Fiona & Mark Rammell

The Pilgrims

Fiona & Mark Rammell

Husband and wife on a spanish pilgrimage



Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Wellington » Upper Hutt May 11th 2015

Well it has taken two years but finally we are about to head back to Spain to finish the Camino from St Jean Pead de Port through to Santiago on the Spanish Atlantic Coast. This time our friends Jenny and Ross Shaw are travelling with us to witness the fact that we will finish what we started. We are very excited and slightly nervous as we hope part two is as great as part one. It has so much to live up to. Bags are being packed, longer and longer walks are occurring and the anticipation is growing. All we have to do now is get seats on standby travel - it will happen. We leave on Tuesday 19 May and start walking again on May 23. Once on our way we will send a blog ... read more

Europe » Spain » Castile & León » Castrojeriz July 2nd 2013

So we made it, the last 20km to Castrojerez and the end of our first half of the Camino. I have entrusted my staff to a publican at the entrance to town who has promised me he will keep it until 2016 when we return. It felt really strange walking the last km to the hotel without it. Mixed emotions today, hard to believe it is all over. We would dearly love to carry on but also very excited about seeing the kids, Suzzie and Scott, their children and Pat/John in Chicago and Cleveland. Have been walking with a guy from Canada, Jonathan. He is 30 and very nearly gave up on day one. He owns a very successful business building trailers for truck and trailer units in Canada. He employs 230 staff and is a ... read more
image
image
image

Europe » Spain » Castile & León July 1st 2013

Second to last blog - relief for many of you I am sure. Today an epiphany - so often in life the things we dread work out well and those we look forward to do not. Back home this happens all the time, I hate the thought of some jobs at Kaitoke and put them off time and time again only to find that on finally getting around to them they are mush easier than I thought. Vice versa of course also applies. Today was a classic example of this. The Mesete is dreaded by many as I mentioned yesterday. It was a doddle, very pleasant, different and rewarding. We chewed through 20km with a good deal more ease than previously. Tomorrow is our last day and again we tackle the Meseta. Now of course we ... read more
image
image

Europe » Spain » Castile & León » Burgos June 30th 2013

What a day, 26km in the heat which must have been 35 degrees. Not too much climbing and a beautiful start to the day leaving San Juan but man did it get hot and very boring the last 8km into Burgos. We learned that Yvette had spent an extra day in Burgos for a rest so it was very exciting to catch up with her and to share all our stories. Rob and Carminia were also in town - remember we shared a cab with them from Biarritz to St Jean. Everyone is tired and it is generally agreed that from here on in it is a mental game rather than physical. It is a funny feeling knowing we are not going the whole way. We are so pleased we made that decision at the beginning ... read more
image
image
image

Europe » Spain » Castile & León June 29th 2013

Back in a hotel so we had a good nights sleep and a long shower. I forgot to tell you yesterday that we were officially informed by a Welsh lady that we did not understand the way of the Camino if we were staying in hotels - we considered ourselves told off. I am now officially known as Smurf Kiwi on the Way. Everyone thinks it is hilarious, the blue kiwi got a bit tedious. Met some great Kiwis today who now live in Korea teaching at an international school. Dad walking with daughter which is so cool. Mum meeting them later to finish off. A long day today which started with us a bit anxious about the kids travelling to LA. Good news came early on that Christopher and Sam got the last couple of ... read more
image
image
image

Europe » Spain » Castile & León June 28th 2013

So have you ever wondered how many ants there are on the planet? If you have walked how far we have spending a reasonable proportion of your day staring at the ground in front of you, you will have. By my reckoning there are at least one thousand times as many of them as there are of us. Contemplate that something slightly bigger than them eats them and so on and so on. You will quickly realise as I have that these tiny tikes are a pretty important part of the food chain. If ever they were to dissapear we would be in serious trouble! Yes it was hot today. A long day and not much to look at. Today we left the region of La Roija - remember silent j, wrong, it is apparently sounded ... read more
image
image
image

Europe » Spain » La Rioja » Santo Domingo de la Calzada June 27th 2013

A short day today just 16km but we have stepped over the 250km mark so almost 1/3 of the total distance behind us. Easy walking today but somehow it does not matter how far you go by the end your feet are tingling. We happened to leave Azofra just as the pilgrims from Najera were passing through so the way was busy but still you had your own space. It looks amazing ahead with forty or fifty people spread out over two or three Km 's on the crushed limestone paths. I hope one of the photos posted shows this. If not when we get home and you inevitably sit through the marathon slideshow you will see it then. Met a nutter today - an Austrian who left Logrono at 2am this morning and is stopping ... read more
image
image

Europe » Spain » La Rioja » Azofra June 26th 2013

On our way to Azofra which is 23.3km down the road, well path actually. Fiona headed off this morning with a vengeance arriving in Ventosa for morning tea ahead of me. Fiona leaves in the morning while I pack and pay the bill. She likes to see how long it takes for me to catch up while I try to catch her as soon as possible - yip the sun has got to us. We generally only spend about half the day if that walking together, the rest is wandering along chatting to others or walking alone. Both are great, it's nice to have time on you own as well as meeting new walkers to chat to and learn about their lives. Everyone is so open as we all have the Camino in common. We have ... read more
image
image
image

Europe » Spain » La Rioja » Logroño June 25th 2013

So an easier day today which has been great for Fiona. We will try two shorter days to see if her leg improves and then we will try stepping out again - hold that thought, we have just stopped in Logrono for lunch and a restful afternoon (which includes me updating our blog) and her ladyship now feeling good has just suggested we up route and carry on for another 13km to Navarette. I will continue later once we have made a CONSENSUS decision and I have done exactly as I am told. Back later. Fiona and Father decided it was divine inspiration to head off again for another 13km what I wanted to know was how about some divine energy? None was forthcoming at least not for me. Both of them literally raced away, given ... read more
image
image
image

Europe June 24th 2013

Thanks to those who pointed out that ibuprofen was in fact neurofen, just to make it quite clear Fiona was taking 800 mg capsules named ibuprofen as apposed to neurofen which has a different dosage - I think. Who cares anyway. Today 2 neurofen but in pretty bad pain by 15km. As per yesterday's blog we said goodbye to yvette and mike. Saw Mike at breakfast this morning, he was pretty sad heading back to the States but had really enjoyed the experience and was coming back as soon as he could. Fiona got off to a ripping start and knocked out the first 7km in just over an hour - might just explain the pain at 15km but there is no way I am going to make that comment being the loving and supportive husband ... read more
image




Tot: 0.274s; Tpl: 0.006s; cc: 14; qc: 89; dbt: 0.0794s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.2mb