A new adventure!

 

It is just over a year ago, it seems since I wrote a Blog! It’s not that nothing has been happening in my life, far from it. Life is treating me kindly. There have been some small adventures. The majority have involved me and my ebike. But by far the happiest and most satisfying for my soul has been my little patchwork family. I find myself the grandfather to two single mothers each with a son. Being around these boys and watching them grow and learn is wonderful, and I am establishing a good relationship with them. Their mother’s don’t know yet, but I shall be using my bad influence to have many small adventures with these boys.

Be that as it may once my knee recovered from the operation I felt a need and a desire to walk one more Camino. From Lisbon to Santiago and the End of the World was my desire.

I started my training by buying new hiking shoes and not boots. Initially this was a disaster because I had some prescription insoles made by a firm in Willich called IOS! They just crippled my feet. Three times I had them remade, but to no avail! The initial shoe too proved to be too wide at the heel and I had to tie them so tight it hurt! I took them back after four weeks and got a different pair. As a Gold customer with Sport Check, they took them back without a murmur. 

I also worked hard to reduce the weight I had to carry by weighing every item and choosing what to take on weight alone. I also invested in a new lighter (under one kilo) rucksack and so imagine how pleased I was when I got the weight done to just over nine kilos!

  

I think though I need a new set of baggage scales as the airport scales showed me even lighter!

One of my “daughters” took me to the airport where my adventure began! The boarding pass on my phone did not have the Gate number on it but said that the safety check in was to be in area C! Went through there. Interestingly my artificial knee did not show on the scan!

Once through the security check I went on through passport control which was on the left, but should have gone to the right before it! I now learned that my flight was leaving from Gate A39 and had no means of getting there but to return through passport control as if I was arriving from abroad and go out into the arrivals hall and start all over again! 

By the time I got to the gate there was no time to do any shopping which was probably a good thing!

Then they changed the gate to gate A49 where we were able to see our plane arrive.

And watch my Rucksack being loaded. It’s the yellow bundle on the conveyor belt!

My seat was 5D, but stupidly I sat in 6D. When the owner of my seat came I found a woman now sitting in my seat so went sit in her’s which should have been 4D! Apart from these musical chairs the flight was uneventful. We were served with a dry bread roll which contained plastic cheese and ham. 

The good part was the leg room on the flight, there was plenty of it. So well done TAP Portugal.

On arrival it was a long walk to collect the baggage and then a long wait to get a taxi!

Our hostel is on the eighth floor of a high rise building which we are sharing with some chaps from Brazil. Thanks to Google translator we are able to communicate with each other. 

Initially we were allocated a top bunk, but I played the artificial knee card and they changed the bunks! The Bears are now happy.

I took a quick walk round the block and ended up getting wet as it rained. It is windy and colder than when I left good old Germany, but otherwise I have no complaints!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Advent 2016

An old Chinese curse says, “may you live in interesting times!” Well I rather feel what with BREXIT, Trump, the refugee crisis caused also by the wars in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, the situation over the Crimea and the Ukraine, and the political situation in Turkey  we have been given it in Spades! What worries me too, is the way the Press in Britain has played a part in the rise of hate, racism and what amounts to fascism. Their manner of reporting is at best scandalous and at worst amounts to a crime. The future looks gloomy and dire, yet I have faith in the good in most humans and pray that we will weather the storm that is sure to come from all this.

Do write and tell me how you feel about the USA and their choice of President and what Brexit means for you. I fear for America and the world, for they may have just, like Germany in the 1930s,  unleashed a monster which they cannot control. It was a big mistake of the Democrat Party not to choose Bernie Sanders as the guy to go against Trump. After a Black President they were not ready for a female and especially not Clinton! If racism has risen despite a Black President what will happen now with a fascist and sexist at the helm?

The future for the UK looks dire or not depending on whether you are a Brexiteer or a Remoaner, as they seem now to be called. I am the latter! In my view you cannot leave a club and expect still to have all the benefits of membership! The club will not countenance such a thing. So I hope that the UK government trigger article 50 soon and then realise how bad it really will be and put the whole negotiated  question back to the people.  Perhaps then the 12m odd people who did not bother to vote will also get off their bums and now do so. The moral of the tale is be careful what you wish for!

My knees add to this equation on a very personal level and have also caused me much pain and heartache! First having to give up on my border walk was hard, but then more or less just sitting around, getting fat in the process, and waiting for doctor’s appointments was frustrating to say the least. So much so that I feel Christmas has crept up on me a bit too soon!

My right knee has lost most if not all of the cartilage on the left inside part and, though the pain is bearable, I am not able to hike any great distance with it. All the time I have been hobbling I have strained the left knee which now is also not able to hike great distances. Even cycling is painful on the knees! All in all a miserable state of affairs for an infantryman!!!     

So mechanical failure in this ’46 Model   Rolls-can-‘ardly  has shocked me to my core for I have suddenly felt very, very old!! Hobbling up and down steps has done it for me. I can’t do all the things I want to and now have to make compromises. I have maintained that I have the heart of a 12 year old boy, out for adventure and excitement. One who wants to discover the world anew like Columbus, or travel into darkest Africa to photograph (not shoot) the wild life like Quartermain. To my further dismay I have the eyes and sexual appetite of a 25 year old, but fully realise that my broken down body is that of a 70 year old so all these things are unrealistic! My one consolation is that I am not alone, for I am sure nearly every other 70 year old feels as I do!

But I am ever optimistic and am hoping that a replacement knee OP in the first part of next year, will give me a new lease of life and that I can go on my adventures again. On the basis of one knee at a time, I hope the right knee will be done before Easter. Then it may well be wait and see. Perhaps the left will calm down and I can hike with it? If I have my way then I will attempt to hike the Camino Portuguese after Easter on new knees!

In July I also hope to sail in UK waters with my Army chums for a week or so; in August  I plan with my chum Jürgen, to continue our paddle down the Weser. (No knees needed) The first weekend in September I am organising the annual reunion of the Old Comrades of the Nienburg Crew, hopefully in the Cologne/Bonn area.

Let me finish by wishing you and your  family a very Merry Christmas and New Year filled with hope, good health and much laughter.

The Bears', of little brain, philosophy on a human's life and the Camino.

On the 10 May we returned by bus to Tabara where we now found the Albergue full and so had to return to the El Roble Hotel which was also full. Four Irishmen were also looking for accommodation and so the landlord phoned someone. We were told to wait and then a man came and collected all of us in a van and took us to an apartment which had four bedrooms. As luck would have it our BBF chose the one room which had the ensuite bathroom! 

The next day we set off for Santa Croya de Tera some 21 kilometres away.   The day was grey and it threatened to rain, but fortunately did not. The way was  generally well drained and today we found that there were many more pilgrims on the route and we were passed by some of them. We were able to stop in a bar along the way and have a belated breakfast and then when we got to Santa Croya de Tera, found we were among the first in the Albergue. It filled up fairly quickly though. That night the Irish had a sing song to celebrate the end of their walk for that season, as they were returning to Irleand the next day. We were in a dormitory next door together with some Spanish pilgrims and they were not able to differentiate between English and Irish so the English got the blame for not respecting the sleep of other pilgrims!!

Leaving Santa Croya de Tera we now found ourselves walking in a Westerly direction at last, as we had what little sun there was, on our backs.

Villar de Farfon was our next destination and we beat the rain to get there.

The way took us across some nice wild country and our BBF chose to go through the bush directly up the hill to the top of the hydroelectric dam. In the picture we came from beyond the church you see in the top left, to the track you can just see on the top right and from there through the bush to the dam.

We found just a couple of these way markers in the bush to indicate we were on the right track.

We crossed over the dam and then followed the lake round to a small village where we found our small little Albergue.

It was run by a couple of South African missionaries and would have been a delightful place to stop were it not for the cold and rain. The warmest place was in bed so were were all in bed early. Alan was not alone here, an Australian pilgrim, called Richard also stopped here.

The next morning after a cup of tea we set off in the rain, which fortunately stopped later and then the sun came out. We got within 25 yards of a deer just before the rain stopped, which was the highlight of this section.

Generally though the way was waterlogged and we had to try and find the dryest route through.

The Rio Negro here in full flood. In Rionegro del Puente we were able to stop in a bar for breakfast and here we found a Spanish pilgrim and Richard also caught us up.

In Mombuey we stopped at the Albergue.

It was very primitive here, perhaps the most we have encountered. It soon filled up though with some Spanish and other pilgrims who were the worst snorers too.

We were glad to get out the next day and set off early for Puebla de Sanabria.

The AVE is a new high speed rail link being built and this crossed our path. Our BBF now decided to use it as it was a beautiful path. We had it to ourselves, apart from the deer and we saw lots of them along the way.

The views across the country was lovely when the sun shone.

We got off the AVE at this tunnel and walked then on the road into Puebla de Sanabria.

This morning, Sunday 15 May we were out the door early and had to walk up steps to the walled town, some 215 in all.

The views compensated us for the effort of climbing the stairs.

The rest of the day was spent in steadily climbing up hill to the highest point on the Camino so far.

When we got here we found the Albergue was full so we went to the nearest Casa Rural and were lucky to get a room to ourselves.

Alan left us here to go and find a meal and then on the way back found the church open and was able to spend some time there in prayer. As there was Gregorian Chant playing he did not sing.

Last year on the Camino we had a real purpose in walking, we were not sure if our BBF had a real purpose in walking this one though! 

He has said he is walking now to redeem his own soul. He carries with him a stone as large as a plum, which he says represents all his sins of commission and omission from his life before Hanna! He also has two smaller stones which we understand represents four hearts he has broken and who's lives were changed for ever as a consequence. We have no idea who's hearts, since we two were not with him then. Only Pippa and Squeak the matriach and patriarch of our Bear family would know, They after all have been with him for ever and are as old as Methusila and know everything. We can say that these hearts are not his two former wives. The two heart stones he picked up from outside the Station officer's mess in Hohne and the other from outside his former office in Hohne. 

The Camino is like life itself. Each person on it, walks his own path. No one can say that that path is the wrong one. Some pilgrims, take a bus part of the way. Others take a short cut as our BBF has done. Some are fast, others slow. Sometimes the path is steep and often it can be so muddy that each step is a trial as the feet get so heavy with the mud collected. Often humans carry far too much baggage and this weighs them down too. Sometimes humans go on the wrong path and must somehow find their way back. The people you meet on the Camino are often are not always as nice as one would like. Some are to be avoided, snorers in particular, Alan says. 

A person is best measured, not by their wealth or power, but by they quality of the friends they surround themselves with. On this Camino we have not been so fortunate as to find BFs, as on Hanna's Camino last year. Alan has made some new Facebook friends, but that is about all. 

He has also found that he has walked alone all the way. It is not that he minds that so much. But he found when sailing around the world alone, that only when he was in Hanna's company did he have contact to local people. A man alone is always a bit suspicious. Women too have their own way of looking at the world and at life. He would wish to travel to far away places again, but does not want to do so alone, for it will never be as enjoyable as in company with a woman.

Alan has said that this Camino is at least good training for walking the old East German Border later in the year, for he will always be alone on that long walk. But with us as company, he is never really alone is he?

Buen Camino

   

                           

THE HARD WAY.

We have now walked some 530.99 kms to Salamanca from Sevilla! Last Sunday we never wrote to you as we were in an Albergue. The rain has been the predominant factor so far in the walking since last we wrote. Not just because when it rains in Spain it pours, but even on dry sunny days the Camino is waterlogged and the going is thereby harder than it would be.  We'll not give you a blow by blow or step by step description of the way, but mention some of the more interesting parts.

When the sun shines the countryside is beautiful and one can often see for miles and miles. The birds sing and most days we have heard both the Hoopoe and the Cookoo. 

In Casar de Caceres, although we did not share the same Albergue, Alan shared a meal with Young Soon, from Bremen, a woman who started at the same time as us from Sevilla.

After the meal Alan tried to help Young Soon get the GPS data onto her phone, as she uses the OsmAnd map App. Sadly he failed as neither he nor she knew enough about the Motorrola phone system to open the files he had sent her!

On the day we left Casar de Caceres it was grey and turned into the worst day of rain so far. Yet even rainy days bring their reward.

Between the showers Alan managed to take a photo of the Hoopoe. Thereafter we felt that we paid for it in spades, for it never stopped raining until we reached Canaveral some 28 kms later. We arrived like drowned rats, well Alan did, he made sure we stayed dry and only our little Pilgrim neckerchieves were a little damp when we got there. 

On this day he actually walked part of the way with first one pilgrim, a Frenchwoman from Normandy called Catharina. She was quite a fast lady and overtook us as Alan was photographing the Hoopoe. When she stopped after walking two hours they shared the stop. Alan left first and now she trailed a little as the rain really settled in for the day. 

When to Alan's delight he came across a roofed over picnic table, although it was not time for a stop, he did and we shared lunch there. Catharina like Alan had Babybel cheeses in her pack! They both agreed that, though it was not the best cheese in the world, was made for the trail as it was individually wrapped and kept well out of a fridge for some time. 

Some of the way was along the road as we needed to cross two large rivers, the Rio Almonte and the Iberian Peninsula's longest river the Rio Tajo. They were building two new bridges for the motorway here, but it was raining so hard that Alan only managed to capture this one picture between gusts, of the new bridge over the Rio Tajo. He had discussed with Catharina, that he was going to try a short cut to get to the next possible stopping point. One could see on the map that the route went below and a kilometre past a hut on a hill and approached it from the other side. Well when we got there Catharina was well ahead and had gone round a corner so Alan could not shout to her to tell her, that now was the time to go directly up the hill.

This was the view when we got there over lake Embalse de Alcantara II.

Alan saved 15 mins on Catharina by going directly up the hill! They set off together, Alan leading and were later caught up from behind by a South Korean pilgrim called Kim!  They walked in single file and no one spoke it was a question of head down and bash on.

The Albergue in Canaveral was a most welcome sight. Here Alan decided enough was enough we were not moving on until his boots were dry.

Some days before when it had rained and Alan had no newspaper he bought some toilet rolls to help dry out the boots. Now he had also collected in Casar de Caceres some newspaper as well. However, it took the day's rest here to dry out the boots. We have already mentioned how hard it is for him when his toes get cold and wet, well in Canaveral he literally poured water out of the boots on arrival.

This was the view out of the window in Canaveral. The enforced rest did us all good and we started out the next day with dry boots, which because of the nature of the ground got damp but not soaked on our now long walk to Galisteo.

 This day was also one of adventure as the rains had done some sterling work at over filling the rivers. Generally though it was a good days walk made doubly tough by the overall distance in the end.

Some times the going was good and the views nice.

At others it was wet underfoot and the trick was to find the driest route.

At one stage the only dry way over was to use the dry stone wall.

The wall on the left of the picture is how we crossed this wet bit.

We later learned that some pilgrims at this point waded through, but our BBF managed to balance on the stones which lay just under the water's surface.

It gets very tiring trying to find ways over wet and boggy ground. At one point on the route near Riolobos which we were hoping to by pass, while having a break Alan and Bill (of A and B) fame came by.

A little later as we were going down a hill to cross a road we could see them ahead casting about, clearly looking for a path. When we got there we saw and they told us how the river was in flood and the road was impassable. Sadly no pictures were taken at this point. The three humans decided to find a way across the fields to follow the road which we could just see. 

Alan and Bill undid the ropes tying the first bit of fence together so we could get through into the first field. Then it was tying up again after we had passed through. We now went under and over a number of other fences until we reached the road some two kilometres to the West of where we had wanted to be.

The three humans decided not to go back and follow the original route as the map showed that there were at least two more rivers to cross and we had no way of knowing if there was a bridge or not. Consequently it was decided to follow the road to Riolobos and pick up the Camino again from there.

Alan and Bill are fast Canadian walkers so they were off. We followed at a more sedate pace. In Riolobos the road had many benches along it and Alan stopped at the last one for a rest and something to drink and eat. He saw Alan and Bill go off left round the last corner as he did so. 

When he now set off, he initially followed them, but realised quickly that it was the wrong way. Later he learned that they had walked two kilometres up the wrong road before turning back and then staying in Riolobos.

We went on firstly by road and then again cross country to finally reach Galisteo. The Garmin watch warned Alan of low power at the 30 km mark and he noticed it switched itself off about two kilometres before we reached our hotel in Galisteo. Later when he had charged the battery he saw that it had stopped at 33.35 km, so feels we walked at least 35. His feet and knees  had really had enough that day.

Leaving Galisteo over this bridge we walked via Carcaboso to Oliva de Plasencia. Another 31 kilometres day, but a nice one which culminated in a nice private hostel where we met some new pilgrims.

These crosses are the last thing you pass in Carcaboso. 

The way went cross country between two fences. At one point we found this stupid cow, who instead of letting us pass ran before us for at least two kilometres till there was room for it to get away.

Alan's washing drying in the sun. We had a nice room on the first floor and shared the hostel with a Dutch bicycle pilgrim, Agnes and an Italian couple.

The next day was again a sunny one and one in which we walked without seeing another soul all day. But it resulted in one of the highlights of the Camino the Roman site at Caparra.

This arch is the sign of the Via de la Plata.

The way now went over sodden wet fields.

Until we came to this bit!! Of note is that nearly all the lakes of water in the fields had countless frogs croaking their hearts out, and this flowing stream was no exception. Nothing for it but to take the boots and socks and knee supports off roll up the trousers and ford it.

On the other side it was dry off, kit back on and march on. Little did we know that within two hundred yards we had to do the whole thing again, though this time it was not three feet deep.

Here we managed to use the stones to get across.

The Albergue in Aldeanueva del Camino is to be recommended as it is run by a nice couple who made one feel really welcome.

In the evening one could sit around the fire and watch TV. The Hospitalero served the best Paella, Alan has had since Pat made one in Canada!

We were the first to leave the next morning and this Alan has accepted is the main reason he walks alone and sees no other pilgrims on the way. But he says he likes to watch the dawn come up and also wants to arrive early enough for his chores to be done and his body to have time to recover for the next day.

Now we had another one of those really enjoyable walking days. After two hours we reached Banos de Montemayor where we found a Cafe to have breakfast. The way out of town was up hill and it was along the longest stretch of intact Roman Road we have had the pleasure of walking on.

The route eventuall left following the main highway, and went up and down cross country to La Calzadar de Bejar.

We found a bright blue feather which Alan now wears on his hat.

In Fuenterrobel de Salvatierra we stayed in perhaps the nicest hostel yet which we had to ourselves for a very long time.

To celebrate Alan cleaned his boots! There's no helping him. You know what they say about old soldiers don't you. Old soldiers don't die they just loose their privates! That's not so he said, many of those privates are now my friends on Facebook!! We give up!!

We were blessed with sunshine again and a more or less good path all the way to San Pedro de Rozados. There was a hill to climb where there was a cross amongst the wind power farm at the top of the hill.

This view is the way back from where we have come.

Alan sang the Pilgrim's Hymn here and then it was down hill most of the way.

A Griffon, so we are told, or Gänsegeier in German.

We stayed in the hostel in San Pedro and here Alan met two South Korean brothers. Yunchae and Yunchun. They had arrived late in the day as they had walked 41 kilometres that day. There was no shower facilities in the Albergue and they were looking for the staff to find a place to shower. Alan took them up to his shower. Later they sat and chatted and exchanged experiences. But of real note is that that presented Alan with a Korean good luck charm for his kindness.

He keeps it in his purse together with the Japanese charm he was given on Hanna's Camino last year!

This is looking back the way we have come and is in fact the view Wellington must have had at the battle of Salamanca which took place in the dark green patches amongst the rape seed fields. 

This is not a very imposing cross, but overlooks Salamanca and Alan sang again here, even videoing himself by propping the iPhone up on the cross!!

We arrived a day earlier than the plan was to, but we will stay till Sunday.

The boots are now with a cobbler and we hope to get them back on Friday! We have done Alan's laundry, bought a new Poncho which will go over the pack as well, to keep us all hopefully dry. He also bought a pair of long pants for hiking in, which are water repellant if not water proof. We think he is fed up of getting wet. He has also bought two new knee supports. Today we went up and down lots of steps in the Cathedral and now his right knee is painful again!

Our human has also had a short back and sides hair cut and beard trim. He says he doesn't feel like the wild man of Borneo any more now.

This being a Univercity town the students were all in fancy dress today, we don't know why but thought it could be a sort of Rag Week!?

It's a beautiful old city with much to see and some wonderful architecture and churches to see. So we will enjoy our enforced rest days here.

It does mean, of course that Alan must now make new friends, as all those he started with will be well ahead of us. Last night he sat and shared a farewell drink with Frans the Dutchman who is ending his Camino here, as he has to go back to work, and Young Soon who is walking on. However, he feels since he has walked alone this far, there is no real change to our condition and any one new is to be welcomed.

Buen Camino