Day 13: Well, it’s flown by. Sheila and I have made it to Santander, 275kms from our start point in Irun. I sit here with a mix of emotions. My overwhelming feeling is one of tiredness after 13 consecutive days walking over and around what I can only describe as mountains. I think the highest we’ve climbed so far is 148m. It may not sound hard when you say it but when you carry a 10kg backpack, I can assure you it’s tough.
I’d meant to start blogging at the start of our Camino de Santiago adventure. The truth is the camera on my iPad is broken and I can’t work out how to upload google photos. So, this blog may not be as colourful as I had hoped.
After a stressful month organising our affairs at home, Sheila, Rosanna and I flew to Biarritz on 8 May. Rosanna was excited to be joining us for the first week of our long distance hike.
The very loose plan was and remains to follow the Camino del Norte and walk the 800kms from the French/Spanish border to Santiago de Compostela. Then, all things being well, to walk a further 80kms on to Finisterre (the end of the world) on the coast.
The road to Santiago is a long-standing catholic pilgrimage that is becoming more and more popular but dates back more than a 1000 years. Catholic’s make the pilgrimage to the shrine of St James whose remains are said to have been buried at the site of the Cathedral.
Nowadays, people from all corners of the world undertake the pilgrimage. They are not all catholics and many are not doing it for a religious purposes. My reason(s) are not entirely clear in my own mind. Undoubtedly, I look forward to the physical challenge. I’m hoping the journey will have a spiritual element. Not necessarily enlightenment but possibly a little clarity would be welcomed. Now, I have retired fully from paid employment, I need to review, reassess and plan this next stage of life.
Wandering Boomers 