Bristol

I am now in Bristol with my Camino bessie mate Arlene. She is kindly putting me up at her place for a few days before I go off to Bournemouth to visit my Aunt Jennifer. The train journey from Liverpool started off with a cancelled train but I was able to get on one that went through Birmingham and then on to Bristol making me only a half hour behind schedule. Arlene picked me up and we went out for an Indian meal before going back to her place to drink wine and catch up. Today was a beautiful sunny day and we went down to the docks and had a very british, very naughty brunch of bacon butty's and chips. Hell, you only live once right? It was delicious and well worth queuing up for. There is a beautiful bridge that goes across the Avon river and we walked across it and then up to the little fortress at the top of the hill. We have had a great time catching up and philosophysing about the effect the Camino has had on us and trying to work it all out and make sense of it all. We looked at photos and reminisced about our friends and all the good times we had together. We called Gerry from Ireland and it was good to hear his voice. We had the idea of meeting up doing a walk in the lake district or even Scotland - maybe the Coast to Coast....
Tomorrow we are driving to London to see a screening of a film Arlene's cousin has edited. Not sure if I can get a ticket, but if not, I'm sure I can find something to do in London...! Back to Bristol and then on to Bournemouth Tuesday morning where I will stay until I leave for Marakech next Sunday.
It is so good to re-live the Camino with Arlene. It is something that doesn't easily fit into "real" life and it has been a challenge to not talk about it with others for fear of boring them to death! We never seem to tire of talking about it and it's so good to talk about it with someone who has experienced it with me.
Well, off to cook dinner now and possibly drink a glass of wine : )
Hasta Luego!
Jena

Musings

It's amazing how time slips by without you even noticing it. I've been in Liverpool nearly two weeks now. This past week was half term and everyone was off school. As it often is, at the beginning of a week off, it seems like you have time to do all the things you want to do and at the end of the week you realise the list was rather longer than you thought. I feel the same way with my time in Liverpool. 've had a good week though and have been doing the things I've  wanted to do. I love walking on the beach-it seems to go on forever, sort of like Tofino and Vancouver island. Sort of. One of my favourite things is the "Iron Man" exhibition by Antony Gormley entitled "Another Place". 100 life sized iron men spread across 3kms of Crosby beach facing out to the sea. Here is the link: http://www.sefton.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=6216, you must check it out...though you can't get the power of it unless you see it for real. I was walking there one evening at dusk and though I was almost the only person there, it felt eerily as though I wasn't alone. I never get tired of looking at them, they are unusual and fascinating.
A funny thing happened the other day. I was on my way to the beach and decided I needed my hair trimmed so I stopped in at a hair salon on South Rd near my Aunt's place. I settled in to the chair and asked for a quick trim. The young woman commented on my accent and asked me where I was from. When I told her, she said "I have an aunt who lives there", and, naturally, I asked her which part of Canada. She said she really didn't know. After a pause she asked me "where is Canada"? I was stunned and when I regained my composure I asked her if she knew where the United States was and she said, yes, is it near there? Bless. Though she may not be the brightestest girl I've ever met, she was smart enough to charge me £12 quid for a 5 minute trim!

Endless cups of tea!

It's true. A cup of tea seems to make everything better. Whether you've already had 2, or 5, or 10, when someone says "shall I put the kettle on"? the answer is always yes. I don't know what it is that makes the tea here so good. It could be the water, or the fact that the electricity is 220w which makes the water seem to boil even more fiercely than at home. Or it could be the milk because everything dairy is just better here. Whatever it is, I am always up for a cuppa.
Now, onto other travel plans. I have booked a trip to Morocco from Nov 13 to 27th which is pretty exciting. I'll be landing in Casablanca and ending up in Marakesh. Activities include camping in the desert and riding camels. I have decided to change my ticket home and will be staying here longer because, well, I just don't have a reason not to really. I feel like I have this amazing opportunity to travel the world. I'm relatively unencumbered and just feel like this is the right thing to do. I am a bit homesick at times..... I miss my kids, my friends and my Georgie boy, but I know everyone understands and supports me.
I spend my days with my family, walking on the beach and going to the gym. Today I ran 5km.
I am very blessed to have my aunt and uncle put me up so graciously and I am enjoying my time with them immensely. Just need to sort out a visit with Arlene now and after that.....who knows!

Hanging Out in Liverpool

It is Friday afternoon and I have spent the day doing nothing. I signed up at the gym with my cousin Mel and went yesterday for two hours. It was great to know that I am in good shape and it felt really good to move my body after a week of the sedentary life. My plan is to go every day if I can. I am researching my options for travel now - so much choice! It's a little overwhelming, well, everything is these days. I just feel like I should be walking! And where the hell are those damn yellow arrows when you really need them!?
It's been great being in Liverpool staying with my aunt and uncle Sue and Terry, and seeing my cousins and Aunt Angela every day. The weather is cold and I had to buy a winter jacket yesterday as I really didn't pack properly for post-Camino weather. I wandered around Liverpool yesterday and really enjoyed Bold Street and lunch with my cousin Gemma. I am beginning to feel itchy and need to move on to the next trip. I have some ideas, so keep reading...
I am feeling a little bit blue...homesick for my kids I think. It seems so long ago since I've seen them and haven't spoken to them since I left for Spain. I will try calling this weekend so if you are reading this Sarah, Robbie, and James, make sure you answer your phones when you see "unknown number" on your call display!
Not too much else to report other than a nice evening last night with Phil (my cousin Mel's husband) and their friend Chris. We went to a couple of pubs and listened to some live music. Tonight I'm going over there for curry and then this weekend my other cousin William and his wife Anne and their children are coming up from London for a visit. It will be great seeing them. I hope to make a plan to go to Bristol to see Arlene before my next trip.
I need to go for a long walk so I'm going to sign off and get outside.
Lots of love to all
Jena

Post Camino transition

Back in Liverpool again. I was met at the train station by my lovely Aunties Susie and Angela and it was soooo lovely to see them. Susie, Terry and I shared a bottle of bubbly (my second glass of the day) and we had a delicious dinner. I put my washing in and put on some clothes I had left here and realizeed how much weight I must have lost.  This is all good, but I am no longer walking 25km a day!  Maybe my cousin Mel will take me to the gym with her every day while I'm here.
I know this transition is going to be difficult. The simplicity of life on the Camino is over and I find myself thinking about other things again. The trick is to keep reminding myself of the things learned there that I want to retain and hope that people can cope with the changes in me. I miss very much the people I met and became so close with in such intense and unusual circumstances. I am in touch with a few and look forward to seeing Arlene and hopefully Lewis in Bristol soon.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Santiago. I couldn't stop gazing at the magnificent cathedral and found myself drawn back to the chuch square again and again, gazing up at it's grand stature, smiling as new batches of pilgrims made their emotional entrance into the square. Perhaps I felt a spiritual connection, knowing that so many pilgrims over so many centuries had come to this very place after a long and incredible journey. It's a feeling I hope I never forget.
So now I will begin researching the possibilities that lie before me.
Keep reading...... I will keep writing.

The end of the earth

I went to Finisterra yesterday with Arlene, and the three English people I met on the first day of walking: Rita, Ken and Carmel. We decided to rent a car instead of taking the bus and I think it was a good thing to do in the end. God bless Arlene, the only person who had her drivers license with her, for driving. We had a gps unit (Kate) in the car and even then it was a bit crazy getting out of the city. Once we got out on the highway though, Kate sent us up into the mountains, away from the coast, but it turned out alright in the end as we were rewarded with stunning views of the whole coastline. Again, it was hot, sunny and clear and as we made our way down the mountain and to the coast we were swept up in the beauty of it all. We made it to Finisterra and had a little walk around the town and then went for lunch at one of the many restaurants on the sea front. Afterwards we went up to the lighthouse and took many photos. There is a long tradition of pilgrims going to Finisterra and burning all their clothing so as to cleanse themselves in both body and spirit before turning back and making the long journey home. Now, it is a very touristy place and no burning is allowed! We had to settle for absorbing ourselves in the stunning views of the beautiful coastline - it was blissful being by the sea again, inhaling it´s salty, sweet scent.
Back to Santiago and one last evening with my good friend Arlene. She is so amazing and such a gift from my Camino experience. We laughed, we cried, we shared many moments walking, eating, drinking and sharing as if we´d known each other for years. She is a gem and I am so blessed to have met her. The only thing that prevented me from crying my eyes out is that I know I will see her again in the UK before I go home.
I have decided to go back to Liverpool on Monday. I am feeling a little overwhelmed with my experience and feel the need to re-group before making further travel plans. I feel good about this and even though Barcelona would be amazing, I feel like I have plenty of time to come back to Spain if I want to later. The weather here continues to be sunny and hot - today it was 36 degrees!! Hard to leave this country...
So, two more nights at the Parador (!!!) - I heard someone call me a "Paradonna", which I thought was very fitting. I could have moved to another hotel, or, God forbid the Alburgue, but hey, I´ll only turn 50 once and I might as well milk it for all it´s worth.
Stay tuned, I will continue to write about my journey. I appreciated all the beatiful emails I received for my birthday from all who took the time to email or comment. Thank you.

Santiago

I must start this blog entry from yesterday morning when I left Arco de Pino, the last day of walking, a mere 20km. I left just before 7am as I wanted to get to the Church before noon so I could go to Mass. It was dark, and would be for about an hour and a quarter and I walked alone. Several amazing things happened this day - the moon was full, or nearly, and my path was lit by moonlight. The first part of the walk was through a forest of eucalyptyse (sp) trees and in the moonlight, they were utterly beautiful. I felt absolutely no pain anywhere. I saw, for the last time, the sun rise in the mountains of Galecia, a fine morning mist settled in the valley. I did not walk alone for long as I kept meeting other Pilgrims I knew. We spoke a few words, walked together for a bit, but moved at our own pace, in our own thoughts. I contemplated the end of the journey and the last day I would walk and marvelled at how far I have come.
There is a hill just before Santiago called the ¨hill of tears¨ or ¨hill of Joy¨ which is about 5km from the centre of the City. From the top, you can see the city and just make out the tops of the two steeples of the Cathedral. When I stood there, I kept thinking of the medieval pilgrims who had walked for months, or even years to reach their destination and I understood why it was named so.
I walked the last 10km or so with Sylvie from Quebec and Samantha from Ireland, two women I have met recently. Winding our way through the modern part of the city and then into the old part with the signature cobbled narrow streets, I had a feeling of urgency....I wanted to get there, I desperately wanted to see the Cathedral. I was uprepared for the emotion I felt when I walked down through the portal into the square. The magnificence of the Cathedral is awe-some and I wept when I saw it. It was another beautiful sunny day, not a cloud and just the right temperature. I couldn´t take my eyes off the cathedral and looked up, tears of joy in my eyes. Joy, because of the sheer magnitude of the building; Joy, because I had completed something I set out to do. I felt such emotion and and a burst of energy unlike the usual exhaustion at the end of the walk.
We got there about 5 past noon and did not go into the church. Instead, we stayed and took some photos of ourselves in front of the church and then went and had something to eat and drink at one of the cafes. We all felt a little numb and didn´t quite know how to express our feelings. I checked into my hotel, had a shower and went back into the square to meet and greet the many fellow pilgrims who had arrived the day before. It was a lot of hugging and congratulating each other, photos, laughter, and exclamations: "we did it"!!! We all agreed to meet in the square at 7pm that evening and make dinner plans, like we did every night for the past few weeks.
I had decided to treat myself to a night at the Parador, a five star hotel right on the square. The history is that it was always a place for Pilgrims to stay and it has now been transformed into a luxury hotel. I cannot describe the beauty of it adequately. I could not believe they let me in in my bedraggled, sweaty, state and did my best to cover any signs of bed bug bites as I entered the building. After I checked in, the porter asked me if he could take my¨"bag" to which I replied: "I´ve carried this pack nearly 800kms, and don´t mind carrying it a few more meters!" I have a huge room overlooking one of the gardens with a water fountain. It is completely over the top and I must say I felt only slightly guilty as I settled myself in.
I went to the office where I was to receive my compostella - a document written in latin to say I had completed the Camino de Santiago. Even my name was written in Latin and the young man was impressed that I had started my journey from St. Jean PDP. When he looked at my passport with all the stamps I had received over the past 5 weeks, he said I had come a long, long way and congratulated me sincerely. I know it´s only a piece of paper, but I felt very proud at that moment.
We all met in the square as planned and there was more celebrating, hugging, congratulating, and photos. There must have been 40 people who had all had some kind of contact over the past few weeks. It was very emotional and moving, especially to realize that most of us will not see each other again. We decided to have dinner at a hotel around the corner - a beautiful monastary that has been turned into a hotel and served, what was for most of us, our last Pilgrim meal.
Later, we met at one of the cafe bars and continued to drink toasts to each other and say goodbye to some people who were moving on the next day. At midnight, there were a few stragglers who wished me a happy birthday and I think I finally got back to my hotel around 1am where I poured myself a long, hot, bubble bath. Delicious!
This morning I woke up and met Sylvie and Samantha, also staying at the Parador, for breakfast. I ate caviar and drank champagne on my 50th birthday! It was beautifully extravagant! Later, I went to the church and sat in the splendor of the Cathedral for a while before Mass began. At the beginning, they list all the countries that the Pilgrims had come from and who had received their Compostellas the day before. The organ played magnificently and a nun sang so beautifully...very moving...more tears. If you know anything about the church you may know that there is a huge incense burner that is hoisted from the ceiling of the church. At the end of Mass, the priests stand on either side and swing it from side to side on a thick rope, frankencense buring and filling the church with its sweet scent. I love the smell of that incense and it was a spectacular sight to see.
My friend Arlene took me out for a birthday lunch of salad, clams, and roasted pimentos (my favourite spanish dish) and we walked around the city all afternoon, stopping for a beer and doing our laundry! She is a good friend and I will go and see her in Bristol at some point before I return home.
Tonight, whoever is left will meet again in the square and we will decide where to go for dinner. I´m hoping to drink white wine and eat Pulpo, a specialty of Galecia.
Tomorrow I will go to Finisterra and then make travel plans for Barcelona for a couple of days before going back to Liverpool. I am starting to feel that my Camino has come to an end but am realizing, perhaps it is only the beginning. I feel a great sense of peace. The past couple of years have been so difficult and painful and I  have felt enormous loss and grief in so many ways. But I have survived and have come out the other side stronger, richer, and more at peace with myself. I still don´t know what I will do with my life and I don´t know exactly what the message for my Camino is yet, but I know it will come to me when the time is right. My only job is to make sure I am listening so I will hear the message.