I completed forgot to tell you what we’re doing tomorrow 🙄🙄

Hasta mañana everybody 😴😴

I completed forgot to tell you what we’re doing tomorrow 🙄🙄

Hasta mañana everybody 😴😴

Today has been a truly lovely day for both of us . I think it’s fair to say, that after our descent into Zubiri on Sunday , we were slightly anxious about another descent marked with a ❗️ in our trusted guidebook! However we found both the ascent and descent of that enormous hill today, not too troubling …you’ll be pleased to hear .

However like everyday , I need to fill you in on our evening in Pamplona . We decided to return to the bar where we had enjoyed our beer on arrival ..actually we didn’t have much choice as it was the only one open early enough for us to eat! So we enjoyed our meal at a table tucked at the back of the terrace . Then the heavens opened …..

Method in our madness you see … others chose to sit on the edge of the terrace …well, they soon had to move !!!!

Whilst we were seated …testing a wine out for you …that is our purpose on this Camino , you understand ….we saw a girl we recognised, sitting on her own ( we knew from a previous conversation overheard that she was on her own having lost her husband four years ago ) So Cia came to join us….

The rain continued ….💧💧💧💧and as we needed to be sure of any wine we recommend to you , we felt perhaps to be really certain we should try another bottle and ask for Cia’s opinion. Success! She liked it …so we feel certain we can recommend a Spanish white wine called Rueda to you …🤪🤪🤪🤪

Finally the heavens stopped dumping their waste water on us all and off we went to our hotel …and a decent night’s sleep .

Breakfast was the closest we got to the Michelin starred restaurant in the hotel…as we had our breakfast in it!!!

Then we were on our way!

As we walked through Pamplona we passed the Town Hall…..

Then we were on the way out of Pamplona on Stage 4 of our journey! Our guide book suggested we get our pilgrim passport stamped as went past the porter’s office of the University of Navarra . Unfortunately, it would appear that the Porter has been replaced by automatic barriers and number plate recognition cameras 🙄🙄🙄

No matter, onwards and literally upwards!!! In case you’re wonder how we know where to go there are signs everywhere…

So no way we can get lost …oh, and of course you can follow people walking with poles and heavy rucksacks as well! Though that is not perhaps totally reliable, as you may imagine!!!

Anyway onwards and upwards on paths like these

No certainly not ! I made the big mistake of offering to take a photo of a Malaysian couple in the same place . Well, he gave me his camera to take the picture …I haven’t used a camera for years . However, after several retakes, I managed to take a satisfactory photo ( in his eyes) including their legs, heads and the path behind them ….and they kindly returned the kindness by taking one of us on Kathleen’s phone . If you look closely on the horizon, you can see the windmills that we’re heading to …,

First stop though was Zariquiegui … the church of St Andrew was open …

We lit our candles …helped by a lovely man who was in charge at the time …for whatever reason we both felt very emotional whilst there …yet said nothing until about an hour later …strange how emotions can hit you 😘😘

Anyway we had to return to the church shortly after , as the heavens opened again ! A place of comfort in any storm ! One pilgrim came in completely soaked … took off his poncho and hung it on the church door then lugged his rucksack in to the church, opened it and started rummaging around in it . We both thought he was going to get changed out of his wet clothes in full view of other sheltered …,fortunately though, we were spared that vista ….he just pulled out a banana 🍌🙄🙄🙄🙄

So up we continued …the rain stopped but there were lots of puddles and in places the path was tricky.

As we were reaching the ridge with the windmills, a cyclist who we had seen passing us on his way up, had clearly stopped and left his bicycle on the path . He then appeared from the top of a banking on our left . Looking up we saw ….

Now you can imagine what we assumed ( wrongly of course 🙈🙈) clearly he’d been caught short ( but hardly out of view !)…really, some people …STOP right there . He spoke to us in Spanish to tell us there was a hidden Nativity Scene in the wall ….pull the other leg, I thought , it’s got bells on … but no, clearly he wanted to show us this “ Nativity Scene” Well, I stepped up onto the banking , and he put his hands on my buttocks and pushed . Woosh …I was up in a jiffy ( at this point Kathleen had leapt up , no need for a heave ho for her!! ) …and at this point I should say no, I am not going to sue him for assault…why would I ? He was helping me – it was an act of kindness – he really wanted to show us the scene …

Apparently his friend who had set this up had heard that a bird had gone in and knocked all the figures down ..so he had cycled up to right them all.

We felt extremely privileged to have been shown this …one minute later and he would have been on his bike back down the mountain and we would have missed it !

We reached the top shortly after to see the Pilgrim’s Monument between a ridge of wind turbines – a wrought iron representation of medieval pilgrims, heads bent to the west wind, with the inscription “Where the way of the wind crosses the way of the stars “

And then the descent! Full of trepidation we started on our downward trajectory!

That is not to say that the descent didn’t require full concentration…of course it did , but it was far less treacherous than Sunday’s descent .

When we finally got to the bottom we sat and ate our lunch beside a statue of the Virgin Mary …

Anyway just as we were ready to set off for the next village , Uterga, the heavens opened again and we found ourselves sheltering under the tree behind the much revered lady. Soon enough the rain passed and we were back on the road again ! Along with the Amazon man as it happened 🙄🙄🙄!

A tree ? Very good ..top of the class … though it isn’t in itself a particularly healthy tree .

Kathleen? Hardly a what … but ok yes, Kathleen is standing under the tree ..

Give up ! Okay so the tree had been totally taken over by mistletoe . Amazing …two Christmas themed things in one day !…and thank you, but I have no need to be informed that there are 113 days till December 25 th 2024 !!!

We continued on our way until we reached Puente la Reina and our hotel …the Rural Bidean , when guess what? You know us too well by now …

After checking in , we came up to our room and showered – my goodness we had to tame the shower, turn neither hot or cold tap too much and the water pressure was enough to parachute you into the stratosphere. Anyway caution was employed and we both made it downstairs for our evening meal

Can you believe it , as we were sitting eating …Christmas music started playing !!! That is three signs in one day …what are you trying to tell me ??!!

Anyway, before you ask we were not at dinner in uniform …. however we were working as always on your behalf ..and we do have another recommendation for a Spanish white wine for you all …it’s called Rueda , you may not have heard of it before , but we can vouch for it’s deliciousness 😉😉😉😉

So now to bed Dear Reader … but I wanted to share with you in detail the poem we saw on the railings of the house in Uterga along with boots and a ruck sack ….

Translation ….

Blessing for the Path of Life

May love be a hope in your journey

May peace abound in your heart

May kindness be a mark on your life

May faith strengthen you before the mystery of your life

and when the time comes to reach the goal

May love embrace you eternally

And I will add “ In a world where you can be anything , be kind”

Over and out …and until tomorrow 😘😘

I’m guessing that you would like an explanation of this title ? “Not yet , thank you” I hear you reply ! Of course! because the first thing you want to know is how did we get on last night ?

Well reluctantly I will tell you … firstly I must talk about our 20€ vegan meal to be delivered to our door ( and perhaps more importantly the bottle of white vegan wine we were testing on your behalf 😉)

The wine, chilled to perfection and in an ice jacket, plus two generously sized glasses were delivered to our door . “ Gracias!” …then as the deliverer was retreating down the steps I realised we had no cork screw. Well that was no good …anyway she acknowledged the missing item , and in Spanish I told her not to come back specially, but to drop a cork screw off with our meal .

Clearly realising our need to enjoy a glass of the contents , a corkscrew was delivered to our door. 19.30 passed with no sign of our food …and then we realised our neighbours were tucking in to their already delivered meal . When Kathleen went to find out where our food was , there was no sign of anyone and they had clearly forgotten about us ! Slightly irate( that’s putting it mildly😡😡) we contacted the company who had arranged our trip and the girl set to work to help us.

Sure enough at 20.15 a brown paper bag containing our supper, was delivered to our door

Needless to say our representative was not happy …and they have refunded us . However look at the food….chickpeas, tomatoes, courgettes and rice warmed up and think 10 hours hence 🙈🙈🙈🙈

Neither of us ate much … though the wine disappeared ( what can we say about it … perfectly drinkable..what was it ? Apart from being vegan, white and Spanish I’m afraid we haven’t got a clue !!!

Breakfast wasn’t ideal for a pre Camino stage but it was a vast improvement on last night’s offering…although not a cup of coffee in sight 🙄🙄

So now to what you all really want to know – the compostable toilet . I am going to spare you the gory details …but I will say that Kathleen perfected her aim ! I on the other hand , did not ! Let’s just say you wouldn’t want me on your dart’s team 🎯

Overall neither of us were at all impressed with said toilet …and that is putting it mildly …however, today is another day and sometimes you have to be grateful for small mercies . Within a half hour period during today, we experienced sheer luxury …a flushable toilet and lovely cup of coffee!

We left our eco base as soon as we could …

So now let me explain the title of this blog . Do not be alarmed we have not collected a camel en route ! Our guide book warns us to watch our wallets and that petty theft has always been a problem in an unequal society and can be an issue in larger cities such as Pamplona . Medieval pilgrims Dear Reader, were sometimes murdered for their satchels and sandals. However we have so far been spared and “ Trust in God and tether your camel” is the balanced advice given by the guide book’s author .. he recommends repeating it frequently !!!

Our walk today was pleasant enough, the weather behaved itself and the smells of the forests were heightened by the warmth of the sun.

Finally at about 13.00 we began the long slow road into Pamplona…

We have a lovely room in a central hotel ( with a Michelin starred restaurant no less!!!) …rest assured, no wood chippings in sight in the bathroom …and we even have a bidet ..perfect for washing tired feet after a long day’s walk ( I can still remember my mother when we were abroad somewhere, getting on her high horse and telling me the bidet was not for feet at all ….)

Tomorrow we walk from Pamplona to Puente La Reina

This map might not look too imposing .. but look what we have to deal with in the middle !!!

Talking about going to Specsavers ( the DB will understand this, but to explain to you …whenever anyone calls me “ Young Lady” , he always says “ Someone else should’ve gone to Specsavers!”) both Kathleen and I feel very flattered as we’re walking …. we have been referred to as “ girls” on more than one occasion, and a young couple who we named the singing duo, told us we were doing “ amazing” !!!

Now we’re off out on the town .. though raín is on its way and tomorrow is likely to be a wet day ….

So take care all and hasta mañana !

A confusing title I do admit …. but trust me, read on and you will understand !

I realised in the middle of the night , that there was a lot I hadn’t told you about our first day …so humour me and allow me to keep you up to date 😉😉

Now, you will know that I always try and adhere to the 7 P’s when preparing to do anything …what? You’ve forgotten them ..Okay just this once then ‘ Perfect Precise Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance’ So as we were walking up and up yesterday, we came across a Canadian couple carrying a bum bag ( or for those of you in the USA, a fanny pack though I have no idea where that name came from 🙄🙄) and a litre water bottle . She was clearly struggling with the upward climb and wearing ordinary trainers ( I rely on Kathleen’s skills when it comes to footwear in these cases – and the shoes were totally inappropriate and unsupportive for the walk she was undertaking . This couple had no map or information booklet about the Camino, nor had they booked their first night in Roncesvalles …though had arranged for their luggage to be transported ahead to the Monastery where they hoped to stay the night 🙈🙈When asked by Kathleen why they hadn’t phoned ahead, it transpired they hadn’t brought a mobile phone with them ( they had just retired ,sold their business and home and were living a nomadic lifestyle ) but to be without a phone on a trip like the Camino is madness. We also suspect they hadn’t done much training and like many others thought this Camino was ‘dead easy’ Big mistake !!!

This brings me on to the dangers of the Camino . Now about two months before we started, a 45 year old French man died on day one …and we suspect he fell on the very steep track that we were warned against even attempting. If you remember, yesterday I told you about our trip to the Pilgrim Office ( in fact all for the benefit of you, Dear Reader , in search of wine to recommend!) – where the lady there told us we would reach a Pole, and there we must take a right and not follow the signed route . Well much to our amusement, once we reached the Pole , there were two Swedes 🤣🤣 , who guided us on the new path we had to follow !!

I will admit, prior to this trip I had been worried about safety .. but I can assure anyone thinking about undertaking it , take note of what you are told, walk only on the recognised way, wear appropriate footwear and make sure people know where you are … then you have no worries .

A couple of blogs ago I did inform you that two pilgrims had been gored 🙄 on the route (yes you read correctly ) – and originally I was slightly sceptical as to how this had occurred . Then I read that they had clearly been foolish or worse as it was said they had endeavoured to tickle a bull’s testicles . Yes I know 🙈🙈

However, I have another theory, as on our route , despite walking through areas where cattle roam free , I haven’t seen one single bull….but

Now I suspect these idiots who thought they would be clever and try and tickle a bull’s testicles , weren’t up on their anatomy , they just saw the horns . The cow clearly wouldn’t have been happy at having her udder grabbed …and gave them what for with her horns !!! I’d say go girl ….we were certainly not troubled by the cattle at all because we respected their space!

Amongst other things we saw , was a bearded vulture in flight ( okay so it was soaring up in the stratosphere) ….

These are commonly seen soaring over the Pyrenees ….people in the UK worry about seagulls stealing their ice cream and other food . I was concerned lest one of these carnivorous birds of prey should not only fancy my cheese sandwich but us as well 🙈🙈Anyway it is obvious that we avoided their particularly nasty talons !

Near the top yesterday ( well one of the many tops 😉) we came across a food van ( fortunate for the Canadians too, because they could invest in water and food … he had only brought a bounty bar with him ….can you imagine the mess that would be in the heat after 10 km …don’t bother telling me, thank you 🤨🤨) Anyway on the side of his van, he had written …1 km climb, 5 km flat and 5 km downhill to reach our destination last night ! Well he was being very economical with the truth I’m afraid ….after what seemed to be at least a kilometre things flattened out … but then….

Not long after this we crossed the border into Spain ……

No border control or security guards to bother us … just a good old cattle grid !!!

Once in Spain we still had to climb

So now to today !

However it wasn’t long before the sun came out and we were walking in short sleeves !

Although we had some hills to climb,it was a very pleasant walk through pine and eucalyptus forests and before we knew it , we had covered 3.5 miles without even blinking ! We had trained well for walks like today ….on reflection, obviously our training had helped with yesterday but realistically it would have been very hard to train enough to find yesterday ‘ a piece of cake’ . I think even the fittest person undertaking the Camino Frances would agree that yesterday was tough!

Whilst we climbed a few hills today …we did have to forge a stream or two ….

I was tempted to just walk through the water .. but needs must so …

After 6 miles we stopped at a place called Viskarret …

Anyway all was good until the last 5 km … now if you look back on the map from yesterday , you will see the last descent is marked with a red exclamation mark ❗️ in a red triangle .

It was very slippery in some places …and this went on for several kilometres…totally treacherous….silly shoes would have been a disaster 🙄🙄

So we finally arrive in Zubiri … and find a little bar for our customary beer …

However, I had printed off, and brought with me, our most recent itinerary which had been sent by the company we’re with . I knew that the hotel tonight had been changed from the original …. but realised I had an old copy of the itinerary…okay I know …the 7 P’s , what happened there ? Well fortunately our ‘eyes on the ground’ ( the DB to you and us 😉) had the correct information to hand . The Agotzenea was our destination…a little out of Zubiri , 1.1km to be exact and then some up a steep drive !

We were aware that this was an eco friendly hotel but perhaps not quite how eco friendly 🤪🤪🤪

We booked in, requesting as you do,to reserve a table for dinner …no need, dinner is served in our cabin 🧐 “Can we book it then please?” we ask … “ and can we see the menu ?” “Yes we can book a time …19.30 ? but it is a “ closed” menu 🤔🤔 It transpires it is a vegan menu ( neither of us have a problem with that ) no choice …and cold , and will be delivered to our log cabin at 19.30 …£20 per head !! “Oh please could we have a bottle of white wine with our meal?” ( all for the purposes of research on your behalf you understand Dear Reader !!) “ Of course ..that will be 12 € !” So I’ll let you know how that all turns out tomorrow evening- it will be a vegan wine ( as I write Kathleen is researching what exactly a vegan wine is ..)

Breakfast too will be delivered at 07.00hours. It transpired that this happens to be an eco friendly holistic retreat and hosts groups practicing yoga, meditation etc …no WiFi, TV etc ! It is actually a very calming place to be !

We have had wildlife visit us ..

The inside of the cabin is pleasant enough

Of course we also have a bathroom with their own home made vegan soap and lovely fluffy white towels 🤗🤗😘😘

I know …the title of this blog is “ We always leave the best till last ..” So here it is in all its glory ….

“ And” I hear you say . “ Look closely “ I reply

The young male receptionist accompanied us to our cabin to explain various things. One of which was aspects of this toilet. It is an eco friendly toilet Dear Reader ! “ What does that mean?” That means that Kathleen and I, when passing water, must aim at the small hole in the front 🙄 …we can then press a button to flush the front of the toilet . “Paper? You ask hopefully” …in the bin provided of course !!! By now you must be wondering what on Earth I am going to say next …well the waiting is over and I will not beat about the bush ! Warning to all reading this while eating … finish your food, and then read on …

The back of the toilet is basically a plastic bag ….spot the wood chippings to the right of the toilet ( if you can even call it that) … when we empty our bowels in the morning we must each aim for the back of the toilet and said bag , then covering the contents with wood chippings before the next person 🙈🙈🙈 The mind and other things boggle ….the stress of getting everything in the right place is immense and I’m sure somewhere along the way one of us will get muddled and goodness knows what we do then …anyway enough already !

So to tomorrow – a walk of 20.9 km/13 miles to Pamplona, a beautiful city and the home of Ernest Hemingway and bull running ! What could possibly go wrong ??

Until tomorrow Dear Reader ! Goodnight 😴

A quiz!

Ok don’t all shout at once … so all I can say as I lie in my bed writing this blog “ Eat your heart out Julie Andrews because we’ve just climbed to the top of the Pyrenees!!!” Every tough step of the way …and we’ve made it 🤗🤗👏👏

Yes you were all correct of course … it was ‘The Sound of Music’ and we did indeed ‘Climb Every Mountain’ …and I mean every one !! Each time we thought we couldn’t go higher … we’d turn a bend and ….. you’ve got it, someone had put yet another mountain in our way .

However, in truth, it wasn’t the sound of music we heard but the sound of cow bells … not forgetting the sheep and horse bells too

We met a lot of very interesting people on our way Americans, Australians, English and Canadian … one of whom we named the laughing policewoman… no joke, we met her first at the Auberge Orisson , 8 km out of St Jean Pied de Port . No idea if she was an actual police woman but her laugh was constant and loud throughout our climb . Near one of the tops, a German gentleman stopped where we were sat but apologised to us saying the batteries in his hearing aids had run down so he couldn’t hear us well 😘😘 “ Lucky for you “ I thought “you won’t be able to hear this woman’s continual laugh transcending every valley !”

Back to the animals…..at one point , I have to say , the bells ringing together sounded just like a xylophone…very appeasing to us perigrinos ( pilgrims to you and us !)

So to channel my inner Julie Andrews, I should really , as the song says “ Let’s start at the very beginning”

At this point I would like to say , whilst we didn’t have any major run- ins with our French Basil , we did have reservations . We have specific dietary requirements (not life threatening but even so) … but there was clearly no provision for these . Ok I hear you say… well why didn’t you ask? Can you imagine the Major asking Fawlty for gluten free bread ? No , I didn’t think so …I’ll leave it to you the instruction Basil would have given to poor Manuel ……

Anyway we secreted our picnic lunch made up of breakfast ingredients …. mainly cheese sandwiches and a hard boiled egg… into Kathleen’s rucksack …Basil was none the wiser …and we had our very own picnic to carry “ up, up, up,up ad infinitum and over” with us !

The climb out of St Jean Pied de Port was immensely tough … thank goodness for our training walks … but also thank goodness on my part , thanks to the wonderful Dr Michael Mosely ( sadly and tragically no longer with us ) , I have lost two stone ( and no Dear Reader have not managed to find them !!!) No wonder I struggled with our last Camino ( you remember the one … where we discovered quite unexpectedly, a mountain range between us and the coast) …I was carrying the equivalent of at least 12 bags of sugar about my person 🙈🙈.

So having left our hotel at 07.45 we eventually reached the Auberge Orisson having climbed ( and steeply may I say) for 8 km, we felt it would be ok to stop for a coffee, water refill and toilet usage.

It also happened to be a pleasant sort of day and Kathleen and I were in walking trousers that had zips to enable them to become walking shorts with the whizz of a zip. She went to get the beverages so I decided I’d do the whizz job on my trousers …..

Imagine her shock when she returned with the coffees …

At this point, I ask you to please ignore the rather unflattering marks! I unzipped the left leg zip …all good … but to no avail! The lower leg was still attached !! How? The zip wasn’t broken … then I realised, the lower part remained attached to the upper part by a section of the fabric ! Faulty gear indeed … but after having these trousers for at least five years ( clearly never having attempted to make them into shorts!) .. there was no way you could return them and get a refund 🙄🙄🙄

A lovely Pilgrim carrying his worldly goods with him quickly offered me scissors …and along with much laughter, my Camino buddy cut through the tethered fabric to make …shorts 👏👏👏

Okay I must now explain the rather suspect marks on my trousers….having had several rests on our upward journey , the first was on camomile 😘The second I was clearly struggling because I landed on a particularly prickly thistle , yet really couldn’t be bothered to move . The final stop, I sat down without looking properly and it was only when I got up , it was clear I had sat in something unsavoury !!! However I can assure you , it was just mud ( could have been smell free poo I suppose, but as in my entire life I have never come across such a thing , I doubt it!!!)

We continued on our way , following the instructions of the lovely lady from the Pilgrim Office , and arrived at our stop for the night safely, after a 10 hour walk including stops!

We had our customary beer outside in the rain ..

Then we checked in ….

We had a very lovely meal …3 courses with wine ( of course ) – 17€

Tomorrow is another day

Goodnight Dear Reader … and hasta mañana!

I hear you … of course climbing 1400 metres is daunting….no, I’m not talking about the Camino, rather the actual journey to our starting destination for the Camino 🙄🙄🙄

We did start early this morning…..02.50 to be precise …and the DB did great work as our taxi driver! We got to Manchester Airport in good time – the Alicante family in front of us were really raring to go . It dawned on me that Kathleen and I could secrete ourselves in just one of their suitcases ( and they had six of a similar size ) Anyway, each to their own 🤪🤪

We had to do a self bag drop ….well, I use the term loosely. Basically we had to flash our boarding passes and retrieve ( and attach ) the luggage ticket . Then after considerable assistance from a helpful member of the team , we queued again to actually “drop” the bags …not sure in the long term how that helps, but hey!!!

So then to security…I am still amazed at how many people don’t understand what they are allowed to carry and not carry ! One woman in front of us appeared to have a magician’s bag … the airport worker was pulling out a continual supply of lotions and potions. Anyway , our bags finally come along , and at the “ bag” crossroads , both were sent down the “ need to be searched” route 🙈🙈🙈🙈

There was me muttering about all these others with no ideathat I had been equally negligent…I blame the DB though. He had given me a gadget to apply sun lotion without getting your hands greasy …naturally I had filled it with sun lotion but forgotten that I had it in my rucksack, and that was the cause of my problem. Humble pie eaten 🙈🙈 Kathleen, on the other hand had no such misdemeanour and her bag was returned immediately .

We then went to wait for our flight to be called …and when it was, it was to Gate 128 . Strange that as there were only 35 gates ! Then we realised it was 12B 🙄🙄🙄

Our flight I’m pleased to say was trouble free ….we landed, passed through border control easily enough and collected our luggage .

Then we had to catch the bus to San Sebastián …stops outside the airport so no trouble. Except muggins here bought two tickets for travel with a bus company that only goes from the centre of Bilbao . Once I realised the error of my ways 🙈🙈🙈we purchased new tickets and we’re on our way !!

We met up with my son Tom and had a really lovely afternoon with him in Saint Jean de Luc, with lunch followed by an ice cream before heading to catch our transfer bus to Saint Jean Pied de Port.

We arrived here safely ….

Trip advisor reviews suggest this hotel may be likened to Fawlty Towers, with its very own French Basil Fawlty . No sign of him on our arrival …nor anyone who could assist in carrying our bags up two flights of fairly doddery stairs . No matter, we were not down hearted ( and dare I say slightly relieved not to be met by a grumpy old man !)

We decided to go on a walking tour of Saint Jean Pied de Port …fortunately by accident we found the Pilgrim’s Office where we were given a map of our route tomorrow…a real “ up and over” 🤪🤪🤪 but we learnt there is one part of the route that is extremely dangerous and to be avoided FULL STOP. Do not fret Dear Reader…we know that when we reach a pole ( and we know where that pole is 😉😉) , we take a right turn rather than going straight on !!! Thank goodness that in our quest to research the fermented grape juice of the region, we fell upon the Pilgrim Office!

Regarding said fermented grape juice, we did manage to source some and trial it for you all ….not Alberiño as I said in my previous blog but a nice little Rueda ( the only wine in truth that didn’t break the bank !!!) More research required I think !!!

So tomorrow ….well that is also a daunting prospect ….

There is a lot of “up” and a steep “ down” at the end …

So we’ll catch up tomorrow if we’re spared Dear Reader ….Goodnight one and all…and “a demain” – though by tomorrow evening we’ll have crossed the Spanish border so I can also say “ Hasta Mañana” !!

Hello again Dear Reader ! Well, where does the time go ? I heard two weeks ago, some clever so and so telling me there were only 19 Fridays to Christmas ! WHAT? I’ve ( well in truth, we) only just polished off the turkey from last year …. I don’t need to be reminded that I’ve blinked and missed 9 months of my life … thank you all the same!

I have certainly had a busy August ……apart from anything else, I turned a year older . Still sixty something so no need to change the blurb in the introduction to this blog just yet!!! We have just had approximately two weeks of grandchildren staying with us …and there has never been a dull moment right from Day 1…….

Now that was an amazing experience. I had never been down a mine and had always wanted to go …so a great opportunity when these two came to visit! The conditions that miners had to work in are really quite unbelievable .Russ, our guide and retired miner, was superb and so enthusiastic to tell us all about the workings of the mine through the years . I loved it !

Now that was another enlightening experience ……it appears that alpacas choose to toilet together ! Whoever knew? When one starts they all go …and they have significant bladder capacity too which in turn takes considerable time to empty! Patience is required, along with some agility for jumping out of the way!!!

We went to playgrounds, farms, Ninja worlds, and a Lego cafe … made pancakes and pizzas …..and even had our own beauty spa …!! but overall, had a genuinely lovely, if not slightly hectic, time !

Then on the day before Indy and Otis went home, we were joined by our two eldest grandchildren and their Dad for the day on Saturday….and a crazy, but genuinely good time, was had by all!

Oh and did I mention ice cream? No…..well we had quite a lot of ice cream!

So now the children have all gone I have been left in charge of these little beauties who live next door ………

I use the plural because there are in fact eight Guinea pigs in total . I am not a total novice to this …..as a young child I longed for guinea pigs as pets . I may have told you my parents’ efforts with small animals for me, weren’t entirely successful. The little white rabbit purchased for my tonsils having been removed, died two days after I came home, and his replacement turned out to be a hare – these creatures are not domestic animals and he was particularly aggressive. The pet shop owner had clearly been sold duff baby rabbits !!! He eventually burst the cage door open and disappeared into the countryside without a backward glance! No wonder!!

My own foray into small animal husbandry was also not particularly successful. I was desperate to have guinea pigs and, aged fifteen bought a female and her two babies ( sex unknown at the time of purchase) because they were too young to be separated from Mum . Well clearly not too young to procreate 🙄🙄🙄 because within days, the mother developed into a square, and before I knew it we had another six guinea pigs …..after their birth, and within days , Mum once more bloomed into a square shape ……and so on !

Anyway the least said about that period in my life , the better! My charges next door are all female…… and give me my guinea pig fix !!!

I’m just grateful they don’t have a tropical fish tank …..I would worry about looking after those sort of fish ! It’s not that I haven’t looked after goldfish before…if one is found floating on the surface of the water, it is relatively easy ( and dare I say, inexpensive) to replace . However, I went to a garden centre the other day that sells tropical fish …I couldn’t believe my eyes…..

No …..I find it hard to believe too but there you go ! You could hardly replace him in a hurry could you …and you wouldn’t want to flush that amount of money down the toilet either !!!

Well, you’re up to speed now with the goings on here …though what I haven’t told you is, amongst other things, I have been in training for my next Camino which starts this Saturday . Following our last Camino from Santiago de Compostella to Finistère and Muxia on the coast , both Kathleen and I decided we had to do some serious training for this next one . I think I may have told you, that last one was very tough and led to Kathleen asking me at one point “ Where did you get the idea this stretch was flat and we’d be walking 10 miles a day?” “No idea” was my reply, “but since that time someone has put a great big mountain range in our way !!!”

We’ve just completed our final training walk and on Friday we leave for Bilbao in Spain to travel to Saint Jean Pied de Port in France from where we start the first section of the Camino Frances. I won’t spoil your excitement by giving too many details …but this is our itinerary…

As in previous times I’ll be blogging at the end of each day…..and no, for those of you wondering, there will be no Albariño this trip. “What?” I hear you cry , “no wine ??” I will not disappoint Dear Reader …. of course there will be wine!!! but it will be a white Rioja rather than Albariño. I will be sure to keep you posted anyway😉😉 – as you know we only ever imbibe anyway for the purposes of your education !

So until Friday Dear Reader, though I have one more thing to tell you . It involves the Dearly Beloved ( or the DB as you’ve all come to know him!). He recently visited a famous spectacle establishment – well it’s well known here in the United Kingdom. Anyway, impressed with their eye examination, he decided to have his hearing assessed ….and he clearly has some deficit . Following the assessment , he was fitted with hearing aids specially focussed on his deficits, and told to go and walk about outside amongst the general public for ten minutes. This he did, and couldn’t believe how much more he could hear .

“ Brilliant” I said when he arrived home “ so what were your particular deficits?” “ Oh” he said cheerfully “ the frequency of the female voice is one of my problems!! I told the bloke that explained a lot . So many times you tell me that you’ve told me something before and I dispute that …….well, I’m not being difficult, clearly I haven’t heard you, you see!”

You couldn’t make it up, could you !!!!!

Anyway, with that I’ll leave you with this, which made me chuckle …

In respect of my previous tome and before I go all David Attenborough or Dr Doolittle on you, I wanted to share the following ….

The number of times I’ve had to put on my proverbial “big girl’s pants” in my life are almost too many to mention …..all I will say on the matter is that somehow they see you through !😉

So now back to the case in hand ….animals! Before I share my photos, I’ll set the scene . One of my favourite places to go to when I’m in Spain is Valencia ……a beautiful city . However, my favourite place is not the city but on the outskirts …it is the Bio Parc. It is one of the best animal parks in the world, situated within the former Turin river bed . When my granddaughter and her two cousins ( aged 10, 7, and 6) visited us it was a must on our “to do” list. It covers an area of over 100,000 square metres divided into four main areas.

In the dry Savannah area there are rhinoceroses ( or should it be rhinoceri ??) zebras , ostrich and hyenas ( oh and wart hogs ….)

In the Wetlands you can find giraffe, lions ( don’t be alarmed now, they are very cleverly separated!) meerkats, gazelles and antelopes.

The Baobob Forest within the Wetlands, houses a dozen elephants ……one of the largest elephant families in Spain , and it was one of these elephants that made the children’s day . I wonder if you can guess why …….

Of all the animals we saw , the day will forever be remembered because of this chap!!! I shouldn’t be surprised …..I took my granddaughter ( then aged 6) to Chester Zoo and we went as you do to see the lions , one male and two females ( strange that don’t you think? He clearly needs a lot of entertaining) . How fortunate were we …..they were all laid close to the glass . What was the one thing my granddaughter noticed? No, Dear Reader, not what majestic creatures they were, nor the size of the male’s mane or how lucky we were to be so close to them, yet safe ……none of that . In her loudest voice she shouted “ Oh look Grandma you can see his willy!!!” The little boy standing next to her also made a similar comment ……so I noted to my fellow Grandma “ The highlight of our trip here will be them seeing the lion’s genitals” At which we both beat a hasty retreat!!!

Thirdly, there is an area called the Island area of Madagascar where you are at liberty to walk around allows you to get up close and personal to a colony of lemurs.

Finally, in the forests of Equitorial Africa , hippopotamuses ( or hippopotami?) crocodiles, otters, leopards, pythons, tortoises and gorillas can be found ….all housed separately but the divides are so clever you could easily believe you have been transported to the African continent.

Now I need you to use your imagination…if you can please…..

One time we were at the park and the hippo took centre stage, right in front of our eyes through this window . Much to the amusement of our two grandchildren with us at the time , the hippo did a poo ! If you wondered whether there is a feeding time for the fish ….yes, there is …..and it was then. Of course another memory that doesn’t fade!!!

Now let me tell you, what you see is deceiving, two tortoises enjoying the sun! No, no, no ….the tortoise nearest us is tucking heartily into his Michelin starred lunch, but the tortoise at the back is stuck in a hole (made worse by his endeavours to get out) We noticed him en rote to the gorillas but on our return, I realised the distant tortoise was struggling. However, I refrained from climbing the hedge and rescuing it myself , instead collaring one of the park staff. They radioed for help and, sure enough, a tortoise keeper appeared and heaved him or her out of the hole, filled the hole in and the rescue was complete!!! My good deed for the day done!!!

My history with tortoises goes back a good few years . The Dearly Beloved and I took a trip to a a very nice hotel where there resided in the grounds, a giant tortoise. He was certainly a giant .. weighing possibly over 500 lbs. We were told he loved bananas… so the following day, I purchased said banana ( possibly 4 !) and duly took it to him . It was true, he loved banana…..the problem ( in my view) was he made a mess all round his face . So with my finger, I cleared it away. Now I don’t know if you know anything about a tortoise’s facial anatomy? No…….well let me tell you…their mouth is in effect a very sharp cutting machine otherwise known as a beak . In their natural habitat they can cut through tough vegetation, cactuses and leaves. So whilst he was undoubtedly grateful for my clearing his face of banana, he wasn’t going to miss an opportunity for food, and temporarily, but totally unintentionally, he became a carnivore chomping down with force on my finger.

Well, to say there was a bit of blood was an understatement…..of course I felt a complete fool. The DB was most discombobulated , and I had to send him back to our room for the first aid kit! I meanwhile went to the shower block and nearest source of running water and ran my finger under cold water tap, until the DB returned, band aid in hand. My finger was wrapped tightly and all was well …. though I do remember spending most of the night wondering whether tortoises carried Rabies , and if so what would be the first symptoms? Needless to say , despite very little sleep, I was delighted to reach the morning with no unfavourable side effects.

As for the tortoise, I still went to see him….he was a character and would come to you for food….suffice to say there was no further hand feeding!!!!

So the animal tales continue …….I think you know that back in 2019 I undertook the pilgrimage from Sarria to Santiago de Compostella , the last 100 kilometres of the Camino Frances across Spain. I did this in memory of a very special friend, taken too soon as a result of prostate cancer, and walked it with my very special friend and Alastair’s life partner . She and I are definitely Camino buddies ( sorry but no other will do) and are going to complete the entire pilgrimage ….though have to do so in stages. As a result of this undertaking, my blog ..this tome, was born!!!

We set off again at the end of August for France, ( Saint Jean Pied de Port to be exact) from where we will climb up and over the Pyrenees on our way to Logroño, where we end the very first stage. If I ever needed my inner Julie Andrews, it will be then!!!

Anyway, in an effort to find as much as I can to aid us on our way, I joined a Facebook page “ Camino Frances” ….some very useful information , other not so! Sadly, a 45 year old French pilgrim went missing crossing the Pyrenees several weeks ago, and his body was found three days later ( reminiscent of the film The Way with Michael Sheen ….I recommend it ) Another pilgrim died of a heart attack whilst walking the last section, so the air waves ( or should I say face waves ) have been full of folk worrying about the dangers of this journey. Someone asked the question and the reply came back …… “well, yes it could be considered dangerous in parts, three people have died this year and two people had been gored”. WHAT ….gored? As in by a bull ? Well, yes as it happens, gored by a bull. Most peculiar …..the Spanish fighting bull is a very dangerous animal and kept securely away from walking paths and unsuspecting pilgrims behind Fort Knox type fences. Have you seen these creatures Dear Reader …

They are bred to fight you see …only four breeds remain and let me tell you, they are fearless beasts.

Back to the goring …well it appears there is an explanation …but please bear with me because I can still not believe the stupidity of some people. Apparently the two pilgrims gored, not only entered the field where one or more bulls were, but also approached one or more bulls. Someone should have told them I feel, that one on one in fair combat with a human ( pilgrim or not) and bull, the bull will win hands ( or should I say horns!) down. For all you see during a bullfight, it is not fair combat, and a pilgrim can never be considered a matador ( apart from the obvious, a pilgrim could barely take two steps in a matador’s suit!!)

So the pilgrims could not have been thinking straight at the time of said goring. However, it appears they were not just content to enter the bull’s field, nor just to approach the bull……. no, their aim was greater in their minds …..their purpose was to tickle the bull’s testicles . Now, I don’t know about any of you out there who may possess a testicle or two , but I am guessing if you are minding your own business and are suddenly disturbed by a wayward hand appearing from nowhere and endeavouring to touch your testicles, you may also be least pleased … you may not be of course,but a bull I can assure you would certainly be least pleased. The difference to the idiot at the end of the hand, is the damage you could do ( assuming you weren’t carrying a Samurai sword or loaded gun)

So the bull retaliated it seems, to the detriment, but I hope not surprise, of the pilgrims …….I learnt a fascinating fact earlier today . If you look in a lizard’s ear through towards the other ear , you can see daylight. True apparently ! Also ( and because I don’t wish to deprive you of knowledge …) if you look inside an owl’s ear ( you would need to find it first , as what you see as the ear is in fact only an ear flap) you can see the back of their eye ball! Don’t ever say I don’t do my best to keep you up to date.

Back to those pilgrims… I’m suggesting if you looked in their ears you may see daylight too …..just saying !

Another interesting fact on bull genitalia is that historically, ( and probably still currently) horse whips were made from the bull’s penis ……yes, at full stretch they measure approximately 61 centimetres and when twisted and dried ( after death of course 🥴🥴) apparently make a successful whip . The mind boggles…….

Now I could continue …but it is time for me to prepare our evening meal …..so I’ll store the other tales for another time . Perhaps I should have taken note of the following…..then I could continue!!!

So Dear Reader, I’m off …until next time stay safe, keep well and be happy 🥰🥰

In case you’re wondering, I’m no longer there….in Spain that is ….but here ! Getting from there to here is quite a journey ..involving two eight hour car journeys and a 19 hour ferry crossing . That’ll have got you thinking , but I have to tell you that I have finally lost my fear of the ferry crossing ( I won’t go into details because I think you already know I had a terrifying and very unpleasant experience with a ferry crossing back in October 1987!) However despite losing my fear, I would never now get on a ferry without taking sea sickness medication! Okay so if I was in Liverpool I probably wouldn’t be concerned on that front as I board the famous ferry across the Mersey..but you understand what I’m saying!

Now I can feel the excitement mounting regarding the pants …. but I’m going to keep you waiting just a little longer!

We’re getting closer Dear Reader ….this always makes me chuckle, and I am actually working very hard to improve my balance …in case I haven’t already told you , my Camino buddy Kathleen and I are going back on the trail at the end of August ; in the words of Julie Andrew’s we’re going to “ start at the very beginning . A very good place to start…” Well, I will really have to harness my Julie Andrew’s too because day 1 brings the reality of Climb Every Mountain…..we climb 1400 metres over 20 kilometres, starting in France and crossing the border into Spain en route! I digress ( what’s new 😉) good balance is essential when walking on some of the mountain tracks we will be faced with so I’m pleased to say that I personally can put a leg in a pant without falling over ! I had quite a bit of balance experience latterly in Spain as it happens …. It transpires that our drains ( mainly waste water drains fortunately 🥴🥴) are leaking into our next door neighbours’ house….worst still, their kitchen. So we decided to protect them as much as we could ( the neighbours, not the drains) , which involved standing in a washing up bowl to catch as much water as we could when showering , and propping the mop head over the plug hole to try and prevent any excess slipping away! Try lifting one leg to wash your feet whilst standing in a washing up bowl with a mop for company 🙄🙄🙄…on second thoughts do NOT try that at home ….please !

However that proved good practice for the ferry , when standing on one leg in a small shower tray with the additional hindrance of the motion of the swell…..still remained upright !!!

Now to the matter in hand ….pants!!! About time I hear you cry ……now this puzzlement to me goes back approximately eight years ago . I went to a well-known store that sells underwear …no, not Victoria’s Secret or any other such store….one that has a children’s department. I went to buy a pack of pants to have here when my granddaughter came, but couldn’t believe my eyes……there wasn’t just one type of pant for a little girl …..surely buying pants for a child should be straightforward and easy. No …..what sort of pant did I want? Did I want shorts, briefs or full pants ? For a five year old – no , I just want pants !!!🥴🥴🥴🥴 Anyway, whatever I found seem to be suitable , but it got me thinking……..

Children’s pants are complicated enough …now to my sort of pant ….and once again we’re not talking Victoria’s Secret here…and we’re back in that same old store that has the children’s department, food hall etc,etc……you know where I mean! Now where to start in choosing suitable ( and comfortable) pants ? For a start you can’t try them on …so how the hec do you know you have picked the most comfortable? Now I have obviously purchased pants before …I have not spent my life going commando ….where on earth did that expression come from ? Ha, just looked it up …..it refers to elite soldiers trained to be ready to fight at a moment’s notice . So when you’re not wearing pants you’re ready to go at any moment ….without pesky pants in the way . Well…there you are Dear Reader ……take that any way you want 🤪🤪🤪!

What bugs me is choosing and buying pants to suit my present shape ….I have chosen a few examples for you to demonstrate how complex this procedure can be …now do I want ….

I am beginning to lose the plot here…but the list goes on so onward I will go …..

Whilst on the subject of looks …..I am aware that one can spend hundreds of pounds on a thong ( really …I found one for £225 😳😳) …and therefore want to show it off to the world above your hipster jeans . Now, if you have Victoria Beckham’s figure, even I would agree it looks okay ( it seems men also have this trend of having expensive boxers showing purposefully above the waist band of their trendy jeans or jogging bottoms ( I’m not referring to the “ Builders backside” here you understand) However, if you don’t have Victoria Beckhams figure ( and why would you want it I ask……she must spend every day of her life working to keep it poor girl . I wonder does she ( or more to the point, can she) ever let her guard down …) and you don’t have pristine pants to show off ….in my humble opinion, it really isn’t a good look to wear your greying thong above the level of your jeans, if you know what I mean …….

So where on earth do you start with that lot …and all the others that I haven’t mentioned. Whenever I think of the control underwear I always remember Victoria Wood’s hilarious sketch, observing that they suck you in everywhere but then push all the excess out at the top and bottom so you look a bit like the Michelin man ! I remember quite a few years ago buying a control “ slip” ( you know , the ones you see advertised with the woman with rolls of fat in a red dress and then miraculously silf-like in the same red dress – why? because she’s wearing control shapewear extraordinaire ! but do you get to see her put it on and take it off? No Dear Reader. ..you don’t !) This so called slip was SO tight , whilst I somehow squirrelled my way into it …there was absolutely no way I could remove it myself …I didn’t dare go to the loo whilst out because it would have rolled up to round my waist and then I’d have had serious difficulty unravelling myself in a small cubicle . Needless to say the DB had to be summoned and somehow peel the garment off me when I get home …..never again to be worn ….

So I am none the wiser for all that information …it was much simpler years ago when women wore bloomers …..

and pants were quite straightforward! High waist cotton…white , was all that was available to our forefathers…well foremothers ….simple!

So I still had the dilemma as to what to buy but I finally found some suitable pants in said store …I have no idea what they’re made of but they are comfortable so I wanted some more ……since my previous visit to said store , they’ve rearranged all the knickers and I couldn’t locate mine anywhere …so back to the drawing board 🙄🙄🙄🙄

Whilst over in Spain I read a copy of the Euroweekly …a free paper …and was drawn to the title on page 21 “ Plethora of Pants” …yes I know , hence the title of this blog! This article was about a museum in the USA trying to get in the Guinness Book of Records by holding a gathering of the greatest number of people to stand for one minute , with pants on their heads . Don’t ask ….but I can tell you that the museum is home to a very big pair of pants created in 1997. The waistband measures sixteen feet, they are seven feet wide and six feet tall when laid out …and apparently these aren’t the largest pants in the world😳😳😳 The mind boggles as to why someone would make such a garment …I mean no one can be that size ? Can they? Each to their own I suppose 😉😉😉

So now I have got the pants off my chest ( so to speak …..that would be an interesting entry into the Guinness Book of World Records now, wouldn’t it?) I’ll leave you with the following poem which I think may resonate Dear Reader …

So I’ll close now …any men reading this I apologise for it seeming to be biased to females …on the other hand you can learn something every day !

Until the next time…….