I do hope I’ve not shocked you Dear Reader ……after all, you don’t normally hear from me ( despite my own determination to continue the blog on a regular basis 🙄🙄) unless I’m off on one of my Camino journeys somewhere in Spain, and in case you’re wondering …I am not ! As it happens , because of the new rules pertaining to the Schengen zone we must abide by as a result of Brexit, I am unable to do a Camino this year 🙈🙈 . My Camino twin and I planned to walk ( I use that term loosely as you will see) the first stage of the Camino Frances from St Jean Pied de Port in France over the Pyrenees and onward to Logroño in Northern Spain. When I say walk – Day 1 involves climbing 1400 m over 21 km and is logged as 5/5 for difficulty – I probably mean crawl on hands and knees!
However, sorry to disappoint – you’ll have to wait for that little gem a bit longer……..😉😉
When I set up this blog ( correction when Tim next door set up the blog for me …….) I chose the name Camino Romero with care precisely because I didn’t want it to be too restrictive . The word “ camino” literally means “ path” and “Romero” is “rosemary “ which you may know signifies “remembrance” . So I felt I had all aspects covered whatever I was doing ( I have to say on the last camino , the remembrance part was more about concentrating very hard on remembering why on earth I had decided to put myself through it, rather than pertaining to any particular cause or reason! ) Kathleen’s words still ring in my ears today “where did you get the idea it was going to be flat and we’d walk about 10 miles a day ?” It wasn’t, we didn’t and I’ve got no idea!!!
So why is it I’m bothering you all again ? Well because I’m taking on this challenge . Now I know there will be some who will consider this tame compared to my mountain goat antics elsewhere – you all know I walk regularly with the beautiful Millie – more of her later!
I cannot disagree, but the challenge will be for me to walk at least 5 kilometres every day, starting on March1 st and finishing on March 28 th . I can hear the brains ticking over from here ……it is indeed 140 km , so exceeding the target of 100 km. No matter Dear Reader – this is for a very worthwhile cause and one closer to my heart than many of you may know.
The Sands charity was set up in 1978 by a small group of bereaved parents devastated by the death of their babies, and by the total lack of acknowledgement and understanding of the significance and impact of their loss. Little did I know back then, as I qualified as a physiotherapist in the Summer of 1978, that within 6 years I would be thrown into the turmoil of shock, heartbreak and total devastation when my first born baby died shortly after she was born at 37 weeks .
Emma would have been 39 this year on March 28 th so it’s seems fitting that as I take on this challenge in her name I finish it on what would have been her birthday ( oh and we go away the next day 😉😉 and I can’t see me walking 5 km as we traverse the M25 !!) ……
Please don’t think this is going to be a blog filled with gloom doom and sadness – you know me better than that and regarding Emma, I have the benefit of time , the healer, on my side. That’s not to say I don’t have my moments still ……..but there are others ( at least 5000) taking on this challenge whose loss is more recent. I understand all too well the rawness of their turmoil and distress so they will also be in my thoughts as I take on the challenge. The other main reason for doing this is to highlight the work of this special charity Sands, whose vision is “for a world where fewer babies die and, when a baby does die, anyone affected receives the best possible care and support for as long as they need.”
Considering that currently today in the UK, 13 families a day suffer the heartbreak of losing their baby before, during or shortly after birth, amounting to approximately 4,500 babies dying a year and an estimated 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, the charity needs all the support we can give ! ( apologies for the long sentence – my old English teacher would have had something to say about that!!!!)
So I decided to reignite this blog to keep you all posted as to what I and hopefully Millie will get up to, also so you can see I am actually walking the walk and where I am doing it! – please don’t think this will be boring, just because it’s local – you have no idea what can happen in the midst of the local countryside and usually does!
So thank you for reading …..as always, without you it wouldn’t be worth writing!
Nearly forgot … if you would like to support this challenge my just giving page is……..
Apologies…….clearly not as simple as copy and pasting 🙈🙈…..I will sort it out for next week ! In fact I’ll give Tim a call might now!
Have a good week – keep safe and take care! Until next time…….
Camino Romero 