Hi, my name is Mark. I've be saying that I will walk the Camino Frances since 2013 when I joined this group.
Now is the time to do it! Like everyone I can, and have always found reasons why not to do it. Partners, work commitments, Covid and many many more, but something happened to change all of this literally 2 years ago to the day.
My father, 96, a war hero and "Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur" was lying in bed, in his nursing home where he didn't want to be, and I was sat by his side thinking that he was asleep, when all of a sudden I thought I heard him cry. Something I'd never seen nor heard this very private man do before, except when my Mum died in 1995.
" Hey pop. Come on what's the matter?" I asked as i stroked his head whilst he lay in the fetal position facing away from me. "Where's the point he said, where's the bloody point?" "To what I asked?" "Do you know, when you're lying here, just waiting to die, the only bloody thing worth anything are the memories you've made! Not the share portfolios, savings accounts, big house in the country. And the only woman I ever loved died 30 odd years ago, and apart from you, with Janine (My ex) and the children taking me on holiday, what bloody memories have I got?" Come on Dad don't be like that." I replied.
"No I wont!" He snapped back. "You promise me that when I'm dead and gone, you make sure you take my money, whatever there is, and go and make yourself some bloody memories before its to late!"
I will never forget those words, and I've repeated them so many times to family friends, and I even included that story in his epitaph some 8 weeks later, at his funeral attended by family friends and even a representative from Bomber Command.
So here I am, planning my Camino, no…. planning Dads and my Camino.
I plan to start late March, early April 2024. And am giving myself 50 days, as I want to stop over and enjoy places that I find and like on route. I also would like to continue to Finisterre. If I can get that far.
Anyone else planning to start next March/April? Yes I’m scared, or rather nervous at leaving my partner, but she understands that I have to do this.
Now is the time to do it! Like everyone I can, and have always found reasons why not to do it. Partners, work commitments, Covid and many many more, but something happened to change all of this literally 2 years ago to the day.
My father, 96, a war hero and "Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur" was lying in bed, in his nursing home where he didn't want to be, and I was sat by his side thinking that he was asleep, when all of a sudden I thought I heard him cry. Something I'd never seen nor heard this very private man do before, except when my Mum died in 1995.
" Hey pop. Come on what's the matter?" I asked as i stroked his head whilst he lay in the fetal position facing away from me. "Where's the point he said, where's the bloody point?" "To what I asked?" "Do you know, when you're lying here, just waiting to die, the only bloody thing worth anything are the memories you've made! Not the share portfolios, savings accounts, big house in the country. And the only woman I ever loved died 30 odd years ago, and apart from you, with Janine (My ex) and the children taking me on holiday, what bloody memories have I got?" Come on Dad don't be like that." I replied.
"No I wont!" He snapped back. "You promise me that when I'm dead and gone, you make sure you take my money, whatever there is, and go and make yourself some bloody memories before its to late!"
I will never forget those words, and I've repeated them so many times to family friends, and I even included that story in his epitaph some 8 weeks later, at his funeral attended by family friends and even a representative from Bomber Command.
So here I am, planning my Camino, no…. planning Dads and my Camino.
I plan to start late March, early April 2024. And am giving myself 50 days, as I want to stop over and enjoy places that I find and like on route. I also would like to continue to Finisterre. If I can get that far.
Anyone else planning to start next March/April? Yes I’m scared, or rather nervous at leaving my partner, but she understands that I have to do this.
