Today was a very strange day's walking. First of all, it was raining when I got up. Fine, wet rain. Not heavy, but always there. Sometimes it was a bit heavier, sometimes it almost petered out, then it came as sheets of wet mist. It was penetrating. Then, in the afternoon, the wind got up …
Continue reading Camino Stage 5: Day 4 – Captieux to Bourriot-Bergonce
Give us today our daily bread The unwinding of this stage of this Camino reached its culmination today. The final part of the journey was very simple. Paris to London: London to Southwell Guy Turner kindly collected me from Newark, and BT 14:00 I was walking into 47 Easthorpe. I was so tired, so I …
There are many things about the French Health Service that are admirable. At the level of emergency departments they act fast. Their triaging is much better than ours. They are less stuffy, and doctors, nurses and para-medics are all much nearer to the patients, and they all pitch in. If you have a question that …
Continue reading Camino Stage 4: Day 6 – Langon Hospital to Bayonne
Seven floors, before lifts existed. I had a broken night with my ankle, but managed to get myself in and out of a bath safely. The trouble with my booted ankle was not only was it still rather painful, but it made getting myself around a very slow business. I had breakfast and then packed …
Continue reading Camino Stage 3: Day 11 – Bordeaux to Southwell
The pensioner pilgrim in action An early trip to the boulangerie for croissants and a baguette for lunch, and then with Fabienne we packed up and set off. Today's walking looked like it was going to be relatively easy. Though there had been rain overnight, it seemed to have cleared away, and the morning was …
Continue reading Camino Stage 3: Day 9 – Mussidan to la Gratade
Today sees the start of my third leg of pilgrimage. I'm well into the French part now, and I hope to get to Sainte-Foy-la-Grande over the next ten days. But getting deeper into France makes for slightly more complicated journeys to pick up the trail. Ready to go Getting home I will leave from Bordeaux, …
From The Quire 