336 Out of 500 Isn’t Too Bad - Is It?

Just over a month ago I set out to walk from the French foothills of the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. I was to walk in the footsteps of pilgrims who have been following the Camino de Santiago since the ninth century. I was completely confident in my ability to keep walking until I got there but as it turned out I was wrong. 

The Camino de Santiago is unique in the world and people come from every continent to follow its various routes to the Cathedral in Santiago where the relics of St James the Apostle are said to lie. The route I chose was the Camino Frances – the French Route, which is by far the most popular and the best supported with infrastructure and information. It starts in the French town of St Jean Pied de Port and follows a path of almost eight hundred kilometres through four major Spanish regions before reaching Santiago de Compostela. Many people decide not to stop there but on carry on another ninety kilometres to Finisterra – “The End of the Earth”, before accepting that the Atlantic Ocean really does represent the end of the road. Whole libraries have been written about the Camino and I don’t really see a need to add to the general information that is out there. I want to concentrate on my own experience and thoughts before, during and after my Camino.

I had planned my Camino for over a year although I had been thinking about it for a lot longer than that. I had read books and articles and seen the film “The Way” starring Martin Sheen. I later learned that I had this last thing in common with pretty much all of the English-speaking pilgrims I encountered. I knew in the abstract that it was a very long walk but I was quite confident. I knew I could walk twenty miles or thirty kilometres in a day without much difficulty. Surely it was just a matter of doing this thirty-one times and I would be home free in Santiago? I assembled my equipment carefully. Word was that your pack should weigh no more than 10% of your body weight. Since I weigh in at well over a hundred kilos that didn’t present a great challenge. By mid-April I was ready to go. 

This isn’t the place for a blow by blow account of my Camino. While I was walking, I posted every day to a dedicated Facebook page and this represents the definitive record. 

https://www.facebook.com/IanontheCamino/. 

What I want to do here is to highlight some of the thoughts, impressions and learnings I had. 

·     Crossing the Pyrenees on foot was one of the greatest physical achievements of my life
·     After I had crossed the Pyrenees on foot I assumed that the rest would be much easier. I was wrong.
·      I didn’t expect to be walking through falling snow in late April. 
·    Going up mountains cooks your lungs. Going down cooks your legs.
·    The most important thing you are carrying is your water bottle.
·     On the Camino you walk alone only for as long as you want to. People from all over the world mix freely and share experiences.
·     The Camino has become extremely popular with Korean people.
·     You get used to sleeping in dormitories in albergues (pilgrims’ hostels) very quickly.
·     The Camino gets very crowded in Easter week when thousands of Spanish people come out to walk for a few days.
·     You can walk with someone for a few hours and then not see them again for days or weeks before walking with them again.
·     Your feet will hurt.

This last point is not as trivial as it may sound. There is something slightly comical about a blister in the abstract but there is nothing whatsoever funny about them in practice. I was feeling fairly smug after the first week when I had no blisters on my feet. That all changed on day eight. It was a long day. Over thirty kilometres from Logroño to Nájera and when I took my boots and socks off at the end of the day I had a bloody right heel. A huge blister had developed and if my socks were not already red the right one certainly would have been now. In all honesty I didn’t think too much of it. I covered it with a dressing and carried on. Over the next six days the damn thing just refused to mend. Constant pressure from the boots just forced the wound deeper, added to which I developed a fever and completely lost my appetite for food. I was reduced to drinking full strength Coca Cola just to get some calories on board. It all came to a head on the long day into Boadilla del Camino on day 14. Another 30K plus day saw me collapse onto my bunk in the albergue and stay there for a couple of hours before trying and failing to eat the Pilgrims’ dinner (which was really good I might add). There were two nurses in the albergue that night and both of them looked at me and pronounced that I had to stop, at least for a couple of days. So I reluctantly conceded that I had to find a plan to recover my health and save what I could of the Camino. I took a series of trains across country via Valladolid and Barcelona to Valencia where we have an apartment. Once there I took myself off to the local health centre where a doctor told me I was too fat to walk the Camino and a nurse told me I should have put Vaseline on my feet before socks. The doctor also told me that one of my small blisters was badly infected and that I would have to take some very strong antibiotics for a week. That more or less decided things. I would lie low in Valencia for a week and then head back north to try to meet up with the friends I had made as they hit the 100km to go mark. Then I went to sleep for four days.

A week later I was on my way back north, this time via Madrid. My heel was still sore but I had worked out a way I could get my boots on and start walking again. I did manage to meet up with fellow pilgrims and over six days I walked another 130km, finishing in Santiago last Wednesday. 

That day in the Cathedral Square in Santiago was one I will always remember. I had left just 12km to walk on the last morning so starting before 7 am I was in front of the Cathedral by 9.30. Many of my friends arrived within the space of a couple of hours and we spent the morning hugging and chatting and reflecting on what we had achieved. Most of us had had some illness or injury problems. I was not the only one to have skipped stages, although I did probably skip more than anyone else who actually managed to come back. Some people did drop out altogether – maybe to come back another time. That evening a group of eleven of us went to dinner together. Since we didn’t have to be on the road at dawn the next morning the festivity went on into the small hours. 

In the end I had walked 541 kilometres, or 336 miles if you prefer, in 20 days. I had passed through a part of France and the Spanish regions of Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y Leon and Galicia. I had crossed dozens of ancient stone bridges, walked alongside windmills high on mountain ridges and endured rain, snow and force eight gales. 

So what have I taken away from the Camino? A reinforcement of my existing love of Spain. I am so happy to call it my second home. A better appreciation of my own capabilities and perhaps a measure of humility about that. I will always remember that I didn’t manage to do the whole thing but I am a little bit proud that I didn’t just give up and go home. 

Most of all I will never again dismiss lightly the news that a group of refugees has walked from Syria or sub Saharan Africa to Europe, carrying such possessions as they are able. With all the benefits of modern lightweight equipment, good health and nutrition I was unable to go more than two weeks without breaking down. Walking five hundred miles is a big deal indeed. The desperation required to undertake a much longer trek with much less cannot be overestimated. 

One final note. I didn’t do the Camino to raise money but shortly before I left a friend suggested that maybe people would be willing to contribute to a charity on my behalf if I suffered enough. So I set up a Just Giving page on behalf of the Trussell Trust and a number of people have been generous enough to give to it. It’s still open for business and if you think that walking 336 miles in 20 days is worthy of concrete recognition you could always go and add a little to the total.  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ian-camino Thank you very much if you do.

I'm Gonna Walk 500 Miles

On the 13^th of April I will be on a stupidly early flight to Bordeaux. From there I will continue by train to St Jean Pied de Port on the French side of the Pyrenees where I have one night booked in a nice-looking private hotel. The next morning I will set out to walk the 769 kilometres to Santiago de Compostela.

Why on earth would a nominally sane man in his early sixties want to do such a thing? Bit late for a mid-life crisis isn’t it?

The answer is that I am going to follow in the footsteps of many thousands of pilgrims who since the ninth century AD have been making the journey to the last resting place of St James the Apostle. For the early pilgrims the journey had huge religious significance and many believed that completing it guaranteed them entry into Heaven after their death. Lacking a single religious bone in my body I am clearly not doing it for the plenary indulgence. For me it is about connecting to a tradition that is older than anything I know, about spending a month moving slowly through the landscape of a country that I do know and love and just maybe learning something about myself as I go. 

I don’t remember when I first heard of the Camino de Santiago but I am sure that when I read about it in David Lodge’s 1995 novel, Therapy, it wasn’t the first time I was aware of the name. Lodge’s protagonist arrives at the Camino towards the end of the story in which he has gone through upheavals in his life and is looking for closure on events from his youth. I think I can safely say that my route to the Camino is not the same as that of “Tubby” Passmore. What’s more (spoiler alert!) he doesn’t even walk the route himself. But if you want to know more you’ll have to read the book. 

My other big exposure to the Camino in popular culture was Emilio Estevez’s film, The Way, from 2010. In the movie Martin Sheen’s character finds himself walking the Camino unexpectedly, in memory of his son who has died suddenly at the starting point. In truth it isn’t a great film. The early scenes in which a group of misfits coalesces around Martin Sheen’s character to walk the route reminded me of nothing so much as The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy meets the Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow on the Yellow Brick Road. Nevertheless it does give an impression of the Camino in the 21^st century which has stayed with me since I saw it on a flight almost a decade ago.

I’m not really sure what I expect to get out of the Camino. In a way there would be no point in doing it if I knew exactly what to expect. I think it will be tough going. The route that I have been reading about takes 31 days of walking at an average of 25 km per day although one day is listed at over 37 km. I know I can walk these distances as a one-off, but day in and day out for over a month and carrying a pack? We’ll see. I hope that I get to meet other people doing the Camino. In July and August the trails get crowded. They will be less busy in April and May but there should still be plenty of others following the Way. I hope to feel a sense of achievement at the end. I have actually sat on the terrace of a café in the Cathedral Square in Santiago and watched pilgrims arrive. They seem to be elated, triumphant and relieved all rolled into one. Some time in the third week of May I expect to know for myself how it feels.

I have been telling anyone who would listen about my Camino plans for several months. In part because I knew that if I announced my intention widely enough it would be very hard to back out. One of the questions that has been asked more than once is “Are you doing it for charity?”. I must confess that when I was first asked that question I hadn’t even considered it, but it makes an increasing amount of sense. I am a middle-aged, middle-class white male who can afford to take a month out of paid work to pursue a dream. Wouldn’t it be good if I could also be a vector to help out some less fortunate people? So I have decided to set up a JustGiving page for the Trussell Trust. The idea that a fifth of the way through the 21^st century, the sixth biggest economy on earth needs food banks – FOOD BANKS! - to ensure that some of its people have a bare minimum for their families to eat is a complete abomination. However that may be, it’s a fact and since it’s a fact those of us who can afford to do so need to support them.

If you can afford to, please go to Ian Camino at JustGiving.com and give a little to the Trussell Trust to keep that essential backstop in place. In return I promise that every day of the journey I will post images to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that will offer a glimpse of the reality of life on the Camino. I won’t write many words because I don’t need the additional weight of a device with a keyboard in my backpack but I’ll try to find pictures that are inspiring, amusing or beautiful. And they will be pictures that neither you nor I have never seen before.

A Modest Proposal 2019 Style

It’s the 17^th of January 2019 as I write this. This means that in 71 days’ time the United Kingdom will no longer be a member of the European Union and will become a “third country” with absolutely no special arrangements for its political, legal or commercial relationships with the Union or its remaining 27 member states. This decision has already been taken by Parliament following the 2016 referendum. No further action is needed by anyone to enable this outcome.

This week’s entertainment in Westminster has revolved around an attempt by Theresa May to put in place some modest arrangements that will limit the adverse impact of that cliff-edge transition to third country status. Mrs May’s proposed agreement with the EU was rejected by the House of Commons in the biggest parliamentary defeat ever suffered by a British government so it is quite clear that it is now dead in the water. Where on earth do we go from here?

First of all, let me put my cards on the table. I am a Remainer. I believe very strongly that with all its faults (and there are many), membership of the European Union represents the best way forward for the UK and its people in the world of the twenty-first century. My first preference would be for Parliament to reassert its sovereignty, examine the evidence and conclude that a 52/48 majority in an advisory referendum that was marred by illegal campaigning and misinformation is not sufficient to justify the precipitous step that we will take on 29 March.

That’s my first preference but it ain’t going to happen. We need a plan B. We need a plan B that is acceptable to enough people in Parliament and the country that it can be implemented and accepted. Almost by definition it will not satisfy the ultras on either side of the argument so it has to win a lot of support in the middle ground. This is my attempt at a plan B.

1.  The UK rejoins EFTA, the European Free Trade Association, which it left in 1972 when it joined the European Community as it was at that time. As an EFTA member it also applies to join the European Economic Area which ensures that it remains inside the European Single market.

2. The UK agrees a Customs Union with the European Union.

3. The UK introduces those controls on movement of people, such as limiting the time that EU citizens are able to remain in the country without a job, that have always been available but never implemented

These actions would take time and it is vanishingly unlikely that they could be achieved in the next 70 days. However I believe that the EU27 would look favourably on a request to extend the Article 50 period if the UK were committed to this course of action.

So far so good. This is essentially the “Norway Plus” option that has attracted some, but not enough, support. It would honour the referendum result as the UK would be out of the political structures of the EU and would no longer be part of polices in agriculture and fisheries. Furthermore it would see a significant reduction in its membership dues. The down side of this from a Leaver perspective is that it would be “Brexit in Name Only”. The UK would become a “rule taker” and would be obliged to follow regulations that it has no part in setting. This is why we need to move to step 4.

4. The UK determines that this arrangement has a strict time limit. Five years might be appropriate but arguments could be made for other periods. I recognise that there are difficulties with this suggestion due to the convention that no Parliament may bind its successors. It will require constitutional lawyers and other experts to determine a solution but I am sure that the brains that brought us the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 can find a way through.

5. During that period a body is constituted to forensically examine all available evidence around the UK’s place in the world and the relationships it needs to have in the future. The body could be a Royal Commission, a Select Committee of Parliament or some other structure. The essential requirement is that it reflects the deep divisions in the country and has a commitment to reconciling them as far as possible. Before the period is up this body makes its recommendations to Parliament which could be

·       Make the temporary EEA/Customs Union arrangements permanent

·       Replace the arrangement with some other set of agreements that better reflect the interests of the British people

·       Apply to rejoin the European Union on the best terms that can be negotiated

·       Rescind all agreements and become a real third country, outside all international agreements

5. Parliament takes the recommendations of the review body and legislates accordingly.

So that’s it. That’s my Plan B. It has some advantages and some drawbacks.

On the plus side it honours the result of the referendum. We leave the European Union but we do so without a knife-edge on March 29^th. There is no need for a hard border in Ireland or customs checks at Dover. Industries that rely on just in time production would not be hamstrung. UK services industries would be able to continue operating in Europe. We would have breathing space to make a proper evaluation of future courses of action and the time necessary to implement them without major disruption.

The down side is that it would further extend a process that many people already believe has gone on too long. Those who want to see an immediate end to free movement would need to be patient. It would delay the UK’s ability to negotiate independent trade agreements but that would be balanced by continuing to benefit from those that the EU has in place.

It is tempting to finish with reference to the corny old joke about asking for directions and being told “I wouldn’t start from here if I were you”. The fact is we are here and whatever direction we take has to start from where we are. I think that this plan could be an outline of a way forward that isn’t a disaster. It’s the best that I can come up with. What about you?