at the end of the way.

After the big exhale when I departed from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the 4th October, I am now, finally, about to breath in once more as I return home for the winter season. It's been quite a while in which I've been away. The longest since Lola was a puppy ... As she's crossed over into senior dog, and now no longer needs those long adventures we once shared (which is so sad), I know I can leave her content on mother's sofa. But they're the same beautiful eyes I see into when I am by her side. There is no malice in them.

There are times when I get so lonely on el Camino, as I always get lonely in Blighty, when I wish she was by my side: but she's always been a bit of a provocative bitch so that it's not sensible for her the keep coming across local farm dogs and those chained up protecting 'property' if she were by my side. Those few dogs I saw on the Camino Frances were pretty easy going: especially Jacob the Mastiff...

Queued up for the emptying of the previous flight of sardines squashed into a tin can: Ryanair flight FR2399. And I got zero quarter coming through security - it's so hard for me to manage in crowds. Just as I thought I was mired amongst the mass another gateway was opened. It was meant to be? FR2400 is approaching LBA where my long return to Wby, mum and Lola continues: but not so long to go now? In the UK I am fortunate to be understood? Certain other countries have more systematic control...

...

On my way back through Leeds I finally dug out some coinage for the guys from Normandy, on a stall along Briggate from the Trinity Centre, and wasn't disappointed. The new 'disporated' Christmas market, which is all over town rather than concentrated on Millennium Square, is still 99% awful, but not this one ray of light: I'd gone for proper Bœuf Bourguignon but they had literally scrapped the pan to get the maximum out of that traditional dish so I had a wonderful Tartiflette instead. Most of the guys I know in the bars look proper opiated from this awful Christmas ritual of stampeding idiots: I'd give them January off if it was up to me... But the wheels have to keep on turning taking the fun out of funky so it just ends up as -ky!

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