Brutal monotony in Force 8 winds.

We set off on our 17.5 k trek with no habitation or stops on a straight, monotonous and very exposed track which lasted 4 hours. There was a severe head wind all the way which battered us constantly and which did not let up. This was a time for heads down and just keep going and resist the thought of giving up. The following day we had an icy cold wind which still blew constantly and had a very demoralising effect. We were very glad to reach our bed!

As nothing hugely dramatic is happening we thought we would tell you what it is like to be a pilgrim.

We arrive at the refugio usually around 4pm, pay our 5 euros and get our credentials stamped. This must be stamped every evening to qualify for the certificate in Santiago. We then find a bed,amongst many bunk beds, sometimes up to 60 in one room.We lay out our sleeping bags and silk liner and go and have a shower,etc., paying special attention to our feet. After that we have dinner,a special pilgrim menu for 10 euros. We also have to do our washing and then find a radiator to dry it on. Failing to do this limits the opportunity for friendship! 7.30 to 8.30 pm, most people are in bed trying to sleep. However during the night the noises start, moaning, snoring, howling and much more. At 6am you wake up in the dark and with your torch your gather all your possessions and creep out of the room to pack for the day. A quick bathroom visit and it is "lock and load" and you are off. The first thing we look for are the yellow arrows which we then follow out of the village and into the countryside. These arrows are placed strategically so that we may follow them to the next village. This however is much more difficult in a city where they are on bins, pavements and trees. Having bought our lunch of bread cheese, meats, etc., the night before, our first stop is for coffee at a village bar, usually with stickies. At around lunch time, it the sun is shining we will have a picnic,very enjoyable if we are in the mountains and it is very remote. However at the moment it is bleak and remote and we are happy just to get out of the wind to eat our food.

More mountains are imminent, where snow, sleet and rain is the norm. Tomorrow we are still on the Meseta,so probably more of the same hostile weather and monotonous paths.

Two pensioners on the front line of the Camino

Gales, rain, hailstorms and horror on the Meseta

We left our comfortable hotel after one night of rest to rejoin the Camino at the beginning of the Meseta, a high exposed plateau, with little cover. It all started out well and then the wind started, non-stop all day, with ferocious intensity, coupled with rain and stinging hailstones. We made our way to Hornillos along wide muddy tracks. This area is very remote, flat with some undulating hills and mainly arable farmland. As usual we seemed to be the only people on the track, perhaps as we were overtaken at the start of the day by the few pilgrims on the route. We then quite ridiculously decided to climb up to 1000 metres in midafternoon and descend a steep decline and trek a further four hours, by which time we were well and truly past our sell-by date.

We checked into the first refugio we came to, something that reminded us of "Psycho" and ths was to be very prophetic. We entered a room of 8 bunkbeds and found two sick Italian girls and a strange looking woman, all in black, curled up in the corner. There also was a strange looking man hanging about outside. As we went to sleep this man came into the room and went to sleep fully clothed and he appeared to belong to her although not much was said. Suddenly at 2 in the morning we were awoken by all the lights going on and this woman lighting a cigarette and rearranging her clothes, apparently unaware that she was causing distress to the sleepers. I told her to stop smoking but hung back as an incident would not be a good idea in Spain. She then, every hour, woke up again, muttered things and was smoking in her bed and she then began to rearrange all her clothes again. He, meanwhile, made strange noises all night and we thought he was having a fit. She appeared to me to be having a nervous breakdown. Marion, unknown to me, was mentally practising aikido moves in case of strangleholds! We packed up and left a 5.30, whilst it was pitch dark only to find a padlock on the gate and it appeared we were locked in on a Sunday morning. Furious banging on the shutters had no effect. We were getting very cold at this time at 6.30 until Marion decided to check the gate again only to find it was not locked after all and we made a hasty retreat from an empty "Village of the Damned".

We arrived at Fromista, home of the most beautiful Romanesque church in the world and checked into a pension. We had the most delicious dinner, so far, of Mediterranean vegetables.

Tomorrow we are still on the Meseta, heading towards a 17k streatch with no habitation or supplies.

Two pensioners

Storms, gales and no room at the inn

We were welcomed at the posh hotel and shown into a vast dining room where we were the only guests. The owner looked after us with a wonderful meal. We spent a pleasant evening dining and talking to him before retiring to our wonderful refugio. More on pilgrim life tomorrow.

The following morning we set off up the steep climb into the Montes de Oca. A gruelling, lung bursting episode. Then 12 kilometres through the forest without seeing a single wolf or bandit apart from wonderful wildlife. We planned to stay the night at Ages but felt confident enough to move on to the next village. And then it started,high up in the hills - ferocious winds and torrential rain. Not so good as the evening is drawing to an end and we were unsure where we were. We sighted the small village of Villaval where we were to pick up the key for the refuge at the next village, at the house next to the church. However the church was burnt down and no sign of life anywhere. We noted another refuge atthe next village. After repeated knocking at a bar we were told it opens "manana". We are now very wet and cold and move on to the next village where we are told the refuge at the village after this is also closed. However the patron says there are two hotels at Villafria some 6 kilometres away. By now it is getting dark and this is our last shot before we get the storm shelter out for the night!

After a manic hike, with really sore feet, by the side of a motorway we saw the most wonderful sign in the sky - HOTEL, still half an hour walk away. When we arrived we opted for the hostel next door which had a great atmosphere full of Spanish eating, drinking and smoking. We had another minor miracle -an english speaking pirate lookalike who took to us and organised our room. We collapsed in bed, feet aching and completely exhausted. We covered over 20 miles, non stop, up and down in 11 and a half hours.

The following morning we were served wonderful coffee,croissants and eggs and bacon, after which, still the worse for wear, we caught the bus into Burgos and booked into a semi-posh hotel. We are now leaving for dinner opposite and hope tomorrow will be better.

Two pensioners

Miracle on the Camino

For those that believe in miracles, read on. For those that don´t skip this bit. Yesterday we arrived at Viloria de Rioja late in the afternoon, Marion was exhausted and at breaking point and could go no further. I left her sitting on a bench and went in search of the albergue. Having found it it appeared deserted, however I banged on the door and the owner answered only to say it was closed and he was leaving in 5 minutes. I asked him if the albergue in the next village was open and he said no. This meant a 9 kilometer trek which in Marion´condition was impossible. He then said he would take us to the next albergue as he was leaving in the next 5 minutes. We accepted his offer and arrived thankfully and had a beer in the sun.

The following morning Marion felt much better and we set off for a half day trek after sending back more clothes to lighten Marion´s rucsack.

This morning´s walk was so peaceful with no other peregrinos in sight. The countryside was green valleys with little medeival villages a few kilometres apart where we stopped for coffee and sat in the sun beside ancient churches that have stood for hundreds of years. The village of Tosantos dates back to 950, at which time pilgrims were passing through. This connection with the past is intensified as there is little movement or sign of life in the villages we passed through.

As we walk between the hilltop villages we are surrounded by vast open spaces which gives us a sense of isolation and lightheadedness, almost an olympian view of life.

Tomorrow we climb up into the Montes de Oca and this leads onto one of the most difficult stretches of the Camino. In medeival times wolves and bandits, in the dense forest, threatened defenceless pilgrims. We have now stocked with meats, cheeses, cakes and bread for our journey as there is no habitation through the forest.

We are now closing in on Burgos, a historic city with a massive Gothic cathedral where we shall take a cultural break to refresh our souls.

We have now covered 150 miles and are going out to dinner at a posh hotel although we are not sure if the receptionist was trying to tell us we are not dressed properly!

Two pensioners

Thirst, starvation and pain!

Hola! Yesterday on our way to Santo Domingo de la Calzada we missed lunch. Then arriving at Santo Domingo on Sunday, found nowhere to eat dinner. However the albergue was excellent as was the amazing cathedral which we have not the superlatives in our vocabulary to describe. We awoke early as usual and left the albergue at 7.30am and failed to find breakfast. However at 10.30 in a hilltop village we discovered amazing coffee and a wonderful baker, bought some cheese and meats and had a wonderful meal in the hills under the sun.

The two pensioners

Ambling across Spain

All other peregrinos have now passed us. We are alone in the wilds of Spain with only the wildlife for company. Spring is arriving now. The almond blossom is out and we are deep in the wine producing region of Rioja. The best wine we have ever tasted. All thoughts of home and normal life have now vanished. We are in the moment, at one with our surroundings and quietly aware of moving in time and space towards Santiago. Our first coffee in the morning 2 hours from the refugio is unbelievably gorgeous and we look forward to it for 2 hours!

We have the pilgrim menu every evening in a restaurant for approximately 10 euros consisting of all local dishes. As we write we are in a hill top village overlooking the vineyards having a sticky or two before moving on to our next refugio.

Surreally this morning we sang the Camino song with the host of the refugio who is French and 75. It does not get stranger than that´.

Our next stop in Najera.

Two pensioners

Estella

Great time last night in Estella. 20 of us went out for dinner including 2 America friends, Yvonne, a federal marshall, and Jane, a "top-gun" pilot for the US navy, now working for the Pentagon.

We set off this morning for Los Arcos across, stunning hill and mountain scenery, with eagles soaring above and larks singing. The sun was blazing hot and the sky was clear blue. We covered 14 miles on wide tracks thst seemed to go on forever. The blossoms are now coming out as we leave the snowy mountains.

We had a wonderful dinner again this evening and are staying in a very nice Albergue with an Austrian flavour. Breakfast is at 7.30 tomorrow and a possible 30km to look forward to and steeper terrain. Marion is in severe pain and wishes it would all go away, however St.James is encouraging her along.

Two pensioners

Found a computer at last!

Hello everybody, We crossed the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles from St.Jean arriving around 6.30pm. It was freezing cold, severe uphill trekking through snow and ice for about 9 hours. The monestry was very interesting, we all slept in dormitories, leaving at 7am. We are losing track of time, having now covered 75 miles on foot, 15 miles a day. We are making lots of Camino friends of all nationalities and there is great comeraderie between all of us. At around 9.30am we stop for fresh coffee and breakfast. Ham, cheese, bread and olives for lunch. The refugios are clean and modern with excellent facilities. We are now at Estella which you can see on the Camino map. We left Pamplona 2 days ago, what a beautiful city. All the hill-top villages we pass through have been immaculately restored and look like film sets. The walking is severe to hard. Much wine flows and the occaisional brandy. Sadly we cannot put pictures on untill we return.

Jonathon, you would love this walk, We are sure it is harder than Everest base camp. Are you doing a blog for Everest?

Two pensioners

Oh, and another thing...

Another photo from last weekend.

It is snowing huge amounts on the mountain route we want to do and the pass hass been closed so we will have to go along the road which is a huge disappointment for us. We were really looking forward to it.

Two pensioners training in the Peaks

Last weekend we went training in the Peak District, centred in Buxton, which is an amazing place, we have never been there before. Really would like to go again. We were with a really interesting group of people, great company. Our leader, Terry Crosby, is very smart and very helpful and we learnt such a lot about what to do and also a lot about ourselves - mainly that we think we can actually do this!

Here are some photos of our weekend.

Aikido success before the trek

Last Thursday Anthony reached orange belt grade in Aikido. With thanks to Sensei Neal, 3rd Dan, (on right), Sensei Paul, black belt with Hakima and Sensei Ingvar, black belt (not in Picture), for all their help and encouragement this last year.

Adventures we prepared earlier!

Before leaving for the Camino we thought you might like to see a few pictures of previous escapades. Friday week we fly to Biarritz and catch the train to St.Jean, where we stay overnight and leave for Roncesvalles via the Route Napolean. Sadly the Auberge at Orisson is closed for the winter and we will have to cross over in one go, 10 hours continuous walking. This Friday we travel to Buxton, Derbyshire, for a 2 day training session, which should flag up any "leaks". All kit has now been bought, as weight is a major factor, only essentials are carried.

We are both apprehensive and excited as 6 weeks continuous trekking, leaving behind all day to day anchors has a liberating effect. As we are leaving so early we do not expect to encounter too many other pilgrims until Easter. This only enhances the remoteness and vulnerability of the route. Although we heard bears and wolves inhabit the remoter parts of the Pyrenees we are more at risk from angry dogs!