beachamorgan said:
Fantastic! I am glad to hear Isabelle is well. I know I can't keep up with everyone but I do enjoy hearing about everyone progress.
Sorry I have only just seen this thread. I used to be a Net Addict but since starting the Camino I am usually too exhausted at the end of the day to want to get online, even if Internet access is available (and it often is not).
I had the good fortune of meeting Paul in Zubirri at the beg of October, and stayed at the same albergues as him on three consecutive nights. As Paul mentioned, we walked together over Alto de Perdón and I then had to leave him in Uterga while I carried on to Obanos. I´ve heard of his progress since then from other people I have met on the Camino and heard he was doing well also.
As for me, I quickly abandoned my naive plan of completing the Camino in one month when I started walking and realised that 20-24km a day was my limit (although I must say I did manage 28km a couple of days ago - but I have now reached the Meseta so there are less hills to defeat me).
I took a day off in Burgos last weekend (checked into an extremely nice hotel and had a long relaxing bath and dried myself with "real", fluffy towels), visited the Cathedral, attended the singing mass at mid-day, ate "normal" food in a restaurant (ie not the pilgrim´s menu!).
Remember - I had no training whatsoever when I started this, and I had never trekked with a backpack. I also took a pair of shoes that were brand new. To top it all, I am (was?) about 60lbs overweight. I have been extremely lucky in that my shoes have given me no problem whatsoever (not a blister in sight!). A fellow Korean pilgrim told me the other day that I was "slow but steady". That made me laugh but it is an accurate description.
I am meeting lots of nice people but also the odd unpleasant one, of course. I go through an extended range of feelings each day, from positive to negative to positive again. I am enjoying subjecting other Spanish pilgrims to my atrocious Spanish. I am enjoying the Vino Tinto (back home, I never drink wine as it gives me headaches and makes me sick) and the various coffee breaks in tiny quiet villages. I am enjoying villagers wishing me well - yesterday, an old farmer rushed over to me on his tractor, jumped off, and gave me a handful of sweets, before giving me a big hug and jumping back on his tractor and back to his fields.
As I write this, it is 6am here in Carrión de los Condes and I am on the dawn of my Day 22. I am looking forward to today as today I reach Calzadilla where I will be half-way between St Jean and Santiago! This means I am not standing still after all! (Some days, it really feels like that!). It´s taken me 3 weeks to get here, so supposedly it will take me 3 weeks more to finish.
To all my fellow pilgrims presently on the Camino, best wishes! Wrap up warm - the last couple of days I have really started to feel the cold.
And thanks to all those of you who gave me advice before I set off. It´s all been very valuable and extremely useful.
Isabelle
) I have met piles of Irish on my two Caminos...adn you are right... it is the most amazing experience. Best wishes for wonderful walking...
