One week before I leave!

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It’s exactly a week until Jennifer and I hop on a plane and fly off to Santiago.

Where has the time gone?

I’m not nearly as prepared physically as I was this time last year.

Last year I walked the Camino Frances, leaving St. Jean Pied de Port on April 10th. This year I’ll be walking the Portuguese Camino, leaving Porto on April 8th – pretty damn close to a year later.

This time last year I was doing 35km walks with a 12kg backpack. If I tried the same thing now, I’d require a MediVac.

I notice my body is doing what it did this time last year. This time last year it spat the dummy. It said WHAAAAA – I DON’T WANNA GO.

It did this by giving me toothache, giving me pain in my knee (presciently), giving me a chest cold (I NEVER get colds) and generally making me feel lethargic and unmotivated.

This year it’s tooth issues again, my knee is twinging again, I feel on the verge of pneumonia or some form of ailment that will require ICU, and I’m generally lethargic and unmotivated.

My body once again is trying to tell me it doesn’t want to walk long distances. It would prefer to sit in front of the telly and watch the Twenty20 World Cup. (cricket) Actually, I’m mistaken. It would prefer to lie in front of the telly and watch the World Cup. With Jennifer feeding me twisties into my slack-jawed open mouth, like a slave feeding grapes to a sprawling Roman emperor.

But that’s not going to happen, for a bunch of reasons.

Firstly, Jennifer would probably swap the twisties for pellets of rat poison. And secondly, I’m leading a tour. I can’t wimp out. I have to do this walk. I have responsibilities. I can’t not turn up. As weak and pathetic and unprepared as I am, I have to be a leader.

Actually, it’s going to be a lot of fun. And I get to meet some people who I’ve become good mates with through this blog. I get to meet them in the flesh. That will be really cool. And I get to spend time with some people I only met very briefly last year on the Camino Frances. That will be wonderful too.

I have some issues.

What am I going to do with my cameras? I want to take two cameras, and I also want to carry my full backpack – so I have to figure out a way that I can do that and not have my knee collapse on me.

I’m running these photo tutorials and I know nothing about photography. These people will discover I’m a fraud. What worries me more though is that they’ll take better photos than me. Which is very likely. I would hate that. More than you would know. I would sulk. I would subsume my anger. I would catch a bus to Rome.

Then there’s the biggest issue of all.

I’m walking with my wife.

I stroll around the block with my wife, but I’ve never walked a long distance with her. We have different biological rhythms. She sleeps in, I get up early. She requires ten hours of sleep, I require five. She sees beauty in flowers, I see beauty in decay and decrepitude. She’s nice, I’m a dick.

She doesn’t care what sort of boots she wears. I’ve gone through ten pairs to get just the right kind for my special feet. She doesn’t know or care what Goretex is. That horrifies me. She could walk halfway across Europe in an Aldi plastic bag. And it wouldn’t bother her. Me? I can’t step outside unless I have Goretex underwear.

These are some of the issues I’m struggling with at the moment.

Oh well, I think I’ll just go take a walk. A nice long walk. Then again, there’s a World Cup game on at the moment on the telly…

Goretex

83 thoughts on “One week before I leave!”

      • Hi Lynda – in fact the book on photography is underway – and I have started a separate blog on photographing the Camino which isn’t fully public yet – still sorting it out. It’s called PhotoCamino – how to take photos on the Camino. It’s at http://www.photocamino.net if you want to check it out. But as I say, it’s still in its teething stages. I’m very busy at the moment!

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  3. I have the feeling that if Jennifer was not going with you, neither would all these other people – she is the main attraction – but then you know that Bill!

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  4. True to form, Bill. You crack me up. I am so looking forward reading about this adventure on the Portuguese. no hiding it anymore, I am so jealous, what an unpilgrim like thought. 😉

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  5. Mate,

    My sentiments exactly except i have already decided my stuff is taking a clean, dry van ride. Its a day pack for me. Course i’m a wuss.

    Can’t wait to meet you after being connected since April 22nd last year. Long time coming.

    Steve

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    • I’m no wuss and I don’t plan on carrying even a daypack. I’m going with a bum, or as we Americans call them, fanny pack with two water bottles. I see no reason to flog myself when there is a van to carry my stuff.

      As far as the camera, I have an over the shoulder strap for that, so I’m all set.

      I’m looking forward to meeting the group and am sure we will all have the time of our lives.

      Arléné

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      • Arlene, good for you mate! You’ve earned your spurs on your two previous Caminos! In fact, I would suggest you don’t even have to walk at all – Steve’s a weightlifter – he can CARRY YOU all the way! (now THAT would make a great photograph!)

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        • Might be good for a photograph, but I sure feel the need for the Camino beneath my boots. Remember, I’m going back to the Camino Inglés in August – I need to keep hiking so I stay fit.
          Arléné

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  6. Oh, Bill, 7:00 a.m. my time, and you had me laughing so hard tears rolled down my eyes. Thank you for the wonderful start to my weekend. So wish my rehab had gone faster so I could go with you all on this adventure. I will be with you all in spirit. I will anxiously await reports on your journey. Hugs to all. Julie

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  7. Bill,

    You just crack me up!! Had guest at my breakfast table and had to read them your post!! They didn’t laugh half as hard as I did but they haven’t been following you for almost a year and know your sense of humor!!

    I am so looking forward to following you, Steve, Arlene and the rest of your group starting next week! Holy Moly!! 🙂

    Debbie

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    • Debbie, it’s clearly obvious your friends do not have a sense of humour, and on that basis, you should delete them from your Facebook account. 🙂

      Glad you enjoyed the post. And yes, it’s not long now before we get into it!

      Bill

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      • Debbie – in re-reading my comment above, I was trying to be funny but maybe it didn’t come across that way. Humour is contingent on foreknowledge. We laugh as the arrogant man approaches the banana peel – him unknowing, us knowing. We have foreknowledge that he’s going to slip and fall. Humour is cruel. We laugh at other people getting hurt. Why is that? Anyway, just wanted to say I’m sure your friends are really lovely people, and the reason they didn’t laugh is because they have no idea what a deeply flawed individual I am. I’m the arrogant guy walking towards the banana peel…

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      • Hi Lynda – Holy Moly sounds great! Particularly as the gang will be in Santiago over Easter! I really wish I could have joined in the pilgrimage and did give it serious consideration. However, my husband Steve is having a hernia operation on 22 April to remove three hernias which are really giving him some grief, so I need to be here to help him out with his recuperation. I’ve warned him that I want to be on the next one though – hopefully with him joining the gang too!

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  8. Bill, don’t worry, you will be fine. For your special feet, go to the chemist and buy a few pairs of “incrediwear” diabetic socks. They decrease fatigue, increase circulation, reduce swelling and are thermo regulating. Another suggestion is to take some Buderim ginger which will help reduce exercise- induced muscle soreness and it is also incredibly effective against nausea. For your cold, rub Vicks on the bottom of your feet before you go to bed and put socks on. No hints for your teeth except remember your dentist is your friend.

    I hope you, Jennifer and everyone going on your trip stay healthy and safe. I’m very envious and I look forward to the Blog.

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  9. I have longed to walk the walk. I have a genuine love for photography and do a little sometimes interesting myself. I wait for the blogs and news of a trip I would like to travel with and that is interesting people. So Bill I will be watching you. Liz JK

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    • Hey Liz – I’m sure this won’t be the last tour we do. I hope you enjoy the journey from afar – I’m starting to allow myself to get excited now!

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  10. Bill –
    I was just thinking of you and your tour this weekend. I went to see a documentary about the Camino at my local cinema – it’s called Walking the Camino: 6 Ways to Santiago. It was a really lovely movie. I wish I was walking this spring.
    I hope you all have a great trip, and I’m looking forward to reading about it.
    -Meghan

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  11. Another top post Bill ! I concur with everything the gang says! Hey … in your vision of you lying on the couch with Jennifer feeding you Twisties … are they Cheese Twisties? They HAVE to be Cheese Twisties! Yum !

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    • Hi Jen! I was thinking the same and wondering if Twisties are ‘international’ or just peculiarly Australian? Since you’re a fan, Bill, do you know? (and I agree, the chicken version are just sick!). Incidentally, from my long-ago Weight Watchers knowledge, they have hardly any calories, so they were ‘allowed’ if you felt a need to fall off the calorie wagon!! 🙂

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      • Hi Britta – I can demolish a large packet of Twisties in an obscenely short time! They are Australian – I checked. And I’ve never seen them overseas, that’s why I always take a few packets with me. Trouble is, the bags expand on the flight, and they look like puffer fish at the end! But they’re yummy!!

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        • Hey Bill – ‘sounds as though your Twisties are “carry on”, not “checked” ‘luggage’!

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  12. Jenny, there are no other Twisties other than CHEESE Twisties. Chicken Twisties are horrible. And I think it’s cruel to burn little yellow chickens into tiny crunchy pieces. There must be some law against that. I don’t mind cheese being turned into crunchy bits, but not chickens. Hey, and I always take a couple of packets of Twisties away with me when I travel overseas. That and (cliche cliche) Vegemite. Nothing better than having a Vegemite bocadillo!

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    • Absolutely! Cheese twisties are the original and the best! And re vegemite – no self-respecting Aussie leaves Australia without vegemite! It’s the first thing on the packing list for me!
      Will you have room for an Aussie ‘care package’? … Minties, pythons, and musk sticks … does it get any better than that?!

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      • Actually Jenny that’s a really good idea! So what are those things that are uniquely Australian? Are Pythons Australian? Do you not get them anywhere else? What about Iced Vo Vos? And are Minties Aussie? Tim Tams? This is exciting!!!

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        • Hi Bill – ‘glad you like the idea!

          Re the pythons – I’ve never seen them for sale anywhere overseas and I have to confess that I do like to visit lolly/sweet shops – particularly those village sweet shops in England which are really old-fashioned. Perhaps the PGS gang might be able to let us know.

          Re Minties – here’s what Wikipedia says :

          “Minties is a brand of confectionery originating in Australia in 1922 and manufactured in both Australia and New Zealand for their respective markets. They are a hard, white and chewy, square mint-flavoured lolly, which on chewing become so sticky that they are notorious for causing fillings to come out. They were originally packaged in 5lb (around 2.2 kg) bulk tins[1] or 3oz (around 85g) cardboard boxes, but now come in packs ranging from 150g – 1 kg. Minties are wrapped in waxed paper with a cartoon underneath the logo with the common caption “It’s moments like these you need Minties”.
          About 500 million are consumed each year.
          A traditional party game is a competition in tearing the wrapper, which is square when laid flat, into the longest single strip.”

          That competition could be fun after several jugs of Sangria!!!

          I’d steer away from the Tim Tams as they could melt, but the Iced Vo-Vo’s are little winners!

          Maybe everyone could bring along a bag of their favourite lollies/sweets to share around as you all walk – and tell the group why they’re a favourite … ‘could promote some very interesting stories!

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          • Dear Jenny – you make me laugh! I think the idea of an Aussie Care Package is great! Jen and I started coming up with ideas for what to include as well last night. Of course the classic is Cherry Ripes! I looked up Wikipedia on that too, and similar thing – invented (if that’s the word for lollies) in 1922 in Australia.

            Hooly dooly mate!

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          • Hi Bill and Jen –
            ‘Sounds as though there might be a pretty impressive care package starting to happen! Will there be room for Fantales as well?
            When I’m in Colesworth a bit later this week I’ll check out some other possibilities and let you know … for example, a treat for the ‘health conscious’ pilgrim … that Aussie classic “the Summer Roll”!
            Cheers!
            Jenny

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          • Hi Bill – I’ve sent the solution to your Chiko Roll dilemma to you by email ! Now all you need is a stack of Sunnyboys to go with the Chiko Rolls ! … how much per kilo is excess baggage these days?!
            Cheers!
            Jenny

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          • Jenny, that’s hilarious. You are so funny!!! It’s such a shame we didn’t have time to hook up before going. But hopefully we can do so on our return!

            Bill

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          • Cheers Bill !
            Those chiko rolls looked good, didn’t they?! I might have a go at making them for Anzac Day!
            No worries about not catching up – hearing all about the trip once you and Jen are home again will be fantastic.
            Cheers – Jenny

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          • Hey Bill, are Steve and I the only Americanas on the Tour? I can put together a care package of “our old time American original” sweets and treats for the group. Let me know what you think!

            What about Marie the Basque for something unique to France and Basque country?

            Arléné

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  13. Bill, good morning from Holland, I just read your blog about your next Walk, this time together with your wife. My Austrian “camino soul mate” from 2012 (you met her also spring 2013 at the 100 km mark after sarria) let me know you started blogging again. Last year i wrote once on your blog about experiencing a privilege walking the camino. How good to read you go together this time, and i think it is – or at least appears to be – an evitable “next step” for partners trying to keep understanding the other…. The differences between you and your partner and i assume the material examples you give are to describe – maybe – the basic differences between “man and wifë”. You sound like/seem like a welle prepared perfectionist 🙂 but wasn’t it you who wrote last year to let go the rope!? It’s a privilege to walk with your wife this time, whatever it brings. Walking on your own is absolutely different i guess. I look forward hearing about your shared experiences! This Christmas my wife proposed to walk a part of the frances this summer together. On a distance she has felt real close at home (with my three teenage daughters) following me “digitaly” on my walk to fisterra in 2012, and now she wants to do part together. Initially it felt like an interruption /interference to something that was “mine” but now i look forward to it and (like you) do wonder if we get up early enough, if we have similar impressions being in nature, and whether it is still possible to walk absolutely alone for some time or hours…. I’m going to find out and “will have to let go the rope”. My Austrian friend has a similar experience and is also as surprised as excited that her husband this week agreed on walking a part of the Norte before Easter. Through your blog – which i know she reads – i wish her a marvellous new experience. She’s worth it! I wish you and Jennifer a wonderful walk! Enjoy the Camino and all it brings, on your own and together!
    Sebastian

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    • Hi Sebastian, lovely to hear from you! So are you going to be walking with Sigrid this year? She is a serious Camino lady! Do say hello to her for me. Let me know if you do, and if you’ll be keeping a record of it. Would love to follow you guys! Bill

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    • Sebastian, on re-reading your wonderful post here, I stand corrected. I thought you were the husband of Sigrid, but in fact you’re the friend she met on an earlier Camino. She told me about you, and spoke highly of you. I only spent a very short time with her – she had come up through the Camino Via de la Plata and as I understand it, it had been a hard gruelling walk for her. And then she connected to the Camino Frances, where we met – in fact we first met at O Cebreiro, although didn’t chat until much later.

      I know what you mean about walking with a partner or loved one – it’s a mixed blessing. I loved walking on my own last year. It was a very special time. But then again I was also talking to my wife on the phone 3 times a way, so I felt she was with me. This next Camino will be a whole different thing, because we will be leading a tour, and effectively “working,” not walking so much. That said, I will still be carrying a backpack, because as much as possible I do want to do this walk as a pilgrim, as well as a tour leader.

      Thank you for getting in touch – I hope your Camino with your partner works out well. Please stay in touch via this blog. And if Sigrid is reading this – Hey mate! – Hope all is well with you! Are you planning another epic walk?

      Bill

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      • Hi Bill,
        it’s me, Sigrid! It’s fantastic you revived your blog again… first thing in the morning I check on it! 🙂 … and it’s only five more days for you … how exciting!
        Thank you for asking: Yes, everthing is fine and I’m planning another walk – a short one – I have only a week, but I can’t wait to start: Camino del Norte, starting in Irun on April 13th!
        And wonders will never cease: For the first time my husband Roland (not my dear dutch friend Sebastiaan :-)) is joining me!!! 🙂 What a challenge! He is not very fond of walking, he is more like an adventerous mountainbiker/ street biker… so I give him great credit for sharing that with me! 🙂 I booked the flights two days ago, spontaneously, so no preparation work is done yet! But one thing I learned on my 2 caminos: The camino – anyway- brings you what you need! 🙂

        I can’t wait hearing from your experience and I really hope your knee is doing well! So … for a week we both will be on the Iberian Peninsula again… that’s wonderful!
        Take care,
        Sigrid

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        • Dear Sigrid – how wonderful to hear from you again!

          You are indomitable – how many caminos will it be for you? But this time with your husband, it will be a whole different experience. And if it’s not an entirely comfortable experience for either one of you, well then it’s only one week!! 🙂

          So would you be coming into Santiago over Easter? Because my. Wife and I will be there then. In which case it would be wonderful to meet up! Let me know.

          Anyway, great to hear from you, and great also to hear that you’re doing another – ANOTHER – Camino! You are amazing.

          Yes, you take care too – and hope to see you in Santiago.
          Bill

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      • I think those of you lucky enough to share this experience with your mate get a joy that is not available to the rest of us. Just one person’s perspective, having done a little bit of both.

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  14. So, Bill, with all your cinematography experience, are you going to capture all these wonderful, special and unique Camino moments when you in particular, and your group, meet up with pilgrims from other times and walks? You could be flying banners to advertise that I’M BACK!!!, ready to meet up, Twisties at hand, Minties by the bucket-load! How could they resist? 🙂

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  15. Haha – Britta, I find it really hard to film like an amateur – if I’m directing a film, then that’s all I do. I have resolutely refused to use the video functions on these cameras. I just can’t do it. I know what I shoot will be dreadful. Because my mind will be torn in so many directions. It would hurt me to see that. Does that make sense?

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  16. I am so Looking forward to your blog. Will try to find Arlene’s also. My
    love, prayers, and thoughts will be with all of you. My daughter ( I share your blog minus Sis C episodes) with her, suggested I join your tour, but I am too slow. My friend and I stated the Frances route in October but due to time had to fast forward to Sarria from Carrion. We were too slow. From Sarria we took another couples’ advice and took 2 days for every one day on the guide book, it was slower but we enjoyed it more and plan to go back to walk those days we skipped. We are much wiser now, 2 pairs of socks instead of 5.etc,
    Enjoy.
    Connie

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    • Hi Connie – many thanks. The thing about the Camino, you just have to get out there – doesn’t matter how far you walk, or how fast – just getting out there and being with pilgrims and talking Camino talk is incredibly uplifting. We have a van too, for slow walkers… 🙂 I’m a very slow walker myself, in large part because I stop and take photos! Thanks for posting… Bill

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      • Who you kidding? Slow walker? Well, maybe so, but a slow walker that managed to walk 40 kilos in a day as I recall. I call that a power walker. And with a bum knee as well. 🙂

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        • haha – Steve, I just put in long hours each day. Most people would put their feet up at lunch time – I’d go from 6am to 5pm, sometimes longer. But there were days when I averaged only 3kms an hour. That’s slow! (I’ve just come back from my 14km walk (without backpack this time) at an average of 6.1 kms per hour, and that for me is quite swift. )

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          • 6.1 kms per hour!!! That’s almost running. You need to slow down and smell the roses. That 3 km sounds like me on the Camino. We decided to change our training a bit. We dug out ourbicycles. Haven’t ridden them since 1994. Our rear ends are a bit sore but we are working some other leg muscles. I could maybe ride a bike on flat ground 6 kms in an hour. You are superman!! Super pilgrim. Waiting on Amazon to deliver a hard copy of your book. Want to have a permanent copy. Anyone out there that hasn’t read it – should. It is hilarious and insightful.
            Lynda

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          • Hi Lynda – I’ve actually done the 14km walk in 2 hrs – 7km an hour – but then I really WAS flying. I don’t know I could do that again. I did the walk with backpack on Sunday, and averaged 5.2kms/hr, which is more reasonable. But I wanted to do it fast today to stretch into my aerobic fitness. Because Jen and I have a week of scouting before the tour, we won’t be training so much. Thank you also for being such a strong advocate for the book! Very much appreciate it! Bill

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          • Bill, Just got some bad news (tee hee)! Been waiting for my book to arrive today. It was supposed to be delivered by 8PM. Looked at the tracking report and it is in the UPS station 10 miles down the road from me. It says carrier issues and it won’t be delivered until Thursday!!!! I think the carrier must have stopped to read your book and now he is going to act like a pilgrim and walk it over to me. Holy Moly!!
            Lynda

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          • That’s so funny Lynda!! By the way, I was on my walk this morning and I was stopped by this lady who I kind of know – as it turned out she’d read my book and she said she’d been looking out for me because she wanted to tell me how wonderful it was, and what a page turner. She was so gorgeous. She recommended it to her book club evidently…

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          • Maybe that’s why my copy of the book is taking four days to come the last ten miles- he’s stopping to tell each person he meets how wonderful the book is.

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  17. Hi, Bill, et al.
    My wish and prayer is that everyone would have a safe and rewarding journey. Buen Camino to you all and Godspeed. Can’t wait to hear of all your adventures! Please, censor nothing!
    Fran

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    • Fran – your comment about your Canon 5D II somehow got lost in WP – I read it, but can’t find it now to reply to, so I’m replying here…

      Just to say (and these are the kind of things I’ll be covering in my book – ) the 5D is a wonderful camera, but unless you’re taking photos for Nat Geo or for publication purposes, there’s no point taking such a heavy high end camera. You have to ask yourself what is the end purpose of my photos? To have a personal record in digital or print form? And if in print form, what size will you be printing to? If you’re printing to less than 16 x 20, then there’s not much point taking the 5D, or any DSLR, in my opinion.

      The 28-70 is also a beautiful lens – sharp as a tack wide open, and the lens of choice of a lot of news and professional photographers – but it’s a weighty beast, and you have to ask: is it the best lens for the Camino? I don’t think so actually. At 28mm it’s not wide enough for the beautiful landscapes, and at 70mm it’s too short a focal length for really good telephoto compression shots.

      So I think the kit – although it’s a beautiful bit of gear – is totally inappropriate for the Camino, because of weight and because the focal lengths won’t best serve your photographic possibilities.

      I have a Nikon D700 full frame, with a 16-35mm and a 135mm f2 and there’s no way I’d take that kit.

      This is all subjective, of course, but if you’ve got that gear then you’re obviously very serious about your photography. Given that, I would suggest you look at getting an entry level Canon APS-C sensor camera with a wide angle zoom (something with an equivalent 35mm focal length range of 18-35mm) and take a separate telephoto prime, or your longer telephoto zoom.

      Or, if you wanted to jump into a new system, then I’d suggest you invest in a mirrorless Fuji or Olympus system – and get a WA zoom and a telephoto zoom.

      Olympus has developed a terrific mirror less system, however I’m taking the Fujifilm X-E2 with a 14mm f2.8 (equiv 21mm) which I will keep on that camera, and a Fujifilm X-T1 with a 55-200 zoom (equiv 87-300mm) for long lens work. The entire kit would weigh less than your 5D with the 28-70mm. And I have the wide angle covered with the 14mm, and a zoom range up to equiv 300mm.

      Yes it’s two bodies, but it saves me changing lenses in conditions which might put dust on the sensor. And because the cameras are so small and light, I can carry both around my neck at the same time.

      Them’s me thoughts!!!

      Bill

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  18. Bad news at my end, sadly — if you think YOUR body is screaming about not wanting to do the Camino, you should listen to mine …

    I have partial dislocation of both kneecaps, the arthrosis is spreading in both knees and ankles, got bone on bone in my right knee centrally now (if I’ve understood the diagnosis well enough), rather than just laterally, and some sort of ligament disorder in my left foot. (plus some complex stuff in the ankles I don’t understand yet)

    The pain is ghastly again, and my walking abilities have become severely limited again, so my projected May/June departure is looking VERY compromised, unless my doctor can pull some sort of medical trick out of his hat.

    Pray for me in Compostela !!!

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  19. Dear Julian, that is very sad to hear.

    Funny thing is, I leave this morning for the start of my pilgrimage – well, I leave home here in Mudgee to begin my journey to Spain and Portugal, although my Camino doesn’t start until April 7th – and I woke up with my knee very sore after a last 14km walk last night.

    Julian, sometimes our bodies speak to us. And tell us what we should and shouldn’t be doing.

    I am very sad though to hear this news of yours though because I know how much you were looking forward to that walk. Perhaps a miracle WILL happen… If miracles can happen, then you would certainly be first in line for one…

    Bill

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    • I don’t think this will make it impossible — in training, I’ve probably covered about the same distance in KM as the length of my projected Camino from Lourdes, so in a way I simply know now pretty much what to expect from it in terms of knees and ankles difficulties.

      The one thing that *might* change, apart from the date of departure that is, is that I may need to completely avoid every avoidable mountain stage, which in the case of the Pyrenees would mean going round them via the coast road ; but I really, really don’t know about the Pyrenees coastal road, it’d be a VERY long detour, the Camino from San Sebastian is more difficult terrain than the Frances, and the reports continue to be that the Somport route is the least difficult one into Spain. The maps seem to suggest only about 8-12 Ks of any serious difficulty on that route.

      I’d already decided, anyway, to avoid O Cebreiro etc by taking the Camino de Invierno variant, which I’ve sort of done once, unwittingly, kind of, hitch-hiking one time out of Santiago — and going back to a couple of those places would be very pleasant.

      It does looks likely though I’d need to detour round the Cruz de Ferro portion by taking the route from Astorga to Ponferrada via Bembibre, which would be the fifth time out of five that the stage will be entirely unfamiliar to me — it’s a special place for me, as it’s where I converted to Christianity, just a couple of Ks out of Astorga, and it seems to be my lot never to go the same way twice at Astorga.

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      • Hi Julian – it seems as though you’re being directed a particular way, for some reason that may become apparent later. Go with it. And you might find that there’s a reason you can’t go back to Astorga. As they say, God works in mysterious ways. If you can walk, then walk.

        For me, I still have this notion of walking from my front door in Mudgee to Santiago. This idea is really starting to take hold. I will come back to you with a bunch of questions after this tour – because I think I will probably walk from my home, in the Central West of New South Wales, to Sydney airport (this will probably be the hardest sector of the lot – some 350kms over one of the most difficult mountain ranges in Australia) then fly to Orly or CDG, then walk from there… I really have a hankering to do this. (we could meet up somewhere in France and do a section together…!!)

        Anyway, let me know what you decide and how your body holds up… Bill

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        • I had a very powerful mystical experience after Astorga in 1994, involving outside reality, and it lasted long enough that I was actually able to test the truth of what was happening, and that it wasn’t just inside my head ; and it is also the exact same place where I gave up the Camino in 1993 (though I actually returned to it about a week later).

          So yeah, very special place in my personal history …

          I simply walked that section in 2005, and though I simply walked from A to B, other pilgrims hiking up at the same time, the Camino itself was utterly different to my 1993 and 1994 memories of the exact same section. (I think there’s a simple explanation for this, that a new pilgrims’ trail was dug into the hillside some time in the intervening 10 years, but it’s STILL uncanny from my own point of view that this was so in EXACTLY that same spot)

          It’s at the very least a reminder every time I leave Astorga of my own ’93 failure, my conversion and the circumstances of it, and the simple truth that every time I walk out of Astorga it’s into something NEW ; itself a reminder that God too is always NEW.

          —

          I’d love to walk with you, Bill, and God and health willing, could even meet you off the aeroplane for it.

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