Endurance or Blue Peter you decide!

What’s happening with me today. I seem to have been paeachuted into the most bizarre scene.

I’m in a 20 bed dorm with at least a14 contestents of that famous Japanese game show, there’s a dog outside that’s been barking incessantly for the last hour – called Petra – and Si has just bought himself a fix’yer’own boots kit.

I’m just worried that when I go for my shower 14 fellow pilgrims’ll follow me into the smallest shower room and it’ll rain cockroaches.

Meantime Simon has bought a shammy leather thing and a foam scourer. He’s cut the nylon scourer off and is left with the foam.

I believe sticky back plastic was unobtainable.

He is now going to devise some front end bumper for his feet. He likes his feet to move around in the boots – but only when they back the way. He doesn’t like his two hitting the front so he is going to create a padded space – for me to bang my head against!

Sorry – he’s creating a bit of cushioning. I suggested he could get a smaller pair of boots but he explained his feet would’nt be able to move around.

Meantime the American, cause there’s always one, is doing something with a lighter and a needle. I think he thinks he’s in the “Deer Hunter” – easy mistake to make. I do think the bandana is over the top. I mean how many times do you have to light the needle before you realise it won’t burn, thick or what!

Day 11 – Redecilla to Villafrance

A slow day. Hampered by my sore foot and al’s lack of movement (not the walking movement) we toiled for six hours in the baking heat to cover 22 km. Thankfully tomorrow is an even shorter day and most of it in the shade of woods.

Back to today. We left late by our }standards at 8am. At this time because of the clear skies it is chilly first thing. Once it gets to 10 however it is already sunblocker time for me.

The landscape is pretty barren as all the fields have largely been harvested leaving a scene of brown almost desert like views.

The only sound is that of the large 12 wheel lorries thundering by on the newly built highway that cuts through the countryside.

Our first stop is at belardo for breakfast. We meet this guy who is traveling the route singing songs ang playing guitar. He is singing as we pass by.

I have this inate loathing for this kind of folky crap about trees and birds and momemtarily the scene from National Lampoons Animal House, where John Belushi encounters something similar and takes the guitar and smashes it off the nearest wall, flits through my brain.

Alas I leave him alone.
  As we move through town al gets some peach juice in an attempt to induce movement.
Onwards we trudge through various little villages until finally success, Al moves! His natural exhuberance returns and so does his singing….

Tonights refuge is pretty basic but it will suffice. Al is off the booze today so I may have to go to the pub alone.
This is the way of the Camino.
Adios amigos.

Once more into the hills

It was a colder morning – even at 7.50 – when we eventually left – owing to the altitude I presume.

Si marched, I sauntered as we dawndered through wee villages and the like – as you do when on a Spanish Stroll, talking of which -

I saw a plaque from when Mink de Ville did his camino. You’d have to be in your 40’s to remember it – but trust me – it was a classic – up there with “Another Girl another planet” by the Only Ones and Vile Rapport’s “On your own”

Vodafone recently started using The Only Ones track so Mink de Ville can expect Spanish Stroll to be turned into an advert for the Camino!

We paid a bit more attention to the map today. They’re iut of date as the Spanish highways mob throw up a new motorway in days.

Yesterday we went a 2km detour uphill then down and ended back at the road 200m up from where we left it. Today it happened early doors – 8am – before the tiredness has taken over and so we stayed firmly on the road.

The traffic noise on the N120 is unbelieable it seems only freight use it. A convoy of 3-4 lorries passes every 2 minutes. As I write this every 15 seconds! It makes the road a tad less comfortable a walking experience, especially early morning with the sun at your back.

Luckily, as you know now, I was tango’d in Navarrette. This means Si puts me out first – and occassionally uses his stick to encourage me to move faster.

As soon as we get back ‘off piste’ he’s off and I’m trudging quietly behind mumbling about what a stupid idea it was and I don’t think I’m losing weight, just the will to live!

We stopped at 2pm today as the sun was hot and it was back in the 28 to 30 degree range that has been frying us if it wasn’t for the factor 65.

Our next stop would’ve been 3 hours as its 12km uphill through dense woods, so we should be at home tomorrow morning.

We’ve left a few of our pals behind now as we’ve moved half a stage ahead. We’ll hopefully catch up with them in Burgos as we’ll be taking a stop tomorrow for the Friday Fiesta in Atapuerca, unless we’re suddenly full of running. If we leave at 8 we’ll be there for 12 and then it leave a nice easy 20km stroll on Saturday down to our hotel. If its a bit cloudy we might bash on as it should be 3-4 hours. Either way our original plan had us in Burgos on Sunday / monday so well chuffed.

What about the football Rangers’ comeback must’ve been down to the ex-hibees. I’m presuming they were taken off!

All told though it was a good night for the brits. Win 3 home games and you get through usually.

For the gamblers here’s my tips. Back Dundee Utd and Hearts to absolutely destroy Gretna and Inverness. Robson to get a brace at Fir Park while Hearts will get 5 against a Brewster ‘b’ team as he tries to shake things up and finds out that the strength in depth just isn’t there.

And then Sunday

Celtic will want to make amends against Hibs. They just might have a new set of strikers – even a start for Riordan. If he starts he doesn’t normally score – so put me down for Hibs to shade it 3-2 as a tired Celtic defence are stretched by a speedy winger. Rangers will be on an absolute high – Boyd’ll be back and they’ll want to give Aberdeen a pasting – back 0-0!

The walk? Ah yes – that’s what we’re here for. Blister count may be rising. We have both been pretty lucky – I got one from a ‘preventative’ compeed wearing off dug in and it was more a cut than a blister on my big toe. My two 4th toes have also been under pressure but the compeeds keep them at bay. I guess because my boots weren’t too well worn in.

Si has the opposite problem – his boots are so well worn in they might wear out! He has one on the bottom of his foot and we’re thinking he’ll buy a new pair of trainer type boots in Burgos. As for some of the numpties here today it looks like the 4077th M.A.S.H. My heart bleeds for them.

They walk around wearing flip flops and then complain about the track. Jaysus, Mary and Joseph, have you ever heard the like. As for the donuts in the bare feet – well they’re either tough or skint – either way I don’t want a verruka so they better have flip flops with them!

Adios mi Amigo – mucho gracias por su ayuda