This was taken just part way up the Pyrenees, we still had an awful long way to go and that pretty swirling mist in the valleys below soon engulfed us!
Still in the foothills of the pyrenean mountains where we walked for a number of days.
A quirky skyline.
We have walked through some lovely woodland. This was a Holm Oak wood and Henry in particular will be thrilled to learn that a goodly part of the Camino Way is made out of breedon gravel!
Even when not walking in the maountains the hills can be seen in the distance and are frequently snow-topped.
We are now arriving at the High Meseta - the inland plateau between Burgos and Leon. As you can see it is largely flat -- a good thing and a not-so-good thing. (see below).
Charlotte applying Ibruprofen Gel to her shinsplints after the endlessly repetitive plodding along the flat terrain.
A cold early morning start by a canal on the meseta.
This path next to the road is called the Senda, or the Peregrinos Autopista. It can be a bit of an unremitting plod, but as you can see it is made of Breedon Gravel! You can at least walk side by side, talk and be safe from traffic.
This was half way up the Alta del perdon (The Hill of Forgiveness) on one of our earlier sunny days (and before I bacame Wonder Woman and could carry that pack all day without a break!)
Here I am climbing up onto the High Meseta -- Charlotte fair galloped up and got this photo in (mind you, who has got shin splints!)
Hope this gives you a flavour of the different scenery.
Love to all and a BIG thank you to Lea for your comments -- they were lovely xxxxxx
Dear Jane and Charlotte
ReplyDeleteLovely evocative photos and text. Although I am not sure what Breedon gravel is, or why Henry loves it? Some men are strange.
You two have got to write an extended-essay at least, if not a book. that's once you've drunk your body weight in Yorkshire Tea!
You write so eloquently about where you've been and what you've seen.
One question - why's Charlotte got shin splints and a ibuprofen supply and Jane hasn't?
From Henry's detailed tracking of you two, I see you're over half-way. Hurray! Amazing! But I have another question. Have you heard a distant buzzing sound? I am pretty sure, if you listen carefully, that's Henry's drone keeping a beady eye on you both! No need really, you're blog entries give us a full picture.
Take care, all my love Mark XXX
PS Uncle Stan's 88 today, and still goes swimming regularly. Him, and Maria, are examples to us all
Been thinking about titles for the book you’re going to write when you get home. How about “Piney Pilgrims Progress”? Or, “Jane and Charlotte go mad in Spain”? Or, “‘Oh my poor feet’, 600 miles of snoring and mud”. Or, “A skip & and hop on Camino - and that’s just the bed-bugs!” (Ed – that’s enough silliness for one Comment. Get on with it!)
ReplyDeleteI see from Henry’s itinerary that you’re now flat-walking. Hope that this is, and has been, true. And somewhere I’ve read that the weather is warm and spring-like, although now I check, it’s not much warmer or sunny than here. Today, it’s ~10oC max in Brum, but due to hit the dizzy heights of 17oC on Sunday. And it’s a bank holiday, so the ‘high’ temperature, and no rain on Monday, is very strange.
According to the Spanish forecast you have been walking in temperatures of ~15oC, not much different from here. But in Malaga, in southern Spain, the temperature is ~27oC. So, for your next long-distance walk I suggest southern Spain. Now there’s no need for that shouting and swearing! I’m only trying to be helpful….
No, but seriously folks, I hope you’re still having a great (and safe) adventure. XXXX Mark
Sorry to hear that Charlotte's suffering from shin splints. Have a good rest in Leon and lets hope they heal up. Your fellow pilgrims must have lots of 'injury stories' - and even possibly some solutions ( "the only cure for ..... is a weeks stay in a 5 star hotel" is probably the favourite - and they're probably right ! ) Lovely photos and commentary - for those of us who are not social media fetishists its a great way to keep in touch with you and all your experiences and we get a real sense of how your journey feels to you both. And hopefully you enjoy the comments that people make - I sense a 'Comments Statistics' item coming up shortly, but expect it will be Mark who tops most of the charts ( I'll have to have a boys chat with him about Breeden Gravel ). Enjoy Leon, and have a really good R&R before the next stage - 2 days of flat(ish) then up, up, and up to La Cruz de Ferro at close to 5000 ft (approximately Ben Nevis with Loughrigg on top)
ReplyDeleteAll my love Henry xxxx
Dear Jane and Charlotte
ReplyDeletesorry not to have been in touch, computer has been out of action for over a week. However have now caught up with your progress and send big love and congratulations on all that you have achieved so far. Really enjoying your posts and am sure that you will be invited to give talks to all local WI's etc. when you get back!!
I too wondered about Breedon gravel, please enlighten.
lots of love to you both Marion