tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25785638236092377692011-04-21T19:10:49.279-07:00ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.comBlogger171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-21956870761237430952008-07-13T11:58:00.005-07:002008-07-13T12:38:54.171-07:00

Instead of being with the Camino walkers, I am now surrounded by the 'hill walkers' in Scotland. We stay in Youth Hostels, and on occasion , a bed and breakfast, instead of albergues, and pay three to four times what was paid in Spain, and the same goes for food. In Spain, you could live on $20.00 per day. Here, you are lucky if you can get by with $50.00-$75.00 per day. Lately I've been riding

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-74568274114017767732008-06-30T04:53:00.003-07:002008-06-30T05:06:09.633-07:00

After walking 400KM, my knee became so painful, that I was no longer able to walk. At first I thought it to be a slight setback, but have had to accept the fact that my knee is worn out. I am presently in Edinburgh, waiting to see a doctor. If possible, I plan to see more of Scotland and spend time at Throssel Hole Monastery in England. Here in Edinburgh,I was able to find some nice knitting wool

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-67814172200063228232008-06-21T05:32:00.001-07:002008-06-21T05:32:09.292-07:00

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-16264367280253600712008-06-18T03:51:00.003-07:002008-06-18T04:26:31.671-07:00

Today is my third day in Sahagun. I think that 27Km was too far to walk. Because my right knee was very painful I spent the last two nights in a pension, all alone. and I've had the best sleep since leaving home. It was an unusual eerie situation at the pension. After walking 6Km and deciding that it was no longer possible to continue, I asked the woman tending the bar to call a taxi that would

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-59268785326441739642008-06-15T10:43:00.002-07:002008-06-15T11:14:25.150-07:00

We usually arise at 6am, sometimes to some rousting music, to get the pilgrims on the road, and always to crackling plastic bags, and the zipping and rustling of sleeping bags. At the same time, the keeners who have been up since 5:30am are packing up, grabbing walking sticks, eating, drinking, and slamming the bathroom door, while the others, still wearing earplugs, are trying to get the last

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-62882637143475942602008-06-13T11:50:00.003-07:002008-06-13T12:30:54.413-07:00

Today I had to let go of my good German boots and the second pair of boots that I bought two days ago in Burgos. I thought the boots were the problem, but in fact it was my toes. They must be left free, or they will pain most dreadfully. I now wear only sandals. Again I am sending something away. Edwardo, from the Albergue en el Comino will ship them to Santiago for me when I get close to my

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-87869516929313442852008-06-07T08:42:00.003-07:002008-06-07T09:32:18.447-07:00

I've walked about one third of the way across Spain, and so have approximately 500km to go. Doing a pilgrimage sounds very romantic, but truthfully, it's probably one of the hardest things that I've ever done, and it's not just the walking that's hard. I think it's the letting go that's the hardest: letting go of the familiar, privacy, comfort, letting go of ever again seeing those that you meet

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-49782594355081339612008-06-07T08:41:00.000-07:002008-06-07T08:42:01.354-07:00

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-51016612875404407492008-05-31T05:53:00.001-07:002008-05-31T05:53:26.788-07:00

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-51249827086247594852008-05-31T04:59:00.003-07:002008-06-01T10:55:56.129-07:00

After a lot of persuasion from an Irish lady, I took a 20km bus ride to Viana. It was truly heavenly. What is so wrong with the automobile? The ride was soft and luxuriant and cost only 1.60 euros. At various points of the road, I could look out the window at all the struggling pilgrims on the muddy, slippery paths. My knee was so painful last night, because of my heavier pack, so I decided to

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-16709737089738982312008-05-27T11:03:00.006-07:002008-05-29T17:37:53.690-07:00

On the Camino, I spent the first two days solo, walking up the Pyrenees, that is 1442 meters up from St. Jean Pied de Port to Col Lepoeder. There were many pilgrims on the road, whom I spoke with at times. At Hunto I forgot my poles and had to back track, and thereafter used my 'cbs' method to remember (camera, bag, poles). Being a nurse, I even checked my pulse during the climb, and surprisingly

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-69896167664003167682008-05-26T06:52:00.003-07:002008-05-26T20:56:55.383-07:00

After spending 10 days in Paris I took a long ride on the fast train to Bayonne, where I met a couple of English women and an Australian, heading towards St. Jean Pied de Port. They were anxious to begin their pilgrimage, and before I knew it there was a whole bus load of pilgrims. They all seemed so fit, and were wearing all the right clothes, especially the nylon zip-off pants. Mine were my old

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-41496829179552743512008-04-04T10:28:00.003-07:002008-04-04T11:39:39.236-07:00

Yesterday I bought most of my supplies that will fill my backpack: a blister pack(not a pill one): which includes 2nd skin, moleskin, iodine for disinfecting a needle, thread, gauze, paper tape, and polysporin. It seems like an awful lot to pack, for the 'possibility' of blisters, but I do want to be prepared .A pharmacist, who'd walked the Camino, advised me to bring hydrocortisone 1% for

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-81517688962957679472008-04-01T10:37:00.009-07:002008-04-01T14:15:06.746-07:00

I awoke with a heavy feeling today, thinking it quite bizarre that some of us, in our rich society, place ourselves in a 'chop wood, carry water' situation so that we can really experience 'life'.I no longer have to worry about my basic needs, however, on my pilgrimage, I will be concerned with such things.What got me to thinking about such matters, was a documentary: "Long Way Round".In the

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-4707773309763468112008-03-29T09:22:00.002-07:002008-03-29T10:33:31.427-07:00

I've been walking around New Westminster, doing a couple of passes up and down 4th st. which comprises of a killer hill, that begins at the Fraser River, and rises rapidly over five very short blocks. Descending is most difficult on old knees. Ascending involves getting going and building up cardio, which is always possible. Changing your knee anatomy is a little more difficult.I can always

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-41509072890042037092008-03-26T10:13:00.006-07:002008-03-26T22:00:38.146-07:00

I've been mentally preparing for this trip for sometime now, however, I still have doubts as to the sanity of an old woman with worn out knees and other signs of impermanence, doing such a trip.After two tries, I seem to have found good walking boots, however, I still worry when my toes start hurting with socks too tight. I've found some merino wool socks that seem to be the best. Good, leather,

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578563823609237769.post-33390019283257747582008-03-24T11:57:00.000-07:002008-03-24T12:02:00.332-07:00

I'm not totally certain why I'm walking the Camino, but it is the first time in my life that I have an uncommitted period of time. Most of my life has been lived looking after family, both as a child, and as a parent. After forty years of caring for the sick, most recently, the dying and their families, I was relieved of these duties, when I myself, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Seeing my own

ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369397846868770378noreply@blogger.com1