I need more time...

...still digesting!!! I promise there will be one last post by the end of the week.

Home - Keeping the post Camino blues at bay

All good things must come to an end. So there I was in Santiago airport facing my last goodbye to Damien who I had spent the most time with over the last three weeks. His flight to Madrid was first and then I had few lonely hours bouying myself up with all my happy memories. My Camino love quickly drained from me as soon as I boarded my easyjet flight and had to try and block out the loud chatter of about a hundred Spanish school children.

There was a massive queue for passport control at Gatwick but I no longer had to rely on wifi so passed the time getting in touch with friends back home and checking in with some Camino friends. I then got to have  a 'Love Actually' moment coming out of arrivals and straight into the arms of my mum and sister!

On the drive home I chattered non-stop even though I knew I would have to repeat everything to my Step dad Ian when we got to Mum's. Ian had made a big banner welcoming me home (which I mamaged to take a few minutes to notice) and having walked the first part of the Camino last year we had plenty of experiences to compare.

I spent the next 24 hours being throughly spoilt. I dumped all my dirty washing in the utility room and by the next day it had magically become clean. Ian made a curry and opened a bottle of Rioja. I was able to see my brother who cycled down from Bristol. The next day was Mother's day so I had to share some limelight with my mum but I was allowed to do a presentation of my photos with only my brother falling asleep. I've had a big knot in my stomach today but a bit of family time has definitely stopped a big post Camino come down.

Stay tuned for one final post tomorrow once I get back to "normal" life and have a little more time to digest...

Day 31 - A trip to the end of the world

For a lot of Pilgrims Santiago is not the end, the coastal town of Finisterre (which means end of the world) is where you must finish (and for some not even that is a enough and they continue round to Muxia). Walking there from Santiago takes 3-4 days which I didn't have so for the first time in 29 days I was transported by a mode other than my feet (actually I must confess to using an escalator on one occasion). We caught the bus to Finnesterre where we were going to join Scottish Neil and the other guys we walked the first half of the Meseta with plus Neil's Camino family in Finnesterre that he had been raving about since we met him.

I had the siesta to end all siestas on the bus and missed a lot of interesting scenery. I awoke when we had nearly arrived and we were surrounded by striking rock formations and passed through quaint seaside towns. When we arrived there was Sonny again, much more relaxed now. We met Neil who introduced us to his Madrid mum, Ana, at her restaurant and I will come back to her later on. We had a tapas which consisted of a sausage on a skewer over a bowl of oil which she set alight.  You then rotated the skewer until the fire went out and then you had a nice little hot sausage.

Then we met more of Neils family at the Albergue where we checked in and were reunited with some friends. After a freshen up we headed back to Ana's restaurant where she single handedly cooked various dinners and served behind the bar for a constant stream of Pilgrims. Depite being all on her own she did not at any point seem the least bit flustered or overworked!
                                                           
We had a lie in the next day, breakfasted on homemade bread jam and Neil excitedly made me a cup of PG tips, my first tea of the Camino. By this point my legs were getting twitchy from the lack of walking so we walked to the light house where there is a stone with a zero mark marking the end of the walk to Finnesterre. This where traditionally Pilgrims go to burn things (often their boots). This was a beautiful walk in sunshine and I felt throughly spoilt by whatever force had given me this perfect end to my Camino. Todd and Damien burnt their socks whilst I scaled the rocks down to the sea with an Uruguian I'd just met. I think he may have been a little high which made for interesting reflective conversation whilst gazing out at the ocean. On the way back to the town I was treated to a lively rendition of the Uruguian national anthem.

Back to Ana's for a few Cervezas and tapas. This was followed by emotional goodbyes before getting on the bus back to Santiago so I could get my flight the next day. This trip really was the cherry on top of my Camino!

Day 30 - Arriving in Santiago

There was just 20 more kilometres to walk to Santiago Cathedral but we wanted to get there by noon for the Pilgrim mass. This meant a six o'clock start walking through woodland in the dark and rain guided by the light of Todd's head torch. We carried on and in true Camino style appropriate for the last day, we had to walk 10km on empty stomachs untill we reached a coffee stop. Once I'd been refreshed I started to get butterflies about walking the last 10k. The excitement of course led to some singing and I attempted to create a song in the style on Nat King Cole's L.O.V.E but with the letters S.A.N.T.I.A.G.O. Just before Santiago you reach the top of mount Gonzo and then begin the ascent into the city. I thought we would be able to see the Cathedral from here but no such luck with the weather still being so wet. Down the hill we went and just as we reached the Santiago sign on the outskirts of the city, the sun came out!  We had been warned that there was still a bit a walk after this sign so we took a few photos but kept our heads. On we walked and I was surprised there was still no sign of the Cathedral. We continued through urban sprawl for ages and only when we were about 500m away did the Cathedrals turrets start to appear and then they dissappeared again. I grabbed Todd's hand, Damien took mine and Neringas and the Christian and Barbara joined the chain. We began to hear bagpipes, walked past the bagpiper, through tunnel and emerged on the Plaza in front of the Cathedral. The family strode across hand in hand with little fanfare and then we broke into hugs, high fives, pats on the back and lots of photos. I think we could have stayed much longer absorbing the moment but it was 11.45 and we had a Mass to get to!

When we went into the Cathedral we were told no bags allowed and they needed checking in to an office. Where exactly this was located was unclear. Panic ensued as we ran around into places that said Pilgrim. Sonny (Korean lad) in particular had gone into overdrive running round and simply repeating the words "mass" and "bag" over and over. We found this office in the end and got to the Mass in time. It was a bit boring because everything was in Spanish (I should have known as much) but there was some beautiful singing from a Nun and closing my eyes to listen this was very serene.

I bumped into a few other Pilgrims I had met along the way. Sakeena was at the Mass, another Korean girl and of
Course Sonny. There was one person missing though... Ludger my Camino dad. He had already emailed me saying he had caught an earlier flight home because of work. I guess you can't have it all!

We went to get our Certificates with our new Latin names on them, all checked into a Hotel and then hit a Tapas bar (the best in Santiago according to Henry) to start the celebrations. We got them to make celebratory cocktails which I don't think they were used to doing. I ended up with a giant glass of Cinzano and Gin, the nearest they could get to a Gin Martini. The rest of the evening was spent having Cañas (small beer and a tapas surprise) finally ending up at a bar dancing to Paul Simon.

But like all good journeys that you don't want to end the only thing to do is carry on. Because I arrived two days ahead of schedule into Santiago that is exactly what I am going to do... I am off to the end of the world...

Day 29 - T'was the night before Santiago...

One more sleeeeep!!!

Really trying to calm myself down but during course of the day and especially this evening I have become very excited.

Today worked out really well. Unintentionally I ended up walking most of the day alone which gave me plenty of thinking time. I mentally relived every day of my Camino and thought of everything I was grateful for and there was a lot of things. Just when I had got up to the current day I met Neringa and we had some sunshine as we walked through a beautiful section of woodland.

Our Albergue is very ambient. There is piped music throughout and earlier they were playing 'Nothing else matters' by Metallica, Gregorian chant style

I've enjoyed talking to people about what they thought about today. The mood will perhaps be even more reflective tomorrow.

I'm really trying not to have too many expectations for my arrival in Santiago but whatever happens I already have an awesome journey in the bag!

Day 28 - Eight legs of deliciousness

Two more sleeps till Santiago so I'm very aware I need to get you up to speed. Today in brief...

Still very wet but with some sunny spells. I have become one with my boots and have zero blisters. Conversations continue to be surreal and interjected with singing. My highlight today was Damien singing 'Yesterday' and was surprised how much a Canadian accent made it sound like a song from Sesame Street.

In the evening we arrived in Melide and had the legendary Pulpo ( Octopus). It was indeed delicious and unlike anything else I have tried before.

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Day 27 - The Final Countdown

We officially hit the 100km mark today and discussions around reaching Santiago are intensifying! The family is now the Damien, Todd,  Neringa,  Christian,  Barbara (Hungarian Cardiologist) and Swiss Maria. So far we have been unable to decide what date to roll in. Some want to arrive Tuesday evening but I had in my mind arriving Wednesday midday so there is a strong possibility we will have to split up.

I don't know if we are getting deliriously tired now or this is just a sign of our closeness but conversations are becoming more and more surreal. Today we pondered on whether we would date a siamese twin if one was our perfect match and the other really, really awful. It's a tricky one, eh?! I'm giving myself untill Santiago to decide (only three more sleeps!)

The rain continues to be on and off but not constant so you don't end up being too soggy. I have been kicking myself for not bringing the poncho I got for Christmas but luckily Damien had a spare which is essentially a plastic bag with a hood but makes a big difference.

Tonight I rejoined a French  girl who I was with right at the start but haven't seen for three weeks. It was great to catch up and compare experiences. Hopefully we will arrive in Santiago together.

This flight of steps lended itself well to a small 'Rocky' reenactment

Day 26 - Auf Wiedersehen

Today we had to say goodbye to Anica and Henry, a lovely couple from Berlin who had been in the family for a week. They are doing the Camino in sections and had done the final part to Santiago last year. Anica has the nicest German accent I've ever heard and I could listen to her talking all day. Henry's use of English was quite colorful and he gave us a lot of laughs. We're going to miss them but we had a great last day together after arriving in Sarria. At lunch we had toasted their departure with a few shots of local coffee liqueur so no siesta required today. Then we found ourselves a very cosy antiquated Albergue where just two other Japanese men were staying.

In the evening we walked for miles in the rain so Damien could find a Pharmacy and stock up on compeed for his feet. Spain does have a high density of pharmacies but not many are open on a Saturday evening. Anica had spent some time studying in Spain and got us onto Cañas which is a small beer that comes with a Tapas. She told us they were invented to stop postmen getting too drunk.

Day 25 - How far does a woman have walk to get a coffee?!

The Galecian landscape bares a striking resemblance to that of the UK and this is largely down to all the rain. After two weeks of sunshine and dryness it was probably about time the ponchos came out again.

The first part of the walk was HARD! Although we were going down hill this can be quite painful on the knees. The rain was heavy and cold but the hardest challenge walking 10km untill reaching a breakfast stop. The bar we stopped at was packed with unbreakfasted Pilgrims, the poor barman and his 80 year old mother seeming a little overwhelmed.

This was actually half our days walking done so after another 10km in less rain we reached our destination. Set slightly back from the road was the Albergue we were planning on staying in and filing past us from a coach up the road was hundreds of school children gathering in an almighty mass next to the Albergue. We carried on and found an Albergue with a few less teenagers although there was a couple that maybe could have done with staying in a hotel room.

Today I was reunited with the Korean Sonny who I had met on my second day. He has told me if I ever want to go to Korea I just need to ring him when I get to the airport and he'll come and pick me up. Korea here I come!

Christian made us a delicious dinner and we had a giant bar of Milka chocolate for pudding. We were joined by a Spanish guy who told us the route will get busy as the next town is the minimum distance (100km) from which you can walk a gain the compestella (Camino certificate). Also being the weekend those living in Spain may pop out for a couple of days of Camino walking.

Day 24 - Good Chemistry

I was bracing myself today for a long ascent up to the mountain top town of O Cebreiro. There was good team spirit today five us that started out together stayed together all the way to the top, picking up Christian and Barbara on the way. My favourite chat was with Neringa, we got onto the subject of science and the periodic table. This really stirred up memories of my previous life before Nursing and I surprised myself with how excited I felt about the subject. As soon as we stopped at a bar I felt compelled to re orientate myself with the periodic table and remind myself of all those symbols I had forgotten!

The main part of the ascent was in the last 10km. This was done with a large number of breaks. We had been told there was a German Albergue on the way and we were hoping for Snitzel or Bratwurst. No such luck but we did have a nice hot drink and chat with the German Hospitalerio. We then walked up the road to another buddist place giving out food/drinks. At the top we had a view over the luscious Galecia and found ourselves in a quaint little town with a clean modern Albergue (full of German teenage boys who were a bit giggly and annoying but thankfully I had my ear plugs)

Now we have entered Galecia there are a few new delicacies to try. This evening we had the regional soup, a wholesome affair made with beans and potatoes. Then there was the pulpo (octopus) to try. I didn't expect it to look so much like a plate of octopus but there is was with curly tentacles and suckers all intact. The taste was okay but apparently we will arrive in Melide, a town famous for Pulpo in a few days where this must, must be eaten

Day 23 - Don't let the bed bugs bite

I left the Albergue alone and very early today, hoping I would get to today's town by lunchtime. Within minutes I was lost and very frustrated that my headstart was being wasted. I asked a few people directions but nobody really had a clue. Using my guide book and road signs I walked along a main road which seemed to be going in right direction. After an hour I met two other Pilgrims and it turned out I was not only going in the right direction but I had taken a shortcut!

After getting off the ugly main roads we were taken through vineyards. This region has it's own microclimate creating very unique wines. I continued walking through vineyards all the way to Villafranca.

I went into the first Albergue I found which had a tranquil garden and very good wifi. It was after settling in that I read the guidebook and found out there has been reports of bed bugs in this Albergue. I took my chances and went off for the afternoon to explore the town.

Christian had been attacked by bed bugs in the yoga retreat and later on when everyone else had arrived I saw his bites for the first time. He was covered in massive red, itchy welts and had spent yesterday in a hotel washing all his clothes. Unsurprisingly the rumours of bed bugs meant that he carried on to another Albergue. Neringa said when her sister did the Camino she came back covered with bites which remained for a whole summer! I didn't get bitten but when I folded away the blanket I used overnight I got a whiff of wee.

Apart from this I enjoyed my stay. Bed, dinner and breakfast were all donitivo (give what you want). We had a big shared meal in the evening and got shouted at when we tried to help clear away. After dinner we had an astrology lesson from a Korean man who pointed out all the different constellations with his laser. Living in London with all its light pollution I sometimes forget the stars are there.

Day 22 - Lovely stuff!

I didn't end up joining the morning yoga session but did benefit from a breakfast very similar to what I normally eat at home, muesli,  yogurt, banana and some brown toast with jam. As we went over the mountain the scenery became even more fantastic. We encountered more snow and this time I did sink right in, the top of my boots filling with snow. The villages we walked through were ramshackle and falling down apparently being brought back to life by the Camino. We walked through one village which now has a resident population on one thanks to the Hospitalerio living there.

The views remained stunning and I started to feel overwhelmed and sad. Overwhelmed because I felt I couldn't take in all this amazingness and I might not be able to store it properly in my memory. Sad because I only had less then 9 days untill I reach Santiago where I will have to stop walking. Then I remembered I had my pencils so I sat and tried to capture some of the snowcapped mountains and forests. The end result did not even begin to do justice but the exercise gave me a way of absorbing with what saw.

Lunch was very late and involved a picnic of cheese, ham, empanada, olives, nuts, dried prunes and figs, and a croissant. This was eaten in a village Plaza next to a river, a picturesque bridge and church. My fellow picnicker was Canadian Damien who has been my main walking buddy and is great company. As we walk along we have been taking it in turns to ask interesting questions (favourite teacher, earliest memory, biggest regret). Some really interesting conversation has come out of this little game. I did however get very laughed at for my bucket list (things you want to do before you die). Put on the spot with this question I said I wanted to drink milk straight from a cow. Perhaps he was expecting something a little more ambitious.

The evening was spent relaxing on bunkbeds sharing the remainder of the picnic and a bottle of wine with The Todd ("The" has been added to his name because he is a medic and been such a hero sorting various knackered feet and limbs) and Neringa (energetic Lithuanian who we normally lose within the first hour of walking as she speeds ahead). We started talking about what we were going to miss about Spain and what it will be like getting to Santiago. Apparently Pilgrims arriving in Santiago are quite the tourist attraction and we shouldn't be surprised to be subjected to a Paparazzi-type experience.

Day 21 - 'O Canada, Our home and native land'

Today was kicked off with another new experience - watching the sunrise. I don't quite know how I've managed to go 28 years avoiding this every day occurance but there we go! The day before I had found a terrace out the back of the hostel and when I got up in the morning thought this might be a good viewing spot for the rising of the Sun. I gathered up a few other Pilgrims for the show and as we sat on the terrace waiting I started singing every song I could think of containing the word 'sun'. For fear of ruining the moment I then shut up. Just as the BBC said at approximately 7.33 a bright chink of sun appeared and within a few minutes the whole lot was above the horizon. We gave it a round of applause and set off on our way. It was a close call but I think this was better than eating cow stomach for the first time.

Today we left the flat Meseta and I was daunted by the relief map which showed today to be a large climb. However the climb was very gentle and the scenery soon started changing, becoming very easy on the eye. It must be a sign of how much I'm enjoying the Camino but I find myself constantly wanting to sing with every situation lending itself to a different song. Today I got to blast out the national anthem as we decided everybody had to sing their national song. After 'God Save the Queen' we were treated to 'O, Canada' and then a duet of the Hungarian national anthem. Towards the top of our climb, despite warm temperatures we began find snow! At one point we had to walk across snow half a metre deep which luckily was fairly compacted as I was wearing shorts. I don't know if he was still full of patriotism from singing his national anthem but Damian (Canadian) said seeing snow reminded him of home and he had a brief moment of homesickness.

Late afternoon we found ourselves at a hilltop yoga retreat. This Albergue offered beds but also reiki and a morning yoga session. There was a log fire going, healthy foods on offer and a smell of incense through out.

For the evening meal we all decided to go for the Pilgrim meal that was on offer. At 7pm the bell was rung and we decended from the dormitories for the presentation of a giant Paella. We were each given a huge mound which was eaten with a crispy green salad and a small selection of cheese and hams. Delicious!

Now a few more nations were present we had renditions of the German, Lithuanian and Korean national anthems. According to the Germans only the first verse of the national anthem can be sung and the others are now illegal. The Canadian national anthem is no longer sung  regularly in schools because of political correctness and the Hospitalerio (guy in charge of the Albergue) said the Spanish national anthem no longer has  any lyrics because they were too fascist. He did however treat us to a performance of one of his own songs which was on a par with the Korean national anthem for my favourite song I'd heard that day.

Day 20 - Difficult to stomach

Everybody set off separately this morning but come lunch time we'd all found each other again. Out lunch stop was next to the longest preserved medieval bridge. A noble Knight from Leon who had been scorned by a beautiful lady once threw down the gauntlet to any knight trying to cross the bridge and kept this up for a whole month. I imagined him to be something like the knight in Monty Python's 'Quest for the holy Grail' ("It is but a flesh wound!").

In the afternoon we walked up and down a couple of hills. We walked past a statue of a pilgrim and stopped to have a closer look. Underneath was rocks with messages on them and as I looked closer I found a message from my Camino Dad!

The guide book had a teacup symbol on top of the second hill and this teacup turned out to be a strapping buddist man giving out free drinks and fruit from the front of his house. I later learned that he had cooked a whole dinner for Eddy as she had not eaten very much that day. On saying goodbye I said I would come back and help him one day.

We arrived in the largish town of Astorga and being a Sunday the shops weren't open so we went out for dinner. On a recommendation from an American Pilgrim at the Hostel we headed to a bar near the main town plaza. Our route to dinner was via a walkway on the edge of town with a view of the surroundings mountains and was full of older Spanish folk slowly promenading. The main square was even more full of life, jostling with all ages eating, talking, walking, playing football and generally enjoying their Sunday afternoon.

We settled into the recommended bar which had some rather good cider on tap and everytime we ordered a round they threw in a small plate of meatballs. When the menu arrived we had no Spanish speakers in the group so I typed the options into Google translate. One of the options came up as corn which two of the group ordered believing this to be a safe option. What turned up was not so much corn but a bowl of cow stomach. One portion got sent back but I swapped my fish dinner for the other as I love a new experience and this was a dish I had not tried before. It was like an edible anatomy lesson giving me a sense of the texture and appearance of the various microstructures inside a cow's stomach and the taste wasn't too bad either.

Day 19 - The writings on the wall

Sorry to leave you hanging with "Heartbreak Hotel", I am pleased to report the next morning I woke up feeling almost as fresh as when I first started! As I walked I picked up a Polish man who had sausage business, he was having a holiday from sausages (he wasn't even eating Chorizo). Then further on we accumulated a beautiful Lithuanian girl from London (Yay! London chat!). She had just started so I felt somewhat like a veteran and passed on all my accumulated Camino wisdom, giving them both advice on which route to take today. Luckily they both left me at the first coffee stop as I went on to get lost. I was trying to take a more scenic route but ended up looping back onto the road way. Later on though I found a way to get the scenic route, adding a couple of kilometres onto my walk but well worth it in the end. Doing this also reunited me with a few friends and the Lithuanian (she had found some other Pilgrims that had taken her on the same route I came so I allowed myself to feel wise again).

A group of us ended up at Casa de Jesus (Jesus' house). This was a family run enterprise with a wooden sail boat in the back garden and inside the walls were completely covered with graffiti from previous pilgrims. The daubings varied in their levels of inspiration and offensiveness. Here were a few of my favourites...

And I of course left my own piece of inspiration...

After a reccy of the two "supermarkets" our best option looked like a vegetable chilli with a bit of chorizo thrown in. A team effort produced a rather lovely meal which was washed down with a little wine and finished off with cake from the party going on next door (the Spanish are CONSTANTLY partying!). During the meal we were entertained by Eddy a Korean girl showering Christian (Hungarian Viking) with compliments on his long hair and soft face.

Day 18 - Heartbreak Hotel

I had in mind that at some point I would have a night off being a Pilgrim and treat myself to a stay in a Hotel (just like the Martin Sheen film). Last night ended up being the night as there was no Albergues in the town I'd reached and the next was another 8km. A night in a proper bed not a bunkbed, no snoring, warm, a lie in (most Albergues have to be vacated by 8), my own bathroom. Ironically I checked into the Hotel Real Camino, there was no other Pilgrims there. The first activity was a big bubble bath to soothe and cleanse my aching blistered feet (they are slowly getting better). After several hours of undisturbed Skypeing,  blogging, Facebooking I went down for dinner. The lights were off in the dining room but were switched on for my arrival and I was the only diner. The waiter felt sorry for me and on several occasions came up to me saying
"Beautiful English lady" and then got the other waiter and again "look, beautiful English lady". Bless him! I thought I was very hungry but did struggle to manage the whole three courses. Afterwards I had to lie down and continued to feel uncomfortable all night until I threw up early hours of the morning. I then lay in bed still feeling flakey and disappointed that I was not able to fully enjoy my Hotel treat. When I finally dragged myself out of bed I had to eat breakfast as it came with the room. I forced down a giant croissant and orange juice which thankfully stayed down. I still felt very nauseous though and crawled the 8km into the next town, having to sit or lie down every few kilometres. On arrival I found a convent and slumped into a bunkbed having not had lunch (a sure sign I am on death's door!). You'll be pleased to know I was much better
come the afternoon and enjoyed a giant icecream in the Plaza in front of Leon's beautiful cathedral. Rumour has it the tap water is not the best in this region so bottled water from now on methinks.

I'm also definitely not fussed about staying in a hotel again, even in a more well state. Firstly I could have had 9 nights in an Albergue for the same price. It also felt souless and I realised the compromises I make in the Albergue don't bother me that much anyway and more than made up for by the friendships formed when space is shared.      
                           
Can I just say how touched I have been by the number people following the blog and the lovely messages from back home. Makes all the difference on a day when you wake up feeling like a dog's dinner but have to keep on walking. Thank you!

Day 17

I had to say goodbye to Ludger today. He had decided to go on further so I may not see him again.

I would like to use today's post to pay tribute to my Camino dad who has been such an important part of my Camino so far. He is 'Vorsprung Durch Tecknik' personified and has stopped me becoming 'hangry' and found us shelter in numerous resourceful ways. He has put up with my singing and chattering on every subject under the sun. He has given me a basic German vocabulary so should I ever find myself in Germany I can now say more than 'Das ist verboten!'. He is very sympatic (Ludger's made up English word for a nice person) and the 'Man Machine' Kraftwerk must have been referring to (he had been running rather than walking at times). Thanks for walking with me through sun, snow,  mountains, vineyards, rolling hills, deserts, ghost towns, industrial estates...everything North Spain has thrown at us.

Der ball ist rund!

Day 16

Completely forgot to mention yesterday that I was exactly halfway! It's going quickly. I've not had any major epiphanies, maybe you only get them when you make it to Santiago. We do seem to be starting to Transfigure though, my boots are definitely whiter than when I first started!

Today's walk included discussing our dream dinner guests. Interestingly Ludger chose Hitler and this lead on to an discussion of the World wars from a German perspective. I opted for Flo (Florence Nightingale). Then we stumbled upon a convoy of caterpillars,  I didn't realise this was how they hung out, fascinating...

Towards the end of the walk I busted out DJ Shadow to get us through the last 5km.

Ludger made another one of his magical soups, enough to feed the whole town. This time there was only four of us in the Albergue so I had three giant bowls. It was even better than the last and included fresh bay leaves that he'd picked on today's walk.

The Albergue was donitivo (you donate what you like) and doesn't appear to have a proper roof so I will be going to bed with all my clothes on again.

Day 15

We continue through the flat Meseta and today there wasn't a town or village for about 13km (no morning coffee break). Luckily I had enough Leonard Cohen to last me until lunch. For some reason during this part of the Camino most Pilgrims walk solo, only gathering together again at rest stops and at the Albergue in the afternoon. I think Ludger's soup had magical healing properties as my feet felt much better today. I also think the Skype conversion with Mum and Step dad was very edifying and I have definitely got over my homesickness now.

Everyone is definitely starting to feel the strain. Some people are having to miss out stages and take the bus because their feet or legs are so bad. Yesterday a Paramedic we met set up a foot clinic at the bar and heroically treated bleeding and infected blisters. I had to deal out some tough love to Damien the Canadian during our lunch, he thought he was going to die so I told him to pull himself together. The approach was effective and he made it alive to todays destination.

Tonight was to be the last night with the 'frat party' as they had a tighter schedule and needed to get a bus to a couple of stages ahead. So one more night of beer, wine and these luminous yellow shots which kept appearing from nowhere. It has been good to have a bit of fun injected into the Meseta! Still a couple more days of Meseta but I imagine they will be slightly more wholesome.

Day 14

I was awoken during the night by Ludger flashing a head torch in my face telling me to get out of bed as there were bedbugs. After my initial alarm I decided to stay in bed and take my chances. No bites the next day, phew!

My feet seemed to be getting worse so I went at a very leisurely pace today, taking plenty of breaks. The first break was after a short walk along a canal in a town called Fromista. I spent an hour here drawing a very well preserved Romanesque church that was built in 1066. It was an enjoyable little project as the Church had a really interesting shape, a central octagon and then various cylindrical turrets. Apparently coach loads of people come to this town just to see this Church.

My next stop was for Lunch. I'm walking just before the tourist season so a lot of places I walk through have a ghost town feeling about them and even places that are open seem shut. You just have to try the door and sometimes you're lucky and sometimes not. On this particular occasion I pushed the door of what I thought might be an eating establishment and entered a medieval dining hall complete with high vaulted ceilings,  candelabras,  wooden utensils, and log fire. I was their only diner so the place immediately sprung into life, lights up, music on, kitchen staff stirred into action. I had a three course feast and could barely move when I finished. I shuffled the last 5km to Carrion in my flip flops feeling like I would not need to eat for the rest of the Camino.

On arrival at the Convent in Carrion I tucked into some wholesome soup Ludger had made. It was the opposite to the feeding of the 5000. Ludger had made enough to feed every Pilgrim that had ever stayed at the convent but there was just the four of us. After a short while the rest of the frat party who we have been with us since Burgos turned up and the whole lot was devoured.  I then headed out for a couple more beers with the lads and was ripped to shreds for Skypeing my mum and step dad. Worth every ounce of ribbing though.

Day 13

I was warned that Meseta could be mentally challenging and I must admit to having a wobble today. I'm now two weeks in and despite all my amazing experiences I got a pang of homesickness. My friends and family are very important to me and I am missing being able to see them and picking up the phone to chat. Wifi has been my link back home and it has not been good the last two days. There is Wifi in most cafes and bars and the staff are constantly harassed for the password. Today on asking for the password the bar man asked me if I was a pilgrim or a tourist. Perhaps he has a point and in fact one of the best nights I've had was at an Albergue with no Wifi so everyone had to talk to each other! I did not stay feeling sorry for myself. Ludger and Neil (Scotsman I met at the airport with a Camino addiction) gave me a pep talk after which I felt much better. We then had some of the local egg soup and some tasty pork for dinner.

Day 12

Last  night was fun. As my Canadian friend described it we seem to have stumbled on the camino "frat party". Over dinner I tried to explain the concept of a cream tea with little success. The cream tea is always my 'go to' as an example of something very English. If anybody can think of anything else please let me know! Yet again I had a superb nights sleep. The Albergue was super modern, warm and quiet.

Our group has grown now. I spent part of the day walking with a Spanish man who spoke no English (outrageous! ). We spent most of the time in silence but towards the end of the walk found a shared love of Leonard Cohen. Then using my guide book he helped me with some Spanish pronunciation (I thought after more than a week of being in Spain it was about time that I learnt a bit more of the language).

We have now hit the Meseta often known as the boring bit of the Camino. If the Camino was a film (which it is incidently, 'The Way' with Martin Sheen) this would be the musical montage part. It is super flat with few trees but this does make for very big skies and the ability to see your next destination several kilometres before arriving. I thought this would make for some easy days of walking but I have started developing blisters and my right ankle is sore. I also now have sunburn but only down on one side because I am always walking in the same direction. If the weather stays this sunny I will be returning to the UK with a lovely left sided farmer's tan!

Day 11

Slept like a baby! It was so refreshing.  I did have a few new aches and pains but felt confident I could manage the short ascent into Burgos today. We had a carb-tastic breakfast consisting of bread, brioche, croissant and pain au chocolat (despite all the walking I will be coming back home the same weight). The first part of the morning was cold fog and the hat, jumpers and gloves all went back on. As we were walking we started to hear jangling, then saw a large plodding figure with no backpack and then a few sheep and then a few more untill eventually we were fully immersed in a sheep sea fillling the air with music from the bells around their necks.

Soon after this the cloud lifted and we could just about see our destination which looked reachable by lunch time.

After meeting the sheep and the first emergence of the sun I no longer had the same distraction from the pain in my feet. My little toe and ankle were really giving me jip. I decided to start listening to the last part of '1984'  (**spoiler alert**) in which the main protagonist is being tortured and subjected to unimaginable pain. This made my pain seem a little more bearable.

I'd heard good reports about Burgos but for about 5km failed to see what all the fuss was about. The city seemed a never ending sprawl of boring shops and I was getting "hangry". Eventually we reached the Old town and found the Albergue next to a stunning gothic cathedral and on further exploration Burgos is a very beautiful city.

In Burgos the Camino I am walking converges with another starting slightly North of St. Jean and I was reunited with the very first Pilgrim I spoke to at Biarritz airport. He's a fellow Brit (although maybe not for long as he is Scottish) and had joined up with a larger group, some of whom were stopping in Burgos with the rest carrying on to Santiago. Tonight is to be an emotional farewell to some of that group.

Day 10

The romanticism of the church tower came at the expense of proper heating and (despite wearing every extra layer I had and carrying some aerobics in toilet early hours of the morning to warm up) I did not sleep well. The kitchen however was well stocked and we set out with a large breakfast in our bellies.

Spring has sprung in Spain! We had a chilly start but eventually had to strip down the layers in the sunshine and completely cloudless sky. I spent a lot of the day walking alone and had a special moment stolling along surrounded by green rolling hills with a deep blue Spanish sky above me. I was listening to Macy Gray 'I try and' had an overwhelming  urge to stetch my arms out, spin round in circles and smile (I just did the latter). When I came back down to earth I started thinking about the Mass last night and how some people feed their souls in churches. I do enjoy the reverence of a church service and would like to think there is a God but my soul (whatever that is) needs big open spaces, sunshine and Macy Gray.

I had a tough decision at the 2pm lunch stop.  Either finish today's walking there and then or carry on a further 10km to the next town putting me exactly two days ahead of schedule. I opted to carry on despite my sore feet but just going at a gentler pace. The reward was considerable with the route undulating through peaceful woodland and I walked alone with only the sound of birds.

In the next town, one look at the draughty very spartan Aubergue (I'd done draughty and spartan last night) was enough to push me on a few more kilometres with sore feet and back. Again I was rewarded with a sunset and on arrival in the next town very comfortable Albergue to recuperate in after 43km of walking.

Day 9

The weather remained kind to us today,  just some barely perceptible drizzle. We made very good time across flat terrain listening to the sultry tones of Leonard Cohen (played out loud on my phone, chavtastic I know!) music which one would expect to slow to us down.

Walked with a Canadian Social worker today. I've always viewed Canada as a perfect nation that goes Skiing in the winter and fishing/hiking in the summer but apparently there are social problems. This guy works with children from first nation communities (Native Americans) organising foster care. He also told me where his parents live is -40 degrees centigrade! I didn't think human life could survive at this temperature! I then went on to throw in a few sweeping stereotypes such as 'do you live near Celine Dion?' and 'are you missing maple syrup?'. I think he was only mildly offended.

I mentioned in my first blog entry about having a moment with the Sound of Music soundtrack at some point. This afternoon was it! Using my phone as a backing track I performed the entire score to Ludger. He assured me he was enjoying himself and I couldn't have been happier belting out 'the hill are alive' whilst being surrounded by actual hills.  

In the evening I was put back in touch with the Camino's Catholic roots. We stayed in a very traditional Aubergue situated in a Church tower. After going up several flights of steps you entered a large open plan living area and then right in the rafters was the sleeping area with gym mats to sleep on. We went to the Mass in the Church and I got soot chucked in my hair as it was ash Wednesday.

After this everyone in the Aubergue ate together. The atmosphere was much quieter than the previous night with just five Pilgrims in total plus the Hospitelier (Aubergue caretaker). Dinner was cooked by a Korean lady who I had seen in several of the Aubergues but had not had the opportunity to speak to. I have met several other younger Koreans and she told us that they may well be doing the Camino to help them get into University.

Day 8

We are now in the Rioja region, I will apologise in advance for the dip in quality of these blog entries over the next few days! Lorgrono is quite a large town which sprawls out a long way so the scenery wasn't very exciting in the morning. I had some more German tutoring and listened to 1984 rather than marvel at the surroundings. My Spanish is still very poor but I can now order a coffee with or without milk (we average 2-3 coffee stops a day!). After Lunch we picked up a really lovely Polish air hostess who has a passion for everything Greek. I enjoyed listening to her describe the food and culture, perhaps my next adventure will be some Greek Island hopping.

Tonight's Aubergue was "donitivo" so you didn't need to pay anything at all but simply give a donation. It was a pre-fab hut but had everything we needed (bed, shower, toilet, kitchen). We found ourselves together with many who had been at the previous hostel and the atmosphere was fantastic. A very glamorous Persian lady offered to cook everybody dinner and using the very limited cooking facilities she knocked up a delicious three course meal that left nobody hungry.  Together with a few bottles of Rioja this made for a very enjoyable evening full of chat, dancing and the usual cultural exchanges. We attempted to learn "thank-you" and "I love you" in everybody's language. The evening was topped off by a singing performance from an elderly Spanish man who had once sang for the King.

Day 7

It is really starting to turn into a walking holiday rather than a Pilgrimage.  Glorious sunshine, fantastic views and we just missed the rain...

We were discussing how we could punish ourselves. Perhaps remove out shoes and go without dinner. Although  we were walking into a very strong crosswind at times and todays walk was long so the shoes stayed on and I have not gone hungry. All this  time simply walking with no other pressures is luxurious and you can enjoy day long meandering conversations with fellow pilgrims. Todays conversation with Ludger was mainly a German lesson. I was surprised at how much I remembered from school and together with some expert teaching am now able to say months, days of the week, seasons, numbers, rooms and some furniture. In exchange I continue to share English phrases ('two shakes of a lambs tail' has been his favourite for some reason!). Unfortunately by the time we arrived in Lorgrono we had lost our Italian friend who had promised to cook us Carbonara.  I cooked instead and made us a giant batch of stir fried vegetables with cashew nuts and rice. My diet has been slightly poor, consisting mainly of bread and pasta so I enjoyed a nice veg hit.

This evening I have been reminded I am not on a walking holiday but on a very unique journey surrounded by others who have opened there hearts and minds to this experience. I'll shall have to remember when I get back to the UK that it is not normal to be so chatty with complete strangers. Tonight I met a French lad who started his Camino in Nyon and has already been walking for 31 days. He has finished his studies and not sure what he wants to do next.

Day 6

A dry day today. Thank goodness! Felt more like a walking holiday than a Pilgrimage. I walked to day with Ludger (Camino dad) and Maurizio from Sardina (not part of the Mafia he is quick to tell us, suspicious). We also got a small amount of free wine. Next door to a church there were two taps, one producing water and the other wine. I abstained as 9am is too early even for me.

We walked till Lunch. Ludger is still very fearful of my reaching a state of hangriness and I was definitely on my way there by the time we stopped at the Aubergue in Los Arcos. Living in London I always find it hard to comprehend that there are times where no shops are open and this was the case being a Sunday afternoon. Ludger is very resourceful and managed to get some free salad a from a farmer who going to feed it his animals but was still very edible. Then for a small fee he negotiated some supplies from a local cafe. In the evening after dinner we sat around the table, as always the company was multicultural. I got a little emotional experiencing the warmth of all these different nationalities being together with no common language but still somehow getting to know each other.

Day 5

I struck out on my own today leaving the 6 disciples (now 5) behind. The rain was gentler than yesterday but non stop. It fitted really nicely with the 1984 audio book I was listening to which is all about a very bleak and dreary communist dystopia. About lunch time I'd had enough solitude and my equipment had reached it's waterproof limit. However I did still have some gas in the tank and ploughed on day dreaming of a nice hot shower. At around 4pm after walking 30km I felt I was done and the rain was getting heavier. The next town the Aubergues were closed, then the next town closed again. Eventually after walking 40km (two days of walking in my schedule) I arrived a cold, hungry, drowned rat at a town called Estella.  All was worth it to be reunited with friends from previous days and...my Camino dad who immediately made me a coffee, found a big warm blanket, a bowl of soup and a plate of pasta. Then followed the best sleep of the whole Camino.