ensuitepilgrim's Blog

A consequence  of the Cancer Research Fund Raiser was the interest shown by my sister, Penny and latterly, my brother Matt, to walk a Camino. For a variety of reasons, work and family, it was to be a short walk. So, I devised a 101 Km promenade from Lugo to Santiago de Compostela. This would give us two stages on the Camino Primitivo , the remainder on the Camino Frances. Ensuring that we get two Sellos ( local stamps ) in our Pilgrim Passports, per day, would qualify us to receive a Compostela ( official certificate ) from the Pilgrims’ office in S de. C. We are walking this September.

The flights, transfers are booked. Penny & I down to Gatwick , by National Express and Matt flying to Santiago from Amsterdam; he resides in Holland. We then take a bus to Lugo, which looks like a really interesting place. All the accommodation is reserved , as usual. The only difference to my previous Caminos will be the use of the Spanish Correos’ luggage transfer system , devised for the Caminos. For the princely  sum of € 20.00 each, we get 5 transfers from lodging to lodging. This is necessitated for reasons  of dodgy shoulders and for myself, to avoid undue strain on my Stoma. So, in a sense, I shall still be carrying my bag ! We finish with a non walking day in Santiago, which should enable Penny and Matt to take in some of the sights  ( and bars ), especially the Museo das Peregrinacions  and the Pilgrims’ Mass in the cathedral.

There will doubtless be time to do a little shopping; me….pins and a T shirt. Notwithstanding the fact that I shall be wearing my E U pin, more proudly than ever, since the debacle of a referendum, we have  just suffered.

Now they have won and what Kipling said of the demagogues of his age applies to Michael Gove, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage.

I could not dig; I dared not rob:
Therefore I lied to please the mob.
Now all my lies are proved untrue
And I must face the men I slew.
What tale shall serve me here among
Mine angry and defrauded young?

Taken from Nick Cohen’s  article , Observer, 26/06/2016

By the time we finish our mini Camino,we may not recognise what we had left behind,albeit, temporarily. Buen Camino?” Little England ” will need one….

Costa Daurada, literally, the Golden Coast, takes its name from the colour of its sand when the sun is shining. At such times, its beaches are reminiscent of gold.

There are clusters of palm trees,and alongside the river, nearby, Tamarisks and Holm Oak trees. The campsite is 2/3 full and the Dutch are in the ascendancy – find a good campsite and you will find the Cloggies! There  are far more Dutch motorhomers now, until recently, they were caravanners and campers. This is a very pleasant site; excellent for families, too, with a well designed pool area, supermarket and choice of two restaurants, one of which specialises in sea food – dining there tonight.

The area around the site, apart from the beach, is made up of quite classy villas and apartments, mainly Spanish owned; as in everywhere else on the Spanish Med, a good number of “en vende” signs. Cambrils is worth a day, harbour with a small fishing fleet and good, pedestrianised streets. It is well known for its cuisine, too.

This short break has been mainly for relaxing and in the evening, we have found a couple of super watering holes, for an evening aperitif.

One more, full day tomorrow, Saturday.Will walk into Cambrils, for the morning. A route back is planned to bypass Barcelona, by travelling across, via Zaragoza and Pamplona, to somewhere past Bayonne, hopefully. That will be on Sunday. It’s always more enjoyable to take a different route and given the flooding in the Paris region, we should have had to make a diversion, anyway. Having overcome the fuel problems, the uncertain weather, let us hope we can avoid floodwater and the possibility of Strikes!

“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” – John Steinbeck

Been flying the flag, whilst away ; not on a flagpole, but on the dashboard of the bus, whilst driving and on the table, when on site. Have been keeping up with the  Brexit misinformation machinations ; una cargo de mierda !