I have done my 800km plus Pilgrimage. Shortened through injury!
Raised over £2775 so far …
So a Big Thank you.
For supporting the RAFBF, St Barnabas and The Peace Hospice with me.
If you missed the blog you can follow my travels, day by
day, blow by blow at the Blog starting here.
If you’d like to see a collection of unfiltered pictures,
and there are some good ones (and lots of mediocre and bad ones). Just click
to get to the Picassa Album here.
Thoughts ...
I suppose the real summation of the trip to me was day 2 on
the Erro Pass when I smashed my GPS, jarred my knee on the rocky slimy stream
bed in the hills, realised I was in the middle of Spain, really on my own, not
speaking Spanish, with no map, no compass, no-one within 5km, 700km to go, a
deadline to achieve, no accommodation booked, a dead phone and no means of
re-charging it, out of water, and it wasn't even lunch time! Fantastico, a real
adventure not a glorified package holiday! That was when the fun really kicked
in 'coz it wasn't likely to get worse, was it?
And now, all over and done? (Not really), I still think
about the experience regularly and it still leaves me, generally, somewhat
mellower and with a more positive outlook on just about everything – especially
peoples innate goodwill.
I do however, miss
the hills, the camaraderie, the solitude, the 'purpose' and the reward for the
exertion (and I don't just mean cerveza, morcilla and chorizo, honest) - but
that is nicely balanced by a small glow of satisfaction, for having done
something I suspected I might not be able to, for having done some good, and
for actually finding the time to reflect and re-affirm my values - oh and being
back in the bosom of my family. Whom I actually missed terribly at times –
shhhh.
And, of course, I’d still like to persuade more of my
friends, acquaintances, colleagues, contacts – and actually anyone at all to
give a bit to any of my supported charities. ….
Fundraising
Obviously I am back, my knee held up and I didn't fall off!
And I am e-mailing everyone I have ever had comms with just in case ….So far I
have raised just over £2775 - so a big thank you; to my friends, our friends,
old friends, fellow northerners, colleagues and workmates - and actually to
everyone who has even spared a thought. And of course, not least to Sue -
without whose support I'd still be sitting on the sofa with my knee in an ice
pack and at least a stone heavier!
But if you'd like to say 'Thank You' or 'Well done' or just
forgot, meant to do something, or think the Blog was worth a pound or two -
there is still lots of time and I'd have waited to see what happened too!
The Injury (Short Version)
A week before I went my left knee exploded and I needed
Physio, ice packs, drugs etc and the whole thing was in doubt. Even as far as a day of departure Medical check which, in
turn, cut the journey short by some 250km as that was the ‘compromise’ we reached….
It held out, I can ask for Ibuprofen in Spanish and I can
walk, just about, again! Winning – not
yet won.
The bike
It survived better than I did. No punctures, not even a need
to pump up the tyres (so that was around 3-5 kg of stuff I didn't need to have
taken) and the return trip via Ryan Air was not too bad either. A bit of TLC, a
wash, a re-arrange of the bits squashed up for the return journey and some lube
and then the same for the bike and she was as good as new too! So, I am a fan,
and also of the Schwalbe tyres - as good as the adverts say! But I am even more
of a fan of Sudocreme - even better than the adverts say - and hot, sticky,
abrasive modern fabrics and sensitive bits (top or bottom) don't mix - but Sudocreme
really helps. And it stops you biting your nails!
The future
It was too much fun - bar of course every day when it
wasn’t … But memory is very very
selective – already!
So, with a following wind, a bit of luck on timings and some
patience from my family next year sees the Arch to Arch ride in aid of Kidney
Cancer sufferers and the James Whale Trust as I have an old friend who has
asked for, and deserves, my support, so 'Tally Ho' and here we go again.
But, once again, thanks for all the support - I said it would help, it did, it still does
and still leaves me feeling a little bit more positive than I really think I
have the right to be. So, go on, its got to be worth a look and a few quid …
In the meantime, and 'till the next bit of madness, Buen Camino.
Updated as the formatting was rubbish!
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