ensuitepilgrim's Blog

Walking a Caminho :- Solo Pilgrim Profile – Portuguese Coastal Route.

THE BASICS

Name: John Twort

Country: England

Route: Porto to S de C, Coastal Route

Start: Matosinhos Mercardo Metro Stop

Finish: Santiago de Compostella

Year: September, 2013

Distance: 1375 miles from Birmingham UK to Porto

Albergue: Airporto Hostal,Porto; warm welcome,helpful hosts & a
short Metro ride from the airport

THE QUESTIONNAIRE

WHAT WAS A CHALLENGE ON THE CAMINHO ?

Walking solo; previous Caminhos had been in groups and rooming with a close friend, for the most part.
There were not many Pelegrinos on this beautiful route; surprisingly I became used to walking alone, with either the Ocean for company, or my I-Pod.
I did rub along with a small number of other Pelegrinos, with three of whom, I am still in touch.
But the biggest challenge challenge came on entering Esposende, when I noticed that I was passing blood when urinating -was this because of too much Ibruprofen – three months later a Urologist revealed the real cause.

THE UNEXPECTED ALONG THE WAY

I went from eight painkillers to two a day after my “scare” and found that by resting judiciously, particularly at the end of the day,I could cope and to my relief, the bleeding stopped.
In Viano de Castello, I made the acquaintance of Anna, from Germany,who was en route to S de C, via a different itinerary to mine.
The next morning,I decided to take a local stopping train, two stops along, where I could embark close to the Caminho and the ocean; who should I find in the compartment, but Anna! With an impressive map on her knee.

I enquired about the map, but she could not recall the website, promising to E-Mail the address when she could find the details; I wished her Bom Caminho as I alighted from the train.

Imagine my surprise, when some days later and by now in Spain, when I came across a note ( which I still have ), on the trail, a stone at each corner,
which said:-

“For John…….”www.caminador.es”…….lovely greetings Anna
The Lady With the Map! ”

This is Anna.

IN WHAT WAYS DID LIFE CHANGE ON RETURNING HOME

As a direct consequence of the Caminho,walking solo, I felt a resurgence of self-confidence and achievement, notwithstanding the many welcoming and helpful locals, who helped in different ways – grateful memories and photos.

Celebrated eldest grandson’s second birthday, in October.Tom Henry and the family , had a great day.

Then I suffered a hernia, which was successfully dealt with on Friday,13 th December – me superstitious?

Unfortunately, the bleeding returned, far more heavily and on Christmas Eve I was diagnosed with cancer of the bladder – to be removed in the New Year, after Chemotherapy in the Spring; as I write I am recovering from that, slowly – it was a different journey, which I have blogged on “ensuitepilgrim/ WordPress”
My next adventure will be to walk part of the Via de la Plata, from Seville to Caceres, hopefully in the Spring of 2015.

FAVOURITE QUOTATION

When that April with his showers soote…………………showers sweet
The drought of March hath piercèd to the root
And bathèd every vein in such liquor………………………rootlet / liquid
Of which virtúe engendered is the flower;

When Zephyrus eke with his sweetè breath………………the West Wind / also
Inspirèd hath in every holt and heath………………………grove & field
The tender croppès, and the youngè sun……..……………young shoots / Spring sun
Hath in the Ram his halfè course y-run……………………in Aries / has run

And smallè fowlès maken melody……………………………small birds
That sleepen all the night with open eye…………………..who sleep
(So pricketh them Natúre in their couráges)…………….spurs / spirits
Then longen folk to go on pilgrimáges……………….people long
And palmers for to seeken strangè strands………………..pilgrims / shores
To fernè hallows couth in sundry lands……………………distant shrines known

The first lines of ‘The General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales’ ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

The reawakening of that insatiable need to walk a Caminho; albeit Ensuite!

FAVOURITE PHOTOS

” En Route to Vila do Conde – 23 KM – sunshine and sea breezes”

” Hospitable beach bar proprietor; coffee , water gratis to me as a Pelegrino”

“All Pelegrinos welcome guidance….”

” Church of St, Tiago – Castelo do Neiva – some modern stained glass”

“Donde est Playa Americana por favour?- No wonder he was nonplussed!”

Received letter, today, confirming a phone- call, earlier in the week, for my Consultant.
Results from the Laparoscopic Cystectomy ( six weeks ago ).
These show that the Cancer has been removed completely.
In addition, there was an incidental cancer found in the Prosate,also removed,requiring only routine follow-up, every few months.
Having also removed my Appendix; not much left!

So, cheering news for now – Remission – no such thing as a cure.

Ongoing issue is Spiking temperatures which are probably the result of a urine infection for which I have been prescribed some “heavy” anti- Biotics, which I am currently taking and for the next five days.

On third week of Warfarin tablets, plus the daily, Clexane injection, self-administered.
The fun never stops…

Shakespeare’s comment on friendship, love, constancy and fickleness, this romantic comedy takes us from the controlled world of Verona and Milan to the wildness of the forest where, it seems, anything can happen.

A visit here is always memorable, to see a play neglected on the British stage for 44 years, apparently.
There are perhaps one or two soliloquies that meander, off- putting for a Director?
But this production overcame this with simple but effective set changes and from nearly every scene the actors sprinted to and fro.
Your credibility is no more tested than any of WS’s more popular Romantic plays; the pastoral scenes as ever providing the setting where the implausible becomes possible.
Reconciliation is the theme,though it was hard to reconcile one’s feelings towards Proteus, one of the Two – such a twerp!
Though he did send himself up occasionally.
The inevitable Rustics were great fun, plus a real,live Dog, a scene stealer!

Great evening, taxi back to Farmhouse B & B; part of Barbara’s Birthday celebrations.
Excellent breakfast after opening Cards and presents, with cups of tea, Ensuite -my favourite word!
On a personal note I was nervous about being out and about – we had an afternoon and Picnic at Charlecote a Park ( Thanks, Hannah) – because of the unreliability of some of the UROSTOMY bags.
However, came through without any problems….

Just Blogging this on a comfy settee, in The Golden Bee, with coffee and soda water….Simple things

“That man that hath a tongue, I say is no man, if with his tongue he cannot win a woman.”
― William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona

The last few days have seen an improvement, mentally; I feel that I have left the Purgatory of semi-awareness and have been re admitted into the land of full consciousness!
Would not presume to call it Heaven….
How do you recognise such an improvement ?

I have finished Donna Tartt’s “The a Goldfinch” – an epic book, and have begun “All is Silence” by Manueline Rivas, translated from Galician Spanish, set on the Atlantic Coast, in the era, just prior to the death of that Fascist bastard,Franco – nothing to do with the Caminho – more like “Moonfleet” meets ” Lord Of The Flies”.

Watched much of the Commonwealth Games – The Anti Olympics! Terrific…
Some great 20-20 Quarter finals ; come on you Bears!

Looking forward to Michael Portillo’s latest railway journeys, set in World War I, tonight, on BBC 2- political pillock, turned great broadcaster!

Able to concentrate for longer- crosswords, sudoku, Leader columns in the papers…..

Going to Stratford to see ” Two Gentlemen of Verona”, tomorrow, part of Barbara’s Birthday week celebrations!

Physically,still occasional Gas Attacks.
Moving towards solving leaky , Urostomy bags problem – no leaks in current version.
For the uninitiated, bags should last up to three days before changing…..

Appointment at Good Hope Hospital, today, Anti- coagulant Department, to
Set up Warfarin treatment
So, basically, I have a secondary condition around Blood thinning- all because of PE, caused by Chemo.
Cannot travel by plane for three months and if driving distances, shake a leg every hour or so.
This treatment will be regularly monitored till correct level achieved.
It is in tablet form, so in ten days or so, I can stop the self injection of Rexclane.
Am able walk around the block, up ad around the garden; may get Hannah to drive me to the allotment, later in the week.

We had a lovely w/end visit from Dan, Nelly Tom and baby Jake.
Barbara tok Tom down to the plot and they came back with potatoes,spinach, carrots French and Runner gleans, plus courgettes and lettuce- able to give them a large bagful to take home!

To close, a poem to mark the” official” beginning of WW I – putting all,our afflictions into perspective…….

FUTILITY

The sun is receding from the sky,
Which is now painted a deep crimson red
But the blood of bodies lying, left to die
Have filled this red sky with unease and dread

For, a few hours ago, a battle was fought
One side was victorious, the other was mercilessly defeated
But the value of human life came to nought
Jesus’ maxim, “Love thy neighbour” was severely dented

Among the battered bodies, a soldier rises from the ground
With great discomfiture, and holds his bruised knee
He looks around at the destruction and carcasses strewn all around
And it is only then that he starts crying inconsolably

For he is all alone, in this desolate picture of heartache and grief
He starts looking at one bloody corpse after another
For his friends and comrades, with whom his association was brief
And then he, with watery eyes, looks at the body of his brother

His brother had just joined service, he had not served in the regiment long
But Fate and Death selected him, and played a cruel joke
With his brother, with whom the soldier would sometimes sing a song
And when catching him rob apples red-handed, his ribs he would gently poke

It is only now that the lonely soldier realizes
How utterly futile it is to fight a war!
He surveys the dead fathers, sons and brothers of all sizes
He regrets his mistake, the rest of the world he wants peace for

And then he decides to do something in this endeavour, there and then
He will preach to the world the foolishness of battles
He does not exactly know how, where and when
But nobody can stop a man’s resolve, when his conscience rattles

War is NOT a necessary evil, it can be stopped
Peace and dialogue have never hurt Mother Earth
For it is better, than to have bodies mercilessly chopped
That, to a new happy world, we give a grand new birth
RONY PATRA