EPILOGUE

Hi folks it has been a while since I have posted anything on my blog but I needed to process the Pilgrimage i partook in my head and also to heal my poor suffering feet after all the abuse I gave them pounding the many kilometres that I walked to Santiago, 1000ks in all!. I realised that nothing can prepare the body and mind to walk the Camino De Santiago in all its length, almost everyone that I met along the way seemed to be suffering from the effects of blisters callouses and sores on their feet, I also developed the painful condition of something i later found out was plantar fasciitis, or policeman’s flat feet!. Many people I chatted with also seemed to be suffering from painful Tendonitis in their knees and ankles and were trying to manage the pain each day whilst they were walking. On the many plus side of things I found that the peace I found myself in, walking on my own every day was priceless mind expanding and simply amazing. Some days I would be walking for many hours in such a state of harmony and peace with only with the sounds of nature surrounding me, and because I was walking slowly I noticed almost every very acute detail along the path, ranging from the odd wild strawberry growing in a little pocket of sunshine, to watching many numerous birds of prey soaring high above me in the sky. Another great thing about walking along the Camino is the comradeship felt with the many other Pilgrims all walking and heading towards the common goal of Santiago De Compostella, I feel that we are all connected in some way towards getting there and everyone I meet collectively helps each other out emotionally and spiritually even if they don’t realise that they are doing this, I can now understand how so many pilgrims come along, or are drawn to come this ancient pathway. Most of the Albergies I stayed at whilst walking to Santiago were modern, comfortable and very welcoming, most with good facilities and many of the hospitaleras running them went out of their way to make the many pilgrim’s feel comfy and at home when they arrived after a tiresome days walk. The only complaint I have about the albergies is that all of them are making huge profits from the pilgrims that pass through each day and then not reinvesting the profits into the albergies so one can simply not help the feeling of being a cash cow. The other thing that I noticed whilst walking along was that a lot of the pilgrims had huge rucksacks on their backs filled with who knows what!, this seemed to reflect the amount of baggage they carried in their minds too, as the ones i met that carried little seemed more at peace, one comes to realise as one walks that not too much is needed in material things to survive, all we really need in life is good suitable clothing for the climate were in, good food, and clean water, and a comfy place to sleep at night, that’s all, anything else is all material wants not needs!. I tried many ways of managing the many blisters and a corn I suffered with, at the end of each day I would thread cotton onto a sterilised needle and then pierce the blister with it leaving the cotton hanging out of each end allowing the blister to drain overnight I also rubbed alcohol onto the other parts of my feet that didn’t have the blisters, and I would then give my feet a good massage. I then found that the blisters reappeared by the end of the next days walk so the very same process was then repeated again. May i say i hope you have enjoyed reading this blog in its entirety. Since returning to the UK I have had many ideas running around in my head as to what adventures I should embark on in the near future, I am always open to suggestions from anyone that manages to enjoy reading my posts on here. I am currently focusing on manifesting monetary abundance so any donations are gratefully received, hit the donate button on the right of this page.

Leon to Villar de Mazarife

29th March 2012, 22k or 32,114 steps on my stepometer Leon to Villar de Mazarife.I spent what felt like forever trying to get to sleep last night I ended up reading and finishing the book I started to read on the train to Leon white fang by Jack London and probably drifted off around 2am I then woke up just after 6:30 when everyone in the albergie was packing their bags to leave, breakfast was bread and jam and coffee,I needed the coffee more than the food and I got out at about 7:30 it was still dark outside as I headed towards the cathedral and then the outskirts of the city I was wearing my jacket as it was 4 degrees about 7k into the walk the path veers off the road and heads into open countryside I stop in a few bars along the way for refreshments and arrive at my destination for the day at 4pm I have a few blisters from today's walk to lance and I have a room to myself tonight and I keep my fingers crossed and prey that I sleep well.

journeying

Hi everyone, here's what I've been up too since my last blog of to be continued a while back...... I had many factors on the decisions I made over the time spent on contemplation of my pilgrimage up until and whilst staying in the city of Leon, so here goes in my explanation of firstly the lessons I learn't and then what I decided to do next, I hope you all enjoy. Firstly I realized I had damaged both of my feet by overworking my ligaments that ran across both arches,I also had a couple of bad blisters and a very sore corn on my little toe,and couldn't see the point of carrying on walking towards Santiago in excruciating pain as the Camino will always be here. Secondly up until this point of my pilgrimage in the middle of the winter, the weather I encountered was somewhat harsh exposed to the elements but probably no different to any other winter on the Camino, I found the trail quite solitary at many times along its route which was great for inner exploration but not so good for the fact many albergies were shut after a long cold days walk, and others that said on my guide sheet that they would be open ,clearly were not when I arrived so I would then have to trek sometimes maybe another 10k to find somewhere to rest for the night which in irony was what did the damage to my feet. I then took the decision to head back to the UK and heal my body by getting a train to Madrid then a plane out of Spain. As I write this blog my rucksack is sitting next me here at home packed and almost ready to go,I have ordered and I'm just waiting for delivery a new pair of walking poles, and also lightened my loads a bit by streamlining the innards of my backpack slightly.I have been going to the gym for extended periods since coming back and doing extensive cardiovascular and weights training to improve my general stamina and strength,I have bought a great guide book a pilgrims guide to the Camino by a author called John Brierley,the maps in this guide are great and it also lists the lengths of each stage and also gives readers comprehensive information in many other ways. Although as mentioned earlier my backpack is packed and ready I have decided to go back and finish the pilgrimage in April because by then all the albergies along the way hopefully will be open,and I will have an entirely different experience meeting other pilgrims,hopefully the weather may be a bit kinder to me too. I have now put out to the universe to raise the very appreciated and needed cash to carry on this adventure and exploration, firstly to the city of Santiago then onto the coast at Muxia, then who knows where the wind will take me,as it's really not the destination that's important, it's the glory of the ride along the way. I will keep posting my thoughts and plans on here over the coming weeks, so please keep on popping back or subscribe to this post and you will receive a notification by email when I do. All donations to my cause humbly and gratefully received.

logrono to najera.

Logrono to Najera 40,231 stepometer
Had a weird night's sleep last night even though I was the only pilgrim staying the night, I woke up three times from vivid dreams so much for the new bed I was in and the beautiful peace around me.
It was the three kings festival yesterday and I seemed to be the only one out and walking the streets apart from the street cleaners who obviously had their work well cut out today with loads of revelers rubbish just strewn everywhere.the temperature was cold and it was raining and the wind was coming at me from the front which made walking interesting to say the least,on the outskirts of the town I met three pilgrims mesong,kim,and Richard, two from Korea and one Richard from Holland.we all walk together to Navarrete 13ks away where the sun came out briefly and we sat out of the wind in the town and ate lunch.we all declined going into the albergie there and walked onto ventosa another 4ks where our list said that the albergie was open,but when we arrived it was shut!!
We had a coffee in the local bar got a pilgrim stamp then as it was now 3pm and we still had another 12ks till the next town called Najera we quickly walked onwards,so a lesson learnt that it's worth ringing ahead this time of year as many that say there open clearly are not,I should have stopped in Navarette when I had the chance,along the way I see many birds of prey and a few rainbows in the sky,and fields and fields of grape vines and I could see for many miles around me,in Najera I had to walk into the centre of town and cross the river with many trout swimming in it's crystal waters and turn left and walk along the bank for another 1/2k before reaching the albergie.I have decided to ditch my tin of dubbing my bivvi bag and a bag of wipes that i had to lighten my load,the poncho has been disregardedand my pack now feels soooo much lighter.I decided this as my rucksack has a cover and my gore tex jacket and trousers suffice and the fact Richard has travelled from Rotterdam with a very small pack with just his sleeping bag in, a book toothbrush, deodorant,and his journal book,he gets water along the way and when he needs to wash his clothes he does it as he's going along,fair play.Kim seems to have the world on his shoulders and in his pack,so just shows we all carry different amounts toward's Santiago.mesong has the biggest blisters I have ever seen on the soles of her feet bless her she's very brave,we both must have looked like a couple of pigeons waddling into Najera.
I know I'm gonna sleep well tonight!!.
Good night :)