Day 13: Done it!

Well blog fans we have made it, aside from a great meal in a sleepy hamlet last night with another cyclist Nathan there is not much to report on the day.

Primarily the trip into Santiago was all a blur as we were so focussed on getting here. The one memory will be the bloody cobbled streets on our tired bums, alongside me singing "Show me the way to Santiago". They obviously didnt get the memo about the state of our bums!

When we finally got to the cathedral we stopped in the middle of the square, hugged, shed a tear or two and just let out a sigh. 9 months of training, 13 days of cycling, 800km and that was it, all the moments of doubt cast aside by the sense of relief.

We have our compostella (certificate) and tomorrow we will do the pilgrims mass.

Tonight we will enter the cathedral, head butt a saint and then see the crypt where St James is buried. It seems rude to come all this way and not pop in to say hi.

Following this it will be some nice wine, a nice meal and then some sleep in our lovely hotel.

I can also now mention the word:

PUNCTURE!!!!!

We did not get one between us! Ha take that you flat tyre demons!!!

Mike Reflections:

The challenge of the Camino is one that I will remember forever, and being able to complete it with my wife has only made us stronger. Whatever lies ahead, we know that if its a challenge we have a great team to pull through it. Some of my favourite moments have been sat in a piddly bit of shade, hot, hungry and tired, giggling like kids at each other, making sure we can finish the day.

Spiritually, I am always at home in the countryside, enjoying the isolated places you can get to on foot or by bike (or with fishing rod). However this camino exudes a spiritual history all along the way, you can feel the human trace across the land and in the buildings you see. The modern pilgrims are a credit to every nation, take away the worries of home and reduce people to their bare minimum and you see the best of the human spirit. There is a real connection between everyone of you (could just be the shared pain) and the smiles, and the offers of help from everyone even if you are speaking a different language will be one of the most treasured things I take away.

Everyone should look for a physical and spiritual challenge in life as it has brought supreme relaxation away from normal life, as well as an amazing additional bond between two daft newlyweds.

Sarah Reflections:

I have to say, i was not sure i could do this. Even a few days ago. Challenges come along in life and you learn to deal with them, but going out and finding one, finding out what you are really made of, and in this case what we are made of, is something else. And i and we can do so much more and be so much more than i thought. This camino has been an idea for a while. A wouldnt that be nice. It is only through mikes stupidity that i am here, and i am just as thankful for that as i am for him getting me round.

A lot of people come out here looking for god. The pilgrims asked that question in leon certainly were, and i think to an extent i was too. In doing this i dont think i have found god per se. No angel dropped me at the top of those climbs, and i did ask!! But what i did find was a spirit, in me, in us, and in others we met along the route. I found many of those christian values that are talked about each week in church and you walk out thinking you must remember to try and be that person. On this camino i have found strength, perserverence, love, forgiveness (more mike than me!) and most importantly of all i think acceptance. I have learnt you can be so happy in life with so little. I hope when this bubble is left that i continue to live those values i have found here. As it in living those values that i think you find the spirit of life, be it a belief in god or just mankind. I also know that wherever life leads it is going to be just fine, as i have mike, and there is very little more i need.

Memories:

The bloke trying to help sarah and falling off his bike.
The dog biting a wasp and getting stung and running off into a van.
A man taking a pee next to us while we ate lunch on a bench.
A man talking to me for 20mins in incomprehensible spanish, after i told him I did not understand him.
Pharmacies giving us practically anything to treat aches.
Marco the mad italian.
The german pilgrim who made us smile everytime we met.
The spanish couple on bikes we kept meeting in random places all along the route.
The oreo chocolate.
The cheescake magnums.
Spanish pimiento peppers.
Vino :-)

Day 12: Portomarin to Rabadiso

Well last night ended with a very nice meal with a view of the river and cool breeze running through the restaurant. A welcome change from the heat of the day! The spanish do very nice chips, like mums when she used to have a deep fat fryer. At the end of the day, when you are craving salt, they really hit the spot!

The intention was for a light day today, having spent the last few hammering out the km in the sun. Today was a mere 55km and going by the profile we had one incline of 400m or so and then a few bumps from there on in.

We have instead spent the day playing Jack and Gill in our own nursery rhyme.

Last nights albergue was a purpose built jobbie with c.120 spaces in one dorm - there ear plugs and night mask came in useful. It was amazing how many people had failed to pack the night before when intending on leaving early, and although no lights or noise were allowed until 7am this was blown at 6am. As in keeping with the remainder of this trip, by a group of french people (who were also having their luggage transported!).

We decended out of Portomarin in the fog and instantly hit a slope. You know its going to be a bit of a hill when there is a sleeper lane sign above you. I have lost count of the number of these signs we saw today. So we climbed, and climbed and climbed a bit more. Our legs, not having recovered from the last few days, got tighter as we went up. And yes, Mike is finally feeling some pain in his knee. Thankfully between us we still have one good set of legs!!

The early morning went by relatively quickly. It was about 15km in that we hit the main road we were following for the remainder of the day, with the camino criss-crossing us from time to time.

Although the profile for this section looked flat, we find a bit of small print in our guide that the route crosses a number of river valleys that may not be represented in the profile. Replace may not with have not!

We climbed a long hot road for lunch, a nice sandwich and coke to recover from the morning, knowing 12km and our day was done.

Lunch was spent trying to avoid the day trippers that have arrived to walk the last 100km, many of whom have day packs as suitcases are taxied (and sometimes the walker too!). You can identify the pilgrims who have made a longer trip as they typically meet the followin criteria:

1) pilgrim hobble
2) tan lines, more on the left than the right
3) big backpack.

After lunch we left the town and started gaining the benefit of our free miles and corresponding cramp from braking. Once again, we were lulled into a false sense of security and spent the remainder of the trip cursing the slow lane signs we saw. Being on a main road means that there is less opportunity to stop and so ironically, i preferred yesterdays mountainous climb.

On arriving at our albergue, a pretty little place by the river (which i am hoping to keep mike away from) we were asked the distance we had travelled to see if we were entitled to a room (with the day packers already let in).

Tomorrow is arrival day at Santiago, all being well. It is an odd feeling for tomorrow to be the last day cycling (although depending on our bikes and bodies we may be heading off on another small adventure). Tonight is for savouring the tranquilty, and the usual food (including the discovery of raspberry cheesecake and white chocolate magnums and orio milka), beer and bed.

Oh, and mike wants me to mention there may have been a tad of grumpiness today.

James quote of the day.

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him."

Day 11: Ruitelan to Portomarin

A beautiful meal and sleep last night were a welcome treat. However, leaving the peaceful hostal by the side of the river was a bit of a bind this morning.

We knew we had a climb to come, however 18km and over 2000ft of height gained was a thorough work out with the bikes. Needless to say after nearly 700km done the bikes were a little tired so we made sure we rested them often. And in the words of Saint Eldridge ;-) ooooh it was tough!!

Still the relentless Pilgrim Peleton does not push and we made the top. We passed a few dead cyclists on the way however having to push the last bit. At this moment it was hard to wipe the grin off Sarah's face as she was so happy to have made the top. I have to say as well that I feel really proud of what she has managed on a bike to date. 9 months ago we bought these bikes and Sarah had never done more than about 15 miles on a bike. Now she can get to the top of mountains and smile about it, it is a great feeling to do it with her and share this.

Still after the climb we were debating where to finish, do we finish at Sarria early or push on to Portomarin. The downhill was so long we both got cramp in our hands. Zooming through the stunning Galacia mountains to the town of Triacastela.

We got here so quick we decided to do the next 10km to Samos for lunch. This was set in a beautiful river valley with the largest monastary in the western world. It was also sat right next to a river full of trout!! Shame i did not have the gear with me as there were bloody loads of them!

From Samos we continued to Sarria, our potential end of the day, but it was too early really to stop. So Portomain it was then.

We bypassed Sarria centre and went for it up yet another long hill, only now it was 2pm, stinking hot, and no breeze. We got really low on water at this point, both bottles gone and the 2l reserve i have carried all trip was gone as well. However we knew there was a cafe ahead to stop at.....however despite at least 20 pilgrims passing outside, they were closed for a siesta and had no water. I was ready to leap the fence at this point but after a bit of discussion the owner said there was a fountain in the nearest village. So i left sarah there and cycled off to fill every bottle we had.

Once we had this the climbing continued until we were about 10km from the end, here we had another cramp inducing down to 2km from the end.

It was at this point we crossed the most amazing river to get to the final stop tonight.

Tired and hungry we had certainly had enough. I type this with a G&T (or so it appears in spain, a tonic with my gin) in hand as I think we earnt it today.

James quote of the day.

"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."

Todays word was we are going to make it. Whilst there were moments of doubt (from sarah) we are sat here...

I am also pleased and amazed to report that Sarah can actually tan!!! Its taken nearly two weeks and 8hrs a day in the sun but she has tan lines!! Still St. Piz and St. Buin need to be commemded for their ever present uva and uvb blocking!

Day 10: Rabanal to Ruitelan (supposedly)

Well, rabanal is officially our favourite village of the trip. A quiet, sleepy little place which had a bar that did some lovely hams. The 'attempts' at spanish on our part paid dividends as our plate for two far outshone that given to a group of grumpy french people who only spoke to the owner in their native language (we later discovered that they were having their suitcases transported too, their fate was sealed).

It was interesting to attend the vespers, although they obviously were not au fait with monty python. We were provided with the original latin and an english translation, although without you could have deciphered a large amount of the text.

After the chilly start to yesterday i had bought some leggings to ensure i stayed warm in the mountains. As it happens, the 5km climb up over 350m that started from the hostel door was a sufficient warm up.

From the profile we had there then looked to be a steady roll up 10m over the next few km to reach the highest point of the camino. What the profile didnt show was the 100m drop between these two points. It took a bit to find our climbing legs again. As can be seen however, there were some good views from my customary morning stretch.

It was at this point we started to gain our free miles. We knew it would be steep but were greeted at the top by a warning sign for cyclists that the following 15km decent was a little dangerous. The decent started rather like oblivion at alton towers, as we cycled up to the down we couldnt see anything until we dropped off the edge.

With both brakes going we accelerated down the mountain side, stopping every so often when you smelt rubber burning. It was proving rather fortuitous that mike had bought new break pads a few days ago.

It was during the climb, and sunsequent decent, that you see the friction that can be caused between the cyclist and walkers (mountain bikers who follow the walkers route). As they dinged their bells up the hill and then as they bounced down it, expecting the walkers to move for them, while we were on the road a metre from the path keeping out of the way. I have to say, if i were a walker i would have stayed where i was and had a few words.

We decended to Ponferrada, the location of a giant castle used by the knights templar to protect pilgrims. Leaving here we had the final 20km to lunch. A trip that we expected to be slightly up hill as we started to hit vino country again. Oh how wrong were we...

As many of you may be aware, when i get hungry i can get a tad grouchy. Only a tad mind. Well, add into that 10km of inclines and by the time we reached Villafranca i was not in the best of moods (Mike - Understatement of the day!!!). It is a good job that we kiss and make up at the start of every day...!

It was at this point that the return of the killer sun started. Leaving Villafranca we were barely able to sit on our seats they were that warm. The road, initially black tarmac, begain slowly toasting our feet. As we continued up this road (we had 18km on it) we were thankful for the periodic white tarmac and shade provided by the bumpy pilgrims path that was occassionally alongside us (we think the temperature pushed 30degs). Pity the poor walkers who had three peaks to scale as we circled round on the road.

We had planned to stop at an albergue in Ruitelan that has been recommended by guidebooks and fellow pilgrims alike. With life, and water, draining out of us both we pushed through to the albergue. Never a good sign, a lady lent out of the window and said something utterly incomprehensible, pointing to a sign outside saying 'closed today'. Having picked that town as it gave us a few kms run in to tomorrows monster climb, we had to get on our bikes again and carry on up the road, finding a small hostel about 10 mins later. Not nice for us, but worse for some walkers we knew aiming for that albergue.

An annoying end to what has in hindsight been a day for digging in deep. The evening will be spent in Herrerias sitting on the verander with a g&t trying to cool down!

James quote of the day.

"Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing."

As mike was informed on a few occassions today, i need a few kms, although we always get past it, usually with some food!!

Day 9: Leon to Rabanal

Well as we managed to sleep most of yesterday, i thought today was going to be more of a challenge than it was. The rest day obviously did us some good!

So we are sat here in a lovely relaxed mountain village, beer in hand, reflecting on the days challenege.

Last night after we had been blessed as pilgrims we went for an italian dinner. This is where we had another international language barrier issue....

Sarah asked "los banos, por favour" (the toilets please)
Barman "outside"

So sarah came back outside very confused and still needing the loo.

Two minutes later the same barman came out with 2 beers..... (dos cervezas)

Not quite sure Sarah's spanish is being understood by the locals. Still at least when riding today we have a new phrase for needing the loo...."two beers"

So, we left Leon at 7am this morning, hoping to avoid the heat....however the opposite was true, it was 6 degrees and bloody freezing.

It took 2 hrs of riding before we managed to remove our waterproofs. We made great time through the last of the industrial flat lands, with a few climbs before the cathedral city of Astorga.

We stopped for our lunch break and stretches. This included THE best hot chocolate known to man/woman, it was pure liquid chocolate. I think Sarah is a little annoyed that I did not inform her these existed before today.

Still after this we then knew we had 20km of climbing to end the day. Here the landscape changed again, we are entering the final mountains of the trip, and its nice to see some green plants.

We climbed through several sleepy little villages on the way, passing many Camino tourists taking photos and smiling (the pseudo pilgrims). You can tell the people who are doing the route in proper style as they either have the classic "pilgrim hobble" or the even more distinctive "pilgrim tan". Travelling east to west means one side of you gets scorched while the other just singed.

Tonight we are going to see some Monks sing vespers in latin, however I will be disappointed if there is not some Monty Python flagilation as well.

Tomorrow is another day of climbs but we are in good shape (or at least sarah is still cycling) and we will be another moutain range and into Galacia. I am not sure either of us want it to be over so soon.

For the post box game fans out there, I am sad to report that Sarah has won the Spanish leg of the game. Meaning that we are going to have to go to Italy in the spring to decide who is the international champion after i won the French leg.

James quote of the day.

"God opposes the proud but favours the humble"

There is a difference between proud and pride, something you are reminded of at the end of each day.

Day 8: Leon

Ah, a rest day. Very welcome if my body is anything to go by. We continue with the running repairs, I even volunteered to have an ice bath last night - it must be bad!

After a bit of a siesta last night we ventured out to sample the local nightlife. This resulted in two great finds. The first, a gin bar, where tonic with your gin appeared optional. The second, a small bar in a back alley that did the most amazing food. We could not pick a winner between my scollops and mikes lamb.

We also found a laundrette, which means i am sat here in clean, fresh clothes. For the moment at least.

The breakfast this morning was lovely. We stuck out like a sore thumb amoung the continental european contingent as we wolfed down as much as we could while they ate their bread and jam.

Leon is a lovely place. Very quaint and warm with small streets and plazas down back alleys providing a great and welcoming atmosphere. When the sun is down and the wind up it does however get a little chilly, not helpful when all your warm clothes are in for the wash!

This morning we TFT'd it up with camera around neck we toddled (or hobbled in my case) off round the local churches and monuments. Mike was starting to worry that he was yet to see a monument covered in scaffolding (a regular tradition which includes not seeing cathedrals in paris, vienna, sienna and quito). Thankfully the main cathedral saved the day and normal service for mikes trips has been resumed.

The churches and historic buildings, both in leon and across spain, are a hodge-podge of styles as rather than adding an extension in keeping with the structure a modern block is merely added on. This can make for some beautiful, and less successful, buildings.

Lunch was a homemade bocadillios with ham and cheese from a local butchers. I have never seen so many hams and salamis in one town in my life!

We shall be returning to our local church tonight for a pilgrims mass that is held daily.

Tomorrow is going to be an early start as we start the final push through the mountains to santiago. With a good wind (behind us) and my body holding together (in other words a miracle) we hope to travel the final 319km in five days. Thankfully with the high peaks comes some 30kms of free miles as we roll down the hill the other side.

Other information that mike failed to mention yesterday, he once again lost the post box game. To draw level on this trip he will need to win every day going forward.

After yesterdays near miss in the pilgrim peleton i have another dobber of a bruise to add to my collection.

James quote of the day.

"Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

We have learnt that you can spend a lot of time on this trip thinking about tomorrow and forget to live in today and take pride in yesterday.

Mike has also discovered that in Santiago we get to head butt a saint! Apparently it is supposed to instil some artistic talent! Well from a low starting point for the pair of us (aside from sewing and fly tying) anything is a bonus!

Day 7: Terradillos to Leon

Ah the final day before rest day....

Injury Count:

Sarah - tight calves, tight hamstrings, aching thighs, swollen hand from a bite, sore achillies and a tender posterior

Mike - slightly achy legs

I know this may seem like a minor miracle to many, however my bad knee, shoulder, ankles etc have been largely fine, which to be fair is incredible. I packed enough pain killers for me falling apart while Sarah giggled at me, however it turns out she is the one having a tough time of it.

Of course we did this as a challenge together and we will finish it together. The mobile massage parlour was out in force once more today ensuring we reached the destination of Leon where we will take a day off to eat and sleep, as well as treat ourselves to washing our clothes.

The day was another grind across the flat lands of central spain, meaning more wheat fields and more head wind, although today this had dropped considerably.

We managed a good pace all morning, and the Pilgrim Peleton even managed to gain a pace setter in the form of Marco, a crazy italian doing 140km a day with full gear! Nutter! Sarah did nearly come a cropper when we tried a rolling photo and we were not paying attention. The near miss only contributed another good bruise on the battered legs.

Lunch came and went, and we only had 18km to Leon. We polished these off on a rather risky A road, and found a great hotel to rest up in. While the hostals have been great on this trip, it is nice to have our own room so we can relax and only suffer each others snoring.

Leon is an old roman city so we will have an explore tomorrow. It is now time to wash the toxic clothing, dip sarah in a vat of arnica, eat and sleep.

Oh and btw we are over half way now will approx 300km left to go :-) however what we have done so far is only the warm up for the mountains of Galacia on the road to Santiago.

James quote of the day

"But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind"

After a few weak moments from sarah over the last 12 hours we can at least say that perserverance and not doubt won the day.