T’was the night before ……..

Christmas, when all through the house …STOP …. wrong night before ……those of us of a certain age, will remember this poem ..”A Visit from St Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore ……..anyway I digress terribly ! What I meant was it is the night before finally my lovely friend Kathleen, and I fly to Santiago de Compostella , from whence we embark on the Camino Finistère ( and then onwards to Muxia) on Sunday! ( in case you’re concerned Dear Reader, not all in one day!unlike the film “ The Way”)

We arrive in Muxia on Saturday 10 th September and so you all know where we are going each day, the night before I will post a couple of maps so you can see how difficult the following day’s walk is !!!( or not as the case may be😉!)

I am all packed and ready but I had to wait for vital information – “ oh now what?” I hear you cry …….. where are the hospitals on the way, how far is the the British Embassy , …. not at all , you should know me by now ! How many toilets are there en route and how far apart are they ? OK , I know what you’re thinking …….is that a problem , just squat behind a bush …… Oh that I could ,Dear Reader, but my knees are well and truly b……red ( forgot to give warning at the start of any offensive language – apologies) and my squatting days have long gone!

Yes I know – the infamous shee wee – marvellous…… not – if you’ve read my blogs from the start ( and I mean the real start back in 2019!) you’ll know I had no success whatsoever with it , in fact it proved a disaster ….like pouring Niagara Falls through a straw ! So forget that for any kind of assistance …. However along came …….

I will dwell no longer on the lack of toilets – suffice to say, I will walk with confidence !

So as I finish this , I take on a more serious note . Yesterday we learnt that a much loved television/ radio presenter/ personality , Bill Turnbull , died aged 66 years following a five year battle with prostate cancer . At diagnosis he was told he had advanced disease. In 2019, when I decided to undertake the last 100 k of the Camino Frances, it was because our special friend Alistair , had died of advanced prostate cancer. Like Bill, he was told he had advanced disease at diagnosis .

I walk with my lovely friend , and Alastair’s partner , Kathleen. Camino Romero or The Way of Rosemary ( rosemary for remembrance ) means Walking to Remember … which we will be doing, but I ask you all to raise the awareness of prostate cancer within your family, friends, work colleagues and anyone else who knows you and get checked regularly. I also ask that you push hard to get screening for prostate cancer to become like breast screening in women.

I know what you men are like – “ what, the doctor puts a finger where??? I don’t think so” Well, we have our boobs squeezed between two heavy metal plates – not comfortable either, but it’s a life saver ……so you know what you have to do guys …..

So to finish … remember ….

Until tomorrow…..