Thursday, 13 September 2007
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
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
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
Wednesday, 29 August 2007
Pamplona and the last 700km...
There just aren´t enough superlatives to do justice to the 27km, 1200m climb over the Pyrenees into Spain.
From the rapid heart-bursting 12 km ascent to 1000m giving views back over the mountains to the flatness of Le Landes, to the dehydrated joy at the ice cold waters of Fountaine de Roland by the Spanish border, from the soaring eagles and Pyrenean vultures (circling me for some reason), to the jaw-dropping 360° panorama at the Col Lepoeder with views down onto the Abbey of Roncevalles and the Spanish plains below, it was undoubtedly the highlight of the pilgrimage so far.
The Camino proper in Spain has also been a revelation. Beautiful river valley walks interspersed by historic refuges with 100 people cheek by jowl in bunk beds. Having left our tents in France we are now down to about 10kg on the back packs (from a starting weight of over 15kg) and the walking has become a real pleasure. We rise at 6am and have normally cover the days 25km by lunch, leaving us free to read and chat to fellow pilgrims in the afternoon. Blisters, back and joint pains are a thing of the past (touch wood) and if the next 700km are anything like the last 100km then the next four weeks of walking will be outstanding.
We are currently taking a day off to explore Pamplona and head off tomorrow morning towards Puente la Reina.
Love to all.
From the rapid heart-bursting 12 km ascent to 1000m giving views back over the mountains to the flatness of Le Landes, to the dehydrated joy at the ice cold waters of Fountaine de Roland by the Spanish border, from the soaring eagles and Pyrenean vultures (circling me for some reason), to the jaw-dropping 360° panorama at the Col Lepoeder with views down onto the Abbey of Roncevalles and the Spanish plains below, it was undoubtedly the highlight of the pilgrimage so far.
The Camino proper in Spain has also been a revelation. Beautiful river valley walks interspersed by historic refuges with 100 people cheek by jowl in bunk beds. Having left our tents in France we are now down to about 10kg on the back packs (from a starting weight of over 15kg) and the walking has become a real pleasure. We rise at 6am and have normally cover the days 25km by lunch, leaving us free to read and chat to fellow pilgrims in the afternoon. Blisters, back and joint pains are a thing of the past (touch wood) and if the next 700km are anything like the last 100km then the next four weeks of walking will be outstanding.
We are currently taking a day off to explore Pamplona and head off tomorrow morning towards Puente la Reina.
Love to all.
Tuesday, 28 August 2007
Saturday, 25 August 2007
1100km and the start of the Camino proper...
Our journey down from Arcachon was more of the same; monotonous sand dunes and pine forests. Progress was complicated by an unexpected military base which added over 50 km to our route. With spirits low and our daily total averaging 15km we decided to take the most direct path to the Pyrenees and committed ourselves to 100km of road-walking in 4 days. In the event we achieved this in just 3 days including a marathon first day of over 40km.
The result was the long awaited change in landscape with the foothills of the Pyrenees giving way to the distant high peaks. After a night at a beautiful and well-run campsite in Saint-Geours-de-Maremne (thanks Andy!), we headed down to the Benedictine Monastery of L'Abbaye de Belloc. There we spent a day with the community, sharing the exquisitely sung monastic offices and hearty hot meals with the monks. A huge thank you to Pere Marc for his kind attention to us (in particular to my confused theological ramblings in bad French), and to the community as a whole for its hospitality which nourished body and soul.
Feeling as fit as we have done on the whole pilgrimage, we set out from Hasparren joined by Mark, a friend of Seth's from London, who will be breathing fresh life into our conversations for the next week. Yesterday we walked 25km over ever increasing hills and have now finally reached St Jean-Pied-de-Port, where we join the traditional pilgrimage route from France.
For many reasons it's an overwhelming feeling reaching here. Having last visited the town as a troubled hill-walking 19 yr old, and having focused on this destination with Seth for the past couple of months, it represents a significant milestone. Additionally, being surrounded by breath-taking mountains and for the first time, other pilgrims, gives the place a sense of awe and expectation. We will set out at dawn tomorrow to walk 27km, and climb over 1000 meters, to cross into Spain at the Pass of Roncevaux. The view from the Pass, down onto the Spanish plains, is said to be outstanding, and coupled with the challenge of the terrain, makes tomorrow the most anticipated of the Camino so far.
Love to all, and if anyone has had difficulty using my 'Justgiving' sponsorship page, please try again, as it should be working now.
Greg x
The result was the long awaited change in landscape with the foothills of the Pyrenees giving way to the distant high peaks. After a night at a beautiful and well-run campsite in Saint-Geours-de-Maremne (thanks Andy!), we headed down to the Benedictine Monastery of L'Abbaye de Belloc. There we spent a day with the community, sharing the exquisitely sung monastic offices and hearty hot meals with the monks. A huge thank you to Pere Marc for his kind attention to us (in particular to my confused theological ramblings in bad French), and to the community as a whole for its hospitality which nourished body and soul.
Feeling as fit as we have done on the whole pilgrimage, we set out from Hasparren joined by Mark, a friend of Seth's from London, who will be breathing fresh life into our conversations for the next week. Yesterday we walked 25km over ever increasing hills and have now finally reached St Jean-Pied-de-Port, where we join the traditional pilgrimage route from France.
For many reasons it's an overwhelming feeling reaching here. Having last visited the town as a troubled hill-walking 19 yr old, and having focused on this destination with Seth for the past couple of months, it represents a significant milestone. Additionally, being surrounded by breath-taking mountains and for the first time, other pilgrims, gives the place a sense of awe and expectation. We will set out at dawn tomorrow to walk 27km, and climb over 1000 meters, to cross into Spain at the Pass of Roncevaux. The view from the Pass, down onto the Spanish plains, is said to be outstanding, and coupled with the challenge of the terrain, makes tomorrow the most anticipated of the Camino so far.
Love to all, and if anyone has had difficulty using my 'Justgiving' sponsorship page, please try again, as it should be working now.
Greg x
Saturday, 18 August 2007
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