Daily Bulletins 2006
3rd May 2006 - They're off again!.
If you have followed the story so far (and if you are still awake!), you will recall that Gustavo suffered physical distress prior to the planned departure for Spain in July 2005. What he thought was sciatica turned out, after extensive and expensive treatments, conventional and alternative, to be broken leg. It took weeks to get the diagnosis, during which Gustavo missed the chance to join the other three on the Camino and convinced himself that his terminal demise was well advanced and that he would never ride again. Consequently, when he finally discovered that it was "nothing more" than a fractured limb, his joy was unconfined. It was indeed a strange evening at the Ceres Inn when we celebrated Gus's broken leg with beer and good cheer.
We took him (and his leg) up to Glen clova and back (100 miles) to test it out and, although he was sore and a bit slower than usual, he made it. It was also the first time the four of us had cycled together for months and set us thinking when it might happen again, and where.
It was therefore not wholly surprising that, when, in the depths of a long winter, Gus announced that he had been invited to Santiago to teach, somebody suggested that he should do it by bike and earn the compostela that he had so painfully been deprived of. All he had to do was to fly to Asturias, which is more than the minimum distance from Santiago that a cyclist must travel to earn the compostela, and set off along one of the pilgrim routes that run along the coast (the Camino del Norte).
As before, plans were laid for the trip, but unlike before, there was less of a sense that the escapade might be outrageous or unknown, only that it might be logistically complicated. Unfairly perhaps, Gustavo is held to have a very poor sense of direction (or even the instinct to locate himself at any given point). Consequently, Ken and Andrew volunteered themselves as chaparones and guides for the trip. Alastair, meanwhile, besides being unable to commit to the suggested dates, claimed to be saving himself for some wild notion of his to cycle over the Alps later in the year.
On the eve of departure, further setbacks beset this new trio: Ken has been unwell for weeks, unable to train and, though the spirit is willing, the flesh is simply not strong enough to carry him to his destination. However, Gustavo has confounded his reputation by making elaborate plans not only for the trip itself, but also to teach, and to present his latest book: a biography, to the good people of Ribadeo, where its subject was born. He may even have managed to negotiate a slap up meal and a lift back to the airport in the back of a van. Your correspondent will investigate.
4th May 2006
Confirmation last night, in the hearty surroundings of the (now non-smoking) Ceres Inn, that Gustavo and Andrew are off at 4a.m on Saturday and that Ken will stay behind. It will be a demanding schedule if Gus is to meet his teaching commitments starting on Tuesday. 70km on the night of arrival (having been up since 4a.m., travelled through three airports and rebuilt the bikes) and a further 200km across an unknown (but probably hilly) landscape to bring them to Santiago. Back at mission control, we await their reports with eager anticipation.
8th May 2006
A text message from Gustavo announces: "Having lunch at a beautiful monastery in the village of Sobrado in the middle of nowhere. 68km down and 55km to go. Hills and showers hopefully over." The monastery at Sobrado dos Monxes was founded in 1142 and apparently contains the beautiful if rotting choir stalls originally from the Cathedral at Santiago and a monumental kitchen where pilgrims once cadged meals. By the sound of it the habit of eating well at Sobrado has survived.
10th May 2006
Text messages sent to Ken are shared around the Ceres Inn. News that, on arrival at the airport, rather than saddling up, they wisely boarded a bus travelling west and stayed on it until Luarca. It appears that there were certain delays the following morning prior to setting out, known by Santiago pilgrims as "circumpappilation". Once on the road, it seems to have been a mixture of showers and hills, as previously disclosed, but arrival at Santiago was achieved, compostela was awarded (to Gus). Well done, pilgrims!
Last updated November 12th 2006