Harry & Al walk the 500+ mile Camino to Santiago de Compostela

Monday, 18 September 2023

ramuntchu et fat Al

Starting a Camino in style

There's no doubt the world is always changing and when on Camino it's usually for the better.

Best train journey ever

Thursday, 31 August 2023

Camino packing tips 2007-2023

Ok there are loads of videos and many valuable pieces of information so feel free to ignore mine.

You've heard about the pinkie test. Yes lift your bag with your little finger.

Second up have you heard of shops? Whatever Camino you take there is usually a big city like Pamplona or San Sebastian within your first few days. If you really worry that you'll need nail clippers on arrival you probably need to get a taxi.

Simon Stu Scott and I found ourselves in the north lakes recently in Ousby. Notice how Simon carries his water. Plastic bottles we don't normally buy - but buy on Camino we do. Carry and drink, don't carry from town to town. Camel up at a tap.

The airlines have done us a favour by saying one small bag free. It's light and carries what you need. You will be carrying additional items like bread or water so handy poly or onion string bags, pegs etc are worthy. Some people use the laundry string bag. Smart people. Light, attachable and long enough for a loaf.

I took a picture of nail clippings before going on the Camino finisterre Muxia in April or was it September and fellow Pellegrino Simon thought, aha, yes, I'll do that. Another good trim worth considering is your hair.

Seriously though, you can buy nail clippers like sun screen, umbrellas and even walking poles so don't panic purchase before you leave. Spain is probably the same price or less. There are shops, hairdressers and it's nice to spend local. Talking of spending, I've moved over to phone cash, so whether you're Google or apple pay it's normal and I think much more equitable. I used to carry a pre paid card but now it's just cash and or phone cash when I want to buy coffee or Crocs.

Crocs are universally worn and sold so if you have a pair you want to bring please do but you might not need them for a few days. Yesterday's socks are my crocs and on old stone floors, just as cosy.

I like olives and I frequently buy things I need to put in boxes. I've seen myself carrying boxes of poly bags squirted with bite cream, sun cream, after sun, foot cream. I really was a tad precious on 2013, but I was keeping room for my lap top and charger! I don't want to advocate too many plastics but whenever you stay in an albergue or a flat you buy things that you leave and some you want to take. Cheese needs a box, just like olives and slices of tomato.

Electrics are funny. We can't have enough technology to capture the moments but I'm back to minimalist now. I live vicariously through others you tube films and can admire their work while still feeling the moments in this albergue or that cafe iruna in Bilbao or pamplona, Cardenuela Rio Pico or Ponferrade and how about the rain on the north coast or in Galicia. I've great memories of Camino pals from the 20+ times I've joined the pellegrino gang. When I scope the route briefly and see a hill I immediately recoil to my smoking days pre 2005. I cough, splitter and generally think, time for a taxi, but most of all, I smile and say bye bye lap top.

Monday, 31 July 2023

September 2023 - Camino updates and mumbling - Friday flight back October 13th

Update Thursday - fat Al changes plans again.

Poitiers 18th

14.59 Train to Bordeaux

18.05 train to Hendaye

Arrive Hendaye

Walk to albergue des Pellegrino's get a credential and a bed.

Tuesday 19th

Walk 25km to San Sebastian

Get breakfast and water/juice.

Lunch in Pasaia after 18km at 2-3pm

Big hill out of town starts 7km stretch

Arrive a room in the city hostel at 5-6pm

18.00

Get 8pm tram to Hendaye meet Rich

Get 9pm tram to San Sebastian

Wednesday 20th

Get tram to Irun and walk same route to San Sebastian to arrive about 6pm.

Meet Stu off bus

Dump his bag

Tippy tapas

Thursday 21st -20km

Walk up huge hill on way to Zarautz

First 5km is like hunto arriving at igueido and should take 2 hours whereas the next 9 kms will be along the top and down to Orio. As we have to carry water and snacks it'll be very tough.

Arriving Orio about 2pm and then a little hill and in.

Breakfast in San Sebastian then leave town by 9.30 to arrive puggled in Zarautz 4pm is the executive summary!

Accomodation either on the front at the hostel or in an apartment Kaixo about 400m from the beach. Weather dependent.

Friday 22nd

Leave Zarautz at 8.30am and I like the look of Zumaya for elevenses although Askizu may find itself as a lovely place to stop as well. I feel age encourages stops and after yesterday we may be going a bit slower. If we get there for 10 we can leave at 10.15 to go downhill for 11 at Zumaya.

Then we climb again until the big drop into Deva. I'd reckon this could be 5 hours so a lot of water getting carried.

It's only 23.9km on the map

But it'll feel like 32km.

Friday night in Deba, you know the party starts here, zzzzzzz. Sleep well pilgrim.

Saturday morning and it's time for a stretch. We've only done 69km but for some of our aged bones it'll feel a whole lot more. Deba to Marquina will feel a bit easier but there's still at 300m hill in the middle of a fairly gentle 23.5km stroll through forest and farmland

Olatz seems to be the main stop so we should get a bocadillo lunch stop about 11.30-12.30 there. If we get to Larruskain by 2.30 and Marquina by 5pm another good day in the bin. Carrying lots of water and doing a lot of camel drinking at fountains will be essential.

It's a little bit of hills again today and so climbing and descending will be foremost. Stuart is bound to be galloping away and a rerun of Cruz de ferro seems most likely. My money is on Richard and Stu to be 15 mins ahead by Askizu on Friday and olatz on Saturday but I'll be playing the long game or sitting in the woods (oops typo) while shuffling my morning paper.

So Sunday morning we stretch our legs and walk to Gernika. Our easiest day yet.

It's hard to describe how your muscles and knees are after all this up and down. I get really sore above the knees as my thighs push down and the 17st pummels into my shock absorbers.

It looks fairly flat and almost a third by the road so ear plugs in and striding out. It looks like two good stopping places after 5km and another 6km which would be great another 8km sees us reach Santo Tomas and then the final 6 to Gernika.

I may have rose tinted specs but I think if we leave around 8am we will arrive about 4pm no bother.

Monday 25th we wake up to the sound of the Luftwaffe overhead as we replay 87 years ago and 1936. It'll be quite eerie knowing the way my dreams work but also when the town has fully moved on and is just another northern Spanish thriving metropolis.

Simon arrives tonight so our destination is Bilbao, but we may only walk to Ledema.

It's 27km with a 300m gradual hill to the gerekiz restaurant at Santa Maria de Morga. As long as there's a fountain I'll be happy. I'll carry juice and a donut up the hill as it's 14km.

Larrabetzu has two cafes and it's here we make our decision about walking on to Bilbao or getting the euskotren.

It makes our day 36km but it does look pretty easy relatively speaking and so it's an option. As I lie here typing this with 2km in my legs today it's an easy thing to type. Simon arrives at bus station about 9 and we may have some washing to do. Bilbao is a huge city to walk through so personally I'd walk to our lodgings and in the morning tram.

The next two days are flat, hence Simon arriving!

Update Monday Poitiers flight wins. I'll fly monday 18th and get 3pm train to Bordeaux and change onto train arriving 20.47 I think Monday and stay in Albergue at Irun. Tuesday 19th Walk to San Sebastian and then get checked in somewhere with 3 beds for me and Rich for tuesday adding Stu for wednesday. Get train/tram along tuesday to meet Rich off the train in Hendaye then back along to San Seb. Walk out of San Seb to Zarautz and then get the tram back (or do the first day of the camino Norte again from Irun - San SEbastian) now I know the way (!) Wednesday So probably short day to Zarautz then Back to flat and do a washing! Stu arrives 9pm and we all set out Thursday 21st in the morning to Deba from Zarautz. Friday 22nd - DEBA TO MARKHINA SATURDAY MARKINA to Gernika Sunday 24th to Lezama a leisurely day washing today or in Bilbao. Monday September 25th - Bilbao Simon arrives from Santander about 8pm-9pm. By this stage we'll know how tough or easy we are finding it and rip the plan up and plan again! Day 1: Arrive in San Sebastián Day 2: San Sebastián to Zarautz | 20km Day 3: Zarautz to Deba | 23km Day 4: Deba to Markina | 23km Day 5: Markina to Guernica | 23km Day 6: Guernica to Lezama | 21km Day 7: Lezama to Bilbao | 15km This was from July 31st The first half of the year was superb with January and April/MAy camino around Santiagp. Jackie's broken ankle on Friday 9th June was hardly the present Simon expected for his 61st and caught me unawares as I pulled my poncho off in Casa Loncho. I got a room and was delighted. Fantastic staff smiled at my drenched wee self gave me the key and offered to show me to the room. In typical pelegrino fashion I put down my bag and settled for a beer first. Then the room, shower and snooze. Little did I know I'd be back later having read my phone with Jackie's ankle and discussing how to get back home pronto. There was a bus but it left in 30 minutes and with Santiago likely to be busy and with my bed only a few yards away it seemed obvious to enquire about a taxi. 80euro was the same price as a last minute room and a lot less hassle. 5 beers, bacon and eggs then bed became the obvious move. Back to the point, September 17th flight from Stansted to Biarritz. £22 seems an obvious 06:20 flight. So I'll book it. Once I get off plane I can go to spain, 2 ways. I have the option of Hendaye/Irun and the primotivo/Norte or One more timeSt Gien. I'm only 60 and I need the hills to keep it real, both offer that. I'd arrive with little sleep but that's no great problem especially if I chose to walk out to Hunto/Orrisson. I've not checked the other options. The camino Frances route is roughly 30-34 days so its easy to map where you will be. Sunday night Hunto means Sunday night Logrono, Saturday night Burgos and then we approach Leon for Saturday 8th October. Ponferrade 12th, O'Cebreiro 14th, Sarria 16th, Palas Del Rei 19th Santiago 22nd. Ive got an appointment to get back for currently on the 9th October. IF I can, I'll shift it, but if not I'll need to fly back from Madrid or Santander. I reckon I should be at Fromista about 5th/6th so that works well. If its the Norte flying back is even easier as Santander is bang on the route. Rough timings are less easy but Bilbao for 27th September and Santander October 3rd then Gijon 11th for the Teenage fan Club or Ferrol on October 13th has appeal. Since Simon and I went off piste to Vitoria for the gig last September as reviewed elsewhere and on the Deadbeatfanzine.blogspot.com site, this distraction has a lot of appeal. It keeps you in the camino bubble but still not so far up your own arse that you can see the rest of the world functioning. So to finalise this stage of the planning, I'll book the biarritz flight. And now the update - la Lande may be getting sold so I might fly to poitiers on the 18th. Rich arriving Hendaye 19th Stu Bilbao on the 20th when we will be in San Sebastian. We will all walk to Bilbao in 6 days and Simon flies in Late to Santander so we need to collect or meet him. LAst bus to Bilbao will be fine. We will then walk to Santander for 2nd October when Mark arrives and Rich heads back along for the Hendaye to London on the 3rd. We may all go along on the Irun bus and split off in San Seb for Pamplona or Logrono, depending how Mark's training's been going and also how the craic is on the Norte. That's the update with only 19 days or so to go!

Tuesday, 4 July 2023

Watch this movie - Simply Superb

Stefanie Hurtado's brilliant Walk Through Fire is Filmtastic. I've never enjoyed a Camino video so much.

https://youtu.be/U2mrbhPhASA

I watched it in 4@15 minute episodes then had a full hour spare to watch the rest. I'm already working out a tinto y tapas night at Swanys with a glass or two of Navarre, then a bottle of Rioja before a nice wee crate of Mencia as she leaves Ponferrade for Galicia.

If you've been on the Camino you'll have so many memories of different friends, milestones, bars and views.

Every Camino is like a Shakespearean play with different actors treading the same boards.

As much as you want the journey to last forever, Stefanie found herself naturally moving faster and like Simon and I back in 2007 did Foncebadon to Ponferrade then to Trabadelo, then to O'Cebriero, and those early fairy steps to Orisson have suddenly become big leaps.

Her story is her Camino and far from overstepping the self indulgence many of these videos forget, she has edited her work brilliantly and struck an amazing balance. It's impossible to complete a distillation process that turns a month into 2 hours. This is a gorgeous attempt that encapsulates all the community of the Camino while still giving you the sheer inspirational joy of the walk.

What's also amazing is to somehow take the film without it crowding her own Camino. As a videographer it probably is natural to take your work with you but I can't wait for the kiss and tell story in 10 years time when we hear how the camera was left at home!

I've had over 20 caminos to finish writing Josephine's story Tommy turns Cars. Every Camino I just add another edit to Logrono or El Acebo. I'll talk more about Miriam and the team at Sante fe in Cardenuela Rio Pico. Another composite character appears and needs inserted.

The Camino is an absolute joy and although I had to leave sharpish from Casa Loncho in Olveira just 3 weeks ago when Jackie broke her ankle I'll be back out soon enough as the wine festivals get going in September.

Stefanie was probably home when I got Simon back out to Bordeaux in late September 2022. Her story and that of her fellow Pellegrinos is the stuff of legend and yet we live it all over every year, or even twice a year.

The international community of the Camino often slip into politics and Stefanie summed up every pilgrim when she wished everyone could do it, even just once.

Thank you Stefanie for a masterpiece.

Friday, 9 June 2023

Young at Heart

I found myself blasting out the Bluebells classic today as I climbed over to ponte Oliveira.

As Billy Connolly famously reminded us there's no bad weather and yes it's a fat suit I'm wearing.

The rain has stopped and I was about to get my first Estrella Galicia of the day and it came with bacon and eggs.

When in Rome and all that.

when I finally arrived at my destination for the day I found that the end of the world was not called finisterre but "Jackie has fallen off her golf buggy and it's run her over, get yet arse home".

Finisterre naw, finish now and finish we did, the end of ma world and the start of a new camino, care worker camino with a very unhappy patient in a lot of pain. Lack of mobility is something that hits us all hard. We are great at being lazy and hiding on the sofa or lounge on a sunbed but when its enforced, its different gravy and definitely not tasty. I'll be back out in September and October when I hope to get a full camino done but also balance hospital appointments and the allotment produce. I spend all year trying to grow stuff and the best months are when I disappear on camino!