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Jefferson, Maker of Memories

gerardcarey

Veteran Member
Time of past OR future Camino
CFx2, CPx1
There was only the two of us today.
My niece Michelle's knees were misbehaving so we sent her on ahead on the bus, to Burgos, with her 15 year old son Lazarus, to keep her company. He couldn't see the sense in all this walking anyway, not when there were perfectly good roads with perfectly good buses. At fifteen, I guess you are allowed to think that.
Her other son, 16 year old Jefferson, and I, would catch up with them in a couple of days.

“You like Indian tucker don't you?” asked Jefferson.
“Yum oh! Sure do!” I replied.
I'd been hanging out for some Thai, Chinese or Indian food for a change. Hadn't come across any so far on our walk from St Jean.
It was lunchtime and we'd stopped at a pilgrim cafe, just off to the side of the Way.
He handed me the menu pointing out a dish which had the word “Indian” among its Spanish description.
“That'll do me cobber,” I said.
It was deloverly. I gobbled it down.
But I needed to accompany it with two bottles of coke to assuage the heat of the chillies.

It was only a couple of hours walk further along the Way that I began to think that “Indian” was possibly not the best luncheon choice when walking the Camino.
The contents of the lower section of my digestive tract were sending me a message. My Indian lunch was not enjoying the confined space in which it now found itself enclosed.

Jefferson noticed the grimace on my face.
“You ok?” he enquired solicitously.
“Need to go to the loo,” I replied.
“No way I'd have Indian for lunch when walking,” he said with a smile.
The young swine. He'd done the menu thing on purpose. I'd been sucked in.

But things like recriminations and abuse were far from my mind at that moment.
I had more urgent matters to attend to.
The countryside was open, without suitable cover. I'd just have to continue walking until a suitable spot presented itself. Half an hour later I was increasingly clenched and desperately anxious about the lack of cover. We came up a low rise, then down the other side. The Way then veered off to our left.
There! 100 metres away to my right, across an empty field, was a lowish clump of blackberries. It would have to do.
There was also a village not far ahead, but I couldn't make it that far, and they wouldn't be able to see me across the open fields, not without binoculars. I clambered over the barbed wire fence then galloped awkwardly across the field to the blackberry patch.
I had my belt undone by the time I got there, and, as I dropped my trou, I glanced behind to ensure all was clear. There, directly behind, two pilgrims ladies were coming over the top of the rise, straight for me. I don't think they saw me but thought I'd better get as low as possible, and keep as still as possible. Too late to worry now.

One of the problems with having tin hips is that you are quite unstable on uneven ground.
I was in the process of standing up again to arrange my clothing when I stumbled. My arms waved wildly as I tried to maintain my balance. To no avail. I fell sideways, thrashing, into the blackberries. Long strands of thorny branches lashed at my exposed rear end.
I've never been so viciously attacked!
After carefully peeling the thorny strands from my derriere I extricated myself from the blackberry patch. I gave the affected areas a bit of a rub, pulled my trousers up, adjusted my belt, and rejoined Jefferson.

“Everything ok?” he enquired.
“Everything's fine,” I replied nonchalantly. There was no way I was going to tell him about the injuries he had caused to be afflicted upon me. He would have told everybody. I would have become an object of laughter and ridicule. Yes, best to keep quiet about that.

We wandered on to that next village, where, in a cafe, we could grab a snack and have a coffee.
There we were joined by an Irishman, Michael, an architect from Lucca in Italy, and his walking companion Peter, a portly red-faced Englishmen who reminded me of Mr Pickwick, also from Lucca.
We had an interesting afternoons walk with them discussing how they and their families had come to be living and working in Italy.

On our arrival at a suitable stop for the night, we settled in, showered and did the washing. It being a very hot afternoon I then went walkabout looking for cold beer. A restaurant sold me a six-pack and I returned to dole them out amongst our new friends.
We sat relaxing in deck chairs, out the front, on the grass.
“It's Keerstyn's birthday today,” said Michael. He pointed her out across the lawn.
“We're going to have a surprise dinner for her tonight. You guys up for that?”
“Too right,” I replied, “should we get her a little pressie?”
“Sorted,” he replied. “I've booked us a table, and we'll all put in to shout her dinner and wine, and we've bought a card and a little knick knack. There will be 10 or 12 of us.”

Keerstyn was pleasantly surprised when we entered the restaurant that evening and found the table set with flowers and candles, with her positioned at the head of the table.

In true Pickwickian fashion Peter opened proceedings with a terrible long-winded joke about a golfer who met the Devil on the golf course. The Devil offered to enable him to get a hole in one in exchange for one year of his sex life. The golfer agreed and sure enough he got his hole in one. By the end of his game he had accumulated 18 holes in one, a world record! In exchange for eighteen years of you know what.
“Now what's your name,” said the Devil, “I'll need to keep a track of this.”
The golfer paused, then smiled at the Devil. “Father O'Malley,” he replied.
Told you it was a terrible joke didn't I?
And Peter stretched it out so it took him at least ten minutes to tell.
There was much moaning and groaning from the assembled company.

Jefferson, seated to my right, looked at me and shook his head. “Why are you wriggling about?” he asked.
My seat was hard and I was shuffling from cheek to cheek to ease the pressure on my poor lacerated botty.
I was trying to think of a suitable reply when fortunately a fellow diner intervened. Another interesting pilgrim, she was seated directly opposite, her husband alongside.
An American lady, with such a plum in her mouth.
I'd never met such a person. I was utterly captivated by this unusual woman.

She leaned across the table towards Jefferson.
“Deah boy,” she said, “are you here with just your uncle Gerard, no one else?”
“And my mum,” he replied, “but she's not well, so she has gone on to Burgos by bus, with Lazarus, my younger brother.”
“But, deah boy,” she continued, “why did he not continue walking with you?”
“Cause he's a soft cxxk, that's why,” replied our Jefferson.

Well, if you're looking for a sure fire way to bring a halt to the conversation around a dinner table, that'll do it.
I too was stunned into silence for a moment.
But he soon felt the determined jab of my elbow in his ribs.
“Oi cobber,” I said, “that's not the type of language to use at a dinner party. Settle down.”

The lady had slumped back in her chair in shock.
She turned and breathlessly gasped to her husband. “Oh Richard deah, did I indeed hair what I think I just haired?”
“Indeed you did m'dear,” he replied, “indeed you did.”
She and Richard then unexpectedly exploded into a prolonged session of Ho Ho Ho-ing, accompanied by tears of laughter.
That brought our happy little dinner party back on track.
We had a champion evening.

We assemble a set of remarkable memories on our Camino don't we?
The two lady pilgrims who surprised me. Maybe they got one. I hope not.
Keerstyn got what we hope was a good one.
And the rest of our fellow pilgrim diners.
Peter, with his terrible joke, we all got one from him.
And Jefferson has given one to our American friends.

And he gave me one too.
He'll pay for that, will Jefferson.
That's going to cost him plenty.

Regards
Gerard
 
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St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Thank you kind sir!
You have taken a burden of sorrow from my shoulders,as a lone happy tear courses down a furrowed and sun touched cheek.
If ever we are to meet
A wee dram or three will be awaiting thee!
 
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We will Gerard. I've just found out there is a wine festival in Logroño the day we arrive.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

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The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Well told!
 
A "prickly" tale well told!

Yet again, thank you Gerard.
Hi mate! How's things with you? I'm looking at that European Peace Walk for next year. Nice & flat for a change. Now that'd suit you wouldn tit?
 
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No books Annie I'm afraid. Just stories of things that have happened on Camino.
Regds
Gerard

If you ever decide to commit your wonderful tales to print could I make a request for the audio version too?
I bet the way you tell them is great!
Big Fan
Sarah
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

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Thanks Gerard, I just walked the second half of the Camino with my nephew. Didn't have quite the excitement described in your story, but I certainly enjoyed it very much.
 
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
It was wonderful seeing the young people on the Camino. We ran into one Aussie uni student who was travelling with his family, which included his grandmother. He was walking with her and carrying her backpack. At the time I was having an issue with my acquired-for-the-Camino-iPhone and, when we met up again with him and his family in Los Arcos, I asked if he could help with my iPhone. He zeroed in on the problem in two seconds, making me extremely happy.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Well, @gerardcarey, I hope you have your revenge on young Jefferson before he learns how unlikely it is for a couple of hours to turn an Indian curry into Dehli belly, and suggests that you, not he, was the author of your affliction through some earlier intemperance!
 
It was wonderful seeing the young people on the Camino. We ran into one Aussie uni student who was travelling with his family, which included his grandmother. He was walking with her and carrying her backpack. At the time I was having an issue with my acquired-for-the-Camino-iPhone and, when we met up again with him and his family in Los Arcos, I asked if he could help with my iPhone. He zeroed in on the problem in two seconds, making me extremely happy.
I know just what you mean. Lazarus and Jefferson seemed to be in constant demand for the same reason.
Regds
Gerard
 
Well, @gerardcarey, I hope you have your revenge on young Jefferson before he learns how unlikely it is for a couple of hours to turn an Indian curry into Dehli belly, and suggests that you, not he, was the author of your affliction through some earlier intemperance!
Sometimes that stuff can go thru you pretty quickly Doug!
I wandered India for I think 4 or 5 months quite a few years ago now eating at all the roadside stalls and local restaurants. Got the Delhi belly only once, pretty badly, but early on. I figure you get the local bugs settled in your gut and they live there quite happily after that. On arrival in London I celebrated with a big fry-up breakfast. Spent the next two nights in Charing Cross hospital getting all those bugs eliminated.
Still probly my favourite country to travel in.
Regds
Gerard
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
.....I know just what you mean. Lazarus and Jefferson seemed to be in constant demand for the same reason.
I can well imagine. Must say that I felt a tiny twinge of guilt when I was thanking that uni student for his help, and his grandmother, who had been there all along, mentioned something about starting 'to rent him out.' Well.......I hold in the highest regard any young person who is willing to help a dinosaur like me with technology.

And, like your nephew, sometimes there's just no telling what they'll come out with. :D
 

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