So, who's leaving in the next month or so?

[Alan Hogarth]

Dear fellow pilgrims

Thank you first of all Jackie for starting this thread.  I am beginning my camino at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire England on Sat 4th May walking to Portsmouth Cathedral over 4/5 May 20 miles.  Then returninghome to Ipswich Suffolk England by train and back to work until I retire on Monday 13th May, my next stage begins the next day 14th May.

Winchester Cathedral has a special significance me as I'm a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Bill W one of AAs two founder members visited Winchester Cathedral when he was in the US army during WWI.  He was intrigued by the gravestone of a soldier and made a note of the wording:
"Here lies the body of a Hampshire Grenadier
Who died from drinking cold small beer
A good soldier is ne'er forgot
Whether he dieth by musket of by the pot."

The gravestone is a smooth marble one with incised lettering so I intend to make a rubbing of it and then frame the rubbing for my local AA meeting in Ipswich Suffolk England.

I shall be attending Spanish AA meeting as I walk the camino and I now after ten years in the wonderful fellowship of AA that there are no strangers in AA rooms only friends I haven't met yet.  I have worked out a little speech so that I can tell meeting secretaries "My Spanish is not yet good enough to share properly with you but I would like to read any one of the traditional AA readings The Preamble, 12 Steps etc and I would appreciate if the members would put me right and help me with my pronounciation. I hope by the time I reach Santiago that I will be able to take a full part in AA meetings.

If there any AA members who have knowledge of meetings near the camino I would appreciate an email.

The second stage of my pilgrimage begins where I left off at Portsmouth on Tuesday 14th May when I catch the 8.00pm ferry across Biscay to Bilbao, arriving 08.30am Thursday 16th May.  Couple of day in Bilbao visiting the Guggenheim etc then bus to Pamplona, another bus to Roncevalles and then just a short 500 mile stroll to Santiago although I also intend to carry on to Finisterre.

I intend returning from Santiago to Bilbao via the FEVE narrrow guage railway which runs along or near the North Coast.  I shall break the journey overnight at Oviedo where there is a Pilgrim Refuge.  The fare for this 500 mile trip is an amazing 33 Euros, actually 17 euros to me as a Senior but I will also need to buy a Spanish Seniors Railcard for 3.27 Euros!

Ultriea and Good luck to You All

Alan
alan.hogarthantlworld.com