And on the 7th day – they rested!

Aye – That’ll be Duck in Flight!

So today we got up at 5.45am and headed off in the dark for the first hour.

I tripped over a few pilgrims who had set off earlier – this was handy as I may have fallen down the pot holes they were covering. Not that handy, neither peregrinos were Si.

The thing about walking is you can regain your balance tripping over things like peregrinos as you use your stick and as long as you don’t stab another you’ll find it a helpful implement.

Pot holes off course are another thing all together – one minute your standing up – the next minute all your pride at having walked harm free for 2 minutes in the dark is wiped as your stick carves a ‘Z’ in the air, your elbow attacks the path and your ankle tries in vain to accomodate your new dance routine.

Think about it if you trip over a kerb your ok but when you miss a step down – ouch if you’re lucky there’s a ricochet through your hips and your standing – if not – I rest my case.

But back to my pal Michael Collins. The big fella, he decides, let’s push on while we’re healthy. That’s like Jackie spending the money while its in the bank. That’s like Jimmy getting a new car because the last car loan had just been squared! That’s like, so many things that I call irony.

Why have you blisters? Well I had none until some lardy I fell out with 7 days ago said let’s now run a marathon because there’s no chance we’ll succeed at that!

News Flash – Simon’s just realised we could’ve driven this in two hours. I don’t want to break his heart by saying we left the car at home. I can sense a moment brewing – “Al, we could get to Santiago faster if ….”

“If what Si, if we flew, we got the bus, if we hitched a ride, if we stole a bike, if we threw our back packs away, if we just ran naked through the streets and got lifted by the policia and explained our plight?”

“Yes, any of those!” He replied

“But our cultural homage to irony. Two fat boys who had never found hill walking anything other than a bad choice of pub.”

“Ok, we’ll walk then” Si replied “but don’t start whining at me when we start doing 50km days.”

And as those thoughts hung in the air, I resigned myself to phoning Jackie for some solace. I’m delighted Caitlin was in!

Just kidding of course, as Caitlin said tonight, she’s a fine little woman getting smaller all the time, ‘no I think that was Milligan, Al’.

Spike once said about his mother – she’s a fine little woman getting smaller all the time – as she dug the foundations for their Anderson shelter.

That’s right – yes –  Caitlin said that her mother was the best mother in the world and I was lucky to have had her as a bride. I said I had been, very lucky to have had her as a bride, but enough of the Les Dawson jokes – I must put a stone down tomorrow for him.

Stones – yes stones. There are cairns scattered along the route, and the deal is simple. You pick up a stone, take a moment and move on.

Today was funny. You place stones daily and think about the person or people, but you don’t want to mention them on a blog as – well – it feels not quite right. Today though I was thinking about a guy I knew called Paul Wynne, probably only 26 when he died 17 years ago. I’d known him through Wood Mac and spent time in London with him when he lived in Hitchin and golfed at Letchworth. I never got that game of golf with him. Just as well – he was good – and I was’nae.

He was a great person to have known and whilst I last kipped on his floor in 1989 – I can picture it like yesterday.

Talking of yesterday, we had the best meal yet. It was 10 euro and I’m sure this guy must have a michelin star. The food was unbelievable. We’ve had a few dodgy ‘peregrinos’ meals where you felt a big mac had produced the salad whilst bun and burger were sliced up and served as the main.

We had tuna salad starters – I hadn’t even finished – because of my new eating technique – when the mains arrived.

Si had steak with the piquillos or whatever they call the red peppers that are flattened and soaked in an olive oil type dressing. I had salmon and mayonnaise. It was fantastic as was pudding.

If you have a spare 10 euro left over from your summer hols – head to los Arcos for a meal – you won’t be disappointed!

We have now completed the first week.

The mileage is over 100

The weight loss is over 100 ounces

The steps taken have been 197263 so cangratulations to all of you who selected those numbers in the lottery!

The money raised for CHAS is nearly 1200
And we also have pledges from people for a wee bit more once we complete.

Thank you everybody and please forward the address for the blog to anyone and everyone.

I’ve got my way for tomorrow – it is a rest day and we only walk 12km – just far enough to sweat off breakfast at our hotel – our second hotel of the trip!

Back to the dorms tomorrow – washing socks in sinks and other ridiculously stupid pastimes.

“Si, who’s idea was this??!!!”