Monday morning, D-Day in 5.
Yesterday was a fine day. Spent two solid hours on the allotment, before walking into Wetherby, catching the bus back to Leeds at noon. The sun was shining, it was cold to start with, but I soon warmed up on the plot and walking up Quarry Hill Lane was fine.
The patch of Chard looks healthy still, but there were a few which has run to seed - I grubbed them out of the ground and cut back the larger fibrous bottom leaves to see if it encourages them to keep up the good work? I don't think they're frost hardy?
Molinaseca was definitely a better option than awful Ponferrada - where I was sick from something too rich in my dinner or some bug I caught from all the people milling about - but I passed through too hastily expecting something better of Ponferrada. I felt something similar - malady - yesterday as I fought against the tide of monotony which is the run up to Christmas: all those Christmas stalls up Briggate! I just swerved passed them heading back... All those cars going into the Victoria Centre... The feelings of flu/cold seems to be gone.
Then I saw a couple of old faces and a couple of dogs I used to dog sit for - I don't know why Lola throws herself at me all the time? Huxley wants to approach, he's just looking at me as a possible source of food?
In amongst all the beans I'd found a few potatoes I'd overlooked - we had blight so we cut all the folliage away - and I trimmed some bottom leaves off the Kale which is beginning to look substantial, but something is still devastating the other Brassicas! Must be pigeons: Andy's covered his with netting supported by sturdy poles. I suppose I'll try again in the Spring?
The moon is almost full (it will be today) and it was clearly still waxing yesterday (with a halo of clouds around it), so it'll be absolutely brilliant to have it waning gibbous on my shoulder when I walk early on the mornings in Portugal?
And what is this about sunsets on the Caminho Portugues? I had some fantastic sunrises on the Camino Frances... Especially the one on the morning leaving Foncebadón: Foncebadón was a magical place. Actually more so than O Cebroeiro - which was far too touristic with its round houses and souvenir shops...
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Molinaseca, Villafranca del Bierzo and O Cebroeiro were the places I saw Bruno, from near to Rouen, who I owed €7 to. I'd met him in León outside the palace on the first morning of the second part of my Camino Frances. He'd paid in a couple of places when it was cash only - I held on to €7 almost until I flew back just incase I saw him somewhere random; but he was gone.
O Cebroeiro was the final place I saw Brendan from York WA too. I walked to Samos the following day, as Triacastela was just too early in the day to stop and the other way to Sarria too long, and found the albergue shut for winter so I had to thumb it the short distance to signpost of Sarria (short in a car, long on foot). I hope they both got to Santiago safely?
Monday morning. Got Lola this morning, but will wait for the school kids to get to Wetherby before I catch the bus myself. After 8 am.
My finances are getting a bit tight again, but Wednesday I start getting funds once more. It's a 5 week month, with 2 lots of PIP and ESA, so it's a good job I brought the beans and potatoes from the allotment...
Finally I don't feel so anxious. Friday afternoon is not far away and even I can tolerate the Christmas nonsense for 5 whole working days?
I'll have to consider where I am heading from when I get to Porto. Maybe back to Figueira do Foz or just from Porto... I don't really want to walk on my own again. I quite liked having other pilgrims around, even the twentysomethings and thirtysomethings with their flirting nature's...
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