And I’m back. Yes I have been truly slack ove rthe past few months but I will fill you in on my adventures in the coming weeks. Also my Dad was a little outraged that I have not been writing –  as in his words…”forget this facebook twitter crap and write your blog for gods sake!” Needless to say father may have all the ipads and iphones one could need but facebook and twitter is not part of the equation….So here I am….

For now, however, I am again going for a little wander….this time from Lisbon to Santiago….so a northbound stroll through Portugal…just a casual 600km but I have already taken a few detours…I caught the train from Lisbon to Santarem (pronounced Santa Rai) and leaving the camino to walk to Fatima….and then walking north to rejoin the camino for Santiago.

So first of all I am completely unfit for this kind a caper! Yes you may say…What!!! Did you not just walk 1700km a week ago?….well actually I finished that 2.5 months ago and in that time I packed on about 7kg from my gastronomic and wine tasting exploits around europe! No shit….I am literally carrying a ton of fromage and red wine around my tummy….I am truly looking elegant to say the least. Although I don’t  anticipate getting used to walking with my pack to take too long, it still feels like a heavy house on my back. Having said that, it feels quite comforting too. …I have a sense of purpose again.

Over the last few months I have become increasingly anxious about my employment situation-which plainly amounts to unemployed…sometimes I feels like it verges on unemployable! Don’t get me wrong – I don’t regret taking advantage of this sabatical to travel (I may never get this chance again) but I don’t function to well without a sense of purpose or achievement. So over the past week alone I have applied for approximately 12 jobs now. I am certain I am not qualified for the majority of them but desperate times call for, well, desperation. All the job apps certainly give me a sense of purpose but constant rejection does not fulfil the achievement part of things…so I am doing another walk…..the sense of achievement at the each day surpasses all my anxiety of unemployment…. and a small visa bill!!! Yes dad….no dad it will not be your problem! !! 

Speaking of anxiety though….if walking these caminos is supposed to alleviate such problems….the first couple of kilometres out of Santarem does nothing for it. The main english guide to the Camino by John Brierley  (those of you who have used his guides will know what I am talking about)…is quite frankly a load of crap. Firstly…..he describes the first few days walk out of Lisbon as a gentle walk through woodland….which I have heard is quite the contrary to reality. In reality you are walking on busy roads…and the woodland is just the trees along side the road. THEN his guide does not include the detour to Fatima….one of the biggest pilgrim routes for the Portuguese people….it as if he 9nly wants you to go his way, like he is the Pide Piper of english speaking camino pilgrims. So this left me with a predicament of having no guide to do my detour and experience a walk that many pilgrims do. (I am not doing this for religious purposes by the way, but walking  is just a lovely way to see a country). Anyway….anxiety levels were on serious alert leaving the centre of Santarem today as it is not very clear at all…..thankfully an old man took pity and told me where to go. Also there is no walking. I mean I have met one French man – who kindly let me see his guide…which included the Fatima detour….but he seems to walk at warp speed as these old french dudes do….so I am totally alone with only one word of portuguese….obrigado or thank you! It seems, however, that a backpack on woman walking alone brings out the best in people and so far I have had no problem navigating my way….and the signs have become more frequent…little blue arrows to Fatima.

Anyway…I am doing a cruisy 21km today…just to break in some new boots! YES the old boots clocked about 2700km in the past 18 months and needed to retire. …and also walking too far in the first few days guarantees some sort of injury or blister….so I am having a beer and baguette for lunch before the last 8kms to another beer and my place to sleep….and hopefully I will leave a few kilos behind too!