Losing the beard and finding Jesus...

Greetings from Carrion de los Condes where we are tonight celebrating our 1000 mile mark (1600 km).

The journey from Pamplona has taken us over rugged hilly terrain, through beautiful cities such as Logroño (narrowly avoiding a massive ETA car bomb) and Burgos, and across the windswept plateau that forms the central part of the Camino.

The countryside in this part of Northern Spain resembles a sort of dream scape: vast and featureless, inviting you to project your thoughts onto the endless stubble fields. Seth and I have been walking alone for the past week to take advantage of this gentle solitude and will reunite at Leon in about a weeks time.

Many of you will be glad to know that I have finally lost the facial hair. The reason for the trip to the barbers was that it had started to feel like a furry scarf in the mid-day sun and that nesting storks were showing more than a passing interest. Seth wept openly with relief that he will now be spared the lunchtime ordeal that is watching me eat through a beard.

Lastly, I have made friends with a lovely 72 yr old man from Madrid named Jésus, whom I met in an industrial zone on the outskirts of Burgos. This is his 8th Camino in as many years and despite 2 previous heart attacks he plods relentlessly along the Way, appearing when I least expect him. In true Camino style we often meet at a time of need, with him directing me to obscure city centre Refugios and me adjusting his rucksack when he´s struggling to make it up a steep hill. Therefore, it was a momement of real warmth and joy when, 100km down the road, we found ourselves sitting next to each other for Mass in a remote Templar chapel.

Love to all.

xx