The illicit photo... (Just outside Leon)

Just a quick update despite the huge amount of stories I have to tell. A quick not to say I´m alive and well (which is a nice change). Recently had a few days off sick. Erk! Some have been saying that it´s bad water from a specific town, others say it´s your stomach getting used to Spanish water but heaps of people have been getting a 24 hours bug causing all sorts of nasty exits from the body. Fortunatly it is just that, a 24 hours bug and most people are back on the road after a day of rest. I think for the first time I slept from 12pm through to 8am the next morning. It did teach me to slow down a tad and now I´m doing a few less kilometers per day and enjoying my time more.
Leon was great, if not a little overwhelming after so many little towns.

Oh GOD! I proudly passed a McDonalds despite the fact I was starving and nothing else was open due to siesta... but several hours later after still no food found myself wandering in that direction again... Nooooo why did I do it!! It was sooo good, I felt dirty and wrong at the same time... ewww!

Still looking for something to do after camino with Cassy... looks like WWOOFing is back on the cards, possibly Italy! How cool!

Now to the illicit photo. There´s a church (insert name here) in Leon with 11th century paintings on the walls. Your really not suppose to take photos of it, I think heaps of people don´t turn off the their flash and it degrades the painting... though I managed to sneak one in... managed to get caught too... hehe... "I don´t speak Spanish" phrase has never come in more handy!

Half way... WOOHOO (Traveling through: Calzadilla de la Cueza)

Ouch... I'm on the Camino, writing and walking at the same time (not the easiest of feats). After absolutely marching about 17km in around 3 hours, I'm bloody sore.
I woke up this morning in familar territory surprisingly enough. I stayed in Carrion de los Condes, the very same town that holds the San Zoilo Monastery, where I participated in the VaughanTown program! It was great to know a bit of my surroundings for a moment.
Anyhow, as you might have guessed from the title of the post I'm about half way to Santiago! Woohoo again! 387km down, 387km left to go!!!

Long lost faces... (Belorado)

Staying in Belorado tonight (I´ll try and post the name of the city I´m staying into the title, like this one)

Woah there have been some long days. Another 10 hours day of walking again the other day. Such a relentless pursuit from everyone involved.

It´s quite curious when your walking all alone for hours on end all day the random thoughts that pop into your head. So many faces and moments in time come flashing back all of a sudden. Most specifically old friends from work/school/collage. Even old pets and animals I´ve owned in the past.

I´ve walked 236km so far and *only* have 542 to go to get to Santiago de Compostela but I also want to walk to the coast of Spain, Finisterre and back to Santiago again which should take a few extra days/kms!

Still looking for something extra to do once I´m done walking as I´ll have about 2 - 3 weeks left to do something in Europe before I head home. Hopefully me and Cass will be able to hook up somewhere in Europe.

P.S. Thank you soooo much Cass for your guide book on the Camino... would have lost my way 100 times already and know half as much as what I currently do about the cities Í´ve stayed in.

Egg-plosion...

(Picture: Photo for mumsey... Spanish Sasha)

The days seem so full despite their mundane appearance on a map. Between talking, eating resting, planning, washing, laughing, sight seeing, breathing, dodging European traffic, thinking, drinking and walking... there isn't much time for anything else. I have about 20 of my favorite music albums on my PSP, I've so far listened to half of one!
It's amazing meeting so many different people, each with their own stories and lives. One of the things I dislike about huge cities is the rush of people, each one being capable of writing detailed and interesting book on their lives, a rush of information and a disregard for any of it. On Camino, everyone is flowing in the same direction. Similar goals being achieved in similar ways but unique ways. You join and leave people and groups as they flow around you, picking out the stories that are interesting and something you can learn and share with. An amazing experience!
Oh, and a mental note to self. Don't put peeled, hard-boiled eggs into the microwave. They'll explode, not in the microwave but on the table some time later with a 360 degree, 2 meter radius! LMAO!!

Camino de Santiago - Map

Anyone wanting to follow me as I go... here´s a map. Click it to get a larger image!

Mini running of the bulls...

Wow, what a day! If this is a taste of things to come then bring it on! There's hardly been a dull moment. This morning the intention was to walk to Pamplona, easy enough walk, only 20 km along reasonably easy terrain. Simple day...
I'd been walking all the way with Dawn, who'd up untill today, really needed my encouragement. Today though she was really powering on and I decided that it was time to walk alone for a while and focus on why I was walking myself. So I left Dawn and essentially started my own camino today. After a few km by myself in which I passed a few small groups with new found speed, I'd stopped just before a suburb of Pampalona called 'Trinidad de Arre'. Stopping just long enough meet some of said small groups again and promply getting invited for early afternoon coffee, which I keenly accepted!
Moments on entering the town we see boarded up doors and windows and nobody around (siesta time, fair call on the nobody around part). Soon after, in a bar we all find out that today is the towns festival, which includes a mini running of the bulls. Hence the reason the main street is boarded up! Woohoo!
Canceled are all plans for Pampalona today! What an amazing sight. Such strong animals, such brave, borderline stupid men on one small street!
The rest of the evening was spent with very cool randoms in the refugio talking in sooo many languages, some people translating for others, everyone adding in but primarily 'hands & feet' language. Hehe!
What's tomorrow got organised?

A long road to Roncesvalles...

Holy crap!
That was the longest, most physically draining day of my life. I don't believe that I'll ever be able to say 'I can't' ever again. So much is happening I cannot even mention it all, I'm so tired I fell asleep trying to blog a message and I'm ready to do the same tonight! Good train trip down to Saint Jean Pied de Port. One train almost missed the only connection, stressful! I met 2 ladies, Dawn and Helen who were training in Australia together. Dawn walked with me today and we helped each other through a huge day.
Saint Jean is called one me the most ambitious starting points for the Camino, 1.3km incline over 25km, the hardest day on Camino. Pain!
I must sleep or I'll die! I hope everyone is well at home, UK and Oz! Love you all!