Not the Blair Journey

[pachapapa]

Hi sweet, appreciate that the basics of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is paramount at moment; but please could you head your posts with Location or something so we know more or less where you are. Cheers

[IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs.svg/300px-Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs.svg.png[/IMG]

[mint]

Hi, Pacha, just under 50km from Burgos now so should make that in the next couple of days.

Breathing better now as the cold or whatever it was doesn´t seem to have got worse.

Food fine and plenty of it. Water, yes, I carry about 2 litres and it´s bloody heavy.

Sex?????? Not sure what you mean.

Sleeping pretty good.

Homeostasis, whatever that is, hasn´t been bothering me too much.

Excretion: well, I wish people wouldn´t get so personal!

[woolybanana]

And you really wanted me to do this trip, Sweets! Well, you will certainly levitate at the end or get a place somewhere or other. I guess the remaining question is WHY?

ORRRRRR, is this a giant porkie, and you are really esconced in your home garden with a huge G n T, munching a home made meat pie and being observed by hubby and the dog!

Anyway, if you are on the road, remember Mr Kellogs of cornflakes fame, and be regular to be happy!!!

[mint]

Gee, some people are basic!

You´d have liked the serving wenches in that parador restaurant who served me breakfast yesterday morning.

They were in kind of folksy dresses with pleated skirts and the frilliest little white aprons!

See, Wools, you don´t know what you´re missing!

[woolybanana]

Oh yes I do, my dear Sweets! As of now I have clean sheets, lovely food in the oven and a more than adequate supply of books, plus a warm doggie next to me on the sofa as well as a 2000 word jig saw waiting downstairs. And as for serving wenches, well, have they washed their hands, so to speak? Does one know where they have been?

Anyway, just keep us informed of your movements, well, some seem very concerned anyway!

xxxxx[6]

[Salty Sam]

[quote user="sweet 17"]Must remind myself to look up the history of these paradores. How come they are such state-owned palaces of luxury? Do they date from Franco´s time perhaps?[/quote]

When you get a minute s17, you can read about the history here, [url]http://www.paradores.es/en/portal.do?IDM=509&NM=3[/url]

Got quite a few under my belt, and it is one of my aims in life to try them all.

Cannot recommend them highly enough.

[pachapapa]

When you get to Santiago de Compostela you deserve a night in the  Hostal dos Reis Catolicos.[:)]

[mint]

Done over 20km today and am now in San Juan de Ortega so should hit Burgos tomorrow.

Now I am in Castille y Leon, the countryside is a lot lovelier than in La Rioja.

Mind you, it´s the same heathers and pine trees and dwarf oaks as in the Charente.

Makes me feel very much at home.

[mint]

[quote user="Salty Sam"]

[quote user="sweet 17"]Must remind myself to look up the history of these paradores. How come they are such state-owned palaces of luxury? Do they date from Franco´s time perhaps?[/quote]

When you get a minute s17, you can read about the history here, [url]http://www.paradores.es/en/portal.do?IDM=509&NM=3[/url]

Got quite a few under my belt, and it is one of my aims in life to try them all.

Cannot recommend them highly enough.

[/quote]

Many thanks for the link, SS.  I am installed in a hotel with free internet today and that´s why I am posting.

Having coughed my way through 24 km yesterday and having had practically no sleep last night, I thought I´d skip Burgos today and hole up here on the outskirts instead.

Alas, this is no parador but it´s as good as I am likely to get, especially as they take credit cards and I have only about 16 euros left before I get to an ATM.

At least, I have a room all to myself, not to mention a bathroom with bath, shower, washbasin and bidet plus fluffy white towels.  Yes, I know these are ordinary everyday staples but to someone in my position, these are truly some of the great wonders of the modern world.

Not only that, I shall be able to read in bed at night instead of lying in the dark with my ear plugs on waiting for all the hubbub of the dorm to die down before trying to get to sleep.  And, I shall be sure to leave my light on until well about 10.00pm which is about lights out time, give or take half an hour each way, in the alberques.

Today´s walk started promisingly enough, a stony path through a scrubby area where all the autumn crocuses are out.  But, it was downhill after that:  literally and figuratively.  Miles and miles of tarmac until I couldn´t go any further and couldn´t face all the industrial estates before Burgos.  So, although this is a tatty, nasty little suburb of Burgos, I decided to check in to the most expensive hotel in the area.

Now I feel nearly normal again, having had a bath AND a shower and used the bidet to wash my socks.  Have now had a cold beer and some tapas and expect to eat an excellent dinner at normal adult dinner time!

Free internet so I am rabitting on a bit but I promise not to bore anyone any more and go and read some newspapers on line.

[Gardengirl]

Sweet, your room must seem blissful!  [:D]

Gemonimo did say they took the bus into Burgos, as there was a nasty industrial estate to be walked through, plus her friend was in danger of missing her flight otherwise!

It's good to hear that things are going well for you. Gem sounded fine, apart from leg cramps. Hope you both managed to get in contact! Bon courage!  [:)]

 

[Patf]

Good to hear from you and to know that at least for one night you're in civilised  surroundings.

Well done and bon courage - Pat.

[mint]

Hi GG and Pat

How nice that you are still following my foolish little tale.

Alas, couldn´t eat tonight as I don´t feel great and the tapas late afternoon has somewhat taken the sharp edge off the appetite.

There is a very sympa receptionist here who speaks French and she has just brought me a cut onion, telling me it would help my asthma and my breathing.

You know anything about cut onions being used for such purposes?

[woolybanana]

You managed to find any knickers, by the way, oir have you discovered the pleasures of going commandette?[6]

[Chancer]

When you sleep in dorms Sweet17 if you can bag the lower bunk then you can hang your towel and other clothing etc from the rail of the top bunk, this gives you some degree of privacy but also means that if you have a head torch you can read all night without disturbing anyone else.

Glad to hear that at least one of you took earplugs, being a snorer I have always paid the extra for a private room when possible, when I have had no choce but to sleep in dorms I always wore earplugs as the angry tossing and turning of those that didnt appreciate my sonority would wake me up [6]

I also often had to use them to block out the noise from other travellers walkmans, MP3 players etc and for the taxi drivers who thought that I appreciated their music at full blast.

Its funny how you change in life, the first time I travelled I took a walkman and cassette tapes to while away the time when travelling by bus etc, now I would not dream of it, why spend all that money to travel to some far flung place only to remove one of your major sensory inputs?

[Chancer]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

There is a very sympa receptionist here who speaks French and she has just brought me a cut onion, telling me it would help my asthma and my breathing.

You know anything about cut onions being used for such purposes?

[/quote]

 

Google is your friend!

http://www.easyhomeremedy.com/home_remedy_for_asthma.html

 

Scroll down the page and you will find it.

Now you need some honey!

[5-element]

Probably too late now for the onion, but if it happens again, and Sweet has difficulties following links (because of erratic internet facilities) -Cut an onion in thin slices, place them on a saucer, drizzle honey all over them - and eat as needed.

I  tried the onion remedy in the past: I didn't have asthma, but a severe persistent dry cough which kept me awake most of the night (lingering virus infection), so had the saucer+onion on the bedside table and ate bits throughout the night. I am sorry to report that I never saw any improvement though - but it did keep the flies away from me (dragon breath!). Hopefully it works better for asthma!

[Chancer]

I didnt want to post a link but wasnt able to cut n paste the text.

It said pretty much the same thing as 5 element but to marinade the sliced onion overnight and then to drink the honey the next day, slightly more palatable for those who dont like raw onions.

My taste buds are already getting excited at the thought of trying the onion and honey combo [:)]

[Gardengirl]

Poor Gemonimo has been in the wars; she says if I want to post this here, to feel free. So here it is:

After Robin caught the bus I left Burgos in the dark next morning - cities interfere with my pilgrimage but I will be back to sightsee as there is so much of interest and after all, I don´t live a million miles from Spain.  Before I left, however, I did see a fabulous wedding in the cathederal! The Castillane ladies in all their finery, mantillas included, it was quite a sight.
 
The sun was rising and I walked with a german girl whose English was perfect having lived in NYC for ten years and luckily I was with her as trying to get to grips using the poles Robin had left me, I got my boots tangled up in my shoes which got tangled up in some rocks and over I went.  The problem was that I had the poles attached around my wrists - NEVER AGAIN - and this prevented me from saving myself.  The net result of this little incident is a damaged knee, damaged wrist and the biggest lump on the arcade of my eye and the mother of all black eyes and can only see out of one.  My lovely german companion immediately opened up her ´pharmacy´and cleaned me up so I was able to continue (and in fact do 30k).  However, I was a bit (actually, a lot) shocked and decided to spend the next couple of days taking it easy only doing about 10-12k. In Fromista I stopped to ask the way to the Hospital and the most adorable old man insisted on leading my there by the elbow.  The kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze me.  The doctor said there was no damage (that I needed to worry about) and that the hematoma would just disappear.  But when!!!!
 
I´m now back on form and have arrived in Teradillos which is sort of at the edge of the Meseta having done 30k today. The people I have met have been fabulous from different countries and different walks of life. An example being a gentle dutchman who had walked from Holland and who massages pilgrims feet if they are tired.   This evening I´m holed up with a group of french people and you can imagine what the conversation is about.  Not the Camino.  Food!
 
Veteran pilgrims say that one unties the knots of ones (emotional, spiritual, whatever) baggage before Burgos and the passage through the Meseta allows us to leave it behind.  Certainly the long, unending tracks, the heat, and the fatigue make you want to drop the baggage. It is a passage without mercy and to leave any later than 6.30am is an invitation to all sorts of physical drama.  The Red Cross drive up an down the track with water asking if all is ok and it is reassuring to see them. I have been walking in my ´Jesus´sandals to help my heel blisters and it has helped, even on the uneven parts.  Well if He was able to spend 40 days and 40 nights in sandals in the desert, I shouldn´t complain about four days in the Meseta.  And He didn´t even have Velcro.
 
I´m aiming for a couple of Albergues run by priests where it is entirely free, a donation is all that is asked for and a communal meal is served.  Prayers and a benediction are optional extras.  As an aside, last night I stayed in an Albergue, the Espiritu Santo, run by nuns and I have to say I had the best shower yet.  New, clean and efficient and beds, not bunks.  I do wonder whether the nuns escape from their ´cells´ when the pilgrims have left to enjoy all their facilities!
 
Thanks, as usual to all my ´readers. Your emails lighten my feet which from time to time feel very heavy.  Jo, if you feel like cutting and pasting for FF, please do; I´m just too tired to think about posting.

Poor thing; toenails missing, friend returned home (as planned!), heat, cramps etc - and now this! Plucky woman, soldiering on! [:)]
 

[Catalpa]

Gem and S-17... you are bloody amazing. Respect. [B] [kiss]

[woolybanana]

Couldn't agree more!

[Dog]

Don't mess around with onions and honey - swig down strong beer and chopped up garlic it works with more efficiency.

[mint]

News of Gemonimo at last!  I was wondering where you´d got to, Gem.  Clearly, all the prayers I say for you aren´t er..........exactly working.  Perhaps I´m not saying them well enough, being so out of practice!

Many thanks for the encouraging messages.  I will definitely try the onion and honey except that I can hardly leave them overnight by the side of my bed as I may be sleeping with as many as 50 people in my room and what shall I do if they all want a bit of my onions and honey, as Chance clearly does?

Poor old Gem, at least you haven´t broken anything!  Makes my sore feet sound very minor by comparison.  I met a Canadian chap today and, like me, he is plagued by the one small toe on the left foot which is giving him hell.  As he says, how can a toe give you so much pain and trouble and stop you walking?

I am way behind you, Gem, as I am in Itero de la Vega tonight.  So, my urging of you to go ahead was the right thing to do.  I don´t do anywhere near 30 km:  can´t even if I wanted to as each footstep sends a jab of pain into my toe.  I suppose I am averaging 20 km a day.  As you know, it depends where the sleeping accommodation can be found.

But, I do take lots of time to look around and read up on stuff and I don´t plan where I am going to be each evening.  I walk until I find accommodation or when I simply want to stop.

Am enjoying myself too much to rush around. Besides, the interior journey is very fascinating indeed and sometimes I slow down to think or to admire the view or even to write by the side of the road.  Of course, on occasion, the stops are for changing the dressings on my feet!

What a crummy old computer this is.  the keys hardly go down and you have to stab hard on them to get them to work.

Be back when I can, everybody.  Gem, please do take better care of yourself.  Perhaps I ought to just let you do the praying for yourself as it´s obvious to me that I can´t do it on your behalf

[5-element]

Sweet and Gem - you are 2 heroines. Every day I look here and hope to find something about your respective progress. Do you realise that this thread has attracted over 2,500 viewings already? Apart from overt admirers like myself, there must be plenty of secret and silent ones. It is so inspiring, you doing this journey. As Catalpa says, RESPECT!!!!

[Kitty]

Sweets and Gem - You are both so amazing.

Can someone post a link to a map to show the route please?

[Chancer]

I am in awe of you both [:D]

What is it about this trek (hardly a worthy word I know[:(]) that makes it so hard on the feet?

I know you have both done loads of training and assume that your boots are well broken in, you mention that lots, or was it most people are suffering, is it the heat?

Are you changing from your boots to sandals at the first opportunity at the end of the day? I would do so at lunch stops as well if you are able.