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Walking in their shadows

  • Wow! How time flies

      29 March 2024
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    I can’t believe that it’s been 2 weeks since our last update! We have been extremely lucky with the weather, rain has arrived today and we think it will be around for a few days, it has also got extremely cold, apparently there has been snow a few days ahead of us! We have met a kiwi couple that we have walked with for a few days and so many other peregrinos that we have spent time with over the past 2 weeks. We have been walking through beautiful farmlands and parks. We spent a day in Merida touring around the Roman ruins - so amazing to see such ancient sites, with many buildings still standing. The wildflowers have been beautiful, the sunrises spectacular. We are amazed at the interest that has been shown in our message about Multiple Sclerosis, it is encouraging to find people from other countries wanting to donate to our cause. We knew that this walk was going to be harder than other Caminos that we have done, and we have found some days harder with the heat and some steep climbs. But the countryside unfolding in front of us, and the fascinating history around us combined with the camaraderie of our fellow peregrinos has got us through.

    This week is Semana Santa, the week before Easter, and it us widely celebrated in Spain. Accommodation is difficult to find as the locals are on holiday all week and all go to town, small or large, to enjoy the processions and the festivals . It is so lovely to see families out enjoying themselves .

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    • 02/04/2024 by Maree

      What an amazing journey, your descriptions really draw you in. I can imagine the busyness of the streets with the processions. Thanks for the updates.

  • 6 days down

      15 March 2024

    Wow! What an amazing 6 days it has been. It is really good to be walking and getting out of the city and into the smaller villages and rural areas. We have been cold, wet, muddy, hot, sweaty, very tired, not so tired but above all, amazed by everything we have seen and people we have met. We have walked an average of 20 km a day, one day was 30 km, we have walked on paved roads and unpaved roads meandering through a huge park. We have examined Roman ruins, seen breathtaking cathedrals and churches, experienced such tranquillity in the park listening to the bird calls and seeing all the wild flowers. We have enjoyed meeting fellow pilgrims from many different countries, we all seem to be able to communicate with each other despite not having a common language. We have met so many kind and caring hosts in our places of accommodation. It has been a great start to our Camino and we are looking forward to the next few weeks.

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    • 27/03/2024 by Maree

      Well done you guys, autumn is making itself felt back here in Bell Block. The beginning of your walk sounds lovely. Enjoy, Maree and Grant Johnson

  • We start tomorrow!

      9 March 2024
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    We have had the most amazing time! We had a day and a half to explore Madrid, such a beautiful city and so much to see. We found the market and enjoyed some seafood, and also visited the church of Santiago -we were very pleased to find it. We spent a day at the Alhambra in Granada and a day in Seville where we managed to see the magnificent cathedral and Alcazar. There is just so much to see! We have been awed by the beautiful old buildings, the scenery, the history around us - just stunning!

    Tonight we are spending our first night in a Camino hostal (we had forgotten about the cold, erratic showers, but soon were reminded) and tomorrow we start walking. True to Froude luck the rain has arrived, we will probably be getting wet tomorrow! We are going to head into the Cathedral for 8.30 mass tomorrow morning and then the walk will start. We are looking forward to leaving the big cities and all the people and exploring the Spanish countryside in Andalucia. Thank you so much for all the donations made, it’s so encouraging to see.

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  • One more sleep!

      2 March 2024
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    Well, it’s too late for training and too late to pull out! We have left our dog at his favourite kennels, had the family farewell dinner- how we are going to miss them all! We leave tomorrow for the long haul to Madrid, then we spend a few days in Granada and Seville, before shrugging on our backpacks and starting our 1000km walk to Santiago de Compostela. We are both very excited now, looking forward to the amazing adventure we face, and keen to see if we can endure the 1000km on foot! We are so grateful for all the support we have received from so many people, for the great T-shirts MS New Zealand had made for us and all the donations received. We will send through regular updates so that you can join in the experience.

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  • 2 weeks!

      18 February 2024
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    The countdown is on! Only 2 weeks to wait and we will be flying to Madrid. Jacko, our crazy fox terrier, knows that something is up. He keeps sniffing the backpacks and watching us with accusing eyes. We are lucky to have had some stunning days for walking here in Taranaki and are getting the last few chores ticked off the list. Thank you so much for the support.

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  • Only 3 weeks to go!!

      9 February 2024
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    We had a great training walk last weekend, the weather here in Taranaki was stunning . We walked with our poles and our full backpacks, I’m sure there were a lot of people who wondered what we were up to. We have two lovely ex-Camino friends from America staying with us this weekend, it is great revisiting all those old memories and we are looking forward to making some new memories. We have a bit more training to do before we go, some adjustments of the backpacks and we will be ready!

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    • 10/02/2024 by Shaun

      Fantastic - I wish for you sound feet - good health and comfortable adjustments. Enjoy your epic journey together 💙❤️

  • 4 weeks to go

      4 February 2024

    We seem to have so much to do before we leave and time is running out! However, we will get there and can’t wait to be on our way. We are blown away by people’s generosity and so excited about the donations that have already been made. Thank you so much.

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