Pilgrim World

At some point each day I ask myself what the hell am I doing here and why am I doing it.  It´s usually half way up the side of a bastard of a hill.  But then each  night after I finish a dinner shared with new camino friends it all makes sense.  I´ve been walking 7 days now need to apologise for the lack of updates.  Put simply I´ve either had no access or have been too exhausted to post.  Covering an average of 25 km a day over ground that can only be described as mountainous takes it´s toll.  I have just clocked up 241,499 steps.  I know I have lost weight because I´ve had to tighten my belt.  I am writing from Los Arcos in Navarra and tomorrow will move into the province of La Rioja.  Home of the best wines in Spain! 

I want to tell you about my life on the road.  I live in Pilgrim World.  It´s different to where you live.  We have no TV, no newspapers, no contact with the outside world, except for surly Spanish waiters.  When I return to civilisation there will be a black spot in my recollections of world affairs.  I understand there was an election last weekend.  Who won?  In Pilgrim World we walk on back roads or goat tracks and hardly see a car all day.  It was a bit of a shock traversing Pamplona the other day.  Not even any bulls but it was damn hot, 38 degC.  In pilgrim world normal standards disappear, especially those around privacy, hygiene and etiquette. 

When you share an alberge with 40 or so like minded exhausted pilgrims, in mixed dorms and with mixed faciltiies modesty takes a tumble.  Add to that extreme temperatures and things get a little scary.  I´ve seen enough sturdy, middle-aged Swedish pilgrims in their underwear to last a life time.  And there are certain Frenchmen who decide that its Ok to trott around the place starkers, and we won´t even go near the Dutch! 

Personal hygiene has never been one of my strengths but here it suffers.  We walk, walk and walk and its hot.  Each day we have to hand wash our clothes and sometimes can only get short cold showers.  I hadn´t noticed how much my fellow pilgrims stank until we were in the Pamplona and the yocals were avoiding us
In Pilgrim world we talk about blisters.  Blisters - I can recite the word in seven different languages now.  Blisters and assorted sorts of pain rule our lives.  But blisters are number one.  I have 4 of the bastards and the Bush Doctor, Yves from Lyon, worked his chemical magic on them this afternoon.  Perhaps tomorrow I won´t hobble anymore.

I will also apologise for not adding any photos, these internet booths have no connection for SD cards or USB but tomorrow I hit the next Big Smoke in Logroño so may have success.  I must go now because a French pilgrim behind me is itching to get on.

No chace to check for typos here goes!

Bob