Villadangos to Astorga – Day 21

Day 21. am writing this at 10pm. This may not seem late to u but when you´ve been drinking for 5 hours and constantly checking when some bloody 4 year olds get off this machine it seems like ages!

Today was like being at home. It rained. It rained all day. In fact it is probably still raining. We got wet. we got very very wet!

Left Villadangos at 9.45am.  We walk, basically in a straight line for 26km today. apart from lots of cornfields there was bugger all to see, oh except rain.

Oh , we did have a very good lunch of Spainish omlette ( egges and tatties) plus Trout soup.

Rain makes Al sing. In fact Al does a lot of singing. Thats why I tend to walk at least 100m ahead of him. Today with the rain he was singing those old favourites. Altogether now Ï´m sing………………¨etc etc etc.

We had the usual 6 loo stops for phantom dumps and hot chocolate but it was not a very inspiring day. As we seem to spent a fair amount of time in loos maybe I will give you a brief guided tour. Generally loos in bars / cafes are crap! The doors dont lock and there aint no bog roll. All lights are on timers so quite often you can be sitting there and all of a sudden you´re in the dark. If your lucky the light switch is within reach. if not just remember where the bog roll is!!

This was our last day of flatland walking. For the next two days we got mountains. Bloody high ones too! Our aim is to walk another 27k tomorrow ALL of which is uphill.

As this is also supposed to be a bit of a holiday we have largely decided to stay in comfortable accomodation at the end of each day from now til we reach Santiago. it may end up costing us a small fortune but when your soaked to the skin, as per today, who cares!

Thank you to those who keep commenting and it was great to here from Susan, Paul and Ewan in Canada.

This is incidentally the end of our third week here. Our average of 100 miles / week is still being maintained. All being well we have less than a fortnight to go!

As i am well knackered and have to be up in time to start at 9.30am tomorrow I going to bed! Al is already snoring.

Love u all.

Adois Amigos.

Aint no mountain high enough

And we expect plenty of rivers wide enough to wash us away.

Yes, tomorrow, we hit the hills. The next 5 days are a nightmare.

The weather is going to be a major factor helping or hindering our progress.

Today the boots – that are allegedly waterproof – are not. We’re not likely to get trench foot but as you walk up hills in the rain the water comes down at all angles to your ankles.

Even in the rain the wee midgies mossie’s or whatever we biting banditos were out in force. I’ve got more bites than I have moles – and I’ve 1384 moles.

So tomorrow, we prepare, plan, then watch the locals play bridge. Its massive here. Every bar they smoke and play bridge. My mum would’ve loved it 23 years ago. That’s a long time without a fag innit. I’ve only just completed 2 years.

An argument has ensued over whether is was 4 or 5 diamonds he bid! Oh well he’s paying up so that’s that.

We went past a lot of churches again today. They’re a lot busier on a sunday. It not just the Peregrinos the Spanish go to them too.

Adios mis amigos

Tears of a Clown

Well there was a smile on my face as we danced up the hill to Astorga, but by the time we reached the hotel it was only there trying to fool the public.

But when it came down to fooling the receptionist into giving us a room, well that was a different subject.

So we got a twin with a bathroom
We turned the heating up to 30
And the clothes that had got soaking
Are all hanging around the room
And we’ve gone off for a modest libation

Tears of a cloud – and there was loads of it around

And now my rendition of “mirror in the bathroom” by the Beat, circa 1981 me and Auld Reid in Paris having got a backstage pass to see the Clash of their manager on the Eiffel tower. Even back then, the way of the camino saw us throw a fun size mars bars at this guy who turned out to be English – and was – yes very handy for us to see Joe, Mick, Topper and Mr Simeonon.

I was thinking about Joe today. I laid a stone sang Safe European Home, don’t wanna go back there again, and moved on. Well I also sung I fought the law, hammersmith palais, in fact most of the first 3 albums. I did have 6 hours to kill and the Komandant has restored his authority as we marched through the rain.

In the words of Geordie Taylor (GWT), it was raining both sides of the street, all day, and teeming it down.

We got to 3km away and stopped for coffee. 24km in 6 hours including an hour for lunch shows just how quick you can dance through the rain, in Spain. Its much better than sun for walking.

We had a fantastic lunch. We both had the tortilla – spanish omelette, with fresh tomatoes – mmmm – but I also had the sopa truchas – house speciality – trout soup. Which was a bucket of salt and chilli lots of broth, bread or something that made it taste like bread and butter pudding except it was fish stew bread’n'butter pudding.

It was so good I asked for the recipe and the lady kindly gave me the directions to the toilet.

Adios mis amigos

Scotland Win!

Who would’ve thought it – a chance to play Argentina in the Quarter Finals – well I hope it is as they’ll have had a tough game against the Irish and we’ll have been tucked up in bed early.

Not only Scotland but Hibs as well got back to winning ways. Dave had the seat – a 20 bid proving good enough – as well as the all important answer to the tie break question.

Parties – we can’t stop thinking – finish, finish, finish!

We’ve got a few postcards to send just to make sure our table at Nargile isn’t given away – or our seats in Swany’s or the TSB.

I quite fancy a celebratory Meze on our return – its the only food to out do the Tapas.

We leave at 9.30 this morning with 27km all uphill I’m told. This is the warm up for the mountains. There is a steep section coming up where we got up some 500m but there’s an even steeper 1000m to climb in 8 days.

I don’t mind climbing – its just walking backwards down the hills that slows me up.

I had a great bit of cxat and mouse up a hill outside Castrojeriz. This girl was walking backwards up it and I flew by. It was only 200m high and about 1km up, but straight up and down. Our lass caught me up when she was striding downhill and I was doing a slalom, short steps or backwards.

Such is the way of the camino. Its like “stop that pigeon” and I’m muttley to Simon’s Dick Dastardly.

I’ve mastered the chuckle. Still learning how to eat though. I got a lump of meat a foot long and 6 inches wide. Si had finished his trotters before I’d done two mouthfuls. I cut it in half, gave him his taxes, and ate the rest. It was outstanding – we gave a big tip and the girl went mad with excitement. I said “c’mon its only a fiver” but she was having a dizzy and spoke in glowing terms of what it would buy my friend. I said “hmmn, sorry no speako no Spanish, but he’s all yours. Si you’ve got a date”

Astorga – Get out the flags – the circus rolls on – here we come!

Meals – the update!

Tonight in Villamangos we gave it a major thumbs up.
Los Arcos clutches its gold

But Silver and bronze is still being fought out by

Mansilla de las Mulas 6.8 euro
Atapuerca
Sahagun 57 euro in hostal – Si’s was good
Templairos
Navarette
Carrion de los Condes
Villamangos

Made the semi-final

Hontanas
Fromista
Roncesvalles
Puente la Reina
Estrella
Removed from the Roster

Never made the qualifying standard

Redecilla – the worst by a stretch
Zubiri – I was taught how to eat it was that chewy!
Too much fun to eat

Pamplona
Logrono
Burgos
Leon

Please vote – lost or not

We debated over tea the defintion of lost. Simon and I have a good tradition of debating life’s mundane issues.

Remember the Axis of Evil? Those of you who weren’t in St Andrews that year won’t be aware that we finally decided upon

Assumption
Ignorance
& Apathy

Its clear to us that these are first rules of life and therefore George Dubya got it wrong because Assumption, Ignorance and Apathy are the real Axis of Evil.

So – now we’ve proved we’re real philatilists how about you help us out here on the definition of Lost.

Simon’s Sleeping Bag dropped on the road to burguette on the 2nd day – handed in by a Frenchman – lost or mislaid

Al’s T-shirt still on washing line at Los Arcos – lost or mislaid

Simon’s jacket – dropped on road to Puente la Reina – lost or mislaid

Al’s hat and neckie – dropped off rucsac between Panplona and Cizur Menor – lost or mislaid

Simon’s sunglasses – no idea where dropped or mislaid, but in the last 4-5 days – last seen through on road to Hontanas.

Simon’s stick – in the cafe where they a » mundicamino clam shell for his bag – lost or mislaid

Simon’s towel – on a radiator in the Atapuercan toilet where we had a 30 euro en suite twin room and a well good nosh at the Michelin mentioned restaurant. Lost or mislaid.

Simon’s E45 – burst in the bag – unlike uncle ben’s that boils in the bag – lost or just a hassle!

Al’s holey jersey – left in Edinburgh owing to a packing oversight – lost or now in the bin.

Al’s marbles – questionable if they were ever there. lost or mislaid

Si’s marbles – like Lord Elgin’s due a break to Greece after this exercise – lost or hounded out.

You Decide!

Please vote – lost or not

We debated over tea the defintion of lost. Simon and I have a good tradition of debating life’s mundane issues.

Remember the Axis of Evil? Those of you who weren’t in St Andrews that year won’t be aware that we finally decided upon

Assumption
Ignorance
& Apathy

Its clear to us that these are first rules of life and therefore George Dubya got it wrong because Assumption, Ignorance and Apathy are the real Axis of Evil.

So – now we’ve proved we’re real philatilists how about you help us out here on the definition of Lost.

Simon’s Sleeping Bag dropped on the road to burguette on the 2nd day – handed in by a Frenchman – lost or mislaid

Al’s T-shirt still on washing line at Los Arcos – lost or mislaid

Simon’s jacket – dropped on road to Puente la Reina – lost or mislaid

Al’s hat and neckie – dropped off rucsac between Panplona and Cizur Menor – lost or mislaid

Simon’s sunglasses – no idea where dropped or mislaid, but in the last 4-5 days – last seen through on road to Hontanas.

Simon’s stick – in the cafe where they a » mundicamino clam shell for his bag – lost or mislaid

Simon’s towel – on a radiator in the Atapuercan toilet where we had a 30 euro en suite twin room and a well good nosh at the Michelin mentioned restaurant. Lost or mislaid.

Simon’s E45 – burst in the bag – unlike uncle ben’s that boils in the bag – lost or just a hassle!

Al’s holey jersey – left in Edinburgh owing to a packing oversight – lost or now in the bin.

Al’s marbles – questionable if they were ever there. lost or mislaid

Si’s marbles – like Lord Elgin’s due a break to Greece after this exercise – lost or hounded out.

You Decide!

Day 19. Who is the greatest? Young Al or some dude called Elvis.

Alan Sugar Listen Up

Simon and I have a list of inventions just waiting to hit the market.

We want you to tell us about your inventions so we can develop them on the road – especially when it rains tomorrow.

1. Solar panel on all car sun roofs. The only time you need air conditioning is when its hot – so its the only time it’ll work.

2. Those tripod seats people carry around to sit on should have detatchable seats – then they would also be portable toilets – and if the cloth cover had a pouch for handy andies all to the good. But also if the hollow legs had holes in them – you could water the grass. Also if you got a free baggy pair of trousers that opened at the back they could be a vanity cover.

3. Greenhouse solar panel or just an outside panel that gets enough electricity to work the strimmer. The only time the grass grows – and it would be handy not to drag the cable through the house.

4. The wheel. While we have been walking we have worked out a use for the wheel which would aid us enormously and shorten our journey time. If you had 4 of them you could make a car that would take you only 15 minutes on the motorway from Leon instead of 5 hours!

Send us your ideas!

Day 20 – Leon to Villadangos

Hello world. Back after me day off. Phone troubles which are hopefully getting resolved- many thanks Jackie – and no internet access.

Am sure Al has covered all the exciting points from yesterday anyway. All I will add is that a day of alcohol til midnight does not mix with walking the next day.

Due to getting smashed we didn’t leave til 10am, a record late start. Thankfully our goal today was only 20k up the road.

This was a slow slow walk. When 90 year old women with two sticks pass u by you kinda realise u aint burning up the track.

Talking of walking sticks the inevitable finally happened today. I left mine in a cafe. I’ve threatened to do this several times alreadly and today suceeded. Because I’ve barely used it since we started it wasn’t until we were a mile up the road that I realised I’d left it. There is no going back. On the plus side however I did purchase a new towel to replace the one I left in Aforza some days back!

I reckon my misfortune must have made Alan forget about his hangover as I got his now common ‘Marvin the memory man’ routine again. Hell, as long as it keeps him walking…

It took us a painful 6 hours to reach our destination, with the usual half dozen loo stops for Al’s phantom dumps.
It is probably a good job we aint doing this trip on a budget as we. are becoming increasing used to staying in a hostel, rather than sharing a room with a dozen other people in the cramped refuges. Needless to say we are in a hostel tonight.

Am now going to unpack and siesta mes amigos.
Adios 

Marvin the Memory Man

Private Kettles was demoted today. He’s been losing things left right and centre. No wonder he’s so fast his bag is empty.

Today it was the turn of his magic wand. He left his stick in vivende de la virgen.

I’ll leave the jokes to others – but its been a great blessing to me. I’ve been chuckling all day.

On what should’ve been a boring stretch of “track by highway”, I’ve been laughing my head off like a good’un.

Mind you who am I to talk – I’ve been losing it for 20 days now!

Homeward Bound

Aye, that’ll be right. We’ve got 300km left and this is where the real struggle kicks in.

Our feet took a massive pounding the last few days gave us a sharp reminder that we started totally unfit and not much has changed in 3 weeks.

We’ve got the will but the body is less willing to allow us to deliver! On the plus side we were just halfway at 400 3 days ago so by the close of play if we’re down to 270km to go that’s 2 thirds down.

The funniest thing is realising now that we’re going to be able to do it. For those of you who had faith in us – you were right – for those who didn’t – I’m just as surprised as you.

This morning our first 7km of the day took nearly 2 hours. I think last night was my last city celebration, I don’t think my body can handle both. Strike that, I know my body can’t!

Kolonel Kettles is keeping me moving. I knew he’d find a use for his walking stick. Its a great outward bound course this and delighted that the work put us on it.

I think we’ll make it a standard part of management training going forward.

“For your first 5 weeks we’re sending you in teams of three. You’ll be given 30 euro each per day for food and accomodation. All you have to do is write it down. At the end we’ll decide what position will be most suitable”

Oh, he’s finished his fag. Its high noon and lots of cloud cover – phew – that’s was lucky – I was sweating like the proverbial sweaty thing and its only 11 degrees on that last stretch!

Good news – he’s bought a new towel!