8 August Puebla de Sanabria to Lubian

Well the first full day has been fun and now I am in lubian where there is very much a siesta feeling. I think I have missed a wave of pilgrims although there is one pack in the albergue (minus owner currently). 2 cyclists left lubian albergue this morning and the only people at the hostel last night were 4 Spanish cyclists who I saw again this morning at requejo. But as there is only one bathroom at lubian albergue it might be a good thing it is quiet! The walk here was lovely - not brilliantly signed but sufficiently. I was tempted to stay on the N525 and almost missed the church at Torroso. That would have been a shame. The heat is intense but my straw hat is protecting my face and neck from most of it and is priceless as it let's heat through. Also priceless is ibuprofen gel as my knee is playing up again. So the only thing I wish I had brought this morning are my thin gloves! The menu del dia was lovely. I had melon and ham, fried chicken and salad, and finally torte st Jacques and coffee. Yummy. I only drank the one glass of wine or I wouldn't have found my way back to the albergue - and it is a maze trust me!  

Menu del dia in lubian

It is a good job I have arrived as the menu del dia comes with a whole bottle of wine. And Olympics too.

Sunrise at terroso

I happened to be at this most beautiful church when the Sun rose at 7.30

Terroso at 7.40

Well I have been walking for 2 hours and the Sun finally rose at about 7.30. Now I hope my fingers can thaw out ! The road from puebla is poorly signed but the n 252 is very quiet and after about 5 km there are a sudden plethora of Camino signs so I knew I was on the right track. It was really very cold this morning.

Pueblo de sanabria

Well I am on the Camino now. Caza de Luz is clean and organised and the ladies toilets is amazing. It costs 10 euros and doors close at 11 p.m. there is free wi-fi if you are very patient. The town is beautiful and I am listening to the Beatles with a beer.  An early start tomorrow is called for. There are 3 other people at the hostel but I haven't met them yet.

The first Amarillo flecha

Sent from my HTC One S on O2

Zamora train station

I have just pulled into Zamora train station so will be looking for yellow arrows until I get to Puebla de Sanabria in about 1 hour. Spanish trains are excellent.

Leaving Madrid 7 August

Well chamartin station is all very well but I am glad to be on my way now. The train is wonderful and I am by a window so happy. I had a bit of an energy slump earlier and think I might lay off the Spanish coffee! Perhaps one a day is all my metabolism can deal with. I have had 3 this morning... The air temp is 29 deg C. I think Spain won a prize in the Olympic synchronized swimming; there was some excitement at the station earlier. I am glad it isn't all Team GB!

Just having a really great first (of many I hope!) Cafe con leche in a little bar near the hotel. The forecast is very purple but at the moment the streets are cool and beckoning. I finally feel as if I am on holiday. This is the last travel day before the serious walking begins and I am quite looking forward to having a purpose. More later.

Monday night in Madrid

Well I am in Spain and it is 11 p.m. and 27 degrees c. The forecast is for darned hot weather this week so I will have to walk in the dark to 'beat the heat'... It is wonderful to be here although Madrid is huge. I have been speaking some very dubious Spanish and worrying as usual about whether I need to leave a tip or not... Tomorrow I will get the train from chamartin to puebla de sanabria and then the fun really begins!

St James, patron saint of pilgrims, in the doom painting.

Doom painting in st Thomas's church Salisbury

The service at the cathedral was very inspiring. Afterwards I went to st Thomas's church which has a really beautiful doom painting

Saying a prayer

So I have just walked from home to Salisbury cathedral and am going to see if they will stamp my compostela. I doubt they will give me a bun... I am going to attend the service too. The weather is glorious and the pack feels light so I'm off to a good start.

6 august Salisbury

Sent from my HTC One S on O2

Lunch in the new forest on 5 august 2012

Using the "face" camera after a breakfast of bacon, eggs, onion and tomatoes. Yumm! Now I need to go for a long walk to burn the calories. Well that can be arranged ..

Walking in the New Forest on 5th August

After about 7 miles and ready for breakfast!

We decided to go for a final leg stretch in the New Forest and took bacon, eggs, pre-fried onions and cooked tomatoes with us. Then we found a quiet patch and I fired up the Vargo Hexagonal Stove and trangier (meths burner) which make a great lightweight and effective combination for outdoors cooking.

Andrew was the chef and we had the most gorgeous breakfast washed down with coffee and a small glass of red wine.

There were dried bananas and cherries to follow. All in all it was a wonderful day and the sun shone on us brightly.

T minus one!!

This is the last day before I set off to walk from Puebla De S to Finisterrs and I think everything within my control is ready.
Last night we watched our Olympic athletes run, jump and throw things to glory and I was both humbled and inspired. Their hard work and perseverance paid off and I hope mine will in a more modest way.

My only worry is that the weather forecast even in northern Spain and Galicia seems extremely hot to me next week. I know I shouldn't complain and that "there is no such thing as the wrong sort of weather, only the wrong sort of clothing"....

However, struggling over mountains in temperatures of 34 Deg C isn't going to be easy!

My only other dilemma concerns how I am going to get to Salisbury Train station in the morning, a huge distance of about 8 km/5 miles. Of course I should walk, but if it is raining the prospect of walking by our beautiful Salisbury industrial estate on the A36 before a long journey on plane, train, bus and taxi to Madrid, might not be the best start to the day. I don't want to get sweaty before I leave the country!!

However if the weather is sunny I will definiately attach my scallop shell to my pack and begin the adventure with pride and a spring in my step as Bilbo Baggins would have done.

Sent from my HTC One S on O2

A good omen.?

I just had supper with my husband at our local (The THree Crowns, Alderbury, Wiltshire) and he saw this arrow reflected by sunlight streaming in through the window in his beer glass. It made a good photo and I thought it might be a good sign for my camino.

Sent from my HTC One S on O2

The weigh-in! August 3rd

The final weight of all the kit minus water. Hmmmm.. Too heavy by far!

This was the day I had been dreading - the weigh in.

The kit laid out

So the first photo shows all the kit I was planning to take (minus the waterproofs)

And now the kit packed into smaller bags...

Smaller bags to sub-divide the kit up

The Osprey - will it give me wings!!

And this is what it looks like all packed up to go...

A bit more about the Via de la Plata

In April 2012 I walked from Seville to Merida with my husband Andrew.
The weather was extremely cold to start with (I wore buff and gloves until lunchtime the first 3 days), and then absolutely scorchio (35 Deg C) at the end.

We saw lots of beautiful almond trees and cork oaks, harvested for their corky bark.

Beautiful red young cork oak bark



There were also many animals including pigs



Black pigs to make chorizo from



It was very rustic and we met very few other people.



We kept bumping into a lovely German/French couple who had met a few years previously while walking the Camino Frances. Both of them were walking after the loss of their partners, and had met each other while on their own Camino. Karl-Heinz (the German) was a youthful 73 and still lived in his house in Germany. Maris-Claire was 67 (?) going in 21 and still lived 400 miles away from Karl in her own house in France. They were both learning each others' language and were the most lovely sweet couple. We spent a few nights sharing a room in albergues with them and got to know them quite well.

Whatever time we got up and left the alberge, we would be sure to bump into "The Germans" before too long.

There was also Stuart from Northern Ireland and Steve from Texas.

Still getting to grips with the blogging process after a long period of inactivity and a new phone unlike any other I have owned...

Anyway, my husband took this photo of me on July 28th near Ashley Walk car park in the New Forest.
We had intended a 15 mile walk but I have been overdoing it a bit so we just did 8 miles in the end! But it was a lovely day and we saw ponies, foals, cattle, calves, deer, butterflies galore and very few people.

Via de la Plata - pre-departure notes.

Well I havefinally bitten the bullet and managed to work out how to write a blog of my trip to the Via de la Plata.
I depart from home (Wiltshire in the south of England) on 6th August, and should return home late on the 24th August - assuming my dear husband will pick me up from Bristol airport.

In that time I will have walked approx 230 miles (over 13 days) from Pueblo de Sanabria to Finisterre, via Santiago de Compostela and Muxia.

I suspect my 'Blog' will consist mainly of photos from my HTC phone with brief explanations of where I am, but if I can get to grips with the technology I will endeavour to say more about the heat, accommodation, and any other experiences worth sharing!!

Andrew and I walked from Seville to Merida in April of this year, and I have been training hard and also trying to learn Spanish. So I consider myself fairly well prepared.
We will see how it pans out!!

Attached is a picture of me looking foolish with 2 buffs on my legs (after some serious sunburn and chafing)

This picture shows me and Andrew relaxing in a bar near Zadra after walking many kilometres.

Getting nervous about the flight to Madrid on 6 August

Sent from my HTC One S on O2

Sent from my HTC One S on O2

Phil monk and Alex with their torches

Sent from my HTC One S on O2

Sent from my HTC One S on O2

Trying to upate from my HTC Phone!!

This is a test to see if this blog still works on my PC. If do I know the HTCis the problems!!!

treyr

Glastonbury 10th March 2012

Men and women dressed as fairies.
Innumerable singing birds on the Somerset levels
Glastonbury Tor in the mist
History and insanity all around us
Running water in the Chalice Gardens
A plethora of healing remedies. each more bizarre than the one before
Lunacy and mythology joined together into a kind of wholesome logic
I felt at home in Glastonbury and so did my husband.
Bizarre

Saturday 25th February

I must write a short account of my Half Term Adventures. I spent a week in the West of Ireland, climbing some mountains, going to some ceilis, and visiting old friends. In the process I met some new friends and sang with them. It was my idea of heaven.

Portmagee at sunset

I started off in Portmagee, County Kerry, where I stayed in a completely deserted hostel and then walked round Bray Head in the next morning. The weather was stunning.

This picture was taken on the way from Portmagee to Bray Head, looking back towards the mountains that consist of Carrauntoohill among others, the highest mountain in Ireland.

Looking back from Bray Head at the Skelligs

Danny Allen with his son Aengus and nephew Andrew. One happy family.

The last outdoors dancing stage for set dancers was built here in 1939. It just looked like a cracked concrete lane but was lovely to see. I wished there had been 7 other people there to make up the set!

 The green house where Freda and Bobby Allen lived in Toormore, near Goleen, County Cork. Iwas terrified that it had been painted some dready shade of magnolia. Thankfully it remained green and was inhabited by John Allen, son of the above. The buoys still hung from the trees. Some things don't change in Cork south-west.

The tunnels at the Cork and Kerry border in between Kenmare and Glengarriff. I could drive this road forever.

The cairn at the top of Barraboy Mountain, county Kerry

Cheryl O' Suilleabhean, author of "Seesaws and Rainbows Part 1 - England" with her old friends Rachel. Her house was colourful and her strulberry jam superb. Thanks Cheryl!!

The best thing about ireland is the unexpected people you meet. I had a cup of tea in a bar near Rathkeal (in the Sliabh Liucra region) and could have moved in there for life. There was a sing-song at about 11.30 in the morning. Only in Ireland. 

A chance meeting with an old friend - Noel Burke - after meeting his lovely wife Nina at a Sean Nos workshop in the Abbey Hotel, Ballyvourney. But then wonderful things have always happened in Ballyvourney. Locals would blame St Gobnet of course. I went and said a few quiet prayers myself while I was there.

Goodby Aggie McCarthy. Your friendship and generosity will never be forgotten. Even though you aren't named, a relative told me you were buried in this grave in Glengarriff with your husband Timothy. I hope you are dancing at crossroads and cycling round together as you often described to me.

An ogham stone

Part of a mass walk (when the Catholics were being persecuted and had to practice their religion in secret)

Slainte for now Ireland.