inspection revealed even more blisters that needed treating. Ana Maria is suffering particularly and we hope she will be able to manage. The road to Puerto Real was long and dusty, walking mainly along minor roads for part of the way. We did however manage to get lost (it's part of what we do all the time!) and ended up walking an extra 5 kms! The jury is still out as to who was to blame for turning left when we should have turned right. All that I can say is that I am filing for divorce! In mitigation, we asked 3 people for directions and they all gave us conflicting versions! We finally made it to the University Hospital in Puerto Real,which is about 4 kms outside the town. It was there that we saw our very first yellow arrow, the sign of the Camino de Samtiago path! Long may it continue to guide our footsteps.

In Puerto Real we found it almost impossible to find accommodation. A long search revealed only one hostal (which was closed) and we started to despair. Eventually a local man took pity on us and took us to the house of a friend of his where we are spending the night. Earlier today we had the second of our live interviews with Brookland FM who are covering the whole of our walk. We very much hope that some people will rally to our call for more funding for the Sam Beare Hospice in Woking. If you read this blog perhaps you can get your company to donate £100 to this very worthy cause, just £1 per mile that we have walked so far. Believe you me each mile has been fun and agony in equal measure. We hope that our suffering will not be in vain!

Today has marked the end of our first week walking the Camino. We estimate we have walked in excess of 100 miles. Only 800 more miles to go!

Buen Camino!

Day 6 Barbate- Conil de la Frontera

2010-04-22T20:51:00.001+01:00

Last night we had torrential rain with the same forecast for this morning. Fortunately in the end the rain held off and we enjoyed a beautiful cool day of walking, once we set off at 8.00a.m..

Because of the threat of rain we had decided to alter our planned route and instead of going along the coast we headed inland through a beautiful natural park "Los Pinos Pineros" heading for the shrine of San Ambrosio, for about 10 kms (about 4/5 kms longer than the coastal route) but which was very worthwhile.

We then had to walk along a minor road for some 16 kms which although somewhat boring had good views of the coast from time to time. We arrived in Conil very tired at around 2.50p.m.

Our biggest problem today has been the resurgence of blisters a couple of which are causing us some problems. We have been using a tried and tested method of piercing the blisters with needle and thread and then leaving a bit of thread to help drain the blister. On the whole it is working very well but pounding the roads for 6 to 8 hours a day does not allow the blister to heal very quickly!

Still, no pain, no gain!