On 11th September 2017 I set off on my first Camino, from Porto to Santiago de Compostela, via the Portuguese Coastal Route to Caminha, then inland to Valenca and the Central Way from Tui to Santiago; 240 kms along one of the most amazing journeys of my life.
Portugal was fantastic and I enjoyed the most wonderful weather and scenery along the whole route. My favourite towns were Vila do Conde, Caminha and Valenca, then the delightful Padron in Spain and of course the 2 cities: Porto and Santiago (both UNESCO World Heritage Sites).
I was very lucky to witness the swinging of the botafumeiro at the Santiago de Compostela cathedral on the night after I arrived. It was a phenomenal sight with hundreds of pilgrims gathered in the cathedral to give thanks for a safe journey and to witness this amazing event.
Apparently the botafumeiro is swung every Friday evening at mass and at other times/days if someone pays to have it swung. It’s not a given at every service. I can however recommend attending the pilgrim service even if, like me, you are not religious. It’s a beautiful building that resonates with the history of the aeons, of the prayers of the thousands if not millions of pilgrims who have humbly knelt there for religious reasons, and filled with the gratitude of pilgrims who are quite simply happy to have arrived safe and in one piece…and even some who have not….blisters being the most common ailment.
What a superb image. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the RAF, and in just 24 days, thanks to my incredible, amazing daughter, I’ll be flying in one of these gorgeous machines celebrating my 63rd birthday 😊😊😊 (altho I’d appreciate it if you don’t tell anyone how ‘old’ I am 😁). Talking of which, I’ve decided to switch the numbers around and make it 36!! 🤣🤣🤣 Age is but a number after all 🤔
image cut out from The Daily Express newspaper. I’ll have to keep this in my diary 🙂
So wow, Spitfires eh. Aren’t they just beautiful. My favourite flying machine ahead of the Red Arrows. I can’t wait now to fly over the White Cliffs of Dover, I’m going to be a tearful mess 🙄🙄 Hope the pilot can cope!! I’m reminded of the Battle of Britain Airshow last year at Headcorn. What a joy to watch these superb little craft flypast
The Supermarine Spitfire P FX seen at the Battle of Britain Airshow at Headcorn 08/07/2017
I remember seeing this advertised at the entrance and thinking how much I would love to have a flight….and now I will be…in just 24 days whoo hoo. Although the flight my daughter has paid for is well over 10 times more than the one advertised here, and I’ll be flying from Biggin Hill not Headcorn.
The Spitfire Flight Experience at Headcorn. Although I’ll be flying from Biggin Hill which is just awesome
I was a tad disappointed with the various news coverage and programmes celebrating the 100th anniversary, since none of them mentioned the esteemed South African Statesman Jan Smuts, who was after all responsible for the founding of the RAF. So I’m mentioning it here. Hats off to one of my heroes. You are remembered. If you’re interested to read more about the founding father of the RAF, here’s the link to the relevant article
Following up on my post from a couple of days ago, these are a few more of my favourite villages in England. The Channel 4 programme, Village of the Year is absolutely fascinating. I shall have to watch them again…get some more ideas of places to go – as if I don’t already have a list longer than I could do in 2 lifetimes…but hey, I might live to be 100….LOL
East Grinstead, West Sussex
Farnham, Surrey
Kennett, Suffolk
Kennett – Domesday Book village
Kentford, Suffolk
Lavenham, Suffolk
Lavenham – Domesday Book village
Lower Bourne, Surrey
Marston Magna, Somerset
Midhurst, Sussex
Midhurst had it all….a castle, a mill, a river, and quintessentially English cottages
Moulton, Suffolk
Newton-Ferrers, Devon
Newton-Ferrers is probably in my Top Ten favourite village of England. It was so gorgeous and the views of the river were stunning. At night it was quiet and peaceful with skies so black and stars so bright, you can’t imagine.
I’ve been following Channel 4’s Village of the Year. There’s been some fantastic places so far, many of which I’ve followed up with the hashtags on instagram and added to my saved folder for villages; future travels….plenty of places, not enough time.
Watching the programme has reminded me of some of the stunning villages I’ve visited in the last 10 years.
When I launched Project 101 proper, I discovered that many of the villages I’ve visited in the past are Domesday Book villages which has been really exciting.
Of the many many places I’ve been, these are some of my favourite villages:
Blackford, Somerset
Blackford – Domesday Book village
Braeburn, Kent
Camelot, Somerset
Seriously amazing views from this spot….well worth the climb. Not sure how accurate the tales of this being the location of Camelot, but it’s fabulous if it was.
Castle Cary, Somerset
Castle Cary – Domesday Book village
Cawsands/Kingsands, Cornwall
Charlton Hawthorne, Somerset
Chippenham, Somerset
Chippenham – Domesday Book village
Compton Paucefoot, Somerset
Corton Denham, Somerset
Cottenham, Cambridgeshire
Cottenham – Domesday Book village
These are just 10 of my favourite villages…..more to follow shortly. Unfortunately I’m unable to review many of the other places I’ve been since the hard-drive that UPS lost is still….lost!!! Grrr.
Perhaps I should suggest they fund the costs of returning to those places….dream on LOL
I recently wrote about the upcoming and impending pilgrimage along The Pilgrim’s Way from Winchester to Canterbury that I’m planning for summer/autumn 2018.
Well, now it’s getting real 🙂 I received my Pilgrim’s Passport in the mail today!! Hoorahh! Well actually my daughter opened the envelope for me since I’m still up in the north east of Wales, and sent me photos of it. The marvels of technology….whatsapp; geniiius 🙂
The Pilgrim’s Way – how gorgeous is this passport
OMG I can’t tell you how exciting it all is. I love the planning stages; finding places to stay, reading information about the route and receiving the passport is definitely high on the scale of excitement levels …
I’m really excited about having this passport filled with stamps along the way. I remember how fantastic it was to get my Camino passport stamped at the various places I stayed, the restaurants I ate at, and the many churches I visited….thrilling.
my Camino Passport and Compostela in Santiago
In fact I’m so yearning to do another long distance walk I’m seriously contemplating walking the 1st half of The Pilgrim’s Way in April and then the 2nd half before I fly to Spain for the Camino Inglés. 🙂
Can I do a happy dance? All on my own! Do you think anyone would find me certifiably insane LOL
I’ve visited Winchester Cathedral a number of times in the past and of course I’ve visited Canterbury Cathedral quite a lot too, but now that I have my pilgrim’s passport, I can’t wait to go visit again.
Winchester is a fascinating city. Besides that it was once a walled city and you can still see some of the medieval walls and gates, there’s King Alfred’s walk around the city, the 13th century Great Hall with a replica of the Round Table; from the mythological tales of King Arthur and the Knight’s of the Round Table, an old mill, a medieval pilgrim’s chapel above one of the gates and so much else besides…. I’m planning on staying for 2 nights and giving myself a whole day of exploring a city I truly love.
My very first visit to Winchester was in 2002 shortly after I first started living in the UK. My visit was in honour of the song: Winchester Cathedral, one of the popular songs from my teenage years, so if course it was high on my list of places to go.
31 Days of Gratitude and today I’m grateful for reading; the ability to read.
Being able to read is a huge privilege and an incredible practical ability. Although it’s something we tend to take for granted, millions of people are unable to read.
Besides the lack of opportunity to learn how to read, physical disabilities can affect our ability eg dyslexia. “Britain has up to eight million adults who are functionally illiterate. The World Literacy Foundation said one in five of the UK population are so poor at reading and writing they struggle to read a medicine label or use a chequebook”.
Can you imagine that? Reading is such a fundamental function that we use every day. We grow up learning to read and it opens up opportunities we tend to take for granted without a second thought. What if we never had the privilege or ability to learn to read.
Could we apply for a job? Would we be able to write a job application? Would we be able to function in a work place where reading is fundamental to the job?
I was lucky enough to learn to read and write from a very young age. I’ve always loved books; a real bookworm growing up I spent every spare minute with my nose buried in a book….transported to different worlds. A voracious reader I went through school books like water through a sieve. My teachers had a hard time keeping me supplied and I went through the curriculum selection in no time at all.
Going to The Chapel, and we’re…… having hot chocolate with oodles of cream. 🙂 The Chapel is a quirky bar/coffee/book shop. It’s actually a bar with hundreds of books that line the walls, from floor to ceiling in some places, where you can relax with a drink and read a book…you can also buy the books which is super cool.
Fundamental to reading is a good cup of tea and a packet of biscuits….my ideal day.
As a child my absolute favourite books were the Secret Seven or Famous Five books by Enid Blyton. Anne of Green Gables was a huge favourite and so many others. My Mother used to buy me comics every week when I was about 5 years old…I waited with anticipation for the latest to fall through the letter box. I loved all the fairy stories and the Brothers Grimm stories were read again and again. I remember in my teens and 20’s literally reading through the night and finishing a book a night. I used to read at least 2 – 3 books a week; spy thrillers, WW2 stories, conspiracy theory stories, love stories, historical novels, the list of my likes went on and on.
These are some of my latest reads as well as my fantastic collection of books about London. I adore London and love to read about her secrets and history.
lettile beach bakery
one of my favourite authors
my London books
These days I don’t read hardcover books so much since most of my time is now spent writing, but I still read a lot via the internet – articles on travel – namely walks around the UK and the various Caminos in Spain. I read a lot about health and finance, as well as the occasional gossip column LOL Ergo, most of my day is spent in reading or writing.
Besides loving books, I love the English language; it’s such a rich repository of wonderful words that we’re able to play around with creating pictures using descriptive words to create an image or a story.
Alongside of reading comes writing. To be able to write is as much a privilege as reading. I can’t imagine not being able to read and write; it’s fundamental to my day to day life. My whole working life has involved reading and writing and even today in my current career reading and writing is a necessary ability. I’ve written poems, a short story and 3 London books, one of which is a travel guide.
Absolutely thrilled to finally see the finished product! My book arrived a few days ago … but I…. only got home last night 😉 The quality of the print is superb, I’m well impressed with Blurb. I used only my own photos in the book and coz I’m not a professional photographer I was concerned the images might not transfer well to print, but I’m pleased to say they look amazing. I’m like ‘are those my photos?’ LOL. So, the next step is to amend the few errors I found (despite repeated checking before printing) and then I’ll be able to upload it to the internet. Excited!! #Blurb #books #selfpublishing #London #3DaysInLondon
I had a blind friend once who lost his sight when he was a young boy. He had to learn braille and over the years he managed to obtain a computer on which he could write using braille. He worked in the office of the Courier company I was working for and held down a most fundamental role in the company. But it was always a challenge for him.
If I was unable to read and write I wouldn’t have been able to take up most of the opportunities I’ve had in the past and certainly currently. My blog is a vip part of my day and besides sharing my stories, I’m able to follow the stories of those that I identify with. I’ve been able to follow walkers on the Camino, learn about health benefits and latest research. I’m able to follow articles on finance and learn about trends like Bitcoin and Litecoin…which I might add are bloody exciting.
I taught my daughter to read at a very early age and one of my most endearing and enduring memories of her childhood are the nights when I would read her bedtime stories. One of our favourite books (I still have the relevant book) was The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. An absolute favourite I would read two or three chapters, following the faerie characters on their many adventures. I would also invariably fall asleep…something that happens a lot these days too when I read a book LOL 2 -3 pages and I’m asleep. Another favourite book was The Neverending Story….still a favourite and I hope to read these two books to my grandchildren one day.
One of the hardest of my possessions to give up when I packed up in South Africa was my books. I had to leave hundreds behind. But sadly I don’t have the space for them. I did keep many of the favourites though. One book I have is The Water Babies. An old book that belonged to my father as a boy….it’s a treasured item.
So today I am grateful for reading and alongside of that I’m grateful I can write. There are millions who cannot and I can’t imagine how debilitating and hindering that must be.
31 Days of Gratitude and today I’m grateful for Opportunity.
Once again it seems I am drawn to something that is non-tangible and today it’s opportunity aka luck. There are hundreds of quotes linked to opportunity and much discussion on the subject of opportunity or lack thereof. Described as “an occasion or situation that makes it possible to do something that you want to do or have to do, or the possibility of doing something”
It may seem quite an odd thing to write about, but I consider myself to be incredibly lucky with all the opportunities I have had in my life. I remember once many years ago, a company I was working for promoted me to Regional Personnel and Admin Manager. Prior to that I had been employed by the company in the position of Debtors Clerk. One of the ladies that had worked with the company for some years, a lot longer than myself got really shirty and on hearing about the promotion said “some of us are so lucky”. Well, luck is just hard work and taking the opportunity to do more than you are paid for. I may have started as a debtors clerk but due to my insatiable desire for learning I set about learning as much about the processes and systems of the company as possible. I investigated, and instigated systems and procedures to improve upon what was already being done. It saved the company a lot of money; ergo the promotion. But it was only because I took the ‘opportunity’ to learn and improve, not only myself but the company too that I got ‘lucky’.
It’s about perception.
On the negative side:
I took the opportunity to leave a very unhappy home life by getting married at 17.
I took the opportunity to get a divorce before I was even 21 even though being alone scared the hell out of me.
I took the opportunity to leave a destructive relationship even though he pursued me with threats of death.
I often look back on my life and see the ‘forks in the road’, the ‘opportunities’ that have come my way. Some I have acted on, others I have ignored. Invariably there are outcomes; both good and bad.
I took the opportunity to buy a house even though I really couldn’t afford it – we made a plan with a lot of sacrifices.
I took the opportunity to move to Cape Town when a good job offer came up.
I took the opportunity to go back to college in my mid 40’s and get a Distinction in Credit Management.
I took the opportunity to travel to Ireland for my sister’s 30th birthday after the company I was working for closed down.
I took the opportunity to apply for my British Citizenship.
I took the opportunity to travel as much as possible rather than have my own rented apartment.
I didn’t take the opportunity to buy Bitcoin when it was $2 a coin LOL – but cést la vie.
I think the point is that so often opportunities arise and because we are distracted, disbelieving, uncertain and afraid, we tend to not recognise an opportunity when it arises.
I’m grateful for the opportunities that I have had. The chance to live in the UK being one of the biggest I could ever have imagined. These days I am far more aware of the opportunities that come my way and endeavour to make the most of them. My job is the perfect example. I could stick within my ‘comfort zone’; have a home of my own with all the comforts that brings and only take jobs that are close to home, or I could take the opportunity that jobs in different parts of the country offer and travel to places I could never even begin to imagine, even though it is sometimes very uncomfortable.
As a result of the opportunities I have had to travel, I’ve started Project 101 and this is taking me to many more fascinating places in the UK and Europe, the most recent of course being the Camino I walked in September.
scenes from Camino 2017
That has been an absolute highlight of my life, so today, as I reflect on all the wonderful, amazing and extraordinary places I have been and the thousands of awesome, stunning and incredible things I have seen in the last year, then yes……
Today I am grateful for the many opportunities that have been gifted to me.
31 Days of Gratitude and today I’m grateful for cats.
I love cats, I always have. From my earliest childhood memories, it’s always been cats for me. Despite that most of our early years were filled with dogs of all shapes, sizes, breeds and colours; Satan our Alsatian, Jasper our Cocker Spaniel, the 3 Pepe’s our Dachshunds aka sausage dogs, Blackie our mixed breed and many many others inbetween….for me it was always cats.
When my daughter was growing up we had pets of varying shapes, sizes and species; goldfish, hamsters, rats, dogs and cats. We once had 3 Maltese Poodles and 3 cats, a goldfish and a hamster. Then slowly but surely we finally ended up with just cats….
When I bought our house in Cape Town I never imagined we would end up with 5 cats at once. It was an unspoken rumour in the neighbourhood that I was the ‘cat lady’. If there was a stray or a lost cat I would have people at my door telling me they had found this or that stray and would I take it in!!! Obviously I couldn’t take them all but a number found their way into our home and hearts by design and stealth.
We moved to the Cape from the Transvaal in 1994 and took along 2 cats and 3 dogs. The dogs eventually moved house but the cats stayed. In time the number fluctuated; some died others arrived.
Misty – aka Kitty, a beautiful grey Russian Blue, rescued by my sister as a 4 week old kitten along with her sister and hand fed till 8 weeks and then given to my daughter as a gift. She was one of the most chilled and relaxed cats you could imagine. Nothing fazed her and being the matriarch it was up to her to welcome the future members into the family bosom. She never fussed about anything, and as each new member arrived, she would look them over and go back to sleep.
Sascha – a gorgeous tortoiseshell we bought at a pet shop. She cost ZAR 5.00 (less than £0.05 in today’s money). I remember my daughter pleading if we could have her, and me saying oh she’s only R5!!! Well that little girl cost me more than any of the others…she had one mishap after the other and plenty of vets visits. I took her to work with me for the first few weeks…needless to say not much work got done. After we moved into our house in Summer Greens she disappeared one day. We never did find her. 😦
Gizmo – a little black rescue cat with ears that were bigger than her head, saved as a kitten from some horror that was swinging her around in a plastic bag. She adored my daughter and disliked me LOL Whenever a new cat moved in she would flounce up the staircase having a hissy fit as she went, and sit there hissing her opinion. She never quite got the hang of welcoming any new members to the family. Unfortunately in time she had to be put to sleep as she developed a salivary virus that was attacking her system and after months on steroids we had no choice; her kidneys were failing. Poor baby.
Shanwa – my daughter’s little boy. Also a rescue cat he came to us at much the same time as Gizmo although he had a slightly better start that Gizmo. A stunning white and ginger cat, the two of them looked adorable together. He soon surpassed Giz in beauty and stature and grew into a stunning boy. He also adored my daughter but seldom got a look in with Ms Jealousy Gizmo. But he was chilled and just loved being with us. Sadly run over one night by a car racing through the neighbourhood, we heard the thump and when he dragged himself through the window we knew he was in trouble. A desperate race to the emergency vet late at night was to no avail. My daughter held him in the back of the car and actually felt his soul leave his body and pass through hers. A sad goodbye
Felix – one winter’s day as I started the engine of my car a long skeletal cat covered in sores and almost no hair slunk out from under the car…virtually unable to walk he staggered. I stopped the car and put out some food and water for him. This went on a few days, so I started feeding him regularly and as soon as he was able to trust me I put him in the car and took him to the vet. It appears he had been abandoned after his previous owners left the neighbourhood GRRRR. He stayed at the vet for nearly 2 weeks, they bathed, neutered and treated him. When he came home his hair was tough and harsh, the sores on his skin healing. Within months he had filled out and his hair grew soft and thick; the most beautiful ginger boy you could imagine. I adored him. He used to lie on my body, stretched out he tipped my knees to my head. A beauty.
Daisy – I remember one summer evening I was cooking supper and this beautiful little black and white regal princess came tentatively in through the back door. She walked through to the lounge and stationed herself under a high stool, sitting upright and still like sphinx for about 15 minutes or so and then she left. This went on for a few days and then she brought the family : 2 little kittens. She had been sussing out the place to see if it was suitable for her babies. They were quite big so one of our neighbours offered to take one and we kept…
Tinkerbell – the cutest fluffiest ball of fur you can imagine. She was adorable. Unfortunately the vet made an error when determining her age, despite my comments to the contrary, and before long she along with Mummy was pregnant. Obviously she was way too young to have babies so we had to have her spayed 😦 Poor baby. But she rallied and grew into a most gorgeous girl. Mummy went on with her pregnancy, but it was too soon after the first litter and one weekend she ended up delivering 5 tiny little scraps…virtually hairless and with see-through skin and unable to suckle. Emergency visit to the vet on the weekend and R3,000-00 later we took Mummy home without the babies…they all died. To our absolute distress. But she rallied and before long, now spayed she recovered. They were the closest two cats I have ever known and stuck together like velcro. If you were looking for one, you found them both.
Then there was Patches who crept into our lives one Christmas Eve. I found him sleeping on our laundry. An adorable little boy we loved him to bits. Sadly when he was still but a kitten who loved to lie in the sun, our neighbour rode over his head with their car….I can’t tell you how much I hated that man. It nearly broke me picking up that little body. We buried him in our backyard.
The last of our every changing menagerie before we left the country to come live in the UK was a family of 5; Misty, Gizmo, Felix, Daisy and Tinkerbell. At the time I wasn’t sure how long I was going to be in the UK, so a friend of mine took them in as boarders, but as it turned out I relocated and they were so settled by then that she kept 4 of them…except poor little Gizmo.
We used to go visit them all whenever we went back to South Africa and it broke my heart to leave them behind.
Now 16 years later we have our Elsie. A fabulously fluffy gorgeous little Miss. A rescue cat who had been very badly treated before being rescued, my daughter adopted her 2 years ago. She is a beauty and adores my daughter. She tolerates me LOL. Mind you I hardly ever see her, travelling as I do, so whenever I walk through the door, she’s like ” who are you again?” But if my daughter is not around, my lap does suffice. So long as I don’t hug, kiss or cuddle her. A bit of stroking is fine but not too much. Elsie is the most photographed cat in the world. Hahahaha.
Our Elsie
At my current assignment I have the joy of looking after a gorgeous wee tiger of a boy; Charlie. Just a kitten, he is a mix of something or other and just stole my heart. I’ve been very bad and let him sleep on my bed. We have loads of fun in the morning and I have the bites and scratches to show for it. Being a yearling he is still feisty as hell and goes from sweet and loving to wild and crazy. I often remind him that it’s not really a good idea to bite the hand that feeds him. But I love him to bits. I shall have to acquire him in time LOL
Charlie
So yes, cats. They are absolutely the most amazing creatures and I am so grateful for the opportunities I have had to have these beautiful souls in my life.
Today I am grateful for cats and the love of an animal.
31 Days of Gratitude and today I am grateful for the opportunity I had to walk the Camino in September of this year.
It was touch and go. I was meant to walk it in 2016, but due to one thing and another; namely fear, fitness and money, I cancelled. I hadn’t actually paid anything out yet which was fortunate, but I had had my heart set on walking in September 2016. I decided instead to walk in 2017.
I had been training for about 6 months at the time I decided to cancel and also due to procrastination I hadn’t book any flights or accommodation. I had bought some hiking gear and thought I’d be ready to go……but firstly, during my research, I had read about the tragic story of Denise Thiem who was murdered on the French Route, as well as many other people who died from either accidents, heart failure or fell off mountains etc. It put the wind up my sails…or should I say reading those reports deflated my sails.
Portugues caravel
I had never before considered that people actually died on the Camino!!! I was horrified. Why, I’m not sure. Secondly I didn’t yet feel fit enough. I decided not to go.
Anyway, long story short (if possible) I planned instead for 2017. I felt so much more comfortable with that.
And on 7th September 2017 I landed in the city of Porto, Portugal on the first day of my big #MyEuropeanAdventure 😉 I had always wanted to visit Porto and now that I’m working on Project 101, the fact that Porto Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site was very exciting. Of course, not satisfied with just one WHS, while in Porto I visited Coimbra which was also on my list of places I always wanted to visit AND a UNESCO WHS. Bravo. 2 birds with one stone etc etc
I cracked on with the training and by the time I left for Porto I had over 800 miles under my belt, a new pair of trainers, more gear and a brand new backpack….my beautiful Osprey Tempest 30 Mystic Magenta aka Pepe – and as it turns out, despite my care to not over pack, loaded with way too much stuff LOL
my trusty companions; Pepe (backpack) and Gemini (Nordic walking poles) – after 230 kms – the final 10.166 km to Santiago
But oh my word…the excitement on the day I left the UK and arrived in Portugal was exhilarating. I was finally on my way… Camino 2017.
I spent a wonderful 3.5 days exploring Porto, with a day trip to Coimbra, and walked the first section of the Caminho Português from the Sé Catedral to Foz do Duoro, a walk that I absolutely loved, and met my first bona vide pilgrim; Jasmine from Colorado, USA.
The weather was perfect, the city was fascinating, I felt a sense of freedom that I seldom encounter in my day life, and 240 kms of the unknown lay ahead of me…..excited beyond words.
On the day I walked to Foz do Duoro I received some of the best advice that I had heard/read in all the blogs, articles and guides I had perused so thoroughly and carefully; “keep the ocean on your left and head north”.
Keep the ocean on your left and head north…
That little gem was communicated to me by a delightful young man at the Tourist Information Centre when I asked him about reaching Matasinhos from Foz do Duoro, and served me well all the way from Porto to Caminha.
I had just about the best time you could imagine on my Camino, despite the pain, the exhaustion, the occasional frisson of fear or taking the wrong route, the sense of freedom was so exhilarating that once I finally reached Santiago de Compostela 11 days later, I didn’t want it to end. If I had had sufficient funds in my account I would have just travelled to the beginning of the next route and walked that too LOL
For some weeks after returning from my Camino, I struggled to put into words what it was that was incredible about this walk – besides, the fantastic scenery, the amazing people, the extraordinary scenery, the stunning churches, the wonderful landscape and the sheer exhilaration of reaching Santiago. It was the essence of simplicity.
Your day is stripped bare; reduced to 3 essential functions; walk, eat, sleep – repeat.
Walk. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. – I saw this on Facebook…. 🙂
For 11 days. That is all. You find the route to walk along and follow the arrows. You look out for places where you can eat and replenish your system. You look ahead for a place to sleep for the night. Nothing else matters much. Simplicity.
Of course that doesn’t for one second take away from the other experiences along The Way; the joy at finding a longgggg stretch of beautiful boardwalk ahead of you. The fun of meeting fellow pilgrims along the route.
Agata & Jakob – Poland
Stumbling across a centuries old chapel. Seeing your first horreo. Meeting your Camino Angel.
My Camino Angel; Susana – Portugal
A Super Bock after 4 hours of walking in blazing sunshine and temperatures in excess of 36 degrees C.
Super Bock
The sheer pleasure of eating a Magnum Double Raspberry. Of seeing the endless ocean on your left for hour after hour. Walking across a bridge built by the Romans. The amazing discoveries; a 999-arch aqueduct, an exquisite sunrise an equally extravagant sunset.
exquisite sunrise
Finding your Camino eyes. Recognising the Signs Along The Way. The excitement of discovering and recognising places that till that moment had only been an image in a book, on a facebook page, in a guide.
exciting discoveries
Discovering you are walking along an ancient route; Via Romana XIX, a Roman Road from the time of Augustus (63BC-14AD).
Via Romana XIX
Climbing a mountain. Crossing streams and rivers. Exploring cities hitherto unknown. The sheer joy of acquiring your first and then one after the other; your pilgrim stamps in your treasured Pilgrim’s Passport. And at journey’s end, the culmination of miles and miles of walking, sweating, talking, crying, pain and joy, you reach Santiago de Compostela. You receive your ‘Compostela’
My Pilgrim’s Passport, the Compostela and Certificate of Completion
and watch the swinging of the Botafumeiro – the famous thurible found in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.
the swinging of the Botafumeira in the Cathedral of Santiago
Today I am grateful for having had the opportunity to walk the Caminho Português.
Hot on the heels of remembering my Mother on what would have been her birthday, yesterday. “I wasn’t there that morning my father passed away“…….Today I’m reminded of my Father who died 2 years ago.
For many years, probably decades in fact, I had a really fractious relationship with my Father and as yet I find it difficult to mourn for someone that left home when I was just 5 years old and my little sister just 2.
Of course while growing up he was my idol, I adored him and cried many desperate tears when he left after a visit. But in time he moved on, remarried and then the visits became less frequent, birthdays missed and behaviour criticised. The first 8 years weren’t too bad, we saw him on holidays and due to 2nd his marriage acquired a new brother, the same age as me.
But as the years went by, the criticisms grew more frequent and the disappointment began to show, and so the relationship deteriorated. I grew up and wanted to get married, he refused to give me away and I never forgave him for that. He went on to have another son, divorced that wife and married again, having 2 new daughters.
He only ever wanted sons. I got that. But I never got that despite that he didn’t raise me, he still felt it was his place to criticise me and find fault. I spent many years trying to please my father, to no avail. When I was in my 30’s I was promoted to Regional Personnel and Admin Manager for a large Courier Company in South Africa with 5 branches countrywide and the Head Office…..his response “are you sure you can manage that?”. I gave up.
After that I didn’t seek his approval. Time moved on, we grew up, I got older and eventually I moved to the UK. A relationship that was tenuous at best, was further strained by distance. Years went by without any much contact and the last time I remember really talking to him was on my 60th birthday 2 years ago. That was such a surprise, but time, as time proved, was running out. There was to be no opportunity to repair the relationship. C’est la vie.
One of my favourite songs that I love listening to is ‘The Living Years’ by Mike & The Mechanics. I remember how, when I first heard this song, how much it resonated. It reminded me of the relationship I had with my father…or lack thereof.
And so the years go by and although a sense of regret lingers, I feel no pain and no loss, but I think of him every time I hear this song….That’s good. I hope.
The Pilgrim’s Way – how gorgeous is this passport
my Camino Passport and Compostela in Santiago
Not Just a Granny 
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