So The Walk finally arrived, I write this on Geoff's return, he decided not to make detailed notes but to relax and enjoy the walk, the lovely scenery and most importantly meeting interesting and fun pilgrims en-route. If you would like more detailed information about the groups journey see blistersrus.wordpress.com.
Day One - Friday 5th April
Cliftonville to Bayonne, the journey included car, ferry, train to Paris and overnight TGV to Bayonne
Day Two - Saturday 6th April
Bayonne to Valcarlos, arriving in Bayonne around 8am, where the taxi was waiting to whisk them to St Jean Pied du Port. They had a look around the town, Mark traded a walking pole with John who then bought Mark a staff. To the Pilgrims Office to collect the Pilgrims Passport and the adventure to begin. They then headed off to Valcarlos where they stayed in the excellent Municipal Albergue.
Day Three - Sunday 7th April
Valcarlos to Roncevalles, through snowy landscapes, challenging steep slopes and some deep snow. Staying at another good Albergue, Roncevalles Monastery, Geoff and Mark attended the Pilgrims blessing.
Day Four - Monday 8th April
Roncevalles to Zubiri, a 6:30am wake up call to the sounds of Morning has broken , how civilised and on the road by 07:45.
Day Five - Tuesday 9th April
Zubiri to Pamplona, rain on and off for most of the day. Was the Tapas the best in Spain ??
Day Six - Wednesday 10th April
Pamplona to Puente la Reine, blue skies and warm sunshine for a long 25k trek, Geoff has a really tanned face now.
Day Seven - Thursday 11th April
Puente la Reine to Estella, it took them a while to leave town including lunch with Pilgrims met en-route. The overnight Albergue didn't meet the high standards of all the others they had stayed in.
Day Eight - Friday 12th April
Homeward bound, two buses, two trains via Pamplona back to Bayonne for an overnight stop in an Ibis Hotel, luxury compared to the rest of the week !
Day Nine - Saturday 13th April
The final leg home, TGV to Paris and train to Calais, back on the ferry, into the car and finally home.
A long journey of nearly 100 miles, a spiritual journey, a physical journey, an emotional journey, a journey that was ending but in reality is only just beginning.....
Will these Pilgrims travel this road further and together or find their own way, meeting eventually in Santiago de Compostella and kneel before God as a true Pilgrim in the city's famous cathedral. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, the destination of 1000's of Pilgrims past.
Tuesday 16 April 2013
Thursday 4 April 2013
It's almost here!
Well.... Almost on top of the 'holiday' I will use the term loosely, it's a break from work, yes, but not your normal chilled relaxing break in the sun, which would be most people's idea of a holiday.
I have to say its been an interesting journey so far, the enjoyable weekend walks, although the weather has on the whole been awful for most of them. All the research surrounding the Camino, all the purchases (I think we have kept Amazon in business) and one of the funniest things Linda and I regularly comment on, Geoff and Mark constantly talk about the clothes (!) and contents of their rucksacks.
Easter Sunday saw the last training walk, Sandwich to Deal along the coast stopping of course for lunch halfway and for some of them an ice cream to help them cope with the return journey.
The latest emails to and fro from The Band of Brothers have been the weather reports, the snow may cause them to change their initial plans and routes. Davin (yes Davin) emailed to say B@@##o@*s to the weather....
John had an alternative to Plan A
"We resort to Plan 'B'. This is where we get to southern France and simply hole up in some delightful and warm auberge for the week...and there cook up tales of herosim, deprivation (Geoff) and valour equal in dare-doing to Norse mythlogy and Valhalla....(oh and just for Mark show off our respective man-bags), But we have to agree our stories! Then get some spoof shots of the walk and Photoshop us all in.This all leads to - and taking the lead from the NASA Apollo conspiracy theorists (the Americans never went to the moon) - we never went on the Camino Santiago but we fool the world (and ourselves) into thinking that we did...and no loss of pride or face!"
I think I will have to check those photos and stories closely on their return !
Well good luck boys.
Buen Camino
I have to say its been an interesting journey so far, the enjoyable weekend walks, although the weather has on the whole been awful for most of them. All the research surrounding the Camino, all the purchases (I think we have kept Amazon in business) and one of the funniest things Linda and I regularly comment on, Geoff and Mark constantly talk about the clothes (!) and contents of their rucksacks.
Easter Sunday saw the last training walk, Sandwich to Deal along the coast stopping of course for lunch halfway and for some of them an ice cream to help them cope with the return journey.
The latest emails to and fro from The Band of Brothers have been the weather reports, the snow may cause them to change their initial plans and routes. Davin (yes Davin) emailed to say B@@##o@*s to the weather....
John had an alternative to Plan A
"We resort to Plan 'B'. This is where we get to southern France and simply hole up in some delightful and warm auberge for the week...and there cook up tales of herosim, deprivation (Geoff) and valour equal in dare-doing to Norse mythlogy and Valhalla....(oh and just for Mark show off our respective man-bags), But we have to agree our stories! Then get some spoof shots of the walk and Photoshop us all in.This all leads to - and taking the lead from the NASA Apollo conspiracy theorists (the Americans never went to the moon) - we never went on the Camino Santiago but we fool the world (and ourselves) into thinking that we did...and no loss of pride or face!"
I think I will have to check those photos and stories closely on their return !
Well good luck boys.
Buen Camino
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