Jane: we both feel really remiss as we have not yet said any thank-yous for all the kind and funny comments you have all been leaving for us. We loved the song suggestions (in fact Charlotte had already been singing the Hippopotomas song as she trudged through the mud), and thank you Eddie and Mark for giving us the full words. We feel very connected with home when reading the comments. We appreciate the efforts you´ve made to put comments on as we understand it can be a bit complicated. Unfortunately, we cannot always read the comments when you post them; it very much depends on whether the computer system is state-of the art or from-the-ark. However, we catch up when we can.
Before we forget, in our last blog we wrote about Michael and Ann and we forgot to tell Maria that Anne´s family come from near Assisi (and she speaks Italian!)
Top Gear:
There are some things we just would not be without on this trip. Walking poles, obviously as the it is not just the two ancient women who have to cover the mileage, it is also those flippin´packs. The poles really do help save the back, legs, hips, sanity. They are so important that after about 100 kilometres we had to purchase specialist attachments. As good pilgrims we had been holding up our poles through all the urban areas and all the villages as they make a terrible click-clack noise on tarmac. This coutesy was doing no end of damage to our backs. We then fell across a little shop (yes, it was open!) and we bought rubber bungs that can be put on and pulled off the end of the poles very easily. We are now the silent pilgrims through all built-up areas.
Pillow cases from home -- lovely for keeping goodnes only knows what from ones face , but also they are a bit of home.
Ear plugs and black-out masks -- give some chance of catching a little sleep in the mixed dorms.
Ponchos -- well say no more -- you´ve seen them!
In fact, everything is important and increasingly dear to us. There are couple of things we have yet to use. Charlotte is still looking for a horse that needs a stone removed from its hoof, and both of us have failed to find the courage to use our she-wees.
Top flora and fauna
At the moment we are blown away by the storks, the size of some of their nests, the bizarre locations of those nests and their clacking courtship rituals. We are accompanied most days by the sound of cuckoos and today actually saw one perched in a tree. The swifts and swallows in the evenings perform arial acrobatics, sweeping enmasse to the ground and around buildings like some sort of Red Arrows team.
The variety of different wildflowers is amazing, but perhaps the best has been the brilliant red, but small poppies and the gorgeous tamarisk trees. We frequently accidently release wild herb scents as we walk as so many herbs, thyme, lavender, rosemary, wild rocket, santolina and others we cannot identify abound on the verges.
We wont mention the Great Peacock moth again, but it is up there at the top of the list.
We have seen relatively few farm animals, but we have a favourite - a Pyreneean Cow, so melancholy and gentle.
Charlotte insists I mention the too-numerous-to-count pretty little, white and ginger ferral cats, often with ice blue eyes.
We´ll put the pictures on next time as this computer only has one USB port that operates the mouse.
Short but sweet. catch up soon. Lots of love, J and C xx
Dear nanny we are fine.How are you? Have you seen some really really really really really god fings? Love Lea .xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
ReplyDeleteAll above genuinely from Lea who would not let me touch the keyboard...and an appropriate slip of the metaphorical finger whilst typing "good things" given you are pilgrim ! H xx
Hi Jane & Charlotte. Are you nearly half way yet? I think that you're doing really well and keeping us all up to date. I wish I could write a blog so full of details, I suppose I could tell you about my exciting day, but I think yours sounds much more interesting. It sounds as though you've met a lot of friends to send Christmas cards to! Mum is enjoying hearing about your adventures and we always chat about you both.
ReplyDeleteHunter sends his love. He's stop saying 'orse and now says 'duck'
Love to both of you, from all of us.
Anna & John xxxxxx
Dear Jane and Charlotte
ReplyDeleteI can picture you two singing "Mud, mud glorious mud" in the rain, and mud! What a thought.
Very impressed with the practical detail on your Top Gear. Hope that Charlotte finds a horse with said stone in its hoof. As a boy scout that was one of my 'ambitions'.
As Anna says, we really like your event/thing filled blog entries.
I am glad you're seeing storks doing all they're storky things. Liz and I saw them in southern Portugal. And, as you say, they build huge nests in the most unlikely places. In our case this was mainly radio masts of various sorts, and high-voltage pylons. In the latter the electricity made their feathers fluff up so they looked even bigger than normal.
Glad all's going well, and your still enjoying your pilgrimage.
Love Mark XXXXX
Today ( Thurs) you pass the 'Half Way' mark - Well, well done both of you !! And to celebrate you have 4 days of good walking weather across the Meseta ahead - sunny/bright but not hot, and level walking - Ideal ! And a s a double celebration, a posh hotel in Leon to compensate (slightly) for all those top bunks - but just think of all the indulgences you have earned. And on the topic of mud - I can think of many words to associate with it (and i'll use some of them tomorrow as my digger is bound to get stuck in it as winter has returned here) - but 'glorious' is NOT one of them. Enjoy the 'run-in' (not, I suspect a very apt phrase) to Leon. In love and admiration, Henry xxxxx
ReplyDeleteMy dearest jane and Charlotte,
ReplyDeleteSome more Camino Stats....Today, you are more than half way to Santiago and have begun your 4th week of walking. Over the past 3 weeks you covered 250 miles, had 2 rest days and averaged 12.2 miles per day on yr walking days. You have climbed an average of 800ft per day with 23 lb on yr backs, but that disguises the 2300 ft you climbed in the rain and cloud on day 2 - no wonder you were 'discombobulated'. You have slept in 17 bunks (most of them on top!) and shared showers and loos with an international community, and discovered that most of them, (but not all), are travelling in a state of grace ( some are even members of the seraphim). You have had 5 hotel days to remind you of the 'normal' way to do it........and looking ahead - you only have 1 rest day ( be prepared to add to this if necessary) and your average daily mileage increases to 14.3 ( but you've averaged 13.5 over the last 5 days so you are increasing your fitness quite considerably ) and after another 5 days of flat walking, the last 12 days in the Galacian Mountains requires an average climb of 920 ft per day (with the highest point of the CW some 600ft above Ben Nevis also requiring some 2300 ft of climb - but you've already done that on day 2 !!) ... so a more challenging second half, but also more downhill than up and hopefully spurred by the thought of 2 days in the bathtub at the Parrador in Santiago. Well well done both of you, strength to your minds and bodies for the second half,
All my love, Henry xxxxx