Well, that week has flown by. It has been seven days since my last post and my great intentions of writing everyday have well and truly been left by the wayside. I am still here however. Hanging in and hanging on and counting my blessings. The date of May 5th looms large but I don’t think there will be much (if any) change to the restrictions from that date. While everyone wants to get back to normal everyday life (including me), there are still many new cases and deaths being reported. And this is tragic news.

It is good to hear that other countries are gradually loosening their restrictions but we wait and what impact this will have. My peregrino friend from Germany is back to work at his office since last Monday. Everything seems to be going well with social distancing but there is a fear of a second wave. Austria and Denmark have gradually re-opened their economies too. And I won’t start to talk about the catastrophe across the water. President Trump’s comments about injecting disinfectants and UV rays had everyone’s eyes rolling to the heavens.

But this blog is not a political one. I don’t want to discuss economics or what is right or wrong for our country. I just hope there is an exit strategy in place as Covid is with us for the long run.

The Camino is keeping me sane. I get great joy keeping in touch with fellow pilgrims and fellow volunteers. There are owners of albergues in Spain and Portugual who are struggling and will struggle for the duration of the year. I was only glad to help them out. If you want, you can do too here.

Making plans for the next one is helping me too. So I have provisionally made plans to walk from Burgos next year. We are in a hopeless place at the moment but it is always good to look at the sky and find hope. The Shawshank Redemption is one of my favourite films. In it Andy Dufresne says:

Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

Until next time.

It’s the weekend again and I am home from another great walk with Camino Society Ireland. I love meeting with other pilgrims.

You can read how we got on here on the Camino Society Ireland magazine. Before I shuffle on to bed, I was sent this video by Linda and it made me think. We all have our reasons to walk the Camino. Some pilgrims like to give those reasons if you ask them, some choose to keep their reasons to themselves. I usually say I am just going for a long walk in search of something. I usually don’t find that certain “something” until my 5th or 6th Camino. Talk later!

I’ve had a few walks under my belt in the last few weeks so I may as well post a few photos from them. They have been great practice for my trip back to Spain but I’m one or two walks short of being ready for May 7th.

Aware Harbour 2 Harbour Walk – St. Patrick’s Day

The day of the walk marked 50 days before my return to Spain and it was a perfect day to get a long practice walk under my belt. This walk would be like no other however. The Aware Harbour 2 Harbour has been a staple of St Patrick’s Day for years. It is a festive day, everyone is decked out in their green and they celebrate the occasion. Generally. the walk starts in the port of Dun Laoghaire and ends in Howth, 24km later, and people from across the country turn up to walk. So basically, it is something different than standing in a parade or drinking. All monies raised go to support mental health in Ireland.
A good time was had by all and I got a few kms under my belt plus I had great company!

Slieve Gullion Forest Park with Camino Society Ireland

A short walk but a challenging one. Slieve Gullion Forest Park is one hour drive north of Dublin and across the border into Northern Ireland. It was a fantastic day and I looked forward to meeting new people and hearing new stories. Being a volunteer with Camino Society Ireland takes you far and wide but I am comfortable with Dublin and the eastern coast. How and ever, after a brief information talk about the Camino de Santiago to a local audience, we took on one of the forest trails, close to 10kms. And it was mostly uphill from the off. A really enjoyable day and I really did learn alot about area with regard to history and mythology. The park has many trails and caters for all ages.

Find out more at shamrocksandshells.wordpress.com/recent-events

40 days and counting…

Do you ever have a countdown to your next Camino ticking away? I bet you have. I use an application on my phone telling me the number of days I have left before I leave. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not but each morning I get a little bit giddy knowing that I’m a little closer to my return date. And when I return back to Dublin, the whole process starts again.

So what do you do to bide the time before your next Camino?

Get walking..

It is quite possible to walk the Camino with very little preparation. Provided you are in normal good health, are prepared to take your time and listen to your body, you are half way there. However, here in Ireland, we are lucky enough to have numerous walking trails and pilgrim paths on our doorstep. It is a shame not to use them. Throughout the year, there are various walking festivals in Ireland which provide perfect opportunity to get you ready for a trip to Spain. Or why not walk by yourself with your pack? You can find details of these trails on irishtrails.ie or pilgrimpath.ie. It might be the case in other countries.

Are you comfortable with your Pack?

If you are considering carrying your pack on your Camino, you will need to be comfortable with it and it’s contents. Check it’s weight and if there is anything you don’t need, leave it behind. Try to walk with your pack a few times before you leave so you are sure it is the right size and all the settings are correct.

Join a Camino / Pilgrim Society

Are you talking about your experience on the Camino with a family member and they just don’t get it? Does it feel like you are talking to a brick wall? Well, by joining a Camino Society in your country, you get the chance to meet like-minded people (just like you!), share your story and give back to the Camino. Being a volunteer with Camino Society Ireland is a huge plus for me as I am able to pass on my experience to people preparing for their own Caminos and I can learn about new and exciting developments. And I don’t drive my family crazy!

YouTube / Movie

YouTube contains countless videos of peoples experiences along the different Caminos. From the very professional to videos made by pilgrims just like you and me. Watching them brings me back to the Camino and some offer helpful tips. Or you could watch a Camino related movie. The Camino Voyage springs to mind and I may give that a watch shortly.

And when you come home…

..Organise another Camino! Ah yes, the old doozie! For those of us fortunate enough to get away for another Camino, the 2nd best thing to being on the Camino is putting one together. Booking your flights and/or your first night accommodation (if needed) is a joy-inducing formula. Then there is Gronze.com, Rome2rio.com and plenty of other Camino planning tools to ensure everything goes smoothly.

• New Podcast – Adam from England
• Weekend Watch #79 – Irish pilgrim on the Camino Francés
• This is worth waiting for…
• Video: Camino Francés 2017 Part 1
• Ideal viewing – Webinars for Planning your Camino!

Hello there. Just dropping in to say hi. While I don’t blame you if you don’t recognise me, my posts may be a bit more frequent now.

I haven’t been writing as often as I would like. The week goes by and before you know it, it is the weekend and I usually have plans most weekends. I long for sleep in! I might have to wait until my Camino before that, however.

I have just finished working on my side project Shamrocks and Shells for Camino Society Ireland. Let’s just say that I’m glad that it’s a quarterly ezine and not a monthly one. It takes a lot of work, but it is worth it. You can view it here.

Now to concentrate on my new Canon EOS camera, taking a few walks and me!…yes, me! Everyone needs time for themselves, don’t they?

My next walk will be on the 23rd of March when I walk from the Pro Cathedral in Dublin to Maynooth. It has recently been recognised as one of the suggested walks on the Celtic Camino, provided you can locate sellos. The Pro Cathedral and Maynooth College give them. It’s a fab walk along the Royal Canal and while you can bike it, I like to walk it. I will let you know how I get on.

9 weeks left!