Sarria 30th Sept. (2)

The bed bug problem seems to be getting worse as we move towards Santiago. The weather has turned a bit nasty now as I leave Los Herriares. When I arrived I had to empty my mocilla to check for bugs and found none. During the night around 4.30  I felt something crawl on my chest and found a bed bug,I killed it as I jumped out of the bed. Needless to say I did not go back,went outside for a smoke instead and moved onas early as I could.
Today I head over a place called O Cebreiro.Yet another high mountain with a steep climb and descent. The weather just got worse and worse as I climbed. When I reached there I stopped for tea and visited a gorgeous church. I left for the downhill climb but as I went the weather just got so bad I could not see in front of my face. I returned to the summit unwilling to take a chance on going further. Most people had decided to stay at a hostel located there but I couldnt do that Cos my mocilla was in Triacastello. After a while there was a taxi going down the mountain with three other girls so I hopped in that. We got below the bad weather and at least we could see where we were going. So off I went again walking to Triacastella, it was gruelling walking downhill in the pouring rain. Going through small hamlets ,whose streets had rivers of rainwater and cow dung flowing across your path,very easy to slip in! By the time I got to the alberge I was a stinking mess!!.
Samos- Decided to stay here for a night to take it easy after yesterdays march it was only 12 Klms.There is a Benedictin monastry and I took the tour.  I saw two weddings here and I met the Irish Guy Ger Devine again. An old guy arrived at the very nice alberge,German,I think. I was of course polite to him but thought him a bit whiny and avoided him. Later that night he was driving me mad with his snoring, he had three kinds of snore.One was a kind of loud cat purring, another was your basic mouth open snore and the other was like a freight train sound. I guess each sound related to a sleeping position. Needless to say, very little sleep for me. Aound 12.30 there was someone banging on the front door so I got up to answer. There were two people outside and the door would not open. The key which had been hanging down on the door frame was jammed in the door as someone had closed it earlier. I looked around for another key and could not find one. So I had to let them in the window,I passed out a chair for them to stand on and in they came,2 yanks,having the crack. Next morning I heard people downstairs organising the climb through the window and smiled to myself. By the time I came down there was old snorer waiting for someone to help him out the window. I thought, should I seize the opportunity and get revenge for keeping me awake and chuck him out?But I decided two weddings were enough we did not need the funeral and so helped him out grudgingly- and then checked my annoyance at him....Off to Sarria for me.

Sarria 30th Sept.(1)

Hi Everyone,
It seems ages since I last posted 21 Sept. but have been unable for numerous technical reasons. Perhaps I will take it stage by stage to keep it in order.
Cruz de Ferro- For some reason I had begun my spiritual work on the path up to Cruz- this was about laying down any burdens you might have- it was nice and peaceful on the way up and the climb was steep only in parts. When I reached there it was a bit of an anti-climax really, unlike the Alto de Perdon which proved very emotional. I said my prayer ,laid my stone,sat and had an orange and a smoke and walked on.
Riego des Ambros- Nothing to report here-getting a bit fed up and in tetchy mood,as Breda would say,a bit Faddy,-met two very tall New Zealanders who were a bit barmy,a posh english guy from Kent who sat in a chair in the garden with a small cotton towel wrapped around his middle and legs raised on the chair. He asked me a little sheepishly if I was any good at fixing blisters. I told him I was´nt any good at fixing things period....One of the tall New Zealanders appeared at that moment and he asked her the same question, she turned and shouted up the stairs, "Dorris,we´ve got a live one here for ya!" Dorris appeared with a medical kit in tow,and looking like she was stoned out of her head. I decided to have a smoke just so I could watch the proceedings. It transpired that Dorris had a mission on the Camino to get everyone to Santiago in a relatively blister free state. Whatever floats your boat! In the meantime Richard (posh English guy) looked like the cat who got the cream, was quite prepared to let stoned Dorris go at him with scissors and needles in hand! Both rabbitting on about ex pats and british army sojourns. Fascinating.
That evening went to dinner and sat opposite the only other sane person,as far as I could see, Andreas from Germany,who actually had a great sense of humour. Beside him sat another English woman now living in South Carolina,and she sitting opposite Richard. Beside me on the other side were the barmy New Zealanders-Dorris whos eyes were getting heavier by the second,squaffing on the free bottle of wine. Chatting away I heard the anglo american talking about her now hometown and the fact that they were making BMW cars there. To be polite and contribute to the conversation I made the mistake of asking - was that a bit unusual as I thought the car manufacturing business was located in Detroit traditionally. One half hour later after what I can only describe as an oration on the history of not only the car industry in the states but on the history of blacks and the civil rights movement, I excused myself to go for a smoke- throughout this tirade I could not look over at Andreas as I knew I would go into kinks- Andreas joined me for a smoke even though he didnt actually smoke-we were both cracking up at the bizarre scene. He told me they were all popping all sorts of tablets for pain whether they had any or not.I could not wait to get out of there.
Ponferrada- Nice city and really interesting because of the Templar background.Went to see the Templars Castle,Cool........Alberge ok....
Villafrance- The walk was nice as it is beginning to get a little cooler. Walked through some vineyards where the harvesting had begun in earnest. Had the crack with some of the pickers and then went to see the grapes being pressed. Still walking alone but I dont mind I talk to everyone and only some think I am mad!
I booked a place in Vega de Vellacare for the 26th but when I got there I did not like the place at all,so I picked up my Mocilla and moved on to the next village and then the next village and then the next village. By the time I got to Los Herrieras I was so tired I didnt care where I slept. I met an Irish guy by the name of Ger Devine just for a minute before I spotted an Alberge there.

Photos

Sept.21 from Murias de Richivaldo

Hi Gang,
I really dont know what the problem is in some areas for posting to the blog,but this one seems to be OK.
Yesterday I skipped a couple of stages so that I could meet up with Catherine and Marie and finish together. I had walked 2 days through an area they call the desert but correctly named the Maseta. Nothing but Cornfields and very flat,so quite boring..it was a little weird cos all you could see was the horizon in front of you and it played tricks on my eyes like a mirage effect...I was glad to skip the remaining stages of that one.
I went through the city of Leon,not much to see really,just like any other city. I stayed in a brilliant Alberge in a small village about 7 clicks beyond Leon. This was really nice and the couple running it were fab. They had met on the Camino some years ago and eventually opened their own Alberge. Food was home cooked kind of vegetarian,gorgeous.
Today I have walked 20 klms. starting the uphill climb through the Montes the Leon to Cruz de Ferro,Iron Cross,yes youve guessed it,it is a big Iron Cross on top of the mountain.. This is the highest mountain yet and the place where you lay the stone you brought from home. Jordanna gave me mine.
The prayer one says is as follows
Lord,may this stone,a symbol of my efforts on the pligrimage that I lay at the foot of the cross of the Saviour,one day weigh the balance in favour of my good deeds,when the deeds of my life are judged.
If I had known this prayer before I left I would have brought a bigger stone.LOL
The weather is really hot especially in the afternoon, so I try to get any climbing done early in the morning and have started to restrict myself to 20 klms a day because I was running into difficulty with the gammy leg when I went over that. But I should make it OK to Sarria where I plan to meet C and M. Girls dont forget your stone and bring some tea bags.
Ok thats all for now,except to say thanks for all the comments guys. I did send some photos to Anna,but I dont know if she has posted anywhere.
Lots of Love
Jo

Hello Everyone Still here but unable to post. All going well in Fromista with a lot of hard walking ahead. Jo

Sept.14 half way to Burgos

Well we climbed Montes de Oca and I must be getting used to this climbing as it was not as bad as anticipated,perhaps because we climbed half of it yesterday. We stayed over in a fab hotel which had an Alberge (hostel) at the back,called San Anton in Villafranche. It was very nice as we took a room with just two beds and bath.We could actually dispense with the sleeping bags and get in between two crispy clean sheets...it was heaven..
 Most times we sleep in rooms with varying number of beds. It is not pretty and can be quite noisy with organic sounds going on all night. In bed by 9 pm, all settled by 10 and at two thirty am the throng all seem to need to use the bath room at the same time. So if you can get back to sleep by 3.30 am you are lucky. Then up at six to start getting ready to walk.
Today on the way to San Juan de Ortega we passed through a lot of forest,then out onto a scene reminiscent of one of Van Gogh´s Sun Flower paintings. Fields and Fields of sunflowers......Gorgeous!
We are heading to a city called Burgos tomorrow,a gruelling 25 klms walk through not so pretty landscape. Then we take a break in Burgos..one whole day of not walking......yahoo!
ok thats all for now,will get back soon.
J.A.

From Azofra halfway to Santo Domingo

It´s hard to know exactly where we are but I do know that we have walked over 200 clicks,which from this end does not seem that much compared to the finished mileage. But I can only take it one step at a time. Today I walked through lots of Vineyards and tasted lots of grapes along the way. Sometimes it might be 10 clicks before you meet a town and those walks can be hard. Its amazing to see the mountains and landscapes change as you walk,it seems we are always surrounded by the mountains. There are some glorious sights seeing the cloud formations and mist falling on them. It does the heart good. A fantastic feeling when you begin a climb and look up to see where you are going and then looking back to see where you came from,it gives me a great sense of achievement. Listening to my ACIM tapes keeps me occupied as I walk and distracts me from the pain which kicks in around the 10 K mark. I have come to have a long break at this stage when I can.
I am travelling with a few people,Celanie from Canada, Denise from Australia living in Shang Hai and Teresa from Westmeath. They are a nice bunch and know to leave me alone when I put in my earphones. We give each other space along the route which is the way we all want it. I can have the crack with Teresa who would walk for Ireland is as fit as a fiddle and is 67 and looks 47!
Today I felt a bit home sick I am missing my kids,grandchild and family,my friends and of course missy,but I know it will pass. A funny thing happened yesterday as we went through the city of Logrono. The way signs dissappeared and because I was going slowly at that stage the girls lost track of me. They were panicking a little bit but I just got out the compass on my phone and headed west towards Santaigo the finish point and eventually found the waysigns and the girls again. But it was strange entering the city,it seemed that the noise of the city was really loud and the buildings claustrophobic,I couldnt wait to get back out to the country and the big open skies. It was a strange feeling but nice as well.
Well its off to Santo Domingo tomorro. Will write then.
Yours as always
Julie

Sept 7 from Los Arcos

Hi Everyone, Now where do I start, OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!OH MY GOD,  Why didnt someone stop me!!!!! I hurt all over!!!
All of the guidebooks tell us that the terain is reasonably flat, but my feet and ankles know that they are lying through their teeth!!!
I have not written in three days but I cannot tell you which mountain I have climbed or which one caused more problems than the others because they have all melted into each other. Apart from the pain,this is a really good experience and I heartily recommend it to all my enemies!!!
The walking has started to become automatic and can be quite enjoyable at times. I usually start around 6am to avoid the sun if there is climbing involved which there usually is. I wear a minors light to guide the way and there is something about being alone and in the darkness which allows time for the mind to think,which is a nice way to start the day. The only thing is the bugs are attracted to the light and this can be a pain.I got bitten on the ear and now have  a thick ear which resembles a small flotation device at the side of my head!
The scenery is just glorious at times and today we experienced our first thunder storm which walking in the mountains. It was thrilling and scary to be out in it.!
We were walking through a vineyard, it was huge, Texas Style big. Nearing the end of the days journey,it was getting difficult to put one foot in front of the other.When out of one of the fields rode four horses with riders of course,obviously workers of the vineyard, for some reason we all started clapping and whooping at this distraction as they passed. They thought this was great fun and went off galloping through the field. Go Figure? Todays mountain was a 2 in my grading system and I was gratefull for that. My feet hurt because of the walking and yesterdays mountain was a double 1 and my ankle still hurts from that. The guide book said it was 22 clicks but was actually 29. Food and water is now the most important things in my life. I will be decluttering big time when I get home.
BFN
Talk Soon
Julie Andrews (AKA.Jo Baker)
Anna and Nuala,I got your messages,Thanks, Jo

Last nights Blog again(Sorry)

Well today Tuesday,I hobbled into Pampalona....in one piece. I found a way of sending on my pack to the next stopover,which meant I only had to carry the bare essentials, Water etc... Since most of the walking buddies had gone ahead I spent a lot of this stage walking alone. It was up yet another couple of mountains,and this time there was very little shade from the 33 degrees sun! It was tough going,again with the downhill difficulty, tomorrow the mountain is quite high with a vertical descent on the other side. I think I might carry up a tobaggon so I can skid down that slope. In fact I am going to stay here in Pampalona for another night to prepare. The place I am staying in is cool,it is one of those japanese pod type hostels,I will try to post a photo. And just in case you are wondering I am not the only one suffering,this place is like a geriatric home we are all having difficulty handling the four stairs leading to the pods!!! Catherine and Marie take note; train on Bray head or more accurately Croagh Patrick,forget about walking jaunts, thats the easy part.
I have developed a rather fetching gait to help me as I go along. I call it the Papillon gait. Its the description of Papillons journey through the forest with his Indian friend who showed him how to run over long distance,at least thats what I was thinking about as I was going over the second mountain. Well thats all for now. Yours Truly
Julie Andrews!!!!!!!

Grading the pain!!!!!!!

Hi Everyone, There seems to be a problem with posting directly on the page here for some reason I have to reply to a post. So far I have not been able to post my photos either yet but will keep trying.
This morning I was so glad I decided to stay here another night to give the legs a rest ánd prepare for the next stage of the journey..I think I will grade the stages so I dont have to keep describing the pain...lets see- number 3 is moderate aches and pains you would get after a 10 walk/run (mini marathon) if you werent training or a walk up Bray head.....2 is equivalent to having a rest after finishing the first 10k,then starting again immediately with resulting stiffness cramps and soreness but still with reasonable mobility and able to climb stairs....and 1 is all of the above in addition to pain in ankles and instep from the use of muscles you only used occasionally before this resulting in great difficulty getting up and down stairs for about 10 hours after stopping!!!!
I am still awaiting the point where all of the focus on the physical side stops and the focus turns inwards. Tomorrow I go to Puente la Reina.The mountain I go over is called Alto del Perdon-Mountain of Forgivness, I might be stopping there awhile to kick start this process,seems as good a place as any!
I already left a stone on top of the first and the highest for Dad,I think he would have liked that. The spot looked out over the Pyrenes as we left them and forward to Santiago. Ok Mags I hear you, I have started without knowing!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok Talk later
Julie A              

Hi Everyone,
Well at last I arived somewhere I can post to the blog. I am under pressure though as there is someone waiting to use the computer.
This last three days has seen me climb and descend about 6 mountains. The first was the hardest and I nearly gave up not long after starting. But I pushed on and reached my destination for that day. I dont have time to post pictures,but I will. It is an amazing experience walking and climbing,when thats all you can think about..well actually putting one foot in front of the other is all I can think of sometimes. We climb in all sorts of weather and while it might be warm,even early in the morning when starting you can find yourself in the freezing mist when you reach the top of the mountain. I nearly got lost in the mist,just once mind you,but knew I had gone wrong and turned back.
Coming down the mountain is the worst,especially with the gammy leg. I was so bad today that when I got to the last mountain which had a sheer drop nearly, on the descent into the town we were going to, I just physically could not do it.....so I got a taxi for the remaining 4 KLMS...but that was after been up and down three other mountains today alone.
I will try to write more often..tomorrow I walk to Pamplona 20 Kilometres from where we are..
Talk soon
Jo